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

[philtalkin]

Wiggy, even with your most Darryl tinted glasses on, you have to accept that Morris had one of his poorest games ever for Blues?

Did you actually read Wiggys's post? I think he kind of conceded on that point!

 

[sky240286]

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

You're watching a different Dickinson to myself and everyone around me at the games then. Gives up halfway when chasing the ball or jumping for a header.

 

[Greebosan]

Poor team selection as already stated. I assume the inclusion of Kalala at home was to provide some defensive cover to allow Baldwin a chance to bed in. Oh well. I did think Baldwin looked good, but then he is the type of player I like - confident with the ball and willing to hold onto it. Hall marked out of the game again - Martin should have started to provide width. Sampson looked good - probably worth another start. Dickinson worked hard as usual. Spoke to my mate at half time who was listening on the radio - he asked me why Timlin wasn't playing - shows how much of an influence he was able to have stuck on the wing!

Not our worst performance by far - that was Bradford at home.

Poor result, but against an excellent side.

 

[Flinty]

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.

This

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.

and this


Morris very poor, Dickinson was woeful.....

I did like the look of Sampson and think he will have something to offer.....at least Mohsni brightened the evening up a little !

 

[Onion_Bag_Dave]

Sadly they were quicker all over the pitch not necessarily that much better technically just quicker.

Also we were unlucky. We had a spell for about 15 minutes where we had 4 or 5 good chances.

If only we started the game like we started the second half.

They had all the luck today, things happening for them that were happening to us in our brilliant run. Hands up Di Canio has got them playing well. If only the ball bounced a bit nicer like it did for them. Could have quite easily been 4-4.

Disappointing.

Think we should start on Saturday how we finished last night!

EDIT - OH one more thing...geering Dicko OUR top scorer when he's substituted. LOL. And booing at half time. hmm.....

 

[Jam_Man]

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?

Totally agree with almost everything youve said there. Especially Sampson, I thought he was very good second half. good on the ball, keen to have a shot and thought he had scored when he went close.

Only thing I disagree with is that last comment. We lost to what is the best team in the league that Ive seen. That doesnt mean we are going to be unable to beat all the other teams that we have beaten already to get us in the top 3.

We do need to get results against the top 8 teams but can still get promoted by beating the others.

Need some bouncebackability against Plymouth now and probably could do with Swindon winning this league and beating the top teams for us.

 

[Clinton Baptiste]

Luggy should look at himself not just blame the players. Persistently negative team selections at home, showing opposition too much respect. Tried to contain their right side in the JPT trophy and it didnt work, he pretty much did the same again last night and....it didnt work! Kane, dropped because he was being bullied out of games acc. to Luggy, so throws him back in against the best midfield in the division! As soon as I saw the team my heart sank, the midfield should be built around Timlin as the defence should be around Phillips.

Can see Rotherham doing us at home next time unless things improve.

 

[Firestorm]

FBM's comment about the work rate was spot on, they got men back behind the ball, closed down, chased and broke quickly.
I do wonder if they could have maintained it without the very regular breathers they were tacking though, men down at every opportunity, slow throws goal kick, free kicks, not only did it break the play up but it did allow recovery.

Personally I thought Bensons movement was great and something only Bil does up top for us, sits wide or in a position he really doesn't want to be in, leaving space wher he wants to be, the ball goes in there and he attacks it, with the less fleet of foot centre backs in this division it really pays off

 

[Jam_Man]

You can blame the selection all you like but when the players and in particular the defence play like they did last night we had no hope. Unable to head the ball properly, clear their lines, falling over the ball, running into each other.

 

[Supa Shrimpa]

Totally outclassed. I got the feeling that if we had scored a 2nd they would have upped their game and got 6. We were taught a lesson on how to deliver balls to strikers, how to hold the ball up, how to counter attack, how to keep possession, how to chase down when not in possession...the list go's on.

Morris - 4. Several key errors, and looked shaky afterwards.
Clohessy - 6. Did his best but had an uphill struggle
Barker - 5. Off the pace. Doesn't seem to be as loud and commanding at the moment. A big worry
Baldwin - 5 Looked rusty in the first 10 mins. Got stronger as the game went on.
Gilbert - 4. Sunk to new depths tonight. Ritchie gave him a torrid time.

Timlin - 6. Below his usual standard, but worked his socks off.
Kalala - 6. Battled hard, but we were 2nd best in midfield
Ferdinand - 6. Some tidy play, but was out muscled at times.
Hall - 6. They doubled up on him, and by being greedy it played into their hands.

Dickinson - 6. First touch was poor, but can't fault his workrate.
Sampson - 6. Gave everything, but it just didn't click with Dicko.

Subs

Mohsni - 7 Looked our best player when he came on. Nice touches and always a threat.
Martin - 7 Can't believe he didn't start. Gives us better balance and was just starting to find his feet.

MOTM. The Blue Voice. Yes, they have been quieter for the past few home games, but last night they were a credit to our club. No matter what the score they got right behind the lads. Guys...take a bow. I did my best to get the Family Enc going but they "only sign when we're winning".

I've not criticised Luggy much before, because in general he gets things right, but last night i'm afraid he got it all wrong. I was fortunate to be at Northampton only two weeks ago and you could see that we had a better shape and that Martin and Benyon were starting blend in nicely. Ferdinand hasn't played for weeks and Baldwin looked rusty. Still, it's not the end of the world. We could still have Tilly who thought Benson and Hooper would never make it.

 

[ooh-andy-ansah]

I think some of you should lay off Baldwin, he clearly isn't ready to start but is that his fault ? Sturrock has to take the blame 100% and should have known better than to put Baldwin in that situation.

 

[greyerfox]

"We were taught a lesson on how to deliver balls to strikers, how to hold the ball up, how to counter attack, how to keep possession, how to chase down when not in possession...the list go's on."

Spot on Super Kings. We are so slow out of the blocks. From the first whistle it was clear that one team was up for it. The tempo at which Di Canio had Town playing throughout was an example to Luggy and his players. No taking the pedal off the gas at 3-1 up. We should not have been found wanting in desire in such an important match. This was a very worrying night. Plymouth will be fighting for their lives on Sat. Not the sort of game one would wish for to follow such a depressing performance.

 

[Ayrshire Blue]

Sturrock has to take 100% of the blame for last night. He got it totally wrong.

We showed them far too much respect at home. The midfield was so defensive and unbalanced.

Baldwin looked like the tin man. Bilel should have started at the back, if the dressing room really is influencing his first team involvement then it's not going to work!

Morris was at fault for at least 2 of the goals, the 1st and 4th one. You just cannot get beaten at your near post and it was a routine take for the 4th and he spilled it.

Ultimately we were beaten by a better side and I'll always admit that when we have been but Swindon weren't even in a game last night, we made it so easy for them.

We've played them 3 times now this season and in all 3 games we haven't shown up.

 

[Jam_Man]

I think some of you should lay off Baldwin, he clearly isn't ready to start but is that his fault ? Sturrock has to take the blame 100% and should have known better than to put Baldwin in that situation.

Baldwin was awful but dont think anyone is judging him by that one game.

As for Sturrock taking the blame I was glad to see Baldwin in the side and most people who listed their team sheets had Baldwin in and Barker was just as poor.

 

[united we stand]

I can take it that they were a better team than us
I can take it that the team selection did not work
I can take it that we look poor at the back without Philips
I can take it when we play poor football

I CANT TAKE THE TOTAL LACK OF EFFORT FOR ALL OF THE FIRST HALF AND HALF THE SECOND HALF!

The lack of effort in closing players down and making challenges was totally pathetic and shamefull.
Was Dickinson injured, or he just didn't give a xxxx last night? You defend from the front , there were so so many examples of lack of effort it was untrue. I took a mate for the first time last night and he could not beleive how much time we gave them all over the pitch

So angry its untrue. We have good players, but if we put that much effort in again we will be beat again

 

[united we stand]

Dickinson - 6. First touch was poor, but can't fault his workrate.
.

I can't agree with that, his work rate was crap IMO , he never took a chance and anticipated a flick on and ran on, he did not close their defenders down , or the keeper for that manner, he does not challenge with conviction. He looekd either unfit/injured/ or not in the right mindset . For workrate look how they closed down our defence

 

[Grayson]

You just cannot get beaten at your near post.

I've not seen the goal, so I'm not referring to last night, and I'm not having a pop at you here, but I hate this overused and often incorrect cliché. There are many instances where a keeper has no chance at his near post, but this phrase has come into common consensus amongst football fans in this country. Damn Sky Sports.

 

[colonelnutter]

Totally outclassed. I got the feeling that if we had scored a 2nd they would have upped their game and got 6. We were taught a lesson on how to deliver balls to strikers, how to hold the ball up, how to counter attack, how to keep possession, how to chase down when not in possession...the list go's on.

Morris - 4. Several key errors, and looked shaky afterwards.
Clohessy - 6. Did his best but had an uphill struggle
Barker - 5. Off the pace. Doesn't seem to be as loud and commanding at the moment. A big worry
Baldwin - 5 Looked rusty in the first 10 mins. Got stronger as the game went on.
Gilbert - 4. Sunk to new depths tonight. Ritchie gave him a torrid time.

Timlin - 6. Below his usual standard, but worked his socks off.
Kalala - 6. Battled hard, but we were 2nd best in midfield
Ferdinand - 6. Some tidy play, but was out muscled at times.
Hall - 6. They doubled up on him, and by being greedy it played into their hands.

Dickinson - 6. First touch was poor, but can't fault his workrate.
Sampson - 6. Gave everything, but it just didn't click with Dicko.

Subs

Mohsni - 7 Looked our best player when he came on. Nice touches and always a threat.
Martin - 7 Can't believe he didn't start. Gives us better balance and was just starting to find his feet.

MOTM. The Blue Voice. Yes, they have been quieter for the past few home games, but last night they were a credit to our club. No matter what the score they got right behind the lads. Guys...take a bow. I did my best to get the Family Enc going but they "only sign when we're winning".

I've not criticised Luggy much before, because in general he gets things right, but last night i'm afraid he got it all wrong. I was fortunate to be at Northampton only two weeks ago and you could see that we had a better shape and that Martin and Benyon were starting blend in nicely. Ferdinand hasn't played for weeks and Baldwin looked rusty. Still, it's not the end of the world. We could still have Tilly who thought Benson and Hooper would never make it.

Deaf and dumb SUFC supportes choir? Right on!

 

[Roberto]

Well as a Swindon fan and i havent come on here to gloat i got blasted by a few of you as i said the training regime that Paolo has given our players this season he has said will pay off as we will be the fittest team in the league and tonight i think proved it and as much as i like Timlin he was let go by Paolo as Timlin dodnt like the training the same applied to Clarke and anyone else that doesnt like it.

Also we play football on the floor and i prefer the Paolo way to alot of teams in L2 who just hoof it up the pitch in hope for a second ball to drop for one of their players.

I do think Paolo outsussed Sturrock tonight in his tactics and got it spot on and although he is a rooky manager despite all the Paolo haters around Esssex way he is an intelligent bloke and has proved it many times this season. The nice thing about him as well is he has held his hand up when he has been wrong.

Anyway good luck for thr rest of the season and i hope we both go up in automatic but us obviously as champions.

 

[EastStandBlue]

Thoroughly disheartening performance and result, not least because of how poor we were, but because of the sheer gulf in class between us and Swindon on the night. I’d like to think that was Swindon at their very best and us at our very worst, because that’s about as poor as I’ve seen us all season.

To start with I can, on some level, see the reasoning behind the ever-so-slightly baffling team selection. Starting with Timlin on the left instead of Martin was obviously a ploy to try and contain Ritchie, but it backfired because of Kane’s performance in midfield. I don’t think anybody expected Swindon to be quite so energetic and resurgent given their FA Cup exploits, but they were at our throats from the first whistle to last. Ferdinand hates that, I’ve seen him shrivel up at the mere thought of being pressured and it just wasn’t the game for him. If we’d gone for a 4-5-1, with Timlin inside and Ferdinand pushed slightly forward, then things might’ve been different, but then we’re capping our own attacking threat, something Sturrock probably isn’t too fond of at home.

That said, I can’t see why things weren’t changed to try and help us win the battle in midfield. Particularly on the counter, Swindon tore through us several times during the first half with clever and incisive passing, Ritchie usually the culprit, and he gave Gilbert a predictably torrid time. He was helped massively though by the excellent work from Benson up top, who gave Baldwin the worst introduction to live back on the coast imaginable.

It’s a shame we couldn’t afford Benson in the end, because last night he gave a textbook example of targetman play. Moved into positions to drag Baldwin all over the place, held the ball up well and always looked to bring Ritchie into the game. He was boisterous, lively and commanding, the antithesis to our entire performance.

The less said about Baldwin, the better. I can’t see why there’s criticism of his inclusion from some on here, as most cited him as the defender of choice in their desired pre-match line-ups, but he was painfully inadequate yesterday. West Ham reserves can’t have offered much if we kept a clean sheet at the weekend, because everything about Barker and Baldwin last night was calamitous at best. Here’s hoping that Phillips’ injury has cleared by Saturday and Baldwin can recover quickly, because I fear for Barker now. He looks spent.

One of the worst things for me, however, was just how gullible and naïve we were in our defending of set pieces. Swindon tried the same trick during pretty much every corner they had. Kennedy made a darting run to offer the short, which drew Hall out of his area to mark him. This wouldn’t necessarily be a problem, but for some reason JPK left his post to do precisely the same and, on occasion, Gilbert followed him for a jolly little jaunt across the box. Why we’d ever have three men blocking the delivery is beyond me, but the same thing happened pretty much every time Swindon had a corner. This left unmarked men running into space, causing havoc and scoring goals. Diabolical, and something I dare day PS hit the roof about afterwards.

I felt for Morris, mainly because of the shambles he had protecting him. A few unforced errors resulted in him putting in a poor display, but even Lev Yashin would’ve felt unnerved with what was in front of Morris last night.

Back to our midfield, and I thought we, by and large, were merely ordinary. Timlin tried to dictate the game from the left-hand side, which wasn’t quite working, and he grew more and more frustrated as the game wore on. He was pretty lucky not to receive a straight red for the foul late on, as from where I was sitting it was late, high and pretty reckless. Kalala took his goal well and tried his level best to carry out his role, but he desperately needed assistance from somewhere.

Hall was completely shut out for most of the game and only offered a few opportunities to show what he’s capable of, something I don’t particularly think he took very well. There were few shakes and shimmys, one of which completely baffled Caddis (the best full-back in the division for me), but by and large he was found wanting. When he came on, I thought Martin looked very lively and dangerous, getting to the byline on a few occasions and looking to knock a cross in, but by that time the game was lost. Martin offers us balance, something we desperately needed last night, and something we’ll definitely need on Saturday. Ditch Kane, bring Timlin back inside and have our natural width stretch Plymouth, please.

Up top, I thought both Dickinson and Sampson battled fairly well, even if Sampson took about 10 minutes to shake some early nerves. It was plain to see, however, that the pair had next to no understanding, as both players were putting flick-ons into space that the other wasn’t reading or picking up. McCormack, who I’m pleased to see is just as detestable as ever, was never the quickest across the ground, so I can’t see why Benyon wasn’t thrown into the mire. He’s got good movement and quick feet, needs games and at least had something resembling an understanding with Dicko, so that baffled me somewhat.

More abuse from Dickinson last night, and it’s becoming more personal now which, for my part, is shocking conduct. No, the performance and result was poor, but it in no way condones some of the abuse. He’s a marked man now, much like Corr was despite scoring 20 goals last season.

Sampson definitely has something worth pursuing, though. Extend his loan and see what he can do in a team that knows where his flicks and touches are headed. During the first 10 minutes of the first half when we looked to be getting back into the game, he gave McCormack a bit of bother (to which El Macca responded with a few snide nudges).

All in all, I thought we were outgunned, outfought and overrun by a Swindon team who had doses of quality all over the pitch. I think we were all surprised by just how much they had left in the tank, but probably not surprised by how much they had to offer in terms of ability and class. Ritchie’s a class act, the best in the division, and Benson was phenomenal. Caddis gave his flank assurance, and Foderingham’s distribution was top notch. They’re the front runners for promotion in my eyes.

Good to see Di Canio’s still on the blow, though. Fidgeting all game, constantly baying to his boss in the director’s box like some kind of performing monkey and he’s got all the attributes of a thoroughly objectionable tit. Fair play to him though, he’s spent his money wisely and assembled a team that’ll win this league.