Pre-Match Thread Southend United vs Port Vale 31st October 2020 15:00hrs FL2

[RHB]

Like it or not league games go on and we are at it again at the Hall on Saturday, this time against Port Vale. Anyway, normal pre-match stuff here please.

This game is meant to be the start of the new iFollow system for watching home games, where you no longer get a code if you are a season card holder. It's a tenner for the rest if you can bear to watch. For that matter, will iFollow raise it's game for Saturday? We can but hope. Chins up all, we ain't dead yet

 

[overseas shrimper]

Can we have a poll for how many Theo will score?

 

[RHB]

Can we have a poll for how many Theo will score?

Foxtrot Oscar

 

[Blueeyedboy]

Well if we actually have a club be Saturday, can we please go back to a 442 formation. When we switch back to it last night, we actual looked threatening. The wingers were running at players and Taylor was able to link up play better and got us moving up the pitch. Having one striker up top doesn’t work, no one gets near to support them.

 

[Jai]

Heavy defeat, regardless of team selection.

 

[Fairport]

Central defensive pairing of John White if fit together with Hobson rather than the awful Dieng and Lennon.

 

[jarvisyeh]

This is the match that Molesley was pointing to on that fixtures list image released by the club wasn't it?

Perhaps he knew then when our first win was.

Perhaps he knew we wouldn't have a club by the time this game came around.

Perhaps it means nothing and was just a huge coincidence when creating the image.

 

[Swiss Tony]

Big chance we might nick this.

 

[Shrimpergonzo]

It's all just so awful, we have so few options up front, that what's the point?

For what it's worth, let's try:

Oxley

Demi White Hobson Clifford

Egbri Dieng K Taylor ANG

Acquah Rush
​

It sounds like White may be an option but it's still too early for Macca and Akinola, but if by some quirk of fate they are deemed fit enough then I'd put them in for Dieng and Rush.

I don't think either Acquah or Rush are ready for first team football yet, and that's not their fault. However there is at least a chance they have played together and have formed some kind of partnership.

We have at least got options off the bench for when we're chasing the game in the second half - Olayinka for Taylor who seems to tire, and maybe Elvis for Egbri to give a bit more height on the right.

 

[LBBlue]

Can we have a poll for how many Theo will score?

If Theo doesn’t, maybe Dave Worrall will.

 

[graingerroad54]

Foxtrot Oscar

Did you mean Foxtrot Alpha !

 

[Swiss Tony]

Did you mean Foxtrot Alpha !

Oscar = off

 

[Jai]

We have to hope the opposition turn up assuming they will win by a landslide and take their eye off the ball, and even then we will need a few things to go our way.

 

[crangoner]

If Theo doesn’t, maybe Dave Worrall will.

Yeah DW is in better form than Robinson.

 

[damien]

Oxley
Elvis Lennon Hobson Clifford
Dieng
Egbri Taylor ang
Goodship sterling

Would be delighted to see akinola, White and macca onnthe bench for this one just for a lift more than anything else after the good news re tax bill

 

[Napster]

2-0 win

 

[Chapperz]

I can't see him making changes, but I hope we go back to 4-4-2. Acquah has been so isolated up front you would be forgiven for forgetting he was playing.

I like Bwomono, but he seems to be making a lot of mistakes. I don't like having Demi as a CM as I think he struggles to cover enough ground and he doesn't pass forward enough. Put him back at RB to give us a bit of experience there.

As far as CBs go. Whether it is Lennon, Hobson or Dieng playing there I am not too fussed. Can Lennon keeping playing on through the pain? Who knows, but watching him just smash the ball 40 yards up the field and not getting it within 10 yards of a Southend player makes me want to take pain-killing injections straight in the eyes.

Clifford and ANG were probably the only highlights from Tuesday. K Taylor and Olayinka at least try to play forwards, even if they have a few wayward passes in them each game we don't have many other options. Same with Egbri, lots of effort and enthusiasm, but I don't know who else. Maybe Bwomono can play there and be a wing-back, effectively making a back 5 out of possession and be a right midfielder when in possession.

Up front is like picking the best of a bad bunch. Goodship and Acquah have played together in our best results (Crawley and Exeter) and with the only fit strikers we have being Sterling (jury still out on him) and Rush (would throwing another youngster in be a good idea).

While we wait the return on White, Macca and Akinola (not holding out hope they will be our saviours, but at least extra options to pick from), I'd go with:

Oxley
Demi Hobson Lennon/Dieng Clifford
Egbri Olayinka K Taylor ANG
Acquah Goodship​

 

[Maldon Shrimper]

Currently Acquah and Sterling are struggling to make an impact for various reasons.You cant see who is going to score a goal.So the sooner we get players in that can the better

 

[Zeuss]

Yeah DW is in better form than Robinson.

DW is a vastly superior player to poor Theo.
DW -we should never have let go
Theo -we should never have signed
Last night,when Vale beat Cheltenham ,who outclassed us! 2-1,DW got an assist then, after Theo had been withdrawn, the winning goal.

 

[crangoner]

DW is a vastly superior player to poor Theo.
DW -we should never have let go
Theo -we should never have signed
Last night,when Vale beat Cheltenham ,who outclassed us! 2-1,DW got an assist then, after Theo had been withdrawn, the winning goal.

Well he did go on to join a Millwall team who did what we couldn't do in 16/17...