Post-Match Thread and Ratings Southend United 4-0 Cheltenham

[leeblue]

Well what a great night at the hall, certainly a real buzz around the return of you know who. Firstly there was my personal frustration with the starting formation tonight one up top at home in a must win game seemed insane. The game started off at a frantic pace lots of hustle and bustle from both teams with southend looking to play some ball on deck stuff, thought we looked the more likely tbh in the first fifteen then of course the sending off seemed to inject real confidence and an air of belief, we started turning the screw, switching play from flank to flank, the first goal came via a freddy flick on finished by kane at the back stick and the 2nd from a fizzing drive by ryan hall that the keeper just did not read. Tails were up and then it happened freddy eastwood put a massive cherry on top of the cake with a deflected goal. Then another one of my heroes scores the 4th to send me home happier than a dog with two ***ks. Special mention for anthony grant who smashed the opponent midfield into oblivion, 'bossed it' does not do his performance justice.

Belford- very good kicking, one for the cameras at the end 6.5

clohessey- outstanding tonight 7

barker- still not the dominant CB from the first half of the season but did enough 6

prosser- credit to the boy won everything in the air and kept passing short, no hoofing 6.5

hills- took half an hour to find a decent first touch settled eventualy and 'bombed on' a treat 6.5

Hall- looked like he could be finding some form at the right time 7

Timlin- with time and space to play in put in his best performance for a couple of months 7

grant- MOTM just brilliant from start to finish in every department 8.5

Ferdinand- a decent showing from the youngster got forward well 7

Mohsni- gave his all as usual caused some trouble, scored with sweet strike 7

eastwood- wont go overboard, looked overweight and slow some nice touches but just being there on the pitch lifted the entire place you could just tell everyone was moist just to see him out there, welcome back sir freddy I ****ing love you--6

 

[Magnum PI]

I thought Hall was the absolute nuts tonight. What a performance in the first half. Tracking back, running for everything, and his touch was just wonderful all night. Great crosses.
Grant too was very impressive in midfield, and Clohessy was spraying the ball around like Beckham at times.
Hills started a bit heavy on the touch but what a difference he adds on the left.
Eastwood - I knew when he got the ball off the long punt that he would score. Thats what he brings. A proper goalscorer


I dont think we will go up automatically as the other teams have decent run ins but no team will want to play us in the playoffs if we play like that and with our personnel and squad strength. Eastwood could really be the charm to get us up at Wembley. What a way to sign off?!

Great night.

 

[Medway Blue]

Not really sure where the whole "1 up top" thing has come from. It looked like a 4-4-2 to me but after the sending off, Grant tucked inside a lot more and he, Timlin and Ferdinand started taking it in turns to run whichever channel Hall wasn't in. Maybe it looked like one up top becaue of Eastwood's style. Sturrock isn't a fan of the out-and-out striker, he likes his strikers to run the channels and to drop back inside our own half when the opposition have the ball in there. I wouldn't be surprised if Eastwood has ignored any instructions which involve doing more than a striker needs to do, hence he stayed as far forward as possible when the ball was in our half whereas Mohsni (who I saw as playing upfront with Freddy) did what Sturrock wants him to do and dropped back to help in defence.

I won't put too much emphasis on the sending off either because we have seen first hand this season that the opposition going down to 10 men doesn't necessarily make things easier.

Today wasn't just an improved performance. It was a change of philosophy, to the extent that I was almost shocked off of my seat. I can't even tell you how long I have been waiting for a performance and style like that. Granted we started slowly and looked a little edgy at first but after 10 minutes we settled and were getting into a stride by the time the sending off happened.

There were no hopeless and aimless hoofs forward. Balls were passed sideways and backwards along the floor to a nearby blue shirt, the build-up was patient and probing, and we retained possession. We made Cheltenham do all the hard work, we moved the ball from one side of the pitch to the other swiftly and passed Cheltenham off the park so that they were chasing shadows. Grant and Timlin worked brilliantly together in the middle and dominated that area. It was so great to see the guys in the back four, especially Barker and Prosser, get the ball and look left, right, forwards and backwards for a short option in order to keep the ball rather than glance up and lump it like they ususally do.

One thing that stood out for me re. the style as well - how many tims have you seen our goalkeeper, whoever it might have been on any given match day, go for the short distribution with a throw or pass to a full back? Before tonight I could count the amount of times that has happened this season on one hand. It usually goes long from his boot. Tonight was 50/50 between short and long distribution and it was awesome to see them try to build play from the back to front more often. Again, I was almost shocked into a stupour, couldn't believe what I was watching.

Something else that really helped - Granty played a dominating Maher-esque roll, completely dictating our tempo. He kept dropping back to the hole infront of the defence, thus offering the centre backs an outlet for a short pass to feet whenever they were in possession. This happened a lot tonight and meant that, for a change, the midfield was not just watching balls fly over the tops of their heads. Everybody was involved in this passing game tonight, without fail.

I disagree about Eastwood. He doesn't look overweight. He's bulked up. People forget that he was in his early 20s when he was with us and he just looks like he's filled out to me. He had a huge effect on the way we played tonight. The ball sticks to his feet as if he;s wearing velcro boots and he has very good vision and a decent pass, so when he drops deep and gets on the ball, he has a very positive effect on the build-up play in the final third. He spotted and made some excellent passes and spread the play really well tonight. He looks a cut above, he can use both feet and his goal came from the trademark early shot catching the goalkeeper off guard. He is making and will continue to make a huge difference.

A last note on Fred as well. Listened to him on BBC Essex after the game and he sounds so different. I could hardly understand him when he was last here, his command of English was poor and he mumbled his way through interviews. He sounds like a different person now, clearer when he speaks and no Billy Big Boots vibes at all. He left here as a boy and has essentially come back as a man.

Atmosphere - best I've heard it in ages. Two big reasons: 1) Eastwood's return and 2) the acoustics of the North Bank. If they don't hnd over the North Bank permanently after the evidence of the last few homes games then they're fools, it clearly galvanises the team. But the other big thing tonight was the football on show. It was entertaining for pretty much the whole 90 minutes. I don't recall any of those frequent spells of deafening silence tonight, there were very few groans or abusive shouts after an aimless punt forward loses possession - the ground was rocking because for a change, people were entertained by the style and quality of football on display. Certain people need to take note of that.

 

[haveaguiness]

I tell you what, it isn't often I read posts on here and agree with them, but I really do agree with pretty much everything that has been said so far. WHY HAVEN'T WE PLAYED LIKE THAT ALL SEASON!!! That is the most frustrating thing.

One thing I did notice was Coughlan's influence tonight and for those wanting him as manager please no!!! The whole first half he kept telling Hills to stop passing it and start launching long, he even took a throw short at one point to Timlin and then got a telling off for not throwing it down the line. And to top it off it looked as though him and Granty had a little "word" at the end, and from what I could tell it seemed as though Grant told him that is how you win football matches! I am sorry if I am wrong but from seeing everything throughout the game with Coughlan that is how it came across. So please we cannot have Coughlan take over!

 

[Blues 'n twos]

Without doubt the best atmosphere at the Hall for many a year, the acoustics in the North Bank are and have always been awesome, the players must pick up on it. I have in my years watched from every part of the ground and normally you can hear chants / noise from all stands but tonight all I could hear in the North was the North!! Excellent support from all, SUFC MUST now move heaven and earth to give us back the North until such time as we relocate to Fossets ( if that happens ) well done all.:thumbsup:

 

[Medway Blue]

One thing I did notice was Coughlan's influence tonight and for those wanting him as manager please no!!! The whole first half he kept telling Hills to stop passing it and start launching long, he even took a throw short at one point to Timlin and then got a telling off for not throwing it down the line. And to top it off it looked as though him and Granty had a little "word" at the end, and from what I could tell it seemed as though Grant told him that is how you win football matches! I am sorry if I am wrong but from seeing everything throughout the game with Coughlan that is how it came across. So please we cannot have Coughlan take over!

I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought this. I have wondered for a while now if the players are maybe lacking belief in the way they're being asked to play, well tonight went some way towards confirming it for me tonight. People will accuse us of conspiracies, but I saw Coughlan having numerous strops at sideways passes and I saw the little word with Granty at the end and it annoyed me. We won convincingly tonight, playing the best football we have played in 3 or 4 years, and the home crowd finally got behind the whole team (as the manager has been asking for) because it was entertaining - so if Cougho was complaining then I am shocked and very disappointed.

I did mention in my first post the marked difference tonight. As I said, it wasn't just a better performance - it looked like an all-round change of philosophy. It's not the style of the management team to play that brand of football, and Sturrock is too stubborn to change his ways, which is what makes me wonder if the players went out and played their own way and didn't follow instructions. Risky of course, because if we'd lost it would have backfired and we'd have Sturrock in the press saying that the players didn't follow instructions. Either way, PS and GC don't have a leg to stand on because tonight proved that if they really were irritated by that style, then it's clearly them standing alone against the fans and their own players.

 

[Jai]

An excellent display.

I'm afraid I can't agree with James because I don't believe the players went against instructions tonight at all. And if anyone thinks that a Southend side that wins games without hoofing it is defying 'instructions' they are deluded. They simply played with confidence. Paul Sturrock does not deliberately set his sides out to play long ball football. He simply plays percentages. He was brought in with the club on its arse and he had to try and get us playing to win games - and often in League Two if you lack in ability then you need to play percentages. I don't believe he says in the dressing room "hit it long at every opportunity". I don't think he likes players trying to play at the back if they are under pressure, and he likes an 'out-ball' centre forward, but then he understands the limitations of players at this level.

A Southend team with the level of confidence we saw tonight will not be told off for playing the ball on the floor. We won the game convincingly with passing football and my bet is Paul Sturrock is delighted about it - because it showed a confidence and ability that we have simply not shown before. The so-called hoofball is a tactic to bring the best out of limited players, but the men in blue were not limited players tonight, so there was no need for it.

I've said all along that "hoofball" is a myth. I don't think fans have a problem with how chances arrive, it's getting those chances. Our problem has been the lack of chances created in some games, and while there is no disputing that is partly the manager's fault, I don't think he has a set philosophy of hoofing it at every opportunity. If anything, it is a negative approach at home with team selection that has been his downfall.

 

[southend4life]

I might be wrong here but could Coughlan be having a word with Grant for the time he tried to play out of our penalty area? He was disposed and we could have easily conceded?

 

[Angell Delight]

I disagree about Eastwood. He doesn't look overweight. He's bulked up. People forget that he was in his early 20s when he was with us and he just looks like he's filled out to me. He had a huge effect on the way we played tonight. The ball sticks to his feet as if he;s wearing velcro boots and he has very good vision and a decent pass, so when he drops deep and gets on the ball, he has a very positive effect on the build-up play in the final third. He spotted and made some excellent passes and spread the play really well tonight. He looks a cut above, he can use both feet and his goal came from the trademark early shot catching the goalkeeper off guard. He is making and will continue to make a huge difference.

This is bang on, infact I believe that was under Mick McCarthy's orders at Wolves when he was there. He decided Freddy needed to work on his strength and got him in the gym doing weights. He doesn't look overweight to me, he looks stronger and more difficult to knock off the ball. If that is Eastwood when he's (by his own words) 80% fit then tonight is a huge thumbs up from me..... :thumbsup:

 

[Beefy]

Definitely agree with AD & JTSB. No way is Freddy fat. He's much bigger than he was when he was here before but it looks like muscle to me.

 

[Hazey]

Look at the photos on the OS, you can tell by his arms, thats muscle. He looks a lot stronger than he used to, was evident last week by the way he was holding up defenders. By the looks of the goal tonight he's still got pretty quick fit!

 

[undercovershrimper]

Excellent display by the blues tonight, thought the game was pretty even until the sending off with chelts just the better side. After the red card we bossed it. Clohessey and Grant were immesnse Timlin worked his socks off. Bilel grew in stature as the game went on and Hall got more into the game after starting too deep. Felt sorry for chelts left back after the sending off as Clohessey and Hall literally tore him a new arsehole and he simply could not cope. Freddie was lively and was pleased to see him get his goal, will do his confidence good and lift some of the massive expectation from his shoulders. Thought we overplayed it in the last fifteen minutes but at 4-0 i wouldnt complain, and so nice to see us pass the ball around on the deck for most of the evening. Our best home performance in ages!!!

 

[RobB11]

saw blair at the casino tonight, no future at the club for that man!

 

[LennySUFC]

Great performance all round but with Eastwood his distribution see
ed better than I remember. Anyone notice mohsni not enjoying not being the limelight? Awsome atmosphere, I pry this kicks us on

 

[Jay_SUFC]

An excellent display.

I'm afraid I can't agree with James because I don't believe the players went against instructions tonight at all. And if anyone thinks that a Southend side that wins games without hoofing it is defying 'instructions' they are deluded. They simply played with confidence. Paul Sturrock does not deliberately set his sides out to play long ball football. He simply plays percentages. He was brought in with the club on its arse and he had to try and get us playing to win games - and often in League Two if you lack in ability then you need to play percentages. I don't believe he says in the dressing room "hit it long at every opportunity". I don't think he likes players trying to play at the back if they are under pressure, and he likes an 'out-ball' centre forward, but then he understands the limitations of players at this level.

A Southend team with the level of confidence we saw tonight will not be told off for playing the ball on the floor. We won the game convincingly with passing football and my bet is Paul Sturrock is delighted about it - because it showed a confidence and ability that we have simply not shown before. The so-called hoofball is a tactic to bring the best out of limited players, but the men in blue were not limited players tonight, so there was no need for it.

I've said all along that "hoofball" is a myth. I don't think fans have a problem with how chances arrive, it's getting those chances. Our problem has been the lack of chances created in some games, and while there is no disputing that is partly the manager's fault, I don't think he has a set philosophy of hoofing it at every opportunity. If anything, it is a negative approach at home with team selection that has been his downfall.

Totally agree with this, every time we win it's because we played passing football and every time we lose it's because we play hoof, which is rubbish!!!

The first half against Aldershot we played exactly the same as we did last night - the difference was that we scored soon after they went down to 10 men and, as Jai mentioned, that got the players confidence up and more important the crowd.

If we had still played the same way and gone in at half time 0-0, there would have been moaning from the crowd and this in turn affects the players. That's what happened against Aldershot, as soon as we went one down, the players suddenly feel, with the crowd on their backs, that they need to get the ball forward as quickly as possible as the need to score becomes more important and therefore it starts to get hoofed.

We would have seen the same yesterday had it been 0-0 into the second half - it's about confidence, not the style of play.

Sorry, it's just funny how perspectives changed based on results.

Btw I'm not suggestion we have played carpet football all season, just in the same way we haven't played hoof all season.

Anyway, we won, I'm happy and at the end of the day it's only football :thumbsup:

 

[Nestudas]

Coughlan and grant were discussing the incident where grant went down in the penalty box near the end. I saw Granty gesticulating with his elbow to suggest he'd been hit. There were no signs of animosity between the two.

 

[Flinty]

Echo really everything that has been put in here. I wa actually on the edge of my seat at times when particually hall and Eastwood got the ball.

Not to put a dampner on it but just a reality check, we were playing a team with something like no win in 7 and no goals in 3. Their confidence must have been low before the sending off and the early goal just killed it completely. Also, the keeper was probably at fault for 2 if not 3 of the 4 goals.

A good revival and performance from us, yes, have we turned the corner and are on the up ? Let's see in 2 weeks !

 

[Cricko]

A truly memorable night ..the home coming of Freddy brought the numbers in and the feel good factor returned with it..The North Bank crowd were immense.

The game...what a difference when we actually play the ball on the floor.,.I have been advocating for some time these players were to good to just play hoof ball and they proved it last night..Ok the sending off may of helped us but to see free flowing football and passing back at The Hall was a joy to watch and without doubt the best feeling walking away from a Home game all season.

All of the players put a stint in last night but special mentions must go out to Clohessey who was like a train all evening up and down the wing...Freddy who I feel has got so much stronger since his last time here and was class all night and my MOTM Anthony Grant who just ran the show from start to finish...a superb performance.

Let us hope we now take the next few games by the scuff of the neck, this win will fill the lads with so much confidence and we just need to adopt this "new" style of play for the remainder of the games.

UTB..what a night.

 

[MK Shrimper]

18 shots on goal according to the BBC. That's probably more than our whole season put together!

 

[OldBlueLady]

Fantastic TEAM performance, good effort all round, and such a joy to see Freddy back at the Hall and to hear the "duh duh duh duh" chant sung in unison throughout (ok, apart from one little corner). Hopefully that will have given the boss a taste of what can happen when the whole of our support is united behind the team, and he'll want it to continue.

So glad it wasn't a totally Freddy orientated game and that 4 different players scored. Every one of them picked up their game and played with confidence, and that made a massive difference. I tend to think we'd have still beaten Cheltenham with a full team playing against us, we were just in THAT kind of mood last night.

What a pleasure it was to see both full backs streaming down the wings and getting good crosses in (ok, it took Hills a while to get the length right, but he persevered); what a delight to see Grant and Timlin so dominant in midfield. Prosser alongside Barker looked as if he'd been there all season - one slight mistake, that's all - what a trooper he is to slot in so seamlessly whenever he's asked to. How wonderful it was to see everyone smiling and enjoying a game at Roots Hall for the first time in ages.

Freddy has brought the "feel good factor" back with him, long may it continue!