Post-Match Thread and Ratings Southend United 1-0 Scunthorpe

[RHB]

It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas..........................

Loads of good stuff posted on here about the players and all of it merited, especially Macca, Hart, Hobson and Dieng. But it's also worth mentioning that it's a team game and every player involved played a vital part in those three points.

As the players are going to get well deserved plaudits in this thread I would also like to mention the crowd, especially in the West Stand where we were. We were superb, no moaning, no Ron baiting. just a bunch of people who were acting as if they had been set lose in a sweetie shop. Loads of clapping, loads of encouragement and the Blue Voice leading the chanting, absolutely magical to be in amongst it.

One minor fly in the ointment were the seating arrangements. The row we were meant to be in (Row B) was cordoned off and instead they asked us to sit in Row A!! Unfortunately the two seats in row A immediately in front of our row B seats where we were meant to sit weren't there, just yellow hatching. So the stewards (who did a sterling job) had to re seat us elsewhere, and we ended up in row c after two other moves, and it wouldn't be our Southend Utd if they didn't **** something up on the day. But all's well that ends well as, like normal, I still had that bloody ladder to the gantry in my line of sight. Nevertheless we got 3 points, we also got our fish and chips on the way home and I've got a smile on my face very similar to the one after that Sunderland game.

So roll on Grimsby, I actually can't wait.

COYBB

 

[kentblues]

BTW we are 4 point behind 3 teams two of which we have a game in hand over
Over the last 5 games we have won 2, lost 2 and drawn 1 which is mid table form.
This plus umbongo going, plus the new stadium looking more likely than ever makes for un unexpectedly pleasant and positive Sat evening

 

[Tribal Chief]

Three vital points in our quest here's my rating from watching on I follow;

Oxley: 7 not much to do some wayward kicking, still managed to let them get a couple of free headers on goal near the end, couldn't do anything about the one that hit the post, but two clean sheets in a row!!

Elvis: 7 better going forward than defending, still lets too many crosses come over.

Clifford 6.5 struggled a bit second half I thought, struggled to find teamate , first half ok

Dieng 7.5 good in both boxes I thought, when he could get forward for a corner.

Hobson 7.5 getting better by the game, thought he coped with the tricky Long very well.

Demetriou: 7 didn't give the ball away as much as of late.

McCormack: 8, just knows the game, one of these days one of the speculate efforts will come off. wins a good free kick.

Olyinka :8 just for the goal alone, but some good moments.

Hart ;8.5 MOM best player on the field despite not being match fit.

Aqua: 7 doesn't put himself about as much as I'd like to see, but did have one or two good moments, not enough in my opinion.

Akinola: 7 Don't see what the fuss is all about myself, didn't get involved enough.


Subs; Kyle Taylor 7 not as influential as I have seen him. Rusty?
Egbree, 7.5 Thought he did quite well in the SHORT time he was on
Richard Taylor 7.5 Just the right sub at the right time, put their back four and keeper under pressure in the final moments with fresh legs.
Goodship 6.5 not enough time to rate, but did try to waste time a bit.


Overall boy did we need that victory, and I think on the balance of play we just about deserved it. It was a poor game with the first half better than the second, but I think that was down to the ref letting the game go more in the first, and the ball spending a lot of time off the pitch in the second.

Still, very happy tonight.

Yes?

 

[bluesfansince1952]

Great result....poor game.
We can count ourselves a little lucky perhaps as their best piece of skill led to the inside of our post being rattled whereas our best piece of skill was Olayinka's tidy finish. (Well more than tidy actually!)
I will take that and love it all day long but we were up against a poor team who still could easily have beaten us. Shades of the Walsall game....on that day our opponents missed a penalty at a crucial point of the game while today they hit the post.
Although our skills were often lacking commitment never was. All credit to the management and the players on the pitch for that. Luck will often go the way of the committed and there is no doubt everyone put in. On the commitment front I thought Macca and Hobson stood out.
In the past Dieng has taken stick for supposedly not caring; no one could say that today.
I believe that ending the embargo played its part in the win because I think it gave all the players a noticeable lift as well as the two thousand fans who were in attendance. I suspect that without Simeon A and Sam Hart we could not have won. Hart's contribution was the more noticeable one but I thought Simeon A at times hinted at better things to come in the future.
Without the inclusion of these two I doubt if we could have held them scoreless until the last ten minutes. They really did make a difference.
Taking the lead after 80 mins will win most matches.
I really like the look of ANG and think he will bring a lot to the team once he returns.
We have now won two and drawn one of our last five games so things are looking up.
Bad as the game was today and poor as our performance was the result must increase the confidence and self belief of the players.
We have something to build on, and, hopefully better times are ahead (as well as another signing or two!).
Well done MM and all of the players!

 

[delr]

Happy days

fans back - 3 points

Macca - Maradona he ain't but the bloke's proper professional footballer - he'll do for me

great to see the players walking round applauding the fans at the end of the game - almost like the old days

 

[rhrussell]

Please dont get carried away, win Tuesday and maybe the, for me Hart was MOM really looked like he wanted at win, Olyinka wasted on the wing as it proved when he scored, for me Aqua is just not good enough for this league,

 

[Blues ‘n’ twos]

Anyone who doubts the togetherness and passion in this squad needed to hear the roar when MM walked into the changing room after the game, you would have thought we had just won the league!
Gutsy performance rather than elegant, but a win is a win, Macca immense, his organisation and vocality was vital, Hobson and Dieng looked like a pairing, but everyone put a shift in.

 

[kentblues]

Its interesting that Paul Clark said our first half performance was our best this season. Old pros I think sometimes have a keen appreciation for certain things that we miss around organisation, how are sett up, players positioning, the options they take in different circumstances in different parts of the pitch. We look way more workman like, organised and solid. We are looking like mid-table performers at the moment and that will be enough. We know from prior seasons how hard it is to get away from a losing habit- 2W, !D, 2L over the last five cannot be under estimated in terms of progress.

 

[OllieSteph44]

BTW we are 4 point behind 3 teams two of which we have a game in hand over
Over the last 5 games we have won 2, lost 2 and drawn 1 which is mid table form.
This plus umbongo going, plus the new stadium looking more likely than ever makes for un unexpectedly pleasant and positive Sat evening

I said 7 games ago that we’d win at least 1 of our next 5 league games and that I could see improvement almost on a weekly basis. It’s not always in the same thing but generally speaking it was clear to anyone with half a footballing brain that MM was gradually getting there and given half a chance with a full squad he’d make enough progress.

The squad is now starting to take shape and as you say it’s now 7 points from our last 5 games the improvement continues.

I also said in October that I was nailing my colours very much to the MM mast and that he would still prove to be a good appointment.....I think we are starting to see some evidence of this now.

It is a process. I know it’s seemed a much longer one than we’d all like but change in football and football momentum is never an overnight thing.

Hopefully now, especially with fans back, the improvement can continue and we’ve well and truely turned an almighty corner. Plenty more bumps in the road to come I’m sure, but at least were now on the bloody road!!!

 

[Westcliff DGS]

Had to watch in TV as isolating but will be the Tuesday, all in all it wasnt the best game from either side. The first half was really poor for me, second half was better

Oxley: 7 not much to do despite them having some tracks, beaten once when th post saved us, kicking wa scoff if he was aiming for Acquah.

Elvis: 6.5 slightly better going forward than defending, allows too many crosses as he is not the best defensively.

Clifford 6 didn't have his best game, h will get better. Think he may drop to the bench when ANG comes back with Hart reverting to left back.

Dieng 7. our best headerer (is that a word?) a solid game and looked a calming influence at the back.

Hobson 7 for me that wa SH is best game fo rus, hopefully he continues in this vein.

Demetriou: 6.5 for me he isnt a midfielder, gives the ball away too often. Today he was better than usual, he didnt do too much wrong. He is always a booking or worse waiting to happen with his back chat and moaning. He may lose his place to Taylor when everyone is fit.

McCormack: 7.5 our best player today, for me i still prefer him just to sit and protect the back 4. He is very good at that. Going forward he is slow and cumbersome and his shooting is awful, because he is slow he cant get back. He should just save his legs and dictate the game form the back.

Olyinka 7 decent game, i prefer him central, but today he was always showing for the ball wide and caused some issues, Took his goal well.

Hart 7 decent return to our starting line up, got up and down the line well, first half was particularly good. Think he will end up at left back when ANG is fit. Dropped away in the second half but understandable as he hasn’t played this season.

Acquah 5 started brightly, then stopped moving, never wins a header. He needs to use his size more as he could bear a real handful.

Akinola: 7 showed he hadn’t been. Playing, didnt look match fit at all. That will one and hopefully he can show the form he has over the last 18 months or so.


Subs;
Kyle Taylor 6 didnt have tome to influence th game, and obviously working his way back to full match fitness

Egbri 6 chased a few balls, didnt do too much while he was on but he only had 20 mins or so.

Richard Taylor 6.5 i am not his biggest fan but in the tine he wa son put his self about and was a nuisance.

Goodship not enough time on the pitch to rate

 

[Ricey]

For all the Molesley doubters out there. That’s what you get when he has a better tool set!

A great effort from everyone today, not one player had a bad game and some really excellent performances.

As others have said Hart and Macca were excellent but Hobson for me was my man of the match! He looked unbeatable, solid, confident and comfortable.

Molesley was very humble in his post match interview and I really do see him pushing on now he has better tools and hopefully more chance to bring more in.

 

[Massimo Giovanni]

For all the Molesley doubters out there. That’s what you get when he has a better tool set!

A great effort from everyone today, not one player had a bad game and some really excellent performances.

As others have said Hart and Macca were excellent but Hobson for me was my man of the match! He looked unbeatable, solid, confident and comfortable.

Molesley was very humble in his post match interview and I really do see him pushing on now he has better tools and hopefully more chance to bring more in.

I found it interesting watching MM today. He isn't very vocal and he gave most of his instructions straight to Macca for him to pass on and get followed.
He is more animated than KB was but seemed to lack the gravitas of Mr Brown, Powell or Campbell.
The dug out and squad did seem together as a group, Goodship appeared disheartened not to get on sooner.
Players, as a squad seemed much fitter than they did for first 8-10 games.
It was a bit sad not to have Big Ben the physio on the sidelines.

 

[Tinks]

It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas..........................

Loads of good stuff posted on here about the players and all of it merited, especially Macca, Hart, Hobson and Dieng. But it's also worth mentioning that it's team game and every player involved played a vital part in those three points.

As the players are going to get well deserved plaudits in this thread I would also like to mention the crowd, especially in the West Stand where we were. We were superb, no moaning, no Ron baiting. just a bunch of people who were acting as if they had been set lose in a sweetie shop. Loads of clapping, loads of encouragement and the Blue Voice leading the chanting, absolutely magical to be in amongst it.

One minor fly in the ointment were the seating arrangements. The row we were meant to be in (Row B) was cordoned off and instead they asked us to sit in Row A!! Unfortunately the two seats in row A immediately in front of our row B seats where we were meant to sit weren't there, just yellow hatching. So the stewards (who did a sterling job) had to re seat us elsewhere, and we ended up in row c after two other moves, and it wouldn't be our Southend Utd if they didn't **** something up on the day. But all's well that ends well as, like normal, I still had that bloody ladder to the gantry in my line of sight. Nevertheless we got 3 points, we also got our fish and chips on the way home and I've got a smile on my face very similar to the one after that Sunderland game.

So roll on Grimsby, I actually can't wait.

COYBB

Yes but did you get your Latte

 

[BluBayou]

In the last two games we have taken as many points as the 8 teams above us ! . That's some turnaround.

 

[Holy Joe]

We are one of the form teams in the lower half of the table - let's hope we can push on and keep being competitive and picking up points


We no longer have the worst goals conceded in the league as well - Oldham let in one today to goto 30 conceded.

 

[Stan33]

In the last two games we have taken as many points as the 8 teams above us ! . That's some turnaround.

Is that collectively or 4 points per team ??

 

[Austin the Shrimper]

Not all Hero’s wear capes. Love this guy

 

[Holy Joe]

Is that collectively or 4 points per team ??

That's collectively

 

[1966 and all that]

Not fancying a long post this week. That said Hobson, the boys come on enormously since his first few games. Deserves enormous credit !!! Dieng was solid so well done to him too. Alan McCormack, top class once again and my MOTM. JD, mr consistent and I believe the assist, well done once more to him. Olayinka, the player with the most ability in our squad! A big well done to everyone else involved.

Acquah for me needs to react an awful lot quicker, seems too slow to react to everything. Sam Hart, when he started the game I thought he was miles offf it. Turned into a superb performance for him! Akinola needs time as we know.


Great to be back enjoyed it! Not sure why a few of our fans decided to boo players taking the knee seems a bit daft to me although it was quickly muted be applause.

Well done Southend!!! Given ourselves a chance

I think Sam Hart didn’t take the knee. Respect.

 

[united we stand]

really enjoyed this afternoon.

you could see how much it , meant to everyone, players, subs, management when they cam onto the pitch at the end. Great to loose my voice again n a Saturday afternoon and great to hear/sing 'Mark Moselyes barmey army'.
Hopefully, that has taken some pressure off him and he realises that we do appreciate what he is trying to do