Pre-Match Thread Southend United v Tranmere Rovers, Tuesday 9th March, 19:00, FL2

[Tommy2holes]

We won't score so we'd best hope for a 0-0

If we had a regular goalscorer then we would easily be mid table.

We will set up not to concede. And Tranmere will score and we will lose the game as we simply aren't able to score often enough to win games 1-0 let alone 2-1.

 

[Barling Magna]

a home win would be nice but highly unlikely if M M insists in playing Emile alone up top .

Maybe not........although I watched the Oldham match live it's only when I watched the Sky highlights that I realised how excellent Acquah's trap, turn and shot on the edge of the area whilst surrounded by defenders was. It skimmed the bar. Had it gone in as it deserved to we would be praising the young man's brilliance. Let's hope that he has more luck tonight.

 

[Frankie]

Lollipop will score tonight , but I've no doubt so will the opponents so I can't see past a 1-1 at best .

 

[Barry.C]

As long as hes not played out so wide, so that he has more chance of getting near the netting on a local allotment than between the posts and not asked to defend with his back to the goal in our half, then at least Goodship has a decent shot on him and a rough idea where the goal is

 

[southendkid]

As long as hes not played out so wide, so that he has more chance of getting near the netting on a local allotment than between the posts and not asked to defend with his back to the goal in our half, then at least Goodship has a decent shot on him and a rough idea where the goal is

Didn't Goodship get most of his goals at Weymouth by playing out wide?

 

[Shrimpergonzo]

So with just over 6 hours to go until the actual team is announced for the game, the most votes so far are for:

Montgomery - 68
Clifford - 67
Bwomono - 65
White - 65
Ferguson - 65
Dieng - 62
Hobson - 56
Taylor - 52
Acquah - 48
RHF - 48
Holmes - 45

Which is coincidentally the 11 players that I picked (and having set up the thread I was the first to vote!)

I guess these would line up:

Monty

Elvis White Hobson Clifford

Ferguson Dieng Taylor

RHF Acquah Holmes
​

Given the players at our disposal, I'd be pretty happy with that. With Clifford and Holmes on the pitch, we've got good left and right footed options for dead ball situations and, if they're on the pitch, I've got a good feeling that we might score from one or more of these tonight.

 

[Barry.C]

Just coughed up my tenner. Havent missed a game yet thanks to i follow, other than when I follow played up, so must be close to paying out £300 and pleased that a chunk of that will go to my club, who I will watch and support in the Rymans league if necessary
Admittedly after years and years of bus, car, train and ferry just to get to Home games, its a pleasure to watch every match in the comfort of Home and a beer, with sometimes an eye on the rugby or cricket, Who said we couldnt multi task ( by the way its an urban myth and research indicates Men can outperform in certain types of multi tasking ) We tested out Multi tasking in my House undertaking a Psychological and Behavioural test geared to seeing how well you could multi task. My wife and daughters still struggle to believe the results !!

Of course I greatly still miss actually being in Roots hall and alongside fellow Shrimper mad fools

It wouldnt cross my mind not to watch especially if I thought we might lose and I do appreciate if a tenner is hard to come buy then you have to be a bit choosy

 

[kentblues]

Didn't Goodship get most of his goals at Weymouth by playing out wide?

Well not really. But actually it gets to a key point.
4231
Now the nature of that 3 behind the 1 up top is key. If you look at the Prem and Championship sides playing this formation the 3 tend to be a little narrower and often not with out and out wingers but players who bring goal threat in their own right.
It seems the 3 we tend to have in there are pushed wide and play more as wingers (with wingers goal stats to boot) and it means the player up top is more likely to get isolated.
Now this brings us to Goodship. He was playing in the aforementioned more narrow 3 all be it in a 433. So not as a winger, rather in an attacking 3 on the left. Often his goals would come from cutting in from the left channel- but not as a left winger.
Now playing the wingers in the 4231 undoubtedly makes us a bit more solid as it becomes 451 with ease. But it at the same time does not result in a goalfest (at least with the personnel we have).
If in the 4231 we went for a "narrower" 3 up front with say Goodship (this is where he has previously been effective) and Holmes (really with side of Olayinka) we would I am sure carry more threat, much more, and our conversion rate would improve. It might at the same time make us a little less defensive - however 2 points. 1. I think our defensive capabilities with the two CM sat in front are now strong enough that we can be a bit aggressive in an attacking sense 2. sometimes giving sides more to worry about as an attacking threat can sometimes be the most effective way of reducing their own attacking commitment.
In the end its for MM to judge. In the end we only have partial knowledge of what is going on. But this is a forum and if we are not to share our opinions as "armchair" or "keyboard" managers lets not bother with a forum at all.
BTW there is also the idea that the full backs are allowed to get forward- and with the 3 playing a bit narrower between CB and FB this is often where the space opens up for the attacking full back.

 

[Tommy2holes]

Maybe not........although I watched the Oldham match live it's only when I watched the Sky highlights that I realised how excellent Acquah's trap, turn and shot on the edge of the area whilst surrounded by defenders was. It skimmed the bar. Had it gone in as it deserved to we would be praising the young man's brilliance. Let's hope that he has more luck tonight.

But he didn't score, just like he didn't score a number of much easier chances.

His ratio must be about 1 in 15 which simply has to make him one of the bluntest and toothless strikers in the entire football league, but hey, he did trap a ball and narrowly miss a shot so all is well.

 

[overseas shrimper]

Whenever we play Tranmere, my mind drifts back to a Friday night game back in 91(?), where Eric Nixon saved a pen from David Martin in front of the North bank, the kick was ordered to be retaken, which led to the NB giving Nixon heaps of grief. Only problem was that Nixon promptly saved the re-take as well, and gave the NB both barrels back. Think we won 1-0 with Ansah scoring an overhead kick.

And after taking it he sneakily gave us the finger. Lol.

 

[RHB]

I really hope we chose tonight to give Tranmere a serious shellacking led by Emile Acquah scoring more than one. It's got to happen before to much longer, so why not tonight?

 

[Barling Magna]

But he didn't score, just like he didn't score a number of much easier chances.

His ratio must be about 1 in 15 which simply has to make him one of the bluntest and toothless strikers in the entire football league, but hey, he did trap a ball and narrowly miss a shot so all is well.

Easy now Tommy, unpucker those two holes...like I said, let's hope that he has more luck tonight.

 

[Holy Joe]

But he didn't score, just like he didn't score a number of much easier chances.

His ratio must be about 1 in 15 which simply has to make him one of the bluntest and toothless strikers in the entire football league, but hey, he did trap a ball and narrowly miss a shot so all is well.

He's not really any different from any other forward at the club....

Southend United Top Scorers - BBC Sport

Southend United top scorers. Showing assists, time on pitch and the shots on and off target.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[BluePartridge]

If Shaun Hobson gets a Leon Cort style hattrick of headers tonight he'll be our top scorer.

 

[Tommy2holes]

He's not really any different from any other forward at the club....

Southend United Top Scorers - BBC Sport

Southend United top scorers. Showing assists, time on pitch and the shots on and off target.

www.bbc.co.uk

On the contrary.

He seems to have more minutes than the other strikers.

The fact he has had far too many chances to score and continually misses.

If he converts half of the chances he has had we are much higher in the table.

 

[Lincoln Shrimp]

Holmes' threat is nullified playing wide left as he has too much defensive work to do. He's not match fit so needs to put all his energy into trying to probe and create chances for others. IMO he needs to play in front of Dieng and Fergy, with ANG wide left. It won't happen though.

 

[southendkid]

On the contrary.

He seems to have more minutes than the other strikers.

The fact he has had far too many chances to score and continually misses.

If he converts half of the chances he has had we are much higher in the table.

Akinola has played only 23 minutes less than Acquah and has 2 goals to his name, he also missed probably the best chance of the game. Why is he not subject to criticism for his shooting like Acquah is?

 

[Clarky176]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1369282827754307587

 

[Clarky176]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1369282827754307587

Not in the squad tonight?

 

[Danshrimper]

On the contrary.

He seems to have more minutes than the other strikers.

The fact he has had far too many chances to score and continually misses.

If he converts half of the chances he has had we are much higher in the table.

He’s played about 30 minutes more than Goodship and Akinola and they all have 2 goals. You make it sound like he’s played 300 minutes more than them.