Our home form is that bad that whenever the opposition have scored against us this season, we’ve lost
No score draws and any game we’ve won it’s been by goals to nil
That shows to me a complete negative mentality. As soon as a goal goes in our heads go
Great value for money from a season ticket. The ground should have emptied as soon as we went a goal down today because the stats will show you, we’re getting nothing
"Our" as in the fans or the players?
Certainly the fans weren't in the game (Roots Hall was really muted - and that's before kick-off, so not a reaction to the performance) until 1-0 down.
The players weren't in it until 2-0 down, when far from their heads going they picked it up.
Lots of observations saying we shouldn’t do this and shouldn’t do that....
Lots of people saying only 4/5 of this lot should play......
Lots of people saying things have to change....
Lots saying lots of players are ****....
No one offering any potential solutions other than play 442!
I’m not disagreeing that today’s psrformance was dog ****e and I’m not disagreeing that so we’re several players.....but offer some explanations....offer some thought into what you’d change and who you’d change.....otherwise all you’re doing is spouting rhetoric in hindsight both of which the staff and players cannot use before a game!!
Having said that, there’s been lots said that totally agree with on today’s game......but I’d also say most of that has been things I’ve observed / commented on, on here several times before...
This is one of the rare occasions I'd have started two wingers (McLaughlin and Hutchinson) in a 4-4-2 for this one as at home against a struggling team with a good defensive record we'd have needed the width to break them down. Next week I'd be looking for a more balanced midfield and so would go with one winger (Macca) and one wide midfielder who tucks in more (it's not his best position, but Mantom).
But I’ve learned that Southend fans (bless em) don’t do middle ground consistency and almost revel in the roller coaster of emotions that include elation and self harm!!
Spot on.
Everything has to be the best or the worst.
There's no room for nuance or shades of (Wayne) Gray.
Whilst I firmly believe players performances are more influential than formations I do concede that a mind set and tactics from that formation do play a part.....however I sometimes wonder if the obsession with 442 comes from our own ignorance or lack of tactical knowledge rather than the players inability to play anything else....
The key to it all other than oppositions set up like I’ve said a million times before is game plan and personnel.....532 or 352 can be attacking or defensive based on personnel....as can 442!
Today, like last week (and like Bradford) we started the game with just two attacking players in the pitch! That’s simply not acceptable at home for any club in the world regardless of whether the manager felt the formation works or not....the same formation can be used (if he favours it that much) with different personnel to achieve an attacking mindset....
Before anyone says it, Bradford it worked because we scored two very early goals and forced Bradford to gamble and leave more gaps whilst also knowing we didn’t need to score again.....
Second half today (first 15/20 mins of it) was definitely better.....but remember also, so was the last 15 mins of the first half....so was it formation or desire? Was it formation or work rate?
A few observations from me on today :-
Turner unfortunately has gone. He may give the odd performance when given a specific role but remember even that against Gillingham, the clean sheet actually masked a pretty poor performance where Eaves could well have scored 3. Sometimes players get to retire at the end of the season or know at the end of the season that it’s time.....but there no way of guaranteeing that.....and unfortunately for him it’s happened mid season.....no ones fault but he simply can’t give what his head knows he could or used to be able to...
Both Elvis and Sam Hart looked happier in a 4 and attacked from deeper.....
Sam Hart is only marginally better than Hendrie and that’s mainly because he’s better in the air...
The midfield three need to realise they are not untouchables. They don’t work as a three and none of them are creative or have a strikers instinct to run beyond the back four or get ahead of the ball....it killing us. All threes passing today as nothing short of atrocious...it’s not lack of effort it’s just poor passing! Maybe it’s just the chemistry of the three that affects them all becomes for a short spell both Mantom and Dru looked better when Dieng went off....
I’ve said it for weeks.....if Dieng is going to play he needs to slot into a back four alongside Moore. If not he doesn’t offer enough as a midfielder.
Dru is simply suffering from no pre season and intermittent training.....his greatest asset is his athleticism and without peak fitness levels he will struggle technically...probably why he’s still at Southend and not moved on. Today there were glimpses of good play but with 20 mins to go he ran out of gas and his whole game collapsed despite his best efforts.
Kightly looked as lively as I’ve seen him all season. If he can maintain that he needs to play each week. Macca unfortunately was a wasted sub and didn’t do enough. The decision to the move him to left back was strange but may have been due to Harts booking...
Another thing....and I said it at the time....Charlie Kelman isn’t a boy wonder. CP is chucking him on as a sub in desperation. He’s coming on without really having a position or a role as if someone’s just hoping he shoots from the halfway line each week! The goal was a wonder strike. Incredible opportunism and incredible confidence. But it was a freak strike! A once in a lifetime for about 20% of all footballers!!!! But throwing him on without a role upsets the balance of the team and each time I’ve seen him come on I couldn’t tell you the position he’s come on in or the formation we’ve finished the game with. Since that strike he’s not looked like scoring and he’s not looked like creating.....he will...and he will get us goals....and he is going to be a player...but he needs to be allowed to develop and he needs to consistently produce the goods at 23s level or on loan (in time) whilst dipping in and out of first team games before he will have learned enough craft to manage these situations. Chucking him on to save a side desperately low on confidence and desperately short of leaders and desperately short of creativity isn’t going to help him and neither will over excitement and over expectation from us.....
Lastly, I cannot fathom for the life of me why 4231 (which very quickly morphs into 442 or 4411 depending on situations) isnt or hasn’t been favoured either by the club or by you lot!!! Our squad and our strengths are crying out for it.....Cox is not a Cf but with Humphrys in the side he can link up from deeper and allow both wide players to cut in, link up, give width or actually even run in behind opposition defences!!! I know you want two forwards but in that formation we will have 4 forward players in the side!!!!
Good post.
Kightly did look good for about 30 minutes but then faded. I think he'll start next week but he doesn't look like he can play consecutive games to me. This team has far too many players who have lost their pace - Kightly, Turner, White, Cox and it lacks players with pace to compensate for them.
It's painful watching Kightly and to a lesser extent Cox attempt to get beyond defenders, they knock the ball past them only for the defender to catch up. That's something that Turner certainly isn't doing in defence (thank God it's only a one year deal and not the two we gave Anton) whilst White looks like he's hiding to avoid his lack of legs being exposed.
We have somehow ended up with a back 7 that has nobody between the ages of 22 and 32. The kids are raw and the old pros can't run. It's a recipe for disaster.
Bishop cost us another goal - probably the third that he's conceded that Oxley wouldn't have (he was far from the only one to blame). He's going to have ups and downs and we're going through his growing pains. That's a price I'm prepared to pay. We saw his upside with a fantastic second save. As long as he learns we'll be better off in the long term.
Taylor Moore was carrying both centre-halves. I'd pair Dieng with Moore until Lennon is fit -please let that be soon.
It worries me that the one area of our squad that hasn't been decimated by injuries is our midfield, and yet its the weakest part of our team currently. If that's our first choice midfield then god help us!
Our best midfield contains the much maligned Hyam. Unfortunately he can't stay fit.
First half I couldn’t work out what formation we were playing. Start of second half, 2 subs and we clearly switch to 442. First 10mins of second half and we’re electric. The next 35mins were the usual dross. Omg, we need some strategy and tactics. What do they do at boots and laces??!!!
First half was 3-5-2.
Quick question; are the team / squad scared at playing at home?
Yes and it clearly shows. Too many players afraid of making mistakes.
They are leaving it for others.
