Post-Match Thread and Ratings Southend United 1-3 Bradford City

[Massimo Giovanni]

I am NOT in favour of the confusion of playing 3 centre backs or wing backs all of whom get out of shape too often.
I suspect MM has set us up this way as the squad is so unbalanced, midfielder wise, when we have no Dieng, Macca or Oliyanka to field, leaving just a pair of 60-70 minute not fully fit KT and JD.
Oh for a Peter Butler, Tims or Deegs.

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

I'm not sure whether it was Paul Clark who said it, or whether he was quoting somebody else. but it went something along the lines of 'Are we a bad side that had a good patch, or a good side that's hit a bad patch?' Food for thought for me at the moment.

Bradford looked like a good side just coming out of a bad patch ,we looked like a bad side still in a bad patch.

 

[LennySUFC]

Positives:
- Oxley looks to be back to somewhere near his best and made some great saves.
- The new CB looks to be a good player, calm on the ball.
- ANG showed us glimpses of what he can produce.
- Akinola shows potential to be the number two striker, (The Wayne Gray to the Freddy Eastwood).

Negatives
- We are a team of CAMs and Wingers trying to fill forward roles. We absolutely need a proper CF by the time the window shuts else it could really be lights out for us.
- We seemed to concede easy goals which is a flashback to October/November.
- The bench was back to being weak, but that isn't a surprise with all the injuries and suspensions that have crept into the side.

 

[Shrimpergonzo]

Positives:
- Oxley looks to be back to somewhere near his best and made some great saves.
- The new CB looks to be a good player, calm on the ball.
- ANG showed us glimpses of what he can produce.
- Akinola shows potential to be the number two striker, (The Wayne Gray to the Freddy Eastwood).

Negatives
- We are a team of CAMs and Wingers trying to fill forward roles. We absolutely need a proper CF by the time the window shuts else it could really be lights out for us.
- We seemed to concede easy goals which is a flashback to October/November.
- The bench was back to being weak, but that isn't a surprise with all the injuries and suspensions that have crept into the side.

That pretty much sums it up for me @LennySUFC - we have some decent players in the squad now, but in order to shoe-horn them all into the side MM is having to play some out of position.

5 at the back (I refuse to call it 3!) had stemmed the tide a bit up until last night, but by playing 2 wingers and 2 central midfielders it left Sim isolated up front. If we push RHF up as well then it leaves the midfield overrun.

It seems MM's dilemma is:

• Play 4-4-2 at the back, risk being short and having to leave out one of White, Hobson and Cordner (who I thought had a good game).
• Play 5-3-2 meaning he needs 3 central midfielders but no wingers (width from Elvis and Hart) so no place for ANG and RHF and only Acquah, R Taylor or Halford to play the Centre Forward role - none of whom are any good at it!
• Play 5-4-1 to accommodate wide midfielders but leave Akinola isolated up front trying to play a Centre Forward role he's not built for.

I think he's tried all of these over the course of the season, but it really all boils down to not having a decent Centre Forward which we've all been saying since the season started.

We've done badly against all the in-form sides, but picked up points against those out of form. Given our next 3 games are against Port Vale, Walsall and Newport - who are all in a similar vein of form to us - I live in hope!

 

[Chris Powell's mate]

This poor side, good spell, poor side, bad spell thing suggests the whole side.

Not true. But the slant points mostly to a bad side.
By 'bad' I mean not fit for purpose.

In Nirvana, Macca is 26 and doesn't get injured; likewise Demi. Hobson has a chance to come in and out of the side and learn: ditto, Clifford.

But I in League 2, Akinola, Oxley, White and Elvis are good enough. Kyle Taylor and Nathan Ralph (when fit) just about. Cordner was a first game, so again, maybe.

The rest?

RHF's star has waned since that Barrow winner;
ANG is absent for long periods and everyone else isn't up to it, so out of an 18 man squad: four definites; two learners; and jury out on three others.

Six out of 18 - that's not going to save us is it?

 

[danbowen]

We desperately need a proper horrible box to box b*stard player and a strong man up top for Akinola to play off of. We also need to get players into the opposition box as it only ever seems we get one player in there. Come on Molesley get some experience in and stop signing 12 year olds - IT DOESNT WORK!!!!

 

[rigsby]

We desperately need a proper horrible box to box b*stard player and a strong man up top for Akinola to play off of. We also need to get players into the opposition box as it only ever seems we get one player in there. Come on Molesley get some experience in and stop signing 12 year olds - IT DOESNT WORK!!!!

You make it sound like he has a choice.

 

[kentblues]

The problem with young loanees so many are at their best first 2-3 games and then the number of games and physicality exposes them a bit and the become less effective (if not injured).

 

[Shrimpet steve]

Didnt get to watch this one for various reasons.

Still feel utterly gutted. So so many things wrong with the club, we all know.
What happened to the team that tore colchester a new one in the first half?

There are so many things rotten at our beloved club but i cant help but feel that playing a different formation every game and every half just doesnt work in league 2. I dont recall tilly or webb playing all these weird formations. The players cant hack it and look like they havent a clue what they are doing.

I know we are down with injuries and lack of a striker but ive always thought throughout our history the moment the manager starts slinging defenders on up front we are really in trouble.

We seem to have needed "3 or 4 good signings" to stay up for years now :(.

It all feels truly hopeless, too late to change manager now and that probably wouldnt work anyway.

Is this the end?

Mm needs to go back to basics. And shake things up, we are running out of time

How is too late to change the manager?? There are still 62 points to play for? Wouldn't u rather give another manager some time while we still have a chance? I've had enough of the pe teacher now.

 

[MisterStubbs]

How is too late to change the manager?? There are still 62 points to play for? Wouldn't u rather give another manager some time while we still have a chance? I've had enough of the pe teacher now.

I’ve seen this term used a hell of a lot lately, especially on Twitter in reference to Solsjkear but have never understood it. Can you tell me exactly what it is that makes MM a “p.e teacher” as you so often call him.

 

[kentblues]

MM is not a PE teacher at all is he. He is a professional footballing man through and through- all be it at the beginning of his managerial career. The comment of course applies to his supporting team. I do think its an issue- Fagan would have brought Colin Calderwood as number 2 (alleged Fagan was going to work with Demi but Ron felt as a young manager he would need an experienced number 2- something Ron then completely forgot about when MM was presenting his team). A wise old head who has seen and done it would have been very useful I think.

 

[rigsby]

I’ve seen this term used a hell of a lot lately, especially on Twitter in reference to Solsjkear but have never understood it. Can you tell me exactly what it is that makes MM a “p.e teacher” as you so often call him.

Its an insult used by people who don't enough to become become a PE teacher, let alone an EFL manager.

 

[Shrimpet steve]

I’ve seen this term used a hell of a lot lately, especially on Twitter in reference to Solsjkear but have never understood it. Can you tell me exactly what it is that makes MM a “p.e teacher” as you so often call him.

Ok P.e teacher " Someone who is out of his depth at a football league club!! We are not Bournemouths under 23s team we are a football league team who need football league quality players!! Rm has allowed mm to sign players and these Bournemouth cast offs arent up to the level required!!

 

[MisterStubbs]

Its an insult used by people who don't enough to become become a PE teacher, let alone an EFL manager.

It’s just a lazy term thrown around by people who can’t hold a debate in my opinion.

 

[MisterStubbs]

Ok P.e teacher " Someone who is out of his depth at a football league club!! We are not Bournemouths under 23s team we are a football league team who need football league quality players!! Rm has allowed mm to sign players and these Bournemouth cast offs arent up to the level required!!

You might disagree with the players MM has signed and that’s fine, football is all about opinions but to label him a “p.e teacher” because of it is rather pathetic. MM has signed two players from Bournemouth.. and one of them has played one game for us and actually looked okay despite playing in a shaky defence. They are also professional footballers who are attached to a football club higher in the league than ourselves, you don’t get to their age and still be on the books of top league clubs if you haven’t got something about you.

 

[RHB]

How is too late to change the manager?? There are still 62 points to play for? Wouldn't u rather give another manager some time while we still have a chance? I've had enough of the pe teacher now.

How about the Cowleys? Oh, better not, they were PE teachers once. Or maybe the Chorley manager, he's had a great FA cup run, oh no, he's a Headmaster for a day job.

 

[southendkid]

Ok P.e teacher " Someone who is out of his depth at a football league club!! We are not Bournemouths under 23s team we are a football league team who need football league quality players!! Rm has allowed mm to sign players and these Bournemouth cast offs arent up to the level required!!

What does that have to do with MM? It doesn't matter who is in charge, we aren't going to sign football league quality players because football league quality players are going to want to play for a side that doesn't put a relegation on their CV and doesn't have a reputation for not paying their players on time. Even Solihull Moors would be a more attractive prospect to any decent footballer at the moment than us.

 

[Austin the Shrimper]

I wonder how many games this losing streak will be allowed to go this time? I think before because of the embargo Ron was right to give MM time. This time it will be different though. I think he needs to gets some results going in next few games or Ron wont have any choice but throw the dice and make a change.

 

[Shrimpet steve]

What does that have to do with MM? It doesn't matter who is in charge, we aren't going to sign football league quality players because football league quality players are going to want to play for a side that doesn't put a relegation on their CV and doesn't have a reputation for not paying their players on time. Even Solihull Moors would be a more attractive prospect to any decent footballer at the moment than us.

Sorry I have to disagree.Whats gone on in the past is in now in the past!! As far as I'm concerned we are now paying our players and MM has had the opportunity to bring in his own players.The player's brought in are quite simply not good enough,but there are many players,many free agents out there who would jump at the chance to play for us as they dont have clubs and do have Bill's to pay! There are loads of free agents who are better then what we have.

 

[in the know]

MM is not a PE teacher at all is he. He is a professional footballing man through and through- all be it at the beginning of his managerial career. The comment of course applies to his supporting team. I do think its an issue- Fagan would have brought Colin Calderwood as number 2 (alleged Fagan was going to work with Demi but Ron felt as a young manager he would need an experienced number 2- something Ron then completely forgot about when MM was presenting his team). A wise old head who has seen and done it would have been very useful I think.

This could still become potentially what happens. Or something along similar lines. Before the recent purple patch MM was getting close to the edge, and I understood the feeling was that if MM got terminated his team would probably all follow him out the door of their own accord with little financial consequence to RM other than for MMs position. This then leaves the options pre MM as possibly what would see us stay up or sink.
For what it's worth id hang my hat on MM - for having improved us to the point of being in touch and With the knowledge gleaned. I don't see dithering over a new manager will be of benefit currently. Especially bearing in mind the time Ron takes dithering. Even if it was simply reverting to Fagan, who may still be a bit spikey from the last snubbing.
However, as I said in a post on one thread or another, MM must stop his dillusions of being pep and go with what works for our limited abilities and players. 4-1-4-1 or similar but not 3\5 at the back. Boss the midfield like we have shown we can. If needed being on a big lump with a long throw with 15 to go.
League 2 tactics for league 2 players. Aim for 3rd from bottom via ugly means of needed. Take yellows if needed but planned and spread throughout the team. Must win games need must win tactics