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

[Strike Force]

Oxley – 1
Bwonono – 2
Hobson – 4
Taylor – 2
Ralph – 1
Egbri – 6
Gard – 2
Hutchinson – 6
Green – 5
Goodship – 2
Kelman – 3

 

[jaffa1]

Not sure what to say, even the pitch was poor. They were ok, and busy, their right-back was the best player on the pitch but my god did we make it easy for them. Not sure what happened to the high tempo/pressing game I'd heard about pre-season? We gave the ball away far too cheaply , not only in open play but from throw-ins, free-kicks and even corners. Yes it was men against boys, the average age of our squad was 20 (and when they brought on Jon Stead Clarky quipped ' blimey, he's nearly as old as Micky Stead').

Oxley - hesitant couple of times, second goal went through him, put own defenders under pressure.
Elvis - not good, weak for the fourth goal.
Taylor - Ponderous
Hobson - thought he looked good on the ball - but what happened for the third goal? Was it our goal-kick? Did he think their players should have been outside the box?
Ralph - pick of a bad bunch for me - probably went off due to lack of game-time.
Egbri - tried hard but ineffective
Hutchinson - needed more urgency on ball and passing woeful.
Gard - non existent
Green - lively, but ball seemed to get stuck under his feet too often, should have shot after he slipped two of theirs to get in the box.
Goodship - poor
Kelman - sluggish or frustrated (or both?).

 

[Shrimper Brownie]

What time does the game start. I just woke up after having this awful dream we’d lost to Harrogate Town 4-0??

 

[Hawkwell Blue]

Is this the worst and most embarrassing league result in our history? I can;t think of a worse one.

It’s definitely not the worst result.

 

[Evening Echo]

SOUTHEND United started the season with a dismal and depressing 4-0 defeat against Football League newcomers Harrogate Town at Roots Hall this afternoon.

Read more on this story


Help with Echo links

 

[fbm]

It’s definitely not the worst result.

I don't mean heaviest result... but 4-0 at home to Harrogate? What's been worse?

 

[Chris Powell's mate]

It’s definitely not the worst result.

I agree: I can load up quite a few all the way back to a 9-1 drubbing at Brighton (then third tier) in 1965.
There have been non-league Cup defeats by the bucketful, but this looked something different.
Not just a one off: but a sign of things to come.

 

[wiggy]

Utter garbage. I was quite optimistic a week ago, now I think we will be playing Yeovil next season.

Truth is somewhere in the middle probably.

Hutchinson can’t play in a 2. Goodship isn’t good enough. Kelman looks like he wants out.

Egbri is always going to be too small.

Oxley is just terrible.

Lets face it....Oxley was rubbish in the Scottish League. He has been one of many problems in the last couple of years.......a chicken that loses concentration.

Wouldn't lose one seconds sleep over Kelman leaving...a wonder goal has made everyone think he is decent...he is slow and immobile.
As for the rest....no hope thanks to Mr. Ronald, car dealer Martin!

 

[GBJ]

The writing was on the wall for this one. Admittedly 4-0 is an embarrassment, but did anyone really expect anything else other than a defeat?

We returned to training late. We’re not fit enough, we’re not strong enough & we’re not experienced enough.

This game isn’t a one off either, I expect us to get coated a few more times over the coming weeks.

This is what happens when you fail to prepare adequately.

 

[fbm]

Oxley – 1
Bwonono – 2
Hobson – 4
Taylor – 2
Ralph – 1
Egbri – 6
Gard – 2
Hutchinson – 6
Green – 5
Goodship – 2
Kelman – 3

Don't disagree with any of them except that one... he was absolutely dreadful and certainly not our MOM.

 

[fbm]

The writing was on the wall for this one. Admittedly 4-0 is an embarrassment, but did anyone really expect anything else other than a defeat?

We returned to training late. We’re not fit enough, we’re not strong enough & we’re not experienced enough.

This game isn’t a one off either, I expect us to get coated a few more times over the coming weeks.

This is what happens when you fail to prepare adequately.

I think many of us (well, me!) probably had forgotten that. But you are spot on.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Not sure what to say, even the pitch was poor. They were ok, and busy, their right-back was the best player on the pitch but my god did we make it easy for them. Not sure what happened to the high tempo/pressing game I'd heard about pre-season? We gave the ball away far too cheaply , not only in open play but from throw-ins, free-kicks and even corners. Yes it was men against boys, the average age of our squad was 20 (and when they brought on Jon Stead Clarky quipped ' blimey, he's nearly as old as Micky Stead').

Oxley - hesitant couple of times, second goal went through him, put own defenders under pressure.
Elvis - not good, weak for the fourth goal.
Taylor - Ponderous
Hobson - thought he looked good on the ball - but what happened for the third goal? Was it our goal-kick? Did he think their players should have been outside the box?
Ralph - pick of a bad bunch for me - probably went off due to lack of game-time.
Egbri - tried hard but ineffective
Hutchinson - needed more urgency on ball and passing woeful.
Gard - non existent
Green - lively, but ball seemed to get stuck under his feet too often, should have shot after he slipped two of theirs to get in the box.
Goodship - poor
Kelman - sluggish or frustrated (or both?).

It was our goal kick but I don't think he realised that Oxley had taken it. Not sure I blame him for that as there's no reason to expect that you'd be passed to from a goal kick whilst marked and with your back to play.
However, don't opponents have to be outside the box for goal-kicks or at least a certain distance away? Or is that a recent rule change that I haven't kept up with?

ps Agreed on Ralph and generous on Goodship.

 

[crangoner]

Expecting MM to be restrained and measured in his presser, alarm bells should be ringing otherwise.

 

[Bluegoose]

A soul less Hall did not help, But in reality unless Ron has some master plan, we are already in trouble.

 

[southendkid]

It was our goal kick but I don't think he realised that Oxley had taken it.

He definitely knew Oxley had taken it, he was looking at the ball the entire time. I think that was probably why the error was made, Hobson didn't look up until he received the ball so didn't notice one of the Harrogate strikers had run in to close him down, and then he panicked when he looked up to clear it.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1304803940832346112

 

[Up the Shrimpers]

It was our goal kick but I don't think he realised that Oxley had taken it. Not sure I blame him for that as there's no reason to expect that you'd be passed to from a goal kick whilst marked and with your back to play.
However, don't opponents have to be outside the box for goal-kicks or at least a certain distance away? Or is that a recent rule change that I haven't kept up with?

ps Agreed on Ralph and generous on Goodship.

Did the ball even go out of play?

 

[jaffa1]

It was our goal kick but I don't think he realised that Oxley had taken it. Not sure I blame him for that as there's no reason to expect that you'd be passed to from a goal kick whilst marked and with your back to play.
However, don't opponents have to be outside the box for goal-kicks or at least a certain distance away? Or is that a recent rule change that I haven't kept up with?

ps Agreed on Ralph and generous on Goodship.

Mate who's a ref just confirmed "attackers do have to be outside the box at goal-kicks, but if the keeper takes a quick one while they are still in the box, the game continues".

 

[ironfighter]

67 yrs watching the Blues and never been more depressed, totally outplayed by a very average side who were never tested, I know it`s a much repeated cliche but it was boys v men. The need for experience is obvious but even when the transfer embargo is lifted ,what decent player is going to want to join a club with our rapidly evolving pariah status.
I totally blame Ron for the desperate state we find our club in ,he should have shipped out years ago rather than leading us from one crisis to another , his desire to make money out of the Roots Hall/Fossets Farm farago paramount , if he cared about football he should have walked away knowing he wasn`t up to it. Sink or swim without his "guiding hand " I`d take my chances.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

He definitely knew Oxley had taken it, he was looking at the ball the entire time. I think that was probably why the error was made, Hobson didn't look up until he received the ball so didn't notice one of the Harrogate strikers had run in to close him down, and then he panicked when he looked up to clear it.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1304803940832346112

Thank you. I stand corrected.

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

MM It's quite clear we need to add some quality to the group." No ****.