Post-Match Thread and Ratings Barnet 2-1 Southend United

[Maldon Shrimper]

We were poor today to slow in our built up play.We dont know how good Barnet are because we had no threat.They deserved to win.Kev has got a tough job in sorting this one out we desperately need a change in personal who are forward thinking

 

[wiggy]

...particularly this! Why in the wide, wide world of sports do we play it BACKWARDS so often?

His name is Maher

 

[wiggy]

Moncur is on a different planet to those around him….when he gets it, move for him

 

[E for B and Billy Best]

Result...depressed.
Our tactics...disappointed.
Cheeseburgers not as good as last year...devastated!

 

[Taters123]

Moncur needs runners around him not statues

 

[Flinty]

Not much to say about that really, another game where we didn’t create anything. Collin wasn’t at it today and seemed slow to react to their goal, will need to see it again though.
MOM for me was Taylor, Gus and Miley did well, the rest just meh!

I do feel sorry for our front 2, nothing but scraps to feed off and then expected to score the 1 or 2 half chances they get, if they could do that then they wouldn’t be at this level. We really need to rethink our midfield

 

[Evening Echo]

SOUTHEND United boss Kevin Maher was disappointed his side could not make more of their momentum in this afternoon’s 2-1 defeat at Barnet.

Read more on this story


Help with Echo links

 

[Wickford Blue]

When the front 2-3 decided to press and close down their keeper/defenders no one else pressed high. They then just move the ball and find a player in space and we have three players out the game. If you are going to press you need everyone to do it or don't bother.

That is exactly why we were successful last season in my opinion. We played a high press and played the game in the opponents half where as now we spend our time knocking 20 yards passes to each other 10 yards outside our Penalty area.
Barnet just sat back and watched us pass it sideways!

 

[Strykr]

That is exactly why we were successful last season in my opinion. We played a high press and played the game in the opponents half where as now we spend our time knocking 20 yards passes to each other 10 yards outside our Penalty area.
Barnet just sat back and watched us pass it sideways!

Yep, what we lacked in skill and tactics we made up with energy, determination and attitude.

 

[gatecrasher]

I didn't think it could be worse than our bare bones team early last season....but it is!

Gus, considering how long it took to get him signed up, has hit the ground running - sublime.

Everyone else is very much still on the beach, zero urgency ever, so monotonous side to side, no runs, no penetration is just dull. Sure we won't get pumped more than 2-0 once in the season but I doubt we will get more than a 2-0 win at this stage either.

On the first 4 games, I doubt we will finish as high as we did last year. We need to start producing and fast!

 

[Magnum PI]

That’s the first time in a long time I’ve seen us where we were very second best to another team. Barnet were miles better. In the end we might have nicked a point after a good ten mins but other than that we are so predictable. That’s why we don’t score many as teams know how we play and snuff us out. Morton and Wood were awful when they came on and we never looked like scoring. It’s early days but as I said after the grim display in Ireland …. We are a long way from a HMS **** the League side. Lots of work to do

 

[Sufc.2008]

Colin - 5 - kicking was woeful, led to the first goal. May as well have not been there for the penalty.

Taylor - 7 - our best player by far. Stopped plenty of their attacks. Barnet would have had another goal at least if it wasn’t for him.
Crowther - 5 - got turned a few times and played some questionable balls.
Ralph - 6 - not one of the worst today, done okay.
Scott-Morriss - 6 - on the scoresheet again and put in a couple of nice balls (that we did nothing with!)

Miley - 5 - didn’t do much of note and one of the main culprits of passing backwards.
Bridge - 6 - had a few runs but still not getting into the right position with any urgency.
Coker - 5 - he’s capable of so much more but think he’s playing under instruction to be negative.
Husin - 6 - tried to go forwards without much success. Was understandably tiring in the second half.

Waldron - 5 - missed one good chance but not going to be too harsh as he hardly got any service today.
Cardwell - 5 - pretty quiet today, again not much service and having to play the “England Harry Kane” role of coming deep to get a chance to seeing the ball doesn’t help.

Subs:
Moncur - 7 - clearly head and shoulders above the rest. Looked knackered after 15 minutes so going to have to get him up to fitness. Other players in the team are not on the same wavelength as him… we need them to actually move rather than be statues when he gets the ball.
Wood - 4 - people asking why he hasn’t been given a chance just need to watch performances like today. Came on fresh and still couldn’t be bothered to chase balls down, much to Maher’s disgust. Has a pretty horrific touch too.
Morton - 5 - actually played some nice balls but he’s not the player you need coming on when you’re chasing the game!

All in all an ineffective performance, against a good Barnet side. The difference is evident when they’re bringing on players with quality, and we’re going attacking bringing Morton and Wood on. We need at least 3 more players to compete at this level, and we’re not going to sign 3 players. This season has mid table written all over it.

 

[Medway Blue]

Agree but, no point in getting more attack minded players if the manager is defence minded.

We are not defensive. I swear people have forgotten the actual meaning of the word!

...particularly this! Why in the wide, wide world of sports do we play it BACKWARDS so often?

It's a difficult balance. Maher wants us on the front foot and attacking, but also wants us to "look after the ball" - which I understand, because why on earth would you want the opposition to have possession of the ball? If they don't have the ball, they can't hurt us.

Unfortunately we seem to lack the confidence/ability/intelligence for a) players without the ball to perform the type of movement ahead of play required get it moving forward at pace, and b) the ball carrier to attempt a forward (but probably more risky) forward pass that is on. So to keep possession, the ball carrier takes the easy option and sends it sideways or backwards.

 

[in the know]

Wonder how long it will be before moncur gets a bit cheesed off trying to play one twos and close in triangles to bypass players when the players around him lack the touch and vision to match his.
My concern preseason was a lack of experienced heads in the team. I'm talking years of league know how. It's proving to be an issue because no one on the pitch has the respect and verbal prowess to make things happen or enforce changes.
The more lower league 'talent' we fill the team with the worse it gets. Moncur obviously has the attributes but can't play more than 30 mins it seems.
Without experience in the 11 I fear a lot of games will go the same as todays.
We simply don't have skillfully enough players to play close control attacking passing football so we play 20yd safe sideways passes. Rarely zipping balls forward into feet.
I'm thinking of we can get near or creep into play offs this year, that would be a fantastic result.
Hopefully I'm proved ridiculously wrong and we stuff D&R 5-0 on monday.

 

[rayleigh dan]

Ouch. Bit harsh, 3 in 18 games for Waldron, Goodship managed 4 in 52.

Agreed, very harsh to compare him to Goodship, who’s up there with N’Diaye, Roach and Richards as one of the worst strikers I’ve seen in my 30 plus years following SUFC.

Waldron may well not be up to the standard we need, time will tell, but I still hope he’ll find his feet here. I felt his all round play against Boston was good, but I to admit that was a poor miss today. Hopefully one goes in for him and confidence will build.

 

[Fairport]

This Barnet team looked a lot better than last season and will surely be in the top three. We have basically carried on where we left off last season. Neat and tidy possession football but with no real cutting edge. A few new faces needed and hopefully Walker will soon be available.

 

[Tinks]

Great numbers again and it says something when the away support outnumber the home!
I am getting a little fed up with going to Barnet tbh and said I don’t think I will go again so let’s hope we get promoted.
The game was at times frustrating. Barnet definitely was the better team in the first half and I felt it was a very tight game playing man to man but, after the break we seem to start with the bit between our teeth and push forward then, We just lost it after the penalty was awarded. I thought Barnet number 25 was immense today.
I am not going to start knocking any of our players (yet) as I think as the season goes on we will find our way.
Oh and I thought the officials were awful today

 

[sufcfed]

Stop dicking around with it at the back, poor colin gets passed the ball back so often, and has to play it out, I’ve seen if he goes long Kev berates him.

We simply need to play more attacking. Playing it around in defence, going backwards to much and side to side, it doesn’t get anywhere fast enough.

I mean the spell after we scored for 10/15 mins we looks great and like we were about to take the game. Then after we concede the penalty we go back to backwards passing and side to side like we were holding onto a win?!

All in all a very disappointing afternoon.

Definitely a new striker needed, Waldron I cannot knock his work rate but right now looking like a Powell 2.0 with his finishing.

Stop playing negative/cautious, just bloody go for it!

 

[Jacob Sladder]

Barnet were good and passed the ball with a fluidity we just do not have. We find ourself moving into space and then instead of driving forward, it's stop, look around and pass it sideways or back because we're now rapidly being closed down. Maybe the men ahead are too slow in moving into a workable position or to draw defenders away... I don't know, but it is evident in every game we've played.

PS please stop this stupid playing it out with passes a whisker away from their attackers. We invariably end up in a triangle with players who can't wait to get rid of the ball, it breaks down or we panic pass and the opposition have the ball 25 yards from goal. My simple logic is if we have a goal kick and we **** about playing it out, WE have the pressure of getting that ball into their half. However, if we boot it into their half in the first place, then THEY have the pressure of winning it and getting it into our half (PS as background, I was born in the 50's!)

COYB for blunting the Daggers on Monday.

 

[bazzashrimper]

Pretty even game but if anyone deserved to win it was them. We were looking good until the penalty.

I’ve been thinking for weeks that we needed the positions kev has filled + one more striker. I think that’s enough to give us ‘a squad’ which we haven’t had for a few seasons now, but I think that’s every other clubs starting position. It’s then about making sure that the players within that squad are all good enough to get us where we want to be. Whilst we have picked up a few gems in the last couple of seasons, there were 3 or 4 today who are inferior to the others and we need to be able to upgrade to push towards winning the league. The impact of this is clearer now we have 5 subs that can be made.

Whether this can be addressed within budget is a question - it could be that we need to wait until the end of the season to do something with a few and hope to scrape up with a fully fit 11 or 14 through the playoffs. The dilemma of being a supporter of a properly budgeted club.