Post-Match Thread and Ratings Southend United 1-2 MK Dons

[Bratislava Blue]

If we can't handle the pressure of the run-in and a big crowd at Roots Hall, then perhaps it is a blessing in disguise we won't be in the play-offs.

I don't believe it was the pressure of the occasion that got the better of us today. we have played in front of big crowds this season and got results.

A bad performance at the wrong time...:thumbdown:

 

[TheGoat]

Is Ferdinand carrying an injury? He's been class all season but he backed off their strikers all day and looked really sluggish. They could have scored 4 or 5 if it wasn't for Walton. Looked as if he was forced to play today due to our lack of depth in defense. Thompson was very solid covering for him and Demetriou. How Fortune doesn't get more than 10 minutes a game is beyond me... top player

 

[mrsblue]

We were poor..nobody stood up to be counted apart from Lenny and Fortune had a go....second half was appalling with sideways play the order of the day.

Charlton then this we frankly deserve nothing.

 

[IloveShrimp]

Agree with most of what has been said regarding the performance today.

The issue in my opinion was lack of creativity from midfield. Wordy proved once again that he is unable to play two quick games in a row as he was mostly absent.

In defence of both Timlin and Demetriou they were doubled up upon which made their jobs much harder, especially with both of them having no protection from midfield, MK were playing early long balls to the corners so that our midfielders were caught upfield exposing our left and right backs.

Ranger was being doubled up on too and I thought that he should have played either wide or deeper 2nd half to draw their defenders out of position.

Robinson and McGlashen had no real passes made in front of them to be able to have a go at their defenders, although Robinson was poor.

Why oh why do we keep forsaking opportunities to get into the penalty box and then rather play the ball wide instead?

Only players to come out of the game with credibility imo was Thompson, and I thought Fortune did well when he came on too.

I think PB was out thought tactically, and our game was soooo predictable and easy to suss up.

 

[rlb999]

We're at the stage of the season where all that matters is three points and in 3 of the last 4 games we've failed to take them. You can't go looking at the referee or the sportsmanship of the opposition - we've got the better players and need to go out and get a result.

It's still there to fight for, but we must remember that someone needs to do us a favour by taking points off Millwall. Fleetwood did that today, and we didn't take our chance. We'll be lucky to get another.

 

[Bolton Shrimper]

It all sounds like " CHOKED under the pressure when a massive opportunity presented itself ".............................AGAIN !!!

 

[Clinton Baptiste]

Fed up of everytime we get a corner they are just floated in with no pace. Wordsworth should be in the box find someone else to take.

 

[Bobby dazzler]

To sum up today's game in one word. CRAP !

MOM : YEAH RIGHT !

 

[AndyT]

I'll be honest, I've had a drink or two, but we looked about 75% fit.

Maybe 5 games in 16 days has taken it's toll.

Will pop back later with some ratings, but overall it was all a bit disappointing :thumbdown:

 

[RobM]

I took my good lady to her first ever match - she said "Southend didn't seem to have any tactics!" (We are both...ahem..mature!).

 

[shrimperjon]

****es me off more that Fleetwood and Scunthorpe both smaller clubs than us, both with younger managers than us are now play off bound. Scunthorpe had been on an awful run, but when it mattered they have turned up. Us in contrast, 3 defeats in 4, the opposite. In addition defeats to Gills (look how poor they have been since) , Bristol Rovers etc have killed us. We are not out of it, of course not, but a win or draw in any of these would have us in a very different position

 

[Supa Shrimpa]

We never really got going, and looked a shade off the pace. I'm sure most of us keyboard managers (although I do run a kids team) would have started with that lineup, however in hindsight we probably needed some fresh legs after playing on Friday. Timlin put in a crunching tackle in the 90 minute, but it was 90 minutes too late. I thought we would have come out for the 2nd half buzzing, knowing that Millwall were trailing, but we were the opposite. Plastic FC did a professional job on us, and we didn't know how to respond.

Hope we can pull something out of the bag and Millwall mess things up. Fingers crossed !

 

[Floval Flyer]

I'll be honest, I've had a drink or two, but we looked about 75% fit.

Maybe 5 games in 16 days has taken it's toll.

Will pop back later with some ratings, but overall it was all a bit disappointing :thumbdown:

if I were you I'd keep drinking until I'd completely forgotten this game ;-)

 

[bazzashrimper]

Cox I thought played well and deserved his goal. Really creative but we just didn't do anything from there.

Ferdy was clearly nursing an injury through the game today. Thought ranger did ok, although if his heading was better he would have had a hatrick.

Their gamesmanship was pretty extreme. I don't think that the ref got too many decisions wrong (linesmen did) but his player management was poor. If he dealt with the timewasting by a yellow then Robinson wouldn't have felt the need to take the rules into his own hands.

And a word on Ben Reeves on returning to his former club. Played really well, scored a goal, didn't over celebrate it and even jogged off when subbed to show a bit of respect to his former club. I believe his contract runs out in the summer.... would love to see him leave that scumbag of a club, and better still to have him back here.

 

[Green Wizard]

After watching the Gillingham, Millwall, Charlton etc games I thought it was quite a good game overall despite not getting the result we wanted, I've seen a lot worse this season. At least today they put a bit of effort into it although some players had a game they will want to forget. Couldn't produce the goods when it mattered and that sums the season up. At least we've had a good run for our money and still not out of contention but it's down to Millwall to mess up big time.

 

[Jai]

Got to be relatively philosophical about this, we've been playing catch up since an awful start and we are just stuttering at the wrong time. The injuries and constantly patching up of star men have taken their toll and I for one am not going to go looking for people to blame for today's result. If you said to me after the Rochdale game in October that with two games left we would have a decent shot at the play-offs, I would have thought you were criminally insane.

Will be heading up to Shrewsbury next week for a great traditional day out on the beers for the last away game. If we make the playoffs, it will be a fantastic achievement and a chance to have a stab at promotion with nothing to lose. If we don't, we've had a great season in my opinion, played some really good stuff at times. We're Southend, we don't ever make things easy for ourselves.

Let's try and at least take it to the last game, big numbers next week please.

 

[Jai]

And a word on Ben Reeves on returning to his former club. Played really well, scored a goal, didn't over celebrate it and even jogged off when subbed to show a bit of respect to his former club. I believe his contract runs out in the summer.... would love to see him leave that scumbag of a club, and better still to have him back here.

Could do a lot worse if Wordsworth decides to move on.

 

[Fitz]

I found the atmosphere at the Hall fairly sedate in first half and then all got way too negative as soon as we started the second half badly. I really don't think we help ourselves constantly moaning at the officials, too much negativity. Thought the atmosphere for the Bolton game was much more positive.

Too many of our players carrying injuries today, clearly Ferdinand and Ranger were not fit.

One of those days where if just wasn't meant to be, so let's move on and see if we can win the last 2, get 75 points and push Millwall all the way.

UTB

 

[geoffmundo]

In my humble opinion, from the games I have seen (I wasn't there today) we don't really deserve a top 6 finish, but then you don't always get what you deserve. We lack creativity, tactical nous, ability to kill off poor teams (Gillingham x3; Port Vale; Charlton etc). What we have is experience in key positions and a good team spirit.

Paul Clark before the game today said, on paper this Southend line up will be too strong for MK. However his caveat was that how many were carrying injuries and more importantly he said that we are now at that time in the season where having a strong pre-season (training) goes into overdraft status. In other words, those who have not had a strong pre-season will start to flag.

A quick glance at the table shows with 3 games left, the top 5 cutting adrift the rest. In all honesty Millwall are very similar to us and probably equally undeserving of a play off place.

 

[IloveShrimp]

If Ranger was indeed unfit, why did Fortune not play in his place? Could also have been that Wordsworth was unfit too (would explain his performance) seeing as he limped off after the Chesterfield game, in which case why did not Atkinson play centre midfield and McGlashen or O'Neill play RM?