Post-Match Thread and Ratings Southend United 0-0 Crawley Town

[rigsby]

Same old scoreline...... I thought we had more of a go compared to most home games iv seen. We definitely were committing more bodies forward! Ferguson was unlucky with shot which struck the post. Crawley had their chances and if it wasn't for great save from oxley, we probably would of lost.

If I was brown I would drop halford and reeco. They don't offer much at all.

I can't really judge brown on that first game as he only just arrived. His got all next week to implement his ideas and find that winning formula.

When ferguson hit the post we nicked the ball off of them from their throw deep in their half. I counted 7 blue shirts squeezing them and then Crawley body language said they didn't fancy getting out of that corner.

Our link up between forwards in open play, our throws and even corners are so poor we should just hoof it rugby style for touch near their corner flag......No manger would have the minerals and fans would scream in outrage but that would be our best chance of being an L2 team next season.

 

[shrimperjon]

Pretty much what I expected. Didn't expect to see much change given Brown only had one training session with them and the prep and analysis for Crawley had already been done.

A couple of little positive signs to me that some people have missed, e.g. committing a few more men forwards, keeping somebody up on the halfway line when defending a corner, moving the ball a bit quicker, much more positive substitutions, etc. Few more what I would call 'clear cut' chances too, one of which we'll bury sooner or later.

Ultimately the issue remains, that the squad is just utterly dire, especially in an attacking sense. Confidence and urgency remains an issue too, way too many times certain players are waiting too long to get a pass or shot off - just put your ****ing laces through it! But I feel confident that Brown will squeeze a bit more out of it than Molesley would have done. We're still just about in the game, but that was a huge missed opportunity today. Hopefully a week on the training ground with a new manager will start to turn things around a little.

Oxley 7
Elvis 6
Hobson 7
Cordner 6
Clifford 6
RHF 5
JD 6
Ferguson 5
Holmes 6
Dieng 6
Halford 6

Subs:
Goodship 5, Acquah 6, Egbri 6, Olayinka 5

great post, can’t add anything more to that

 

[kentblues]

I think it was Paul Clark who said that we seem to have "taken the handbrake" off and I agree, we did seem to have a bit more urgency in our play from the off but the same old problem remains.. we don't have the quality. Everything is good right up until the point where we get a shot off. Do we even practise shooting during the week? Today's blank means we've failed to score in the last 689 minutes of football at Roots Hall.. a truly horrific stat.

Today was a game we really had to win but we've failed to do so.. it's incredibly frustrating.

No its not practice. The spreadsheets should have been flashing bright red. As I have pointed out before, if you take our plethora of midfielders, wingers and false-strikers, look at their EFL appearances and goals, if any other result was expected then only surprise is that its been a surprise. The only player with a decent EFL scoring record is Holmes- who MM was reluctant to play no doubt focussing on defensive considerations. Clearly not fitness as he put in a lively 80 mins and was our best player for most of that. I suspect however, a number of those goals came from a somewhat better level of service and delivery in better teams.

 

[Sussexshrimper]

Good effort ..more attacking intent..saying that impossible to have less this season..
Recco should have scored but got to give Morris due praise for good save .
To be honest thought both teams were wasteful . I fear for us I really do ..but I honestly can see us getting reward at Exeter and Colchester

 

[kentblues]

Reckon we need to start with some of the subs today next game like Olayinka and Egbri

Agree with Egbri- he is the new Will Atkinson (amazed if some point he isn't signed up for a Duracell advert).

 

[Wickford Blue]

Crawley should have scored at least once - we had some good chances but due (as I mentioned in another Post) our inability to be able to shoot/kick/pass with both feet has cost us! I would guess they are more disappointed than us in terms of the clear cut chances they dreads and missed

 

[Stuart W]

Pretty much what I expected. Didn't expect to see much change given Brown only had one training session with them and the prep and analysis for Crawley had already been done.

A couple of little positive signs to me that some people have missed, e.g. committing a few more men forwards, keeping somebody up on the halfway line when defending a corner, moving the ball a bit quicker, much more positive substitutions, etc. Few more what I would call 'clear cut' chances too, one of which we'll bury sooner or later.

Ultimately the issue remains, that the squad is just utterly dire, especially in an attacking sense. Confidence and urgency remains an issue too, way too many times certain players are waiting too long to get a pass or shot off - just put your ****ing laces through it! But I feel confident that Brown will squeeze a bit more out of it than Molesley would have done. We're still just about in the game, but that was a huge missed opportunity today. Hopefully a week on the training ground with a new manager will start to turn things around a little.

Oxley 7
Elvis 6
Hobson 7
Cordner 6
Clifford 6
RHF 5
JD 6
Ferguson 5
Holmes 6
Dieng 6
Halford 6

Subs:
Goodship 5, Acquah 6, Egbri 6, Olayinka 5

I would love to know how bad players have got to be, to get a rating of 1,2,3 or 4.

 

[Austin the Shrimper]

PB pretty much summing up our issues in that interview.

 

[SUBBlue]

I missed it, what did he say in summary?

 

[Leicester Shrimper]

Ferguson getting some stick but I think he's a good player. Closest we came to scoring. Don't see him as lazy, just a matter of style. Think PB will like him.

What is his style?

 

[Danshrimper]

Another disappointing result. On balance Crawley deserved to win. They had the better of the game, and the better chances. Best performance by far from Ricky Holmes in a blue shirt perhaps the only positive to take from today. The back 4 were also good but that really isn’t the problem and hasn’t been for months.

We don’t score enough goals, because there are no goalscorers in the squad. It’s why we were going down under MM and why we’re probably still going down under PB.

4 points behind Col U and we still have to play them. The task isn’t impossible but looks increasingly unlikely. Exeter smashed Cambridge 4-1 today, I can’t see us getting much there next week. And Col U have a fairly favourable game at home to Walsall. The difference could well be more than 4 points by the time the Essex Derby comes around.

 

[brigg blue]

What is his style?

Shooting from distance and giving the ball away on the edge of our box

 

[Holy Joe]

Thought was an improvement overall. We defo had a bit of intensity which lead to more activity round their box than of late.

really warmed to cordner and think him and Hobson are decent for this level. JD had his best midfield game for some time and thought Holmes was pick overall and nice to see him given a bit of freedom but he can’t really get past anyone.

only disappointment for me (apart from score) was not taking a punt on rush. That decision probably had to come from fagan and or Duncan to go with Goodship which is a worry. Thought this game was primed to take a chance on rush and see if he could nick one as something different.

a positive would be brown got to see the players in a match environment rather than training and with another week of training I suspect the line up for the next game will be quite different. Be disappointed if it’s not.

What changes to the team do you think PB will do?

 

[Medway Blue]

Another disappointing result. On balance Crawley deserved to win. They had the better of the game, and the better chances. Best performance by far from Ricky Holmes in a blue shirt perhaps the only positive to take from today. The back 4 were also good but that really isn’t the problem and hasn’t been for months.

We don’t score enough goals, because there are no goalscorers in the squad. It’s why we were going down under MM and why we’re probably still going down under PB.

4 points behind Col U and we still have to play them. The task isn’t impossible but looks increasingly unlikely. Exeter smashed Cambridge 4-1 today, I can’t see us getting much there next week. And Col U have a fairly favourable game at home to Walsall. The difference could well be more than 4 points by the time the Essex Derby comes around.

I think you must have been watching a completely different game.

 

[NZamba Legend]

What is his style?

He is a calm, smart player. Decent around both boxes. Don't disagree he could use some oomph, but who can't improve?

 

[THE SEVENTIES NORTH BANK]

I missed it, what did he say in summary?

He said his strikers couldn't score in a brothel.

 

[Medway Blue]

PB knows what changes he needs to make. Hopefully they have a positive effect, but they were never going to happen off the back of one training session with them. Let's see where next week takes us and see whether he has the time to drill the required changes into them.

 

[Austin the Shrimper]

 

[dannypav]

I've no issue with playing Halford up top as a target , if the management deem him to be a better option than Acquah ( I don't by the way ).
But why did we try to hit balls over the top on several occasions for Halford to chase ?
That is not his game at all and it was pointless.
Even the time he capitalised on the CB's error in the first half , he knew he had to shoot early as he had no pace to get away.
This is a painful slow death I'm afraid , and it's hard to watch.

 

[Rob1920]

Could be worse, PB’s first game with no time to work with them in training. We escaped with a point, and he knows what he’s up against & what he’s got to work with now. Col U & Grimsby results mean we’re slightly better off than we were, beating Col U is still paramount. We’re still in this and I feel slightly more confident we might yet escape..