Post-Match Thread and Ratings Southend United 0-1 Boreham Wood

[Leigh_Seasider]

Yes today was awful and about the only player to rate more than a 6 was Miley, but let's put some perspective here:

Most of pre-season was planned with Dalby up front. A hold up, back to goal type of player.

Dalby leaves.

Hyde is in and the preceding week in training is no doubt about how to play with Hyde up front - an experienced and tough NL forward who can lead a line on his own and give it out physically.

8 minutes in and Hyde is injured. On comes Wreh, a lad totally not suited to leading the line on his own, a lad who is inexperienced and who needed a partner. All the previous weeks of planning go out the window and we have no one on the bench who can slot in to the Hyde role. We huffed and puffed but looked very average but let's give the Management Team a break as this team was not of their first choice.

Having said that I thought that Clifford and Hussin were really poor today.

I don’t think the intention was ever to have Dalby leading the line alone, hence us pursuing other targets such as Josh Kelly. I feel that the weaker areas are well known and they’ve tried to address this. Let’s hope we can get a couple of loanees in soon, plus injured players back ..

 

[Leigh_Seasider]

A word about the ref. We have seen a lot worse last season. Yes they fraudulently went down to stop us gaining any momentum but the ref can’t do anything g about that. Making the pampered little princesses a protected species allows them to cheat.

Until football changes the rules to either play on with them laying on the floor or injury time is doubled. Then this tactic has arrived at this level and get used to it.

The first sending off could have been a straight red but he was still sent off with a second yellow.

Hmm he could’ve told them to get on with it, rather than standing there happily chatting to their players in the sunshine.

 

[rigsby]

Hmm he could’ve told them to get on with it, rather than standing there happily chatting to their players in the sunshine.

Yes i’m sure that would have worked.

 

[Barling Magna]

The morning after. Time for a more considered and reflective consideration of the match. It was certainly a disappointment and our first half performance was indeed poor. The mitigating circumstances seem more significant this morning. The injury to Hyde blew our tactics out of the water and the adjustments we made didn't work. We certainly missed Dalby but not as much as some say, maybe the impact of his departure was more in its timing and disruption to plans. Had he played he may well have been crippled by the Wood's hatchet men.

We were much better in the second half. KM and his team produced better tactics and the introduction of Powell finally gave us an attacking threat. Powell needs to be congratulated on his energy and his willingness to shoot BUT he also needs to be told to be less selfish and to pass the ball to others when they are in better positions.

The Wood's keeper made some really impressive saves. We deserved to score at least one of the three goal bound chances as the Wood's defence finally panicked at our more direct approach. On another day we would have done so.

Now the biggest mitigating circumstance of all - our opponents. Boreham Wood are a team with a direct and brutal style of play, perhaps the most brutal in the division. They are very good at it and the referee's indulgence and/or incompetence emboldened them to go to extremes. They must have been surprised when the first lad was red carded having got away with such elbowing and much worse all game. The ref had finally had the scales removed from his eyes but far too late for us.

Now I'm not going to criticise their overall strategy. Football is still a tough, physical game and strength and hard tackling are part of it. They are clearly set up to intimidate their opponents and operate at the boundaries of the rules. Play tough, play direct, long ball tactics, score a goal and then defend their lead by breaking up the flow of the game. All of that is allowed within the rules. It isn't pretty but it is often effective. Yesterday they went too far and they got away with it until the last 20 minutes. That's partly down to the ref but it's also down to us. We didn't return their intimidation at all. We allowed ourselves to be bullied. This must change. No yellow cards for us in such a brutal match?

It's a beautiful game but it's an ugly league and we need enforcers too.

 

[meerkat54]

I know I’ve been advocating a 4-4-2 formation and it worked perfectly when I played in the 70’s - 90’s. I know it was only at a far lower level.
But back then we adapted our system to suit the opposition.
An example was that in mid season we played the league leaders that had not dropped a point. So the manager totally changed our formation that day to 1-4-4-1 and got a 1-1 draw. I know it’s a negative setup but the players were adaptable to the situation.
I think the point I’m trying to make is that why are players today only capable of playing one position? Most players today seem limited.
I know some of my posts seem a bit garbled but it’s probably down to dyslexia lol .

 

[Whispering Bob]

A word about the ref. We have seen a lot worse last season. Yes they fraudulently went down to stop us gaining any momentum but the ref can’t do anything g about that.

Yet Jordan Henderson went down yesterday, it wasn’t a head injury, the ref allowed play to continue.....and Fulham duly scored.

 

[Dutch Branch]

I absolutely hate this formation. I hate it even more when we don't have the personnel to play it.

How we can keep starting games with one striker, particularly at home is beyond me.

Powell was decent pre season = benched
Fonguck decent pre season =benched

I have a strong suspicion Hyde will not ever play for us again. It seemed innocuous and he didn't even try to run it off. Send him back to wrexham and sign a few loans.

Boreham Wood were dreadful and ended up with 9 men. They literally played for a draw, put together the only bit of quality in the game and then proceeded to fall over and fein injury at every opportunity. In truth, we could have been out there all week an not scored.

The intensity, line up and game plan was all wrong today and made a mug of nearly 6k paying fans.

That was dire.

I know it’s the first game and all that but right from the off something just didn’t feel right and when they scored I just couldn’t see two goals in us.

Your probably right about Hyde too. SM next week and they are firing on all cylinders AGAIN and I see us struggling to get anything out the next three games based on yesterday’s turn out.

 

[brigg blue]

Yet Jordan Henderson went down yesterday, it wasn’t a head injury, the ref allowed play to continue.....and Fulham duly scored.

This is exactly the point I was going to make, the rules are you only stop play for a head injury, if the ref had just waved play on they would have had no choice but to stay on their feet

 

[Southend schoolboy]

Felt to me as if we had no direction or style of play, just pass it between the centre halves and punt it forward to two small strikers against absolute giants.

I thought Chris Wreh was incredibly poor yesterday, struggled to hold the ball up and when he did gave it straight back to them. Sitting in the south upper, seeing Hobson get the ball and lift his head up and having no option down the channel as Wreh was hiding behind the big lump.

Thought Cav and noor played well, but not ok board with the system as they were passengers for most of the first half when they are two of our best on the ball.

Just a feeling of frustration really

 

[C'mon you Shrimpers]

I know it probably sounds like sour grapes but I hate Boreham Wood from the depths of my soul from the fat **** in the director's box who stood up and punched the air in delight at the final whistle, to the **** who deliberately back headed our defender (I think it was Hobbo) when he had no chance of getting the ball (he came off worse - serves him right) to the whole team who suckered a rookie ref with their late tackles and play acting and still managed to get 2 sent off to Evans who hacks one of our players, we take a quick free kick he goes down (not a head injury) and ref stops play. Of course we were disjointed and disappointing but at least tried to play football. They were an utter disgrace. That it was clearly tactical and their game plan makes it even worse.
Still we still have to play them again and hopefully will give them a damn good thrashing.

 

[C'mon you Shrimpers]

I understand Josh Rees of Boreham Wood lives in Leigh and went to Southend High. I doubt he likes to be associated with neanderthal football. He's well regarded. Perhaps he'd like a move to a team that plays football. He must be mightily embarrassed at the moment.

 

[Massimo Giovanni]

I expect Rees is well renumerated, happy to get home by 6pm last night with harldy much need for a shower and very thick skinned and too intelligent to be even mildly embarrassed.
Nor wanting to come and play infront of some of the Roots Hall faithless.

 

[onceknownasrab]

Started off with a superb fry-up in Channys Kitchen, West Street, and that's where the enjoyment ended. I was, as ever, looking forward to the first game of the season, see the new faces and how the team has gelled and progressed. All the lessons came from Boreham Wood.

We were bullied by a team that was well martialed, organised and compensated for how bang average they are as a footballing unit.

For our part we were lightweight, lacked steel and were bereft of idea or cohesion. I know Hyde, unsurprisingly, went off early but I genuinely doubt that had much effect at all.

Continually, even when high up the pitch, our every ball was backwards. Even the late game forays were predictable. X picks up ball and passes out wide to Clifford and he puts in a naff ball. The same thing again and again.

Whether or not this team can do better is anyone's guess but I think it can. Whether or not they get set up the right way to do better is more of a quandary. To me we looked to have no more idea than last year.

I am genuinely trying to think of the positives but am left with nothing. We need a leader on the pitch and some better leadership off of it. Oh and one up at home is a disgrace.

 

[RHB]

I expect Rees is well renumerated, happy to get home by 6pm last night with harldy much need for a shower and very thick skinned and too intelligent to be even mildly embarrassed.
Nor wanting to come and play infront of some of the Roots Hall faithless.

Well said mate.

 

[C'mon you Shrimpers]

IIt isn't pretty but it is often effective. Yesterday they went too far ut it's also down to us. We didn't return their intimidation at all. We allowed ourselves to be bullied. This must change. No yellow cards for us in such a brutal match?

It's a beautiful game but it's an ugly league and we need enforcers too.

I've never been a fan of Roy McDonough (sacrilege I know) but he would have taken out that fat **** Evans after about 10 minutes. Probably would have got away with a yellow

 

[Robert Baldwin]

We started the 57/58 season winning 5-0, 5-2, but spoilt the sequence by beating QPR 6-0. That same season we drew 1-1 with Liverpool at Anfield in the cup, although we lost the return 2-3 on a sunny Wednesday afternoon, (no lights), at the brand new Roots Hall stadium.

Happy days.

 

[Lester Bangs]

Wasn't able to get to the game yesterday (thanks Covid) but it sounds like we still havent fathomed we need a bit of brutishness to get out of this league. We're always too nice and can't handle oppositions physicality.

After twelve months of being where we are and thinking we can football our way out is a touch naive.

 

[Chalky]

Morning after post. Bloody hell that was frustrating.

My word, is that the most non existent we have 'seen' Bridgey? When he was subbed off I had legitimately forgot he started. Bizarre.

Miley's lovely. Very tidy player who has great self awareness and know's his role. Taylor put himself about well, also. We want him in the middle.

Hobbo passing was scary at times but overall game solid enough. Kensdale needs time, player in there. Ralph okay.

Once again I am continuing my agenda with Husin. Absolutely frustrates the life out of me. Not a clue what he does, what role is etc. I know that at Dartford he played at the top of a Diamond midfield, so his best game is a roaming '8' or as a 10. Cannot play him in a sitting 2.

I love being a stats/philosophy nerd and trying to see the game more viscerally. But sometimes football is v simple. B'wood done their homework. Stick elbows in lower backs and go hard on the calfs, oppo team then get anxiety on the ball and you get a result. They won the storyline of the match.

Why is Mooney independently or on Kev's advice dropping deep into midfield? Can't work out the method here. Go watch his highlight reel from Altrincham, his goals always come from being hide & wide and driving inside onto his left. Again, football can be simple, play players where they're best suited. Especially when you have a season of evidence as a sample size.

Powell needs to work on composure but does work to make things happen. Wreh interests me, drops the shoulder well. Fonguck want to see more of. But again, like Husin, waste of time playing him in a 2.

Onto next week. For the love of Christ, please pleaseeee this week in training practice how to attack a low block. B'wood kept us at bay with 9 men. Must be more savvy.

 

[bluesfansince1952]

Perhaps when we signed Husin we did not stop to consider that his involvement as a full international for Afghanistan might slow his development at Southend.
If, at the same time, he is also trying to transition from part time to full time professional footballer he will likely find the additional demands of playing for his national team very exacting.
And it is not like he is involved with Wales or Scotland. Afghanistan is a long way away which means a fair bit of long haul air travel which will take its toll.

 

[Jmayhew32]

Are there any stats for the game? I’m pretty sure Boreham Wood scored with one of their only shots on target. If we play like that every week, we’ll do very well.