Post-Match Thread and Ratings Southend United 0-4 Harrogate town

[rigsby]

We're this season's basket case club, like Leyton Orient in 2017, Chesterfield in 2018, and Notts County in 2019.

Welcome to the zone. With that user name I guess we can all look forward to some well balanced reasonable debate.

 

[Billy Bests boot laces]

Oxley was the biggest disappointment though. I’ve always defended the guy despite some shaky performances but enough’s enough. If we can get him off the wage bill and bring in a replacement it would be best for both parties IMO. I can forgive the mistake for the second goal but not his second half performance. Why did he not scream at Hobson to clear the ball after that ‘goal kick’, and why did he then make little to no effort to get back in position, allowing the Harrogate player a more or less open goal to shoot at? Worrying signs that he just doesn’t care any more, he also continued to take no care at all with his short distribution putting the defenders under immediate pressure.

Nail on the head?.

 

[rayleigh dan]

LOL, 14 league starts for Hutchinson now counts as experienced.

I did say he has a ‘bit more experience’ rather than that he’s ‘experienced’ but I take your point.

 

[ms brush]

There are lots of obvious issues and reasons for this debacle, which I think have already been covered. Quite simply, we were out muscled, out played and not ready for a mediocre but very organised Harrogate side who had everything to gain by continuing to work hard and do all the things that got them promotion.

I have no illusions about the scale of the job that MM has taken on. This is the result of several years of poor leadership off the pitch which has a direct link to the state of the current squad. This is not getting sorted or solved quickly. This all goes back to Phil Brown signing too many expensive players in on contracts that were far too long, which has totally hamstrung us now.we are in a far worse place than when Paul Sturrock arrived.

Yesterday we lost. Horribly and painfully. Not sure I can bring myself to criticise any of our players, as they tried but are collectively not good enough. This IS NOT their fault! nor the manager's fault.

 

[Up the Shrimpers]

I didn’t watch the game on iFollow. Out of interest before they kicked off did they take a knee? I notice they’re still doing it in the Prem.

Most of the white players in the American NFL don't 'take a knee'. I wonder what would happen if white players stopped doing it over here?

 

[Usual_Suspect 2]

I wasn’t aware that’s how the ruling works, it makes sense though as to why Michael seems to have been frozen out though at the moment. Is it a numbers game though? If it is I don’t see how giving Gard/Phillips a squad place and number over Klass makes any sense.



Not according to the interweb he hasn’t.

Mantom was playing golf on Saturday afternoon, so presume he hasn't been picked up by a club yet.

 

[Chris Powell's mate]

The trouble with that fourth goal is neither MM nor any player has commented.
Come on, Chris Phillips do your job, especially bearing in mind the reaction from outside as well.

 

[Chris Powell's mate]

Mantom was playing golf on Saturday afternoon, so presume he hasn't been picked up by a club yet.

No, this is how it works.
When you play golf you pick up clubs; they don't pick you ?
I know: smart arse, eh?

 

[Supershrimper]

Just seen on the website the match gallery.

Oxley looks very much like the Green Giant in this shot compared next to Green

 

[FarmdogSUFC]

Not too much to add from what's already been said. I'm glad a few people have given credit to Harrogate. I thought we were the better team for the first 20ish minutes but they seemed to either change phase or make a proactive change from the sidelines. Whatever it was it worked. We started to have less time on the ball and lose it in silly areas. Fair play to them. We were there for the taking.

It is what it is for the time being. Deep down we knew this was gonna happen, just maybe not in that manner. I'm sure the bill will be paid tomorrow and we can start to build a squad capable of avoiding relegation. I'm remaining hopeful

 

[Barling Magna]

I'm glad a few people have given credit to Harrogate.

For a moment consider the fact that Molesely has managed Southend United for four weeks whilst Simon Weaver has managed Harrogate Town for eleven years.

Yes, you read that right, ELEVEN YEARS.

Think about the implications of that. He knows his players and he knows what he's doing.

Eleven years and finally his team are in the Football League. Weaver must have punched the air with delight when he saw his first game was against a team relegated with only four wins and clearly in disarray. He's also taken the trouble to study our match against Gillingham and come up with a simple and effective tactic to nullify our pretty triangles playing out from the back. He will have built up his adrenaline-fuelled players even more by saying something like "We can roll this bunch of kids over by pressurising them deep into their half. They will take too much time seeking the best pass so - smother 'em."

Even the experts at playing out from the back Crewe Alexandra (promoted last season) would have struggled against Harrogate using those tactics.

We didn't have much of a chance last Saturday BUT we do this Saturday at Carlisle who are just as poor as we are. COYB! Come on MM!

 

[in the know]

Our players saw the videos in the week before the game of how harrogate press quickly up the pitch. There were no surprises or lack of planning. We sadly just lacked the experience and skills to do what was planned.
It may be different this week but to a limited extent. Even with all available senior players fit we still only have a 1\3 of a team that are able to play at the level required.
If less than all senior players make this game it will be another tough one to watch.
Players and fans are in for frustrating times for a while hopefully interspersed with some signs of hope.
If new players arrive (if\when!) It will still take time to knit a team together

 

[Leigh_Seasider]

Our players saw the videos in the week before the game of how harrogate press quickly up the pitch. There were no surprises or lack of planning. We sadly just lacked the experience and skills to do what was planned.
It may be different this week but to a limited extent. Even with all available senior players fit we still only have a 1\3 of a team that are able to play at the level required.
If less than all senior players make this game it will be another tough one to watch.
Players and fans are in for frustrating times for a while hopefully interspersed with some signs of hope.
If new players arrive (if\when!) It will still take time to knit a team together

With all due respect that’s an opinion...one that may well be backed up by Saturday’s performance but let’s see. Let’s give MM and the players you refer to some support. Certainly some are getting more game time than they otherwise would but I’d be interested to know if you think last seasons starting line up “were able to play at the level required”. Certainly on paper, yes they were, which was always Ron’s point. Look how that turned out.
I’d rather players not quite good enough give their all and try to learn and improve, than players who are fully capable down their tools like petulant kids. FWIW I think with a few additions we might be fine. Shame Milligan couldn’t stick around as he’d have been great this season (just my opinion).

 

[OllieSteph44]

Agree with you on Milligan.

I do maintain and have said several times on this or other threads that playing badly doesnt mean you aren’t good enough just as playing well doesnt mean you necessarily are.

There are so many factors that affect an individual performance that the player can’t necessarily affect for the better....

Look at Bishop ending up at Man U when with certain players in front of him he looked like he couldn’t save his own life!!

A forward with no service...

A midfielder with no movement in front of him...

Defenders with no pressing from in front...

So much easier for players to struggle alongside players not good enough than it is to help raise that players levels! Especially when young.

And that’s the other issue no one really considers one week to the next....young players by their very nature are inconsistent. No explanations they just fluctuate in games and from week to week!

 

[Tommy2holes]

Welcome to the zone. With that user name I guess we can all look forward to some well balanced reasonable debate.

Maybe you should change yours to Martin in?

After all. The man could become the leader of the new 3rd reich and you'd still back him.