Post-Match Thread and Ratings Southend United 0-1 AFC Wimbledon

[Shrimpers are Magic]

This was always my biggest fear with SCP coming back and managing the team that the supporters would eventually get on his back when things were not going right.
I don’t disagree with some of the comments posted on here and you do have to question some of his management decisions and tactics but, I also believe that the players need to take a long hard look at themselves also.

Regarding the players - yes of course they haven’t performed, any manager under pressure isn’t there because the players are playing well. The question is always why aren’t they and now you need to look at the guy picking the team and coaching the players. Perhaps they’re not good enough? Again, you start to look at the guy who signed them.
Never one persons fault but it’s rarely all down to bad luck either.

 

[Stuart W]

We have two much better CF's than Piggot currently out injured. Mentioning BC is just a joke.

Seriously? Pigott is a very mobile centre-forward who wins the ball in the air. I agree Hopper is as good, maybe marginally better, but Humphrys has a lot to do to get to Pigott's level. Notwithstanding his four away goals, I feel that he is a lot more limited in that he doesn't win balls in the air and gives off an air of sheer indifference on the pitch.
He may well score 10-15 goals for us in League 2 next season though.

 

[Massimo Giovanni]

The team was set up to not lose, 5 across the back!
Up until Turner dithered and the GK, Ox, (not a GK who has ever come far, fast from his line) also dithered AND we got punished by the "cursed returning striker"- again.
However up until then it was an even contest between two teams, ours with little goal threat or creativity in midfield and theirs with less ability but. crucially, more desire and passion thru their side. And a manager who gave the "hairdryer" treatment a few blasts when he wasn't happy with them.
We looked toothless and never (okay maybe 3 times) had more than 3/4 players going forward, we seemed to hope for a corner and a chance like Turner had in first half.
Not much else to report on the game BUT I saw Woody make more tackles at Roots Hall than he ever did in a blue shirt!
Team line up baffling.
Ox, 6, usual Ox but punched clear well a few times in swirling wind, kicking stupid in 2nd half- did he not see problems the Womble keeper had?
Demi, 6, faded and tired
Kiernan 8, worked and showed some good skills. M of M for us?
Turner, 5, good header from corner but static, slow and to blame for goal and hoofing.
Lennon, 6, average
Hart, 8, good game,passion and worked the flank.
Dieng, 5, intercepted passes and then gave ball away.
Hyem, 5+, better than Dieng, just.
MacL, 7 should have scored on 1-1, tracked back well too, why was he subbed?
Cox, 7, got no service, usual hard work BUT not a captain as he plays his game, sets great work ethic etc but doesn't pull or push his team "mates" or get team orders across from bench.
Bunn, 6, plays 10 minutes and coasts for rest.

Subs; too late, much too late.

CP and his assistants, 4 , weak, quiet, timid, scared, lost.

TBV, 7, started game well, made some noise, faded badly

Ref, 7, fussy but same for both sides.

 

[RHB]

It's quite hard to know where to begin here, but I suppose the beginning is as good as anywhere. The first half was pretty much honours even with the wind causing all sorts of errors on both sides. I thought Kiernan and Lennon looked pretty sharp, Lennon especially, and even Turner didn't look out of place.I would have started Moore rather than Turner but it was obviously Powell's intention to create a solid defence. And they certainly did just that with a special mention for Luke Hyam who was putting himself about and breaking things up. The Wombles keeper tipped one effort over the bar which looked as it it was a goal all the way, but as has often been the case, finishing is not one of our skills at the moment. The Pig didn't get too much of a look in and Wordy didn't look dangerous so I was quite expecting the second half to be ours.

Second half kicked off and it was Wimbledon that looked as if they wanted it more that we did. And so it proved. The Pig scored (*******) and after that it was all downhill for us. The desire to recover just seemed to drain away and everything went down the left hand side with little success. McLaughlin looked as if he had rescued us a point but a last ditch goal line clearance by one of their defenders kept it out. Some strange substitutions didn't help our cause, why we took Lennon off and kept Turner on is beyond me but there you go. We lost, we didn't deserve anything from the game with the lack of effort and thus we now wait to see whether Ron will act. The majority around me reckon that Mayer and Duncan will be in charge by the time the night is out, we shall see. Pretty ****ed off at the moment.

 

[Massimo Giovanni]

Lennon had groin strain, ice pack medicine straight away.

 

[Worcester Shrimper64]

Such an unnecessary comment. Cox has been one of the positives in this poor season.

He might have been a positive. But the fact is they are both overweight. A lighter Cox would be more mobile and score even more goals.

 

[LennySUFC]

He might have been a positive. But the fact is they are both overweight. A lighter Cox would be more mobile and score even more goals.

What a ridiculous comment

 

[united we stand]

For the sake of looking for at least one positive from that shambles of a match I thought Hart had a really good game and was my MotM. He was caught out of position far less than usual, made some great challenges and was also our most threatening player, aside from Bunn he seems to be the only player that fancies taking on defenders. Hopefully he keeps playing like that for the rest of the season.

Totally agree, Hart was excellent today , a 8.5 performance for me . If the rest of the players played with the positivity he did today we would have won by some margin.
Both Turner and Oxley at fault for the goal, the fact is they both could and should have got to the ball- no communication.
I dont blame Turner for his legs having gone, CP can see this but still picks him (and he almost scored today) .
I thought the front three actually played well , BUT facts are hardly tested their keeper, i was surprised when Macca was subbed for Kigtly. Actually thats a lie, I wasn't surprised as I dont understand most of his substitutions
The support though was rubbish , we get forward (hart aside) so slowly and not in numbers. Players didn't seem to know when to go and when to stay
The rest of the team were poor in my opinion. I saw Dieng get in one tackle all game

wrong set up and I didn't get bringing on Kightly at all - and Dru


positives
Hart
our corners were better than normal (until Kightly's one at the end)
no injuries
cant think of anything else

 

[Worcester Shrimper64]

Lennon had groin strain, ice pack medicine straight away.

All these injuries? Every game we are getting at least 1. This is not unlucky. There must be something wrong, either in training or with the fitness of players. Any theories anybody???

 

[MR G]

Who'd be a football manager? We played well today. Set up well. Then a catastrophic error from two senior players and he might be out of his job

We were useless

 

[southendkid]

He might have been a positive. But the fact is they are both overweight. A lighter Cox would be more mobile and score even more goals.

I'm assuming this a wind up but just in case it isn't being 'lighter' doesn't magically make you a better player, light players get muscled off the ball easily, and given that Cox isn't particularly pacy that would be a problem.

 

[Chris Powell's mate]

What a ridiculous comment

I don't disagree with the idea of a fitter Cox, and yeah, he could lose a couple of kilos, but it doesn't appear to stymie him.
Would a lighter Cox be better? Who knows?

 

[HypoTypo]

Who'd be a football manager? We played well today. Set up well. Then a catastrophic error from two senior players and he might be out of his job

With all due respect it isn't just about one game. It is so much more than that

 

[ROB]

Who'd be a football manager? We played well today. Set up well. Then a catastrophic error from two senior players and he might be out of his job

Played well ? U were either ****ed or easily pleased

 

[tallboyblue]

Before the game plenty of shooting practice in front of the East stand. All forgotten once on the pitch. As far as I recall one shot from Dieng towards the end was just about our first. If you don’t shoot you won’t score.

 

[tia]

Chris Powell was a great player for us and it's a real shame how this has ended up and yeah last year he did well to keep us up and finish strong but his time has come to go in my opinion.Yes he has been very unlucky with injuries but some of the team selections have been wrong and way we are heading relegation is inevitable.Table is tight 3 points is difference from 4th bottom to 12th so if a new man can come in and get that bit extra from the players we still can stay up.

 

[Bobby dazzler]

For the first time I actually couldn't take any more and stood up and shouted at Powell did he realise we were losing and make a sub. Now I have seen over a thousand games and managers come and go. I have seen players come and go. Relegations and promotions and mediocre crap. The swashbuckling full back I loved as a player is not cut out to be a manager. Negative tactics, strange selections and when the team need their manager the most (when losing) Chris leans on the wall of the dugout and goes mute. Friday night fourth division relegation years at least had passion with players of little skill. They tried their best but we're not good enough. Our midfield is powderpuff and cox upfront on his own is pointless. To start with five at the back against the bottom side (whatever the wingback formation was meant to be) is a sign of negativity. Phil Brown was hounded out for far less.
Sorry but I cannot see him turning this round. bring in Paul Clark until things are sorted. He has been here twice before and injected passion and pride until a new manager was found.

 

[geoffmundo]

All these injuries? Every game we are getting at least 1. This is not unlucky. There must be something wrong, either in training or with the fitness of players. Any theories anybody???

Yeah you've got a point. We are the only team in history to ever have footballers that get injured................

 

[Shrimpers are Magic]

Paul Clark has been out the game for the best part of 30 years.
Don’t think he’s getting the nod anytime soon.

 

[mfurok]

He's more experienced than Bishop.QED.Wouldn't blame him for the goal either.Thought that was down to Turner.

You’re more experienced than Bishop but I wouldn’t have selected you either.