Southend United fans have had a miserable start to their season. They were amongst the relegation candidates last season in League One, surviving only on the final day with a win against Sunderland.

Kevin Bond took over from Chris Powell and surely hoped for the momentum from that final day joy to keep them going; it didn't. They've played six and lost six, scoring just once at home and conceding 17 goals in total. That's the same amount as Bolton's youth team have shipped in their opening matches.

Bond left the club last week, a decision that seems to be the right one. His side looked to play nice football but had a porous defence and a weak forward line. All the passes in the world can't mask a failure to score or prevent goals.

The Shrimpers are now searching for a new boss, one who will have to work with Bond's squad until January. They've tried ambitious managers in Chris Powell, old hands in Bond and Phil Brown, but where do they go next?

We've got three reasons why they might like to have a look at Barnet boss Darren Currie.

Tactical Flexibility

Currie doesn't have a set structure by which he achieves success, he's flexible at Barnet and that's going to be important.

Working with another man's squad means he might have to make the system fit the players, not the other way around.

Having played 4-2-3-1 in the recent win at Eastleigh, 3-4-1-2 at home against Torquay and 4-4-1-1 at times last season, Currie has a range of approaches he could make fit the Southend squad.

Cup Run

Last season's cup run has got to be a big plus for the 44-year-old. His side went to the fourth round of the FA Cup, having beaten Sheffield United in the third round.

Currie had his side well-organised and compact, hard to break down and eager to seize their chances. That's an approach Southend could well do with.

In the fourth round they were more adventurous and held Brentford 3-3 in the first game, eventually going down 3-1. That run earned them an award and it's the sort of basis upon which Danny Cowley built his future success.

Playing Experience

Currie had a strong playing career with a number of clubs in the south and that means contacts. He'll know players at clubs, coaches and managers on whom he can lean for favours in January.

He was with West Ham, Wycombe, Barnet, Brighton, Chesterfield and Luton, as well as several others. He played the game under lots of managers and that will have made him a rounded and well-connected man.

Some flair in the transfer market is needed if Southend are going to stay out of the bottom three this season.