I'm losing faith in Kevin Bond. Are you?

[jackj13]

I'm far from Bond out yet. He's built a squad and needs to be allowed time.

Although there are scary resemblances to Bond and Harry's time at Birmingham. Were brought in at the end of the season and kept them up. Got the job permanently and made a number of the signings in the summer.

The outcome... 5 straight defeats at the beginning of the season and gone by the middle of September.

Time will tell but let's hope history doesn't repeat itself.

I really do hope Bond turns it around as it is clear he is trying to get us playing football and on the deck.

 

[SheldonW65]

Are the players "playing safe" or, "under instruction"...
Safe - side to side and backwards with the ball, retaining possession, thus not doing anything wrong - avoiding heckling from the supporters (fear of becoming the next scapegoat)...or,

Under instruction; as above but awaiting to unlock the opposition ?

At Coventry it was massively frustrating that we didn't start to play until we went a goal down

100% under instruction. The players from last season are doing it too not just the new guys and they all look very uncomfortable.

 

[GBJ]

Are the players "playing safe" or, "under instruction"...
Safe - side to side and backwards with the ball, retaining possession, thus not doing anything wrong - avoiding heckling from the supporters (fear of becoming the next scapegoat)...or,

Under instruction; as above but awaiting to unlock the opposition ?

At Coventry it was massively frustrating that we didn't start to play until we went a goal down

Going by his post-match interviews, I’d say it’s the latter, they’re under instruction to keep possession, and keep the ball moving and wait for an opportunity to unlock a defence.

 

[THE SEVENTIES NORTH BANK]

Going by his post-match interviews, I’d say it’s the latter, they’re under instruction to keep possession, and keep the ball moving and wait for an opportunity to unlock a defence.

The problem with that is our strikers are stuck to a defender. So it goes side to side, without a penetrating pass forward to a striker in space. Our strikers need to be pulling defenders all over the place and creating space.

 

[Member]

The problem with that is our strikers are stuck to a defender. So it goes side to side, without a penetrating pass forward to a striker in space. Our strikers need to be pulling defenders all over the place and creating space.

Indeed, it only works if there is the movement in the team to enable players to find space. It's not always about running around, sometimes staying still when you're in space helps as well, or stay in position to keep your marker, and enable space to open up in other places on the pitch.

I was at Wigan vs Leeds on Saturday and the off the ball movement of Leeds was superb. Everyone run and movement was made with intent and the attacking play was all with pace and purpose. If a run was defended well then the play would reset until a new opening was created.

If Bond is working on this then great, but you'd have hoped he would have got us a bit more prepared before the season started, as it still feels very work in progress, and once the players' heads drop, and the fans get unsettled, then it become a toxic mix.

 

[Grapevine]

It’s undoubtedly what Bond wants.....and you’d be shocked at how long it takes to get right and how fragile it is when it’s questioned or criticized......

As fans you need to ask yourselves....

Short term pain for long term gain?

Or constant struggle playing poor football attracting poor players making no progress?

 

[Flinty]

Didn’t England go through this when Southgate first took over with fans booing and getting frustrated with the patient build up ?

 

[rigsby]

When any manger turns up at Southend and lets not forget for the last 4 it has been their lowest job in football when they arrive.......They should always remember the fans motto

If at first it doesn't succeed, then quit and your fool for even trying.

 

[shrimperian]

I dont mind the patient build up, the sideways passing or even the loss of possession when in control of the ball (to some extent) IF this means we will improve and get a better team and league position in the long run. HOWEVER, we seem to be picking the wrong team to play in this way. Now I am never one for criticising individual players but when you have attacking wing backs, the wide midfielders (or wingers if you can call them that) must drop in behind the marauding full back when he is on the overlap. Unfortunately, neither Hutchinson nor McLaughlin seem capable or unwilling to do this and hence why we get exploited in those positions. We have two great wing backs in Elvis and Ralph but unless they are given protection to get forward, we will keep getting exposed. we would be better holding a firm back line and letting the midfielders get forward if we cannot get this basic system right.
We also need an innovative central midfielder to exploit the gaps up front. Perhaps Hamilton is that player but if he is, then the forwards need to pull their defenders away to give him room to attack.........

 

[SheldonW65]

When any manger turns up at Southend and lets not forget for the last 4 it has been their lowest job in football when they arrive.......They should always remember the fans motto

If at first it doesn't succeed, then quit and your fool for even trying.

You think we're lower level than the Hong Kong club ? Do me a favour

 

[Grapevine]

I dont mind the patient build up, the sideways passing or even the loss of possession when in control of the ball (to some extent) IF this means we will improve and get a better team and league position in the long run. HOWEVER, we seem to be picking the wrong team to play in this way. Now I am never one for criticising individual players but when you have attacking wing backs, the wide midfielders (or wingers if you can call them that) must drop in behind the marauding full back when he is on the overlap. Unfortunately, neither Hutchinson nor McLaughlin seem capable or unwilling to do this and hence why we get exploited in those positions. We have two great wing backs in Elvis and Ralph but unless they are given protection to get forward, we will keep getting exposed. we would be better holding a firm back line and letting the midfielders get forward if we cannot get this basic system right.
We also need an innovative central midfielder to exploit the gaps up front. Perhaps Hamilton is that player but if he is, then the forwards need to pull their defenders away to give him room to attack.........

I’m sorry but that’s just fundamentally wrong.

When your full backs overlap it’s not the job of the person they are overlapping to drop back and cover them....physically and tactically that just can’t and won’t happen.

The person who is most likely to cover is either :-

The opposite full back (in a back 4) and the two CBs who will slide across and cover

Or

The deepest midfield player (in a 3-5-2 formation) who will drop in between the Centre backs.....

Effectively even in a four man defence you are constantly in and out of a back 3 depending on who has possession and where....

If you are asking or expecting Hutchinson / Macca / Goodship or whoever else played the attacking wide roles to do that there is little point in them playing in the first place

 

[rigsby]

You think we're lower level than the Hong Kong club ? Do me a favour

I all ready have.

In the spirit of what Cricko has asked for, I decided not to reply to your nonsense about PB.....He has long gone and its time for some of you to move on.

 

[mervthe swerve]

He'll be gone by October 19.

 

[NZamba Legend]

He'll be gone by October 19.

Very precise. Why this date?

 

[Lincoln Shrimp]

Roughly 5 months since he signed his 2 year contract. Maybe Martin insisted on some kind of break clause in the contract Bond signed?

 

[Welly7]

My concern is that this squad isn't good enough, regardless of the manager. Poor recruitment from the summer of 2018 has led us to this. Bond had a chance to rectify some of the mistakes and readdress the balance within the squad this summer, but we still lack the quality required. I think individually and collectively we come up short in so many areas.

This has been on the cards since Powell's transfer dealings in that aforementioned summer and the warning signs have either been ignored or overlooked for too long now for various reasons.

Avoiding relegation in the manner we did last season should have made everyone at the club have a long hard look at themselves and what can be done to move forwards on the field. With each passing game there is a realisation of just exactly how bad the situation has become, but, as I say, this has been coming and the problem is bigger than just this manager.

 

[Clinton Baptiste]

Our last really successful signing in terms of what he has produced on the pitch was Cox. Others have been hampered by injury or just plain awful.

 

[SheldonW65]

It's not getting any better. Apparently Ridgewell is doing his 'own pre-season' right now

https://twitter.com/x/status/1163472812062990336

 

[Thundersley Blue]

That just about sums our current situation up . If I recall John White was fit but not selected. Didn't take anyone long to see Ridgewell wasn't fit in his fleeting appearance.

 

[rigsby]

Our last really successful signing in terms of what he has produced on the pitch was Cox. Others have been hampered by injury or just plain awful.

Cox is just a typical Brown ex PL player, just here for one last payday.