Saturdays performance

[RobM]

All considered, I didn't think it was too bad. A new central pairing of Mohsni and Makandiwire (sorry if I got his name wrong!) - hastily put together, nobody to blame as Phillips, Barker, Cresswell, Prosser (arguably 3 first choices) not available. We have played 10 in the defence so far this season.

Maybe I'm just potty.

 

[Jai]

We'll have none of that positive talk on here thank you very much. :smile:

 

[RobM]

The attitude of some people omn this forum really gets my goat.

**** is rubbish yeah that's why he's not on £200.000 a week you numbnut!

you get my drift...

 

[Thundersley Blue]

Has Sturrock run over a black cat ? I would not been betting the side he fielded today was nothing like the side he was expecting to field yesterday. The midfield desperately someone who can grab the game and dictate the pace. Lund and Laird both played ok but neither seemed able to give the back four cover. Too many times Torquay were able to get in between the midfield and back four. Hopefully Cresswell will be fit for Tuesday and Tam can play the holding role.

One rumour seeming to do be doing the rounds is that Sturrock wiil be leaving at the end of the season and replaced by Coughlan wth Harris as assistant. Can anybody else shed some light on this ? Seems a pretty sensible way forward.

 

[OldBlueLady]

Wouldn't this have been better suited to the Match ratings thread rather than a new one?

 

[amsemp]

actually didn't think we played too bad at all just felt like the midfield couldn't link up with the strikers at all no matter how hard they tried. most of the nice football we played was between the back 4 and midfield or on the wings, not an awful lot made it to eastwood and britt!

 

[USAShrimper]

I'll put my 2 cents in. Was back in December, watched a couple of games, we were playing well, and winning games. Was just over again, at the Rotherham & Port Vale games, different team, different players, not playing as well. In "footie world" the emotion of "Sturrock Out" "Moshni's the Devil" is to be expected. However, as a Southend fan for 42 years and living outside the country gives me a more objective opinion. Some of our best players this season are loanees, that's down to PS. Moshni is one of our best players who seems to have turned the corner. With all the financial problems we have endured, PS has kept us as fans excited and optomistic since day one. no easy task, We've still got a chance of going up.
There are several clubs who have been up and down like us. Freddy needs a good run out, then judge him.

 

[snapper1]

Trouble is we've had an excess of 'not too bad performances' particularly at home.Why is our home form on a par with relegation-if we could answer that,we'd be in the play-offs or winning a promotion spot outright.I've not seen Blues away this Season-anyone explain why we we've 10 games away and only 6 at home ?

 

[USAShrimper]

Trouble is we've had an excess of 'not too bad performances' particularly at home.Why is our home form on a par with relegation-if we could answer that,we'd be in the play-offs or winning a promotion spot outright.I've not seen Blues away this Season-anyone explain why we we've 10 games away and only 6 at home ?

Since I've watched games at Roots Hall (first game 42 years ago) always been amazed at how quickly the crowd get on our own players back. Remember it happening to Gary Moore all those years ago, it was brutal, he ended up giving the crowd 2 fingers. Even as a young kid I thought, that's not right, we should be encouraging our own players, not putting them down.

Look at how many players were slagged of at Roots Hall, left us and then flourished, I can think of several. The same thing is now happening to Paul Smith now, who I think is a good keeper, who has made some key saves for us in the games I've watched. Jeering him at every opportunity is wrong and counter productive.

 

[Jai]

We like to play counter-attacking football, which suits away teams better than homes. At Roots Hall, the players seem to like to drop deep when the opposition have the ball. Unfortunately at home, opposition teams aren't as willing to attack us so players like Assombalonga don't have the space behind when we do break.

 

[h turner]

We like to play counter-attacking football, which suits away teams better than homes. At Roots Hall, the players seem to like to drop deep when the opposition have the ball. Unfortunately at home, opposition teams aren't as willing to attack us so players like Assombalonga don't have the space behind when we do break.

this pretty much.^
When away from home, (i know its hard to imagine) we get so many more offsides than at home so just proves that point and clearly if you do it enough, it will eventualy come off and get wins away from home. Unfortunately sitting deep at the hall already puts at a disadvantage to either counter or mplay out from the back because the opposition can re-organise which is what we saw yesterday and tuesday. But even then clearly we have the ability because yesterday for example there were examples of that great counter attacking and playing out style of football. i just hope we can do it on tuesday and a lot more like we do away from home.

 

[buffalowolf]

Well PS should make Roots Hall a fortress ,make teams afraid to come here to play.forget the counter attacking at home and play a beautiful attacking game, and im not talking about hoof ball,a running passing keeping possession game.OK i know we are not Barcelona but neither is any team in our division,we have some skillful players ,lets use them.And the supporters can help sing loud. " Make Roots Hall a Fortress".Go you Blues!

 

[snapper1]

One of the previous points mentioned the crowd at Roots Hall slating certain players.Although this is unacceptable it would appear from the above comments that if Blues changed their home tactics and attacked more,the crowd would have a lot more to cheer about.Bit like a boxer who takes excessive punishment in the hope of landing a knockout blow if the chance arises.Blues need to be more cut-throat at home.Not too good to watch at the moment clearly.

 

[FarmdogSUFC]

We like to play counter-attacking football, which suits away teams better than homes. At Roots Hall, the players seem to like to drop deep when the opposition have the ball. Unfortunately at home, opposition teams aren't as willing to attack us so players like Assombalonga don't have the space behind when we do break.

Totally agree.

I have a point to make on that front though. Does having all 11 men back to defend a corner count as a negative or a positive? I do quite like the fact that we have all players back to defend but at home should we be doing this? Personally I think we should leave Reeves and Assombalonga up there to counter. When Tomlin is back as well having him up there would be a massive asset IMO.

 

[Mick]

Since I've watched games at Roots Hall (first game 42 years ago) always been amazed at how quickly the crowd get on our own players back. Remember it happening to Gary Moore all those years ago, it was brutal, he ended up giving the crowd 2 fingers. Even as a young kid I thought, that's not right, we should be encouraging our own players, not putting them down.

My memory must be playing tricks then. I remember Gary Moore as a popular and whole-hearted player who was an excellent foil for Billy Best. Okay there was that legendary miss when he miraculously put a ball over the bar from on the goal-line, but my memories of Gary Moore are positive.

 

[A Century United]

My memory must be playing tricks then. I remember Gary Moore as a popular and whole-hearted player who was an excellent foil for Billy Best. Okay there was that legendary miss when he miraculously put a ball over the bar from on the goal-line, but my memories of Gary Moore are positive.

So are mine, Mick, but that doesn't make USA Shrimper wrong - in fact it rather reinforces his point. Even whole-hearted popular players have had stick from our "fans" and it has always been that way. In a tiny sample: Gary Nelson had his share of abuse. Mark Gower was targeted by more than just "Fasto". And the vitriol heaped on Kevin "Night" Maher in his early years was cringe-worthy.

Like it or not, too many of our fans have no understanding of the meaning (or importance) of "supporting" and our home crowd over the years has to take some of the responsibility for our under performing.

And to those who trot out the old canard about "professionals should be able to cope with it", Alan Moody himself has said that players can't perform with the crowd on their back, and David Moyes (one of the most respected managers in the PL) this season has issued an appeal to the crowd to stay behind the players when things are going wrong.

 

[FarmdogSUFC]

So are mine, Mick, but that doesn't make USA Shrimper wrong - in fact it rather reinforces his point. Even whole-hearted popular players have had stick from our "fans" and it has always been that way. In a tiny sample: Gary Nelson had his share of abuse. Mark Gower was targeted by more than just "Fasto". And the vitriol heaped on Kevin "Night" Maher in his early years was cringe-worthy.

Like it or not, too many of our fans have no understanding of the meaning (or importance) of "supporting" and our home crowd over the years has to take some of the responsibility for our under performing.

And to those who trot out the old canard about "professionals should be able to cope with it", Alan Moody himself has said that players can't perform with the crowd on their back, and David Moyes (one of the most respected managers in the PL) this season has issued an appeal to the crowd to stay behind the players when things are going wrong.

I would say most of our fans don't actually understand football.

 

[dannypav]

Totally agree.

I have a point to make on that front though. Does having all 11 men back to defend a corner count as a negative or a positive? I do quite like the fact that we have all players back to defend but at home should we be doing this? Personally I think we should leave Reeves and Assombalonga up there to counter. When Tomlin is back as well having him up there would be a massive asset IMO.

IMO having everyone back at a corner ( home or away ) is a real negative.
It just invites more pressure as there is no out ball.
Invariably the ball is cleared and comes straight back again.
Still , it is seen done at every level from Champions League down , so guess the experts must think it works.....

 

[TTS]

I think that it was more of a frustrating performance than a poor one.

However, for me it highlights the loss of Timlin. For me, his energy always set the tempo of our play. yes sometimes his passing is/was erratic, but his heart and desire for me has been something sorely missed in previous weeks.

We had a lot of the ball, but the tempo was to laborious to hurt Torquay sadly.

I would also highlight that people have commented on Bentley throwing the ball more, what I would say in this respect it that it was easier for him to do this with ball players in front of him, namely Moshni and Tam.

It was great seeing Laird back, and I also thought that Tomlin looked good when he was introduced (personally I thought that the swap for Eastwood was the correct shout).

I do think that there were more positives than the actual result, however it was just a pity that it only gives us the chance of 4 points from the 9 point home game sequence, when really we needed a minimum 6 from them from my point of view.

 

[Jam_Man]

Totally agree.

I have a point to make on that front though. Does having all 11 men back to defend a corner count as a negative or a positive? I do quite like the fact that we have all players back to defend but at home should we be doing this? Personally I think we should leave Reeves and Assombalonga up there to counter. When Tomlin is back as well having him up there would be a massive asset IMO.

You have just as much chance of conceding from a corner home as you do away.

Tilson used to do this in the end and the reasoning is that having a man up top "in case you break away" and actually gettng the ball is far less likely than conceding straight from the corner. The opposition rarely leave less men back when you do it either.

IMO having everyone back at a corner ( home or away ) is a real negative.
It just invites more pressure as there is no out ball.
Invariably the ball is cleared and comes straight back again.
Still , it is seen done at every level from Champions League down , so guess the experts must think it works.....

But as the player up front rarely actually gets hold of the ball it actually doesnt really.