Home Advantage?

[Yorkshire Blue]

We are of course at home on Saturday, but does this count as home advantage?

Sadly the answer seems to be not if we fall behind. We have only THREE points from home games in which we have fallen behind. That is a disgraceful statistic, considering that we have been losing in over half our home games.

The players don't seem to have this difficulty away from home where half our points come from games in which we were losing.

So what is the reason for it?

I think WE are the reason for it. As soon as we go behind Roots Hall, a deadly hush descends - well at least until the whingers start up. In fact quiet would probably be preferable to the air of negativity that descends the ground. We start losing and the so-called supporters instead of getting behind their team are getting on the players' backs.

Only once this season I've witnessed the home crowd get behind the team when we were losing and it inspired us to come from 3-1 down to draw 3-3 with Norwich. Every other home game the players have been battling against the home crowd.

If we get relegated its not just the players who need to take a long hard look at themselves, its the fans. I was embarassed to be a Southend fan after the Col Ewe game not because of the lack of passion in the players, but because of the lack of passion and support amongst our own fans: the players weren't nearly as lucklustre as their supporters. If we are losing its up to us to inspire the players.

Ahead of tomorrow's game my message is simple: GET BEHIND THE TEAM EVEN IF WE ARE LOSING

LETS BE SOUTHEND'S 12th MAN NOT BARNSLEY'S

 

[silentshrimper]

Good post, I agree, I was at the norwich game, very good support! Need more of the same from now on!

 

[GrimmRobes]

Yeah, Norwich was electric for pretty much the whole 90 minutes. A repeat of that is exactly what we need tomorrow.

 

[southend_united_fan]

agreed.

I often think we play better away from home anyway - perhaps because our strength lies in counterattacking?

 

[Shrimper in India]

This has been a problem at Roots Hall for years ever since the North Bank went to the away fans.

The team need to score in order to energise the fans. If we go behind we go quiet, and a deep depression descends.

As you say at away games when the support is so much better we seem to fight more and often come back from going behind.

I'm not sure what the answer is.

 

[Rayleigh boy]

fair enough but thought Roots Hall more or less got the equaliser against Leicester - some one said Harrold kicked it out the keepers hands but no way was the ref going to chance his life by dissallowing it

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

I'd love every game to have an atmosphere like the Norwich game. If we could get behind the team like that - regardless of scoreline or performance - games at Roots Hall would be much more enjoyable.

 

[mattytheshrimper]

i do think the players feel really nervous playing at home. if we were like we are at away games (support wise) we would be in the prem by now! :hilarious:

 

[BrettieAngell]

Towards last season we bottled in our home games but got results away from home.

If we start well tomrrow then the crowd will be buzzing I think that will be the key.

 

[Dustybin]

agreed.

I often think we play better away from home anyway - perhaps because our strength lies in counterattacking?

Fully agree - that is why we do well against the better teams as they try to beat us and attack more. We have always struggled against teams that defend all game.

 

[BrettieAngell]

Fully agree - that is why we do well against the better teams as they try to beat us and attack more. We have always struggled against teams that defend all game.

Thats true to a point but last season we literally beat teams into submission by keeping hold of the ball and keeping the pressure on them, that is one major problem we have had this season home and away.

 

[Bromley Blue]

We are of course at home on Saturday, but does this count as home advantage?

Sadly the answer seems to be not if we fall behind. We have only THREE points from home games in which we have fallen behind. That is a disgraceful statistic, considering that we have been losing in over half our home games.

The players don't seem to have this difficulty away from home where half our points come from games in which we were losing.

So what is the reason for it?

I think WE are the reason for it. As soon as we go behind Roots Hall, a deadly hush descends - well at least until the whingers start up. In fact quiet would probably be preferable to the air of negativity that descends the ground. We start losing and the so-called supporters instead of getting behind their team are getting on the players' backs.

Only once this season I've witnessed the home crowd get behind the team when we were losing and it inspired us to come from 3-1 down to draw 3-3 with Norwich. Every other home game the players have been battling against the home crowd.

If we get relegated its not just the players who need to take a long hard look at themselves, its the fans. I was embarassed to be a Southend fan after the Col Ewe game not because of the lack of passion in the players, but because of the lack of passion and support amongst our own fans: the players weren't nearly as lucklustre as their supporters. If we are losing its up to us to inspire the players.

Ahead of tomorrow's game my message is simple: GET BEHIND THE TEAM EVEN IF WE ARE LOSING

LETS BE SOUTHEND'S 12th MAN NOT BARNSLEY'S

I agree with this whole heartedly....its the main reason that of my 25 or so games this season the majority have been away. At Roots Hall we seem to wait until events on the pitch spur something to chant or cheer about good or bad. Its understandable that we're all nervous but if the whole ground is like this I think it can affect the players. Mind you how many threads have there been like this, both this season and in previous campaigns where people on here have asked fans to sing regardless and get behind the team. Sadly I think it will be exactly the same tomora unless we get an early goal..which of course I hope we do.

 

[SARF]

Its the same at any club playing at home.. Norwich was early in the season , midweek under the lights (thus plenty of beer consumed) and full of action.. Col U was midday and we were quite frankly ****e.. No amount of crowd support would have changed that.. If at 2 -0 we had somehow scrambled a goal than the place would have revved up .. The Hall is no different to any other ground in that respect...

 

[adwebb16]

Yes & No, there have been times when im sitting there desperate to start chanting and getting behind the boys, but its deadly silent.

We all turn up at the game, all the pre match expectation, the war cries, the 'we're putting in our all and we fear no one'. 5 minutes into the game and they look like lambs to the slaughter. No get up and go, none of this 'passion' that they have been quoted in the match day program. It can't ALL fall on the fans, if the players dont have the desire and the genunie tireless 'never say die attitude' like Macca/Maher for example, then something must be wrong!

I'm not having a moan just looking at it from both sides. You could cut the tension with a knife at the Hall most of the time. I think when we are away from home the pressure is on the home team to beat the 'minnows' that are Southend United and when we arn't under any of our own home preasure and boo-boys we get the ball down and genuinly surprise them!

 

[Jam_Man]

Whilst most of this is true it is so because of our league position.

We have the worst home form in the league, and our away form whilst better is still poor, as youd expect from the league table.

With so much pressure on the team its to be expected that home games will be tense affairs, not just because of the crowd but because the team is expected to do better than away.

It would be great if Roots Hall was a great atmosphere irrespective of whats happening on the pitch but this is the real world and at most grounds if the home team is playing badly the crowd are quiet.

Conceding a stupid goal like against Col U just makes it worse.

We could really do with a nice early goal tomorrow :)

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Whilst most of this is true it is so because of our league position.

We have the worst home form in the league, and our away form whilst better is still poor, as youd expect from the league table.

With so much pressure on the team its to be expected that home games will be tense affairs, not just because of the crowd but because the team is expected to do better than away.

It would be great if Roots Hall was a great atmosphere irrespective of whats happening on the pitch but this is the real world and at most grounds if the home team is playing badly the crowd are quiet.

Conceding a stupid goal like against Col U just makes it worse.

We could really do with a nice early goal tomorrow :)

Well here's our chance to make a difference!

Let's take some of the pressure off our players by giving them the proverbial goal start.