Post-Match Thread and Ratings Southend United 2-0 Dorking Wanderers

[Swiss Tony]

I sit very close to the dug out in East Greens. Have done for years. There are a small handful of fans around me that are very quick to moan when the ball doesn’t go forward with every pass. I am continually calling them out on it. The cries of shoot when a player is 35 yards out is not unique to any one part of the ground.
It ****es me off. Not that it really matters at all and I get both Kev’s and Darren’s frustrations but their reactions to my immediate area of East Greens is also ****ing me off. There is real anger directed to my area of the greens when we score from the management team.

I am their biggest fan and have huge appreciation for the work they have done and continue to do. I enjoy the style of football we play. But their reaction/ interaction ****es me off.

So are we allowed to shout shoot to any of our players? just asking for future reference.

 

[andyblue]

There's a couple of guys in the south upper, I used to sit near them about 20 years ago, they were toxic, only ever criticizing. I called them out on it once and received a mouthful of venom back. They still attend games, I suspect they haven't changed, they will probably reckon they're Southends biggest fans as they've had season tickets for 30 odd years - personally I think we'd be better off without them!

I sat in the south upper on Saturday and had 4-5 moaners behind me. They didn’t stop the entire match and I didn’t hear a single word of encouragement. I bit my tongue as was with my partner. We are usually in the west stand…..won’t be back in the south in a hurry.

 

[Target man]

Thought Maher was spot on in his post match interview, while Paul Clark was overly pessimistic. Was amazed to hear boos at half time on Saturday, for instance. This collective bunch of players (very much like Kev) have loads of credit left yet. People have short memories.

Waldron and Cardwell very much still a work in progress. This will improve with full preseasons for them both, until then, they do need to work out which of them is going for the ball up top as too often they both challenge for the same one. Both industrious and hard working, I am sure this partnership will come good. Dackers looked hungry when he came on too, I was impressed with his challenging.

Midfield looked much better though I thought Morton was the weakest of the three at times as things seemed to pass him by from time to time. Husin had one of his best performances for a long time and Miley kept doing Miley things in consistently breaking up play.

Defensively, I was very impressed with young Woodman. Looked comfortable on the ball going forwards and boy, could he pick a pass! Little bit of work to do defensively, but that will come with game time. Quite solid, and no real qualms about Ralph getting MOTM, could have gone to any of him, Noor, Gus, Woodman or Cardwell, and he has been really good in recent games too.

Lovely free kick from Gus, that will do him the world of good, and Bridge showed more versatility than usual.

Collin - 7
Gus - 7
Woodman - 7.5
Crowther - 7
Ralph - 7.5 MOTM
Bridge - 7
Miley - 7
Morton - 6.5
Husin - 7.5
Waldron - 7
Cardwell - 7.5

Onward and upward. 8 unbeaten. Let's keep it going.

Great assessment

 

[jackj13]

I sit in the East stand (armoured hat donned!) The cries of shoot for Woodman were ironic and happen at every football ground. Can understand why Maher was a little miffed as we lost the ball and he was never going to score.

The main thing he took exception too was when Sandat picked up the ball just inside the Dorking half was travelling towards their penalty area turned back 360 played the ball back to the halfway line and then it went back to Colin. Cue a few groans. Maher was indicating to the crowd if Dorking don't have the ball they can't score.

I think the thing is with how we play we see out the game professionally and just try and keep the ball wherever we or on the pitch even if that means going all the way back. I must admit I can understand in that instance why there were a few groans as we went from halfway inside the Dorking half back to Colin in 2 passes.

I get the impression a long season is starting to take its toll. I know Kev and the troops will give the last 8 the best they can but its unlikely will have enough. Which all things considering is a tremendous effort.

I think we're getting to the stage everyone needs a good rest, few additions, proper pre season and have a real crack at it next season.

 

[Leeboy]

The main thing he took exception too was when Sandat picked up the ball just inside the Dorking half was travelling towards their penalty area turned back 360 played the ball back to the halfway line and then it went back to Colin. Cue a few groans. Maher was indicating to the crowd if Dorking don't have the ball they can't score.

yeah the West wasn't happy about that either - tricky one, yes keep possession and see time out, however Dorking were there for the taking and we could have increased our goal difference.

Who'd be a football manager eh?

 

[C'mon you Shrimpers]

A few observations. Firstly Dorking were a decent team who I don't think will be relegated. Time will tell. I like Deon. Quite cultured good passer, decent header of the ball. I have a few prats sitting near me in the west. My brother who is an infrequent visitor summed one of them up when he was at a match recently. It was something similar to a marine implement to more a boat. However when Deon was stiding forward was I the only one who had images of Bilel in my head.

 

[GBJ]

We controlled the game without getting out of first gear, let alone second.

We could and should have scored more, but more importantly we got the win whilst keeping a clean sheet, something that we haven’t done in our previous six outings.

I thought Dorking looked quite similar to how we were around Christmas time. Kept the ball well, moved it around but looked a bit blunt up top.

Kev’s post match comments seem to be on the agenda more than the game itself, so my opinion is that he’s showing signs of frustration with certain parts of the fanbase & rightly so. It’s strange how other fans, managers & pundits think Kev has worked a miracle this season, whilst some elements of his own fanbase would happily see him gone.

I genuinely think we could be in Chesterfield’s position right now & some would still criticise.

Let’s stop beating around the bush and call it what it is, most of Kev’s critics stem from those who weren’t a fan of his as a player. And there were plenty of them back in the early 00’s. Those who slagged him off back then, had it shoved right back up them, and he’s doing it again now as well.

Good on him. We as a society have become so ****ing soft, we now get our knickers in a twist when reciprocating abuse is given back to us. You’ve slagged him off no end and up to this point, he’s proven you wrong. Suck it up.

 

[wiggy]

Just admit it, at this point you’d rather see Southend fail than Kev succeed.

Just saying that he was going like a lunatic to the East Green paying crowd who had the audacity to shout 'shooot' instead of stop and go backwards....along with other things!
He may have done well under difficult circumstances but there is no need to be rude and stroppy with what i think is a very fair crowd!

 

[SU BLUE]

8 games ago, after the (now very important) draw with Oxford, we were 16 points away from play offs. 8 games later, we have halved that deficit picking up 15 points in 8 games. With 8 games to go, can we make up the remaining deficit? Do we dare to dream?

Thing is if and it’s a big we win all our remaking games this season we will be back in league 2 next season. We can all hope.

 

[palexander]

...Kev’s post match comments seem to be on the agenda more than the game itself, so my opinion is that he’s showing signs of frustration with certain parts of the fanbase & rightly so. It’s strange how other fans, managers & pundits think Kev has worked a miracle this season, whilst some elements of his own fanbase would happily see him gone.

You really believe that?

Kev absolutely shouldnt be immune from any and all criticism - opinions is what football is all about and that shouldnt change. But I'd be stunned if anyone actually wants him gone, for me he's got sooooo much credit in the bank, when we had a wobble i while back, I said I'd easily back him into the NLS if that happened.

But I can see why people are frustrated with our play some times. Happened multiple times I counted last night with Morton, Coker, Waldron others too, got the ball on halfway, turned and had space, but you can just see it in them, they aren't allowed to be brave - they checked back - which as a watching fan is infuriating tbh. Kevs comments after the game 100% confirmed this with the Woodman comment "dont shoot, keep the ball" and that in a nutshell is Kevs philosophy and I think the players are afraid to express themselves sometimes.

Also all fans shout "SHOOT!" when a player is in that position, whether its Harry Kane or Harry Taylor. Its just a "thing" and Kev shouldnt be upset about it and call out fans - or at least be a bit more light hearted.

 

[RHB]

We probably all need to remember that during the really dark period of this season we were all in it together, Coaches, players and fans. Now we are through the vast majority of the manure that togetherness is reverting to type for some. Reverting to type means screaming abuse from the stands when you want to, as I haven't been able to do it for months. The time for togetherness has thus passed it seems.

 

[MountainDrew]

I sit very close to the dug out in East Greens. Have done for years. There are a small handful of fans around me that are very quick to moan when the ball doesn’t go forward with every pass. I am continually calling them out on it. The cries of shoot when a player is 35 yards out is not unique to any one part of the ground.
It ****es me off. Not that it really matters at all and I get both Kev’s and Darren’s frustrations but their reactions to my immediate area of East Greens is also ****ing me off. There is real anger directed to my area of the greens when we score from the management team.

I am their biggest fan and have huge appreciation for the work they have done and continue to do. I enjoy the style of football we play. But their reaction/ interaction ****es me off.

100%

It’s like he’s acting against us fans, yesterday actually really irritated me, child like behaviour, Kev we are Southend United fans that enjoy our football, don’t aim your aggression at all of us because of one or two you don’t agree with. It’s the sort of thing I’d expect from the away opposition not our own man!
Grow up

 

[GBJ]

However when Deon was stiding forward was I the only one who had images of Bilel in my head.

Agree completely.

When the cries of “shoooot” came out, I had flash backs of Bilel striding forward and unleashing that 35-yard thunderbastard.

In honesty, I remember thinking to myself at that time, FFS Bilel don’t shoot from there. And again, I thought similar when Freddy lined that free kick up… so what do I know

 

[annie1954]

I sit very close to the dug out in East Greens. Have done for years. There are a small handful of fans around me that are very quick to moan when the ball doesn’t go forward with every pass. I am continually calling them out on it. The cries of shoot when a player is 35 yards out is not unique to any one part of the ground.
It ****es me off. Not that it really matters at all and I get both Kev’s and Darren’s frustrations but their reactions to my immediate area of East Greens is also ****ing me off. There is real anger directed to my area of the greens when we score from the management team.

I am their biggest fan and have huge appreciation for the work they have done and continue to do. I enjoy the style of football we play. But their reaction/ interaction ****es me off.

I must sit a few rows behind you and often watch Maher shouting back at the crowd he should learn to rise above that and just get on with the game, if someone has paid their £20 and wants to shout out so what it happens at every football ground every match,

 

[BILLERICAY BLUE]

100%

It’s like he’s acting against us fans, yesterday actually really irritated me, child like behaviour, Kev we are Southend United fans that enjoy our football, don’t aim your aggression at all of us because of one or two you don’t agree with. It’s the sort of thing I’d expect from the away opposition not our own man!
Grow up

Totally understood from Kev, if the fans are going to start asking the question of when he should go when we went through a bit of a sticky patch just before this unbeaten run started.

 

[Smiffy]

I think judging by some of the comments from the crowd, management and players in recent weeks, we have probably reached the point where this season just needs to hurry up and end to be honest. It's all getting a bit meh, a bit aggy etc and has ended up with some comments being made that probably aren't needed or necessary, from all sides.

It has taken its toll physically and more so mentally on every single one of us in the stands, on the pitch and in the offices. We all need that two or three month break, de-stress and refocus of minds, without having to worry about our club being wiped off the map over the summer.

With a refresh, a sale, a final goodbye and **** off to Ron, a proper summer of good news (for once), a few good quality signings and an uninterrupted pre-season schedule. Every single one of us should return in August with renewed optimism and perhaps even excitement (what is that?) at what hopefully may lay ahead in 2024/25...

 

[Holy Joe]

Imagine at work you had someone constantly moaning, disputing your work methods even when things are going well (8 games unbeaten) - and this is from supporters who allegedly 'support' you!

I think fans should support the team when out on the pitch, keep the negativity for the pub, forums and when things maybe are really bad (but even then if we're supporters shouldn't we be behaving in a manner which is likely to improve players performances)

 

[Blues ‘n’ twos]

I have more faith in our coaching staff about the merits of game management versus losing possession, than the majority of our fanbase.
We all know how much the staff have put in these past 18 months +, tensions have always ran high within the group, I know for a fact that if it was the stressful toxic atmosphere at my place of work I would have quit by now, so cut them some well deserved slack and keep the faith!

 

[Seaside Shrimper]

This might have been said already so apologies if it has, but the frustration in some fans I think is down to the years of pain and finally being able to see some day light and just not being able to move toward it quick enough. It’s natural I think and as long as we can all just take stock of where have been and the progress we are now just starting to see, it shouldn’t be toxic. If it raises expectations in a healthy way, it could really drive the team on.

Just about balance innit

 

[GBJ]

You really believe that?

You don’t believe it?

There’s plenty of posts across multiple threads that would back this up.

Kev absolutely shouldnt be immune from any and all criticism - opinions is what football is all about and that shouldnt change. But I'd be stunned if anyone actually wants him gone, for me he's got sooooo much credit in the bank, when we had a wobble i while back, I said I'd easily back him into the NLS if that happened.

People have been calling for his head - albeit quietly - ever since the 7-game losing streak.

When we go on a bad run, like recently, those voices get just a little bit louder.

If you go back to the PMT from the Gateshead/York/Oxford games, you’ll see what I mean. It’s also no coincidence that those games will produce much busier threads on here, than when we win (at a canter, like yesterday for example).

But I can see why people are frustrated with our play some times. Happened multiple times I counted last night with Morton, Coker, Waldron others too, got the ball on halfway, turned and had space, but you can just see it in them, they aren't allowed to be brave - they checked back - which as a watching fan is infuriating tbh. Kevs comments after the game 100% confirmed this with the Woodman comment "dont shoot, keep the ball" and that in a nutshell is Kevs philosophy and I think the players are afraid to express themselves sometimes.

But what do fans want? If you’d done a poll back in July, most of us would have said survival. Some would have said a mid table finish. The notion we’d not only survive but be the best defensive team in the league & amassed 60 points by game 38 would have been laughed out of here.

I agree, the football at times is ponderous and slow. I agree that at times it’s frustrating and we seem to be the masters of our own downfall. I agree that it could be better.

But I also look at it and realise it could have been much much worse.

Also all fans shout "SHOOT!" when a player is in that position, whether its Harry Kane or Harry Taylor. Its just a "thing" and Kev shouldnt be upset about it and call out fans - or at least be a bit more light hearted.

FWIW, I don’t think Kev is particularly bothered about fans shouting shoot, but is using it more as a point. We can all shout whatever we like, but it’s not our jobs on the line.

He’s worked miracles under the circumstances, but I guess it takes it toll when you’ve got butchers, bakers and candlestick makers, coaching from the stands.