Post-Match Thread and Ratings Southend United 3-1 Grimsby Town

[Danshrimper]

Full credit to MM for turning that game around. Conceding before half time is probably exactly what we needed. I fear if we went in 1-0 up we wouldn’t have come out in the second half the way we did and gone on to lose the game. All of the subs were spot on and one of the reasons we won that. Who would have thought a couple of weeks ago that 5 subs would be an advantage for us?

Hobson and Dieng are proving to be a solid partnership at the back. Although we do look vulnerable down the wings. Akinola looks to be a touch of class up front. The experience of Macca showed when he come on again, vital that we extend his contract. Even if he can’t play 90 minutes every week he’s a valuable character to have around.

Sterling seems to be really disinterested. Maybe he’s still struggling with an injury but either way I’d be disappointed if we extend his loan past January.

The two wins on the bounce made it all that more painful to leave Roots Hall last night knowing that we won’t be back for a couple of months. For the first time in a while the support seems to have a really positive influence on the players. I hope they can keep up the same levels of intensity without the fans behind them.

 

[in the know]

Must admit I thought ox always was fairly vocal but would imagine it's a lot more evident with a spread out small crowd.
A solid spine seems to be forming down the middle of the pitch from ox forward with interchangeable mid and forward players which is great to see.
there are glimpses of cohesive multipass moves during games, creating crosses and openings that I've not see for a while.
in Clifford and JD we have one player who can whip a ball in and takes a mean free kick and one who can land a ball on a sixpence from corners and a 9\10 pen taker. (Wouldn't want to play footgolf with jd!)
Agree totally about hobsons development this year. Clearly MM is motivational and a good coach with the youngsters and has gelled with the seniors too. I was aware from early on he had good man management skills and we are seeing the fruits of that. It's clear to everyone there's an excellent team spirit developed, even through the bad times. Quite a feat of achievement I think considering circumstances.
I now look forward to our own corners and free kicks and don't worry so much defending them.
Elvis has got back in the groove a bit but wish someone would sort his throw in technique and to a lesser extent his marking which I think is getting better- Probably due to the return of having more experience around him on the pitch.
2 games in a week is a huge ask for players that aren't match fit or guarding stuff. Fair play to all for managing those issues. Physios and managerial staff all play their part but the player himself knows his body and limitations for training, so whatever is the weekly training criteria it's definitely working for the relevant players.
it was good to see the experienced ones using all the crafty tricks to time waste. At one point JD slyly pinched the ball out the hands of their free kick taker behind the refs back and lobbed it away. A couple of time wasting yellows for the team seems a fair trade for 3 points.
Hope we build on this momentum. Hope we all stay fit. Hope we don't suffer cancellations through covid tests while on a role.
looking forward to ANG hopefully being integrated into the starting 11 and hope work is going on securing loan and contract extensions for the obvious ones.
Finally I want to praise the younger players for how quick they are learning all the 'old pro' experience and tricks. Work in progress , but huge steps taken as shown during the last 10 mins

 

[Leigh_Seasider]

I’m starting to feel the love for MM and a few of these players. Long time since I’ve felt that to be honest.

 

[united we stand]

No one else has really mentioned it but great to see klass get on the pitch. I’m not sure exactly when his last game was for us, but it was 2018/9019 season so at least 18 months ago.

must have been huge for him

 

[Micky]

Well done to MM for making the changes at half time. First half after a fantastic start we sat to deep and the pressure told. Second half we controlled the game and deserved to win. Can see halford being used as impact sub during his month stay, looks useful in the air and can hold the ball up to bring others into play. Man of match for me is Hobson, he getting better and better each game.
[/QUOTE

I have to agree. I thought Hobson was fantastic last night. I am not sure how long his contract is but a few more performances like last night and we should be looking to tie him down for as long as possible.

 

[OldBlueLady]

Macca. Quality. A Championship player who loves the game and wants to carry on playing - and can. Forget the legs have "gone"- when you are good as he is, your positional sense is as good as his is, your organisational skills as good as his is and you have the presence on the pitch he has it doesn't matter. Interesting Halford watching last week picked out how Macca was constantly coaching those around him- for MM to have this is invaluable to move what it done on the training ground on to the pitch. You need leaders. I wonder if Halford brings that too? 330 odd games in the Championship, 30 in the Prem, similar age (different haircut).

He was doing this from the touchline while warming up last night!

No one else has really mentioned it but great to see klass get on the pitch. I’m not sure exactly when his last game was for us, but it was 2018/9019 season so at least 18 months ago.

must have been huge for him

Yep, I did in my report. Fully agree.

 

[yogi bear up the cagire]

For all the praise to MM for the way we went about the 2nd half, I feel the 1st half performance was totally down to him and how he had set the team up. It was blatantly obvious after 15 mins that Grimsby's tactics were to get the balls to the full backs, and then work from there. With us set up as a 4-4-2, and with Demi and KT sitting far too deep, we made it so easy for them. We didn't / couldn't close down the full backs, and then we were overloaded in midfield. He actually changed the formation 5 mins before HT, pushing Sterling out to the right, and bringing Olayinka to play just behind Acquah. He made the right subs, but it was also telling in the first minute of the second half, that both Hart and Egbri immediately started closing down their full backs and not giving them time to pick their passes. Morais (who had been excellent in the first half), was starved of service, and from then there was only one team who was going to win. So credit for the HT subs, and change in emphasis, but we he has to react quicker when things are obviously not working.

It was clear to everyone that, following our early goal, we were then under the cosh for the reaminder of the first-half. As I've said before, I'm more emotionally rather than technically driven by the game, so I didn't pick up the change of formation just before the interval. I was wondering whether, managing the squads match fitness (Akinola, Hart, Macca etc) MM was desperately hanging on to half-time to make the necessary changes. I was also thinking, if Grimsby had drawn level with one of their earlier efforts, would MM have changed things earlier?
Delighted with Halford's flukey goal, which although it buggered up my prediction league forecast, allowed all of us to have a rather less stressful last twenty minutes. Before Stevenage I said that we really needed a minimum of eight points from the next four games............well, we've now got seven. I'd be happy with the eighth point at Mansfield on Saturday, although three would be even better! Is it tempting faint to remark that 'The Stags' haven't won at home in the league this season, drawing five and losing four. I hope we'll do better than that fateful trip I made to Field Mill so many (OMG !!! over 50) years ago in that bitterly disappointing FA Cup defeat.

 

[Sandbach Shrimper]

Apologies if this has been covered but who was the last player to score on their debut for us? Surely Halford can't be the first since Eastwood?

 

[Evening Echo]

SOUTHEND United fans have their say on Tuesday night's 3-1 win against Grimsby Town.

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[Trucking shrimper]

Apologies if this has been covered but who was the last player to score on their debut for us? Surely Halford can't be the first since Eastwood?

Charlie Kelman scored from the halfway line on his league debut for us.

 

[Jay_SUFC]

You're right.
But I hope you would agree with the notion that Sterling is a work in progress.
I haven't given up hope for him, unlike Acquah, but watching him 'develop' is going to relegate us at his current learning pace.
Sterling as a sub, maybe, once we're on a roll and he's playing in a confident team.

Why is Sterling a work in progress, but not Acquah?

Maybe Acquah didn't do well yesterday, but tell me who did in that first half.

I actually think he's been playing ok recently, and is still learning; let's not forget he's actually scored a winning goal for us, don't recall Sterling having any such impact!!

 

[rigsby]

Humphrys scored 2 at Bradford one week after Kelmans goal

 

[dusterman]

Great few days for the boys. We needed to put ourselves back in the mix and we have done that well. Excellent to see the spirit coming back. Akinola had some nice touches, Halford gives us options across the pitch and Dieng and Hobson now have some protection. Feels like a real shot in the arm and we need to keep picking up points. But blimey what a relief to have a shot at staying up, eh? I honestly thought we were sinking without trace.

 

[rigsby]

Full credit to MM for turning that game around. Conceding before half time is probably exactly what we needed. I fear if we went in 1-0 up we wouldn’t have come out in the second half the way we did and gone on to lose the game. All of the subs were spot on and one of the reasons we won that. Who would have thought a couple of weeks ago that 5 subs would be an advantage for us?

Hobson and Dieng are proving to be a solid partnership at the back. Although we do look vulnerable down the wings. Akinola looks to be a touch of class up front. The experience of Macca showed when he come on again, vital that we extend his contract. Even if he can’t play 90 minutes every week he’s a valuable character to have around.

Sterling seems to be really disinterested. Maybe he’s still struggling with an injury but either way I’d be disappointed if we extend his loan past January.

The two wins on the bounce made it all that more painful to leave Roots Hall last night knowing that we won’t be back for a couple of months. For the first time in a while the support seems to have a really positive influence on the players. I hope they can keep up the same levels of intensity without the fans behind them.

Thats a very good point because also Grimsby would be in that dressing room thinking we don't have to change a thing. A couple of months back it would have been 3-1 to them.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

I'm really hoping that Greg Halford can teach Emile Acquah a bit about playing as the main striker, how to use his physicality and presence and make a mark on opposition defences and how to get his feet off the floor to challenge for headers. That's the big problem with Acquah, there's not been anyone of a similar build who can play that position for ages - Cox, Robinson, Fortune, none of them tall and all could run with the ball, even Humps wasn't that tall. Even those others we've had this season have been shorter hence Richard Taylor being used as a target man on more than one occasion.

This is a really good point. We haven't had that experienced pro up front for him to have learn from. It doesn't even have to be a forward - but we've also lacked that experienced physical centre-half who could help him in training. Hopefully Halford can pass on his experience.

I think Luggy as manager would have helped him greatly as he was that type of big-arsed forward.

 

[1966 and all that]

Re my comment after the Scunthorpe game, I noticed Hart made a point of not taking the knee this time. That’s fine by me.

 

[Medway Blue]

It wasn't pretty and it wasn't textbook, but it doesn't need to be. The very fact that we now have different options and are competing, having rolled over and capitulated on so many occasions up until a couple of games ago, is all we ask and will give us a great chance of battling relegation.

Interesting opposing viewpoints on Acquah and Sterling. Our game plan was quite particular and clearly called for an energetic, high-ish press. All it takes for a pressing game plan to fall apart is one or two players to not be pulling their weight and not doing what they've been asked - even worse when it's your two forwards, because the ball won't stick up top and just keeps coming straight back at you if pressure isn't being put on the opposition when they're in possession in their own half. I don't like singling-out for criticism, but Acquah and Sterling were mostly to blame for the game plan falling apart in the first half because they weren't putting in enough of a shift. It wasn't entirely their fault as the rest of the starting 11 weren't exactly setting the world alight, but you could see the enthusiasm drain out of them with each passing occasion of the ball coming straight back. Once Akinola and Egbri came on, things changed because they were both willing to bust their balls to do what was asked of them and to execute the game plan.

Acquah also needs to work on his aerial ability. He seems scared to jump or get his head to the ball. He's strong and able to hold the ball up well if it comes to him below his chest, but aim for his head and we are guaranteed to lose possession. Compare that to the 5 inches-shorter Akinola, who rose like a salmon on ketamine anytime the ball came towards him in the air, and more often than not got his head to it.

Main thing to me at the moment is the graft being put in by most, and the quality of character amongst our older guard. Macca is awesome when he comes on, so vocal, always directing and motivating. He was even doing it from the sidelines before coming on. Halford was vocal when he came on too.

Special note for MM, who saw what needed to be changed and actually and the options at his disposal to do so for a change! Also very impressed with him on the sideline, always shouting and motivating and directing, contrary to what many on here have been suggesting.

Here's hoping we can carry on competing and be in a good position to strengthen the squad in January!

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Humphrys scored 2 at Bradford one week after Kelmans goal

That feels like a life time ago.

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

Who on earth was that work-experince kid doing the commentary on iFollow's extended match highlights? No crowd noise plus our keeper's name is not Oxley but Mark Oxley.Ditto wiith Halford.His full name is Greg Halford.

 

[rigsby]

That feels like a life time ago.

One year as a Southed fan is like 7 years for other teams.