Pre-Match Thread Shrewsbury (A)

[Maidstone Shrimper]

Saturday highlighted just how big the problems are facing whoever is in charge of the team. Defensively we fall well short as a team in open play. At corners our defensive resources were stretched beyond breaking point. We had some height in Lennon and Kiernan but they can’t be everywhere at once. Humphrys headed clear a couple of times but currently is not going to go for a head to head challenge. Elvis is OK for his height. You need contributions from the likes of Hutchinson and Hamilton but they don’t have the necessary experience or awareness. That applies equally in open play. Blackman .... no more needs to be said ... and Mantom is always going to be outjumped/outmuscled.

As an attacking force we were much improved. OK at 2-3 down it looked more like Fleetwood would get a fourth than we would equalise but at 1-0 up we looked more likely to make it 2-0 than Fleetwood equalise. “Creativity” didn’t seem so important as the players were clearly under instructions to get the ball forward quickly and we must maintain that impetus tonight. That would suit Goodship rather than Cox so that’s one change I would make to hopefully make us a counter-attacking side. In the absence of Milligan I would move Kiernan into midfield and bring back Shaughnessy in defence. Maybe not having to worry about playing the ball backwards and sideways in his own half will turn him back into the tough, no-nonsense defender he was reputed to be. I think Mantom will keep his place, rightfully. Waddock obviously rates him, handing him the captaincy, and not having to do the work and graft of three men should help.

If Ralph is back that will be great as he’s pretty good in the air as well as a real threat going forward. I’d keep Elvis at right back and move Demi into midfield to hopefully stiffen that up.

So ideally for me:

Oxley
Elvis, Shaughnessy, Lennon, Ralph
Demitriou, Manton, Kiernan, Macca
Humph, Goodship

If Ralph is not ready then Demi at left back and Hamilton midfield.

 

[Tombstone Blues]

Man U won't be making demands, nor will Leicester because we don't have any history of bowing down to that.

Of course we get a deal with wages but they are all different and some of those players aren't earning what you think.

I think you’ll find any player aged 20 on any length of contract at Man U will comfortably be our highest paid player.....and if him not playing means we have to cover his wages as opposed to having him for free when he does play, I’m going with the latter happening regardless....

Hamilton done more than OK when he came on at Lincoln, for a debut in a team that were 3-0 down before he had hardly touched the ball. He played well v Posh, set up good chances, had a couple of shots on target. Was MOM v MK according to some, certainly forced their keeper into saves.

I don’t know what he does. He defends really badly. Doesn’t track runners, doesnt win tackles, doesn’t smell danger and yet at the same time he’s technically not good enough to beat players, create chances or create / score goals.....strange one....he’s basically a runner who has no real pace.

I get your a Hutch fan but on Saturdays performance I can't see him forcing out Hamilton at CM even if he played for the bigger club in Manchester.

Couldn’t agree more.....however if Hamilton had been played left midfield and spent much of the game doubling up with the full back and Hutchinson had been in CM I’m not sure we’d have the same convo.

My gripe with Hutchinson, while I agree with all the criticism of his defending, is we are taking our least experienced player and playing him in the position he’s least skilled in and exposing the biggest deficiency in his game....and then tearing him apart for it!!! At the same time we are ignoring the good things he does and complaining that we dont have a player who can do the things that from what I gather he is best at....ie getting box to box and creating and scoring goals!!

It’s ludicrous and would be laughable if it wasn’t so damaging - to him and the team!

 

[LBBlue]

What colours are we in tonight - blue and yellow both clash with - errr blue and yellow !

 

[Callum]

Yellows yellows

 

[BILLERICAY BLUE]

What time does the game become available to purchase on I-follow?

 

[Boreham Blue]

https://www.southendunited.co.uk/ifollow/subscribe/ It’s there now

 

[South Bank Hank]

Mantom, for some reason, seems undroppable for any manager at SUFC

He's an honest pro that's why , he probably trains harder than others and has a fantastic attitude, managers love these type of characters however at this moment in time he doesn;t suit or system and offers not a lot .

we need someone who can get into the opposition , give them no time on the ball and win their own battle , i know it sounds like i'm on his case but in the games ive seen him this season he hasn't walked off having won his individual battle .

Strikes me that Mantom is Waddock’s first name on the team sheet and I’ll be surprised to see him dropped any time soon. Waddock’s watched this lot for a while, on the pitch in games and in training, and his first move was to play Mantom as captain. That suggests to me there’s a player or leader in there somewhere... just WE haven’t seen too much evidence of it.

 

[rigsby]

Strikes me that Mantom is Waddock’s first name on the team sheet and I’ll be surprised to see him dropped any time soon. Waddock’s watched this lot for a while, on the pitch in games and in training, and his first move was to play Mantom as captain. That suggests to me there’s a player or leader in there somewhere... just WE haven’t seen too much evidence of it.

I'm fairly sure it was captain Mantom who turned his back for the 3rd goal. Yes his younger more inexperienced players made mistakes but I expect Mantom to save the situation, not turned his back on a side footer....Absolute coward.

 

[South Bank Hank]

I'm fairly sure it was captain Mantom who turned his back for the 3rd goal. Yes his younger more inexperienced players made mistakes but I expect Mantom to save the situation, not turned his back on a side footer....Absolute coward.

Just for the record, the above was a comment on what I can only perceive to be Waddock's thinking, definitely not my own. While our defence is being hammered game after game, it's our midfield right now that's causing most or as much of the problems as anywhere else.

 

[Callum]

Don’t know how we turn this around we need a miracle

 

[LI11]

Random stat, but we’ve won 4 out of our last 30 league games... :/

 

[rigsby]

Just for the record, the above was a comment on what I can only perceive to be Waddock's thinking, definitely not my own. While our defence is being hammered game after game, it's our midfield right now that's causing most or as much of the problems as anywhere else.

Don't worry Hank I did pick up on that and I agree. I was just giving you further proof to add to your doubts.