Pre-Match Thread Solihull Moors v Southend United, Saturday 21st September, 15:00k.o., NL

[Shrimpergonzo]

The middle of three consecutive away games sees us travel to the midlands to face Solihull Moors and after two consecutive defeats the game, if not a must win, definitely has the feel of “must not lose” about it.

The game against Andy Whing’s side is, on paper, the trickiest of the three away games as they’re only one place outside the play-offs (on goal difference) having won their last two games.

For those intending to travel to the West Midlands you should definitely have a read of @DoDTS ‘s excellent thread which tells you all you need to know about the practical details.

Thread 'SOLIHULL MOORS - Saturday 21st September 2024'

Jul 22, 2024

SOLIHULL MOORS - Saturday 21st September 2024 3.00pm kick-off

SportNation.bet Stadium​

Capacity: 5,500 (Seats 2,131)
Address: Damson Parkway, Solihull, B92 8PS
Pitch Size: 102m x 64m
Pitch Type: Grass
Club Nickname: Moors
Year Ground Opened: 1999
Home Kit: Blue and Yellow

Record Attendance
3,681 v Leyton Orient
National League, 22nd April 2019.

Average Attendance
2023-2024: 1,445 (National League)
2022-2023: 1,877 (national league)
2021-2022: 1,866 (National...

• DoDTS
• Replies: 1
• Forum: “Follow Southend Away” Blues on Tour, Food /Pubs

• 

Kev needs to decide whether to stick with the same side that had the disappointing result against Fylde or whether to mix things up - potentially he could switch Bridge to LWB and drop Gubbins leaving space for Pepple to start alongside Bonne. Or perhaps hand a first start to Appiah-Forson in midfield.

So who would you choose to start and what do you predict the result will be?

 

[Somerset Ex-TTB]

Gubbins out, Bridge LWB and Pepple in. If he plays Bonne upfront on his own again I will despair.

Defence also looks stronger with Ralph as a CB. Hopefully Walker in the bench maybe?

 

[AlfaShrimper]

Hillson in
Ralph back to lcb. With bridge wing back
Moncur in the middle with noor and Morton.
Bim and bonne up front. Simples

 

[Rob Noxious]

Hillson in
Ralph back to lcb. With bridge wing back
Moncur in the middle with noor and Morton.
Bim and bonne up front. Simples

I like the sound of Bim and Bonne.

 

[corringham_shrimper]

Collin
Taylor Crowther Ralph
GSM Morton KAF Moncur Bridge
Bonne Bim
​

Unpopular opinion but would rest Noor for this one. He has looked a little jaded last few games and not really firing on all cylinders. I rate Gubbins (unlike some), but think Ralph at LCB gives us more stability.

 

[CrippsCorner]

I like the sound of Bim and Bonne.

Sounds like a children's TV show! Still, I'd have Barney the Dinosaur up front if it got us results...

 

[Strykr]

Collin
Taylor Crowther Ralph
GSM Morton KAF Moncur Bridge
Bonne Bim
​

Unpopular opinion but would rest Noor for this one. He has looked a little jaded last few games and not really firing on all cylinders. I rate Gubbins (unlike some), but think Ralph at LCB gives us more stability.

That looks good to me.

 

[rigsby]

Hillson in
Ralph back to lcb. With bridge wing back
Moncur in the middle with noor and Morton.
Bim and bonne up front. Simples

How many times have you seen Hillson play?

 

[palexander]

Collin
Taylor Crowther Ralph
GSM Morton KAF Moncur Bridge
Bonne Bim
​

Unpopular opinion but would rest Noor for this one. He has looked a little jaded last few games and not really firing on all cylinders. I rate Gubbins (unlike some), but think Ralph at LCB gives us more stability.

Exact team I've picked too. KAF will give us energy in midfield, something we are sorely lacking.

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

Sorry but I've gota a strong feeling we're gonna lose this.

 

[palexander]

Sorry but I've gota a strong feeling we're gonna lose this.

WHAT! How have you got to that conclusion?

We are out of form, have 75% of first time match fit, are away and playing against a good in form side.

Not quite sure why you are so negative!!!!

 

[loz]

it won't happen but i think we need to try a tactical shift to get a better tune out of the current squad, i've gone for a 4231 as follows:

Collin

GSM
Taylor
Crowther
Ralph

Morton
KAF

Wood
Moncur
Bridge

Pepple

get wood and bridge high up the pitch and pressing with Pepple as a 3 , full backs getting up to support the attack to create wide overloads with Morton/KAF filling in, and give Moncur some players running into the channels he can hopefully hit.

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

WE don't have ggod record against them + they're where we should be in the playofs+I've seen all our games this season -even giving up an Espanyol game on Sat to see us instead (they won 3-1! ).

 

[in the know]

It is a little concerning we've got a touch of everton'itus'. Go 1-0 up and teams think 'we've got them now' and go at us hard towards the the end of each half. All very predictable, a bit like our style and substitutipns . It would be so refreshing to take Solihull by surprise with a 4 at the back, 2 up top style and take them apart, but kev comes out in a rash just thinking about changing from a 352.

 

[Blues4LifeDan]

Bridge not playing LWB has hurt us massively. The whole set-up for the team was based around that pattern of play. It was so productive last season and up there with the best attacking stats in the league.

Even this season, we've only looked more attacking when Bridge has been switched back there. It needs to be from the start and not when it's too late.

The narrative had by many was that we aren't defensively solid with him there. We had the best defense in the league last season and have conceded a whole lot more with our new look back 3/5. Of course, Miley and Kensdale missing is a huge part of that too, but no one can argue with the loss of our attacking intent since he's been moved from there. I understood when we hadn't replaced Wes, but the moment Moncur came in, we should have had Bridge, Ralph and Moncur all doing that pattern.

We must go back to it this weekend with Pepple and Bonne up top.

Therefore, my team would be:

Collin
Taylor, Crowther, Ralph
Gus, Husin, Morton, Bridge
Moncur
People, Bonne

 

[Finney on the wing]

Where is Walker in the line-up list ? Might he be back from injury by the weekend ?

 

[GBJ]

WE don't have ggod record against them + they're where we should be in the playofs+I've seen all our games this season -even giving up an Espanyol game on Sat to see us instead (they won 3-1! ).

Que?

Our record against them reads as follows:

P6 W3 D2 L1 F13 A4

Their only victory against us came back in 2021, when Maher had just taken the reigns and was trying to make sense of Phil Brown’s mess.

Our last three games against them have finished 3-0, 5-0 & 3-0, all in our favour.

If that’s considered a bad record, I’d love to know what you judge as a good one

 

[Southminster Shrimper]

Sounds like a children's TV show! Still, I'd have Barney the Dinosaur up front if it got us results...

Whenever I see Bim, I think of James May, Our man in Japan. Those who haven't seen it, I recommend it, it is brilliant.

Anyway sorry for going off topic!

 

[kentblues]

Where is Walker in the line-up list ? Might he be back from injury by the weekend ?

I’ve always thought end of this month- don’t know where the optimism originally about it being a couple of weeks came from. Is he back in full training ? That will come first for a week? Rush a hamstring and get a higher grade tear then surely you risk being out for 3 months? ITK know way better than me but there we are

 

[Chris Powell's mate]

I like the sound of Bim and Bonne.

Makes us sound like a comedy act. Oh! Hang on...