Post-Match Thread and Ratings Southend United 1-1 Exeter

So happy that Hurst was dropped, about time! Great performance from Worrel. Timlin on his return put in a good shift, we have missed him. Apart from the shocking miss Barnard put in a good shift.

What the hell do this management tell the players at HT? It was the Oxford match all over again. Decent first half and a goal and the garbage in the second with the same personnel.

eastling said:

What the hell do this management tell the players at HT? It was the Oxford match all over again. Decent first half and a goal and the garbage in the second with the same personnel.

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Protect the lead I expect. Which hasn't worked, again.

2 things - firstly Barnard has nothing else to do all week than practise scoring - hitting the post from 5 yards was an achievement!

Secondly - what does Brown say to the players that they should do when we go 1-0 uP because that is at least the 2nd time this year where we score and then just fall apart! Really poor

Just fed up not seeing us win at home - starting to get really wearing!

Come on the blues!

Brown needs to spend more time on the training ground and less time in the media.we will never get out of this crap league with mr negative in charge

Brown should take lessons from Ronald Koeman.

Delighted to see Wozza come in and take his chance, stand out performer. Totally frustrating performance and the usual tale of two halves that we seem to keep getting. First half we were on top, second half they were. Miss apart, I thought Barney had a really good game, he got in there, he harried, he challenged and he ran the keeper down, forcing him to make mistakes. Word for Atkinson too, some real tricky skills on show, and a hugely under-rated player. Tims showed how we have missed someone with the ability to consistently pick out pin point passes that are actually where they are needed rather than behind people.

Subs were totally wrong. Someone please explain to me what Weston bring to the game? I am yet to be convinced on any level. Barney may have been tiring but Corr did very little when he came on. Tims I expected to be subbed but I'd have rather seen Clifford come on.

Bentley - 6, distribution very poor at times
Leonard - 6, didn't look as comfortable as he was last week at Luton, shooting was off too
Thompson - 7, pick of the defence for me, apart from the goal
Prosser - 6, needs to settle down and find his inner steel again
Williams - 7, this kid is going to be a good player one day, and he's growing in stature every week
Worrall - 8, MOTM, endless energy, constantly pushing and much better corner delivery
Deegan - 7, usual commitment and tenacity
Timlin - 7, welcome back Tims, you've been missed! Great to see that old charging down the keeper again!
Atkinson - 7, good energy, good skill
Payne - 7, ran out of steam a bit so wasn't surprised to see him subbed, great energy in the 1st half
Barnard - 7, took his chance and was unlucky not to score, good to see a forward leading the line

Subs:
Weston for Payne - 4, why???!!!
Corr for Barnard - 6, didn't really notice anything except a defensive header
Hurst for Timlin - 6, again, didn't really notice him

Wickford Blue said:

2 things - firstly Barnard has nothing else to do all week than practise scoring - hitting the post from 5 yards was an achievement!

Secondly - what does Brown say to the players that they should do when we go 1-0 uP because that is at least the 2nd time this year where we score and then just fall apart! Really poor

Just fed up not seeing us win at home - starting to get really wearing!

Come on the blues!

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I keep saying it over and over again, this is half the problem. Not enough time is spent on shooting practise because Phil Brown foolishly doesn't believe in it. Dave Penney does it after the training matches and not all players take part. Also, Dave Penney wasn't a striker, so he teaches and tells them nothing as they shoot wildly wide or over the bar. I have watched training for many years, and this is the worst bunch ever at shooting on target.
Definitely time for PB to wake up, and bring in an ex striker.

It's all about opinions , but forgetting the horrendous 'open goal' miss , I really thought Barnard was one of our best players today.
Held the ball well , brought players into the game , harried their defence and looked lively.

Payne on the other hand was woeful IMO.
This is his first full season and he is young and on a steep learning curve,
Potentially he has the ability and drive to be one of our star players and on occasions this season , he has seemed our only spark of creativity.
I have every faith in him and he will improve with experience , but today was one of those games where he looked like a boy in a mans team.

Worrall looked lively and I thought Atkinson did some good things too , as did Deegan.

Not a great day ya the office , but that is what it will be like for much of this season I guess.
We are one if several teams who can potentially make the play off , but could equally finish mid table.
Time will tell.

THE SEVENTIES NORTH BANK said:

Definitely time for PB to wake up, and bring in an ex striker.

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I'm sure Freddy would be delighted to come back and help out :whistling:

Played pretty well first half- Barney put himself about and need starts and I believe the goals will come. Much more like his old self. Deegan and Worrall the other two stand outs. The rest ok but if you don't take your chances you are going to give the three points away a few times...

After 55 mins a change was needed and I would have put Shaq on alongside Barney in a 442

anyhow I am sure we will get back on track

UTB

For all the good Barnard did in "leading the line" he is there to score goals. Whatever way we dress it up, a goalscorer we need!

amsemp said:

Had his best game for us since his return, but still isn't going to lead us to promotion and for £2k a week or whatever ridiculous amount we're parting with for his services, he's not delivered an ounce of what we needed from him.

We drew 1-1 at home to a side that will most likely be battling relegation this season. It's **** poor. Worrall was great and Deegan was fantastic. If only we could have 11 Gary Deegan's with the same commitment, drive and fight then we'd be alright.

Given him the benefit of the doubt for so long but becoming incredibly disillusioned with Brown now.

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Spot on....Brown needs to go NOW as he has got no intention of ever winning a game by more than 1-0..... which nearly always ends up a draw....enough is enough of this negative ****!

Patience running thin now brown please go pleaase even though there is no one else just please go ,the first time in 25 years I feel so deflated

I was delighted with the sprightly start - everyone seemed up for it and Exeter looked average at best. I too noticed Brown signal to Bentley to slow it down after taking the lead (?). Second half, different story, Exeter came out firing, they had some neat players, Butterworth I'm sure has done a stint in the Prem, their right back was the best player on the park while the two kids in midfield (one an England u-21) had good feet. I looked at the scoreboard at 60 at thought it was time for a change, our energy levels were poor (perhaps the midweek game had taken its toll?) - PB saw it differently, I was pleased to take the draw in the end.

Bentley - fair game, hope injury accrued trying to stop their goal not too bad.
Leonard - no complaints
Prosser - v rusty first half but grateful for two excellent blocks.
Thompson - did the basics ok - but no distribution whatosever - and got in a pickle for their equaliser.
Williams - looked on the money first half but faded and booked.
Worral - busy bee and deserved his goal, obviously the players rate him as to a man they went to the corner flag to celebrate with hm. Disappeared second half.
Deegan - outstanding first half, alas another who went mising after the interval.
Timlin- great to see the heart of the team back, but maybe should have gone off 10 mins earlier.
Payne - I'm his biggest fan, but the game passed him by, too infrequently was the ball played into his feet.
Atkinson - I'm not DNH's bigest fan, that said, thought he had a good first half. Guess what, he too went missing after the break.
Barnard - thought he did well and the 'sitter' that he missed came to the middle of his feet quite sharply (?).

Will you lot get a grip or were you watching a different game to me.

I was yards away from Brown and he was barking orders such as telling Barnard to get up there rather than dropping back, Deegan to play it forward not back or sideways. All through he was pulling the strings to get the result.

It is not his fault we have a front line more toothless than the San Marino forward line.

Thompson made a couple of errors One led to a goal and the other nearly did.

How is a team meant to derive confidence from those around when no matter who we try, we cannot score and cannot defend due to silly errors.

We are still right up there with shots at goal but no one is clinical.

Ok so Barnard had his best game for ages but still shot over when he should hit the target and hit the post with a ball that came very quickly to him

Any one of our strikers from years gone by (in form ones not has beens) would see us top !

Waiting for the doom mongers to tear me apart !

I can't remember the last time I felt this deflated after a game. I gave Brown the benefit of doubt after the Oxford game because I thought Oxford actually played well in that 2nd half and deserved more credit, but not today. Exeter were a good footballing side, which is always refreshing to see at this level, but equally were one of the most lightweight I've seen and we should have played on the front foot, overpowered them and won comfortably. We dominated the first half despite playing in third gear.

The fact that I can't fault any of the players today - all of them played pretty well individually - is further evidence of just how shockingly negative Brown's tactics were. To sit that deep for the whole 2nd half and settle for 1-0 is very poor; away at Bury maybe but not in a home match that we were in complete control of.

Exeter were there for the taking but you could tell their players were growing in confidence the more the 2nd half went on as we just invited them further and further forwards. Their goal wasn't against the run of play. As for the substitutions, they were too late. I usually try to defend managers as much as I can but Brown needs to seriously up his game.

Can't believe the marks for Leonard. He was shocking today. How many passes went our for throws miles away from their target. Didn't a shot go off for a throw? After 60-70 mins he was shattered. Clearly unfit or unwell. I know he is coming back by if Barnard or Weston had played that badly they would have been crucified on here. He was easily the worst of the defense today, and that is saying something. Clearly we all see something different.

For what it's worth, got half-chatting to a few Exeter fans on the train home. They reckoned they were bullied in midfield in the first half but the first change they made changed the game....

united we stand said:

Can't believe the marks for Leonard. He was shocking today. How many passes went our for throws miles away from their target. Didn't a shot go off for a throw? After 60-70 mins he was shattered. Clearly unfit or unwell. I know he is coming back by if Barnard or Weston had played that badly they would have been crucified on here. He was easily the worst of the defense today, and that is saying something. Clearly we all see something different.

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He's not a defender though. He was filling in. That said, he was poor in general. Came forward too far and didn't track back quick enough. At He floated across the back line too much as well. That said, he did make a couple of really good challenges. Not his best day but did a job.

Timlin on the other hand played really well, we have missed him