Hong Kong Blue
Guest
1. Missing Sodje and Prior
With one of these two in we clean up everything in the air. They are strong, experienced defenders who organise our defence and make us a much more physical side. They protect a vulnerable Flahavan. The statistics pretty much say it all.
Sodje played 11 games (plus 1 as sub) and we have kept 9 clean sheets (if you don't count the goal we let in at Bournemouth after he got stretchered off).
Prior has played 17 games and has 8 clean sheets to his name this season, last season it was 18 clean sheets in 44. Had he been fit for the last 5 games it would have almost guaranteed us at least another two points.
In the last 4 and a bit games with neither we have yet to keep a clean sheet. (Edwards kept 2 clean sheets in about 20 games)
2. Missing Mark Bentley
A fit Mark Bentley offers so much. Like Prior and Sodje he makes us a more physical and competitive team. He was a key man in our 8 game winning streak (despite not starting in it) with his performances at Gillingham, Rotherham and Forest and then his return to the side after Christmas kickstarted the run that got us to the top.
His ability to get up and down the pitch has been sorely missed in recent weeks - at both ends of the pitch.
One example is our current inability to defend the counter-attack -we've now lost consecutive home games to goals conceded on the counter and have generally looked more vulnerable on the counter than normal. Maher is nominally the defensive midfielder, but he lacks both the stamina and the pace to defend the counter-attack. instead our key man the last two seasons for this has been Benno, who somehow gets back quicker than the captain to either slow down the man in midfield, or to reinforce the defence. Bentley often prevents the counter before its even really started.
Like Pettefer last season, Bentley drifts inside to assist Maher and Guttridge in the centre of midfield. This extra support has allowed us in the past a midfield dominance that has been missing in recent weeks - Doncaster being a noticable example. Bradbury has got stuck in well on the wing, but not in the middle of the park like Bentley does.
Finally Bentley is an important attacking option. His off the ball running is crucial in drawing defenders away from Eastwood and creating space for the rest of the team. On the ball he is the most direct of all the Southend team, driving forward. When other players are short of ideas, he'll put his head down and run.
Bradbury may have a great first touch and be good in the air (although Bentley is also strong in the air), but Bradbury has yet to create anything, other than a goal against Col Ewe's sorry excuse of a defence. Every time he gets the ball he turns backwards and lays it off to Duncan Jupp. Jupp may get forward well but he never (play-off final aside) actually does anything worthwhile with it. Our attack down the righthandside is consequently impotent. Recalling Benno would add some real impetus to it, as well as strengthening the central midfield throughh is prestigous work-rate.
3. Nerves
The big crowd (who of course turn on the players if they fail to go 1 up inside 20 minutes), the pressure of being top against teams who have nothing to lose. We aren't helped by the fact that one of our most experienced players, Spencer Prior is out injured, and the Goat missed one of the defeats as well. Not so much top of the league and having a laugh as top of the league and fretting. Its not just us that this is happening to - all 3 who won today were away, having slipped up at home the previous week.
I can't remember us ever clinching promotion in front of an expectant Roots Hall crowd.
4. Luck
Maybe it is evening itself out, but it hasn't fallen for us in recent weeks. Two OGs up at Barnsley, but its not just that it was Wayne Gray's deflected shot v Gillingham that deflected into the keeper's arms, and there were a further two shots today that were millimetres from being deflected past an already committed Donny keeper. We rode our luck earlier and we now aren't scraping those last minute victories.
With one of these two in we clean up everything in the air. They are strong, experienced defenders who organise our defence and make us a much more physical side. They protect a vulnerable Flahavan. The statistics pretty much say it all.
Sodje played 11 games (plus 1 as sub) and we have kept 9 clean sheets (if you don't count the goal we let in at Bournemouth after he got stretchered off).
Prior has played 17 games and has 8 clean sheets to his name this season, last season it was 18 clean sheets in 44. Had he been fit for the last 5 games it would have almost guaranteed us at least another two points.
In the last 4 and a bit games with neither we have yet to keep a clean sheet. (Edwards kept 2 clean sheets in about 20 games)
2. Missing Mark Bentley
A fit Mark Bentley offers so much. Like Prior and Sodje he makes us a more physical and competitive team. He was a key man in our 8 game winning streak (despite not starting in it) with his performances at Gillingham, Rotherham and Forest and then his return to the side after Christmas kickstarted the run that got us to the top.
His ability to get up and down the pitch has been sorely missed in recent weeks - at both ends of the pitch.
One example is our current inability to defend the counter-attack -we've now lost consecutive home games to goals conceded on the counter and have generally looked more vulnerable on the counter than normal. Maher is nominally the defensive midfielder, but he lacks both the stamina and the pace to defend the counter-attack. instead our key man the last two seasons for this has been Benno, who somehow gets back quicker than the captain to either slow down the man in midfield, or to reinforce the defence. Bentley often prevents the counter before its even really started.
Like Pettefer last season, Bentley drifts inside to assist Maher and Guttridge in the centre of midfield. This extra support has allowed us in the past a midfield dominance that has been missing in recent weeks - Doncaster being a noticable example. Bradbury has got stuck in well on the wing, but not in the middle of the park like Bentley does.
Finally Bentley is an important attacking option. His off the ball running is crucial in drawing defenders away from Eastwood and creating space for the rest of the team. On the ball he is the most direct of all the Southend team, driving forward. When other players are short of ideas, he'll put his head down and run.
Bradbury may have a great first touch and be good in the air (although Bentley is also strong in the air), but Bradbury has yet to create anything, other than a goal against Col Ewe's sorry excuse of a defence. Every time he gets the ball he turns backwards and lays it off to Duncan Jupp. Jupp may get forward well but he never (play-off final aside) actually does anything worthwhile with it. Our attack down the righthandside is consequently impotent. Recalling Benno would add some real impetus to it, as well as strengthening the central midfield throughh is prestigous work-rate.
3. Nerves
The big crowd (who of course turn on the players if they fail to go 1 up inside 20 minutes), the pressure of being top against teams who have nothing to lose. We aren't helped by the fact that one of our most experienced players, Spencer Prior is out injured, and the Goat missed one of the defeats as well. Not so much top of the league and having a laugh as top of the league and fretting. Its not just us that this is happening to - all 3 who won today were away, having slipped up at home the previous week.
I can't remember us ever clinching promotion in front of an expectant Roots Hall crowd.
4. Luck
Maybe it is evening itself out, but it hasn't fallen for us in recent weeks. Two OGs up at Barnsley, but its not just that it was Wayne Gray's deflected shot v Gillingham that deflected into the keeper's arms, and there were a further two shots today that were millimetres from being deflected past an already committed Donny keeper. We rode our luck earlier and we now aren't scraping those last minute victories.
