Post-Match Thread and Ratings Southend United 3-3 Fleetwood Town

[Andy_S]

I don’t want a scapegoat. I want a left back that will mark a member of the opposition team when they’re on the attack. I lost count of the amount of times yesterday when Blackman was back in a defensive position with Fleetwood players all around him and he didn’t pick up any of them.

Why do you think he was taken off and Elvis was moved to left back if he wasn’t any worse than anyone else?

Waddock was highly critical of Blackman yesterday and turned to Todorov and Harrison several times complaining about him not tracking runners, ending obviously with him having enough and hauling him off.

 

[Bromley Blue]

Waddock was highly critical of Blackman yesterday and turned to Todorov and Harrison several times complaining about him not tracking runners.

Yeah exactly my point. I’ve not got it in for the guy. I was one of the few that went to the Orient death knell for Kevin Bond and Andre Blackman was our best player. That doesn’t say much coz the rest of them were horrendous but he played well that night. But yesterday he didn’t mark anyone. Yes there were other players to blame. Isaac Hutchinson’s defensive work left a lot to be desired for the second goal.

Yesterday was better coz we had a bit of fight about us in spells. But their keeper really should have done better with our third goal so we were quite fortunate to get a point. Still work to do but better.

 

[Ayrshire Blue]

LOL, did you see the Fleetwood keeper today? Despite him they are 4th.

If we'd swapped the keepers today it would have been a mullering.

Individual errors are costing us. Oxley drops a clanger every game at the moment

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Yeah exactly my point. I’ve not got it in for the guy. I was one of the few that went to the Orient death knell for Kevin Bond and Andre Blackman was our best player. That doesn’t say much coz the rest of them were horrendous but he played well that night. But yesterday he didn’t mark anyone. Yes there were other players to blame. Isaac Hutchinson’s defensive work left a lot to be desired for the second goal.

Yesterday was better coz we had a bit of fight about us in spells. But their keeper really should have done better with our third goal so we were quite fortunate to get a point. Still work to do but better.

No that was Elvis. Blackman was barely adequate that day. Yes others were worse but that doesn't mean he played well.

 

[Shrimper93]

Ok I apologise for the people like you comment, reading it back does look antagonistic, which was not my intention.

Back to Blackman, my point was that I thought he did ok, yes he lost his man a few times and isn't a very good defender but neither was the rest of them.

 

[Tombstone Blues]

I think you can go back through each goal and include anything between 3-5 players who contribute to the problem......it’s naive, basic and harsh to blame any goal on an individual unless it’s a glaring error.

We simply don’t defend very well as a team it’s really as simple as that and the evidence of that is the same problem with literally any combination of players in any game.

We’ve conceded similar types and no of goals no matter whether it’s Oxley or Bishop, Ralph or Blackman, Elvis or White, Lennon or Shaughnessy, Mantom/Milligan/Hyam/Hamilton, Hutchinson or Demetriou, McLaughlin or Goodship etc etc etc

Bad goals, too many goals. It doesn’t matter who’s played we keep conceding them. It’ll be interesting if theres a change of tactic at all or an improvement in general in Waddock while he’s in charge.

 

[united we stand]

agree with most of what’s been said so will only add where I have a slightly different view


Re the second goal, watching the fleetwood fans video someone put up earlier, is oxley unsighted and it’s actually a very good save just to get to it?
Some people saying oxley didn’t release quick enough- really? Second half he mostly was fast to look up and run to the edge of the area, but there was normally nothing on

Lots of people giving Humphreys 8-wow, what do you have to do to get a nine- I thought he was immense, massive effort and massive impact.

Elvis- for me that was possibly his best game, he was often left 2-1 and did really well ( and tbh I don’t normally rate his defensive play)

McLaughlin- FULL effort, couldn’t ask for more, I was really impressed with him, he really really wanted it . Really Impressed

Our support- better and generally very good BUT we still went silent when the team needed us most.
Very enjoyable afternoon- when’s the last time we said that !
Goodship- I know he is not a winger, he has s wasted out wide , but I get it that he is the least worse option , however his tracking back was awful, and bearing in mind he was only playing for a short period I am finding that difficult to accept.

Unfortunately to do well we need more than three players from 11 playing really well

 

[Kris]

We are seriously unfit. I don't think I've ever seen the amounts of space between the back four, midfield and strikers widen so alarmingly over the course of a game.

Like the Rochdale game we played very well in the opening 30 minutes and were very unlucky to be behind at half-time. Some delightful football at times, lovely one-twos, triangular pass and move etc.

Great free-kick by Humphrys for our equaliser but after going back in front, Fleetwood looked so much more athletic than us. Yes, maybe a lack of confidence on our part and mental strength sapping but we looked shot and Fleetwood were opening us up for fun. I imagine Joey Barton was seething at the end of the game as they should have buried us; instead we nicked a somewhat undeserved point.

I've mentioned it before but I genuinely don't think the team has been conditioned properly to play in hot temperatures and until we can last 90 minutes physically we are in serious trouble.

Oxley: Possibly could have done better with the second goal. One thing that needs to be noted is that he actually came off his line decisively through a ruck of players and collected one cross with confidence. Only once but more of that please.

Back four: I think Lennon and Kiernan could be a very decent partnership; I wish I could defend Blackman but he looked like a competition winner at times.

Midfield: McLaughlin's best game for quite some time. Stay fit and more of the same please. Hutchinson was godawful but he clearly isn't suited to playing in a wide position. Mantom and Hamilton out of gas by the hour mark.

Strikers: Thank god for Humphrys. I actually think he deserves better than us. I noticed he barely challenged for headers so I'm guessing he's been told not to or at least take it easy. Cox didn't have his best game but it doesn't help when he continually presses with no-one helping.

Subs: Demi did OK; would rather he played left-back and keep Elvis on the right. If Ralph is fit for Tuesday I'd like to see Demi at right-midfield to shore up that side. Goodship again looked useful. Would consider resting Cox on Tuesday. Ndwuku didn't really contribute much.

MOTM: A joint award for Humphrys and their laughably bad keeper.

Waddock: Well, we've won our first point with him in charge!

The ref: Quite decent. Didn't get much wrong.

The crowd: Brilliant. The West Stand blue voice were in great form. Considering how bad we've been this season it was great to see our fans get behind the team.

Overall: Good point but didn't learn much, other than our fitness levels remaining way below par.

 

[Tombstone Blues]

Makes me **** my pants when I read comments about a 19 year old potentially decent centre midfielder being played out wide, still creating the two clearest goal scoring chances from open play in the entire game as “god awful” when the multi capped international with 500 games under his belt can perform like he did and be excused with a “didn’t have his best game” ?????

****ing hell grow some bollocks and call out the big names as harshly as you do the kids will you

 

[jarvisyeh]

Makes me **** my pants when I read comments about a 19 year old potentially decent centre midfielder being played out wide, still creating the two clearest goal scoring chances from open play in the entire game as “god awful” when the multi capped international with 500 games under his belt can perform like he did and be excused with a “didn’t have his best game” ?????

****ing hell grow some bollocks and call out the big names as harshly as you do the kids will you

I suppose the difference would be that Cox ran his bollocks off last season to help us keep our league one status and injured himself pre pre season trying to get himself ready to do the same.

Hutchinson, and I have got a lot of time for him, hasn't quite proven his worth yet.

 

[Pak Power]

I suppose the difference would be that Cox ran his bollocks off last season to help us keep our league one status and injured himself pre pre season trying to get himself ready to do the same.

Hutchinson, and I have got a lot of time for him, hasn't quite proven his worth yet.

Hmmmm

 

[Tombstone Blues]

I suppose the difference would be that Cox ran his bollocks off last season to help us keep our league one status and injured himself pre pre season trying to get himself ready to do the same.

Hutchinson, and I have got a lot of time for him, hasn't quite proven his worth yet.

Not disputing what he’s done in the past or his quality on his day.....I’m saying if you’re gonna call it as you see it, call it the same for everyone not just the easy targets.....

 

[jarvisyeh]

Not disputing what he’s done in the past or his quality on his day.....I’m saying if you’re gonna call it as you see it, call it the same for everyone not just the easy targets.....

I agree with you but it is a lot easier to brush off one bad performance from a player who has shown can play well.

I can guarantee that if Cox plays poorly for the next 10 matches people will not be as forgiving about it.

 

[Tombstone Blues]

Well it’s been 7.......

I’m just thinking each game should be judged alone and the terminology doesn’t need to be so scathing and so forgiving....

if we’d judge Saturday I’d have been more inclined to say Cox was “godawful” and Hutchinson “didn’t have one of his better games but wasn’t helped playing out of position”....

Just a thought...

 

[Thundersley Blue]

Well I would have said the first substitution should have been Goodship for Cox, closely followed by the Demetriou for Blackman change. In Waddock's defence he must been aware that Macca would run out of steam eventually and he needed to take Hutchinson out of the action, so his options were limited.

 

[rigsby]

Is that the same 'Manton' (sic) who created the 3rd goal for Humphreys.......?

No it was the other Mantom, the one who wears the number 16 and looks very similar. Don't worry people made the same mistake v Posh and credited Mantom with good passes he never made.

 

[Steve Giles]

We are seriously unfit. I don't think I've ever seen the amounts of space between the back four, midfield and strikers widen so alarmingly over the course of a game.

Like the Rochdale game we played very well in the opening 30 minutes and were very unlucky to be behind at half-time. Some delightful football at times, lovely one-twos, triangular pass and move etc.

Great free-kick by Humphrys for our equaliser but after going back in front, Fleetwood looked so much more athletic than us. Yes, maybe a lack of confidence on our part and mental strength sapping but we looked shot and Fleetwood were opening us up for fun. I imagine Joey Barton was seething at the end of the game as they should have buried us; instead we nicked a somewhat undeserved point.

I've mentioned it before but I genuinely don't think the team has been conditioned properly to play in hot temperatures and until we can last 90 minutes physically we are in serious trouble.

Oxley: Possibly could have done better with the second goal. One thing that needs to be noted is that he actually came off his line decisively through a ruck of players and collected one cross with confidence. Only once but more of that please.

Back four: I think Lennon and Kiernan could be a very decent partnership; I wish I could defend Blackman but he looked like a competition winner at times.

Midfield: McLaughlin's best game for quite some time. Stay fit and more of the same please. Hutchinson was godawful but he clearly isn't suited to playing in a wide position. Mantom and Hamilton out of gas by the hour mark.

Strikers: Thank god for Humphrys. I actually think he deserves better than us. I noticed he barely challenged for headers so I'm guessing he's been told not to or at least take it easy. Cox didn't have his best game but it doesn't help when he continually presses with no-one helping.

Subs: Demi did OK; would rather he played left-back and keep Elvis on the right. If Ralph is fit for Tuesday I'd like to see Demi at right-midfield to shore up that side. Goodship again looked useful. Would consider resting Cox on Tuesday. Ndwuku didn't really contribute much.

MOTM: A joint award for Humphrys and their laughably bad keeper.

Waddock: Well, we've won our first point with him in charge!

The ref: Quite decent. Didn't get much wrong.

The crowd: Brilliant. The West Stand blue voice were in great form. Considering how bad we've been this season it was great to see our fans get behind the team.

Overall: Good point but didn't learn much, other than our fitness levels remaining way below par.

 

[Steve Giles]

Some of our players fitness is appalling, who’s fault? Theirs ,they are well payed so should train hard, dare I say it even in the large amount of their own time.

 

[Mr Browns Ghost]

No it was the other Mantom, the one who wears the number 16 and looks very similar. Don't worry people made the same mistake v Posh and credited Mantom with good passes he never made.

Yet had to look this up, it was Hamilton wasn’t it. Mantom best part of the game was pretending to run for the humphries free kick... that sums it up really, the best bit was when he didn’t touch the ball

 

[rigsby]

Yet had to look this up, it was Hamilton wasn’t it. Mantom best part of the game was pretending to run for the humphries free kick... that sums it up really, the best bit was when he didn’t touch the ball

Yes it was never going to fool anyone in the ground, apart from their keeper who stepped to his right. He had already gifted us the first one by hiding behind his wall. Still nice for McL to put it away, he had a good first half. Keeper tried to do the same for Hump and offered him the 'keepers' side.

As per usual Oxley gets the blame for our poor defending. Their left foot corner taker had a 90 degree run up, which means he is going for a big inswinger. We had Lennon marking on the edge of the box and Humphrys at the back post......Number 9's make good near post non marker 'clearers' but not back post defenders.

That corner went past Oxley about 12 ft high and swing in from 8yds out.....Never a keepers ball and I think it was Kiernan who actually headed it against one of their lads first........Another far post goal where we are out gunned, whilst our biggest CB is unemployed.

Their second goal, yet again non of ours fancied a basic block for that shot. Yet one of their lads sprinted in from the left to make sure he could put Oxley off and another was following up.......We can praise Cox and Hump all we like but neither of those two would do either of those things......Ugly basics win matches in L1.

Another example would be from Oxleys long and intended kicks to McL who jumps really well or to the 6ft 2" Goodship on the right. We have seen teams do the same and target Elvis. Mcl won a good header back into a dangerous area and 2 minutes later so did Goodship......Both times our front 2 admired the good work without bothering to trouble the 2 Fleetwood CB's. Still at least they won't have that nasty Mr Bond to tell them the truth

Yes it was a better atmosphere in the stands. Cox and Humphrys worked harder in the first half. Hump should have had more conviction instead of a casual outside of the foot finish, which would have put us 2-0 up....Overall I was left thinking, just like Hutchinson not really attacking that cross.......Do we really want it?