Post-Match Thread and Ratings Southend United 0-3 Doncaster Rovers

[davewebbsbrain]

As i live away from Southend i dont make a huge amount of games. Ive seen 4 this season. A 0-0, 0-1, 0-2 and then 0-3 today. I havent seen a goal yet this season. Think im a jinx ����

For the love of god man, stay away

 

[ms brush]

Very disapointing. Think the team was beaten before the game started. General feeling in the east stand was one of confusion when team was announced. PB talks about quality and strength of the squad but then fails to use it. We were so narrow and had no width. Attacking options were limited. Thought the front two worked hard with no service of note. At the back, possibly the worst I have seen them play collectively as a unit. Bentley no confidence, both white and Coker looked unfit and AB and Thompson looked disorganised. However they had little or no support from the midfield. Atkinson and Leonard need a rest, both were poor today. Not Rea fault, but he is playing out of position. Payne had the odd break but ran into cul de sacs all the time, but he at least had a few attempts at goal. PB talks in the press about making changes and then neglects to do so, a big week required, maybe a few new faces in, a few out. Regardless, the starting line up requires a shake up. But we have lost just 7 league games all season and sit 7th in the table. Not all that bad.

This sums things up for me. To only make one change to a side that lost 4-0 a few days previously, and leave out arguably the most creative players we have (Worrall, Hurst and McLoughlin), especially after the 'big changes needed' speech, I did wonder if Phil Brown had woken up on Groundhog Day!!

I dont want to point fingers at individual players, I just want to point out where things aren't working. Dan made a couple of mistakes, and the defence weren't able to help him out. Neither Coker or White had any outlets upfield on the flanks, and both looked below par today. Barrett and Thompson seemed to be struggling to work out how to link with the midfield, which seemed to be missing for large parts of the game. The Midfield were ineffective today, too narrow, with far to many back passes and aimless hoofs. Hunt and Mooney had no service at all, so were always going to be in trouble. There was an improvement with the substitutions, but starting to play to our strengths at 3-0 down with 25 minutes left is not the way to win games!

For me, the biggest issue is Brown himself - he is seemingly too stubborn to make the changes that are blindingly obvious to the rest of us. The formations and tactics aren't working, the "clean sheet mentality" has failed spectacularly over the last 2 games, and the boys who have played in the last 3/4 games need a break. I know it is easy to sit in the East stand and criticise, but none of those players went out there today (or v Millwall for that matter) to play poorly, and we know we have a lot of quality and talent in our squad. We looked disorganised, too defensive and narrow, and completely knackered! What makes this worse is that opposing managers have sussed us out, so Brown was out manoeuvred by Neil Harris last week, and now Darren Ferguson today. Neither of these sides are that great, so what happens we we meet an in form Coventry in a couple of weeks time, and the scum come down to us in February??

All I want in 2016 is to see our manager promote a philosophy of scoring more goals than the opposition, which is the bit I think is missing most!!

 

[AndyT]

I think Copps likes playing Southend, he seems to raise his game when he plays against you, no idea why. Keegan is becoming a midfield controller we used to have in Wellens who has moved on to Oldham. Grant is a young lad from Everton who seems to thrive in the system that DF plays, he has scored some cracking goals since being at Rovers.

Systems are one thing, but having the right players is everything and your side had the right balance today.

Grant looked excellent on the ball. Had a bit about him and caused quite a few problems.

Not surprised he played for Everton. Bit like Dan Crowley who played for Barnsley earlier in the season, on loan from Arsenal.

Both had a bit too much for this level.

 

[Big_Nath]

Poor team display.

However Bentley's positioning was not good 1st & last goals. Similar to the Barnsley home. Where he again was to blame for giving away a plenalty.
Personally I think moving on now would not be wise. Bentley is a very good keeper but not the finished article. He is still young for a keeper and getting 1st team experience in League 1 not many keepers his age can say that.

Dan sign a new contract, take confidence from this. Then get your head down, get back to the level we all know you are capable of. A sizeable offer will likely follow in the summer in any case... just a thought

 

[OldBlueLady]

Hi Manor15, thanks for your compliments on my posts. I always enjoyed visiting and posting on the Shrimperzone, I find posters both respectful and honest about their own team and the opposition. I have never experience any bad feeling towards my on Shrimperzone, you are a great bunch of fans, and you support a great team. You will get over this blip and will be around the playoff places come May.

Your guys were ok too, big crowd of them in the Shrimpers Bar before the match enjoying a Fir King Good pint! I do have a bit of an issue that when there's a lot of them together though, they do just look like a page out of a "Where's Wally" book!!!

 

[davewebbsbrain]

Poor team display.

However Bentley's positioning was not good 1st & last goals. Similar to the Barnsley home. Where he again was to blame for giving away a plenalty.
Personally I think moving on now would not be wise. Bentley is a very good keeper but not the finished article. He is still young for a keeper and getting 1st team experience in League 1 not many keepers his age can say that.

Dan sign a new contract, take confidence from this. Then get your head down, get back to the level we all know you are capable of. A sizeable offer will likely follow in the summer in any case... just a thought

For the last goal, not sure how Bentley could have been better positioned. It was a penalty and Bentley stood in the middle of the goal :smile:

 

[OldBlueLady]

For the last goal, not sure how Bentley could have been better positioned. It was a penalty and Bentley stood in the middle of the goal :smile:

I am guessing he means in what led to the penalty, although it wasn't his positioning at fault, just thinking he had time to dribble the ball about!

 

[davewebbsbrain]

I am guessing he means in what led to the penalty, although it wasn't his positioning at fault, just thinking he had time to dribble the ball about!

Agree with that

 

[les@donr]

Systems are one thing, but having the right players is everything and your side had the right balance today.

Grant looked excellent on the ball. Had a bit about him and caused quite a few problems.

Not surprised he played for Everton. Bit like Dan Crowley who played for Barnsley earlier in the season, on loan from Arsenal.

Both had a bit about them for this level.

Rovers are a work in progress, DF is using players left to him by PD, but is using a system that has got the best out of them, we are 2nd in the Lg1 form table for the past 10 games. Grant will be with Rovers until the end of the season, he loves it at Rovers, and could stay longer next season. Grant plays well with both Copps and Keegan and offers excellent support to Williams and Tyson who have both flourished under the new 3-4-3 system.

DF has been quoted that there will be changes during the transfer window, some fringe players will leave. Forrester has already gone, and Wellens loan deal at Oldham will become a permanent move. DF has said he has a striker lined up to come in, and perhaps more.

 

[les@donr]

Poor team display.

However Bentley's positioning was not good 1st & last goals. Similar to the Barnsley home. Where he again was to blame for giving away a plenalty.
Personally I think moving on now would not be wise. Bentley is a very good keeper but not the finished article. He is still young for a keeper and getting 1st team experience in League 1 not many keepers his age can say that.

Dan sign a new contract, take confidence from this. Then get your head down, get back to the level we all know you are capable of. A sizeable offer will likely follow in the summer in any case... just a thought

We do have a unique kit, but we weren't the Wally's today:smile:

 

[Mick]

On BBC Essex afterwards, Adrian Clarke said, "a couple of bad results don't make a bad team".
I couldn't agree more. Today's showing was proof positive of POOR MANAGEMENT, POOR TACTICS, POOR COACHING and POOR CAPTAINCY. Seems to me our biggest problems are located at the top end of the crumbling structure.

Yeah shocking! The team promoted via the play-offs should be storming the league above. 7th is a disaster and all those things stated in upper-case are so clearly true.

I don't just want to gaze admiringly at a League table, I want to see an entertaining and spirited performance and for the second match running that has not been on offer. Instead I have seen an unbalanced team, with no presence up front, little creativity in midfield and some woeful defending all hamstrung by some imbecilic team selection.

I actually thought Doncaster were a decent team and probably on a par with Millwall. Both teams thoroughly deserved to take all the points.

 

[rayleigh dan]

I don't just want to gaze admiringly at a League table, I want to see an entertaining and spirited performance and for the second match running that has not been on offer. Instead I have seen an unbalanced team, with no presence up front, little creativity in midfield and some woeful defending all hamstrung by some imbecilic team selection.

I actually thought Doncaster were a decent team and probably on a par with Millwall. Both teams thoroughly deserved to take all the points.

Agreed in part, yes we're in a good position in the league but to stick your head in the sand and ignore 2 of the worst home performances in years is foolish.

I'd agree Millwall were very good and even at our best we might of still lost. I'm not convinced that Doncaster were at that level though, nearly every chance they had was due to our inept defending, certainly all three goals were.

 

[AndyT]

Rovers are a work in progress, DF is using players left to him by PD, but is using a system that has got the best out of them, we are 2nd in the Lg1 form table for the past 10 games. Grant will be with Rovers until the end of the season, he loves it at Rovers, and could stay longer next season. Grant plays well with both Copps and Keegan and offers excellent support to Williams and Tyson who have both flourished under the new 3-4-3 system.

DF has been quoted that there will be changes during the transfer window, some fringe players will leave. Forrester has already gone, and Wellens loan deal at Oldham will become a permanent move. DF has said he has a striker lined up to come in, and perhaps more.

Said to my brother during the game that I remember playing Doncaster when they were bottom of the Conference with a young team and it's good to see the club in much stronger shape than the time under Richardson in the 1990's.

 

[Leoblue]

Brown must be hurting tonight, such an uncharacteristic team performance these last 2 games.

 

[Big_Nath]

Yes thanks for pointing that out both...
the build up to the goals

Just to reiterate I am in no way slagging him off. I just feel Dan needs to work on his positioning as there have been a few errors leading on from this

 

[les@donr]

Your guys were ok too, big crowd of them in the Shrimpers Bar before the match enjoying a Fir King Good pint! I do have a bit of an issue that when there's a lot of them together though, they do just look like a page out of a "Where's Wally" book!!!

I know we have an unique kit, but we weren't the wallies today:smile:

 

[Leoblue]

Yes thanks for pointing that out both...
the build up to the goals

Just to reiterate I am in no way slagging him off. I just feel Dan needs to work on his positioning as there have been a few errors leading on from this

Dan is making mistakes of late, I would agree.

 

[McNasty]

I know we have an unique kit, but we weren't the wallies today:smile:

No need to rub it in bloke :smile:

 

[les@donr]

Said to my brother during the game that I remember playing Doncaster when they were bottom of the Conference with a young team and it's good to see the club in much stronger shape than the time under Richardson in the 1990's.

We've been through some tough times, nearly going bust in 1998, saved by John Ryan, took 5 years to get out of the Conference, makes you appreciate what you have now. Have to feel sorry for the Stockport fans watching National Lg North football, only a decade ago they were playing in the Championship, similar to Tranmere, in the National Prem.

 

[les@donr]

No need to rub it in bloke :smile:

Said in jest to what OldBlueLady wrote. You won't be seeing us again this season, unless we meet again in the playoffs.