Simon Francis

[Tony Currie]

"SOUTHEND United defender Simon Francis is keen to quit the club.

The right-back, who was voted Blues’ player of the year last season, insists he is open to offers from Championship and League One clubs"

Always looked quality for us too and still only 25. Get him signed!

 

[The One]

Always looked quality? Are you freaking kidding me?

Are you Sharpy in disguise?

 

[judge]

Always looked quality? Are you freaking kidding me?

Are you Sharpy in disguise?

didnt he make some quip a couple of seasons ago about the oinkers being the biggest club in sheffield ?

 

[raul]

No, that was Peter Ndlovu, on here, last week.

 

[Robbie]

To be honest, Francis always looked handy when he was with us, but I wouldn't sign him back now.

 

[Guesty]

He looked quality for a few games, I'd love to know what happened with him.

 

[Bladesman]

He seemed decent enough and at the moment if he keeps Taylor or Stewart out of the side even better.

 

[Houso]

He seemed decent enough and at the moment if he keeps Taylor or Stewart out of the side even better.

As bad as they are, I wouldn't play an entirely right footed right back at left back in front of them...

I think Naysmith will sign a new contract to be honest.

 

[Cheshire Cat]

"SOUTHEND United defender Simon Francis is keen to quit the club.

The right-back, who was voted Blues’ player of the year last season, insists he is open to offers from Championship and League One clubs"

Always looked quality for us too and still only 25. Get him signed!

Have I just lost 6 years of my life? I thought 2004 was the year for "Francis should be playing - we'd walk promotion with him in the side. Warnock is holding him back - something to do with Chief's match fees"

Admittedly after seeing his first few games I thought he was going to be a star - but it's taken him a long time to get to get to Southend's player of the year (which he's promptly repaid with a message to anyone who's interested that he'd rather play somewhere a little sexier).

No thank you.

 

[raul]

Grant Smith must be pretty peeved about not making the Ross County squad on Saturday too.

 

[norfolkblade]

He has been part of a team that's just been relegated from League One, do we really want to be signing these kind of players?

 

[SotonBlade]

...it's taken him a long time to get to get to Southend's player of the year (which he's promptly repaid with a message to anyone who's interested that he'd rather play somewhere a little sexier).

Somewhere a little sexier than Southend.....that is definitely keeping your options open! To about 90 other league clubs! LOL

 

[Berks_Blade]

I remember someone on the Blades messages (the name escaped me!) who used to bang on and on about how wonderful Francis was and we should be playing him more, and he was going to be a right-back for England in a couple of years time. Doesn't seem to have quite lived up to the hype at the time.

 

[Blades_257]

He has been part of a team that's just been relegated from League One, do we really want to be signing these kind of players?

Simeon Jackson's just been relegated from League One with Gillingham - would he be a bad signing? Premiership teams were interested in January.

You can never, ever rule out a player as a potential signing due to the team he's playing for.

And I wouldn't have Francis after what he said about Wednesday being bigger than us.

 

[axel smeets]

When we got promoted, there was an interview in the Star in the summer of '06 with Francis where he stated that indeed he believed that swfc were the biggest Sheffield club, obviously it was sour grapes etc but why the fook would we want to sign what is essentially a L1 player anyway?

 

[Robbie]

but why the fook would we want to sign what is essentially a L1 player anyway?

Shame we didn't think that way about Jamie Ward hey

 

[norfolkblade]

Shame we didn't think that way about Jamie Ward hey

Yes, although he was clearly far too talented to be playing at that standard in all fairness!

Blades_257 - valid point, I didn't think about it that much tbh, just the fact he said what he did about the swine makes me hate him, if we could get Jackson on a cheap deal I wouldn't be overly disgruntled by it, what with us needing to get a lot with a little as it were, do we need him though?

 

[Foxy]

Simeon Jackson's just been relegated from League One with Gillingham - would he be a bad signing? Premiership teams were interested in January.

As were we

Andy Taylor is better than Simon Francis, Francis has never met his potential and shows little sign of doing so, went downhill after his glandular fever.

 

[Robbie]

Andy Taylor is better than Simon Francis,

Take that back

 

[Worksop_Blade]

Oh the curse of people's memories making ex players out to be amazing when in fact they were shit and rightly sacked off.

 

[axel smeets]

Robbie, I'll happily stand corrected mate but when we signed Francis I believe it was from Bradford City in around March 2004. Now, Bradford City were relegated from the championship in May 2004, which technically meant that we were signing a championship player. Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that Chesterfield were and still are, in League Two, which, however you dress it up, means that Jamie Ward (talent or not) was a League Two player when he was signed.

The point is that we had him 2004-06 in the championship and let him go, Southend had him in the championship 06-07 and were relegated. He has not been signed to another championship club since. Perhaps that is because he is not good enough?

Jamie Ward, on the other hand, fitted in well with a team that reached the championship play off final in 2009 and then contributed well last season.....all.....in the......championship!

 

[Bath Blade]

In Championship Manager of around 2003, Simon Francis always became a world beater so it was clear we had an immense talent on our hands. It was obviously just Warnock's bad management that stopped him fulfilling his potential.

 

[Guesty]

Oh the curse of people's memories making ex players out to be amazing when in fact they were shit and rightly sacked off.

You're completely right but he was good for us, for a handful of games. He was awful thereafter, however.

 

[Bladesman]

Well he made only 12 appearances in a Blades shirt in 2 years.

He spent most his time on loan and even scored a goal at Tranmere.

The few times I saw him play I thought he was alright.

 

[Robbie]

Robbie, I'll happily stand corrected mate but when we signed Francis I believe it was from Bradford City in around March 2004. Now, Bradford City were relegated from the championship in May 2004, which technically meant that we were signing a championship player. Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that Chesterfield were and still are, in League Two, which, however you dress it up, means that Jamie Ward (talent or not) was a League Two player when he was signed.

The point is that we had him 2004-06 in the championship and let him go, Southend had him in the championship 06-07 and were relegated. He has not been signed to another championship club since. Perhaps that is because he is not good enough?

Jamie Ward, on the other hand, fitted in well with a team that reached the championship play off final in 2009 and then contributed well last season.....all.....in the......championship!

Of course, the original signing is indeed correct.
However, your comments suggested that we should disregard anyone from the lower leagues ..... which..... simon ...... francis...... currently...... is

Yes he has not been signed by another team, doesn't mean he isn't good enough. Beckford hasn't been signed by another team, does that mean he isn't good enouigh?