Post-Match Thread and Ratings Oldham Athletic 0-0 Southend United

[Joolz]

How times have changed. MM is now an idiot for subbing Emile.

I'm surprised none of you have mentioned another clear pen we didn't get. After EA headed it against the bar watch what happens on the rebound

Yet again we are silent and allowed the ref to not give it. At worst you make him feel he owes you a big decision but not us. Its been like it for far to long now.

I noticed that as well. I don't like to see players berating the ref, but desperate times call for desperate measures.

Macca apart, we've been like this all season. I know this isn't true, but it is almost as if the players don't care - we're too nice.

 

[Shrimper]

Probably the worst bit of mis management by a nervous over thinking bloke in charge of Southend Utd for a long time, and we have had some bad ones. Oldham were useless and there for the taking but the Tinkerman failed to go for the jugular as usual. Therefore he must go whatever happens, even if we stay up by default. His obsession with Acquah, Demi, Halford, etc. is too much to bare in this rubbish League, he is not up to the job in a man’s game so time to get back to where you belong.
Acquah has scored one scuffed goal in lots of minutes on the pitch, missed about 8...what does he need to do to convince M.M that he isn’t even fit for Weymouth?. Halford I can’t believe is so inept with his background and Demi is as slow as a cart horse......tell you what, let’s go backwards with 20 minutes to go by playing them and let Oldham off the hook.....pathetic!

Guess we can start our other strikers. Oh, we don't have any...

 

[Evening Echo]

ON LOAN Southend United defender Tyler Cordner was devastated by Saturday's 0-0 draw at Oldham Athletic.

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[Barling Magna]

I don't like the sound of the team being devastated. Sure they should be disappointed but they mustn't let this hit their confidence or we will be sunk.

 

[Austin the Shrimper]

I'm hoping all teams around us start to feel a lot more pressure due to knowing how hard it is for teams to score against us. Those that are regularly conceding in games will have to take far more risks. I think it's too late for any affect on goal difference but do think our solidity will be an advantage. I
Aquah got in good positions yesterday. He won the headers and did well. RhF got shots away and beat his player and got crosses in with his right foot, albeit not all were good.
Clifford had the best game I've seen from him so far. Really good. Keeps getting better.
I think if we create like that consistently, maintain our solidity, utilise our best midfielders as often as possible, we can stay up.
If we get relegated i think it will more probably be through injuries like yday to akinola

You’re Chris Powell and I claim my £5

 

[in the know]

You’re Chris Powell and I claim my £5

Is like to have been that good at football
I'm doing quite well this week. I've been both Tom prod and sir Chris lol

 

[Strykr]

I don't like the sound of the team being devastated. Sure they should be disappointed but they mustn't let this hit their confidence or we will be sunk.

I dunno, they should be fully aware of the consequences. Id hate for them to go down to non league, and just be a bit disappointed.

 

[kentblues]

The issue yesterday and in our last few games hasn't been the number 9s inability to score its the players around him. Sim had a shocker yesterday, how he ducked under that beautiful cross I don't know. Hackett fairchild whips in some good crosses but is pretty 1 dimensional. Our other attacking options ANG ,Dieng et al never chip in with goals.
So although I still feel hand on heart that acquah isn't quite good enough for league football, how about some senior players around him start stepping up to the plate!

Indeed- I think Acquah is good enough- however our 3 in the 4231 needs to carry way more goal threat between them for the system to work. They don’t. Probably the three that would bring most threat as that 3 would be Akinola, Holmes and Goodship.

 

[Eddy Melito]

I don't like the sound of the team being devastated. Sure they should be disappointed but they mustn't let this hit their confidence or we will be sunk.

I'm sure they are annoyed to not have got what they felt they deserved, but he probably just thinks the fans want to hear that in the same way that they know they cant be seen to enjoy themselves or get on with their life outside of football if they've lost or played poorly the previous day. He wants to be seen to care about the situation (and probably does care) but never read too much into throwaway lines in the local papers. He would have drawn the short straw to go and speak and so he is trying to say the right things.

 

[Ipswhrimp]

Well, the performance was good enough at least to end Harry Kewell's Oldham career...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/56315714

 

[OllieSteph44]

Indeed- I think Acquah is good enough- however our 3 in the 4231 needs to carry way more goal threat between them for the system to work. They don’t. Probably the three that would bring most threat as that 3 would be Akinola, Holmes and Goodship.

I wouldn’t disagree with this but if the three in the ‘3’ dont do their work going the other way and weaken you defensively so much that it means you are going to need to score 3 to win instead of just 1, it ends up counter productive anyway.

 

[kentblues]

I wouldn’t disagree with this but if the three in the ‘3’ dont do their work going the other way and weaken you defensively so much that it means you are going to need to score 3 to win instead of just 1, it ends up counter productive anyway.

True- but the point of the sitting two is that the three can be more offensively minded. I.e. they need to bring goal threat- otherwise, well you know the otherwise...regrettably

 

[OllieSteph44]

True- but the point of the sitting two is that the three can be more offensively minded. I.e. they need to bring goal threat- otherwise, well you know the otherwise...regrettably

Obviously, but it’s also the job of the 3 to trigger and execute the press and MM has placed importance on that and it’s one of the main reasons defensively we’ve been sound. Take that away and the 2 may be more exposed. The goal threat will need to be hell of a lot more threatening than we are capable of if we start conceding 2s and 3s

 

[Mr Browns Ghost]

There is so far no evidence to tell us he’s going to turn into a “very good player” but there’s evidence to say he’ll turn into an “ok player” with Harlow town. The mans had so many bloody chances to score the last few weeks but hasn’t, simple as that and we are quite right to pull him up over it, especially when points are so so valuable.

If you can’t handle people pointing out the obvious, and have to leave groups because of it I suggest you get a grip because it’s a forum to express just that, whether you like the other Persons point of view or not.

Perfectly put

 

[Evening Echo]

THERE was a familiar feeling of frustration following Southend United’s stalemate at Oldham Athletic on Saturday.

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[ms brush]

Well, the performance was good enough at least to end Harry Kewell's Oldham career...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/56315714

This says to me how far we have progressed. Oldham's bosses must have thought a 0-0 v us, in conjunction with their other results = a sacking. Sad for Harry Kewell, thought he was doing a decent job.

Back to us, I still think we are only in this situation because of the embargo, giving everyone else a 15 game head start. If we go down, and I still dont think it is a done deal, it will be because of that, not because we arent good enough. Oldham was there for the taking, so we dropped 2 points, but i still think we are improving game by game, and those elusive goals will come. We looked worse when Acqah went off, so I think he will be pivotal in the last couple of months of the season. If Sim is injured, i would like to see Emile, with Goodship and Holmes, as between them we have goals in us.

 

[Jay_SUFC]

I’m fed up of all the Acquah bashing that goes on. I’ve just left the Southend United group on Facebook because of it.

We looked far better with him on the pitch than after he was subbed yesterday. Yes, he missed the one on one, but it was on his wrong foot and the strength and turn to create it were great. He had a header saved at point blank range too and held the ball up well and brought people into the game with intelligent passes. Others like Akinola, RHF and ANG missed chances too, but they’re not labelled as donkeys or not good enough, but when Emile misses one, he is.

He is by no means the finished article but with more games will get better. I’m sure the coaches must be working on his finishing too.

He’s 18 months younger than Tom Clifford, but gets treated like he’s a 30 year old donkey. He’s a young kid who could turn into a very good player in a couple of years.

I had forgotten about Akinola's chance; which IMO was easier than the one Acquah missed; yet I don't see pages of comments asking for him to be dropped, or suggesting he should never be playing!!

 

[Shrimperjohn]

Just wondering where the pre match thread on tonight’s game has gone. It was there yesterday

 

[kentblues]

Obviously, but it’s also the job of the 3 to trigger and execute the press and MM has placed importance on that and it’s one of the main reasons defensively we’ve been sound. Take that away and the 2 may be more exposed. The goal threat will need to be hell of a lot more threatening than we are capable of if we start conceding 2s and 3s

Well maybe but that’s the choice to an extent. If we believe that even now the settled back 4 with 2 sitting midfielders will go back to conceding 2-3 goals a game (even against the Oldhams of the World) then maybe the current approach is the least worse. But statistically it will deliver a further 8 goals this season...
What is I think true is it’s not consistent to criticise the lack of goals and at the same not accept a change of approach is needed.
May be MM has it right- his way we will find a way of nicking victories here and there, and avoid defeats- in the process getting enough points to stay up. The other way we would lose 4-2 every week and go down.

 

[mfurok]

Well maybe but that’s the choice to an extent. If we believe that even now the settled back 4 with 2 sitting midfielders will go back to conceding 2-3 goals a game (even against the Oldhams of the World) then maybe the current approach is the least worse. But statistically it will deliver a further 8 goals this season...
What is I think true is it’s not consistent to criticise the lack of goals and at the same not accept a change of approach is needed.
May be MM has it right- his way we will find a way of nicking victories here and there, and avoid defeats- in the process getting enough points to stay up. The other way we would lose 4-2 every week and go down.

Are we now getting to the stage where, if we don't have four defenders, two sitting defensive midfielders and three forwards executing the press, we will concede four goals every match?

If we are then we have one hell of a **** team.

#ftheproject