Oxley...

[Strykr]

I dont feel sorry for him, he failed miserably and should rightly be feeling gutted, and make a mental note to never do anything like that again and learn from it and move on.

Whats the point of throwing him under the bus now? Or Shall we stick seaden in or get a loanee keeper, both seem a massive overreaction and probably wont be an improvement.

Hes a l2 goalkeeper near the bottom of l2 like all our players are, he messed up but we need to forget it and move on. This team has bigger issues then 1 clanger.

 

[Tribal Chief]

We’re in League 2, what are you talking about world class for? It was an excellent save that a goalie at any level would have done well to make and saved us from dropping 2 points. Seems a weird thing to disregard because the matchwinning save didn’t meet your vague and strange criteria of ‘world class’.

Calm down Mrs Oxley. If ‘world class’ is confusing you, then let’s just say a save that you’re surprised that he made. I didn’t see one like that. Whereas his mistake was one that should shock all of us. That goal was absolutely ****ing shameful, and I don’t understand why you’re so determined to make excuses for him.

 

[Hegman]

Big **** up today. Just more emphasis on why the guys infront need to create chances and score goals. I've never seen a less threatening attacking team. Sure they must spend all day in training on defending.

 

[tottenham541]

Big **** up today. Just more emphasis on why the guys infront need to create chances and score goals. I've never seen a less threatening attacking team. Sure they must spend all day in training on defending.

Thing that gets to me is why don’t we play like we are actually the home team and take the game to the opposition? It’s a big advantage for us and we just don’t put it out on the roots hall pitch, it’s where we should pick our points up, it’s a must to attack sides at home.

 

[mfurok]

You think MM had a pro playing career and a good level of coaching career at a Premier league club as well as good success in competitive high end non league as a manager without having a strong ruthless steak? Don’t ever be fooled by a public persona of a person who’s played elite sport.

Whether people think he’s any good as a manager is of course arbitrary but it will in no way down to being too nice or not ruthless.

So you finally agree that the project is running out of excuses and the game on game improvement isn’t happening?

 

[OllieSteph44]

So you finally agree that the project is running out of excuses and the game on game improvement isn’t happening?

No? ?‍ Got no idea how you got that from that

 

[happydays]

Cmon evdn international goalkeepers hsve made big blunders lay off him he needs support

 

[Floval Flyer]

I really dislike these threads. IIRC there was one started about young Emile Acquah recently, who is still a young lad and has a lot to learn and far from the finished article.

I‘d imagine Mark is feeling pretty low this evening. He made a split second decision, which cost a goal. To be fair to him the ball took on a bizarre trajectory and from his line of view was out of play and in 99/100 times would have hit the top netting. It was reminiscent of the goal conceded by Everton in the last minute of the Merseyside derby a few seasons ago. That time it was the current England no.1 Jordan Pickford who got caught out.

Players are not infallible, especially at this level. Oxley has saved our side on many occasion, but as a goalkeeper he’s (unfairly) open to heavy criticism more than any other playing position.

Mark seems to be a confidence player, and given he’s our no.1 keeper he deserves support, not slagging off on Twitter and open forums, if not for him for the sake of our club. We will need him on top form if we are going to escape the drop.

 

[Alrounce]

I really dislike these threads. IIRC there was one started about young Emile Acquah recently, who is still a young lad and has a lot to learn and far from the finished article.

I‘d imagine Mark is feeling pretty low this evening. He made a split second decision, which cost a goal. To be fair to him the ball took on a bizarre trajectory and from his line of view was out of play and in 99/100 times would have hit the top netting. It was reminiscent of the goal conceded by Everton in the last minute of the Merseyside derby a few seasons ago. That time it was the current England no.1 Jordan Pickford who got caught out.

Players are not infallible, especially at this level. Oxley has saved our side on many occasion, but as a goalkeeper he’s (unfairly) open to heavy criticism more than any other playing position.

Mark seems to be a confidence player, and given he’s our no.1 keeper he deserves support, not slagging off on Twitter and open forums, if not for him for the sake of our club. We will need him on top form if we are going to escape the drop.

Fully agree. Oxley has made a lot of good saves during the season and as our no 1 goalie should be getting confidence boosting posts, not slagging off ones.
Let's get behind Oxley and all the rest of the lads , that way we will get out of this nightmare!

 

[wiggy]

Cmon evdn international goalkeepers hsve made big blunders lay off him he needs support

He made one in the first half as well that should have been punished.....let’s face it, he came to us with that reputation and nothing has changed, inconsistent , rooted to line and should have been replaced last year!

 

[dannypav]

His clangers are absolute bangers, done so well recently but that was a shocker undeniably.
I dont blame him for losing the game because with a different set up we should have won that game.
Thought he got down really well for that reaction save in the first half when it looked like it spooned off someone's knee right in front if goal

After reading your first line , I thought it was going to be a rhyming post throughout - so disappointed

 

[Shrimper93]

Nice support

 

[Danshrimper]

Calm down Mrs Oxley. If ‘world class’ is confusing you, then let’s just say a save that you’re surprised that he made. I didn’t see one like that. Whereas his mistake was one that should shock all of us. That goal was absolutely ****ing shameful, and I don’t understand why you’re so determined to make excuses for him.

It doesn’t confuse me. What confuses me is the relevance of the phrase ‘world class’ when discussing a League 2 goalkeeper. The Newport player was clean through on goal and looked certain to score, you must rate highly Oxley very highly if you weren’t at all suprised by the save being made in that situation.

I wasn’t defending his mistake today anyway, where did I try and make any excuse for that? I was pointing out that he saved us 2 points at Newport with a very good save. Who cares whether it was ‘world class’? He’s shown his worth at this level over the past couple of months so I don’t really see what a pile on achieves. Especially when it’s an unusual type of mistake that’s unlikely to be repeated.

 

[rigsby]

The great thing is when you have a scapegoat, everyone misses the bigger picture. They miss the real reasons we lost that game and why we are fighting relegation.

To create a howler you have to shoot. Its one of the very few things certain in football, If you don't shoot you don't score.
Just like that chance they missed in the first half. You rely on mistakes for 60/70% of your goals in L2.......ANG would have another touch if he was taking a penalty.

Then look how that shot was created. From sharp well worked throw deep in our half, into feet in the box. So defenders have to tread carefully. We never do that, we have never done that in the last 7 or 8 years......If you really want to talk Sunday, how about Elvis.....He is more Thundermite league. The kid that doesn't really want to take a throw, dads on line have told him not to ever throw it inside and the players no he wont. So they form a static bus queue down the line and Elvis throws it with zero conviction. At least he is consistent and finds the same shirt, just never a southend one.

I knew we would lose the con the ref battle, we always do.
Our set pieces are generally poor. Again you don't win corners if you don't shoot. Nor will you score form them if they are over hit or until Hobson actually believes in himself.

Thats why we lose tight games, Simpson wont make any difference because Akinola was in some great positions yesterday but the final ball/rebound never comes.

One thing did make me smile was their goal celebration. Before you call me a traitor watch out for 'Wivs' in the orange jacket by the South East corner flag.....You would never guess he is not Oxley's biggest fan.

 

[overseas shrimper]

Yeah and if my mum had wheels she would be bike....
What’s he has done there no excuse cost us a point directly

What also cost us that point, at least, is the fact that we are relying on clean sheets every game. It adds pressure. Slate Ox if you want, but then balance it by slating our powder puff attack.

 

[RobM]

What also cost us that point, at least, is the fact that we are relying on clean sheets every game. It adds pressure. Slate Ox if you want, but then balance it by slating our powder puff attack.

National League lowest scorers Dover 12 in 15 games 0.8 per game
League Two lowest scorers - Southend 18 in 29 0.62 per game
League One lowest scorers - Northampton 23 in 29 0.79 per game
Championship lowest scorers - Sheff' Wednesday 21 in 30 0.7 per game
Premiership lowest scorers - Sheff' United 15 in 25 0.6 per game.

 

[Swiss Tony]

Nice support

I think your Avatar somes up the Oxley factor very well.

 

[wiggy]

National League lowest scorers Dover 12 in 15 games 0.8 per game
League Two lowest scorers - Southend 18 in 29 0.62 per game
League One lowest scorers - Northampton 23 in 29 0.79 per game
Championship lowest scorers - Sheff' Wednesday 21 in 30 0.7 per game
Premiership lowest scorers - Sheff' United 15 in 25 0.6 per game.

Powder puff attack is M.M’s fault. He seems to want to collect defenders and midfielders.
Relies on free kicks to win us games....Ox definitely at fault yesterday but like you say, most teams can get away with the odd mistake by covering it with a couple of goals.....not negative Mark....all season he has been toothless up front and comes out and calls a dolly drop a freak. No...it’s your team selection that is freaky, help the keeper out by having a shot on goal!

 

[OllieSteph44]

It’s really not that difficult to understand the mentality of MM or the plan as it stands.

Come on....let’s be honest, the whole of SZ has agreed that we don’t have a real decent forward with a proven goalscoring record.....I guess it’s fair to say that if we can all see it, MM can also see it?

The club have had a losing mentality for more than one season or two, and for the vast majority of the last two seasons spent losing games by several goals, often being out of games within 20 mins of kick off....but certainly by half time.

There’s currently a frustration among fans that we don’t play with any creativity. These I’m sure, are the same fans that moaned about us trying to play out from the back with a different brand of football trying to be more creative and attractive in our play.

We mined that Chris Powell had resorted to ‘hoof ball’, we then moaned when Bond tried to play total football.

We moaned that we didn’t have the players capable of playing like Cruyffs Holland in league 1/2 and the same people are now moaning that we don’t create and we can’t score and we don’t open teams up....er....didnt we all agree that we don’t have the players in league 2 to play that way and don’t have good enough forwards to test teams apart and go in at half time 2-0 up every week?

Look, there are extremes and there is middle ground...

One extreme is to open up, put all our ‘creative’ players in the side, play 2 wingers and 2 centre forwards and get men ahead of the ball and try and win....the problem with that is our best players aren’t forwards. Our best players aren’t attacking creative skilful footballers. The consequence of this would be to leave ourselves wide open and be back to conceding too many goals and being out of games by half time.

The other extreme is to use the players we have all accepted have proved integral to us being harder to beat. White, Hobson, McCormack, Dieng, Ferguson and put them into a pragmatic formation that keeps players goal side of the ball even in possession, helps us win individual battles physically, clears the ball quickly and with distance from dangerous areas, even under no pressure and rely on one or two players (Akinola / ANG) for a sprinkling of creativity that may just get us a goal from almost nothing.

Of course there’s some middle ground. Good players who can work and keep things tight, yet who can also control and use the ball well with skill and creativity when we have it and who can recognise good opportunities to break, dominate possession and create chances to score.....and of course take those chances when they arise....

The problem is, most of the players who can do this aren’t looking to commit their futures in June or the first week of January to a club with the reputation of and in the position of Southend United. So managers will always be up against it in terms of planning and preparation and will always be left picking up bargains, free transfers, older players or youngsters....normally a week or so before the action starts....when you have to build a team this way it’s hard to hit the ground running and it takes time and a lot of blood sweat and tears on the training ground......if you can get on it a) in time for the season starting because of a global pandemic or b) because it’s January / February and the pitches are unusable!!!

I feel for MM. I don’t think he feels he has any other option, all things mentioned above considered, to be anything other than pragmatic with his approach and he’s working his nuts off to pick up as many points as he can with the resources at his disposal against teams (certainly in this current spell) who are better prepared, have better players and better resources.....and he’s doing it against a back drop of low confidence, no supporters to lift his team and a growing fear of relegation.

Would you really want him to open up and leave us wide open to being picked off and run all over by better teams than ours? Or do you want him to stay in games for as long as possible as often as possible so we have a chance of picking up more points along the lines of Newport, Cambridge, Crawley, Barrow, Scunthorpe and Walsall and stay in the football league?

 

[RHB]

It’s really not that difficult to understand the mentality of MM or the plan as it stands.

Come on....let’s be honest, the whole of SZ has ide tidied that we don’t have a real decent forward with a proven goalscoring record.....I guess it’s fair to say that if we can all see it, MM can also see it?

Ide titied @OllieSteph44 ? Is that something we do in March? Asking for a friend