Post-Match Thread and Ratings Grimsby Town 1-0 Southend United

[rararblue]

Positives from the game -
Young Centre back pairing did fine.
JD, I thought had a good game at left back, linking up well with any player that wanted the ball.
Players wanting the ball were Brunt, Murphy, Walsh and sometimes Ferguson. This is an improvement.

When we get to all 10 outfield players actually being comfortable on the ball and asking for it, we will start winning games.

 

[Shrimpa23]

A hard slog to watch last night. Lots of huffing and puffing but very little quality in the midfield again.

This picture came up on my Facebook feed this morning from 9 years ago.

According to Sky we scored 4 with only 2 shots on target! If only we could get one on target nowadays it would be a start. The supply line to the front line needs to improve. Murphy can't live off scraps like they were feeding him last night.

 

[jimmy55]

I don't think it is about Dalby personally. It is more about the fact we look to not lose by to many goals rather than plan to attack the opposition. We worry to much about them instead of them worrying about us.
That being said we do not really have much to offer on any part of the pitch atm so what team is going to be worried about us? I don't see that much change in the set up playing/ style wise than before Kev was here.

We need drastic change and the sooner the better otherwise it will be 3 relegations on the trot. Personally I don't think we will go down but paying fans want to see something different out there on the pitch and not have to face losing game after game week after week with the same old players.

I agree the tactics were pretty good if we erase the early goal. My point is more that Murphy and Dalby are hailed as our saviour up front yet they don't seem to work very well together imo. In the limited minutes given to Rush he was clever enough to get his body in the way and win a penalty for the team. Just that alone could be seen as more than both Dalby and Murphy's contributions in the last few games combined.

Players need to know they are dropable and others are hungry for their position and minutes on the pitch. Look at the praise for Walsh, I'm pleased for him and likely demonstrates what fresh blood can bring to this team. Brunt being another example, much more attacking forward play and a player that can make things happen.

Maybe Maher is still finding his feet but when you are behind and you have fresh legs and the potential to challenge the game and loss.. you need balls to throw caution to the wind and go for it. We are one place above relegation.. we can't fall any lower!!!

As for the older players.. I have respect for White but he got rinsed on tv last night, a clear weakness that needs addressing. JD not far behind him, Dunne, Atkinson and Oggogo... lots of players with little potential to offer this team medium to long term. Short term ain't been too impressive either.

 

[meerkat54]

I do beleive we have an under 23 squad, just saying.

Yes I personally would give Kinali a go, he has definitely deserved a chance. Egbri has had his run in the first team and is quick but no end product.

 

[Chris Powell's mate]

If anyone defends that showing you need your head testing and it shows how bad things have got.

No, you're right - a defeat is a defeat no matter how narrow.
But comparatively it was better than Woking.
We've got to the stage where we think playing OK for spells in a game is a step forward.
Yup. A dreadful state of affairs that needs new blood or else.

 

[Chris Powell's mate]

Talking to Grimsby fans on the way back into Cleethorpes was depressing. The two sensible lot we spoke to said we should have got at least a point and I sodding agree. They did no better than us pretty much throughout the rest of the second half, but their cunning with that first half chance, I agree, and that was all they needed.

No better in the second half and here we are.

Also, Cleethorpes is goodness awful for a night out, never come if you can avoid it.

Made a point of saying it a few times on the pre-match thread.
I suppose if you lived there all your life, you know no different.
However, if you're like this poor chap...

Grimsby: the name says it all, GRIM-sby

Left with few University options, Grimsby was one. My god, what a mistake that was.

www.ilivehere.co.uk

 

[Chris Powell's mate]

One moment made me smile. Arnold tried to chip their forward, a pass to JW nearly caused a goal as it hit him......The reason John white passed it back to him, then was to/slow/old/lazy to make himself available by moving into space for the return pass, So Arnold tries to chip the forward..... classic

Yeah, saw that, and a good spot.
Notice how Walsh and Egbri were brought back at various stages to cover for JW.
That's when Sousa became less effective.

 

[Holy Joe]

Compared us to Grimsby, who signed 15 players in the summer-despite finishing above us in L2,including young pacey players with experience in the NL,Basically blamed our problems on Phil Brown's summer recruitment.

Also said the improvement so far under KM hasn't been enough.

He just reads shrimperzone

 

[Shepshead]

We’re not good enough, and another week goes by without strengthening the blindingly obvious flaws in this squad. Not here to criticise Kevin, nor Stan, but what has happened to the promise of recruitment? Despite playing slightly better tonight it’s yet another loss for this squad and another dent to their near 0% confidence. Serious questions need to be asked as to where these squad improvements are.

It’s true there’s no players arrived as yet, apart from the two Sheffield lads, but your not going to pick up any decent players at this stage in the season, without the chequebook.

 

[Rayleigh boy]

the standard of football in this league is dreadful ...... so many moves breakdown with poor passes and so much possession is turned over that the hoofball solution begins to dominate ,,,,

the new formation gave opportunity for Walsh and Brunt to try and get at them ... the problem is the Murphy thing and Dunne lacking mobility ... and Ferguson .

Murphy is used to this league and has long since worked out that it is better to spend 90 minutes trying to con the ref than actually playing the game.... He actually be might be right about this but it impacts on the rest of the team. He can tap one in from 2 yards and can take a penalty and I was impressed when he beat a keeper in a one on one at Chesterfield. Given 10 yards of space he can control and pass the ball BUT for me he is a very very limited footballer who shirks challenges and does not work or compete for the team.

Maybe this league is so poor thats what we have to put up with....

Anyway I thought Walsh showed a couple of glimpses and worked really hard trying to protect White ... Brunt was better than last time out ... Lopata was a bit at fault for the goal ...

when we start to play we look as if we are as bad/good as anyone else this craphole of a league ...

at this level everything is quite random and the first goal is everything ... Maher looked absolutely devastated when we conceded , I did wonder if there had been a big focus on not conceding early ..

anyway - a nil nil would have been a fair result

 

[Holy Joe]

I can't understand the critics saying KM hasn't changed anything or trying new things. That was a new formation with a couple of players getting game time that KM hasn't played much before.

and the calls to play the youths saying they can't be any worse - yes they can.

 

[northlincsshrimper1]

As one of the 214 supporters attending last night game, I was surprised at some of the comments made. Grimsby were an ordinary side. Without Mr Sousa on their left wing they were have been a very ordinary side. Lacking in quality as we are, we matched them in every department, yet they are joint top of the league. The first few minutes we were not switched on and from my view a Southend defender slipped at the wrong moment and allow the opposing forward to score. From that moment on I thought we responded well and maybe should have got an equaliser though Walsh. To go in at half time level would have been a fairer reflection of the game.
Second half I though we were slightly the better side and the only danger came from Mr Sousa. I know that our goal scoring chances were almost nil, but the same could be said of Grimsby. As the game went we applied some pressure but never looked like we would score. The Subs that came on were much to late in the game to have any real affect, which was disappointing.
All of the players put the effort into the game but as we all know the quality can be improved on, especially in the last third of the pitch. Only Walsh, Brunt and Lapata would merit a score above a 6, however the performance was better than previous games.
As a side issue did anybody else notice the reaction of John White when the players came over to see the fans. He appeared to be upset over something when approaching the fans.
Again the vocal support of the supporters were excellent throughout the game.

 

[Oakley1]

Watching that game last night was like watching the brilliant western

The Good …..The Bad...…...and the damn Right Ugly



The Good ……..still 90 +points to play for and I hope changes are made soon

The Bad...…...such a sloppy goal to concede (again) so early

The Ugly...…….watching Ferguson run is like watching a donkey with 3 broken legs trying to run on a beech

not sure why Dalby was left on the bench, him and Murphy have scored 8 of our 11 goals this season

 

[Zeuss]

Another day, another defeat, silly early goal to concede, should have cleared it. Like to see it again on TV to see who teed there player up instead of clearing. Grimsby were poor and there for the taking, liked there tricky winger No 18 who made John White look like he was running in treacle a couple of times. Sadly we are not good enough to take advantage of opportunities. We work hard, lack energy, pace and power. My KM has had to give the whole squad an outing due to injuries and trying to find a winning formula. Never thought I would see JW at right back, JD at left back, reintroduction of Will Atkinson and Rhys Murphy so isolated again.

Arnold 6
White 6
Lopata 6
Hobson 6
Demetriou 6
Atkinson 5
Ferguson 5
Dunne 5
Brunt 6 MOTM
Walsh 6
Murphy 6

Egbri 6
Dennis 5
Dalby 5

Brunt for MOTM if anything was coming it was from his probing or Walsh. First time to Blundell Park, proper old school league ground amongst houses and it was not cold. Onto another must win game Tuesday and pray results go in our favour tomorrow. UTB

Sorry but your 5’s and 6’s allround,suggests you couldn’t have been watching very closely.
Some played quite well considering,others predict ably were ——— :

Arnold 6

White. 1— ONE
Lopata. 6
Hobson 7
Demi. 6

Walsh 6
Ferguson 5
Dunne. 4
Brunt. 8
Atkinson 2 —-TWO

Murphy. 5

 

[EastStandBlue]

Some fairly knee jerk reactions to the result, rather than the performance I think. Looking past an absolutely shambolic opening five minutes, I don’t think there was too much separating the sides on the night. Grimsby could perhaps have gone up another gear, but they didn’t. Who’s to say if we’d (somehow) equalised, the momentum wouldn’t have shifted in our favour?

Brunt and Walsh the obvious bright sparks, although Walsh really quite inconsistent with it.

It’s been said already, but White has cost the team and will continue to cost the team as long as he plays. Dunne, too, looked some way off the pace.

Broadly speaking I think it’s clear there’s been improvement, but the side looks imbalanced and stuck between shoring the defensive unit and getting numbers up in support of Murphy. That was abundantly clear during the transitions last night - whenever we won the ball back, often around our 18 yard box - the defensive and midfield units were too compact and too slow to break out into space away from the ball, and perhaps the player on the ball too nervous about conceding possession again so quickly, that the only out ball was to play direct into a channel and have Murphy chase it. It’s fruitless and unsustainable.

We also really struggle to build and maintain attacks. The positioning of the two pivots last night was rarely to keep the ball, but mainly to occupy anchoring positions in case we lost it. In effect, we often ended up with 6/7 behind the ball and 3/4 ahead of it. Grimsby are a well drilled unit, but it’ll be difficult to break down any side without decent options.

It all smacks of a team devoid of confidence and cohesion. The coaching team are clearly making improvements, but anybody who thought they’d be making inroads within six weeks - given the 4+ years of neglect and ineptitude, exacerbated by the first four months of the season - was in fantasyland.

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

He just reads shrimperzone

Ha!

 

[Zeuss]

Sorry but your 5’s and 6’s allround,suggests you couldn’t have been watching very closely.
Some played quite well considering,others predict ably were ——— :

Arnold 6

White. 1— ONE
Lopata. 6
Hobson 7
Demi. 6

Walsh 6
Ferguson 5
Dunne. 4
Brunt. 8
Atkinson 2 —-TWO

Murphy. 5

It’s cruel luck that our best 2 players—apart from the 2 loanees—get injured, but any of our youngsters would be a big improvement on White and Atkinson.

 

[Maroon Blue]

Sorry but your 5’s and 6’s allround,suggests you couldn’t have been watching very closely.
Some played quite well considering,others predict ably were ——— :

Arnold 6

White. 1— ONE
Lopata. 6
Hobson 7
Demi. 6

Walsh 6
Ferguson 5
Dunne. 4
Brunt. 8
Atkinson 2 —-TWO

Murphy. 5

I was watching closely as I have every game this season. Your disrespect to some of our players and my opinion is why I am getting less and less enjoyment out of posting ratings every game.

By all means disagree but after driving many miles maybe I should leave posting ratings until the next day when I am refreshed.

From being in the stands I saw a fully committed performance where all gave a 100%, improved from earlier season performances. Yes the goal was shocking but did not knock the stuffing out of us.

I found it hard to pick out a star performer, some were better than others and maybe on reflection 5-6 is too short a widthband. But between 1-8, come on you have marked to show me up and for your own agenda,not on what really happened

 

[Fairport]

The whole key to our future this season is recruitment, we have to hope and pray that we get it right. Another concern is that the two Sheffield lads may be recalled in January.

 

[Stuart W]

Sorry but your 5’s and 6’s allround,suggests you couldn’t have been watching very closely.
Some played quite well considering,others predict ably were ——— :

Arnold 6

White. 1— ONE
Lopata. 6
Hobson 7
Demi. 6

Walsh 6
Ferguson 5
Dunne. 4
Brunt. 8
Atkinson 2 —-TWO

Murphy. 5

Am I right in thinking you gave these ratings before last night's game? They are more or less how I think you rate them generally.