just got back

[hexagon_sun]

Quote[/b] (stickyboy @ Dec. 03 2005,20:54)]

Quote[/b] (hexagon_sun @ Dec. 03 2005,20:48)]Maher was pretty poor today, but drop him? You've got to be out of your mind - we'd look even worse without him.

the 2 games we played without him last season we won 3-0 so dont think he would be much of a loss

Got Alan McCormack waiting in the sidelines again have we? With nobody in the squad capable of filling his boots, Maher must play.

 

[stickyboy]

true - but my point is we should get someone to replace him full time come January....

 

[Fiftyone]

Quote[/b] (stickyboy @ Dec. 03 2005,20:54)]

Quote[/b] (hexagon_sun @ Dec. 03 2005,20:48)]Maher was pretty poor today, but drop him? You've got to be out of your mind - we'd look even worse without him.

the 2 games we played without him last season we won 3-0 so dont think he would be much of a loss

Yes, but we did have McCormack who isn't available anymore.

 

[Guest]

Glad i didnt go then, eh!

 

[Hong Kong Blue]

Quote[/b] (Wickford Blue @ Dec. 03 2005,17:55)]IMHO every team we seem to be facing is working much harder at closing down in mid-field and pressing Southend nearer their own goal

Spot on.

We've been outbattled too often.

 

[Prodigal Son]

Quote[/b] (* ORM * @ Dec. 03 2005,18:11)]It's very simple - take off the rose tinted glasses and then you'll realise that Barrett and Eastwood are actually nothing out of the ordinary. When you are looking for scapegoats too often the targets are wrong. Other than the goal Prior had an excellent game. More than can be said for most of the rest of the team with the possible exception of JCR and *ahem* Wilson. Week in week out Barrett is outclassed and outjumped by forwards no bigger than him and would be much better at left back.

As to the thick KUNTS chanting "Freddy Eastwood" and "easy, easy" at 1-1 in the West, that just about somes up what most of you know about football: FRUCK ALL!

Fortunately today was a cup game but the last 4 weeks have been a nightmare and I can't wait for the transfer window to reinvest the 25K that Freddy must be worth after the last 4 weeks displays.

You heard it here first. Give Petts a chance !

I'll ask again, why do you hate Eastwood so much?

 

[Kris]

Quote[/b] (stickyboy @ Dec. 03 2005,20:54)]

Quote[/b] (hexagon_sun @ Dec. 03 2005,20:48)]Maher was pretty poor today, but drop him? You've got to be out of your mind - we'd look even worse without him.

the 2 games we played without him last season we won 3-0 so dont think he would be much of a loss

You've conveniently forgotten the other two games Maher missed last season - Wycombe and Grimsby at home - when we looked utterly clueless.

Like Hexagon_sun said, we had the luxury of bringing in Alan McCormack on loan (who was then playing for a team two divisions above us) for the games against Cheltenham and Rochdale. We don't have that option at the moment and there is NO-ONE in our current squad who can adequately slot into Maher's role. Dropping him would be ridiculous, especially with two crucial home league games in the next seven days.

I do sometimes think I'm watching a different game to some people on here. Am I the only person who thought we actually played reasonably well today? We played some good football at times and created enough decent chances to have won the game comfortably: JCR was unlucky to see his shot in the first half hit the bar; Freddy should really have scored his one-on-one; Gower was denied twice in the second half (by keeper, then by post); Gray should have done better with his late chance. Unfortunately we paid the price for two defensive lapses.

A few other thoughts:

Maher's set-pieces - a couple were poor but I do have some sympathy with him for the ones that evaded everyone in the first half. I noticed that all our players seemed to be making similar runs - shouldn't a couple be peeling away to the back post, where they could have met Maher's crosses? I'm sure they were doing that earlier in the season. Overall he wasn't at his best but was no way as bad as some people claim.

Goater - I thought he did OK in the first half and was linking up well with Freddy but he totally faded in the second half and should have been subbed much earlier.

Smith - Great to see him last the full 90 minutes. He didn't have a massive impact today but was steady and should now get better and better.

Gower - I felt sorry for him today because he looked properly fit for the first time in ages and generally played well. His error for the goal was a bad one but our defence should still have never let Gary Smith waltz through our defence the way they did.

JCR - Remains a bit of an enigma but let's persist with him as he's still very young and for me has the potential to be one of our most exciting players since Ricky Otto. I'm particularly very impressed by his workrate and ability to win possession, attributes you rarely associate with a winger.

Eastwood - Still has a lot to learn. He did some great things, as ever, but needs to work on his hold-up play as he gave away possession too often by trying to twist and turn in the wrong areas. I also wish he would drop a bit deeper to receive possession on occasions like he used to do last season. I'm a bit perplexed as to why he's stopped doing that as he's a lot easier to man-mark when he constantly sits on the shoulder of the last defender.

Finally: two highly important games in the next seven days - let's keep the faith and get behind the team; I'm confident we can pick up at least four points and then things will be looking much rosier again.

Up the Shrimpers!

 

[Hong Kong Blue]

Quote[/b] (Kris @ Dec. 03 2005,21:40)]

Quote[/b] (stickyboy @ Dec. 03 2005,20:54)]

Quote[/b] (hexagon_sun @ Dec. 03 2005,20:48)]Maher was pretty poor today, but drop him? You've got to be out of your mind - we'd look even worse without him.

the 2 games we played without him last season we won 3-0 so dont think he would be much of a loss

You've conveniently forgotten the other two games Maher missed last season - Wycombe and Grimsby at home - when we looked utterly clueless.

He was answering the suggestion that we are always worse off without Maher.

Sometimes we are clueless without Maher, sometimes we are clueless with Maher (eg the last month or so).

We can play well without Maher. Its a question of getting the right balance in midfield - something we currently don't have.

 

[stickyboy]

Kris, I agree that I didnt point out the Wycombe and Grimsby matches but as Hong Kong Blue said I was pointing out we won a few games convincingly without him so he is not the be all and end all of Southend - The balance needs to be sorted out, think Lukey boy has been a big loss to us though who hopefully will come back asap to help get us on track...if we can get a result to stop the rot (4 points from 18, out of Fa Cup & LDV) then hopefully confidence wil return

 

[TrueBlue]

Quote[/b] (seenyeva kryevyetka @ Dec. 03 2005,17:43)]

Quote[/b] (jontosh2001 @ Dec. 03 2005,17:40)] jay smith looked alright but if tilly is going to stick with maher, then gutts will definitely be 1st choice over him


ref was sh!te too!

Simple. Drop Maher.

Can't do that its not allowed! hes been with us for 8 years so we must show him loyalty because of this, because that is more important then the clubs results!

or thats what it looks like!

 

[TrueBlue]

Quote[/b] ]Maher's set-pieces - a couple were poor but I do have some sympathy with him for the ones that evaded everyone in the first half. I noticed that all our players seemed to be making similar runs - shouldn't a couple be peeling away to the back post, where they could have met Maher's crosses? I'm sure they were doing that earlier in the season. Overall he wasn't at his best but was no way as bad as some people claim.

A prime example is that Corner we had in the last moments of the game he had no lift on the ball they are chances that can win us a replay we need to get the ball in the box atleast!

 

[sufcinwhistler]

Quote[/b] (TrueBlue @ Dec. 03 2005,23:30)]

Quote[/b] (seenyeva kryevyetka @ Dec. 03 2005,17:43)]

Quote[/b] (jontosh2001 @ Dec. 03 2005,17:40)] jay smith looked alright but if tilly is going to stick with maher, then gutts will definitely be 1st choice over him


ref was sh!te too!

Simple. Drop Maher.

Can't do that its not allowed! hes been with us for 8 years so we must show him loyalty because of this, because that is more important then the clubs results!

or thats what it looks like!

Don't know why you're blaming Maher. It's clearly my fault for the results. Since I've been here, we've lost 4 and won just one!!

 

[TrueBlue]

Quote[/b] ] It's clearly my fault for the results.

Right your out!

 

[Kris]

Quote[/b] (stickyboy @ Dec. 03 2005,22:52)]Kris, I agree that I didnt point out the Wycombe and Grimsby matches but as Hong Kong Blue said I was pointing out we won a few games convincingly without him so he is not the be all and end all of Southend - The balance needs to be sorted out, think Lukey boy has been a big loss to us though who hopefully will come back asap to help get us on track...if we can get a result to stop the rot (4 points from 18, out of Fa Cup & LDV) then hopefully confidence wil return

Yes. To be fair, Alan McCormack was superb in the two games in which he stood in for Maher last season and was quite unlucky to be dropped. My point, however, is that Tilly realised what a big loss to the side Maher was and opted to get in a loanee from a club two divisions above us to cover the suspension because he believed - quite rightly, in my opinion - that there was no-one within our own squad who could adequately fill in (see the Wycombe/Grimsby references in my last post).

For the record, I'd love to have seen McCormack sign on a permanent basis and I'm sure Tilly would have loved to get him here too. He would have been perfect to give competition for Maher or even play alongside him.

And the trouble is, we've no McCormack to call on at the moment. It's all very well screaming for Maher to be dropped but no-one ever seems to suggest who would be an appropriate replacement.

Don't get me wrong, I know that Maher has been below-par recently but I don't see anyone in the current squad who could come in and actually improve the side, so until January at least I think we must persist with our captain.

 

[TrueBlue]

Whats McCormack upto at the moment?

 

[Kris]

He's on loan at Motherwell from Preston.

 

[TrueBlue]

Quote[/b] (Kris @ Dec. 04 2005,01:00)]He's on loan at Motherwell from Preston.

I really think he should be a target for us but then again Motherwell mite have a view to buy him

 

[* ORM *]

Quote[/b] (Prodigal Son @ Dec. 03 2005,21:35)]

Quote[/b] (* ORM * @ Dec. 03 2005,18:11)]It's very simple - take off the rose tinted glasses and then you'll realise that Barrett and Eastwood are actually nothing out of the ordinary. When you are looking for scapegoats too often the targets are wrong. Other than the goal Prior had an excellent game. More than can be said for most of the rest of the team with the possible exception of JCR and *ahem* Wilson. Week in week out Barrett is outclassed and outjumped by forwards no bigger than him and would be much better at left back.

As to the thick KUNTS chanting "Freddy Eastwood" and "easy, easy" at 1-1 in the West, that just about somes up what most of you know about football: FRUCK ALL!

Fortunately today was a cup game but the last 4 weeks have been a nightmare and I can't wait for the transfer window to reinvest the 25K that Freddy must be worth after the last 4 weeks displays.

You heard it here first. Give Petts a chance !

I'll ask again, why do you hate Eastwood so much?

Because there is a fundamental difference between getting us out of the second division and getting us out of the first, or even achieving the first target this season; staying in it.

Clearly he was exceptional on the first point and he is proving to be decidedly average on the second. That's why when fans go overboard about Freddy every time he farts I'm decidedly non-plussed. We'll see how highly Freddy is rated in the transfer window. Could it be a secret ploy from the Chairman ? Play crap until the window is shut again.

I'll say it again. Henry and Van Nistleroy get marked out of the game week in week out, as does Lee Trundle. All three of them seem to be able to perform against all comers, not just against poor defenders.

Also let's get one thing absolutely clear on the Maher front. If we had a better player in the squad to fulfil the role he performs I'd have him in there straight away. When some people learn that midfield is not about all out attack they might actually begin to appreciate the qualities he brings to the team. On set pieces I'm inclined to agree with people. He shouldn't be taking all of them. Well bugger me. I think he only took about 50% of them yesterday !

 

[stickyboy]

i agree in that Eastwood is not playing as well lately (but hopefully that will put off anyone buying him come January then he can fire up again) but he is the striker still scoring some goals for us - think there is just too much expected of him, basically if he is not scoring then someone else needs to which is not happening at the moment unlike earlier in the season where every tom dick and harry was scoring.

 

[Colchester Shrimper]

Lose a game and the usual 'Maher is crap' comes out from those who can never see the bigger picture.

Maher will never be mom every game, and yes by his high standards he wasn't on top of his game yesterday. The free kick that sailed past the back post would have been fine, if someone was running in, but we had three players in touching distance all on the same spot!

Also, as usual as soon as our back 4 get the ball they are looking to Maher which MK Dons realise and therefore under pressure his first time pass goes astray. This also happens in the Premier$hite!