Official Match Thread Rotherham United vs Southend United

Rotherham fan here...

Credit to your fans who stayed the full 90. Many times last season, I was heading home at half time with the scoreline less than 4-0.

I think we've been underestimated by the bookies this year, based on the fact we were woeful in the Championship and never got started. However, towards the end of the season, the manager knew what he needed, and how he wanted to play. We actually played well in the last dozen games and competed well against sides who dwarfed our £8.5 million pound wage budget (I know, ridiculous money).

I don't particularly think you were bad, just never had chance to get going by being pressed high up the pitch. Fitness and athleticism is probably what won us the game. We were ok against Fleetwood, but lacked the final ball and just didn't click and got done on the break twice. Against you, we swapped out the wide men, and brought in Kieffer Moore (on loan from Ipswich) and the front 2 and 2 wingers were unplayable.

It's the first time I've witnessed a victory against Southend, and on last year's showing, I think it bodes well, and is a measurement of where we are in this league. Last time I went to your ground, I stayed the weekend, saw a Madness tribute band, and had a great Saturday night despite us losing 1-0.

Good luck for the season (apart from our next meeting), and thanks for finishing one place below Millwall which gave them the chance to pass us on their way up, meaning we don't have to have their horrible set of neanderthals at our ground this year.

enfieldblue said:

I've ignored Newport, non game. What is not to say that this was the fluke and Blackburn will be the standard?:stunned: No logic to the statment?????

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If you're an anti Brown person, the Rotherham will be used, if your a blind PB follower it will be the Blackburn game. The truth is , there is a good team in there ( Blackburn ), but there are issues to be addressed ( Rotherham).

For me, people surely need to learn from previous knee jerk anti brown comments as time on time he has got the team to respond to such performances . As I've said earlier, I wasn't there, I had a friend there and he confirmed as others have said, it being one of the worst performances ever from a Southend team.

I've been supporting for over 30 years and in that team I've seen poor teams and squads play badly , for the season, whereas for me , this is a good squad / team that has played a poor game. Is the squad perfect, course not, no squad is.

But please people, let's see how the team respond prior to sentencing anyone to the sword.

People have to remember the cold facts, PB has improved our position season on season , granted, there have been some strange decisions along the way, but that's football, there is ok 100% blueprint , never has never will be, ups and downs define a season, roll with it, roll the sleeves up!

I personally would take a stuffing at this stage , you can look at what went wrong, collectively and you can also learn about yourselves as well.

UTB's

TTS said:

If you're an anti Brown person, the Rotherham will be used, if your a blind PB follower it will be the Blackburn game. The truth is , there is a good team in there ( Blackburn ), but there are issues to be addressed ( Rotherham).

For me, people surely need to learn from previous knee jerk anti brown comments as time on time he has got the team to respond to such performances . As I've said earlier, I wasn't there, I had a friend there and he confirmed as others have said, it being one of the worst performances ever from a Southend team.

I've been supporting for over 30 years and in that team I've seen poor teams and squads play badly , for the season, whereas for me , this is a good squad / team that has played a poor game. Is the squad perfect, course not, no squad is.

But please people, let's see how the team respond prior to sentencing anyone to the sword.

People have to remember the cold facts, PB has improved our position season on season , granted, there have been some strange decisions along the way, but that's football, there is ok 100% blueprint , never has never will be, ups and downs define a season, roll with it, roll the sleeves up!

I personally would take a stuffing at this stage , you can look at what went wrong, collectively and you can also learn about yourselves as well.

UTB's

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Truth is ,we have far too many old players over 30 who cannot cope with younger fitter quicker players,no forward has scored so far this season,nobody has scored in over 3 hours of play,both Newport and Rotherham swept us aside with ease.

If Phil left then any new gaffer would be royally lumbered as the budget has been blown on old vets looking for one last gig.

The Blackburn game was indeed decent but I think these guys cannot muster decent performances game after game.

Just to add to the above, I recall the start to the successful 1990-91.

We went on a run of 7 wins out of 9 at the start.

The two we lost were 0-4 and 0-8.

A heavy defeat isn't always a bad thing.

It's how you bounce back and what you learn from it.

mrsblue said:

Truth is ,we have far too many old players over 30 who cannot cope with younger fitter quicker players,no forward has scored so far this season,nobody has scored in over 3 hours of play,both Newport and Rotherham swept us aside with ease.

If Phil left then any new gaffer would be royally lumbered as the budget has been blown on old vets looking for one last gig.

The Blackburn game was indeed decent but I think these guys cannot muster decent performances game after game.

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Summer seems to go so quick these days.....You blink and the football season is back.

mrsblue said:

Truth is ,we have far too many old players over 30 who cannot cope with younger fitter quicker players,no forward has scored so far this season,nobody has scored in over 3 hours of play,both Newport and Rotherham swept us aside with ease.

If Phil left then any new gaffer would be royally lumbered as the budget has been blown on old vets looking for one last gig.

The Blackburn game was indeed decent but I think these guys cannot muster decent performances game after game.

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Welcome back .... you've been missed !

Couple of things ...

Yearwood - young and exciting
Kiernan - 25 years of age
Kightly - maybe over 30, yet has a good few years left
Cox - looks fitter than last season , when he had an ok season I suppose
Ranger - not old ( granted last chance saloon )

But yes , every single player is older than what they were at the end of last season.

But I agree , we should write these has been a Off now and call an end to the season .

TTS said:

Welcome back .... you've been missed !

Couple of things ...

Yearwood - young and exciting
Kiernan - 25 years of age
Kightly - maybe over 30, yet has a good few years left
Cox - looks fitter than last season , when he had an ok season I suppose
Ranger - not old ( granted last chance saloon )

But yes , every single player is older than what they were at the end of last season.

But I agree , we should write these has been a Off now and call an end to the season .

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Thanks for your opening words !

Yearwood....too early for him just yet.
Kiernan yes young so it's a plus.
Kights I love the guy BUT the contract he recieved is crazy,will he play 46 league games,I doubt it.
Cox is now 30!..looked slimmer but out of sorts IMO.
Ranger is miles behind on match fitness.

Our recruitment policy leaves a lot to be desired.....time will tell....cannot write the season off after 3 games,but jeez can these old boys sort it out....we shall see.

Robinson is not good enough, sorry. Many look back with romance at what he was before, he is not the old player, pace is not all that anymore too (sadly he had injuries) I don't know what people see in him at our level, mark my words, a desperate signing.

mrsblue said:

Kights I love the guy BUT the contract he recieved is crazy,will he play 46 league games,I doubt it.
Cox is now 30!..looked slimmer but out of sorts IMO.

Our recruitment policy leaves a lot to be desired.....time will tell....cannot write the season off after 3 games,but jeez can these old boys sort it out....we shall see.

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you said the same about Fortune and were wrong there. I have a feeling Kightly will be the same. He played in the top 2 divisions last season and he's 31, not 41

mrsblue said:

Thanks for your opening words !

Yearwood....too early for him just yet.
Kiernan yes young so it's a plus.
Kights I love the guy BUT the contract he recieved is crazy,will he play 46 league games,I doubt it.
Cox is now 30!..looked slimmer but out of sorts IMO.
Ranger is miles behind on match fitness.

Our recruitment policy leaves a lot to be desired.....time will tell....cannot write the season off after 3 games,but jeez can these old boys sort it out....we shall see.

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You don't get a player like Kightly to join us by offering him a 12 month contract. Funny, as 99% of the people on here over the close season saw the signing of him as a coup.

You've also stated that Kiernan is a good signing ....

MAF has actually proved to be a good signing..., 18 months isn't actually a long time for a footballer to sign really.

Ranger, when we have seen him play, has been immense 8 times out 10 and when he is fully fit, will be a great addition ( fingers crossed he keeps on the right side of all )

Cox, may have looked out of sorts on Saturday, like everyone did, but he didn't look out of sorts against Blackburn for me.

I am struggling looking at all the above to see how our recruitment policy leaves "a lot to be desired".

TTS said:

You don't get a player like Kightly to join us by offering him a 12 month contract. Funny, as 99% of the people on here over the close season saw the signing of him as a coup.

You've also stated that Kiernan is a good signing ....

MAF has actually proved to be a good signing..., 18 months isn't actually a long time for a footballer to sign really.

Ranger, when we have seen him play, has been immense 8 times out 10 and when he is fully fit, will be a great addition ( fingers crossed he keeps on the right side of all )

Cox, may have looked out of sorts on Saturday, like everyone did, but he didn't look out of sorts against Blackburn for me.

I am struggling looking at all the above to see how our recruitment policy leaves "a lot to be desired".

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Losing seven nil to County and the Millers suggest to me the recruitment policy isn't too clever!

Cox against Rovers was out of sorts IMO.
Kights is damn decent but the length of deal where he will be 34ish is a massive gamble.
Ranger is far too unreliable for my money.
MAF was my MOM against Rovers...will he feature in the majority of games...we shall see.

Roll on Saturday.

mrsblue said:

Unlucky lads....Keep on trying Phil and everyone.

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mrsblue said:

Truth is ,we have far too many old players over 30 who cannot cope with younger fitter quicker players,no forward has scored so far this season,nobody has scored in over 3 hours of play,both Newport and Rotherham swept us aside with ease.

If Phil left then any new gaffer would be royally lumbered as the budget has been blown on old vets looking for one last gig.

The Blackburn game was indeed decent but I think these guys cannot muster decent performances game after game.

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I read the first post and thought "wow , that's positive " I then read the second post and thought " normal service has been resolved ".

Off the top of my head , I can not remember a promotion season when we were not beaten by four goals or more .

sosborne said:

Off the top of my head , I can not remember a promotion season when we were not beaten by four goals or more .

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You're full of SUFC knowledge Si, I bet you can even tell us which games as well :stunned:

sosborne said:

Off the top of my head , I can not remember a promotion season when we were not beaten by four goals or more .

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05/06 League one title winning season springs to mind - I think I'm right in saying we only conceded more than 2 goals once in the league all season, and that game we won 4-3!

Definately lost an early game 4-0 the season before though, and had a poor start before Eastwood signed. Hopefully we'll bounce back on Saturday, fingers crossed.

sosborne said:

Off the top of my head , I can not remember a promotion season when we were not beaten by four goals or more .

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1980-1. The only time we conceded more that 2 was a 5-2 defeat at Peterborough. Conceded 5 (obviously) but beaten by 3.