If the game had finished at half time today...

[fbm]

...we would be saying how well we played.

I could totally understand the system switch; we played narrower, with no wingers, because Weston and Coulthirst are not going to win aerial battles.

With those two plus Payne and Clifford we have players with quick feet that can switch the ball about. We could - and should - have been 2 or 3 up but 1-0 at half time was acceptable. We made Oxford look very, very poor and the talk around me was how bad it must be to be an Oxford fan at the moment.

To be fair to them, they changed something at half time and we didn't go out with the same tempo. Payne looked shattered long before he was subbed; in the first half he was blowing after runs and the longer the game went on he was only doing half a job. He is a young lad with a promising future and great talent but he is not Messi. He will need time to develop his fitness and then he will be great. One day I'm sure we will sell him for a lot of money. Remember Kightley - one phenomenal performance in the LDV v Bristol Rovers and then the clamour for him to be played in the league. I think Till had just taken over and wasn't sure at all, but played him v Boston and he was muscled out of the game completely. That hit his confidence so much that he never hit the heights with us and we released him. Look at him now!

The second half was poor but we more-or-less ended with 9 men after Coker went off as Clifford was a passenger due to an ankle injury. We were lucky to get a point in the end but the situation really doesn't warrant some of the criticism on here, some from people who didn't even go to the game!

Yes, something hasn't clicked yet but under Brown I've seen us play some of the best stuff we have ever played, even today in the first half. A bit of luck in front of goal will see things turn around.

It could be worse; we could be Bristol Rovers.

 

[KiwiRob]

Great post FBM which provides much needed perspective. Southend under Phil Brown is close to putting together a really good run in League 2.

 

[THE SEVENTIES NORTH BANK]

This is the main problem. Just like a few other games this season, we should have been 2 or 3 up at half time. Then we can mess about, change formation and see the time run out.
Not having scoring strikers is beginning to hit us hard.

 

[Pubey]

I'm glad to see at least FBM hasn't gone completely ****ing nuts on here tonight. Jeez this place can be bad when we lose.

 

[OldBlueLady]

I'm glad to see at least FBM hasn't gone completely ****ing nuts on here tonight. Jeez this place can be bad when we lose.

Sometimes a calm, reasoned post speaks volumes more clearly than the ranting of others.

 

[THE SEVENTIES NORTH BANK]

I'm glad to see at least FBM hasn't gone completely ****ing nuts on here tonight. Jeez this place can be bad when we lose.

If we had lost, it would have been much worse.

 

[davewebbsbrain]

Games don't finish at half time. Fact. We can't do it for 90 mins, ergo not good enough

 

[Mick]

...we Yes, something hasn't clicked yet but under Brown I've seen us play some of the best stuff we have ever played, even today in the first half.

Ridiculous hyperbole !

A few decent passing moves in the first half, but the suggestion that anything we saw yesterday anywhere near approaches "the best we have ever played" is difficult to comprehend. Has the standard dropped so much in recent years that when we manage to string a few passes together, some people get carried away and talk about it as our best ever football?

 

[fbm]

Ridiculous hyperbole !

A few decent passing moves in the first half, but the suggestion that anything we saw yesterday anywhere near approaches "the best we have ever played" is difficult to comprehend. Has the standard dropped so much in recent years that when we manage to string a few passes together, some people get carried away and talk about it as our best ever football?

Ok, maybe this afternoon wasn't up with the best ever, but it certainly wasn't bad. And actually, Brown has got us playing some of the best passing football we have ever played, in my opinion, certainly since the Barry Fry days.

But it's interesting to see that my positive comment is marked out by you as ridiculous Mick. Is not the negative over reaction to practically every game since Stevenage equally ridiculous? We are 6 games in and mid table yet there are calls for the managers head, personal attacks on players... or is that totally acceptable?

 

[The General]

Well reasoned and thought out. Yesterday wasn't pretty at any point but some of the tosh ive read over the last 16 hours is hysterical stuff. We played decent football on Tuesday and dominated the game and the home loss to the same side was very unfortunate. If Weston hadnt missed the sitter at 1-0 just moments before they equalised, we probably would have gone onto win 3/4-0 as Oxford could well have crumbled but those sort of turning points in games are crucial and will be the difference between promotion/play-offs/top half finishes!

 

[FFStadium5510]

Games dont finish are 45 minutes do they. Dont be a dick and look for an excuse, we where **** in the second half and drew because of that. You have to play good football for 90 mins to win a game

 

[fbm]

Games dont finish are 45 minutes do they. Dont be a dick and look for an excuse, we where **** in the second half and drew because of that. You have to play good football for 90 mins to win a game

And I'd appreciate if you didn't call me a dick.

Of course games don't end after 45 minutes. Believe it or not I have managed to suss that out in my 53 years, 45 of which I have been watching Southend.

Have a little respect for other posters please.

 

[Crabby Shrimper]

Games don't finish at half time, but then seasons don't finish after 6 games. There's probably a lesson there for some.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

...we would be saying how well we played.

I could totally understand the system switch; we played narrower, with no wingers, because Weston and Coulthirst are not going to win aerial battles.

With those two plus Payne and Clifford we have players with quick feet that can switch the ball about. We could - and should - have been 2 or 3 up but 1-0 at half time was acceptable. We made Oxford look very, very poor and the talk around me was how bad it must be to be an Oxford fan at the moment.

To be fair to them, they changed something at half time and we didn't go out with the same tempo. Payne looked shattered long before he was subbed; in the first half he was blowing after runs and the longer the game went on he was only doing half a job. He is a young lad with a promising future and great talent but he is not Messi. He will need time to develop his fitness and then he will be great. One day I'm sure we will sell him for a lot of money. Remember Kightley - one phenomenal performance in the LDV v Bristol Rovers and then the clamour for him to be played in the league. I think Till had just taken over and wasn't sure at all, but played him v Boston and he was muscled out of the game completely. That hit his confidence so much that he never hit the heights with us and we released him. Look at him now!

The second half was poor but we more-or-less ended with 9 men after Coker went off as Clifford was a passenger due to an ankle injury. We were lucky to get a point in the end but the situation really doesn't warrant some of the criticism on here, some from people who didn't even go to the game!

Yes, something hasn't clicked yet but under Brown I've seen us play some of the best stuff we have ever played, even today in the first half. A bit of luck in front of goal will see things turn around.

It could be worse; we could be Bristol Rovers.

It wasn't so much Oxford switching as us switching. We went from a 4-4-2 diamond first half to a 4-5-1 second half. That only lasted 15 minutes as we took off Payne and changed formations again. We then took off Leonard and sort of played without a formation.

Ok, maybe this afternoon wasn't up with the best ever, but it certainly wasn't bad. And actually, Brown has got us playing some of the best passing football we have ever played, in my opinion, certainly since the Barry Fry days.

But it's interesting to see that my positive comment is marked out by you as ridiculous Mick. Is not the negative over reaction to practically every game since Stevenage equally ridiculous? We are 6 games in and mid table yet there are calls for the managers head, personal attacks on players... or is that totally acceptable?

For my money the football isn't as good as when we had the likes of Clohessy and Tomlin linking up - some of their interplay then was delightful when we worked triangles to get behind the opposition. Our current passing style has more to do with passing it along the back-line than in hurting the opposition. How often do we take a player out of the game with pass?

It's certainly nowhere near the sublime football that we played under Tilly, when we moved the ball with purpose and incision. The highwater mark of which was that second half against Yeovil.

 

[Mick]

Ok, maybe this afternoon wasn't up with the best ever, but it certainly wasn't bad. And actually, Brown has got us playing some of the best passing football we have ever played, in my opinion, certainly since the Barry Fry days.

But it's interesting to see that my positive comment is marked out by you as ridiculous Mick. Is not the negative over reaction to practically every game since Stevenage equally ridiculous? We are 6 games in and mid table yet there are calls for the managers head, personal attacks on players... or is that totally acceptable?

Perhaps it's just me (but I doubt it) but I just don't get it. Just because we pack a team out with mid-field players and string a few passes together we're suddenly playing our "best passing football" ever. Looking back over 50 years there have been numerous occasions when the football has been far, far better. Really good passing football starts at the back and goes through mid-field and involves the forwards and finishes up with well taken goals. Not just a few pretty triangles and one-twos that flatter to deceive.

I do find it perverse that anyone would suggest that Saturday's unsatisfactory performance came anywhere near our all time best (and I see you've now withdrawn that ridiculous assertion).

Personal attacks on players are not my thing nor would I find it acceptable - unless they clearly weren't trying.

As for calls for a manager's head. Surely if a supporter is convinced that the club would be better off with a change then he/she is only doing what he/she thinks is best for the club by making that call. Is that so wrong ? I'm not sure the time for change is quite upon us, but I'm far from impressed to date and I see little in what he has achieved thus far to make me think we're going in the right direction.