Post-Match Thread and Ratings Southend United 2-1 Blackburn Rovers

[Shrimpers are Magic]

I really hope John White see's a lot more first team action this season.
PB should take note of what a decent pro this bloke is.

 

[fbm]

Fab start to season against a very strong side, a class up from what we saw down here last year... but then so are we! What a strong performance from us, bodes very, very well. Don't want to get too carried away though... I've seen this before!

Not much to add report wise, just the ratings -

Oxley - 8 - Thought his kicking was immense and a couple of people seem to think he flapped at a cross but from my angle, he stretched and deflected it away from danger.

Demetriou - 7 - Solid and made some great tackles
Hendrie - 7 - Will be brilliant when he learns how to cross
White - 8.5 - Wow. A great performance from him. Had Graham in his pocket.
Ferdinand - 8 - After a slow opening 10 mins when he missed some balls I thought he should have got to, a controlled and competent display

Kightly - 8 - Welcome back MK - would have got MOM if you hadn't gone to the corner flag in injury time when you had a clear run on goal with just the keeper to beat
Timlin - 7 - Solid and a decent performance
Leonard - 8.5 - Looks as though he is playing for a move up and he will deserve it, either in January or next year. But you never know, it could be with us!
McGlashan - 8.5 - Best performance when starting IMHO in a blues shirt.

Cox - 8 - Leaner, fitter, very intelligent player and if he stays fit will get 20 plus goals this season
MAF - 8.5 - Is this bloke 37 or 27? Jesus he has some fitness and his hold up play against Mulgrew, their MOM by a long chalk, was superb, especially in the last few mins

Subs -

McLaughlin - 7 - Looked hungry and good when he came on
Robinson - 6 - Took a few mins to get into the pace of the game. Should have scored with that header after a brilliant cross from MAF.

Ref - 8 - Really good I think although he let a few challenges go in our favour which surprised me


So, who was my MOM?

Tony Mowbray - 9 - A masterpiece in how NOT to make your substitutions and change formation. In the second half, Blackburn changed from 4-4-2 to either a 4-3-3 or 3-5-2 - not sure - but either way, up to and just after their goal, they had us on the ropes. I never thought we would hold on to that. And the Mr Mowbray changed back to 4-4-2. Thanks very much mate, you let us off the hook. Plus you made your 3 subs far too early, leaving yourself with effectively 10 men after one of your defenders got injured in the last 10 mins when you were chasing the game. Except you weren't chasing the game... you were poncing around with it at the back. Good tactics, and thank you very much.

 

[Rob Noxious]

First opening game I've seen in over 25 years and a hugely pleasing one too.

A fine team performance but honourable mentions for John White, Michael Kightly and Lenny too.

I'm surprised that we don't put Anton up for corners as we never looked like winning the ball in the air up there - though of course this didn't matter with Tims' deep corner which led to Lenny's back door volley for the first goal.

 

[Ron Manager]

Great to be able to watch my first opening game of the season for a decade, and to be able to contribute to this type of thread regularly now having actually SEEN the game.

I can only echo much of what has been said already. A storming first half performance where we were head and shoulders the better team. Got a bit nervy after they scored (a great free kick BTW) for about 10 or so minutes but we worked our way back into the game as we realised that actually they weren't really threatening us. In fact for the final quarter of the game we were the better side again and created the best chances.

My MOTM is Kightly, just think he added something extra - a creative spark. In all honesty he's a step above this division and if he continues to play like that will be winning individual awards next May. White was immense too of course, in fact the whole team did a good job.

Looking forward to many more happy late nights and early mornings ahead watching this team play.

 

[OldBlueLady]

First opening game I've seen in over 25 years and a hugely pleasing one too.

A fine team performance but honourable mentions for John White, Michael Kightly and Lenny too.

I'm surprised that we don't put Anton up for corners as we never looked like winning the ball in the air up there - though of course this didn't matter with Tims' deep corner which led to Lenny's back door volley for the first goal.

Good to see you Rob, and a great surprise too!

 

[ryansm05]

I'm not sure how can you seriously believe that Demetriou had a better game than White, I think there has been almost 100% agreement on here and on the public votes on Twitter that White was our best player - and 100% certainty that he was our best defender!

Well fortunately football is a game of opinions Mrs.Old Blue.

White had a good game in the air, which is important from a central defender. But he offered almost zero on the deck (which I'm extremely pleased about given his limitations).

Demetriou had one of his best games offensively whilst cutting out the silly mistakes or unnecessary risk-taking at the back (which is often his down fall).

For me, JD was our best defender. Sorry if that offends. 👍🏻


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Shrimpersfan]

Well fortunately football is a game of opinions Mrs.Old Blue.

White had a good game in the air, which is important from a central defender. But he offered almost zero on the deck (which I'm extremely pleased about given his limitations).

Demetriou had one of his best games offensively whilst cutting out the silly mistakes or unnecessary risk-taking at the back (which is often his down fall).

For me, JD was our best defender. Sorry if that offends. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

While White was MOM for me I agree with you that Demi was probably just as good but in doing a different job.

 

[LennySUFC]

Just read on the Rovers forum that the core of players in the team are Owen Coyle signings and therefore it is his fault...

 

[danburyshrimper]

Oxley.............7 Fairly commanding although terrible finishing helped him
Demetriou ......8 Was a lot more composed than usual , a good all round display
White............10 Didnt put a foot wrong. Won every header , every challenge, inspirational performance
Ferdinand........8 Comfortable game as the man alongside him did everything for him!
Hendrie...........7 Tidy, kept the ball well. Didnt venture forward but we didnt need him to.
McGlashan.......9 Won his battles well , 100% commitment, his pace frightened the life out of defence
Timlin.............8.5 Tenacious, bossed the midfield, organised everyone like a captain. almost scored too!
Leonard..........7.5 Lovely to see movement at set pieces! Tidy , put his foot in and covered the ground
Kightly............8 Fairly quiet from Kights. Kept ball really well and showed class but i expect more flair
Fortune...........9.5 Awesome performance. Like having Thierry Henry + Didier Drogba rolled into one
Cox.................8 Battled so hard , real classy player , will score 20 goals this season for us.


Special mention to Phil Brown: Picked the right team ( harsh on Yearwood, Smith + Robinson but got every call spot on )
Good formation , good tempo + correct attitude to his team. Dignified and respectful in his after match comments. Well done Sir.

 

[Pubey]

While White was MOM for me I agree with you that Demi was probably just as good but in doing a different job.

It's interesting because from the highlights Blackburn's best chance game from White getting caught under the ball in a one-on-one in the box but Demetriou had read it and tracked back to support and put pressure on. Graham still got a good nod-down back to Bennett (Demetriou's original man). Think that whole play showed that White and Demetriou will struggle in the box against good forwards but that's to be expected. Kiernan or Turner would have dealt with that ball no problem, and Demetriou made the right call to double up with White because he was caught out.

Glad White had a good game on the whole though.

 

[Sandbach Shrimper]

It was probably a good time to play Blackburn, relegated teams often take a little while to adjust. Sheffield United started last season badly and Newcastle lost their opening two games as Mowbray said. Rotherham lost on Saturday too so hopefully that effect will last until Saturday at least!

 

[Somerset Ex-TTB]

It's interesting because from the highlights Blackburn's best chance game from White getting caught under the ball in a one-on-one in the box but Demetriou had read it and tracked back to support and put pressure on. Graham still got a good nod-down back to Bennett (Demetriou's original man). Think that whole play showed that White and Demetriou will struggle in the box against good forwards but that's to be expected. Kiernan or Turner would have dealt with that ball no problem, and Demetriou made the right call to double up with White because he was caught out.

Glad White had a good game on the whole though.

I think there best chance was after Oxley had palmed away their corner and Dack missed an open goal from about 6 yards odd.

That being said, the shot from the edge of the box, and the goal where the only times they even threatened at all.

 

[Pubey]

I think there best chance was after Oxley had palmed away their corner and Dack missed an open goal from about 6 yards odd.

Yeah that's fair.

 

[amsemp]

Oxley - 7 - made some great saves and was comfortable with his kicking. Few hairy moments but I'm sure that will improve with games.
Demetriou - 7 - assured performance and some good driving runs forward. Would like to see him improve his decision making in knowing when to stay back.
White - 9 - absolutely excellent. I've said a million times that he's far better as a centre back than a right back. Looked so solid and commanding and his reading of the game is superb. Kiernan will have a job getting a place in the team at this rate. White has to retain his place.
Ferdinand - 8 - was solid and comfortable dealing with Graham for most of the afternoon. Few shaky moments but he's another who I think will get better and better once he strings some games together.
Hendrie - 7 - steady second debut and worked well on the overlap with Kightly. Showed some signs of the player we had on loan last season and I reckon he'll come very good for us given a prolonged run in the side.
McGlashan - 8 - looked really up for it and determined to take his chance. Tried hard and was a thorn in their side most of the afternoon. Unlucky not to score but didn't catch the volley as sweet as he would've liked.
Leonard - 8 - another textbook Lenny performance. Any rumours of sulking, head dropping or lack of commitment can be put to bed after that. Battled well, put his body in where it hurts and got himself on the scoresheet. Really important we try and hang on to him.
Timlin - 7 - did a job and knocked the ball around well in the middle. Needs a few games to get himself back to his best, but in hindsight, it was the right choice to start Timlin over Yearwood as the experience was so beneficial.
Kightly - 9 - what a player he'll be this season. Always looked a threat and you got a feeling he was capable of something special when he got on the ball. Got through his fair share of defensive work too and showed good experience to take the ball into the corner and deny a potential counter attack when everyone else wanted him to go through.
Fortune - 8 - I don't think I saw him win one single header all afternoon, but on the deck he was excellent. Really caused them problems later on in the game by holding the ball up and bringing others into play. They just couldn't cope with him.
Cox - 7 - battled hard but was a frustrating afternoon for him. Still played some very good stuff though and will almost certainly have another big season for us.

Robinson - 6 - bit of pace against tired legs was good to stretch them later on.
McLaughlin - not really on long enough to justify a rating.

Brilliant result and certainly some of the best football I've seen us play under Brown. Really hope it's a sign of things to come.

 

[flinty86]

http://blog.tradepricecars.com/2017/08/07/blackburn-rovers-opening-day/

latest blog from trade price cars, i do enjoy reading these.

John White was quality saturday UTB

 

[jaffa1]

Mulgrew's summary ;

ROVERS skipper Charlie Mulgrew admits the players deserved their dressing down from Tony Mowbray after starting life in League One with defeat.
Despite Mulgrew’s stunning second half free-kick, Rovers were beaten 2-1 by Southend United at Roots Hall, leaving Mowbray frustrated and disappointed.
Rovers conceded from a set play for the opening goal, and then missed several opportunities to clear before Michael Kightly made it 2-0 eight minutes before half-time.
They threatened a comeback at the start of the second half, when Mulgrew scored an excellent free-kick, but the defender admits the performance wasn’t good enough to warrant anything from the game.


“We are devastated, the changing room was gutted,” said Mulgrew.
“But we are going to have to learn from it and move on.
“We were well aware coming in to the game what it was going to be like but we needed a test like for it to really hit home.
“If we didn’t realise it, we do now, we’re in for a fight and we need to win the battle first this year.
“He (the manager) had a go at us and rightly so, we need to step it up and be counted and show a bit of character.”
The game was a physical battle from minute one, with Southend winning the majority of second balls, while Marc Antoine-Fortune proved a handful in attack.
Southend went in to the break 2-0 ahead, leaving Rovers with a mountain to climb, and a 15 minute spell at the start of the second half apart, they rarely threatened.
“It was physical, it was battle,” Mulgrew said of life in League One.
“But goals change games and they managed to get in front and got another and from then on it was always going to be an uphill struggle.
“We got a goal back but are gutted that we couldn’t sustain that possession and create a few more chances and really put them on the back foot.
“But that’s what we’re going to have to do in the coming weeks, we need to look at it, pick the bones out of it and get on with it.”

 

[jaffa1]

I think there best chance was after Oxley had palmed away their corner and Dack missed an open goal from about 6 yards odd.

It appears that he was far more accurate at Faces nightclub later that day.... :chatup:

 

[Leoblue]

It appears that he was far more accurate at Faces nightclub later that day.... :chatup:

Who are we talking about here?

 

[Sussex Shrimper]

Oxley - 7 - One flap gave them a good chance, but otherwise did what he had to. Good kicking.

Demetriou - 7.5 - Solid, seems to have reined in some of his more reckless instincts a bit.
White - 8 - Generally solid, though tbh I didn't see him as a stand out in the way many others seem to have.
Ferdinand - 8.5 - The usual, our leader and organiser. Unflappable.
Hendrie - 7.5 - Think we'll get some joy from the quality of his deliveries. One nervous moment early on.

McGlashan - 8 - Great work rate, on a par with Atkinson. Made up ground brilliantly and should have had an assist for MAF.
Leonard - 7.5 - Answered his critics, hopefully. Covered really well a couple of times when we were stretched.
Timlin - 8 - Ran the midfield and picked up an assist with a quality corner.
Kightly - 8.5 - Money well spent. Will be a difference maker at this level. MOM.

Cox - 7 - Honest shift, just wasn't quite his day in terms of end product.
MAF - 8 - Technique and intelligence leading the line as usual, though should have scored. Ranger has much to do to get back in.

Not much to say re: the subs. Theo was fairly anonymous bar one header straight at the keeper. Macca wasn't on for long enough to have much impact, though I did find it interesting that we chose to play with inverted wingers rather than switch Kightly over. Minimising change to the team in that situation or something we'll see a bit more of this season?

I'm going to try not to get carried away, to expect nothing and appreciate everything, but on the basis of this game we should be approaching every single game this year with a 'can do' attitude, home and away. I said last season that I'd not seen a better team in our colours. It's early days yet but that statement might need updating in due course.

 

[enfieldblue]

one of the things that got me about Blackburn was they played very pretty football but never threatened in the final third (2 shots on goal) they came out in the second half and were playing us off the park and got the free kick, then the goal. they then went back to playing pretty football and never bothered Oxley again. Why????

That's enough of that - What a great game by all the players today . My MOTM - White, nothing beat him in the air today. More of the same please