Post-Match Thread and Ratings Southend United 0 - 4 Oxford United

[Tangled up in Blue]

With what money? No one is going to want our players so the wage budget surely can't accommodate much more.

In which case if we can't afford to pay the wages of some loan midfielders we'll inevitavbly be relegaed:Probably will whoever we can get in,anyway.

 

[Supernaut]

That's me done for this season - I can take defeats, it's part and parcel of the game, but this is some kind of ****ing freak situation we've got ourselves into and it's just too painful to watch. I honestly think we're worth a punt for the lowest number of points in a season AND the longest run of league games without a win. See you in League 2 next August...

 

[sm77]

We're not good enough to play it out from the back and use wing backs. Bond tried that and it failed. Looked better for a short spell when we went to 4-4-2 but still really poor. There was a time when conceding 4 goals was perhaps a once a season shock and to do it at home was almost unheard of. Now I just expect it.

 

[blues exile]

Let's hope some of the other midfielders we so badly need are available (at a price) in January.

Can't honestly see a way out for this basket case of a club, there is so little to build on, nothing seems to work.

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

Can't honestly see a way out for this basket case of a club, there is so little to build on, nothing seems to work.

FWIW I tend to agree with you but it looks like the last hope we have this season.

 

[bigblue]

What have they been doing for the last 2 weeks , I thought the Dover game was bad but this was even worse.
We can't play out from the back so please stop it.
When we get a free kick could we pass the ball forward.
Can't see anything positive on the pitch think I will have December off.

 

[Green Wizard]

Will Sol Campbell last the season? I notice a couple of negative comments about his tactics and motivation skills on SZ, if the fans start to walk away I'm worried that he might do too, is that what people want?

 

[gatecrasher]

We will break the record for least points gained. This is officially the worst Southend team in history - defeat today was a given, but the manner in which we didn’t it wasn’t. Poor, if you underperformed at any other job to this level you’d be sacked

 

[Shrimper]

How long is this going to continue

Until May

 

[Shrimper]

With what money? No one is going to want our players so the wage budget surely can't accommodate much more.

Well, we'll get Ridgewell's wages to spend. Probably send Hamilton and Ndukwu back, more wages. Sell Lennon to some poor mug.

 

[Cricko]

Sol didn't say anything different on BBC Essex than the last 3 managers.

 

[Somerset Ex-TTB]

Apparently we are the quickest team to concede 50 goals in a league season since 1966

Back since the days of teams playing 4 up front.

 

[davewebbsbrain]

Apparently we are the quickest team to concede 50 goals in a league season since 1966

Back since the days of teams playing 4 up front.

To be fair, most teams are playing 4 up front against us now

 

[Tinks]

Awful yet again.
We look like a completely broken and unfit team and I am just finding it so depressing to watch at the moment.
It’s that bad when I got in I actually opened one of my nieces selection boxes and comforted myself with chocolate

 

[Jim Levenstein]

Awful. This team is dire. No one can be saying ooo individually their good enough, complete load of ****.

 

[Lord Football]

That was as bad as anything Kevin Bond served up. Another four at home, and as someone else said, we've become accustomed to it. I can't get angry anymore. What's the point? It's just sad sitting there watching something you love just fall apart. I am season ticket holder and I've got this weird mix of loyalty and an "I've paid for it mentality", so I keep going. Mrs LF keeps asking why I put myself through this every week. The two guys I sit with, say the same thing. (though obviously its not Mrs LF who questions their mental faculties).

Today, was a turning point. Surely, after the Dover defeat, the Harry Lennon Affair and two weeks of training hard we were going to get some kind of performance. We were in it for 52 seconds before gifting them a goal. Kid on debut, passes straight to their man, unmarked in the penalty area. The irony is, if only our players could pass to our forwards in the penalty area. Dieng did the same thing half an hour later, and that was game over.

Aside from hitting the post, Oxford did nothing in the second half except accept two gifts. To be fair to them, they didn't have to raise a sweat because we were truly awful.

I sympathise with Sol because in a high stakes of poker he has a two, a nine and four - all of different suits. He has no options. But today's tactics stank of Kevin Bond. There was nothing going forward, no creativity and no guile. Backwards and sideways. Sideways and backwards. FFS, that is not how you play in this League.

They looked fitter. At least giving two goals away at the end was the result of poor play rather than being knackered.

After the game I went and purchased my Burton ticket.........

 

[Austin the Shrimper]

It must be very embarrassing to be a Southend player in this record breaking terrible team. Some of the worst footballers to ever grace the football league. They don’t look that bothered though tbh.
I see no improvement what so ever, maybe worse?
Never thought we looked like getting anything, Oxford didn’t need to get out of second gear.

 

[Chairman Trigg]

Thought KB had returned with the passing back and out from goal.
The stats sum up how bad we are ....on paper 63% possession, but I can't remember a single cross or player running at the opposition but just passing backwards.
Relegation is a certainty as this game should have at least shown some improvements but they again looked like a non league team of individuals.
What a ***** mess and the most worrying part is there is now no connection between the fans and the players because there is no belief in the cause .
Ron you created this mess but will it sink you or the club financially as the income decreases.
Worrying times and to those supporters who think league 2 is easy or a solution should get a reality check as the football is dire and it's not easy or a God given right to get promoted

 

[fleabag1]

.If somehow sol kept us up in my eyes he would be the best manager we ever had .I worry about next season

 

[RHB]

High point this afternoon - a decent cod special at the Fish House, after that it was all down hill I'm afraid. I'm sure Richard Taylor will develop into a decent centre back, he's strong and he's quick, unfortunately he's not quite up to Sol's chosen method of triangular passing in that he passed to their forward right in front of goal in the first five minutes, just the start we needed, 0-1. To his credit he kept going and at one point he turned to the West Stand and applauded us, we responded in kind. I'm sure he will remember his FL1 home debut. Next up, Dieng, who was one of the few who looked comfortable playing the triangle with a degree of success, except once when he donated the ball to a Oxford forward in front of goal, 0-2. There were loads of other bits in the game after that which just passed me by until Coxy, of all people, coughed up a back pass which was gratefully accepted by Oxford and it was 0-3. They got a 4th but truthfully I was past caring by that time. We stayed to the end, but it was painful to do so, nevertheless, we did, but it was difficult to see what was going on with all the other supporters beating the retreat.

A couple of things that perplexed me....1. Why do we persist with Milligan when it is clear that he does not have the pace to compete in the middle, and 2. why didn't anyone pass to Elvis in the second half. I lost count of the easy out ball he offered, when instead the likes of Milligan and Kiernan insisted on playing long sweeping passes out to the left normally to an Oxford player, totally bonkers!!

I'm starting to think that Sol and co are already writing this season off and planning for the future, probably/definitely in FL2 (delete as appropriate). Anyway, no idea what the gate was today, but the Oxford following was pretty good and they kept up a barrage of noise the whole game. So, until the next home game I will have a very miserable period followed by an indifferent to the team period and finally another period of hope and expectation just before the next SUFC kick off (and repeat). The sad thing is that I now expect all of those moods without any real expectation of celebrating a Blues win, we are that bad I'm afraid.,