Post-Match Thread and Ratings Southend United 0-0 Oxford United

[mattitouk]

The game was a bit like the weather drab and dull.

How Oxford didn't go down to 10 men is beyond me?

No real chances throughout the 90 minutes, (with the exception of Cox and Yearwood). with just 6 shots on goal and one shot on target each for both teams.
I thought we shaded it performance wise in the 1st half, and they edged it over us in the 2nd half.

Also thought Moore was our MOM.

Was it a case of 2 points dropped?...as a Southend fan, my heart says yes, but if i was a neutral, i would say a draw would have been a fair result. I think it was just going to be one of those days, where if we played until midnight, the final score still would have been 0-0.

On the back of that performance, i'm not as a confident as i was this morning about facing Gillingham next week, especially what with them beating leaders Portsmouth today & with White being out injured with a possible hamstring injury and Demetriou suspended after picking up his 5th booking of the season.

 

[manor15]

What a brilliant advert for doing anything but watching football on a Saturday afternoon. Whistle happy referee who didn’t let the game flow at all, opposition who pulled and pushed and threw themselves to the floor at every opportunity and a bland display.

We looked positive until White went off and they didn’t know how to handle Coker and Demetriou, Cox’s effort could have made it a very different game had it been millimetres lower.

Oxley 7 Not much to do but a good save late on.
Demetriou 6 Would have a 7 as a wing back but a 5 when being humiliated by Holmes again.
Moore 8 Man of the match, solid and reliable and good on the ball.
Turner 7 Looked strong and didn’t ever look troubled.
White 7 As above, hope the injury isn’t serious.
Coker 7 Started brilliantly but was more restricted at full back.
Yearwood 6 Flashes of his brilliance accompanied by still building up his fitness and shaking off the rustiness.
Dieng 6 Game seemed to pass him by somewhat.
Mantom 6 As with Dieng, though he looked better for the rest.
Cox 7 Looked a danger and was unlucky not to score.
Hopper 6 Physical battle and they did literally all they could to end his afternoon early.

Subs
Kightly 6 Didn’t contribute much of note. A shame after his impact at Wycombe.
McCoulsky 6 No service and no impact.
Robinson 6 As McCoulsky.

Oxford were poor and this was definitely a case of two points dropped rather than one gained, though given that we let them dominate from the moment White went off we can’t complain about a draw.

 

[mcrabb]

I think the referee came for a draw today. Whilst we didn't do ourselves justice it became increasingly frustrating for the players as the match was broken up repeatedly with free-kicks. BBC site has it down as 35 free kicks which is pretty high but felt like more than that.

I'm not sure ref was particularly one-sided but just seemed to always give free-kicks in favour of the opposition.

In terms of the performance I thought we looked alright in the 4-4-2 in the first half. It felt more like the players had been told to be more direct in the second half. First half they kept passing the ball and nobody wanted to shoot (apart from Cox's shot against the bar). Second half they seemed to want to bypass the midfield and just kept hitting it long into the channels. But with free-kicks going to the defending team we just kept giving it away.

I think we probably deserved more but just not able to create enough chances. I really wish we would do more with set pieces though. Once again they were woeful and a few times ended up putting us under pressure rather than creating a goal-scoring chance.

 

[Ayrshire Blue]

Worst set of officials I’ve ever seen. Got nothing right for either side all afternoon. West stand lino was waiting for the ref to give everything and then flag

 

[dannypav]

The game was a bit like the weather drab and dull.

How Oxford didn't go down to 10 men is beyond me?

No real chances throughout the 90 minutes, (with the exception of Cox and Yearwood). with just 6 shots on goal and one shot on target each for both teams.
I thought we shaded it performance wise in the 1st half, and they edged it over us in the 2nd half.

Also thought Moore was our MOM.

Was it a case of 2 points dropped?...as a Southend fan, my heart says yes, but if i was a neutral, i would say a draw would have been a fair result. I think it was just going to be one of those days, where if we played until midnight, the final score still would have been 0-0.

On the back of that performance, i'm not as a confident as i was this morning about facing Gillingham next week, especially what with them beating leaders Portsmouth today & with White being out injured with a possible hamstring injury and Demetriou suspended after picking up his 5th booking of the season.

Who had our shot on target?
I honestly don't recall it.

 

[RHB]

That was a bit painful wasn't it? First half we bossed everything apart from scoring, so the jinx of the North Stand first half continues. The stanchion at the front of West Stand, T block prevented me from seeing who hit the post and bar in the first half but I was up off my seat screaming for the goal and I wasn't alone, Mr Inflatable man in the South East corner shared my excitement and rose like a big inflatable thing. For all of our slick approach work there was no one prepared to put his boot through a ball on the edge of the box, thus no goals at half time. The loss of JW was a bit of a blow but bringing Kightly on and going 442 didn't seem too bad a move to me at the time.

Second half was one of those might have been, painfully frustrating, playing in hope rather than conviction ones that we have been known to produce now and again. As others have said Hopper was kicked to blazes the entire 73 minutes he was on the pitch and I think the ref owes him an apology for the lack of protection from their defenders. And when he and then Cox were substituted any chance of a goal totally vanished. As I said earlier, we attacked hoping something would happen, rather than making it happen. Kightly will probably get some bad reviews, but for me he has just lost the pace which he desperately needs to be a valuable player to the team. I still don't know what McCoulsky gives us, as SBH has said, he didn't kick the ball all the time he was on. Finally, my MoM - Taylor Moore, can we sign him permanently please Ron?

After the final whistle I discovered I'd left my mobile at home and therefore we couldn't ring for a taxi so it was a very pleasant walk from the Shakespeare Drive gate to the bus stop at Priory Park in the pouring rain and I raced there on my walking stick dripping wet and at the end of a long queue, a imperfect end to a imperfect 94 minutes. That's what happens when you follow SUFC, sometimes they **** on your parade without meaning to.

 

[Dubai]

Worries me than every time something doesn’t go to plan (injury or a goal) Powell claims the game plan does out the window....does he have a plan B???

 

[dannypav]

Who had our shot on target?
I honestly don't recall it.

To answer my own question , stats say Hopper after 8 mins ...

 

[tia]

Taylor Moore was very good read the game very well.Good to see Yearwood back.Drab game very strange decisions from the referee.A clean sheet and 10/12 points so things are looking up

 

[Pak Power]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1048602501891719168

Mark Oxley's save at the end

 

[southendkid]

Made a point of watching McCoulsky as he’s a bit of an enigma for me. He obviously knows where that net is but I’m trying to understand the other parts of his game.

So he came on around the 70/71 minute mark and kicked the ball precisely.....





NEVER. Yes, that’s right. Not once. In 26 minutes.

Almost got his head to one and had one bounce off his upper arm, but actual touches of the football with his foot, zero.

Now that could be that he doesn’t go looking for the ball the way you might see a Cox or a Robinson do, or it could be we just didn’t have the guile today to play to his strengths. Either way, TODAY, we had an entirely ineffective player for more than a quarter of the game.

I didn't go to the Checkatrade match (although I'm not sure a League 2 side's semi-reserves are a good indicator of how good a striker is) but I saw the Brentford match and aside from his wonder strike he did nothing. He could be the most clinical finisher in the world but if he doesn't learn to find space for a pass it doesn't matter because he'll never get the opportunity to shoot.

 

[wiggy]

The game was a bit like the weather drab and dull.

How Oxford didn't go down to 10 men is beyond me?

No real chances throughout the 90 minutes, (with the exception of Cox and Yearwood). with just 6 shots on goal and one shot on target each for both teams.
I thought we shaded it performance wise in the 1st half, and they edged it over us in the 2nd half.

Also thought Moore was our MOM.

Was it a case of 2 points dropped?...as a Southend fan, my heart says yes, but if i was a neutral, i would say a draw would have been a fair result. I think it was just going to be one of those days, where if we played until midnight, the final score still would have been 0-0.
On the back of that performance, i'm not as a confident as i was this morning about facing Gillingham next week, especially what with them beating leaders Portsmouth today & with White being out injured with a possible hamstring injury and Demetriou suspended after picking up his 5th booking of the season.

MOM by far Taylor Moore.....Kightly may as well retire and watch videos of himself for Wolves and Cox is a Weeble that keeps falling over and no refs ever fall for it you silly man....stay on your feet and stop moaning! Yearwood still a bit rusty but will be Southend's Zidane as he is on a different planet to the others and so strong.

 

[Evening Echo]

SOUTHEND United manager Chris Powell was keen to remain upbeat following his side’s drab 0-0 draw against Oxford United at Roots Hall.

More...

 

[tallboyblue]

Made a point of watching McCoulsky as he’s a bit of an enigma for me. He obviously knows where that net is but I’m trying to understand the other parts of his game.

So he came on around the 70/71 minute mark and kicked the ball precisely.....





NEVER. Yes, that’s right. Not once. In 26 minutes.

Almost got his head to one and had one bounce off his upper arm, but actual touches of the football with his foot, zero.

Now that could be that he doesn’t go looking for the ball the way you might see a Cox or a Robinson do, or it could be we just didn’t have the guile today to play to his strengths. Either way, TODAY, we had an entirely ineffective player for more than a quarter of the game.

McCoulsky will score goals if he gets a chance but we didn’t have anyone on the pitch who was capable of creating cnances.

 

[Chris Powell's mate]

A lot has been made of the enforced formation change for the result.
Firstly, is that true, and why can't pros simply adapt given that injuries are sadly part and parcel of the game?
Or am I just being naive?

 

[Special Blue]

MOM by far Taylor Moore.....Kightly may as well retire and watch videos of himself for Wolves and Cox is a Weeble that keeps falling over and no refs ever fall for it you silly man....stay on your feet and stop moaning! Yearwood still a bit rusty but will be Southend's Zidane as he is on a different planet to the others and so strong.

Apart from Cox reference i like it!

 

[teabee1]

It’s a bit pathetic when the opposition goalkeeper doesn’t even have to make a save and he keeps a clean sheet!

 

[southendkid]

A lot has been made of the enforced formation change for the result.
Firstly, is that true, and why can't pros simply adapt given that injuries are sadly part and parcel of the game?
Or am I just being naive?

If you believe that formations and tactics don't matter then what would be the point of having a manager? Without the right gameplan good sides will look very ordinary.

 

[Zeuss]

How the ref never sent Mackie off for the most blatant elbow on Moore you could possibly imagine is unbelievable. The ref was less than poor. On the other hand, Taylor Moore was excellent today, my man of the match

After his “performance” in the Donny match,I assumed that clueless cretin would never be allowed anywhere near a whistle ever again.
Oxford ,a very poor side,knew they would continually get away with playing the man rather than the ball.

 

[OldBlueLady]

The loss of White forced a change which disrupted everything. White and Demetriou had comfortably looked after Holmes in the first half, I'm not so sure Elvis and Demi would have been so effective.

Both Cox and Hopper were getting constantly fouled, poor Hopper is probably covered in bruises, and looked to be really struggling at the end of the first half. Felt an earlier sub should have been made, and to be honest, I think I'd have brought Robinson on first. Honestly thought we'd scored at the North Bank end, looked in all the way! Didn't like the way we brought all players back to defend, when Robinson's on he usually stays up.

I'm struggling with the midfield this season, there's no fight, no tackling and this is something we have to change. We were getting over run, Dru was easily the pick of the midfield.

Defensively, we didn't do too bad, neither side showed much in front of goal but there is always that horrid sense of inevitability when the opposition have a free kick near our box or corner. Moore and Turner looked comfortable for most of the time. Great save from Oxley near the end. A few too many hoofed balls though generally.

Oxley - 6, didn't have much to do, kicking wasn't all that and I'd have liked to see some early short balls out rather than kicking it long all the time
Demi - 7, solid and did well
White - 7, typical performance early on, sorry to have lost him as it left us looking unbalanced
Turner - 7, a better performance than recently, needed to be strong
Moore - 8, pick of the defence, cool, calm and collected. Showed he could push up too
Coker - 7, some good stuff as usual
Mantom - 6, a couple of good passes but otherwise a bit disappointing
Yearwood - 7, still a little rusty but still looks an exciting prospect
Dieng - 6 - again, disappointing
Hopper - 7, never stopped battling but looked completely done in when he was subbed
Cox - 8, he tried really hard and looked quite a threat, never stopped being a thorn in their side

Subs:
Kightly for White - 6, wrong sub for me, conditions didn't suit his style of play
McCoulsky for Hopper - 6, given more time than he usually is, made a nuisance of himself and tried to force errors but barely a touch of the ball
Robinson for Cox - not really on long enough to rate

Officials, well, the ref has got to be one of the worst I've ever seen. Just inept from start to finish.