Post-Match Thread and Ratings Southend United 0-0 Oxford United

[Medway Blue]

Very frustrating game.

Completely on top in 1st Half and dominating the midfield - a goal was an inevitability.

Then White’s injury.

I turned to the old man as Kightly came on and we switched to 4-4-2 “that’ll ruin our shape”. So it came to pass.

Hendrie and Bwomono on the bench, options there to keep to 3-5-2 but the switch to 4-4-2 seriously curtailed us.

Oxford are filth and the officials were an absolute disgrace. I’ve never seen so much unpunished shirt-pulling and and manhandling. I’m shocked it took them 72 minutes to end Hopper’s game, he spent the entire match until that point being victimised and abused right under the ref’s nose and he did nothing to stop it.

Good shifts from Cox, Yearwood (until we went 4-4-2) and MOM for me was Taylor Moore who I think is immense.

 

[Keith Keithson]

Agree Taylor Moore was excellent. The change in formation with John White's injury helped Oxford, up until then we'd been excellent. Cox was unlucky not to score with the shot that hit the bar.

The weather didn't help things and the second half is 45 minutes of our lives we'll never get back.

At least we didn't lose. I had a feeling we would not win as we always end other clubs losing runs!

 

[Taters123]

Was kightly even on the pitch?

 

[leeblue]

The shape was everything today
I would have moved dieng to cb
It wasnt even a competition in the middle of the park with our three bossing it.

 

[Jay_SUFC]

Can't believe they were cheering a 0-0; hope they get relegated!!

 

[Dubai]

As much praise as Powell got last week for the change in formation, he needs to take the blame this week. Had the players to keep the 5-3-2 but didn’t.

Good first half.
****e second half.

Cox good
Taylor good
Oxley good save at the end and didn’t punch anyone

Glad I wasn’t there watching it in that ****ing terrible weather

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

Was kightly even on the pitch?

He wasted a good chance to score in the seond half so I suppose he must have been.

 

[dannypav]

You can’t blame Oxfords tactics given their position.
We had zero ****s in target ( I think ? ) , so forget the shape , that is poor
Move on

 

[Ex-Member1]

Poo! Thought this would be a breeze, never mind, move on, COYBB

 

[davewebbsbrain]

As much praise as Powell got last week for the change in formation, he needs to take the blame this week. Had the players to keep the 5-3-2 but didn’t.

Good first half.
****e second half.

Cox good
Taylor good
Oxley good save at the end and didn’t punch anyone

Glad I wasn’t there watching it in that ****ing terrible weather

Kightly was useless. I'd have put Hendrie on at the left side of the CB trio and kept the formation at 352. Demi and Coker were playing so high, it meant Holmes had to defend so wasn't a threat. Revert to 442 and he was on the attack

 

[davewebbsbrain]

How the ref never sent Mackie off for the most blatant elbow on Moore you could possibly imagine is unbelievable. The ref was less than poor. On the other hand, Taylor Moore was excellent today, my man of the match

 

[rayleigh dan]

In hindsight the switch to 4-4-2 looks a mistake, I'm not sure there was any other option with no centre back on the bench. Was Kyprianou injured? It otherwise seems an odd decision to have two full backs on the bench and no CB.

Anyhow Kightly was awful today and Dieng and Mantom got worse and worse as the game progressed. Dieng MOM? ? Dru also looked lost on the right wing after a promising start.

Positives - We played very well until White's injury. Cox very unlucky not to score.
Dru getting 90 mins and playing very well until the formation change.
Oxley's great save at the end.
Defended well for the majority of the game. Taylor Moore looked very good.
Unbeaten in 4 games.

Negatives - Lack of fight in the second half, especially in Midfield. Dieng and Mantom need to do more when the chips are down.
Resorting to hoof-ball and being unable to string two passes together in the second half.
White's injury, Hopper too perhaps?

Overall I'm relieved to get a point in the end. I was bemused by Oxford's constant time wasting as they looked by far the most likely team to score in the second half.

Oxley 7
Demetriou 6
White 7
Turner 7
Moore MOM 8
Coker 7
Yearwood 6
Dieng 5
Mantom 5
Cox 6
Hopper 5 (Looked like he was struggling with injury though)

Subs
Kightly 4
Mccoulsky 5
Robinson 5

 

[Shrimper]

West Stand Lino should retire. Incompetent beyong belief

 

[Medway Blue]

West Stand Lino should retire. Incompetent beyong belief

I’d have all 3 officials taken off their respective matches next week. Criminally incompetent.

 

[rayleigh dan]

The shape was everything today
I would have moved dieng to cb
It wasnt even a competition in the middle of the park with our three bossing it.

I'd forgotten Dieng can play CB! I agree that would have been a sensible change.

 

[Evening Echo]

SOUTHEND United were held to a 0-0 draw by Oxford United in a drab encounter at a wet Roots Hall this afternoon.

More...

 

[South Bank Hank]

Made a point of watching McCoulsky as he’s a bit of an enigma for me. He obviously knows where that net is but I’m trying to understand the other parts of his game.

So he came on around the 70/71 minute mark and kicked the ball precisely.....





NEVER. Yes, that’s right. Not once. In 26 minutes.

Almost got his head to one and had one bounce off his upper arm, but actual touches of the football with his foot, zero.

Now that could be that he doesn’t go looking for the ball the way you might see a Cox or a Robinson do, or it could be we just didn’t have the guile today to play to his strengths. Either way, TODAY, we had an entirely ineffective player for more than a quarter of the game.

 

[Medway Blue]

In hindsight the switch to 4-4-2 looks a mistake, I'm not sure there was any other option with no centre back on the bench. Was Kyprianou injured? It otherwise seems an odd decision to have two full backs on the bench and no CB.

Not so sure. Could have put Demi there and brought on Elvis or brought on Hendrie and put him on the left side of the 3. There were options. I called it at the time, told the old man we’d regret switching formation. Bloke behind me said “we have no centre backs on the bench though”, but I don’t class White as a natural CB and arguably Taylor Moore is a RB too. There were ways to keep the formation.

 

[Medway Blue]

The shape was everything today
I would have moved dieng to cb
It wasnt even a competition in the middle of the park with our three bossing it.

Even better idea! Dieng to CB, Cox drop back to the No.10 role and Robinson/McCoulsky on to go up top.

 

[rayleigh dan]

Not so sure. Could have put Demi there and brought on Elvis or brought on Hendrie and put him on the left side of the 3. There were options. I called it at the time, told the old man we’d regret switching formation. Bloke behind me said “we have no centre backs on the bench though”, but I don’t class White as a natural CB and arguably Taylor Moore is a RB too. There were ways to keep the formation.

Perhaps, but Moore and White are IMO better defenders than Hendrie and Demi, (who are both better going forward), personally I wouldn't want either playing as a centre back.

Shifting Dieng to CB as has been suggested was perhaps another option I hadn't initially considered though.