Memory Lane Ex Shrimpers Challenge R1- A v S

[Napster]

Squad A ... Manager: Beefy

GK: Adam Federici
RB: Dean Austin
CB: Alan Moody
CB: Adam Barrett
LB: Alex 'Sandy' Anderson
RM: Andy Ansah
CM: Alan McCormack
CM: Andy Sussex
LM: Anton Otulakowski
F: Brett Angell
F: Albert Wakefield

Squad S ... Manager: davewebbsbrain

GK: Paul Sansome
LB: Steve Harkness
CB: Pat Scully
CB: Spencer Prior
RB: Simon Francis
LM: Steve Tilson
CM: Jay Smith
CM: Andy Sussex
RM: Sanchez Watt
F: Shaun Goater
F: Stan Collymore

 

[MK Shrimper]

Team "S" is going to be hard to beat. Sorry Beefy.

 

[Beefy]

S has got a strong team but I feel that dwb made an error in only considering player's who he has seen. Now, granted I'd have had a problem with getting a second striker (Andy Rammell? Alex Revell?) had I done the same but ours is an old club with a rich history and I don't need to have seen Alan Moody or Sandy Anderson to appreciate what great servants they were to Southend United.

As for the game, I think I'd win it from out wide. I'd be confident in Dean Austin being able to push Tilly back into his own half and have no doubt that Anderson's know-how would deal with the pace (but little else) of Sanchez Watt. I'd fancy both Ansah and Otulakowski to consistently get the better of Harkness and Francis, with the latter having to really concentrate to stay in it which was never his strong point.

Midfield is where my side has been criticised, but obviously in this game Andy Sussex is cancelled out by Andy Sussex. That leaves Alan McCormack vs Jay Smith. Now I loved Jay Smith - he was a cracking little player but the fact remains that his only consistent spell here came in League Two, wheras McCormack competed strongly in our Championship season and the year after alongside Bailey in League One. Smith just wasn't in that league.

 

[Napster]

Beefy, your argument was great until it got to Smith v McCormack. Smith could have been a great player, until his injury. However, I vote A purely because Federici, Austin, Moody, Anderson and Barrett is a good enough defence to keep out Goater and Collymore.

 

[Beefy]

Do you see where I'm coming from at all with Smith? I know we'll never know how he would have done without those injuries but I don't think even if he'd have stayed fit that he'd have reached the second tier. He was too small.

 

[BrettieAngell]

tricky one this!

 

[BrettieAngell]

McCormack, in his first couple of years with us, would own Jay Smith.

 

[BLUEBLOOD]

There's a fag paper between these sides for me, but the As nicked it mainly due to dwbs selection policy

 

[davewebbsbrain]

Beefy, your argument was great until it got to Smith v McCormack. Smith could have been a great player, until his injury. However, I vote A purely because Federici, Austin, Moody, Anderson and Barrett is a good enough defence to keep out Goater and Collymore.

No defence is good enough to keep out Collymore. With Goater beside him, that they would strike fear into many premiership defences too

 

[davewebbsbrain]

There's a fag paper between these sides for me, but the As nicked it mainly due to dwbs selection policy

I can understand what you say about my selection policy, but I feel I wouldn't be keeping true to my life of watching Southend United by including players I have never seen. It wouldn't be MY team then.

 

[davewebbsbrain]

McCormack, in his first couple of years with us, would own Jay Smith.

I don't see that either. I'm gutted about Jay Smith's injury, he was different class. Macca is just a bit of a thug with a hot head. I wouldn't have him in my team had I been A or M.

Ben Smith was another played I thought about. Immense ability but injury meant he never shone like he should.

 

[davewebbsbrain]

S has got a strong team but I feel that dwb made an error in only considering player's who he has seen. Now, granted I'd have had a problem with getting a second striker (Andy Rammell? Alex Revell?) had I done the same but ours is an old club with a rich history and I don't need to have seen Alan Moody or Sandy Anderson to appreciate what great servants they were to Southend United.

As for the game, I think I'd win it from out wide. I'd be confident in Dean Austin being able to push Tilly back into his own half and have no doubt that Anderson's know-how would deal with the pace (but little else) of Sanchez Watt. I'd fancy both Ansah and Otulakowski to consistently get the better of Harkness and Francis, with the latter having to really concentrate to stay in it which was never his strong point.

Midfield is where my side has been criticised, but obviously in this game Andy Sussex is cancelled out by Andy Sussex. That leaves Alan McCormack vs Jay Smith. Now I loved Jay Smith - he was a cracking little player but the fact remains that his only consistent spell here came in League Two, wheras McCormack competed strongly in our Championship season and the year after alongside Bailey in League One. Smith just wasn't in that league.

I have a pretty interchangable midfield, they all have the ability to play across the 4 midfield positons. Sussex can also push on as well as Francis being able to overlap with Watt filling in at the back. Barrett was never that special, despite what people think and would never have coped with Collymore. Spinner and Scully would be solid at the back.

 

[MK Shrimper]

Barrett could keep out Collymore? Do me a favour, Stanley would run rings around him.

 

[canveyshrimper]

I can understand what you say about my selection policy, but I feel I wouldn't be keeping true to my life of watching Southend United by including players I have never seen. It wouldn't be MY team then.

Well done on sticking with your principal on your selection policy.
Having given this a lot of thought I think the A' just shade this round.

 

[davewebbsbrain]

Barrett could keep out Collymore? Do me a favour, Stanley would run rings around him.

Thank you...It's pretty obvious Stanley would run rings round most defences.

 

[Beefy]

Barrett could keep out Collymore? Do me a favour, Stanley would run rings around him.

Barrett wouldn't even try. He'd be tasked with marking The Goat.

 

[davewebbsbrain]

Barrett wouldn't even try. He'd be tasked with marking The Goat.

And would fail miserably

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Beefy, your argument was great until it got to Smith v McCormack. Smith could have been a great player, until his injury. However, I vote A purely because Federici, Austin, Moody, Anderson and Barrett is a good enough defence to keep out Goater and Collymore.

You're joking aren't you? Collymore would absolutely eat Adam Barrett alive. How's Barrett going to play Collymore? Stan's the exact type of player Barrett usually struggles against only Collymore is stronger, quicker and taller than the forwards Barrett struggled against. If he gets in close Collymore is just going to shrug him off, if he stands off Stan is just going to ping it in the top corner before Barrett can close him down.

The S team look particularly weak out wide, which is a real strength of the A team where they have great full-backs and wingers. With Ansah and Anton repeatedly getting beyond Harkness (surely Sandy Anderson would have been a better selection here?) and Francis there will be lots of crosses for Prior and Scully to deal with. As good as those two were, with Ansah and Otulakowski putting balls into the danger area between the keeper and the centre-halves I've got to fancy Angell and Wakefield getting the better of them given the continual supply they are going to get.

Team A's only weak spot is their midfield, but team S is similarly weak there. As team S are carrying too many passengers (Sanchez Watt?!?) I'm going to go with team A. 3-2 Angell, Wakefield and Ansah; Collymore (2).

 

[Pubey]

This one is so so difficult!

 

[Beefy]

And would fail miserably

No he wouldn't. Goater is exactly the type of player who Barrett would like to play against. Also, frankly Goater spent a decent chunk of his year here being abused from the terraces for being too slow and too lazy. Just the sort of player AB liked to mark.

He'd be under strict orders to not go anywhere near Stan Collymore.