Post-Match Thread and Ratings Southend United 3-0 Bradford City

[Evening Echo]

SOUTHEND United secured back to back wins for the first time since February with an impressive 3-0 victory against Bradford City at Roots Hall this afternoon.

More...

 

[manor15]

What a performance! Will Atkinson's best performance in a Southend shirt. Defensively superb and a real threat going forwards as well. Only negative is the loss of Coker and whilst Timlin did well there he isn't the long term solution. Bradford were a good side and played well, not at their best but we really took advantage of every opportunity they gave us.

Oxley 8 Some great stops and commanded the back line well
Demetriou 8.5 Got up and down the right superbly, caught out a few times but was great
Thompson 8.5 Had no problem managing Hanson and dealt well with the movement which Ferdinand struggled with
Ferdinand 9 His experience bossed the defence and kept things calm even after Coker's injury
Coker 8 Did well up until his injury and clearly played through it for a while
Atkinson 10 MOTM Best I've ever seen of him, didn't stop running, two quality finishes and so nearly a third
Leonard 8 Did well in a holding role and drove forward when he could, broke up the play well
Wordsworth 9 Contributed defensively just as much as going forwards, complete performance
McLaughlin 8 Couldn't play his normal game as he was covering for Timlin but did that role superbly
Cox 9 Didn't stop pressing and the perfect foil for Ranger, his intelligence on and off the ball is quality
Ranger 9 Won everything in the air and was a real force who gave them major problems

Subs
Timlin 8 Did well out of position and couldn't ask any more of him
Fortune 8.5 Did superbly well and was a threat out wide cutting in
O'Neill - Got a few minutes

Not a Brown fan but the tactics were spot on today and the team all played to a top quality standard. Bradford will feel frustrated and could have pegged one back on another day, but we didn't let them in and fully deserved the three points. Based on today's game, one point off the play-offs is almost a disappointing position to be in!

 

[Massimo Giovanni]

Manor15 has put the main points down, clearly and concise. A very good game to watch and well officiated.
PB got it right by bring Wordsworth back in.
Atko was a nailed on MofM and no duffers out there at all today.



Only poor show was from the moron who let off smoke bomb in BV section.

 

[madaboutblues]

Great game, everyone gets a 9 from me, maybe 9.5 for Atkinson as an apology for saying he should be dropped in favour of Timlin earlier in the week :sad:
Loved the first goal mannequin challenge celebration, hope they show it on tv later :thumbsup:

 

[Shrimperforlife]

Where the f did that come from..... happy we won, but more happy about the manor that we did ....

Well done all round...

 

[Jay_SUFC]

Some of the football in the first half was superb, but credit to Bradford for trying to play football. So frustrated in League Two seeing so many teams just stick men behind the ball and hope for a draw.

Atko MOM, anyone who questions what he brings to the team needs to look at his work rate; though everyone chased everything to be fair, certainly not a team of players that don't want to play for the manager

 

[Benfleet A1]

Bradford just didn't turn up today. We completely bossed the entire game. Only down side for me was going in the bar to warm up and Dagenham Kev was there in full flow.

Pass the razor someone.

 

[Ironshrimper]

Manor15 has put the main points down, clearly and concise. A very good game to watch and well officiated.
PB got it right by bring Wordsworth back in.
Atko was a nailed on MofM and no duffers out there at all today.



Only poor show was from the moron who let off smoke bomb in BV section.

I noted you said it was well officiated, did you not feel, especially in the first half he just blew up for anything, eveytime someone fell over, and did not let it flow?

 

[RHB]

Manor 15 has just about summed up my views on this game. The first half, especially, was probably the best I have seen from Southend at home this season, and maybe a large chunk of last season as well. I ventured to mention this to anyone who cared to listen to me at half time, and the guy behind me pointed out that perhaps our performance against Fleetwood was better.....absolutely superb comment sir if you are a SZ poster and reading this.:thumbsup:

I don't think I have ever seen Will Atkinson so pumped up for a game, he chased everything down, he drove forward with purpose, and best of all he scored twice (those two goals may well become the stuff of folk law, 'I saw Atco score two'.) So overall just about everyone involved gave everything to the cause and we matched and then beat a team who will be there at the death. Make no mistake, in the second half they were half a yard faster than us to everything but very solid defending from the whole team and two more goals bought us the result. Add to the fact that some of Bradford's finishing was not very good, and there you go.

We are now starting to look an accomplished team and if we see off Swindon in similar fashion on Tuesday then all will be good in the world. A shame that Coker and Cox got injured, but hopefully they went off in time for their knocks not to be too serious. Bloody well done indeed Phil, Cocko and the team, it's starting to look v good.


PS........forgot to add this bit. Anyone who reckons we should ditch Fortune in January may need to think again. His cameo part as a sub was absolutely great. He may not score, but when holding up the ball, turning defenders and playing others in he is a skilled technician.

 

[Rattus Norvegicus]

PS........forgot to add this bit. Anyone who reckons we should ditch Fortune in January may need to think again. His cameo part as a sub was absolutely great. He may not score, but when holding up the ball, turning defenders and playing others in he is a skilled technician.

Absolutely agree - the man is a seasoned professional who knows how to do the job being asked of him.

And I think he can do a job alongside Ranger or Cox if either is injured (or needs resting - i.e 3 games in 8 games).

 

[Ex-Member1]

Delighted and philosophical at the same time. This is exactly what our beloved team is all about. It delights and frustrates in close succession. Enjoy. COYBB

 

[Chairman Trigg]

Great all round team display today against a very strong Bradford side.Our whole season is going to rest on fitness and the backroom staff keeping our best team on the pitch.Well done lads and well done PB for riding out the storm can't be easy taking the abuse when things are going wrong.Just hope he's had his Alex Ferguson moment when he was one game away from the sack....and look what happened to that second rate team in red

 

[leroyjean]

PS........forgot to add this bit. Anyone who reckons we should ditch Fortune in January may need to think again. His cameo part as a sub was absolutely great. He may not score, but when holding up the ball, turning defenders and playing others in he is a skilled technician.

Doesn't he go down as an assist for the og?

 

[rigsby]

Manor 15 has just about summed up my views on this game. The first half, especially, was probably the best I have seen from Southend at home this season, and maybe a large chunk of last season as well. I ventured to mention this to anyone who cared to listen to me at half time, and the guy behind me pointed out that perhaps our performance against Fleetwood was better.....absolutely superb comment sir if you are a SZ poster and reading this.:thumbsup:

I don't think I have ever seen Will Atkinson so pumped up for a game, he chased everything down, he drove forward with purpose, and best of all he scored twice (those two goals may well become the stuff of folk law, 'I saw Atco score two'.) So overall just about everyone involved gave everything to the cause and we matched and then beat a team who will be there at the death. Make no mistake, in the second half they were half a yard faster than us to everything but very solid defending from the whole team and two more goals bought us the result. Add to the fact that some of Bradford's finishing was not very good, and there you go.

We are now starting to look an accomplished team and if we seen off Swindon in similar fashion on Tuesday then all will be good in the world. A shame that Coker and Cox got injured, but hopefully they went off in time for their knocks not to be too serious. Bloody well done indeed Phil, Cocko and the team, it's starting to look v good.


PS........forgot to add this bit. Anyone who reckons we should ditch Fortune in January may need to think again. His cameo part as a sub was absolutely great. He may not score, but when holding up the ball, turning defenders and playing others in he is a skilled technician.

Agree with the rest of the post but Oxley deserves real credit today, made some great saves. Even at the end he was off his line fast and still had to put out a strong left arm to save a certain goal. What about Lenny's excellent goal line clearance.

The thing that stood out for me today was our believe. After that confidence boosting Bury performance the lads were really on the front foot. They wanted to be on that pitch and they wanted to win. Great day to be at the Hall

 

[Jay_SUFC]

Bradford just didn't turn up today. We completely bossed the entire game. Only down side for me was going in the bar to warm up and Dagenham Kev was there in full flow.

Pass the razor someone.

I disagree, I wouldn't say Bradford never turned up and actually thought they were the better side in the second half, they just didn't take their chances

 

[C V Shrimper]

A great night to be a Shrimper!

 

[Tinks]

I flipping well enjoyed that today and it has been quite a while since I said that!
Never even felt the chill in the air until I was walking back to the car. Whatever has been said, done or put in tirndrinks long may it continue.
A special word has to be said about Atkinson today. He will always run and run but today his energy and stamina levels were superb and I am so pleased he got those goals (who would have predicated that) - shame that third one never went in and without a shadow of doubt MOM today closely followed by Ranger but in fairness everyone one of those boys turned up today and focused on the job.
Loved the mannequin stance they all done after the first goal.
Here is looking forward to Tuesday night

 

[Supernaut]

PS........forgot to add this bit. Anyone who reckons we should ditch Fortune in January may need to think again. His cameo part as a sub was absolutely great. He may not score, but when holding up the ball, turning defenders and playing others in he is a skilled technician.

Completely agree with this. He's a class act, and I felt that we never really got going in the second half until he came on.

 

[mattitouk]

We are now starting to look an accomplished team and if we see off Swindon in similar fashion on Tuesday then all will be good in the world. A shame that Coker and Cox got injured, but hopefully they went off in time for their knocks not to be too serious. Bloody well done indeed Phil, Cocko and the team, it's starting to look v good.

In Phil's post match interview on BBC Essex, when asked about the injuries, he didn't mention anything about Cox (so hopefully "no news is good news" so to speak and that it was just a precaution).

He did however comment on Coker & said that he has a plastic caste on and his (leg? ankle?) and it has ballooned to twice its normal size. So on that basis, I would be surprised if he figured in the Swindon game on Tuesday.

That being said, he didn't sound overly concerned though, so we never know.

 

[Massimo Giovanni]

Completely agree with this. He's a class act, and I felt that we never really got going in the second half until he came on.

In the dug out he was wearing everything he could and had a hat pulled down to his eye brows with a scarf wrapped to leave just his eyes showing AND he was the only player wearing gloves!
AND he did the required job when he came on; I want him to have his contract extended, proper pro.