Our game plan was to pass it around, no target man etc and try and have some mobility against their big defenders. Sometimes some of the players did this. much of the time the simple plan was ignored and players reverted to the same old rubbish.
The clue is in the title - MATCH REPORTS AND RATINGS, FFS!!! It's simple isn't it? :facepalm:
I thought we were okay in the 1st half on the whole. We didn't do enough in the final third admittedly but, by and large, we were doing okay. It was a big loss to lose Turner so early and it clearly caused a problem. I didn't really understand why Harry Kyp, who had been readied to come on, was replace by Stephen Hendrie, but I've been keen to see Hendrie given the chance to banish his demons on the pitch at RH so accepted it.
I think Anton was caught out by John White's throw to him, clearly wasn't expecting it and wasn't concentrating. What is so frustrating this season is that whenever we seem to make a mistake, we get punished without fail each and every time. What was also frustrating today was a weak referee who allowed a free kick to be taken about 20 yards further forward than it should have been and failed to send off a player who promptly scored against us. I would say we get no luck but then have to remember our goal.
Hoisting high balls up with Bolger in their defence was never going to work, but it's our default when we panic.
I do think they should give our Freddy a ring and ask him to come and do some training in the final third, two such defensive coaches as Brown and Couglan are clearly missing a trick at the other end.
So, 1st half - 0-0 at half time and we were coping ok. And then, as has happened so many times, half time happens, the players come back out and everything suddenly collapses around our ears. It doesn't take much for the vitriol to be unleashed from W block, with even the drum being used in the anti Brown chants.
Oxley - 7, some good saves and showed enthusiasm to get forward
White - 6, fairly solid on the whole
Ferdinand - 5, a risk that shouldn't have been taken, he doesn't deserve to be hung out to dry at this stage in his career quite so horribly
Turner - 6, knew he was in trouble, which was a shame as he's our best defender aerially
Demetriou - 5, little to any effect
Coker - 7, played about 3 different positions, and tried his best in them all
Kightly - 7, I thought Kights had certainly a good 1st half, defended well and has the ability to adapt into this position
Timlin - 7.5, my MOTM, thought he was our clear best player 1st half
McGlashan - 5, one decent run at them, when that's what we should have been doing. Still say he is only effective as an impact sub
McLaughlin - 7, showed promise and commitment
Cox - 6.5, felt sorry for him, doesn't suit the lone striker and had no-one to play off
Subs:
Hendrie for Turner - 6.5, thought he did ok when he came on, wasn't fazed by the atmosphere
Fortune for Ferdinand - 6.5, held the ball up well, probably too late reverting to a 4-4-2
Wabo for Cox - 7, the lad did great when he came on - by why on earth was he brought on for Cox? Should clearly have been McGlashan went off at that time.
Most of us have been here before, I think we still have the personnel to be able to save our season but there's an issue with confidence and there's clearly an issue with the management. Our chairman needs to have a good long think about what he needs out of the season and make some decisions because, at the moment, Southend United is looking a decidedly uncomfortable proposition for attracting any loan player or otherwise in.
I think Anton was caught out by John White's throw to him, clearly wasn't expecting it and wasn't concentrating. What is so frustrating this season is that whenever we seem to make a mistake, we get punished without fail each and every time.
Maybe in the twilight world that you are living in. The same world that those owners of Leeds Utd, Nottingham Forest, Birmingham and Coventry have in recent years. I'm living in the real world and, in terms of hiring and firing of managers so thankfully, is Ron Martin.
do you honestly think that players playing under Eddie Howe, Harry Redknapp or anyone else for that matter are happy when they are out of the team for any length of the time or for instance happy to sign a 1 year contract at the age of 29/30 when another club offers them 2 or 3 years? Get real. They are players not supporters. They are earning a living not parting with their hard earned cash to be at RH like us on a Saturday afternoon. If someone wants to pay them more, play them more, give them longer job security they will go. It is a merry go round. No more no less. Think of the players that have come here because they have become disenfranchised with who they played for - for exactly the same reason. If the captain of Millwall is considering comin here it won't be because he is getting plenty of game time at Millwall at the moment or that he still has four years on a lucrative contract! He will be trying to use our interest to force Millwall's hand one way or the other and at his age (play me more, extend my contract or let me go to a club that will) nobody will blame him. Their fans won't care either because the moment they are doing okay without him.
and by the way if you have been following Southend for any length of time things can get much, much worse.
Yep, you're right. Just seen the highlights. My bad.
Good to know there was someone 'intheknow' there! :thumbsup:
I wasn't there yesterday but , for a rubbish game -- according to the majority of comments, there seems to be quite a few higher scores in the ratings.
The defence sounded like it wasn't good and to have hardly any shots on target is poor but scores of 7.5, 7 & 6.5 seems remarkably generous.
Please correct me if I am wrong, but as I say, I am only going on comments on here.
I wasn't there yesterday but , for a rubbish game -- according to the majority of comments, there seems to be quite a few higher scores in the ratings.
The defence sounded like it wasn't good and to have hardly any shots on target is poor but scores of 7.5, 7 & 6.5 seems remarkably generous.
Please correct me if I am wrong, but as I say, I am only going on comments on here.
Until we have two separate threads, Match Ratings and Match Rantings there is no point in posting on this one.
Apart from Ferdinand's moments of madness they did okay and dealt with most things. Our midfield should be getting low scores as they were non-existent for most of the game.
I agree and people seem to have forgotten about his defending (and probably saving a goal, or at least a chance) when he forced their player out wide in the first half when Timlin messed up
And it is too painful to go through the dross of non match report negativity to discuss actual game moments or players' performances. If you have a match report Riggers can you pm me with it and then I will message you back with my view point.