Post-Match Thread and Ratings Dorking Wanderers 1-0 Southend United

[secondalibi]

I've got very little to say after that. Seven straight defeats, tonight was like watching Groundhog Day. Same crap, different day. They just don't seem to be learning anything.

 

[bluethroughandthrough]

Tired
no new players
More strikers
Ron
embargo
confidence
Departed players
Money problems
Luck
barnet game

....And it can't be that we still have the same setup and approach with the only variable juggling players playing.

8 defensive players in the line up last night. That's 3 attacking players. The answer is we buy better forwards to fill those 3 spots? The only time I've seen that happen was when collymore joined us and carried the team by himself.

If there's a goal to be let in every game we need a formation and players to score. That also means players and a team approach that can make actual goal scoring chances - not random moments of skill. It also means creating at least 6 clear chances to score 2 goals bearing in mind the quality at this level.

Repeat: definition of stupidity is doing the same thing over and expecting different outcomes.

Additional points:

Fans offering a suggestion of a replacement is irrelevant and not a reason to maintain the current manager. Plenty of fans and increasingly so have suggested alternative setups with the existing players. Too many proof points that this can change teams. I think it was the spurs players who said they can't wait to go back to playing 4 at the back.

Prior successful runs were also met with commentary related to approach. Of course there is positivity if we win which plasters over the clear doubts of style and substance. Note relevance of teams being played

 

[* ORM *]

I don’t mind admitting I’m in tears on my morning walk here in HK. I didn’t intend to be but I got about 2-1/2 minutes into the below and choked. Another legend’s legacy potentially on the line due to a ****.

Whatever happens King Kev most of us will never forget your service and devotion as a player, a captain and a manager in the starkest of circumstances.

To those too young to remember. Ask your parents, uncles, aunts and older acquaintances. Soulless? Soulless? Not a bit of it. There are 5,000 plus turning up every home game, there are hundreds and sometimes more for away games. There are many more (not just us exiles) that are supporting on the side.

Soulless was 2-2,500 crowds with mediocre football and mediocre players. This fantastic club of ours still has a beating heart. It’s faint but it’s still in recovery mode.

Football is a results business. Kev of all people knows that. I just think it’s still too early for any calls for his head. We need a deflected cross to come in off Powell’s left testicle. We need not to lose, we need a bit of confidence and WE NEED THE FANS on their side for a few more weeks.

I’ll be back for Easter when we will be in the middle of another unbeaten run. Quote me on that.

 

[Piledriver]

I don’t mind admitting I’m in tears on my morning walk here in HK. I didn’t intend to be but I got about 2-1/2 minutes into the below and choked. Another legend’s legacy potentially on the line due to a ****.

Whatever happens King Kev most of us will never forget your service and devotion as a player, a captain and a manager in the starkest of circumstances.

To those too young to remember. Ask your parents, uncles, aunts and older acquaintances. Soulless? Soulless? Not a bit of it. There are 5,000 plus turning up every home game, there are hundreds and sometimes more for away games. There are many more (not just us exiles) that are supporting on the side.

Soulless was 2-2,500 crowds with mediocre football and mediocre players. This fantastic club of ours still has a beating heart. It’s faint but it’s still in recovery mode.

Football is a results business. Kev of all people knows that. I just think it’s still too early for any calls for his head. We need a deflected cross to come in off Powell’s left testicle. We need not to lose, we need a bit of confidence and WE NEED THE FANS on their side for a few more weeks.

I’ll be back for Easter when we will be in the middle of another unbeaten run. Quote me on that.

They got a break against aldershot and then played like a relegation side , sorry but there's something seriously gone wrong, that a fluke goal just isn't going to cure.

 

[getintoem]

The performances since the Torquay match seem to have become progressively worse. It’s as if each defeat, bit by bit, has eaten away at the players’ belief in themselves and in each other like a cancer. It’s true that some of them are appearing to no longer want to be at the club and, of course, it’s not so difficult to get into that mindset when on a losing streak, added to the doubtful issues going on off the pitch. It’s times like these that a strong mentality is required, maybe from just one player who can motivate his teammates. I'm thinking an Adam Barrett like character. Do we have such a player in the squad? Was perhaps Lopata that player?

I thought Dorking were a poor side to be honest, but sadly we looked no better. Judging by the commentator’s comments, they have been trying to play out from the back all season and failing, but tonight changed their approach and tried to get it forward quicker with the long ball. I suspect that caught us out in the first half as we didn’t expect them to play like that. I also didn’t think we looked comfortable with the bounce of the ball from the artificial surface but that may also be down to the lack of confidence causing hesitation in commitment. The only moments of promise in the match for me were when Lomas ran at them on a few occasions as you could see the degree of panic in their defence. Unfortunately, there was never an out ball for Lomas to play and the last time he tried it he was brought down just outside the box.

I’m as gutted as everyone else on here at the way we have hit this brick wall but I am not entirely surprised. Even when we were winning games earlier in the season I never felt we were dominant in any of them. I did expect an improved league position over last year’s finish but that’s now looking unlikely. My main hope now is that we survive to start next season and that something for the better happens in respect of ownership.

 

[Fitz]

We are again a sinking ship…how many managers turn around a 7 game losing streak.

Accepting all the off field issues there is a serious lack of imagination and creativity here from Maher and Co. Insanity is doing the same thing again and again and expecting a different result!!

The lack of effort today, movement, hunger was not acceptable.

As others have said Maher has a lot of credit in the bank…but this can not continue. We need an immediate change in results here!

 

[nick12]

Struggle to see us winning another game

Unfortunately on the basis of what I watched last night I can't argue against that.

As for effort and plenty on here saying they gave it all I am afraid I can't agree with that, there was far too much trotting around and not making space, they all look like they have had enough to me & maybe we can't blame them for that

They did rally at the end but playing for the last 10 minutes of a game isn't going to win the match and I afraid I have seen that quite a few times this season.

We are a complete mess of a football club at every level right now and this season has been ruined yet again by our wonderful Chairman, thanks Ron

 

[shrimperjon]

Another frustrating evening and lets be honest, Colin was our MOM. Says it all against a team who have conceded 84 goals this season yet we barely had a shot on goal in anger.

first time it seems that Maher has openly questioned players heart, desire and balls for the fight. Said that players need to decide who wants to play for the club next season etc. if so and some players are starting to down tools then maybe they need to be dropped. Thinking now that there were a few more other than Lopata that wanted out but for whatever reasons didn’t. Either way what on earth has happened to the team celebrating that late win at Torquay, the video from the dressing room, the united group etc. based on the last 7 games that seems to have been torn apart.

another great following from the fans again and we deserve so much more. I would question those at the end who were hurling abuse at Kev and co. Kev has amitted he has made mistakes but then who can blame him after all that he has been through this season. He looked a broken man tonight.

need new owners in and quick as if this continues on into the end of the season and beyond we are going to be in for a very long and frustrating summer and may not have a club at the end of it

weve not missed a game home or away this season but now off for two weeks over Easter and as much as I love this club I need a break from it and recharge for Daggers and Oldham on our return

 

[nick12]

It's a chicken and egg argument though, isn't it? Are they being set up to play that way? Or is confidence and morale so shot to pieces that heads drop and they end up playing that way put of fear of another defeat?

I still don't believe that Kev or the coaches would want the team to play that negatively and I know for a fact that it's not how they are drilling them to play on training pitch.

If that's the case something is seriously wrong, that's the same as any boss saying "cook bacon and eggs" and the employee produces a cheese sandwich

We really are in trouble if the players go on to the pitch and play a completely different way to what they have been told and practiced in training all week

 

[Evening Echo]

SOUTHEND United slumped to a disappointing 1-0 defeat at Dorking Wanderers as the Shrimpers’ losing streak stretched to a seventh match.

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[stewart]

What to say except i honestly expected this result ,in the prediction league i was hoping for a 0-0 draw at best. To the players if some of you dont wish to be at this club and have downed tools please do my club a favour speak up now or do a Lopata, at least Kev and co could then give some of the young lads who want to be at this club a run and some learning experience. I can foresee a different team versus Yeovil, Kev and co cannot just sit back and expect the same each week. Benton, Sandat, Wood, Coker, Crowhurst, Davis need to be recalled from there loans , lets see if these lads can inject some enthusiasm into the team . Others that dont wish to play for my club and just seeing out the season can well and truly pack there bags empty their locker and go .

 

[Evening Echo]

SOUTHEND United fans have their say on Tuesday night's 1-0 defeat at Dorking Wanderers.

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[Evening Echo]

SOUTHEND United boss Kevin Maher says he is ‘hurting more than you can believe’ following his side’s 1-0 defeat at Dorking Wanderers.

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[Strykr]

Credit to ralph. He is right, it is unnaceptable.

Trouble is that spiel normally comes once a season in a blip. This is clearly more than that.

Not sure where we go from here, not sure i can remember a season when it was just about football and not off field calamities.

I am sure that once again we are near rock bottom. And once again being an sufc fan is like being permanently kicked in the balls.

 

[Harry Bullocks]

Hey ho off to Yeovil I go

 

[E for B and Billy Best]

The week before the Barnet home game, I was openly saying win the next two home games and then we can chase Woking down and get a home play-off semi-final. **** me, I got that scenario wrong.

 

[Mad Cyril]

That's harsh on Sol. He got no transfer window at all. Joined in October, embargoed in January, COVID finished the season off.

I would say, apart from the scandalous stuff he did behind the scenes (not learn player names... Supposedly hit on a striker's bird...), he did churn out some decent football and some decent draws with a poor squad.

He was also the only SUFC manager that could pull off wearing a Fedora although I suspect Steve Tilson could get away with a pork pie hat at a classic scooter run.

 

[Whispering Bob]

I cant recall ANY side, who has had a run of seven successive defeats, showing a negative goal difference of just seven goals. Does that mean we are not that far away? (goals scored in those seven games was a pathetic two mind). Interesting to hear Ralph speaking last night, he was brutally honest and put it all down to the players, hinting that we needed 'men' out there. He had nothing but praise for the coaching staff - suggesting that Maher has definitely not lost the dressing room.

 

[wiggy]

How an earth are all these players going in reverse?
Kensdale, Cardwell, Miley, Bridge, Ralph, Mooney, and others looked like they could play higher……potentially is there any team in the top seven that have a better spine of players? No, so they have been coached wrong and Maher has managed to replicate the incompetent Mark Moseley , bereft of new ideas and forward thinking play, that takes some doing. He may have impressed Stan with his charts and presentations initially but it clearly doesn’t transfer on to the pitch. Again last night he proved that he just cannot come up with anything more than his predecessors when needed , no flair or plan b, shake up needed now!

 

[Target man]

If you're a side in the play off contention or in the relegation fight, and Southend is on your fixtures of remaining games, then it's a game you're currently banking on turning up for and collecting your 3 points. The players have given up.