Post-Match Thread and Ratings Southend United 1-4 Swindon Town

[Boreham Blue]

Agree with pretty much all that has been said. I think Sampson was quite a good move. Looked big and strong and with Macca in defence we should have exploited it. Bilel showed how it should be done with hardly a wrong touch. Morris didn't know whether to come or stay and back 4 were all over the place. I would have liked to see Grant in CM with Timlin. I think Swindon will win the league and the other spots might depend on the mini league at the top.

 

[southendkid]

I think people are giving Swindon way too much credit this evening - The reason we lost this game, IMO, is all down to Luggy I'm afraid.

I don't think I have ever found a cause to bemoan anything he has done during his tenure, but tonight, he got it so wrong it was untrue. Granted, the players let themselves down completely, but right from the get go, our team selection and tactics were awry.

Firstly, bringing in Baldwin to the back four when he has barely played was a massive mistake. We're up against one of the best players at this level in Matt Ritchie, and a proven scorer in Benson, and he was completely at sea all night. Not only that, the entire back four were out of sorts, and looked completely bereft of organisation. Surely, surely, surely Mohsni had to be in alongside Barks? They know how to play alongside each other and have an understanding - Yes, Mohsni can be a risk at times, but I struggle to imagine how even a ropey Mohsni could have been any worse!

Secondly, the midfield was completely wrong. We have 2 out and out wingers in Martin and Hall, we're at home in a 6 pointer. and what do we do? Play 3 central midfielders with Timlin on the left!! I'm sorry, but Timlin had to be in the centre with JPK and Martin on the left to give us balance, creativity and a threat. The midfield was far too negative for this type of game, and if the idea was to negate the passing game of Swindon, it could not have back fired more!

Lastly, why was Benyon dropped? He's starting to find his feet, looked lively at Northampton and Shrewsbury, and tonight, he's on the bench - Nothing against Samson, but there was simply no mobility up top this evening, and having two tall strikers and then dropping one of your wingers makes no sense to me.

I really believe we were beaten before we started tonight. Swindon are a decent team, but how decent we will never know as they didn't have to work for any of their goals. We need Phillips back, and quick!

Lastly, biggest disappointment for me this evening - the shameful reaction of the crowd towards Dickinson AGAIN!. I really am struggling to comprehend some people at Roots Hall - No, he's not got the best touch, no, he'll never be Lionel Messi, but by God does he work his socks off for this team, and he scores goals - he is, after all, our top goalscorer! There was someone quite close to me whose only contribution vocally was to shout 'Get him off, he's f***in useless' on countless occasions. I had a similar idiot sitting next to me at Northampton the other week - Only to be chanting his name with delight later on during the game! If I was him, I'd find it difficult to find any reason to put in the effort he does when he gets that treatment from his own fans.

Agree with all of that, although I thought Dickinson was woeful. There is never any reason to boo a player, but Sampson looked 10 times more threatening and intelligent than Dickinson did, I would start Benyon and Sampson against Plymouth.

 

[dan_mays]

A very poor defensive display we missed Phillips badly, the other didn't seem to no whos job was what, there was no leadership at the back and to round it off some silly goalkeeping errors.
Unfortunately on his return Baldwin looked off the pace tonight, we should of had the strength of Moshni at the back to combat the runs of the swindon front 4 who we struggled with all night.
A great finish by kalala but a very disappointing display but some of the players tonight, we were as bad tonight as we were at cheltenham away it was men against boys errors again.

But PS will turn that defeat into a defeat at his old stomping ground on saturday and we will see a very good performance from dicko, barker and gilbert against their former clubs.

Team for sat,

Morris, Clohessy, Phillips if fit (If not Moshni, Barker, Gilbert
Hall, Timlin, Kalala, Martin
Dickenson, Benyon

UTB

 

[Prawn]

Well this wasn't the result I wanted to wake up to this morning! I'm glad I didn't get up early and listen to the game.

By reading the above posts it seems that Luggy got the selections wrong and we played well below par.

One bad result will not cost us automatic promotion IMHO.

We're away to Plymouth this weekend and if we get our game back on track I confidently predict a comfortable win.

 

[Shrimpergonzo]

Can't really blame Luggy too much for this - most of us called a very similar team before the game.

Can't add much to what has already been said, my ratings FWIW:

Morris 4
Clohessy 6
Baldwin 5
Barker 4
Gilbert 4

Hall 6
Timlin 6
Ferdinand 4
JPK 7

Dickinson 4
Sampson 7.5

Subs:

Mohsni 8
Martin 7

Both we and Swindon have got to play Crawley and Cheltenham and those two teams still have to play each other, so it's far from over yet. However we need a reaction and I would suggest 7 from the next 9 points would have us back on track.

 

[WESTY_SUFC]

Then there is Mohsni. Has more passion in his little finger than the whole team put together. Intelligent play, good runs, good passes and very unlucky not to score.

I dont want to moan on here about tonights performance too much as i could be writing all day and there were plenty of things to pick out so i want to point this out. If all the players gave half the heart and quality that Moshni brings to the team we would smash teams of Swindons quality every week.

 

[henry18]

im sorry but glenn morris was to blame for all 4 goals
1) should never be beaten at your near post
2) should have come a claimed the ball at the back post
3) Well where to start got caught in the dreaded no mans land
4) poor handling and palmed it straight to there striker

 

[Lord Football]

Swindon, best team I've seen all season and on that showing will win the league. If you think I am wrong, name a better side we've met this season?

Totally agree that Timlin should have been in the middle at the expense of Ferdinand, with Morris on the wing. Baldwin, well he was always going to start, it does seem Mohsni's role in this team is as a "super sub".

Defensively, utterly shambolic. All fours goals in one way or another were down to Morris who had his worst game since his arrival. The first goal he should have stopped, second he should have come for, third went over his head from the corner and the fourth, well we all saw that. I'm not sure bringing in a loanee would be beneficial as it could possibly finish him. That said, in his defence those in front of him were equally culpable. Barker is clearly not fit or massively out of form, Gilbert is limited and Baldwin wasn't ready, which isn't good when you have the turning circle of the Ark Royal.

If I am honest, we were totally outplayed for all the game bar a little spell before they scored the fourth.

Whilst I can understand people being grumpy about what the are witnessing, I really fail to see how yelling "you're sh!t" at your own players can possibly help. Or booing Dicko and Gilbert. Or chanting "what a load of rubbish".

 

[GNH]

Truly dreadful, still angry now.

Morris at fault for all four goals IMO. Beaten at near post, 2 cross that came down 3 yards out which he got nowhere near and the last was just embarrassing. He was not helped by the inept defending in front of him though.

Our "direct" style came back to haunt us today. One thing you cant afford to give a side of Swindon's style of play is possession which we did in bucket loads as too many balls forward were not held onto. They were happy to defend deep and then break with pace and with numbers which our immobile defence and unbalanced midfield couldn't handle. Why PS didn't see fit to instruct the team to keep hold of the ball more to stifle their flare is beyond me. Swindon wanted the ball more than us and the passion instilled by Di Canio was evident even at 4-1 up as they chased and harried our back four in an attempt to win the ball back. They were not the most skillful side we have played by they were by far the best "team" and will be amazed if they don't go up.

It was truly a team vs 11 individuals today

 

[Angell Delight]

Total dog****. Defence was a disgrace. Only ones to come out of it with credibility were Sampson and the crowd. In particular W Block, who upped their game tonight. Shame the players didnt. Oh well another defeat to a top 7 side. We're a long way off as it stands.

Agree with all of this, well apart from the fact that I'd give Mohsni some credibility tonight alongside Sampson. The entire back 4 was dire and Morris......well he outright cost us at least 2 goals and should have done better with the others. Letting Luke Daniels go was a big mistake....when does the loan window re-open? :unsure:

 

[Angell Delight]

Odd selection by Sturrock, too negative. I rate Ferdinand, but Martin should've started.
Morris was poor (bring Daniels back, please!) defence all over the place, in particular Barker. Could let Baldwin off for being short of match fitness.
Up front, thought Sampson did well, Dickinson needs to up his work rate to stay in the team for my liking. Not as if we don't have other strikers to come in.
Like mentioned already, only real positives were Mohsni, and not having to play Swindon again this season.
Automatic promotion? ha! will struggle to make play-offs if we keep getting spanked by the teams around us.

Is that a serious comment? Dickinson works his nuts off for the side every game!

 

[Fiftyone]

Outclassed!!.

 

[wiggy]

Odd selection by Sturrock, too negative. I rate Ferdinand, but Martin should've started.
Morris was poor (bring Daniels back, please!) defence all over the place, in particular Barker. Could let Baldwin off for being short of match fitness.
Up front, thought Sampson did well, Dickinson needs to up his work rate to stay in the team for my liking. Not as if we don't have other strikers to come in.
Like mentioned already, only real positives were Mohsni, and not having to play Swindon again this season.
Automatic promotion? ha! will struggle to make play-offs if we keep getting spanked by the teams around us.

Typical claptrap, yes Morris had a poor game but he has been one of our most consistent performers all year until Sturrock forced a prelonged absence on him. Ask the Bristol fans what they think of butter fingers Daniels and then be grateful for a consistent keeper that has had a rare bad night. He was in good company starting with the manager who as usual refused to go for a win at home along with the rest of the pathetic bunch. As for Gilbert, well he must be the worst full backs in the league!

 

[admam89]

how bilel did not start i will never know. one of the biggest games of the season and sturrock doesnt select bilel to start?? what is going on :nope:

the crowd were good tonight though considering the result

 

[dan_mays]

I would have to say that Cheltenham are the best side we have faced so far. When we played them away it could of easily been 6 or 7 if not for the woodwork on a number of occasions. However in that game it was men vs boys and exactly the same this evening. Against the bigger sides our defence goes to pot, crawley away, cheltenham away, swindon away and at home we have been dire at the back. We missed Phillips big time this evening we were short of a leader at the back tonight. I agree PS seems to use Moshni as a super sub however he should of started as a cb tonight in place of phillips and if that happened I dont think their front 4 would of been as dominant against us.

I totally agree though that the booing and abuse of individuals has to stop it seems as though recently that Dicko and Gilbert are being singled out.
I am not Gilberts biggest fan however he is there playing in the Southend shirt and is in the team picked each week so lets get behind him, he is our only natural left back and there is no other player we can put in his place unless barker goes there.
As for Dickenson I really like the guy he has 12 goals this season and does alot of running, his ball control in the final third is pretty poor but all in all he is always about in the box.

Lets get behind the lads and turn these 2 defeats into a thumping victory on Saturday

Swindon, best team I've seen all season and on that showing will win the league. If you think I am wrong, name a better side we've met this season?

Totally agree that Timlin should have been in the middle at the expense of Ferdinand, with Morris on the wing. Baldwin, well he was always going to start, it does seem Mohsni's role in this team is as a "super sub".

Defensively, utterly shambolic. All fours goals in one way or another were down to Morris who had his worst game since his arrival. The first goal he should have stopped, second he should have come for, third went over his head from the corner and the fourth, well we all saw that. I'm not sure bringing in a loanee would be beneficial as it could possibly finish him. That said, in his defence those in front of him were equally culpable. Barker is clearly not fit or massively out of form, Gilbert is limited and Baldwin wasn't ready, which isn't good when you have the turning circle of the Ark Royal.

If I am honest, we were totally outplayed for all the game bar a little spell before they scored the fourth.

Whilst I can understand people being grumpy about what the are witnessing, I really fail to see how yelling "you're sh!t" at your own players can possibly help. Or booing Dicko and Gilbert. Or chanting "what a load of rubbish".

 

[Shrimpergonzo]

Timlin should have been in the middle at the expense of Ferdinand, with Morris on the wing

Well I suppose he couldn't have been any worse there than he was in goal last night!

 

[yogi bear up the cagire]

Two things. Firstly, I thought that Swindon will not only have frightened their other promotion contenders but will have also sent a warning to the sides they are likely to meet in League One next year.
Secondly, this is probably totally ridiculous but, if rumours on here prove to be founded, could it just possibly be, that dramatic events off the pitch had some effect on our performance last night???

 

[OldBlueLady]

Typical claptrap, yes Morris had a poor game but he has been one of our most consistent performers all year until Sturrock forced a prelonged absence on him. Ask the Bristol fans what they think of butter fingers Daniels and then be grateful for a consistent keeper that has had a rare bad night. He was in good company starting with the manager who as usual refused to go for a win at home along with the rest of the pathetic bunch. As for Gilbert, well he must be the worst full backs in the league!

Wiggy, even with your most Darryl tinted glasses on, you have to accept that Morris had one of his poorest games ever for Blues? In a match where we needed to be strong and alert, we looked like a team that had just had nearly two weeks off and done absolutely no practice whatsoever. The whole of the defence were awful. I think, in truth, everyone expected Swindon to be knackered after their FA Cup game, and clearly they weren't.

Definitely the wrong team selection, I'd much rather have seen Mohsni or Prosser start than Baldwin, but having said that, I think it's unfair to pick on Baldwin when our skipper was so clearly off his game. Gilbert had an awful evening too, got turned inside out down that left wing - exposed because Martin wasn't there till later on to give him a little protection. Midfield was just the most perplexing selection ever. If ever a game called out for Grant, I felt this was one...if we were going to play 3 centre mids then it should have been Grant and not Kane, at least he can play down the wing, unlike Timlin. Swindon were quick to work on Hall, and it wasn't until first Mohsni, and then Martin came on, that we started to stretch the midfield - something we should have done from the word go. Mohsni and Martin changed our formation and it made a difference, we started to look at least interested in the game. I appreciate why Mohsni is being used as a sub, but I felt he could (and possibly should) have started in defence.

Up top, well, wasn't that impressed with Sampson, especially not alongside Dickinson. Either of them would have been better with a harder worker like Benyon or Harris, both were competing for the same space.

Swindon were one of the best sides I've seen this season, they were organised, committed and devastatingly quick on the break. Fair play to di Canio, he's built himself a very decent side.

 

[fbm]

What impressed me about Swindon was their incredible fitness levels and work rate. They pressed us everywhere at every opportunity all game and never relaxed, even at 4-1 up.

Having said that, they scored with 4 of their 5 or 6 chances. We also created 5 or 6 and got 1.

At 2-1 we were just getting back into the game after a really slow start when the 3rd knocked the stuffing out of us. The opening 10 minutes of the second half we threw everything at them, Mohsni had a header cleared off the line and another scrambled away, Sampson went just wide with a terrific shot and Mohsni again nearly caught the keeper out with an audacious long shot.

Their 4th put the nail in the coffin and Benson should have scored a 5th late on.

We were outplayed, outfought, outrun and bullied tonight.

Ratings

Morris - 3. Worst game I've seen him play.

Clohessy - 5
Barker - 4
Baldwin - 3 - But to expect him to step into this after over 3 months out was ridiculous
Gilbert - 5

Timlin - 6
Ferdinand - 4
Kalala - 6
Hall - 6

Dickinson - 4
Sampson - first half 2, second half 7. Looked good without Dicko alongside him.

Subs

Mohsni - 8 - MOM and showed he is the maost talented player we have
Martin - 7 - Has a nice turn of pace but wish he'd use it more


That could be an awful defeat for us, confidence wise. 17 games without a win, anyone?

 

[philtalkin]

Typical claptrap, yes Morris had a poor game but he has been one of our most consistent performers all year until Sturrock forced a prelonged absence on him. Ask the Bristol fans what they think of butter fingers Daniels and then be grateful for a consistent keeper that has had a rare bad night. He was in good company starting with the manager who as usual refused to go for a win at home along with the rest of the pathetic bunch. As for Gilbert, well he must be the worst full backs in the league!

Agreed! Morris had a bad game, but it is the only bad game I can remember him having.