Post-Match Thread and Ratings Aldershot Town 1-1 Southend United

[GBJ]

Yeah, he will look like a Rolls Royce if he has players doing the gritty stuff around him allowing him to float into the box and score. He was a talented player just not what we needed at the time.

Fantastic utility player IMO, he just was with us at the wrong time. Don’t harbour any ill feeling towards him.

I wouldn’t go as far as a Roller, maybe a 2004 BMW 3 Series, with low mileage.

I take your point though.

 

[JAL]

Not sure how Neal is being slated when he was one of the best players on the pitch for the past few games, we needed a strong, commanding midfielder and he's exactly what we got, a better fit for us than probably what Zak Brunt was, the criticism is very unwarranted ?

 

[jimmy55]

Sounds like a decent result given we come from behind and we equalled Chesterfield's result. Nice to be the team bossing possession. Onto Dover, 3 points a must there!

 

[Petejames]

Seems like the ratings section of the site agree with Neal joint bottom for last night.
Silly me for suggesting that the up and coming youngster from a Championship club was as negative as the 34 year old bloke next to him.

Yawn

 

[GBJ]

Not at all. We've often been good, over the years, at giving teams their first win in ages.

For sure.

I can’t lie though, despite Dover being an absolutely atrocious outfit, I am now slightly concerned that this weekend has banana skin written all over it.

We’re Southend. It’s what we do.

 

[rigsby]

Seems like the ratings section of the site agree with Neal joint bottom for last night.
Silly me for suggesting that the up and coming youngster from a Championship club was as negative as the 34 year old bloke next to him.

Your a lot older than that.

 

[Jay_SUFC]

The on-loan version of Sam Mantom ... and a fit Luke Hyam

Is there such a thing as a fit Luke Hyam - I think you had more chance of seeing a unicorn

 

[Shrimpergonzo]

If Matt D is available, and the signs are promising, who gets dropped? Presumably, a midfielder, or maybe Dalby?

i think Neal has hit 10 yellow cards for the season so will get a 2 game suspension (@wiggy will be pleased!).

Maybe Husin will drop in alongside Atko. Alternatively could bring Demi in there.

 

[wiggy]

Your a lot older than that.

Your a lot older than that.

You are the new Michael McIntyre.....!

 

[danbowen]

Man of the match was between Hobson, Neal, Davies and Ralph. They were all quality.

Dalby was shocking.

 

[wiggy]

i think Neal has hit 10 yellow cards for the season so will get a 2 game suspension (@wiggy will be pleased!).

Maybe Husin will drop in alongside Atko. Alternatively could bring Demi in there.

Got nothing against Neal at all....just saying last night all he done was go backwards and sideways....as the Shrimperzone rating's agree!

 

[MountainDrew]

Seems like the ratings section of the site agree with Neal joint bottom for last night.
Silly me for suggesting that the up and coming youngster from a Championship club was as negative as the 34 year old bloke next to him.

Neal joint bottom what when 4 people voted including yourself?

Have a look again, the guy bossed the park last night

unbelievable

 

[JAL]

Got nothing against Neal at all....just saying last night all he done was go backwards and sideways....as the Shrimperzone rating's agree!

The only thing negative was the way Aldershot played and your unwarranted criticism for the guy.

 

[wiggy]

Neal joint bottom what when 4 people voted including yourself?

Have a look again, the guy bossed the park last night

unbelievable

Have not voted yet

 

[MountainDrew]

Got nothing against Neal at all....just saying last night all he done was go backwards and sideways....as the Shrimperzone rating's agree!

Have not voted yet

You’d have been the first person to vote

Take your hate for Neal elsewhere

 

[Sandbach Shrimper]

It's encouraging that we're scoring late goals at the moment. Suggests a change in mentality in the squad. Up to now you always felt that if we went behind, we wouldn't come back, or if we took the lead it was never safe.

 

[wiggy]

Don't hate him, just said last night he only wanted to go one way....not great when so does Atkinson. Declan Rice was similar, now they have told him to drive forward he is a much improved player. Didn't know you couldn't form an opinion on this rapidly declining goody two shoes forum?

 

[westie]

Got nothing against Neal at all....just saying last night all he done was go backwards and sideways....as the Shrimperzone rating's agree!

The very same used to be said about Kevin Maher, look what he's done for the Club.

 

[FarmdogSUFC]

I'll add a few bits.

Enjoyable evening in the end, but nearly very frustrating also. They were a bit like watching us December onwards of last season in all honesty. Sat deep, absorbed pressure well and let us have the ball in areas without really putting us under pressure. They defended the 16 yard box well and they'll probably be frustrated to concede a carbon copy of their goal.

We kept the ball extremely well yesterday and I personally thought most players looked comfortable in possession which is such a positive for the way we're trying to play. At last we have an identity! We battered them in terms of possession but we struggled to create anything from it really. We've got to expect that at 1-0 down though really.

Thought Clifford had a similar game to Weymouth away. Not sure if it's an instruction or not but he seemed to be a bit hesitant to get himself forward into good crossing positions. Seemed to be most crosses down our left came from Ralph on the over / under lap.

Neal was not a 2/10 lol. I actually agree he got caught on the ball a few times (especially in the first half) and most of is forward passes were wayward, but he isn't in the team for his forward passing ability. His off the ball work is superb. He's been a real key to our upturn.

Thought Dalby was very poor in all honesty. He's not an aerial target man I know, so it's frustrating seeing the ball booted at is head. However, if he wasn't losing his header to the defender, he was giving away a foul. Needs some work with an attacking coach (see Collymore) as I've no doubt he'd got bags of ability, he just seems to lack a bit of intelligence at times.

Did anyone else think the Lapata challenge at the end was a red card? That looked horrendous from my perspective.

We missed the pace of Dennis tonight. He'd have caused them all sorts if the game had stayed at 0-0 for longer. I also thought we missed Murphy as a sub tonight. Think his antics would have won us the ball high up the pitch with the way they were defending.

Overall a draw was a fair result IMO. We seem to be growing as a team game by game and I've got the buzz for football back again.

 

[Sufc.2008]

So one retains possession and one gives it away but you rate that higher?

One retained possession by going sideways and backwards when there were much better options in front of him, had he looked.

Husin lost possession occasionally by running at the opposition and trying to make something happen.

I also think Neal's off the ball play was poor, and he refused to get involved in any positive play - maybe that's what he was asked to do, but it didn't work from what I saw.

Perhaps Neal wasn't a 2/10 - as you're right, he did keep possession, but he also struggled to get tackles in (something I actually think he's done very well in previous games).

Personally I rate positive play higher than simply repeating the same negative balls over and over, but that's what's great about football... we all value different things differently.