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fbm

Blue tinted optimist⭐
Joined
Oct 28, 2003
Messages
10,024
Location
Cloud cuckoo land
HANDICAP FOOTBALL LETS BLUES DOWN AGAIN


Southend slipped to their 10th home defeat of the season as another nervous display at the Hall handed a huge boost to their visiting relegation rivals.

In the early stages there was little to separate the two teams. Barnsley were missing several first choice defenders but Southends new strikeforce, Harrold and Foran, played like they had never met each other before. Consequently the only efforts to test Colgan were from long range, impressive though they were.

Barnsley were closing Southend down at every opportunity though and looked more likely to score. The impressive Nardiello fired a curling effort home from inside the angle of the box after 15 minutes but at that stage there was no suggestion that Blues could not get back into it. Two further shots from Gower forced saves from Colgan but again, they were from distance. Then, a Barnsley corner taken by Reid from the right curled over Flahavan and Francis before lodging in the back of the net.

At 2-0 Barnsley discovered an extra gear and were playing like champions. A third looked likely every time they went forward and Nardiello nearly obliged after some poor defending but his could only poke the ball into the South upper at full stretch.

JCR hit a rasping drive that Colgan tipped over and from another effort from him the ball fell to Gower whose effort from 15 yards was gathered at the second attempt by the keeper.

Just before half time there was a disgraceful decision made by the ref that may have altered the course of the match. The Barnsley no 11, Brian Howard, deliberately handballed the ball having already been booked. For some reason however, the ref decided only to speak to the player at length and did not produce the second yellow card, much to Gower and Mahers disgust. This enabled Barnsley to sub the player early in the second half and effectively keep 11 men on the pitch. As they say, when your lucks out, it really is out.

Southend needed to change something in the second half but we got more of the same. After 51 minutes Flahavan made a poor effort at a punch which resulted in a Barnsley player having a free shot at goal from distande that Clarke cleared off the line for a corner. The reprieve was short-lived however as a well executed near post corner was met by Nardiello who made it 3-0.

With little on the bench to effect a change, Tilson made the only positive change available to him by bringing on the much criticised Bradbury for Foran who had performed up front like a little boy lost.

If anyone ever doubted what Bradbury brought to the side it was now in evidence. All of a sudden there was someone holding the ball up and bringing others into play and Southend had the change they needed. The Blues started to press on at Barnsley and upped the tempo. McCormack and Maher for the first time started to get into the game and Barnsley sat back.

With 20 minutes left, Bradbury headed against the bar, Barretts follow up was saved by the keeper and Gower finally fired home to reduce the arrears.

The previously delerious Barnsley followers were now rather more nervous as Southend launched attack after attack. JCR was inspired and wreaking havoc on the left but the multitude of shots and headers just would not go in. McCormack nearly reproduced his equalising volley of last week but this time Colgan was behind it. The feeling was that if Southend could get a 2nd, then the momentum would probably allow them to get a 3rd and then who knows? But Clarkes header wide from 12 yards represented the best chance and after that the belief seemed to drain away.

On a rare counter attack McCann hit the Southend bar and in the last minute a clever Hammell free kick hit the base of a post but today was a comeback too far and with other results going against us nothing less than 3 wins out of 3 will save Southend now - and even then it will depend on other games.

Roll on Plymouth then, where we will almost certainly play out of our skins to record a victory in true Southend baffling style. But it may well be too late.


Ratings -

Flahavan - 5 - At fault for 2 of the 3 goals.

Francis - 6 - One good effort on goal but didn't offer much going forward, unusually.
Hammell - 6 - Looks as though he has put on some weight. Unlucky with the late free kick but defensively shaky.
Clarke - 7 - Should have scored late on but again put in a very assured display.
Barrett - 8.5 - MOM. If sheer effort won games we'd be top of the league. This man would die for this club and it's a shame his superhuman efforts were unrewarded.

Gower - 7 - Provided several sparks and good efforts on goal. Was one of the only threatening players we had.
Maher - 6.5 - Outmuscled and outplayed for an hour. Passing not up to usual standard.
McCormack - 6.5 - Didn't get going until late on. When he has an off day we notice the difference.
JCR - 8 - A constant menace and again obviously would die for the cause.

Foran - 4 - The people who have been crying out for Foran up front now know why he has been played wide left. Hopeless.
Harrold - 5 - He tried hard and his effort cannot be criticised. However, today I felt he was more a hinderance than a help as he kept getting in the way, wasn't on anyone's wavelength at all and didn't have one attempt on goal.


Sub -

Bradbury - 7 - Did very well when he came on and enabled us to at least make a fight nof it.

The ref and assitants - 6 - aside from his monumetous howler re the potential sending off the ref wasn't too bad. The same could not be said of his assistant in front of the West, who was awful. He gave most of the decisions that were incorrect and I can only say that he was consistent as both sides were on the end of his ineptitude.
 
I mostly agree with your ratings.

Barrett and Clarke were absolutely immense and are two players who really would die for the club.

Thought you were a bit harsh on Maher though - I actually thought his distribution was pretty good, all things considered and I think his slip-ups were really symptomatic of the poor team performance as a whole.

JCR was disappointing for me at times. His runs were absolutely fantastic but he seems to be reverting to type and getting into great positions and not quite being able to put in the killer ball. Not that we really had many who looked to be getting on the end of crosses today anyway.

:cry:
 
I was thinking the same.... he does seem to have put on weght.

If he has it didn't seem to affect him as he continually bombed up and down the left until the final whistle. I like Stevie, it's a shame that he, probably along with the excellent Clarke are likely to be snapped up once relegation is confirmed.

Pretty much agree with your report fbm, although I wouldn't have given Barrett such a high mark. Effort is 10/10 but his ability does let him down. A true example of the '50 pence piece for a head' saying. Every header whether defensively or attacking wise goes all over the shop. He's not in the same class as Clarkey. Can't fault him on his effort and commitment though.

JCR man of the match for me. I'd keep him on the left if I were Tilson, he causes more damage there and is by his own admission his preferred position. That whole length of the pitch run out sprinting 3 Barnsley players late on in the second half was superb, and really showed the guts and determination he's got.
 
I mostly agree with your ratings.

Barrett and Clarke were absolutely immense and are two players who really would die for the club.

Thought you were a bit harsh on Maher though - I actually thought his distribution was pretty good, all things considered and I think his slip-ups were really symptomatic of the poor team performance as a whole.

JCR was disappointing for me at times. His runs were absolutely fantastic but he seems to be reverting to type and getting into great positions and not quite being able to put in the killer ball. Not that we really had many who looked to be getting on the end of crosses today anyway.

:cry:

Super summary FBM agree with your overview . But i also go along with CB's points and would add that for me I think in fairness I have seen Clarke play better . I thought that he didn't need to play the ball which led to the corner for their third as it was going wide - would be nice to see a replay of that .
As for Foran (what did he do to earn a 4?) and Harrold , you are right they looked like they'd never seen each other before , so the biggest mystery for me today is how they managed to look quite at home together once Fredi went off on Monday
 
Super summary FBM agree with your overview . But i also go along with CB's points and would add that for me I think in fairness I have seen Clarke play better . I thought that he didn't need to play the ball which led to the corner for their third as it was going wide - would be nice to see a replay of that .
As for Foran (what did he do to earn a 4?) and Harrold , you are right they looked like they'd never seen each other before , so the biggest mystery for me today is how they managed to look quite at home together once Fredi went off on Monday

I agree, Clarke was determined and put his all in etc but he made some pretty big mistakes today. First half he missed a number of headers etc.

What did Foran do to earn a 4 ? What did he do to earn a higher mark ? From his bright start to the club he looked completely ineffective today. FBM does mark poor performers low though, a 5 would be reasonable, after all its not like we created lots of opportunities for the strikers.

Pretty accurate ratings and comments though.

Strange thing is there werent loads of awful individual performances but the team just didnt play well together.
 
What did Foran do to earn a 4 ? What did he do to earn a higher mark ? From his bright start to the club he looked completely ineffective today. FBM does mark poor performers low though, a 5 would be reasonable, after all its not like we created lots of opportunities for the strikers.
Do I?

I try not to... I think the lowest mark I've given is a 3 but they were for REALLY poor performances where the player concerned did almost everything wrong.

Foran wasn't much better today... I can't think of any particularly positive contribution he actually made to the game.
 
Would have given Foran 1 for puting his kit on the right way round. Worst performance I have ever seen in a blue shirt and I'm sure Tilly must be acutley embarrised for spending £150,000 on such a slow, light weight waste of space. I honestly think we would have been better off actually playing with 10 men. Please dont put us through that again Tilly. Put him on the next train back to Scotland and say thanks but no thanks.
 
not so sure about Barrett from where i was sitting he just fell over for the first goal??? can't fault his effort though added something to our stike force too:)
 
I hate to say this, and dont get me wrong, I am a huge fan of Clarkey and I am well aware Barrett bleeds the Blue of Southend and would run through a brick wall for us, but I cannot see how you can say they were both immense, and on top of that, give Barrett MOTM when we conceded 3 goals to a woefully poor side such as Barnsley??

The defending all afternoon was shocking, by just about everyone at the back, so it simply makes no sense that anyone can say they were immense!!

JCR was the clear MOTM, by 2 country miles - His passion, desire, effort and will to win was a shining light in what was an otherwise damp squid of a performance.
 
95% spot on but barrett was at fault for the first.. i play in defence and the number one rule is "get tight".... be stood off nardiallo in the box and got punished. the main lesson today is how much do we miss freddy, bradbury and hunt,, and we won't stay u p if we concede so many goals
 
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