Post-Match Thread and Ratings Brizzle Rovers 2-0 Southend United

[leeblue]

Poor first half....as soon as we saw the line up we were worried...surely the players think it too. Wordsworth awful.
Fortune playing well....then hooked early
Demetriou awful.
2nd half ok. Ranger played well.

 

[Chocolardo]

Wordsworth out

 

[manor15]

First half was very very poor, midfield were clueless and we allowed them way too much time and space and they took advantage to score from distance twice. Not just tiredness, which was very clear and changes were needed, but no-one seemed to know who was doing what job.

Second half, improved but still some distance from good. Plenty of long balls forward and attempted crosses but none of any real quality and other than one Ranger header then you would be very hard pushed to say we looked like scoring despite dominating. They were dangerous on the break and could easily have nabbed a 3rd or 4th but had almost given up attacking with 15 left.

Smith 6 Can't comment on the goals given the angle we were at. Hesitated coming off his line and delays distributing the ball every time, usually ends up in the stands anyway.
Demetriou 6 Caught out going forwards as usual, looked to get crosses in when possible.
Thompson 6 Struggled in the air more than usual, a few desperate hoofs forward.
Ferdinand 7 The only reason it wasn't 3 or 4. Brilliant reading of the game.
Coker 6.5 Got forward we'll but sloppy on the ball with one 40 yard pass going out for a corner.
Atkinson 6 Hard done by to be taken off, didn't add much but not was he the worst in midfield.
Leonard 6.5 Tried to drive forward to little effect, doing the job of two men in midfield.
Wordsworth 4 Lazy, didn't track back, didn't pressure them at all, wasted possession time and time again. Desperately needs to be dropped, don't think I've seen him play worse in a Southend shirt.
Timlin 6.5 Tried to cover for Wordsworth but that left no width, worked hard.
Cox 6 No luck in a very physical battle and was constantly forced to drop deep.
Fortune 7 Chased the ball down the channels and was a pain. Rovers fans leaving the ground were saying how they couldn't get their head around why he was taken off when he was our biggest threat.
Subs
Ranger 7 Won the ball in the air a lot, missed a sitter, looked exhausted.
McLaughlin 7 Big ask to play for so long after so long out, he was good on the left and looked to beat their full back whenever possible. Less effective on the right and understandably tired later on.
Robinson 6.5 Pace was a threat and looked to put crosses in even if he was too wide.

Brown desperately needs to make changes in midfield, it was a real mess and looked far better with McLaughlin on the wing. That said we do seem to be suffering from all of our strikers losing form at once too. Wordsworth in particular was appalling today.

A word on Bristol Rovers - not a bad side, physical and long balls. Much stronger defensively than going forwards but we let them get the early goal which meant that didn't matter.

The bubble has burst and I don't think there's any chance of us making the play-offs now. Best we can really hope for is to avoid the kind of collapse we had last season.

 

[Evening Echo]

Match report: Bristol Rovers 2, Southend United 0

SOUTHEND United’s push for the play-offs suffered a further blow with a 2-0 defeat at Bristol Rovers this afternoon.

More...

 

[LBBlue]

Mr Brown was shocked and disgusted! If you had seen them in training all week you would have thought they were Championship quality. It was a dishonest performance. Players have a fear of getting promoted. Players are worried that if they get promoted they won't get new contracts so they are playing to stay in League 1. Players need to get in the oppositions faces.

Not chance of us getting promoted - players behaviour is unacceptable. Their strikers worked harder than ours.

 

[Rattus Norvegicus]

The goal in the 1st minute was a real kick in the teeth and it took the players quite some time to get back into the game ....... and by about 30 minutes in we looked like we were getting back into the game ..... and then another goal puts us right back in trouble. Both goals looked good and were deserved - their no. 29 was winning everything.

And then some pressure in the last few minutes of the half - if we score, I thought, we could be back in this. But, of course, we didn't.


And despite crosses, corners, free kicks outside the box and plenty of possession we couldn't score in the 2nd half ...... even with Rovers playing now with a lone striker they looked more dangerous than we did.

The afternoon was littered with poor passing, silly fouls and daft yellow cards.

 

[onceknownasrab]

Mr Brown was shocked and disgusted! If you had seen them in training all week you would have thought they were Championship quality. It was a dishonest performance. Players have a fear of getting promoted. Players are worried that if they get promoted they won't get new contracts so they are playing to stay in League 1. Players need to get in the oppositions faces.

Not chance of us getting promoted - players behaviour is unacceptable. Their strikers worked harder than ours.

I think he is talking out of his backside. The goals have dried up. Cox has a deal until the summer of 2018. Ranger until 2020 and Fortune until the end of 2018 season. They are already secured by their contract. Ryan Leonard is looking at a renewal and gives his all. Wordsworth needs a new deal too and by his recent performances he either bucks up or buggers off.

Thompson and Ferdinand are doing the business. Demetriou is under contract. Who are these alleged players that are scared for their future and doing their best to keep us in Lg 1?

There is something amiss but I have no idea quite what that is. Tuesday could be a new launch pad night. If not then we are facing the prospect of ending another season with a whimper. We may not be good enough for the play-offs but that does not mean we should capitulate like last season. We should at least push as hard as we can and iron out the problems.

 

[Andyhsufc]

From the radio commentary, it sounded like we were way off the pace (particularly in the first half) and despite a bit more pressure in the second half, I can't remember their goalkeeper having to make a save.

I think Brown will ring the changes on Tuesday - I would suggest that other than the back four and the goalkeeper, the other 6 places in the team are up for grabs. Brown particularly mentioned the front two in his interview so maybe he will go with Ranger and Robinson.

 

[Rattus Norvegicus]

We are not playing well - misfiring and not slick and smooth. I would suggest a little tinkering is required rather than a radical overhaul of the team.

I suspect that many will not share that view though.

 

[tallboyblue]

Mr Brown was shocked and disgusted! If you had seen them in training all week you would have thought they were Championship quality. It was a dishonest performance. Players have a fear of getting promoted. Players are worried that if they get promoted they won't get new contracts so they are playing to stay in League 1. Players need to get in the oppositions faces.

Not chance of us getting promoted - players behaviour is unacceptable. Their strikers worked harder than ours.

That's the way to create team spirit!

 

[THE SEVENTIES NORTH BANK]

Cox, Ferdinand, Ranger and McLaughlin are not fully fit, have hardly trained lately. Demitriou, Timlin and especially Wordsworth are well off form. Fortune and Wordsworth are knackered. Surely changes need to be made before the ship sinks. What message does it send out when a player like Wordsworth can play 5 stinkers in 6 games, and not get dropped? Some of these players need a rest and the side needs refreshing anyway.

 

[IloveShrimp]

Cox, Ferdinand, Ranger and McLaughlin are not fully fit, have hardly trained lately. Demitriou, Timlin and especially Wordsworth are well off form. Fortune and Wordsworth are knackered. Surely changes need to be made before the ship sinks. What message does it send out when a player like Wordsworth can play 5 stinkers in 6 games, and not get dropped? Some of these players need a rest and the side needs refreshing anyway.

Obviously the blue eyed boy just like Kevan Hurst was, no matter how bad he played he was selected!

 

[Barling Magna]

You won't believe their first goal when you see it on the highlights. I didn't and yet it happened in front of my eyes. Bodin cut across our defence as if it was made of cardboard players and buried the ball in the far corner. Our performance in the first half was dire, only Fortune posed any threat and he was subbed after half an hour - nobody around me could understand that. This is going to be at least 4-0 I thought, yet a different Southend emerged in the second half and we were totally dominant. How Ranger managed to miss with his header from three yards out, I don't know. There were numerous other chances and half chances. Theo Robinson should have come on much earlier - he posed a real threat. The Rovers fans around me said they would have accepted 2-2 as a fair final score. We certainly need to improve our finishing.

One strange thing about this match was that we kept getting awarded a series of dubious free kicks. Of course, we were unable to capitalise on this. Despite this defeat we're still seventh, but must win at Coventry on Tuesday evening - maybe we're saving up all our goals for that match.

 

[Massimo Giovanni]

We are not playing well - misfiring and not slick and smooth. I would suggest a little tinkering is required rather than a radical overhaul of the team.

I suspect that many will not share that view though.

It is the midfield which is unbalanced, if McL is fit then he needs to start, as does Lennie, then it is two from who is left with PB having to use his subs in a way he doesn't really want to ( he wants to be able to change 2 up top and keep spare).
We could wish for the use of 5 subs but unless rules change .........

Oh, and a bit of luck would get us moving again.

 

[Bolton Shrimper]

Cov is a must win or the play offs will be too far........................must gamble with Amos.

 

[leeblue]

Line up for Coventry

Smith
White Thomson ferdinand Coker
Atkinson timlin lenny macca
..........ranger theo

 

[Floval Flyer]

Line up for Coventry

Smith
White Thomson ferdinand Coker
Atkinson timlin lenny macca
..........ranger theo

agree with that, although possibly put Amos in for Timlin?

 

[Silencer]

Timlin not done much since he came back into midfield, we are desperate for width and creativity

 

[RobM]

Timlin not done much since he came back into midfield, we are desperate for width and creativity

McLaughlin and McGlashan?

 

[SHRIMPERPETER]

I listened to BBC Essex and we seemed to have quite a few corners second half but as usual all I heard on the commentary was "headed clear" or "straight into the goalies hands" and when Rovers had a corner it was usually met by one of their heads! Can't any of our players attack balls with their head's?!!!:angry: