Change the record, Phil

[Stuart W]

If I hear the mantra "clean sheet mentality" one more time, I swear......
New season, new cliche required. How about "Let's go for the jugular"?

At least with this one the players can attempt to achieve it even if we concede. What happens with the "CSM" one though if we let a goal in? Has Phil provided them with a Plan B? It certainly doesn't look like it if recent performances are anything to go by.
Rather than basking in the glory of last year's clean sheets, a lot of which resulted in instantly forgettable goal-less draws, perhaps Mr Brown should focus on the fact that we have failed to score more than 2 goals at home in a league game since March 24th 2014.

 

[RobM]

How about "When you score six as often as we do...."

 

[jimmyshrimp]

Funny enough I saw an interview with big Sam pre Everton game yesterday, talking about how he's going to sort out Sunderland, first thing he said was we need to get 'clean sheets'! Well that went well!!! (6-2).

 

[RobM]

Funny enough I saw an interview with big Sam pre Everton game yesterday, talking about how he's going to sort out Sunderland, first thing he said was we need to get 'clean sheets'! Well that went well!!! (6-2).

The only clean sheets Sunderland will get will involve Persil and a cottons cycle!

 

[AndyT]

PB has managed in the Premier League.

I think he knows what he's doing.

Sometimes, things happen in matches that you hadn't accounted for and it doesn't always go according to plan.

We are a learning squad at this level and each match you take something from.

We missed a couple of players and a few opportunities on Saturday, but we are getting plenty of shots on goal.

If Mooney had lashed that late chance into the roof of the net, we'd be buzzing on what a great match.

I'll take Saturday over the dire 0-0 draws at Christmas last year, any day.

 

[mrsblue]

Last 20 on Saturday was crying out for pace and power and a goalscorer,we needed to get up the pitch and push Dale back !

Why put JW on the bench again and again yet never unleash him !

 

[essexshrimper]

Last 20 on Saturday was crying out for pace and power and a goalscorer,we needed to get up the pitch and push Dale back !

Why put JW on the bench again and again yet never unleash him !

TAKE COVER!!! Incoming Jason Williams lovefest

 

[Bromley Blue]

Last 20 on Saturday was crying out for pace and power and a goalscorer,we needed to get up the pitch and push Dale back !

Why put JW on the bench again and again yet never unleash him !

Because he's not the saviour you obsessively think he is?

 

[mrsblue]

Because he's not the saviour you obsessively think he is?

You are probably right BUT we will never know whilst he remains benched,we were penned in yet we had an outlet on the bench,yes he could have come on and been dog,but that is the point why select him for the squad yet never play him.

 

[WESTY_SUFC]

I agree we desperately need to change our game. For a team who has just come up being in the top half is not enough!

In all serious yes, PB got it wrong on Sat going deeper but so far the majority of games he has got it right. We are over achieving with our current squad ability in my opinion.

 

[Mick]

....

Sometimes, things happen in matches that you hadn't accounted for and it doesn't always go according to plan.

...

Indeed, and how you react to that defines your mettle as a manager.

 

[AndyT]

Damned if you do, damned if you don't, though.

If he'd have made a couple of negative substitutions after 50 minutes, we'd all be up in arms that "we're 2-0 up and he's panicking" mentality.

I'd question one of the substitutions on Saturday, but I wouldn't question the set-up in the second half.

We could easily have been 4-0 up before they scored.

 

[mrsblue]

Damned if you do, damned if you don't, though.

If he'd have made a couple of negative substitutions after 50 minutes, we'd all be up in arms that "we're 2-0 up and he's panicking" mentality.

I'd question one of the substitutions on Saturday, but I wouldn't question the set-up in the second half.

We could easily have been 4-0 up before they scored.

Those throwaway 2 points could mean safety or promotion ?,you cannot sit back and hope you don't concede against decent teams,these teams in this division will bite back.

 

[MK Shrimper]

**deleted**

 

[manor15]

You are probably right BUT we will never know whilst he remains benched,we were penned in yet we had an outlet on the bench,yes he could have come on and been dog,but that is the point why select him for the squad yet never play him.

What makes you think that a kid who has never played more than 20 minutes of league football is suddenly going to push an experienced League 1 side back? When we end up penned in it is often because we sit too deep, we're too narrow and our passing is poor, so Williams would have no impact on that at all. Yes, he could hang around near the half way line and try to win a long ball clearance or put them under pressure but not a lot more than that.

Why select him on the bench? Because with Hunt and Weston out injured, there is no other out and out striker option. If Mooney/Pigott picked up an injury then the only other choice would be Payne, which would probably end up looking more like a 4-4-1-1, and Brown may want the option for a bulkier player. If we are defending a lead then there's not much need to do a straight swap up front for an unproven, inexperienced kid.

I'm sure he'll get his chance eventually as he does deserve it based on his performances in the under 21s, but Brown and co see him in training every day, and Saturday was never the right time to give him game time.

 

[AndyT]

Good opportunity in the JPT to play him and drop Mooney into the diamond.

 

[THE SEVENTIES NORTH BANK]

I think a lot of the moaning is due to us being on top in games, looking like increasing the lead if anything, and then going all negative, settling for what we've got, but this then allows the opposition to dictate the game and launch wave after wave of attack, knowing our one up front is no danger on his own, and will only knock it backwards even if he gets to the ball first. It's very frustrating to watch, and extremely annoying when the lead is thrown away.
I think in Southend's case, attack is the best form of defence.

 

[mrsblue]

What makes you think that a kid who has never played more than 20 minutes of league football is suddenly going to push an experienced League 1 side back? When we end up penned in it is often because we sit too deep, we're too narrow and our passing is poor, so Williams would have no impact on that at all. Yes, he could hang around near the half way line and try to win a long ball clearance or put them under pressure but not a lot more than that.

Why select him on the bench? Because with Hunt and Weston out injured, there is no other out and out striker option. If Mooney/Pigott picked up an injury then the only other choice would be Payne, which would probably end up looking more like a 4-4-1-1, and Brown may want the option for a bulkier player. If we are defending a lead then there's not much need to do a straight swap up front for an unproven, inexperienced kid. I'm sure he'll get his chance eventually as he does deserve it based on his performances in the under 21s, but Brown and co see him in training every day, and Saturday was never the right time to give him game time.

Mooney was wearing concrete boots whilst wading through quicksand,he was knackered !,we has zero outball to get us up the pitch.

Sitting back and inviting Dale to attack at will was at best stupid,we needed fresh legs up top and guess what Williams is a contracted professional footballer sitting on the bench removing splinters from his arse,I'm not saying he would have done the business but he would have been the chaser for long stuff which would have us moving up the pitch whilst breaking up the Dale attack and of course taking up the clock.

 

[AndyT]

Mooney nearly scored the winner in the 89th minute.

 

[Mick]

Post changed to reflect my opinion rather than yours.

Note to moderators:

Pleas delete post. It is not acceptable to change the words attributed to a previous poster like that.