Gulls Boss Johnson keeps focus on Job ahead as Southend agony goes on

LIKE Most of Torquay United's supporters, manager Gary Johnson has his views on the shambles which still passes for Southend United Football Club. But he's keeping them to himself (writes Dave Thomas).

The chaos at Roots Hall - Southend are due to appear in court to face yet another winding-up order on Wednesday - is bound to be on many lips when Johnson and his assistant Aaron Downes walk into the annual summer meeting of managers at Slough Town FC on the same day.

There had to be a chance, albeit a small one, that United might be reprieved from their relegation from the National League 'Premier' if the NL Board had pulled the proverbial plug on the Shrimpers before now.

The sorry story in Essex has continued through this summer - unpaid players walking out of training, backroom staff with no wages for four months, stalled takeover talks, at least one pre-season friendly postponed etc etc.

It just makes you wonder what more had to happen there for the NL to say 'Enough'.

If this week goes badly for the Shrimpers, in court and around the takeover table, the NL may well have to kick off with only 23 teams next month.

But the fixture lists are now done and dusted.  Southend are in the NL as things stand and Torquay will kick off at Dover Athletic in the NL South.

"We've all got our thoughts, but I don't want anything to dilute from what we're hoping to do in the season ahead," says Johnson, who led Torquay to a record-breaking South championship in 2018-2019.

"If we have a season like we had before, we'll enjoy going back there, and that's all I'm interested in."

Meanwhile, that meeting at Slough will include referees' representatives revealing what they will and won't be trying to clamp down on next season - that always raises an eyebrow or two.

The United squad is in the middle of another hard week of pre-season training, ahead of Saturday's second behind-closed-doors friendly at Bristol City Under-21s.

One youngster experiencing it all for the first time is teenage defender Callum Thomas, last season's Youth team captain who's just signed his first pro contract.

"Several other clubs wanted Callum, so we're pleased that we persuaded him to stay with us," said Johnson.

"He obviously has a way to go to get into the first team, but we think he can get there, we want to help him to do it and, as it happens, he's been going very well in training so far."