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

[Barling Magna]

The same Port Vale who beat us 7-1 on aggregate?

Yes, it's been a remarkable turnaround for them. Only three points from their eight matches since they thrashed us. They really are in freefall.

 

[Barling Magna]

Despite not losing, we've still lost ground on Barrow and they have 3 games in hand over us. Just one win right now for them in one of those games in my opinion would be enough to all but condemn us to the National League for the first time. It's looking very bleak right now.

I look at Burton who before they made a managerial change looked dead certs to get relegated to league two but since Jimmy Floyyd Hasslebank came in, they've gone on an amazing run and now look more than safe from the drop.

Forget Barrow. They are going to survive. It's Port Vale that we should have our sights on.

Hasselbaink was able to bring in eleven (11) new players in January. That must have helped a bit....

 

[LBBlue]

Yes, it's been a remarkable turnaround for them. Only three points from their eight matches since they thrashed us. They really are in freefall.

It’s not really a turnaround though is it. Since 5th December they have beaten us and Grimsby in 19 games - the two of the most dismal teams in the league.

 

[Medway Blue]

its a challenge ... but one a talented manager could overcome

I don't think they could.

 

[Whispering Bob]

You could tell we were going to start well, even the huddle looked positive, Dieng charged down the kick off, we pressed well and proceeded to hunt them down in pairs/packs. As well as we played in that opening half an hour, when a goal didn't come, despite having numerous free kicks close in (and corners) you could sense another blank was on the cards. The second half we seemed to rely solely on the long ball and the truth is neither keeper really had a save to make.

Montgomery - hardly had anything to do.
Elvis - Steady
Hobson - Couple of good last ditch challenges but long balls weren't great.
White - Excellent positioning.
Hart - mixed bag - some good challenges and crosses, negated by some not so.
Reeco - thought he got a couple of great crosses, had a shot on target and there was one excellent piece of mopping up in his own box.
Ferguson - despite the goalbound free kick that was well saved and snuffing out danger a couple of times, he had a quiet game.
JD - Not bad, tried to get the ball forward at every opportunity.
Macca - Lively, impressive start but faded.
* both of the above rightly substituted as courting second yellow cards (happening too often).
Akinola - Spurned possibly our best opportunity but didn't see enough of him (probably because he didn't see enough of the ball).
Dieng - Looked like he was going to be a good foil up top, but another who went quiet second half.

They were there for the taking, and we blew it, that was a huge opportunity missed. Gutted.

 

[MisterStubbs]

Forget Barrow. They are going to survive. It's Port Vale that we should have our sights on.

Hasselbaink was able to bring in eleven (11) new players in January. That must have helped a bit....

That would have helped somewhat I guess yeah.. MM also made signings in January though let's not forget. Anyway, I was just pointing out that some clubs get a new manager bounce, others ie Port Vale don't.

 

[Supa Shrimpa]

If we go down, I would stick with MM, so he can have his full pre season with the players, use his non league experience as we have no problem attracting players of conference standard who want to win games plus picking up locals gem from Conference south.

If we go down, I doubt SUFC will exist !

 

[SUBBlue]

its a challenge ... but one a talented manager could overcome

Why would a talented manager want to besmirch his CV by coming here at the moment?

 

[Chris Powell's mate]

So, that’s 5 games post FGR where we’ve failed to score. Frustrating, as we desperately need wins. MM started with a very positive line up, we had a few chances and were well on top for half hour or so, lots of energy, sadly we couldn’t sustain that intensity. Even the subs, Holmes and Goodship, Mellis.. the intent was to push forward and nick the win. As said elsewhere, we aren’t paying for these results we’re paying for the appalling start we had, pre-embargo lifting, when we couldn’t fill a bench or were sticking U23’s on the bench. MM has made us tough to beat and resilient but one thing will send us down...lack of goals. Pure and simple. We have 11 cup finals. And the lads need our support.

Sadly, that support you mention will be absent.
Grimsby at home it was, and Grimsby at home it shall be.

 

[OldBlueLady]

I thought we showed some real promise in that first half an hour, Dieng was relishing winning aerial battles up top but we didn't really have someone capable of reading the flick ons - Akinola looked off the pace to me, and I'd have liked Goodship brought on earlier to play off Dieng. I also thought Reeco and Ferguson played confidently at both ends and much better seeing Reeco on the actual left wing.

Defensively ok again, much preferred to see Hobson back in his usual position alongside White and I though Hart did ok, not sure why so much criticism. Elvis also ok, didn't get forward as much though, Montgomery looked comfortable.

Didn't get Demetriou being involved, as it goes I thought Macca and Ferguson were a strong CM pairing, and was also favourably impressed by Mellis in that role too when he came on. Demi and Macca both guilty as senior players, of stupid yellow cards, and fed up seeing Demetriou thinking he can take dead balls.

I'd be very sorely tempted to get whichever it is of the two Cokers that's scoring for fun in the youthies involved and throwing them in, at least that would be someone who isn't scared of failing and it might solve some of our goal scoring problems.

No doubting that Stevenage's keeper had a MOTM performance in that first half, they didn't start firing on all cylinders till well into the game.

Credit to Molesley for trying something different, and at least that was a clean sheet at home. A full week to get them fit and raring to go for the trip to Scunny.

Montgomery - 6
Bwomono - 6
White - 7
Hobson - 7
Hart - 6
Demetriou - 6
McCormack - 6.5
Ferguson - 7.5
Hackett-Fairchild - 7
Dieng - 8, MOTM
Akinola - 5

Subs:
Holmes for McCormack - 6, nothing's working for him, think he's trying too hard
Goodship for Hackett-Fairchild - 6.5
Mellis for Demetriou - 6.5

A word for the ref who I thought was pretty good.

 

[WestStandBlue]

4/10 all round

 

[johnlattimerssponge]

Like has been said frustrating again after a promising first 30 minutes before an exciting last 30 seconds. I consider myself generally optimistic but I struggle to see where the goals are going to come from to save us.

But as I am desperate to see us win again from the comfort of home again whilst an option I will spend my tenner again next Saturday although more in hope than expectation.

 

[sufc4life21]

Regard to MM I don't really rate him. Yes he had hard induction to his success career but I do believe he bit out of his depth. Today for instance he made changes in the 80th plus minute when the team was on the back foot most of the second half. Surely you bring those changes on earlier to give yourself a chance of getting foot hold in the game and potentially winning.

If we are looking to sack MM, probably now is the best time.

 

[Stuart W]

Felt very satisfied how we approached the game and the set up. Good first half hour. The long injury breaks seemed to break our continuity and flow.
We sat back for some reason 2nd half, maybe the wind played a part.
I felt the subs of goodship Mellis and particularly Holmes resulted in us playing deeper than ever. Goodship struts around a bit but just won't get in amongst the rough stuff in the box. Seems to prefer staying outside to pick up balls which isn't of use to us. Every time I noticed Holmes he seemed to just arriving as the ball was going the other way and it's almost like playing one short. Hopefully he can get up to speed because he seems to read the game Well and got himself in the right place at the end, but a yard to slow again. Don't know enough about Mellis yet.
RHF was the best I've seen him and unsure why subbed.
I guess when macca starts you know you are going to have to change formations during the game because he can't play a full game a week. Similar to Taylor who cannot play two games a week.
Well done the back 4 ...very strong again.
felt although ferguson s free kick was very good he was a bit pedestrian again. Can see how he was thought to be a little lazy at times before sufc. Still like him as a player though.
Thought we looked lots stronger down our flanks with RHF and JD protecting our backs and getting us wider going forward.
Modern football had a horrible obsession with making subs around the 60 min mark and now it's become worse with the 5 sub rules.
We sometimes seem to needlessly take players off which I'm not sure is a luxury currently affordable. I know we have players asking MM for game time but its becoming a bit of a predictable rotational conveyor belt. I prefer a settled formation and team whenever possible.
Id keep with the starting side we had today next saturday. They should feel confident after the first half today. A strong bench of mellis, taylor, possibly oli, Clifford possibly and aquah.
when oli is fully fit that would be my only change to the starters.

I get the feeling Olayinka will be back next week.

 

[Strykr]

Why would a talented manager want to besmirch his CV by coming here at the moment?

New stadium, huge catchment area, warchest blah ****ing blah

 

[Strykr]

There was a flick on from dieng to akinola in the first few minutes. Both were very central and pressing towards goal. Was so good to see and Was reminiscent of a normal football team. But after 20 minutes akinola drifted out to the wing and dieng back to midfield.

Tosh.

 

[delr]

If we go down, I doubt SUFC will exist !

I fear that more than the threat of relegation - one and the same thing I suppose ?

 

[Chalky]

I don't think they could.

Barrow fans thought the same. But look at them now with a new manager bounce, 3 wins in their last 5.

This notion that it's MM or the highway and no other manager in the whole wide world couldn't do even marginally better is just boring now.

We will be in the national next year cause we didn't act and we will be thinking "why didn't we gamble for a new manager bounce?"

While Barrow will still be in the football league and thinking how well they done acting quickly. Snooze you lose


*copied this post from another thread I posted*

 

[SUBBlue]

New stadium, huge catchment area, warchest blah ****ing blah

Have you photocopied Ron’s notes that he uses when interviewing a new candidate ?

 

[Medway Blue]

Barrow fans thought the same. But look at them now with a new manager bounce, 3 wins in their last 5.

This notion that it's MM or the highway and no other manager in the whole wide world couldn't do even marginally better is just boring now.

We will be in the national next year cause we didn't act and we will be thinking "why didn't we gamble for a new manager bounce?"

While Barrow will still be in the football league and thinking how well they done acting quickly. Snooze you lose


*copied this post from another thread I posted*

We've gambled several times before to get a quick fix and it doesn't work. It just papers over the cracks at what has been a long-diseased football club which is, despite the league position, slowly starting to repair itself. What the club needs is a settled period so that somebody can have a clean slate and truly change the club's identity and culture. Molesley is doing that but needs time as he started out with everything against him. It has always looked as though a second successive relegation out of the EFL was going to happen, it was being discussed on this forum 10 games into last season. In fact, I'm pretty sure it was talked about even further back before the Sunderland game when Bond was struggling to keep us up. This was called 2 years ago. Nobody wants it but that's the price we're going to pay for 4 years of gross mismanagement of the club. I'd rather Molesley continue trying to turn this around, and I think he'd do well in the VNL if he can head into the summer without a transfer embargo over his head and with a long, full and undisrupted pre-season with a mostly new squad.

Barrow is a false equivalence. They were never anywhere near as shocking as we have been. Look at their GD. Jolley wanted to play a certain style, it didn't work, their Caretaker manager has changed the style and they're now grinding out wins. Their squad is of a better quality than our's. Our style of play was changed radically and we're still dog ****. We don't have the quality for anyone to get us out of this easily, just face up to facts.