How poor were we?

[Blues Trader]

Well, due to work and other commitments yesterday was my first look at Southend this season. Couldn't believe how poor we looked. Still trying Barrett at left back, which has already been tried and proved not to work. This team looks totally unmotivated to me, Tilson has knocked all the morale out of the team. Where has all the movement and passing gone? Gower looks like he's just turning up to pick up his wages again, and the new players are frankly dire. This was supposed to be a top of the table clash, but seemed more like a stiffs game. When you listen to Tilly on BBC Essex after the match he sounds like a man adrift.

 

[Mr. Benedict]

We weren't that bad. Give Tranmere some credit, they stopped us playing and were overall a better team on the day.

 

[MK Shrimper]

Lol, one loss and here come the "Tilly Out Brigade".... no doubt Wiggster and TTK will be on later.... Joy :D

 

[BrettieAngell]

We weren't that bad, Tranmere pretty much stopped us playing and again our defending let us down. We still could have got a point out of the game.

 

[silentshrimper]

We were quite bad at times, showing what we can do at times as well, but there 5 across midfield were coming here to stop us play and get a point, it resulted in them getting 2 goals from set play which was **** poor marking, 3 centre backs on the field we had, marking should not be that bad.

Because of them flooding the midfield it resulted in us lumping the ball into the sky more than I have ever seen at the hall before from our home side.

From the sounds of things we havnt been playing that well in other games, this is what happens if we dont step up a gear. If we keep in this mode we will finish mid table, which I personally wont mind, its just I think we could go for it this season, would be nice to go up in our new home though if we get it.

 

[Mr Gilbo]

We weren't that bad. Give Tranmere some credit, they stopped us playing and were overall a better team on the day.

No we were poor! Had some friends yesterday in one of the corporate boxes who aren't southend fans and thought we were really really poor! Hunt and Collis played well, and that's it!

 

[Beefy]

It was probably our poorest performance of the season so far but Tranmere were also probably the best side we've played. They were solid at the back, managed to dominate our midfield and were extremely dangerous with their clearly well-drilled set-pieces.

Can't be too upset though.... had the header that hit the bar at 1-1 gone in then we'd probably be top of the league right now.

 

[Cliff Pavilion]

It was probably our poorest performance of the season so far but Tranmere were also probably the best side we've played. They were solid at the back, managed to dominate our midfield and were extremely dangerous with their clearly well-drilled set-pieces.

Can't be too upset though.... had the header that hit the bar at 1-1 gone in then we'd probably be top of the league right now.

Interesting points. As good a side as we are in this league (and I believe we are one of the better ones) one of our big minus points is set-pieces - both attacking and defending.

Leeds, Tranmere and (against us anyway) Orient all showed imagination and consistenly good distribution from free kicks and corners. Killer balls in that seem to cause chaos in our ranks.

I'm a big Maher fan but his dead ball distribution is very average and we rarely seem to be able to put opposing defences under the same kind of pressure. I found myself wanting Hammell on the pitch yesterday, someone who can whip the ball into the box at pace.

 

[SUFC Forever]

Tilson has knocked all the morale out of the team. Where has all the movement and passing gone? When you listen to Tilly on BBC Essex after the match he sounds like a man adrift.

Of course Tilly has knocked the morale of of the team hasn't he? Won four out of the last four games before yesterday and were beaten by the team who are now top of the league - I am constantly amazed by the negativity of some of our supporters and one bad result and the Tilson bashers are back.

Your first game of the season yesterday eh? Shows how committed a fan you really are then I feel. New players are poor? Leon Clarke had scored 4 in his last 4 games - hardly poor? We should all be greatful that Tilly has a beter eye for a player than you then eh if you think that is poor.

 

[Beefy]

Interesting points. As good a side as we are in this league (and I believe we are one of the better ones) one of our big minus points is set-pieces - both attacking and defending.

Leeds, Tranmere and (against us anyway) Orient all showed imagination and consistenly good distribution from free kicks and corners. Killer balls in that seem to cause chaos in our ranks.

I'm a big Maher fan but his dead ball distribution is very average and we rarely seem to be able to put opposing defences under the same kind of pressure. I found myself wanting Hammell on the pitch yesterday, someone who can whip the ball into the box at pace.

The trouble with Kev's set pieces is that he floats them in wheras Tranmere and other teams tend to whip them in instead. Because our deliveries are slower they need to be exactly on the mark or else the defenders and goalkeeper are able to deal with them. Gower gets a bit more pace on his corners so I tend to prefer to see him taking them but we're not exactly prolific from his corners either.

Lewis Hunt took two fantastic corners at the end of one of our matches in the League One winning season (I'm thinking Hartlepool) which the Goat almost scored from both times. He whipped them in, one from each side, with pace and accuracy but has never got a look in since.

It's not just down to the deliveries though. Tranmere managed to get one or two men completely unmarked from at least five set-pieces which is asking for trouble. Our defence didn't seem to know where they were going.

 

[Mr Gilbo]

The trouble with Kev's set pieces is that he floats them in wheras Tranmere and other teams tend to whip them in instead. Because our deliveries are slower they need to be exactly on the mark or else the defenders and goalkeeper are able to deal with them. Gower gets a bit more pace on his corners so I tend to prefer to see him taking them but we're not exactly prolific from his corners either.

Lewis Hunt took two fantastic corners at the end of one of our matches in the League One winning season (I'm thinking Hartlepool) which the Goat almost scored from both times. He whipped them in, one from each side, with pace and accuracy but has never got a look in since.

It's not just down to the deliveries though. Tranmere managed to get one or two men completely unmarked from at least five set-pieces which is asking for trouble. Our defence didn't seem to know where they were going.

i also remember hunt taking corners at the end of the brighton carling cup game last season and was wodering why he didn't take corner more often!

 

[Yellow Army]

No we were poor! Had some friends yesterday in one of the corporate boxes who aren't southend fans and thought we were really really poor! Hunt and Collis played well, and that's it!

was it your brother??? Did he feel the blue belles performance was adequate by the way??? Appropiate song "shut up and drive"

 

[choggy]

We weren't great but I still thought that we were better than Tranmere (we certainly played the better football). To give Tranmere credit they came here with a plan to stifle our midfield which worked and they obviously spent a lot of time on the training ground practising set-pieces.

If we had scored when Leon hit the cross-bar then I think the result would have been very different, but that's the way it goes sometimes.

 

[Wickford Blue]

Thought we needed to change things sooner as it was obvious after 50-55 minutes that it wasn't working.
Agree totally re Mahers free kicks, no pace and lofted, the modern free kick is at pace he just doesn't seem to be able to do it differently but must have a clause in his contract that he always takes the kicks. Hope fully will improve when Hammell gets back
Overall poor display though, midfield was totally anonymous, Gower awful, Bailey did not get going, McCprmack drifted inside too much therefor no width.

ANyway still at the right end of the table and most of the season to go...my concern is Sheffield Wednesday bottom of the Championship, do you think they might want Leon back in January??

 

[adam_sufctillidie]

Well, due to work and other commitments yesterday was my first look at Southend this season. Couldn't believe how poor we looked. Still trying Barrett at left back, which has already been tried and proved not to work. This team looks totally unmotivated to me, Tilson has knocked all the morale out of the team. Where has all the movement and passing gone? Gower looks like he's just turning up to pick up his wages again, and the new players are frankly dire. This was supposed to be a top of the table clash, but seemed more like a stiffs game. When you listen to Tilly on BBC Essex after the match he sounds like a man adrift.

wot do u mean it hasn't worked adam barrett at left back have u seen how good he is running down the wing and getting more forward and getting goals to show how well he is doing:thump:

 

[mattytheshrimper]

end of the day it wasn't a good performance. far from it. no one played particularly well, but whats important is how we react next week.

 

[Bromley Blue]

I'm a big Maher fan but his dead ball distribution is very average and we rarely seem to be able to put opposing defences under the same kind of pressure. I found myself wanting Hammell on the pitch yesterday, someone who can whip the ball into the box at pace.

When is hammell going to be back? Anyone heard an update?

 

[J]

Well, due to work and other commitments yesterday was my first look at Southend this season. Couldn't believe how poor we looked. Still trying Barrett at left back, which has already been tried and proved not to work. This team looks totally unmotivated to me, Tilson has knocked all the morale out of the team. Where has all the movement and passing gone? Gower looks like he's just turning up to pick up his wages again, and the new players are frankly dire. This was supposed to be a top of the table clash, but seemed more like a stiffs game. When you listen to Tilly on BBC Essex after the match he sounds like a man adrift.

****ing e'll roy fox is here!!

 

[Kristof]

Thought that yesterday we played quite badly yet found ourselves level at half time. That should have been the cue for a half time roasting and maybe changing something as it obviously wasn't working but the subs were left til later in game and we got worse in the 2nd half.

The marking was our undoing both goals from poor marking not forgetting the "goal" that wasn't and the superb save from Collis in the first half.

A bad day at the office, no width apart from Barrett and Hunt and the midfield as a whole were poor.

 

[mattytheshrimper]

yup. collis deserves some credit. he did two excellent saves. one is particular was from close range and looked like a sure goal and somehow he managed to get his finger tips to it. great save!