Post-Match Thread and Ratings Southend United 0-4 Millwall

[Skyblue]

Well the plus points I took from today: Good to see the old sadium full again, If Bentley was being watched today ..he won't be going anywhere, enternaining banter from the chav hordes who always turn up in numbers and provide the comedy...mmmm that s about it.

 

[RHB]

I knew it might be a bad day when I had to sit outside the Next shop for 30 minutes whilst Mrs RHB browsed. A very good sized crowd was not matched by a first half performance where we were out run and out thought for the whole 45 minutes. Were some of the players knackered after the last two games? maybe, but we certainly left our pride in the dressing room during that first 45 minutes. It doesn't happen very often but Thompson and Barrett were given a severe run around by the Millwall forwards, Coker did not look 100% and John White was probably the only defender to maintain some sort of reputation.

Up front we were bereft of ideas and the ball seemed to be in the air far more that it was on the ground, but both sides were guilty of that. I thought Lenny had a reasonable half but the rest of them, possibly with the exception of Payne, were in the pants division.

Second half with the intro of Deegan and Mclaughlin at least introduced a bit more fight but precious little else in the way of goal threat. A bloke behind me was constantly calling for Joe Pigott to be bought on and PB duly obliged, replacing Hunt. He huffed and puffed but truthfully, I think maybe Charlton beckons for him. All in all a really miserable afternoon B/H feast for the Southend contingent of the 10,000+ crowd. Much as it pains me to say it, the Millwall support was very impressive, behind the side the whole 90 minutes (not difficult when you are winning 4-0) and it looked as if they all stood for the whole match as well! Will I take Mrs RHB again after she jinxed this game? I just don't know, although she had the lino in front of the West stand sussed when she questioned his ability with his right hand action (that surprised me as I didn't think she knew that word). Finally a word praise for TBV, I thought they did well today in the face of some lively Millwall competition. Oh well, onwards and upwards towards Donny.

 

[Austin the Shrimper]

Im sorry i dont buy this 'in spite of Brown' thing. We win as a team and lose as a team. Everyone is accountable. I think the 'team' have had a cracking year. Lets move on to 2016..think we will bounce back from this like we always have under Phil. UTB

 

[ace]

All this about hindsight. What about a bit of foresight? We played this mob a few weeks back and lost with pretty much the same team. Outmuscled and lack of height then. Why play long and high when we can't win a header?

 

[Chairman Trigg]

Totally outmuscled and outplayed in the midfield in the first half.Due to the height and physical back line we never got into the game until it was to late.We know how well we can play but today tactically got it wrong,and we still lack another quality frontman on top of Hunt.One disappointment today was lack of effort by some players.....even when the opposing supporters were taunting them ...no real response
Anyway we need this to be just one of those days with a thumping win on Saturday.

 

[Massimo Giovanni]

What was worrying was that 2nd half Phil stopped giving any direction, his body language was defeated and not much leadership from him or Barratt when the going WAS tough. Cocko did go to the bye-line and try and keep the players going but Phil had given up.

 

[Sufc.2008]

Well, that was probably the worst match I've seen at Roots Hall in a long time. We flattered Millwall with the scoreline to be honest, as that was not a 4-0 performance from them.

We lacked desire, and worryingly almost everything went wrong for us today.

Bentley 4 - Should have done better for two of the goals at least, didn't seem his usual self today.

Coker 3 - Must have been unfit today. There was a moment when he was running on his own and fell flat on his face...
Barrett 3 - Looked very slow today - two games in 3 days might have been asking a bit too much.
Thompson 7 - MOM - Best player in a blue shirt by a mile today - a dominant display, worked hard until the final whistle - if only the others followed his lead!
White 4 - Too many hoofed balls for me again today... we are NOT good in the air, when will we learn this?!

Worrall 4 - Didn't see too much of Worrall today, except a few dodgy touches - not good.
Leonard 3 - Most of Lenny's play today went wrong. Lost count of the number of misplaced passes, his shooting is woeful.
Atkinson 3 - Huffed and puffed but didn't make it difficult for Millwall, they sliced through our midfield like a knife through butter.
Payne 4 - Totally outmuscled today... tried a few shots that always seemed to end up hitting the player in front of him.

Hunt 5 - He has a touch of class, why don't we play to his strengths?! Needs good service.
Mooney 3 - Offside so often he might as well have been down the Seafront.

Subs

McLaughlin 4 - He does try to go past people, which is a good start. Needs a run in the side - looked a bit rusty.
Deegan 5 - We needed a Deegan-type player in midfield from the start - combative and stopped Millwall playing the ball through the middle. Not an amazing performance from Deegan, but more of what we needed.
Pigott 2 - "Send him back, Phil!", was met with a nod in agreement from Mr. Brown... I think that says all we need to know. Out of his depth completely.

This result will have brought the players back down to Earth after a few solid wins - time to rebuild and go again against Doncaster - can see a few changes being made.

 

[IloveShrimp]

I thought before the game that we would be lucky to win this one. The result at Col Ewe papered over the cracks which we obviously have at the back. The 3rd goal for Millwall was almost a carbon copy of the two chances that Col Ewe missed and Adam was seriously outpaced too.

I think that it is glaringly obvious that the game came too soon for Adam's tiring legs and he should have been left on the bench today in favour of Bolger, also I think the same for Coker who is carrying a groin strain I believe.

The Millwall defence were so much bigger than our lads, and yet our tactics were to continuously punt high balls forward to the midget that is Payne (no offense meant) and the other two lads who are not target men. Piggot needs to return to Charlton.

It is a definite failing of our manager that he does not have a striker game changer on the bench, he having decided to fill the team with midfielders which I know has been stated on here many times.

We lacked ideas, and the tactics were punt it long, get it wide and cross for their huge centre backs to clear. I couldn't make out how Atkinson (who wasn't at the races 1st half) stayed on the pitch whilst Hurst (a natural wide attacking player) was watching from the sidelines even though we were 3 - 0 down.

 

[rhrussell]

Brown could not wait to slag off, Bolger and Prosser for not clearing their lines, and then drop them, Barrett is slow and out of position most of the time, Thompson played OK , but the rest just awful, and a forward who is offside too often, we need a creative midfielder, and a couple of forwards who can hold the ball up, But Brown needs to take responsibility for this inept display. This is a wake up call to blues the management team. PS Well done Neil

 

[les@donr]

Well, Phil put the wrong side out but it's easy with hindsight. We can't score against a tall stocky defence, and defensive mid like that. Full marks to Neil. Phil should of set up for the point in this one. Still, there we go. It's been a great year for us. Now our shortcomings have been fully exposed today I hope we can address them all in the transfer window. Roll on Donny. I hope they don't bring that effing bear with them. If they do that bear is going down.

Donny have Donny Dog as our mascot not a bear!

Rovers are very inconsistent at the moment, win one game lose the next. You'll either win on Saturday, or be a draw, can't see Rovers beating you.

 

[Barling Magna]

Time to prove our "bouncebackability" on Saturday.

Let's just put today behind us.

 

[fbm]

Oh well, if there was a game to bring us back to earth then that was it. A record equalling home league defeat - we have conceded 5 at home on 4 occasions but always scored 2 or 3 goals. 4-0 remains our highest margin of defeat at home in our history.

Not much to add to the above, usual cliches, bad day at the office etc. It looked like the players had eaten too much turkey.

It was men against boys today, Millwall were bigger and stronger in almost every department. Phil mixed it up, brought on the right players IMHO but took off the wrong ones (unless they were injured of course). Jack Payne was outmuscled and Atkinson was anonymous, they would have been my choices.

First 25 mins was about even, if anything we shaded it but there were too many off colour today. Dan had the worst game I've seen, the midfield were non existent, Mooney and Hunt had zero service.

Phil Brown looked shell-shocked in the second half and completely lost. Having said that, it's easy to coach when your team is winning 4-0.

Positives - not many, but we are still 7th, which we would have absolutely taken at the start of the season.


Ratings -

Bentley - 4 - One decent save but at fault for their second and could have done better for the third.

White - 5 - Didn't do anything of note.
Thompson - 5 - Did as well as he could against a handful of a forward line
Barrett - 5 - Some committed challenges and blocks but way off the pace otherwise
Coker - 5 - Was he injured? Not his usual self.

Leonard - 4 - Poor
Payne - 3 - Very poor - how he was given MOM by the sponsors I have no idea
Atkinson - 3 - Anonymous
Worrall - 4- Promised much but delivered little - missed a golden chance to equalise just after their goal but shot straight at the keeper

Hunt - 6 - MOM - Understand why he went off but his movement and anticipation was all that gave us a chance
Mooney - 5 - Did very little but had next to no service

Subs

McLaughlin - 5 - A slight improvement on Worrall
Deegan - 4 - Silly booking, ineffective
Pigott - 3 - Hopeless and did nothing to warrant staying

 

[Special Blue]

Donny have Donny Dog as our mascot not a bear!

Rovers are very inconsistent at the moment, win one game lose the next. You'll either win on Saturday, or be a draw, can't see Rovers beating you.

Play like we did today you might as well start your mascot whatever it is!

 

[RHB]

I thought getting my match ramblings out of my system early might help in the therapy stakes. It hasn't, I'm really bloody miserable now and no end of Quality Street or honeyed cashew nuts is helping my mood at all and the cat's just chucked up all over the carpet. Bollox, bollox, bollox.

 

[THE SEVENTIES NORTH BANK]

We probably made more mistakes this game than in all the other games this season. We hardly had a shot second half. They had 2 massive center back lumps. They basically headed anything that came their way, but were slow on the deck and were there for the taking with 2 pacy forwards, which we didn't have. Instead we had Joe Piggott come on to partner the very poor Mooney. They both looked so slow and out muscled, that they could have played all night and still wouldn't look like scoring. Joe Piggott always looks a very bad slow player on a heavy pitch to me.

 

[Jam_Man]

Agree that he has changed formation with 2 strikers but Payne is playing wide midfield and not in the hole.

Payne started in the middle and was told to come out wide pretty early on when we were defending to try to cope with Millwall as they were all over us. He would then drift into the middle again when we had the ball.

Im sorry i dont buy this 'in spite of Brown' thing. We win as a team and lose as a team. Everyone is accountable. I think the 'team' have had a cracking year. Lets move on to 2016..think we will bounce back from this like we always have under Phil. UTB

Indeed, you dont get promoted with 80+ points then get to the top 7 the next season just by luck.

Today was awful but we are still in a good position in the league.

 

[Shrimperforlife]

I thought getting my match ramblings out of my system early might help in the therapy stakes. It hasn't, I'm really bloody miserable now and no end of Quality Street or honeyed cashew nuts is helping my mood at all and the cat's just chucked up all over the carpet. Bollox, bollox, bollox.

perfect time to get those frustrations out , kick the cat up the arse and be done with it..... Works every time for me ....

 

[Shrimperforlife]

I posted this on the official thread, will do it here as well.

I'm just going to put this here:

Season 2015 -

*Promotion from League 2
*A fantastic day out at Wembley
*The play-off final at home against Stevenage where it had absolutely everything.
*Derby win over Colchester
*7th or 8th in League 1 at the end of 2015.

Today was s***, no doubt about it, but this team has given us one wonderful ride in 2015.

Forget about today, reminisce over the above points, and let's get back behind the team in 2016.

Happy New Year everybody.

pretty good overview , in my opinion, very much a glass half full view....

 

[Chairman Trigg]

Payne started in the middle and was told to come out wide pretty early on when we were defending to try to cope with Millwall as they were all over us. He would then drift into the middle again when we had the ball.



Indeed, you dont get promoted with 80+ points then get to the top 7 the next season just by luck.

Today was awful but we are still in a good position in the league.

Trouble is Brown is a reactive manager,and only normally changes when forced by a goal which everyone watching can see coming.Today was different in that the midfield in the first half was overrun,by the time of the changes we were 3 down.It's my only real criticism of Brown ...just wish occasionally he would be proactive and change things early

 

[OldBlueLady]

I said before Saturday's game that I would rather have kept Hunt back for today and that this match was more important to have him fit for. Both he and Coker, neither of whom were fully fit on Saturday, were well off form today. I would rather have had Prosser in at left back, at least he is strong defensively.

When we played them in the JPT, they were big and strong and bullied us to some extent. Exactly the same was true today, and knowing how they were, we were just set up wrong from the beginning. Payne was far too lightweight. Half our team seemed to congregate on the left wing far too often, leaving no-one in the middle.

Had no problem with the half time subs, but would have preferred to have McLaughlin and Worrall on at the same time (with Atkinson giving way) to provide some proper width because, running at them at speed was the only way we were going to get anything today. The constant high balls forward achieved precisely nothing because Mooney was being spectacularly fouled and Payne is no threat aerially. One decent push forward on the break from Lenny, that was all I remember of note.

Bentley - 3, worst game I think I've seen him have, at fault for the first 3 goals in my book - although the first two going in off the post was very unlucky, but he should have come for them
White - 6, pick of the defence for me. Calm under pressure
Thompson - 4, some good headers but Morrison gave him all sorts of problems
Barrett - 5, stronger of the two central defenders but caught out of position too often
Coker - 3, probably worst game I've seen him have as well, very much off the pace and the dead ball delivery is becoming a real joke
Atkinson - 4, tried hard at times but far too much space given to the opposition
Leonard - 7, MOTM, never gave up and looked to probe when he could, couple of shots and almost a good training ground routine from a corner
Payne - 6, closed down very easily and pushed off the ball too easily
Worrall - 5, didn't work with Coker at all today, but don't know why he stuck only to the left
Mooney - 6, thought he did ok, got very little out of the officials except some dodgy looking offsides
Hunt - 5, very subdued

Subs:
McLaughlin (for Worrall) - 6, injected a bit of life and genuine wide threat. Also showed a bit more nous than most of our team
Deegan (for Coker) - 6, brought more physical threat
Pigott (for Hunt) - 5, thought he did ok and was more of a threat in the air but I do think his time is up

Officials - got to have a word about them, the ref seemed far too lenient with Millwall players but then, got the cards out straightaway with Deegan! West lino seemed a bit confused about the offside rule too!

Fair play to Brown for changing the formation, it was the right choice, but didn't think Worrall going off was the right change - should have been Payne or Atkinson in my opinion.