Utterly Ashamed

[Richard_Cadette]

The title of the thread says it all really....

Its not the fact we lost 4-0 that I am ashamed to call myself a Southend Utd fan (although that in itself is bad enough), its not the fact that we lost to our relegation rivals, its not even the 9+ hours spent in a car a long with £90 or so spent on this sorry trip, it is the fact that my team, the team I have supported through thick and thin for 26 years put on the most effortless, passionless, fightless, gutless pathetic performance I can ever remember during that 26 year period.... And believe me, their have been plenty to choose from!!

In what was our most important game so far this season, I can not honestly think of one player (Daryl aside who must be banging his head in despair) that looked like they gave a damn this afternoon. Whether or not they do, they acted like they couldnt wait to get out of there within the first 30 seconds.

We didnt string together more than about 3 passes in a row all afternoon, we had no efforts on goal (unless we managed one in the last 4 minutes after I departed) and I cannot remember any 50/50 ball that we even went for wholeheartedly, let alone come out on top!

It was something I never ever though I would witness from my team, and something I never want to see again, they should all, management included in this, be utterly ashamed of themselves, and they should unreservedly come out and apologise to each and every fan, and may I add the support today was again top notch, who made the long and torrid journey.

Hull City are no great shakes, even if we did do our best to make them look something akin to Brazilian, but not once did they stop running, stop chasing, stop closing us down, stop playing at 100% for the whole game, and yet us, well, I dont think any player could honestly say they put in anything more than about 30% effort to the cause today, and thats being generous,

I cannot think of a time when I have been more fkd off with my team after a game, and as strong as it may seem now, I will be writing to Uncle Ron on Monday, including my ticket stubs, and demanding they reimburse me for the money I shelled out to support that rabble.

You may think this post a little strong, and perhaps when I have slept on it (assuming the nightmare visions dont keep me awake!) then perhaps I will calm down, but for now, I feel disgusted with my team, and I hope they, and the manager, read every word of this and think on.

I had hoped that Tilly would have come out in his post match speech and apologised to the 1,000 fans who made the journey and backed them even at 3-0 down, but nope, excuses about the pitch and the wind (which was nowhere near as bad as what he made out) and the fact that they got a dodgy penalty, which from where I was sitting, seemd a stone waller to be honest. I know Tilly likes to keep things in house, and on most occasions, I applaud that style of management, but there were no excuses today, and there should be no hiding place. He should have condemned his team, and himself, and assure us this wont happen again.

It seemed to me that the players today had accepted that defeat and relegation were a certainty, that is the only way I can put into words to describe how they played and Tilly has to do something for Friday because any more performances like that and not only will we be relegated, there will be no one there next season to watch us!!

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

Are you sure? Even worse than the 3-0 home defeat to Halifax or other such delights? I'm sorry but I just cant believe today was worse than some of the utterly joy-sapping detritus we suffered 5 years ago...

???

 

[Richard_Cadette]

Are you sure? Even worse than the 3-0 home defeat to Halifax or other such delights? I'm sorry but I just cant believe today was worse than some of the utterly joy-sapping detritus we suffered 5 years ago...

???

If I had read my post and not been at the game today, I would think the same as you, but nope, as I said, this ranks as the most passionless, gutless, pathetic display I have ever seen from Southend in 26 years, and as I say, there were a few to choose from.

I have never been to a game (and I havent missed many over the last 10-15 years) where a team has never managed an effort at goal, which is exactly what we did.

I have seen others on here say the same, worst in 20 years of supporting Southend, and I will stand by my comment.

 

[Smiffy]

Great report RC.

Utterly ashamed to be an SUFC fan this evening.

 

[JoshC]

i heard on radio that Clarke played well??

 

[CC51DAS]

Just read what you said RC and I feel that there are alot of diehards who would agree with you -it was abject . Not just because we didn't play well , but because so many players were playing 70 / 80 % below what we know they can do on such an important occasion . it was as if they had not met each other before .

Comparisons with poor performances from poor sides / players of the past are frankly meaningless - this is is not what we expect of this team , who we know can do so much better and when they turn in performances like that they can expect to get some stick .

Oh , and Tilly - if you are reading this , don't start getting any ideas about the England job!

 

[Richard_Cadette]

Just read what you said RC and I feel that there are alot of diehards who would agree with you -it was abject . Not just because we didn't play well , but because so many players were playing 70 / 80 % below what we know they can do on such an important occasion . it was as if they had not met each other before .

Comparisons with poor performances from poor sides / players of the past are frankly meaningless - this is is not what we expect of this team , who we know can do so much better and when they turn in performances like that they can expect to get some stick .

Oh , and Tilly - if you are reading this , don't start getting any ideas about the England job!

Thats exactly my point, its not that we lost 4-0, that happens every now and then, it happened at Sunderland, but Sunderland are a class act, and they outplayed us, fair enough.

Today, Hull deserved their win, no complaints, and if we had run around at 100mph chasing everything, fighting for the cause and we still got beat, then fair enough, but what i witnessed today will live long in the memory for all the wrong reasons.

It wasnt just a defeat!

 

[palexander]

Spot on RC - I think if people did not go today and read some of our opinions on here about 'worst ever performance' etc, they would probably think 'yea right', but it was the lowest of the low.

How Tilly can complain about the pitch or weather is very poor. The pitch was shocking - Windass admitted as much on the radio, but said they had a game plan and stuck to it to combat the conditions.

We were clueless and fightless - 2nd and often 3rd to the ball.

It was a pen, I dont think there can be any doubts and Hull should have had at least another when they crashed the bar.

 

[CC51DAS]

i heard on radio that Clarke played well??

Clarke played very well apart from nearly netting one early on . Lewis was probably the pick of the back three ( I won't count Francis). Sodge did ok apart from his distribution . Francis worried the life out of me every time the ball got near him .

Midfield - Kev was making sure he did not get two yellows so he is around to make Donogood feel at home on friday - Gower gave a few glimpses of quality during a brief spell second half and the rest did not exist

Attack - Bradders won a few balls in the air and that's it .

Have to say Foran looks some way off what is needed at this level and should make way for Macca on this showing . Hammell for Francis , Hunt to switch back right .

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

Utterly ashamed to be an SUFC fan this evening.

I might think that the team should be ashamed of their performance, but I'm certainly not ashamed to be a fan of SUFC. Never!

 

[Chaz SUFC]

That report couldn't be more spot on! I have never felt so disgusted in our team. I hope all the players and management feel as ashamed as I am! I agree, the money most of us forked out on this much looked forward to trip deserves at least some effort! We never attacked. The support was absolutely superb today even though the team gave us nothing to cheer about. There was probably only a 3 or 4 minute spell when we had the ball in there half the whole game. I counted 2 shots all game with only 1 on target from us, and that was once Hull had relaxed with the 4-0 cushion... For the first time this season, i am actually f****ed off with the team. Theres no excuses for that. Im sure Im wrong, but the team looked as though they simply didnt give a ****

 

[CC51DAS]

I might think that the team should be ashamed of their performance, but I'm certainly not ashamed to be a fan of SUFC. Never!

Embarrassed is probably the sense he means

 

[Richard_Cadette]

I might think that the team should be ashamed of their performance, but I'm certainly not ashamed to be a fan of SUFC. Never!

You may have thought differently if you had been a witness to what happened today, believe me.

They dont even deserve us spending our precious time now debating it quite honestly!

 

[Southampton Shrimper]

Have to say Foran looks some way off what is needed at this level and should make way for Macca on this showing . Hammell for Francis , Hunt to switch back right .

Finally! Someone talking sense about Foran. I'm sorry, but on recent form he is not the answer to our goalscoring problems. He was absolutely cack today. Bradbury might have been a long way from winning any man of the match award but he was far better than Foran in my opinion. And has everyone forgotten Foran's woeful, inept finishing against Leeds?

 

[JoshC]

Hammell for Francis , Hunt to switch back right .

definately, we miss hammell from set peices too and francis is in no way a defender

 

[stickyboy]

have to agree with the general views here. We were spineless and it definately one of the worse performances i have witnessed considering the importance of the game. Pretty disgusted at Tilly blaming the pitch and wind. I fully expected a big apology to the fans for what was a total disgrace. We were clueless and looked as they were spent the previous night on the p*ss. Noone could manage a pass to a teammate and got our first shot on target with a minute to go. You dont mind losing 4-0 to teams like Sunderland who are far superior but to other then there is somethng wrong. Even England players had more passion they we did today. The players should be in tomorrow for extra training so perhaps the can see who their team mates are to pass to as they were total incapable today. Looked like the players have already accepted relegation - do they give a monkeys?

 

[Medway Blue]

Are you sure? Even worse than the 3-0 home defeat to Halifax or other such delights? I'm sorry but I just cant believe today was worse than some of the utterly joy-sapping detritus we suffered 5 years ago...

???

Yep, he's sure. I'm sure. You might think I'm a bloody fool when I say this, but that match reduced this 18 year old to tears at the end of it. It wasn't the result, although that was bad enough, because at least the other two 4-0losses we had this season were to decent teams. But that display was by far the most disgraceful one I've seen from a Southend team in, as far as I can remember, my 11 years of supporting them.

I felt guilty enough going as it was today. I probably should have stayed at home revising for my upcoming exams, and some friends were really hoping I was going to go out tonight. But I said no, I'm in Hull watching Southend play. That was a long journey, which started at an early hour, and which had a lot of money spent on it. The team was a joke today. Ill-disciplined in letting Hull drag us down to their League Two style of hoofball instead of stamping our own passing style on the game. We'd have done a lot better if we'd played our own game but the fact that we just let ourselves get dragged into such an awful style of 'football' shows, in my opinion, a severe lack of mental skills; un-coordinated and unable to string a pass together; lethargic, letting Hull players past all the time; not chasing balls; generally showing no GUTS, no FIGHT, no DETERMINATION, no SKILL, no PRIDE, no INTEREST...I could go on.

The fans that wasted their time making the journey up there deserve a public apology, because I, for one, have seen some shocking performances in 11 years, but tonight is possibly the first time I've felt truly ashamed to be a Southend fan, and I was visibly upset (yes, tears) at the end of the game at the lack of heart, effort and interest that our players showed against a relegation rival and, ultimately, towards our fight for survival. I've never been reduced to tears by a Southend performance. Never. But that shows just how bad they were. It was absolutely humiliating, in every blood sense of the word. Absolute f***ing disgrace.

One thing that worries me, too, is Tilson's lack of dynamicism. Phil Brown today, and various other managers of teams in this division, are up at the edge of the technical area/pitch, encouraging their team for the whole match, and shouting if need be. Why doesn't Tilson do this? I know he says he's not a really a shouter (even though I feel you need to be sometimes) but shouting isn't required to do what Steve Bruce, Roy Keane, Phil Brown etc. do. Instead, Tilly and Brush sit on their a*ses in the dugout whispering to each other and showing a complete lack of passion.

Something also tells me he's being too softy-softy in the dressing room. I can see it now: "That was alright lads. Be patient, keep it going, keep knocking at the door. Play your own game, be solid, and the goal will come." Once again, I know Tilson says he's not a shouter, but today it was needed. I'd have thrown a real barmy at half-time; shown no mercy, say they're playing for their futures, asking where their balls are, and question them as to why they're not showing the passion and interest to keep this club up! I'd have said the first-half performance was unaccptable, that they'd better sort it out second half, and that they've got 10 mins to show an improvement before substitutions are made. If he'd taken that approach, maybe he'd have seen a reaction. But something tells me that he's treating the team too much like his 'mates' and he isn't being hard enough on them, and he's certainly not showing enough passion and encouragement on the sidelines. I'd have them all in for training tomorrow and I'd have them watching a tape of the game over and over again until they get it into their thick skulls that they played like gigantic turds today, and that that kind of performance is completely unacceptable and will have ramifications for them if produced again.

 

[palexander]

Finally! Someone talking sense about Foran. I'm sorry, but on recent form he is not the answer to our goalscoring problems. He was absolutely cack today. Bradbury might have been a long way from winning any man of the match award but he was far better than Foran in my opinion. And has everyone forgotten Foran's woeful, inept finishing against Leeds?

Maybe something to do with Tilly playing Foran out of position... why take a right-footed striker scoring a fair number of goals in the SPL and play him on the left wing...

Out Bradbury the useless lump and give Foran a decent run alongside Eastwood - what have we got to lose now?

 

[Southampton Shrimper]

Out Bradbury the useless lump and give Foran a decent run alongside Eastwood - what have we got to lose now?

Our Championship status?

 

[palexander]

Yep, he's sure. I'm sure. You might think I'm a bloody fool when I say this, but that match reduced this 18 year old to tears at the end of it. It wasn't the result, although that was bad enough, because at least the other two 4-0losses we had this season were to decent teams. But that display was by far the most disgraceful one I've seen from a Southend team in, as far as I can remember, my 11 years of supporting them.

I felt guilty enough going as it was today. I probably should have stayed at home revising for my upcoming exams, and some friends were really hoping I was going to go out tonight. But I said no, I'm in Hull watching Southend play. That was a long journey, which started at an early hour, and which had a lot of money spent on it. The team was a joke today. Ill-disciplined in letting Hull drag us down to their League Two style of hoofball instead of stamping our own passing style on the game. We'd have done a lot better if we'd played our own game but the fact that we just let ourselves get dragged into such an awful style of 'football' shows, in my opinion, a severe lack of mental skills; un-coordinated and unable to string a pass together; lethargic, letting Hull players past all the time; not chasing balls; generally showing no GUTS, no FIGHT, no DETERMINATION, no SKILL, no PRIDE, no INTEREST...I could go on.

The fans that wasted their time making the journey up there deserve a public apology, because I, for one, have seen some shocking performances in 11 years, but tonight is possibly the first time I've felt truly ashamed to be a Southend fan, and I was visibly upset (yes, tears) at the end of the game at the lack of heart, effort and interest that our players showed against a relegation rival and, ultimately, towards our fight for survival. I've never been reduced to tears by a Southend performance. Never. But that shows just how bad they were. It was absolutely humiliating, in every blood sense of the word. Absolute f***ing disgrace.

One thing that worries me, too, is Tilson's lack of dynamicism. Phil Brown today, and various other managers of teams in this division, are up at the edge of the technical area/pitch, encouraging their team for the whole match, and shouting if need be. Why doesn't Tilson do this? I know he says he's not a really a shouter (even though I feel you need to be sometimes) but shouting isn't required to do what Steve Bruce, Roy Keane, Phil Brown etc. do. Instead, Tilly and Brush sit on their a*ses in the dugout whispering to each other and showing a complete lack of passion.

Something also tells me he's being too softy-softy in the dressing room. I can see it now: "That was alright lads. Be patient, keep it going, keep knocking at the door. Play your own game, be solid, and the goal will come." Once again, I know Tilson says he's not a shouter, but today it was needed. I'd have thrown a real barmy at half-time; shown no mercy, say they're playing for their futures, asking where their balls are, and question them as to why they're not showing the passion and interest to keep this club up! I'd have said the first-half performance was unaccptable, that they'd better sort it out second half, and that they've got 10 mins to show an improvement before substitutions are made. If he'd taken that approach, maybe he'd have seen a reaction. But something tells me that he's treating the team too much like his 'mates' and he isn't being hard enough on them, and he's certainly not showing enough passion and encouragement on the sidelines. I'd have them all in for training tomorrow and I'd have them watching a tape of the game over and over again until they get it into their thick skulls that they played like gigantic turds today, and that that kind of performance is completely unacceptable and will have ramifications for them if produced again.

Spot on - great post. I said the same about Tilly to my mate. What sort of message is he sending the players (and fans) by standing near the bench with his arms crossed for 90 minutes.

Poor... looks like management have accepted defeat too? I saw little fight from anyone connected with SUFC today.