Post-Match Thread and Ratings Morecambe FC 1-1 Southend Utd

[OldBlueLady]

In normal circumstances, I think we'd have all been happy with that point. Trouble is, these are not normal circumstances and a point was not enough. 1 point from a possible 6 over the Easter weekend is simply not good enough in our position.

Didn't agree with the set up but I thought Halford worked hard and tested their defence in a way our usual forwards haven't done all season. Young Acquah could take a few lessons from him. I thought ANG had a decent enough game, he'd just done a great bit of defensive work before getting oiked off - for me that was a wrong move, Reeco had been far less effective and fails to put in tackles far too often.

The defence all did ok, and Ox made a couple of good saves. Kudos to Elvis for the cross for the goal. Clifford seems a little susceptible at times but we saw on Saturday that he can put in a great tackle when he needs to.

I'd like to see Dieng and Taylor back in central midfield with Macca taking the role Ferguson has been, as he's been poor lately in my opinion.

We've got to play more one touch passes, there were a few lovely moments, particularly from Dieng - there's too much trying to walk the ball into the net.

Ox - 7
Elvis - 7
Hobson - 7
Cordner - 6
Clifford - 6
Ferguson - 5
ANG - 6
Demetriou - 6
Hackett-Fairchild - 5
Dieng - MOTM, 8
Halford - 7

It's not over yet, but we have left ourselves a mountain to climb.

 

[Blue Yonder]

The context of my posts are generally an attempt to offer balanced, objective and fair opinion. I think I do ok at that. Although I understand those more emotionally invested find that difficult sometimes when they want instant gratification.

A reasonable point but as usual finished with a patronising flourish.

Does it matter? Is my opinion only welcome if I was born within 5 miles of Roots Hall with a family tradition of standing on the south terrace?

Us ‘emotionally invested’ fans got our gratification watching from the South Bank before its re development. Never heard of the south terrace. That must be another club you were connected to.

 

[Wingnut]

Where’s my fiver

 

[OllieSteph44]

Us ‘emotionally invested’ fans got our gratification watching from the South Bank before its re development. Never heard of the south terrace. That must be another club you were connected to.

Fair point. I meant terracing. No need to finish with a patronising flourish ?

 

[Swiss Tony]

I’m curious that you discuss our team in the third person there Ollie. Not we were trying to win or we had the same intent but ‘Southend’ and ‘they’. Are you like most of us... by fate of birth or upbringing a lifelong shrimper or some kind of here today gone tomorrow ‘fan’ with a temporary connection to the club ? Your casual insistence that the project is going so well and to plan in the face of all evidence to the contrary is extraordinary.

I think you nailed it.

 

[geoffmundo]

Was it only a couple of weeks or so ago people were talking about catching Port Vale who were 'dropping like a stone'? Now in 15th having won 5 in a row!

 

[MisterStubbs]

Was it only a couple of weeks or so ago people were talking about catching Port Vale who were 'dropping like a stone'? Now in 15th having won 5 in a row!

A delayed new manager bounce?

 

[RobM]

Was it only a couple of weeks or so ago people were talking about catching Port Vale who were 'dropping like a stone'? Now in 15th having won 5 in a row!

I wonder how real that phenomenon is. If it were true, we'd have a new manager every month!

 

[mfurok]

My post was removed in case it upset you

Upset me?

Perish the thought.

Call me crazy if you like but did you consider omitting the potentially upsetting content and reposting?

Or was there nothing left?

 

[LBBlue]

Was it only a couple of weeks or so ago people were talking about catching Port Vale who were 'dropping like a stone'? Now in 15th having won 5 in a row!

A delayed new manager bounce?

Nope it was a Theo Robinson bounce - remember him?

 

[FarmdogSUFC]

Paul Clark would still get us relegated

Mark Molesley cares, pathetic to say otherwise

We tried, we're just ****

Take care

 

[mfurok]

Has any team who had 2 points from 11 games ever been still in with a chance of staying up after Easter?.

People calling for Paul Clark is absolute drivel. The only reason they say it is because they know it will never happen so they will never be proved wrong. Then they can use the same pointless argument against the next manger

How about an analogy?

The head of the area fire services team (let's call him Mark for the sake of this analogy) is called out to eleven consecutive fires and nine of the properties burn down.

He then presides over a spell of twenty nine fires when:

• only eleven of the properties burn down
• ten have to be partially demolished
• in the six most recent local fires his firefighting team fail to turn on the hoses once

Is he improving in an acceptable manner or is he still completely out of his depth?

 

[TrueBlue]

I have been critical of MM and especially after Saturday, but last night was a game where we looked like we acutely had some fight

 

[jimmy55]

BTW did MM explain Akinola's absence, from yesterdays squad?

 

[LBBlue]

BTW did MM explain Akinola's absence, from yesterdays squad?

Sore groin - didn’t say who gave it to him though.

 

[Mad Cyril]

BTW did MM explain Akinola's absence, from yesterdays squad?

Or his absence from most games since Christmas?

 

[Exiled Shrimper]

How about an analogy?

The head of the area fire services team (let's call him Mark for the sake of this analogy) is called out to eleven consecutive fires and nine of the properties burn down.

He then presides over a spell of twenty nine fires when:

• only eleven of the properties burn down
• ten have to be partially demolished
• in the six most recent local fires his firefighting team fail to turn on the hoses once

Is he improving in an acceptable manner or is he still completely out of his depth?

How far do you intend to go with this analogy? How about in four of the most recent difficult fires (in, lets say, Newport and Nailsworth), outside the local area and against all odds, two of the properties are completed saved, whilst in two more (let's say in, Cambridge and Morecambe - where no-one from this fire service team has ever even partially saved a property before when something has been at stake), the properties are partially saved and the inhabitants suffer no injuries? Would that be acceptable?

Anyway, in terms of yesterday's match, if you don't view it through the prism of the season as a whole, it was a good performance. The fact that we lined up in a 4-4-2 (or probably more accurately 4-4-1-1 with Dieng playing off Halford) showed that we have a Plan B (or, rather, this was probably down at about Plan E or Plan F at least at the start of the season) - even if it doesn't involve using any recognised forwards - and it was effective. It was ugly, but it was effective. We frustrated Morecambe early on and got ahead. We didn't let up in terms of our intensity and our organisation and went in deservedly ahead at half-time.

Everyone would've been expecting a response from Morecambe in the second half, and that's what happened. They are a top 7 - possibly even top 3 - team come the end of the season, and they increased their own intensity. For 10-15 minutes we didn't deal with it, during which time they equalised. It's easy to say we should've been prepared for it, less easy to actually deal with a decent team playing to their potential.

After about an hour, I was concerned that if Morecambe continued playing the way they were, that we'd lose the game; they had the overload in midfield and were constantly able to get to the edge of our penalty area, and there were a few nervous moments inside it. That we didn't lose, and that we wrestled the momentum away from them sufficiently that the final quarter-of-an-hour to mean that it was really anyone's game, showed me that the players and management are still very much up for the fight. I don't recognise the description that we aren't working hard to try to stay up in general (the Carlisle performance was a complete aberration in that regard, and this was a positive reaction. We just can't afford any more of those).

We're still in the fight, principally because we have the Col U game coming up. We have improved, and I struggle to see how anyone can argue with that. The question is simply whether we have improved enough, and whether we have done so in enough time to arrest relegation.

 

[OllieSteph44]

??? thank you for saving me from having to post.

The fireman analogy is definitely up there with...what shall I say...the strangest, I’ve ever heard? ?

 

[Leigh_Seasider]

I just want to know what the hoses represent to be fair. Goals? Attacking flair?
To me that’s all that’s fallen short in the last 20/25 games, we’ve improved in almost every other area. It’s not like the strategy is “don’t score” - we’ve just been rubbish at it.

 

[Jonny_Stokes]

Objectively a good result. Keeps your head above water. Need to win one of your next two and then fleece the Ewes. Tall order, but far from an impossibility.