Post-Match Thread and Ratings Portsmouth 2-0 Southend United

[Chris Powell's mate]

I love the way 'formation' rears its sweet little head every second thread.
These are professional footballers, of which a couple were asked to play slightly outside their comfort zone.
I didn't see defenders being asked to play as attackers, nor the other way round.
We lost, and will lose a few more, because the physio room is as crowded as an Xmas bazaar.

 

[Suffolk Shrimper In Dorset]

What a p#ss poor attack we have. We NEVER looked like scoring. We've got Lee Barnard coming to Roots Hall next week as the SUEPA guest, I'll ask him to bring his boots

 

[eastling]

I love the way 'formation' rears its sweet little head every second thread.
These are professional footballers, of which a couple were asked to play slightly outside their comfort zone.
I didn't see defenders being asked to play as attackers, nor the other way round.
We lost, and will lose a few more, because the physio room is as crowded as an Xmas bazaar.

Agree they should be able to adjust but in the first half they mainly look confused. Why?

 

[tallboyblue]

No idea I am confused nose.

 

[southendkid]

What a p#ss poor attack we have. We NEVER looked like scoring. We've got Lee Barnard coming to Roots Hall next week as the SUEPA guest, I'll ask him to bring his boots

You must have forgotten what his second spell at the club was like!

 

[rayleigh dan]

Elvis left back enough said.

 

[rayleigh dan]

I was thinking about this just now, as well.

Once you start over tinkering with things, not only do you lose the structure of the side, but you start putting doubt in the players minds.

As an employee, I'd want a manager to have a plan and know my role in that plan. If a manager keeps changing his mind, then that must filter down to the players who then start to lose confidence.

To me, SCP is just bluffing through a bit at the moment. That can't be giving individual players or the team as a whole any direction as to what we are trying to achieve.

Yep, I'm wondering why CP needs two assistants, neither seem to do much on match days. They're both West Ham too! Edit- ones Chelsea! I apologise for any offence!

People used to question what Horton did under Brown, what exactly are Keen and Matthew doing right now, other than kissing CP's arse?

If it's a choice of forgoing one one his lackey's for another player in January, please do it Chris!

 

[rayleigh dan]

I love the way 'formation' rears its sweet little head every second thread.
These are professional footballers, of which a couple were asked to play slightly outside their comfort zone.
I didn't see defenders being asked to play as attackers, nor the other way round.
We lost, and will lose a few more, because the physio room is as crowded as an Xmas bazaar.

To put it mildly I think you're talking Bollox! Yes we've had injuries, but why play Elvis out of position? He's a young guy who's shown great form over the last three games, yet we shunt him onto his wrong foot today!? What does that say about Hendrie too? CP obviously doesn't trust him. Awful managerial decisions with such a thin squad IMO.

 

[Jay_SUFC]

I love the way 'formation' rears its sweet little head every second thread.
These are professional footballers, of which a couple were asked to play slightly outside their comfort zone.
I didn't see defenders being asked to play as attackers, nor the other way round.
We lost, and will lose a few more, because the physio room is as crowded as an Xmas bazaar.

It's got nothing to do with players outside of their comfort zone.

Answer me these; why play our best centre back at full back? Why play White and Turner as sole centre backs, when we all know it doesn't work?

I have no issues with Elvis at left back as he did a job their last season, it's the 2 stupid decisions above that are inexcusable

 

[AndyT]

I have no issues with Elvis at left back as he did a job their last season, it's the 2 stupid decisions above that are inexcusable

Agree with your post, Jay, but I think the Elvis decision is just as bad.

Last season, Elvis played left-back for a few games as Cokes was injured and Demi was fit to play right-back.

Yesterday, we had a fit left-back and an unfit right-back, so we swap our fit right-back to left-back and leave our fit left-back on the bench.

You seriously couldn't make it up!

 

[Brett Angle]

When I saw the team sheet I assumed it was 5-3-1-1 with McLaughlin as left wing back and Harry Bunn up front ahead of Cox. I actually thought that was a sensible plan for yesterday and might work. Didn't see the actual formation coming - but when I heard feared we were going to be in trouble!

 

[AndyT]

Exactly what I thought, Brett. Particularly as we'd played three centre-halves at Luton, so I had assumed it was to bed them in for yesterday's game.

It now seems that defensively, the CheckATrade game was actually the priority this week!

 

[RobM]

Yep, that was me, why was it strange? You obviously haven't been following my performances in the prediction league.

I'll be fighting you for the wooden spoon!

 

[Jay_SUFC]

Exactly what I thought, Brett. Particularly as we'd played three centre-halves at Luton, so I had assumed it was to bed them in for yesterday's game.

It now seems that defensively, the CheckATrade game was actually the priority this week!

Wednesday's game probably was priority as I expect CP didn't think we would get anything from Portsmouth. However, as staff and players, you should never go into a game with that attitude - every team is beatable.

 

[AndyT]

That's my worry, Jay.

Once you start writing games off to a degree, the ones that you don't write off become pressure matches.

I really hate all this "resting" nonsense. SCP was never rested by Webby when he played for us. Like other members of that side, he got up and got on with it week in, week out.

 

[RHB]

I'll be fighting you for the wooden spoon!

And that's not strange either.

 

[Jay_SUFC]

That's my worry, Jay.

Once you start writing games off to a degree, the ones that you don't write off become pressure matches.

I really hate all this "resting" nonsense. SCP was never rested by Webby when he played for us. Like other members of that side, he got up and got on with it week in, week out.

Totally agree; also surely the games you're not expected to win (and the opposition are) should mean you go out with nothing to lose attitude.

Yeah, pretty sure players never got rested then and surely out of Turner, White and Hendrie, Hendrie should be the last one that needs resting.

 

[rigsby]

Before we go to far it might be worth considering that maybe Hendrie did have a problem but not bad enough that he couldn't be on the bench as an emergency, due to our injurie list.

 

[Jay_SUFC]

Before we go to far it might be worth considering that maybe Hendrie did have a problem but not bad enough that he couldn't be on the bench as an emergency, due to our injurie list.

That's a fair point, but if that was the case, we have other players (youngsters) we could have had on the bench and the likes of McL and Dieng could provide cover at the back.

 

[rigsby]

That's a fair point, but if that was the case, we have other players (youngsters) we could have had on the bench and the likes of McL and Dieng could provide cover at the back.

Yes we do have youngsters but Yesterday was never going to be the time or place to introduce them. Dru was deffinitely not fully fit and he was on the bench.