Post-Match Thread and Ratings Southend United 1-3 Blackpool FC

[blues exile]

Bond said before the game he hoped lessons had been learned after the Coventry result. Obviously, he hadn't learnt anything from his selection errors in that game by committing another one with Ridgewell, who was utterly dreadful. We had numbers at the back but no cohesion ,organisation or leadership and to blame Cox and Humphrys is just wrong. Don't be fooled by our apparent improvement in the last half hour. The game was already lost, Blackpool down to ten quite content to vacate great swathes of space and defend where it mattered so we saw plenty of the ball with Robinson wasteful again with one gilt edged chance.
Only two games but the signs are ominous and apart from his bewildering tactics and selections, Bond's charisma free media appearances are starting to sound like a man in denial.

 

[southendkid]

Still don't understand why any manager at this level ever thinks it will!!!

Charlton used 5 at the back last season in the playoffs and got promoted.

 

[Massimo Giovanni]

Hindsight is a wonderful thing but in truth many did look at the team and think WTF 3 CBs? hasn't been a success before and not played together! Maybe KB thought B'pool are tall and strong so that would "help" us but we lost the toss and kicked wrong way in 1st half.
Ox flapped at goal 1, poor set piece defending all round, confusion between defenders, suck it up KB, let us take the lesson and not repeat it.
Ridgewell has a good left foot and may be an ideal replacement if Lennon gets crocked, more so when he is fully game fit and squad mate aware. Let us not make him this year's Turner, Anton, "whoever" whipping boy.................please folks.
Elvis, Shaun, Lennon, Ralph; all will do okay when settled and with outlets in front.
Mantom; hmmmm, I am not a fan and he was same as last season, plays it safe if he can, makes one good pass in four, rarely threatens forward yet when he does he can look good!
Milligan, good, needs help.
Hutch, worked hard, much better free kicks and corners than others have done, given games, patience and encouraged he WILL be a regular.
Cox, Hump, worked too alone and off scraps.
Theo, made runs, got good positions but needs better first touch and steadier nerves.
Charlie, has grown, might come good, another younger Cox?
Layton, good ball control and he will start more often than many loans that we have had recently.
I didn't think we would get much from today but we have spanked ar-se and need to move on.

 

[Ex-Member1]

This is a tough league, I personally feel that we will do well to survive this season. I hope we do, I am getting a little too long in the tooth for relegation battles. COYBB

 

[ColinMorrisWalksOnWater]

Bond's interview was like the performance of his team today......Disjointed, hesitant and clueless.

Lots of work on the training ground and he needs to get the players up to speed to deliver what he wants OR admit that it is beyond their capabilities and play a simpler system that they all understand.

 

[Mr Browns Ghost]

Can we just close this thread and move on, we all know it’s going to be a long hard season even before it started, it’s been poor for a number of seasons with high profile clueless managers, with overpaid players and woeful formations!!!

This

 

[Bluegoose]

The first half was shocking. Same across the back, none who have idea on how to defend, remind me who's ball is it. As for the forwards, most looked like they had never played a park game. Look on the brightside its not likely to get much worse. "Watched IFollow"

 

[Welly7]

Very few positives from that today. The system and its benefits can be debated all day, but without any sort of movement within a system it becomes static and predictable.

As for the three goals we conceded, any team who are half decent do not give those goals away this early on in the season. Much work to be done.

Here's hoping Bond puts out a strong team on Tuesday with an eye on Lincoln next week.

 

[SHRIMPERPETER]

Timlin was in the crowd today, should've given him some boots and put him on

 

[smudgster]

I heard the interview and I can see a lot of discontent in the camp coming if he slates players in front of the press. He came across as clueless and a manager already under pressure.

 

[fleabag1]

By the way no one can ever slang off Humphries or cox because we would surely have gone down without them plus they done nothing wrong today .They are both quality players

 

[Medway Blue]

He did not come across at all well in his interview I have to say. If he’s going to throw his players under the bus like that then I don’t expect him to have the support of the dressing room for too long.

 

[RHB]

Jesus that BBC Essex interview, he’s not held back there

Blamed the forwards for not keeping possesion.

Wonder how SC feels about that?

Edit.Also said we've got to learn how to keep a clean sheet.

Obviously Bondy is going to be pretty upset at that first half display and his comments were, indeed, barbed. The formation we started with in the first half was, however, dire given the players he has available. Because of that I was a little disappointed that he didn't acknowledge his part in this defeat.

 

[flangejackrabbit]

5-3-2 or 3-5-2 or whatever you want to call it works very well with the right centre midfield ingredients at any level. Wilder has used it for years. Charlton deployed it a lot last season and went up. Bury in the league below and Newport who punched above their weight. I'm sure there are many others. We just don't have this right midfield dynamic at the moment.

 

[Worcester Shrimper64]

I've seen Hutchinson a few times now. He simply isn't good enough for the first team yet. He looks totally lost. I know this isn't the only problem we have got but we are getting overrun in midfield big time.

 

[THE SEVENTIES NORTH BANK]

Well, it was an interesting experiment at the back that didn't work, especially with Ridgwell nowhere near ready. He will be dropped and back to 4 at the back then. Humphry's badly needs a better strike partner that plays alongside him, rather than behind. We have always been better with wingers at home. And that midfield, boy do we need a quality attacking midfielder.

 

[fleabag1]

I would put Hutchinson on loan to div 2 side or conference side for experience and see how he gets on div 1 is tough .There are some very good sides hes been thrown in the deep end

 

[Micky]

First half was the worst performance I’ve seen at Roots Hall, second half was a completely different game.

I can think of many genuine positives to take out of this side, ignoring the first half completely we moved the ball nicely apart from the odd mistake, we found the channels early and used the whole pitch including the pockets inside.

We need to keep our game simple always trying to find the ‘hollywood’ pass when we can look for the cutbacks into the edge of the box.

Ndwuku looked sharp, Milligan got us moving and found the wide balls well. The football is so much better than under Powell along the ground.

This team really does deserve patience to build, Bond is still learning his team and needs to make these mistakes for next time.

Two good second half performances against two very good sides. Just got to give Bond and the boys time.

Thank goodness for some sanity and a reasoned analysis. With the players we have, we are much better playing 4-4-2. We have played two matches and reading some of the comments I do wonder how much some people know about football at our level.

 

[GBJ]

Awful.

Oxley - 3 - would have been lower if not for one decent save.

Ralph - 4 - meh. Some good stuff, some bad stuff.

Elvis - 5 - positive going forward, but still lacks a cutting edge

Ridgewell - 2 - Where is all this experience we’ve been hearing about? Looked like a school boy. Maybe those tight shorts had cut off the circulation to his brain.

Lennon - 5 - meh

Shaughnessy - 4 - meh. Can’t see what all the fuss is about. Looked ok, but nothing special. Giving him the benefit of the doubt due to a **** poor system.

Milligan - 6 - looked good to begin with, then faded quite badly. Got his second wind towards the end, which brought his score back up slightly.

Mantom - 3 - Have given him time, but am beginning to wonder what he actually brings.

Hutchinson - 5 - talented kid, but playing in this League One side, is a step too far for him right now.

Humphrys - 6 - looked positive, but got no service whatsoever.

Cox - 5 - Same as Hump.

Subs;

Theo - 2 - Go. Just go.

Sudoko - 5 - had some decent flashes, but I’m worried this kid is a bit of a luxury player. Even during the warm up he looked casual as ****. Hoping he’ll really turn it on, but I’m not convinced yet.

Kelman - 2 - anonymous really

New Kit - 0 - dog ****

Bond - 0 - Even the most inept among us could see that the 5 at the back wasn’t working. Midfield was overrun & the WB’s couldn’t really push on, without fear of being carved open at the back, meaning the three CB’s were continually pulled out of place. Also, Hooking Humphrys to introduce Theo ****ing Robinson was, is and always will be, farcical. His post-match interview was a car crash IMO, and he sounded like he was missing his carer.

 

[JD]

Last season was very bad. That was another level today.
All topped off by one of the most cringeworthy post match interviews I have ever heard.
Can only assume Cox didn’t hear Bonds comments about the forwards because he remained professional in his interview, unlike Bond who embarrassed himself.

One other thing, 0-3 at half time and yet no changes were made?