Post-Match Thread and Ratings Bristol Rovers 4-2 Southend United

[AndyT]

The second goal yesterday is a real worry. We are 2-1 up and under pressure and he can see their 4 making his way into the box and just jogs behind him. Taylor then gets the blame.

You've surely got to chase that fella back or at least try to block him off, as he is clearly the danger man as that ball comes in. It's being alive to the 2nd ball.

 

[united we stand]

I can’t do the links, but Coughlan comments on Chris Phillips twitter feed are very telling , and add to Sols comments.
Well worth reading if someone can paste up.
Basically stuff was going on that he would not have stood for

 

[Bluegoose]

Lets hope Sol, has a get out clause on his contract. This is getting ugly on his CV.

 

[Special Blue]

Lets hope Sol, has a get out clause on his contract. This is getting ugly on his CV.

You would like to think so! Sol is not naive enough to take a Chairman saying We won't be relegated as gospel.
We all know what Chairmen know about football you can write on a postage stamp in most cases.

 

[jarvisyeh]

I really, really wish I were one of you that say “I’m not bothered any more, I’m used to it.”

I’m f***ing fed up after every game, it hurts after every game. And I wish those players felt the same as me.

At least we have a manager that is hurting too, and I'm sure SOME of these players are hurting.

I really really hope we get the players we need to pick the rest up off the floor, because we need something positive to cling on to before the season is finished.

I might just ignore that Southend United exist for a while because it's not been good on the mental health recently, very telling that the best weekends I've had in a long time have been the ones we haven't played on.

 

[rlb999]

You forget many people know more than their teams manager !!!! I wanted Sol originally but I now feel ill at ease having a manager who publicly said though his barrister he wants a 145 year old Macclesfield Town football club wound up

Doesn't sit easily with me either, especially when it could be us in 18 months time. However he did his job and deserves to be paid - it’s not reasonable to expect him to work without pay simply because the club finances are screwed.

 

[monkwell]

There are reasons for serious positivity here. We totally dominated first half. We haven't been doing that often! For what it's worth our fans were rubbish. I admit everyone is downtrodden and ready to throw in the towel, but let's face the facts. A big part of going to watch Southend is the camaraderie, banter and the pride of unfailing support. We don't trudge around the country in pursuit of silky flowing football. It's a worse experience for everyone if we don't back the team. Barely anyone was chanting. I don't get to that many games as I'm based in Cardiff, but I took 15 mates from Wales and the West to this game and they repeatedly commented on the disinterest of our fans. There were some good performances today, and they should take confidence from the first half. However, the rapid disintegration of confidence in the second half was among the worst I've seen in football.

Bishop - 6 A couple of good saves, v dodgy on the back pass, weak distribution at times.
Demetriou - 4 not in his old self. Generally good positioning but offered little going forward
Kiernan - 5 dependable on the ball, but looked nervous second half
Dieng - 7 Was really trying to hold things together in the second half - showed some commanding headers.
Bwomono - 6 Not sure about the pen, caught out of position a couple of times but pretty solid.
Taylor - 4 No shortage of desire, but not quite ready
Milligan - 6 V hot and cold. Some woeful efforts giving the ball away, but some great incisive balls too.
Manton - 5 didn't offer much
Goodship - 7 Tried hard and showed flashes of class
McLaughlin - 6 V mixed bag, slightly more bad than good.
Hopper - 7 Missed him when we went off - class act

Subs - Humphreys 8 MOM - easily our best player. Gas looked v nervous of him and for good reason. He looked so apologetic at the final whistle.
Hamilton - 5 offered little
Acquah - not on long enough

 

[Strykr]

Singing or not the fans that travelled deserve a medal.

And possibly the keys to the nuthouse ?

 

[Willis]

I think he's been banned @rayleigh dan

I really hope so. What an ar5e.

 

[AndyT]

I can’t do the links, but Coughlan comments on Chris Phillips twitter feed are very telling , and add to Sols comments.
Well worth reading if someone can paste up.
Basically stuff was going on that he would not have stood for

Happy to post for you, but just been on Chris' twitter feed and couldn't see any comments there by Coughs?

 

[RobM]

*some say a glass is Half Full. Some say Half Empty. Either way, their is clearly room for more alcohol :)

I think we need "substances" to put up with this !

 

[Oakley1]

We kept a clean sheet against MK Dons?

so 1 in 38 still doesn't look good

 

[jarvisyeh]

Happy to post for you, but just been on Chris' twitter feed and couldn't see any comments there by Coughs?

I believe the comments in question were pre match rather than post match.

 

[Cultist of Sooty]

I believe the comments in question were pre match rather than post match.

It was in this article here:

https://www.echo-news.co.uk/sport/1...aher-hurt-lack-opportunities-southend-united/

 

[AndyT]

Ah right. With you now @jarvisyeh I think they were linked from the Echo Article, but I'll try and paraphrase :-

“I’m thoroughly enjoying being at Bristol Rovers but yes, it does hurt I was never given this chance at Southend,” said Coughlan.

“There was a great group of people there in Ben Cirne, Ben Clarkson, Lee Harrison, Kevin Maher and myself who I feel had the experience, nous and knowledge to do well.

“I had to put up with a lot of nonsense when I was there and turn a blind eye to things I wouldn’t have put up with if I was the manager.

“I also worked exceptionally hard so it was frustrating and disappointing I didn’t get the chance to take things on.

“Things have spiralled out of control and I don’t think that would have happened if I had been given the chance to take over.

“But I respect the chairman Ron Martin and the decisions he has made.”

“I was shocked we could get him but Southend’s loss has been Bristol Rovers’ gain because Kev’s been brilliant,” said Coughlan.

“He knits together the under-23s with the first team superbly and does a lot of work on the analysis side too.”

And Maher was also frustrated not to be given the chance to work with Blues’ first team.

“It did hurt not to get a chance at Southend,” said Maher.

“I was the under-23s coach for four years and a lot of players went through to the first team in that time. We also won a couple of cups and I really put a lot of hours in but if it wasn’t to be it wasn’t to be and I’m happy at Bristol Rovers now.”

However, Maher still keeps an eye on Blues.

“I’ll always have an affiliation with Southend,” said Maher.

“I really hope Sol Campbell turns things around, just after tomorrow’s game.”

 

[Strykr]

'Thanks for all the years and dedication kev now **** off with no testimonial. Harrys hooking me up with Bond.'
Fail.

 

[mfurok]

Remember when we played Rovers away two years ago. Apparently back then It couldn't get any worse. A lot has happened since then and lets just say.....Its been emotional.

Clean sheets anyone?

It was much better yesterday than it was two years ago.

 

[mfurok]

Sorry mate. With you now.

I thought you were talking about the Doncaster Rovers defeat rather than the Bristol Rovers one, as we then lost 3-0 at Wigan the week after and things were starting to crack a little, then. Prior to that Doncaster game, we had won the previous three.

This is the team that day, so you are right about Timlin, as he was on the bench :-

Starting lineup:

Goalkeeper Mark Oxley

Defender Jason Demetriou
Defender Stephen Hendrie
Defender Anton Ferdinand
Defender Michael Turner

Midfielder Ryan Leonard
Midfielder Anthony Wordsworth
Midfielder Josh Wright
Midfielder Stephen McLaughlin

Forward Simon Cox
Forward Marc Antoine Fortuné

That wasn’t the team for long.

Brown took our best player off after 35 minutes!

 

[mfurok]

Yeah we’d won 7, drawn 7, lost 7 after Bristol Rovers. We then beat Charlton at home. Yet Brown had lost the plot/the dressing room and according to many had to go. What was needed was a very strong character to come in and sort out that dressing room. The initial “bounce” under Powell was papering over cracks. Check out the Bond post match rants. Then Sol yesterday and it echoes PB in many ways. A clear out is needed and we can’t move on till it’s done evidently.

Brown threw out the strong character in the dressing room.

 

[AndyT]

In the Bristol Rovers game, Macca went off injured after 13 minutes and Fortune, who had a good first half and I guess was who you meant, lasted until the 59th according to the stats, though I thought he got subbed in the first half, like you did.