Post-Match Thread and Ratings Blackburn Rovers 1-0 Southend United

[Barling Magna]

You've been reading those bottle labels again, haven't you Citizen Smith.........

 

[Lord Football]

Sinks

I don't remember leaving a game, having lost 1-0 with a smile as big that. That was an awesome performance both on and off the pitch. And we should be proud of our team tonight. Blackburn knew that'd been in one hell of a scrap after we'd laid siege to their goal for the last 10 minutes.

We were set up 4-5-1, possibly a bit negative, but let's face it they were top of the league and our away record is dreadful. As it happens, what it did was stop them playing. They found no space and as a consequence created little in the first half. We were the better team, with Macca and Kightly bombing down the wings, Cox chasing everything and the central midfield trio breaking up anything Blackburn tried. Dimi had the best chance, but fired over. Oxley had to make a good stop at the end. Not a bad game at this point.

Second half, they sussed our set up. They used the flanks and started making chances. The goal, when it came, was with the flow of play and looked to be coming. Robinson came on for Yearwood to add a bit of pace.

And then it went mad with about 10 to go. In the old days, we'd have continued playing as we were, hoping (despite all the evidence otherwise) that something would happen. That, most certainly, wasn't the case today.

Powell took off Macca and Kightly (who was trying too hard, being an ex Burnley player, and it wasn't happening for him today) and replaced them with Harrison and Fortune. We couldn't work out the formation, surely we weren't playing with two midfielders and four up front. Oh yes we were. We proceeded to throw the kitchen sink at Blackburn. We won everything, and just bombed forward. They didn't know what to do. All this backed by 700 or so Shrimpers making a considerable amount of noise. Turner then moved up front, giving as an old style 1950s, five up front! It was mad and frantic and fun. The noise rose in the away end, as forced them into errors, made them defend, won corners, created things. Cox, bundled over. Looked a penalty to some. Looked a dive to others. The ref went with a corner. (Travelzone on the way back was split on it once the footage was available on the internet). We had a mad scramble with Cox and Dimi both going for the equaliser, the ball hacked off the line. Even Oxley came upfield at the end. Quite how we didn't score, I don't know.

The relief from both the Blackburn fans and players when the final whistle came was palpable. A monster performance at the end, we deserved something that from. A cracking game of football.

Full credit to the manager today. Changed the set up from a fine performance on Monday to frustrate the League leaders, and then had a Plan B and Plan C when we fell behind. Bags of character from the players, bags of effort but just lacked that little bit of luck you need. That will be the hardest three points Blackburn will get all season.

 

[leeblue]

Just to back up Lord football above. We were very good today. Bossed the first half thanks to winning the numbers game in midfield and with more composure from demetriou in the first half could have gone in with the lead at half time. Blackburn came out 2nd half on fire and the goal was coming but after this we changed the formation and looked dangerous in the last 15 and but for demetriou blocking a point blank shot from cox we would have got the point we deserved. Great effort from the lads and us fans today...no complaints from me coming out the ground.

 

[Rayleigh boy]

9am train from Euston to Manchester Piccadilly. Couple of Spurs fans going to Stoke for a 3pm kick off are on the beers at 9am, wonder how much of the game they will be aware of.


Homelessness in Manchester is shocking. I thought that a few weeks ago for the postponed Oldham match but strikes me instantly again. Raining. Few people wear waterproofs, it's like if they don't acknowledge it's raining then it doesn't exist.


I made a trip to the legendary Eastern Bloc Records. It's a cafe. Well, most of it is, just a tiny loft space of a shop now. The guy in there is friendly but it doesn't feel like a pilgrimage.


Half n half scarves on sale for the Manchester derby. It's a bit like when Bob Marley got the two prominent Jamaican politicians to link hands on stage - yeah?


Train to Bolton goes past the Hacienda apartments. I wonder if the residents make regular trips to the Eastern Bloc cafe.


At Bolton waiting for the Blackburn train (end of the line is Clitheroe - that feels quite exotic) someone let's off fireworks for a full 5 mins. At 1 in the afternoon. Sounds like it's coming from the Pets At Home megastore car park. Don't think they sell actual pets though so probs no harm done. Blackburn train is one of those trains that is more like a bus. Goes through somewhere called Hall-i'-th'-Wood. That's actually how it is written!


Seen the word raffle written down and ponder on how much better phonically‪ a falafel raffle is to a meat raffle.‬


‪Strange big green circular sculpture on the side of the big church (cathedral?) in Blackburn.‬


‪30 min walk to the ground - Blackburn is like Romford with canals.‬


‪The ground is big but nothing special. 3 big stands and one that is presumably a lot older and is just one tier. That makes it much less impressive and imposing.‬


‪Minute applause for Ray Wilkins.‬


‪Great acoustics in the away end and the Shrimpers are noisy. Home fans very quiet other than when they wanted but didn't get a penalty.‬


‪That's a big build up to....not very much at all. For the majority of the first half both teams use similar tactics - long ball to no one and short ball to no one.‬


‪Blackburn do not look like a team at the top of the league and we don't raise our game to exploit that.‬


‪They seem to have a bit more possession but do very little with it. If anything we look more likely (but not very likely) to score.‬


‪After 25 mins Blackburn had managed 2 decent crosses - one McLaughlin dealt with, the other slightly over hit and a foul was given against the forward anyway.‬


‪Great solo effort from Demetriou after 35 mins that went just over.‬


‪Payne looked like a luxury player who was not very luxurious.‬


‪A fright right at the end of the first half came to nothing partly due to Oxley reading the danger well and partly due to their strikers' incompetence.‬


‪Pick of the bunch for me was McLaughlin both defensively and in attack.‬


‪Second half. They came out with more of a sense of urgency and we replied with a sense of panic. I don't know why as they still lacked quality, but carved out a couple of chances that Oxley dealt with calmly.‬


‪17 mins into the second and what I think was probably a badly hit cross (could have been a well hit shot to be fair) hit the post and went in. 1-0 and there is some noise from the sparsely filled home stands.‬


‪Robinson on for Yearwood and we look more attacking straight away. Not long after Fortune is on too - one forward becomes three.Then it gets interesting and starts to feel like a cup final as we throw the kitchen sink at them and both sets of fans mirror the tension.‬


‪88 minutes and our best move as it's passed around the right wing looking for an opening and eventually Robinson playing in Cox who was bundled off the ball and should have had a penalty but shouldn't have stopped to wait for a penalty.‬


‪92 minutes and various chances as the ball pings around the area and could, must, doesn't hit the back of the net.‬


‪Blackburn were poor. Why did we lose? Because we didn't start with the team who scored 4 first half goals earlier in the week and instead had one lone striker. We were on fire for the last ten minutes but we played the wrong tactics for 80 minutes.‬


‪On the way out some tools start fighting. I see one kid get bundled to the ground and arrested. Then after my 30 minute walk to the train station I saw the meat wagon roll up and the kid gets let out. Stick him in a cell to learn his lesson don't just give him a lift to the station.‬

fab write up - thank you

 

[Blues ‘n’ twos]

Sinks

I don't remember leaving a game, having lost 1-0 with a smile as big that. That was an awesome performance both on and off the pitch. And we should be proud of our team tonight. Blackburn knew that'd been in one hell of a scrap after we'd laid siege to their goal for the last 10 minutes.

We were set up 4-5-1, possibly a bit negative, but let's face it they were top of the league and our away record is dreadful. As it happens, what it did was stop them playing. They found no space and as a consequence created little in the first half. We were the better team, with Macca and Kightly bombing down the wings, Cox chasing everything and the central midfield trio breaking up anything Blackburn tried. Dimi had the best chance, but fired over. Oxley had to make a good stop at the end. Not a bad game at this point.

Second half, they sussed our set up. They used the flanks and started making chances. The goal, when it came, was with the flow of play and looked to be coming. Robinson came on for Yearwood to add a bit of pace.

And then it went mad with about 10 to go. In the old days, we'd have continued playing as we were, hoping (despite all the evidence otherwise) that something would happen. That, most certainly, wasn't the case today.

Powell took off Macca and Kightly (who was trying too hard, being an ex Burnley player, and it wasn't happening for him today) and replaced them with Harrison and Fortune. We couldn't work out the formation, surely we weren't playing with two midfielders and four up front. Oh yes we were. We proceeded to throw the kitchen sink at Blackburn. We won everything, and just bombed forward. They didn't know what to do. All this backed by 700 or so Shrimpers making a considerable amount of noise. Turner then moved up front, giving as an old style 1950s, five up front! It was mad and frantic and fun. The noise rose in the away end, as forced them into errors, made them defend, won corners, created things. Cox, bundled over. Looked a penalty to some. Looked a dive to others. The ref went with a corner. (Travelzone on the way back was split on it once the footage was available on the internet). We had a mad scramble with Cox and Dimi both going for the equaliser, the ball hacked off the line. Even Oxley came upfield at the end. Quite how we didn't score, I don't know.

The relief from both the Blackburn fans and players when the final whistle came was palpable. A monster performance at the end, we deserved something that from. A cracking game of football.

Full credit to the manager today. Changed the set up from a fine performance on Monday to frustrate the League leaders, and then had a Plan B and Plan C when we fell behind. Bags of character from the players, bags of effort but just lacked that little bit of luck you need. That will be the hardest three points Blackburn will get all season.

What LF said......if ever you can enjoy a 1-0 defeat this was it!

 

[HertfordshireBlue]

If this is what we are capable of currently. with SCP to have a proper pre season, learn his squad and have more time to make additions I can’t help but already get excited for the prospects of next season!

 

[maninasuitcase]

I thought we got it wrong playing just Cox up front. We looked a much better balanced side once Robinson came on, and more dangerous.

I have seen us play three times this season with SCP in charge, and three times with Phil Brown as manager. We are definitely a better team under Powell, but he has to play 4-4-2 in my opinion.

 

[maninasuitcase]

‪The ground is big but nothing special. 3 big stands and one that is presumably a lot older and is just one tier. That makes it much less impressive and imposing.‬


‪‬

I thought that as well. It turns out the Riverside Stand was built in 1988, just a few years before the rest of the ground was redeveloped.

 

[Jay_SUFC]

I thought we got it wrong playing just Cox up front. We looked a much better balanced side once Robinson came on, and more dangerous.

I have seen us play three times this season with SCP in charge, and three times with Phil Brown as manager. We are definitely a better team under Powell, but he has to play 4-4-2 in my opinion.

I agree - the problem with setting up defensively is that if you do concede early, suddenly there is no way back unless you make changes.

Personally I think we had nothing to lose and therefore why not start with the same side that beat Gillingham; however I can understand the caution shown by CP

 

[AndyT]

I can see both sides of the coin on this one.

Why change a winning team v. Setting up against a particular opposition.

I'm normally in the former camp, but I guess SCP had in the back of his mind that we got over-run a bit in midfield at Plymouth and the fact that Blackburn appear to be a good counter-attacking side, so best not to be too adventurous.

I'd also think that SCP is seeing how his squad might adapt to different roles and systems and who fits best into those roles, so there's a degree of experimenting as well.

I think the key is that if it doesn't work, or works better playing 4-4-2, then to not make the same mistake of trying it again too often.

 

[Massimo Giovanni]

I can see both sides of the coin on this one.

Why change a winning team v. Setting up against a particular opposition.

I'm normally in the former camp, but I guess SCP had in the back of his mind that we got over-run a bit in midfield at Plymouth and the fact that Blackburn appear to be a good counter-attacking side, so best not to be too adventurous.

I'd also think that SCP is seeing how his squad might adapt to different roles and systems and who fits best into those roles, so there's a degree of experimenting as well.

I think the key is that if it doesn't work, or works better playing 4-4-2, then to not make the same mistake of trying it again too often.

For SCP not to use the last games of the season to get to know more about the current squad would be illogical.
As I read it the players that got some game time are those that are likely to be with us next season if terms (Oxley/Harrison etc) can be agreed and those outside of the "action" will be looking for new clubs (Woody, McG etc).
5 games to go; all important in their own way with relegation crunch games for the likes of Oldham and MK against us; and mid-table "experimental" games against going nowhere clubs of Oxford, Bradford and Bristol.

 

[Swiss Tony]

fab write up - thank you

Like an episode of Wickers World.

 

[Another Surrey Shrimper]

Like an episode of Wickers World.

I don't know too much about football and was out for 14 hours for 90 minutes of football. So, the journey home was via Preston, and.....

 

[Rattus Norvegicus]

I thought we got it wrong playing just Cox up front. We looked a much better balanced side once Robinson came on, and more dangerous.

I have seen us play three times this season with SCP in charge, and three times with Phil Brown as manager. We are definitely a better team under Powell, but he has to play 4-4-2 in my opinion.

I know the set up "looks" defensive but I could argue that in practice it often wasn't.

For instance at around 30 minutes gone, Blackburn hoofed the ball out of defence into the Southend half ........ where there were no Blackburn players as they were all back defending. And again in the 2nd half there were a number of times when Blackburn simply cleared the ball out ......... and gave the ball straight back to us as all their 11 men were in their own half.

Compare that with Southend United where Cox stayed up front all the time often with 3 Blackburn defenders as company.

And we certainly didn't sit back behind a line of 5 and 4 and let them come to us either. :thumbsup:

 

[WestStandBlue]

If Brown had put the two sides out that CP had in the last two Away games people would be screwing. Yesterday was so negative and Friday even worse (woody out of position etc)

i understand he was a fan favourite when he played here but let’s see how he gets in next year the guy has done nothing yet

 

[Dubai]

Strange reaction on here to a defeat

IMO...CP got this wrong. He is quoted as saying “we had a good plan”...unless that plan was to lose 1-0 then it wasn’t a good plan. What happens if we had a bad plan and won...is it still a bad plan? I don’t buy it.

We lost to a team we had beaten before...yet the manager is getting plaudits for his tactical nous?

Yes CP has turned ya from a team that lose a few on the bounce but let’s not get overly excited.

if you are going to be selective with stats, we have won only 2/8 after the “new manager” hype had warn off.

 

[Rattus Norvegicus]

Strange reaction on here to a defeat

IMO...CP got this wrong. He is quoted as saying “we had a good plan”...unless that plan was to lose 1-0 then it wasn’t a good plan. What happens if we had a bad plan and won .... is it still a bad plan? I don’t buy it.

We lost to a team we had beaten before ..... yet the manager is getting plaudits for his tactical nous?

Yes CP has turned us from a team that lose a few on the bounce but let’s not get overly excited.

If you are going to be selective with stats, we have won only 2/8 after the “new manager” hype had worn off.

Depends on your point of view. There are those that believe that winning is the only thing that counts. If so then these people will not be happy with yesterday's game.

If you have a view that the manner in which you play the game is important as well, then yesterday's game was for you.

Many have said that we didn't deserve to lose ............. but that happens in football - just as sometimes you win when the other team are better.

And in general, I'm not for fiddling with team selections and formations in this division but our current circumstances suggest that could be a worthwhile exercise and provide benefits for the future.

 

[RHB]

Strange reaction on here to a defeat

IMO...CP got this wrong. He is quoted as saying “we had a good plan”...unless that plan was to lose 1-0 then it wasn’t a good plan. What happens if we had a bad plan and won...is it still a bad plan? I don’t buy it.

We lost to a team we had beaten before...yet the manager is getting plaudits for his tactical nous?

Yes CP has turned ya from a team that lose a few on the bounce but let’s not get overly excited.

if you are going to be selective with stats, we have won only 2/8 after the “new manager” hype had warn off.

Most Southend supporters will give credit where credit is due if their team has put in a shift, even if they lose, and comment accordingly. This thread has many comments supporting that view. You didn't rate how they played or the tactics but you appear to rate Freddy Lapedo's heading ability,which I find a bit strange. But there you go, it's all about opinions in the end.

 

[LBBlue]

The reports read like we did really well away from home against a team in a higher division with a fighting display.
In reality that what is was - we ended up with the least embarrassing defeat possible.

Blackburn's last 29 league games Won 19, Drawn 9, Lost 1 ( at Plymouth) GF 60 GA 27

Our away record against the current top ten Won 1, Drawn 0, lost 9, Goals For 3 ( 1 pen, 1 header from a corner and 1 deflection from 25 yards), Goals against 23.

We have the second worst away record in the division (only Bury is worse than ours) and have failed to score in 10 of twenty games. (when we finished bottom in 1996/96 we failed to score in 14).

Chris has just managed to stop the rot and brought back a bit of sense into team selections with no preconceived ideas as to who is guaranteed a start.

The real question we need the answer to is "why is the away and home form so different?" - whatever formation and mix of players we use. Could be the Roots Hall pitch has worked in our favour - undermining the opposition's confidence. Or it may be that this lot of players just don't like travelling away any more -at their age they get too stiff on the coach/train /plane.

Chris still has really only Brown's players to call on and we are lumbered with a lot of them for the next two or three years.

We need goal poacher that's clear but they are in very short supply.

The remaining three away games still mean a lot. We need to score a goal or two.

 

[WestStandBlue]

The reports read like we did really well away from home against a team in a higher division with a fighting display.
In reality that what is was - we ended up with the least embarrassing defeat possible.

Blackburn's last 29 league games Won 19, Drawn 9, Lost 1 ( at Plymouth) GF 60 GA 27

Our away record against the current top ten Won 1, Drawn 0, lost 9, Goals For 3 ( 1 pen, 1 header from a corner and 1 deflection from 25 yards), Goals against 23.

We have the second worst away record in the division (only Bury is worse than ours) and have failed to score in 10 of twenty games. (when we finished bottom in 1996/96 we failed to score in 14).

Chris has just managed to stop the rot and brought back a bit of sense into team selections with no preconceived ideas as to who is guaranteed a start.

The real question we need the answer to is "why is the away and home form so different?" - whatever formation and mix of players we use. Could be the Roots Hall pitch has worked in our favour - undermining the opposition's confidence. Or it may be that this lot of players just don't like travelling away any more -at their age they get too stiff on the coach/train /plane.

Chris still has really only Brown's players to call on and we are lumbered with a lot of them for the next two or three years.

We need goal poacher that's clear but they are in very short supply.

The remaining three away games still mean a lot. We need to score a goal or two.

What bit of sense is this looking st the last two Away games? Also any manager would of turned round our form when taking over.

He is not left with Brown players for 2-3 years just look at how short we are next year potentially with contacts ending etc also the players he signed so far have been dog