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greyerfox

First XI
Joined
Aug 5, 2010
Messages
850
Location
South Norfolk
A very quick glance at the fixture list (if wrong you will tell me!) indicates that we have to play all the other sides in the top nine in the table either home or away, starting with Shrewsbury away on Saturday week. It is a tired old cliche to say it is in our own hands but never more apposite in our current position. A string of good results against those eight teams could see us up automatically and without the traumas of the play-offs. Goal difference could still play a decisive part too of course.
 
Home form is the key with 10 games remaining at the Hall I think we need at least 20 points if not more to have a good shout at the autos then collect around 13 points on our travels.80 points minimum required possibly even 83.

The 2 away wins have kept us in the frame yet we are still 4 points from 3rd because we have been inconsistent during the season,now the team have hit a decent run they have to continue in this manner.
 
Next 6 games will be key if we aim to go up automatically.

All 4 of the home games are against sides in the bottom half of the table and they will be aiming to put players behind the ball testing our ability to break teams down, which we have failed to do at home too often this season. I'd say 10 points from a possible 12 is acceptable, but obviously we should be aiming for all 12 points.

The other 2 are away games against Shrewsbury and Stevenage who have excellent home records. He beat both of them at home, but anything from these games will be a bonus if we secure at least 10 points from the next 4 home games IMO.
 
There's something not right about our home form over the last few seasons.

I personally believe it's somewhat to do with the fans. Players are more nervous at home than away because they know at home one slight muckup and the fans jump on their backs. People need to remember we aren't a prem side, we don't have prem players else we would be in the prem!

When away from home, we are more vocal in support in a positive way! The facts support we play better away from home.

People will be quick to jump on me here and claim, "Professional players should be able to play in any environment", and you're entitled to your opinion. However if every fan gets behind the team in a positive fashion then there will be differences on the pitch.
 
There's something not right about our home form over the last few seasons.

I personally believe it's somewhat to do with the fans. Players are more nervous at home than away because they know at home one slight muckup and the fans jump on their backs. People need to remember we aren't a prem side, we don't have prem players else we would be in the prem!

When away from home, we are more vocal in support in a positive way! The facts support we play better away from home.

People will be quick to jump on me here and claim, "Professional players should be able to play in any environment", and you're entitled to your opinion. However if every fan gets behind the team in a positive fashion then there will be differences on the pitch.


Some of our fans are off the scale,

We choose to sit in various parts of the ground in the hope we can watch the game in relative peace without drunk blokes screaming every obscenity known to man at our own players.

I am appalled by the behaviour of these big mouths.
 
There's something not right about our home form over the last few seasons.

I personally believe it's somewhat to do with the fans. Players are more nervous at home than away because they know at home one slight muckup and the fans jump on their backs. People need to remember we aren't a prem side, we don't have prem players else we would be in the prem!

When away from home, we are more vocal in support in a positive way! The facts support we play better away from home.

People will be quick to jump on me here and claim, "Professional players should be able to play in any environment", and you're entitled to your opinion. However if every fan gets behind the team in a positive fashion then there will be differences on the pitch.

You are absolutely right on the crowd front. If the team feel 'wanted' they will play to their best, and that is all I have ever asked of a Southend team.

The bit that worries me still is our ability to score goals, home or away. We have had a couple from Piggott which has gone a long way to satisfying most on here, but what happens if we can't get the bloke's loan extended? Cassidy looks as if he could be a goal man, but that is only my opinion at the moment because he ain't scored yet. Which then leaves the forwards that we already had on the books...............

I'm not being too pessimistic here because I know that Brown is keen to get an extension for the :pig: but until deals are struck, I'm thinking cautiously for the moment.
 
The main thing with our home form isnt the crowd, its teams sit back and we dont have the creativity to break them down. ITs one thing doing it against struggling sides who are a playing awaywho need a win, but teams come with a totally different mentality.

We struggle to break them down and thats what affects the crowd.

If we can get an early goal that always helps as suddenly they have to come forward.

We have two good away wins behind us so hopefully that will give us boost for Saturday.
 
There's something not right about our home form over the last few seasons.

I personally believe it's somewhat to do with the fans. Players are more nervous at home than away because they know at home one slight muckup and the fans jump on their backs. People need to remember we aren't a prem side, we don't have prem players else we would be in the prem!

When away from home, we are more vocal in support in a positive way! The facts support we play better away from home.

People will be quick to jump on me here and claim, "Professional players should be able to play in any environment", and you're entitled to your opinion. However if every fan gets behind the team in a positive fashion then there will be differences on the pitch.

I understand your point but I really think it has glossed over the real reason. Roots Hall has had a few dissenting voices and some have been clearly audible to the players but RH is not a cauldron of criticism, spilling over with bile or aggression.

I firmly believe the problems we have had at home are down to player selection and tactics deployed. Nothing more and nothing less. We regularly put out sides at home that I would expect to see playing away. The 4-5-1 loads the midfield, breaks down opposition attacks and counters. I do not believe, in most games, we should be counter-attacking at home.

When we have previously deployed 4-4-2 we did not have the personnel up top to make the most of it. Something hopefully we have redressed. Not before time.

The majority of fans are supportive but even those go through times where it is hard to remain positive when the same mistakes are served up time and again. I accept the mistakes are not totally the making of the players and indeed still believe PB is the main culprit and perhaps if this scenario were to continue then the dissension should be aimed fair and square at the home dug out.
 
I agree with the last two posters - it is the style of play that is causing us problems. I don't think the formation makes any difference though - there are plenty of success stories with 4-5-1 and indeed we were very effective for parts of last season with that formation.

For me it is the tempo of our attacking play - it is laboured and slow. We do not pull opposition players about with clever one-touch passing or movement. Doing this creates space and will get you goals no matter what formation you are playing. We are far too slow and ponderous in our approach. This could be down to players being naturally defensive and not having the speed of thought to make good movements off the ball or not enough work being done on the training ground on attacking players getting a feel for where their team mates will be when the ball is in a certain position.

Away from home, you enjoy far more space as the home team leave gaps in order to attack you, giving time to pick the right pass or option.

We also miss a player like Kane Ferdinand coming into the box from deep with a sixth sense as to where it will land.
 
This weekend we have what should be a do-able, winning game: with the added bonus that several of the other teams up there for the autos and play offs are playing each other.
It is a well worn football cliche that winning (or losing/drawing) games can become a habit: & hopefully we can really push on this Saturday with 3 points and a few goals.

#onaroletoL1
 
It is interesting to hear Worrell talk of a change of tactics at home that involves one less midfielder and getting Lenny more forward to bolster scoring, long may it continue! Unfortunately I won't know for a while as I shall be out of reach half way up the Irawaddy in Myanmar ( Burma ), but hoping to hear from any Bhuddist monk with a mobile how we do!, greetings and best wishes to all our great supporters and team
 
In short our way form is automatic (possibly even championship) level unfortunately at best our home form is mid table!

Now if we can fix our home form starting with an emphatic win Saturday.......
 
It is interesting to hear Worrell talk of a change of tactics at home that involves one less midfielder and getting Lenny more forward to bolster scoring, long may it continue! Unfortunately I won't know for a while as I shall be out of reach half way up the Irawaddy in Myanmar ( Burma ), but hoping to hear from any Bhuddist monk with a mobile how we do!, greetings and best wishes to all our great supporters and team

My eldest son went to Burma a couple of years back and a lot of the hostels have good wifi access so you may be in luck.
 
Some of our fans are off the scale,

We choose to sit in various parts of the ground in the hope we can watch the game in relative peace without drunk blokes screaming every obscenity known to man at our own players.

I am appalled by the behaviour of these big mouths.

lets not be sexist now darling, women can get drunk as well and shout abuse.
 
There's something not right about our home form over the last few seasons.

I personally believe it's somewhat to do with the fans. Players are more nervous at home than away because they know at home one slight muckup and the fans jump on their backs. People need to remember we aren't a prem side, we don't have prem players else we would be in the prem!

When away from home, we are more vocal in support in a positive way! The facts support we play better away from home.

People will be quick to jump on me here and claim, "Professional players should be able to play in any environment", and you're entitled to your opinion. However if every fan gets behind the team in a positive fashion then there will be differences on the pitch.

I sit in the EAST STAND and do not hear much negative from the crowd, in fact mainly positive, the ref and away side get loads of If they deserve.

It's a paying fan's right to shout what want (not racist), its part of attending.
 
I sit in the EAST STAND and do not hear much negative from the crowd, in fact mainly positive, the ref and away side get loads of If they deserve.

It's a paying fan's right to shout what want (not racist), its part of attending.


Would love to see you face up Corr in the car park then.
 
Our skipper says that teams come to the hall for a result, and in the past we have been unable to get an early goal to open the game up, and our style of play has not been able to break teams down. Perhaps resorting to 4 4 2 will see a change, let's hope so starting with Saturdays game with York.
 
In short our way form is automatic (possibly even championship) level unfortunately at best our home form is mid table!

Now if we can fix our home form starting with an emphatic win Saturday.......

It is indeed, we sit 2nd in the away table and 11th at home.

Interestingly even if you took away the Portsmouth game which is the only recent game we played with conventional 442 (Oxford being 10 men most of it) then we still sit 2nd int the away table, so the other formations we have played have done perfectly well away from home.

Whats slightly concerning is York are 23rd at home and 8th Away. They are higher away than we are at home....
 
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