Post-Match Thread and Ratings Port Vale 5-1 Southend United

[southendkid]

Have that many turned us down though? The likes of K. Taylor, Cordner, Hobson etc he'd have known from his Bournemouth days so I can't see they'd be 4th choice for example. I'm not disagreeing that players have turned us down to go elsewhere but when you sign this amount of players and only a select few have been any good, it leaves a lot to question.

Why do you think we're signing so many players that already know MM? They're not the first choice signings but they're the only ones that are willing to come because they know the manager, everyone else we're interested in signing sees we're a team destined for non-league and unsurprisingly thinks they'll be better off where they are.

 

[Mad Cyril]

Mark Molesley did so well to turn it around before Christmas but opposition managers have sussed us and we have no players for plan B.

Ron needs to invest a few hundred grand in the next few days...

 

[MisterStubbs]

You wouldn't believe the number that have turned us down. We've had a player that's pretty much retired rather than sign for us. A bid for an ex favorite was made last week, he told us to **** off. The championship striker that we're after I'm gonna assume saw today's result and realised he's better off in the reserves than signing for us. Club has been working ridiculously hard to get players in but thee damage is done. 1 man's responsible for that damage

Mate, it's not even a debate as to who is to blame for the overall mess the club is in. I will always be vocal towards RM's running of the club and for that I know that whoever is in charge will be almost fighting a losing battle just because of the man above him. My problem is I was never really sold on MM being the right man to begin with. The opening weeks of the season did little to change my opinion BUT at the same time I was prepared to look past the performances/results because of the difficulties not just the club itself has but what with the whole pandemic etc. The results we got in December made me think that finally MM has found a way of playing that gets the best out of us and maybe, just maybe there is a chance we can beat the drop but since the change of formation, the less than impressive couple of signings I'm again questioning whether or not MM is the best man for the job.

 

[Danshrimper]

Judge him after he has had a window to sign some players they said , we see improvements since he took over they said , give him time they said . Let him build his side they said
We have gone backwards in the last 5 weeks , who’s fault is that ?

He’s been trying to sign a striker all window but nobody wants to come here. So he’s hardly been able to build his own team. Who’s fault is that? (Hint- it’s not MM)

 

[40yearsafan]

I've delayed commenting so I could calm down and reflect for a bit. I do think we are as good as down now, I've said before we already need to increase our points per game by about 30% to stand a chance of 22nd.
What really marked out today as a new low was the lack of effort or commitment. The body language was dreadful, nobody seemed to understand the formation or their roles and worse, nobody was willing to cover or support a team mate. They really looked like a team with problems in the dressing room.
For me aside from Ferguson's strike, the only player who showed any work ethic today was Akinola. That was either a potentially serious hamstring, or even he had had enough towards the end.

 

[duncan bulgaria]

He’s been trying to sign a striker all window but nobody wants to come here. So he’s hardly been able to build his own team. Who’s fault is that? (Hint- it’s not MM)

So this beggars the question , why did MM come here ? The answer is that with any football man they think they can come in and make a difference and back their own abilities.
The same abilities that are contributing to is being rock bottom

 

[RHB]

I came on here with the intention of offering a match comment but I've read a load of the posts on here and now think that I'm going to take a few days away from the Zone and all things Southend Utd as I need to understand whether the love has finally died......I hope not and maybe a break will do the trick!

 

[Southminster Shrimper]

Is that the stuff you use for cleaning toilets?

Sure is. I have just had enough ?

 

[southendkid]

So this beggars the question , why did MM come here ? The answer is that with any football man they think they can come in and make a difference and back their own abilities.
The same abilities that are contributing to is being rock bottom

A few pundits asked the same question when he was announced, he was an up and coming manager that could have got a good club in a year or two if he kept doing well at Weymouth, people were asking why he'd risk his career by coming to a club with so many issues behind the scenes.

 

[Bolton Shrimper]

Watched this at my Port Vale supporting mates on PV ifollow. First time I've seen ifollow. No connection problems and very impresive coverage.
As for our performance, ABSOLUTE SHAMBLES !!!
Ownership......Failure at running the club.
Management......Can't manage.
Players......Thoughtless/Skill less/ no pride/no fight/ just stealing the wage.
1 year and 1 week ago we deservedly won at Accrington in L1. Look at where both teams are now.
Shameful.
Feels like the end.
Into footballing oblivion without a fan in sight.

 

[KiwiRob]

I've delayed commenting so I could calm down and reflect for a bit. I do think we are as good as down now, I've said before we already need to increase our points per game by about 30% to stand a chance of 22nd.
What really marked out today as a new low was the lack of effort or commitment. The body language was dreadful, nobody seemed to understand the formation or their roles and worse, nobody was willing to cover or support a team mate. They really looked like a team with problems in the dressing room.
For me aside from Ferguson's strike, the only player who showed any work ethic today was Akinola. That was either a potentially serious hamstring, or even he had had enough towards the end.

As a matter of urgency, I think MM needs to go return to playing four at the back and build from there. There is an old saying which I believe in. If something is not broken, do not fix it. Unfortunately, after a relatively successful spell in which Southend played four at the back, MM seems to be demoralising and confusing the team by playing five or three at the back. This 'fix' is clearly not working. Football is not rocket science, and many managers sabotage themselves by acting as if the game is. There is nothing wrong about a team's formation being predictable, providing it is predictably good and works well in most games.

 

[Joolz]

I wish people would stop saying that we have no fight, pride, passion - it suggests we are not trying (not true), and that if we did start trying all our problems would miraculously disappear (also not true).

The players are simply not good enough.

 

[Somerset Ex-TTB]

I came on here with the intention of offering a match comment but I've read a load of the posts on here and now think that I'm going to take a few days away from the Zone and all things Southend Utd as I need to understand whether the love has finally died......I hope not and maybe a break will do the trick!

Feel exactly the same

 

[kentblues]

I fear for MM it’s past the point of no return.

Once again though Ron got it absolutely right when he told Fagan he would need an experienced, done it got the tee shirt number 2. He teamed up with Calderwood.

Then Ron inexplicably brought a manager in also with no EFL management experience with even less experience in his team- not even played at that (EFL) level...

What MM has needed is an experience number 2 at this level. Now it’s too late.

 

[Andy_S]

I fear for MM it’s past the point of no return.

Once again though Ron got it absolutely right when he told Fagan he would need an experienced, done it got the tee shirt number 2. He teamed up with Calderwood.

Then Ron inexplicably brought a manager in also with no EFL management experience with even less experience- not even played at that level...

What MM has needed is an experience number 2 at this level. Now it’s too late.

I must admit I found Molesley not bringing anyone with any Football League experience baffling. In fact it would appear there’s extremely little senior football experience in there, which makes it even more strange.

 

[Danshrimper]

So this beggars the question , why did MM come here ? The answer is that with any football man they think they can come in and make a difference and back their own abilities.
The same abilities that are contributing to is being rock bottom

He’s probably asking himself the same question now. But you can see why he made the switch at the time. Weymouth are a semi-professional team in a league full of professional teams so it probably wasn’t a bad idea to come here and try and prove himself in the EFL. Keeping us up by any means would have been good for his future as a manager considering our reputation.

I also imagine he was enticed by a set of promises from RM which probably haven’t been kept.

It’s a shame for him because I think he could do a good job in the EFL for a team with good resources that would have allowed him to build a team to suit his style.

 

[gatecrasher]

I fear for MM it’s past the point of no return.

Once again though Ron got it absolutely right when he told Fagan he would need an experienced, done it got the tee shirt number 2. He teamed up with Calderwood.

Then Ron inexplicably brought a manager in also with no EFL management experience with even less experience in his team- not even played at that (EFL) level...

What MM has needed is an experience number 2 at this level. Now it’s too late.

But but but MM bought in some guy who ran a kebab shop in pool who once watched a game in his bedroom in 1995

 

[Evening Echo]

SOUTHEND United boss Mark Molesley feels this afternoon’s depressing 5-1 defeat at Port Vale was the lowest moment of the season so far.

Read more on this story


Help with Echo links

 

[Wingnut]

I’d sack him but Martin needs to make a decision how much will it cost the club if we go non league compared to getting rid of all the back room staff

 

[united we stand]

Ox 6. Not a lot he could do with most of that

Elvis 1. Was his back playing up?
Hobson 1. Awful
Cordnor 2. Cordswallop
White -1. Worst of the back 3, missing tackles etc. Seriously, if he wasn’t John white and he didn’t play for us, would anyone want us to sign him ? No. Of course not.
Hart 1. Gone backwards. Passing forward was terrible.

demi 0. Worst I’ve seen him play
Dieng 2. Game passed him by
Taylor 1. Passing off

RHF 1. Gave the ball away consistently
Akinola 5. Had a go.
Subs

ANG 4.
The rest I won’t mark as I was barely paying attention after 4-0.

Ok. So why so bad? Here it is:

About 5 minutes into the second half, Taylor lost the ball in midfield. He bust a gut to get back. Really bust a gut. The ball was in the box and he tackled their lad who was amazed that he didn’t have the time and space that he had for the rest of the match.

Taylor only bust the gut because he gave the ball away. No one else bothered. Taylor didn’t bust the gut when his team mates gave it away.

We were so bad today because the team didn’t put the effort in. They didn’t work hard enough. They didn’t care about each other. They couldn’t give a toss about the fans, the club or the manager.

If something has gone on behind the scenes so that professional players do that then fair enough. If there is no agenda, then that lot should all be ashamed of themselves. They’re not fit to wear the shirt

When I saw the “Taylor “ moment I thought exactly the same as you.
I can recall under Phil brown when we lost the ball and EVERYONE reacted like that, it was “normal”. Now it just doesn’t happen. I appreciate it’s far easier to do (mentally) when you are winning, but that’s no excuse for quite how little effort there was today