Rayleigh boy
Director⭐
- Joined
- Nov 1, 2006
- Messages
- 5,138
The Shrimpr Truth - Sunderland away -
Hundreds of Shrimpers made the long, arduous and expensive
journey into one of the most historic traditional football heartlands
and from before the kick-off in the beautiful Stadium of Light the
pride and passion of Southend United FC was truly represented
in the stands.
Below, on the pitch, something was wrong. The players warmed
up without a trainer or manager in sight and from the start gave the
ball away in midfield leaving a confident Sunderland running at a
back-pedalling Southend back four.
It was hard not to think that the very presence of Roy Keane had turned
a few heads inside out and upside down and with the finger pointing and
arguing after the first half goals would have been just what the Black Cats
boss wanted to see. Thoroughly prepared, Sunderland smothered JCR and
waited for Bradburys layoffs. By the second-half the wheels were coming off
and at one point the Southend skipper surrendered possession, again, and
then simply walked back hands on hips giving only his gob a work out.
Tilson wanted to walk away with a post match "hands up" but the real lesson
from the Stadium of Light was about winning and what it takes. There was far too much of a hands up all over this one and something lacking in the mental preparation. Certain players were completely and utterly all over the shop. The Sunderland crowd deserved to see a better SUFC than this.
Fortunately a few north east lasses were lucky enough to meet an Essex boy or three and the average Sunderland fan seemed friendly and knowledgeable and alright when translated. The Blues support impressed in a football hotspot but the management need to have a long hard look at themselves. This was another go at competing at a top level and "hands up" is never ever good enough for Southend United FC.
Hundreds of Shrimpers made the long, arduous and expensive
journey into one of the most historic traditional football heartlands
and from before the kick-off in the beautiful Stadium of Light the
pride and passion of Southend United FC was truly represented
in the stands.
Below, on the pitch, something was wrong. The players warmed
up without a trainer or manager in sight and from the start gave the
ball away in midfield leaving a confident Sunderland running at a
back-pedalling Southend back four.
It was hard not to think that the very presence of Roy Keane had turned
a few heads inside out and upside down and with the finger pointing and
arguing after the first half goals would have been just what the Black Cats
boss wanted to see. Thoroughly prepared, Sunderland smothered JCR and
waited for Bradburys layoffs. By the second-half the wheels were coming off
and at one point the Southend skipper surrendered possession, again, and
then simply walked back hands on hips giving only his gob a work out.
Tilson wanted to walk away with a post match "hands up" but the real lesson
from the Stadium of Light was about winning and what it takes. There was far too much of a hands up all over this one and something lacking in the mental preparation. Certain players were completely and utterly all over the shop. The Sunderland crowd deserved to see a better SUFC than this.
Fortunately a few north east lasses were lucky enough to meet an Essex boy or three and the average Sunderland fan seemed friendly and knowledgeable and alright when translated. The Blues support impressed in a football hotspot but the management need to have a long hard look at themselves. This was another go at competing at a top level and "hands up" is never ever good enough for Southend United FC.