Just got back...

[Southampton Shrimper]

A very disappointing and frustrating evening. We just weren't in the game and never looked like getting anything from it. We certainly didn't look anything like the team of recent weeks. Let's just hope that this is a one-off blip and not a sign of things to come!

Tonight has confirmed for me that I don't think Adam looks comfortable at left back. I've thought this the couple of previous times I've seen him play there, but I think it hasn't shown up so much because the opposition hasn't been as good as it was tonight, but he looks like he can't make his mind up where he wants to be, he knows he should be on the left, but can't help wanting to move to the middle. It's got to be Che at left back from saturday, Adam is far more useful at centre back, and neither Efe nor Spinner had particularly brilliant games there tonight.

I also think Juppy showed there is no way he is going to be able to cope if we made it into the Championship - so two full backs required over the summer, methinks.

On the positive side, another good performance from Darryl, Gower played quite well, but I think Freddy was our best player, he worked harder than anyone else on the team, was unlucky not to get a goal, and appeared to be the only one of our team up for it half the time! Oh, and we didn't get wet, either!

Still, at least other results kind of went our way, we're still top of the league, we just need to get over tonight and beat Chesterfield on Saturday!

 

[SW17 Blue]

Agree with most of what you said but can't agree about Gower. Thought he was very poor tonight. What worries me about him is how easily he seems to lose confidence. He's a key player for us, when he's ticking, the team is too and he has been recently. I thought he lacked fight tonight - passing and delivery was poor and never really troubled the full back on either flank.

Good points about the defence though. As poor as we were, we were up against the best opposition team performance I've seen this season. They did everything we did to them at Roots Hall. When they attacked I was shocked at how frail and lacking in pace our defence looked. Something that definitely will need addressing should we be playing in a league higher next term.

As you say, let's not be too downbeat. We were poor but I doubt we'll come up against too many perfomances like that between now and May.

And we're still top of the league.

 

[Southampton Shrimper]

I agree Gower was not on his best form, but I wouldn't say he was terrible - he was trying quite hard and he did get some half-decent crosses in. But you're right about him and his confidence, if that was to go then we would be in trouble!

You're spot on though that they did to us what we did to them at Roots Hall, and like them then we just had nothing in response. They made our defence look poor (which we know it isn't), yet their defenders didn't give our forwards a look in.

 

[tomasufc 4eva]

Hmmm. I didn't think Brentford were all that but they did take advantage of some embarrassing aerial defending as well as some comedy moments from Spinner.

 

[DTS]

Quote[/b] (Southampton Shrimper @ Feb. 14 2006,23:43)]A very disappointing and frustrating evening. We just weren't in the game and never looked like getting anything from it. We certainly didn't look anything like the team of recent weeks. Let's just hope that this is a one-off blip and not a sign of things to come!

Tonight has confirmed for me that I don't think Adam looks comfortable at left back. I've thought this the couple of previous times I've seen him play there, but I think it hasn't shown up so much because the opposition hasn't been as good as it was tonight, but he looks like he can't make his mind up where he wants to be, he knows he should be on the left, but can't help wanting to move to the middle. It's got to be Che at left back from saturday, Adam is far more useful at centre back, and neither Efe nor Spinner had particularly brilliant games there tonight.

I also think Juppy showed there is no way he is going to be able to cope if we made it into the Championship - so two full backs required over the summer, methinks.

On the positive side, another good performance from Darryl, Gower played quite well, but I think Freddy was our best player, he worked harder than anyone else on the team, was unlucky not to get a goal, and appeared to be the only one of our team up for it half the time! Oh, and we didn't get wet, either!  

Still, at least other results kind of went our way, we're still top of the league, we just need to get over tonight and beat Chesterfield on Saturday!

Agree 100% with all you have said.

Fred showed some real class at times......Gower still showed invention despite poor service.

Must say i thought the Goat was appauling. His retirement seems to have come early based on tonights performance he wasnt even in the game

All in all a poor nights football.

 

[Boreham Shrimper]

I agree that Brentford weren't all that wonderful but we really did make ourselves look outplayed in every area of the park tonight. I have no doubt that we'll be back to our usual style and quality of football very soon but tonight really was disappointing, especially for all the fans that went, of which there must have been close to 2000.

On another note, the away seated section was apparently appalling and some people's views were framed by about 3 or 4 posts, causing them to move to the standing terrasse!

 

[Southampton Shrimper]

Quote[/b] (Dave the Shrimper @ Feb. 15 2006,00:06)]Must say i thought the Goat was appauling. His retirement seems to have come early based on tonights performance he wasnt even in the game

I agree Goat did very little tonight, but such is the high regard I hold for the man I would not want to see his career ended on such a low. He's clearly past his best, but I would like to think he still has a few more performances left in him.

I know we can't afford to carry him, and I'm being more emotional than realistic, but I'd like to say that we shouldn't try and rely on him too much, but should just let him dawdle around the goal area and poach a few in.

I would so dearly love to see him be able to take his bow against Bristol City with pride, and not just fade out as a forgotten also-ran.

 

[Skyblue]

Agree that the Goat had a mare tonight but he is in no way suited to a match played at 100 miles an hour where the oposition is closing you down so quickly and all he had to feed on were balls pumped 10 foot over his head all the time. Having said that Tilly had 45mins to see all this and should have made his substitutions at half time and gone out for the second half with plan B on the basis that whatever he did would/could only have been an improvement on a trully dire first half.

 

[* ORM *]

To compound tonights misery a shredded tyre on the way home with the replacment just being a temporary max 50mph inflatable rubber ring. Got home 10 mins ago

ARSE

Did Benno play tonight ?
Barrett - I rest my case. How many more times has he got to lose the ball in a position like that before he realises ? In fact, why did we change a winning line up anyway ? One week an eagle eyed referee is going to send him off. If he concentrated more on attacking the ball rather than elbowing or pushing his opponent he might have half a chance.
Mitchell Cole ? Anyone see the point ?

We made a very ordinary Brentford side look good in the first half with some awful defending. The slip aside, only Spinner emerged with any credit from the back four. Gower and Maher were the pick of a lucklustre midfield. Freddy was the only one tonight to emerge with any real credit. (There, I've said it !).

All is not lost. We've been on a terrific run and I cannot believe we will be that poor on Saturday. Remember - we've already achieved what we set out to do at the start of the season. Everything else is a bonus.

 

[TerryintheWest]

according to the report on the OS, the first goal was a result of Barrett losing the ball in midfield. What was he doing there?

Bring back Che  

 

[* ORM *]

Quote[/b] (TerryintheWest @ Feb. 15 2006,00:37)]according to the report on the OS, the first goal was a result of Barrett losing the ball in midfield. What was he doing there?

Bring back Che  

He did one of his "amazing" 20 yard runs where he suddenly remembers he doesn't have a right foot, panics and gets caught in possession leaving a gaping gap where left back would have been. I'm not blaming Jupp for the first goal, all he was trying to do was defend. He wasn't to know it was going wide, or that no one else was following in.

Not impressed.

 

[keefmoon]

I happen to think Brentford were very good tonight. They weren't attractive by any means, and if I had to watch that every week I'd be very disappointed. But they did their homework on us more than any team has in this division. They closed us down very quickly, reducing our passing game. They marked Freddy and Gower so well it made them look average (they actually played well under the circumstances). And they lumped the ball about in all the right areas. Something which they'd obviously practised as we didn't seem to win a single header tonight, all over the park.
And most importantly, they didn't pass themsleves out of trouble, they muscled their way out of trouble. When that's put into practise, I'm afraid we are a team that doesn't really know how to deal with it, and it showed.
Along with Martin Allen doing a stella job on us, I also thought we were suprisingly poor and agree with the fella that said Freddy was our only real light out there.
That was quite simply the worst game I have seen Adam Barrett play, and I'm not sure I've seen us not hold our shape at times this season quite like tonight.
All over, quite a shambles.
BUT...I will not grumble anymore, we are top of the league, and I'm fully confident that I'm going to go to Chesterfield and see a solid win.

 

[Soton Blue]

We just seemed to lack any cohesion. Although the defence did look all at sea at no point did we get a hold of midfield. But remember we do not become a bad side overnight.

 

[EastStandBlue]

If Barrett is going to make one of his Runs, the defence should be organised as a unit to know someone has to stay back and cover the gap, Otherwise Barrett shouldn't be attacking the opposition as he does. Its simple, yet so many times we've been caught this way and have been lucky to get away withi t as much as we have been.

Does sound like Tilsons cautious approach to Substitutions has cost us again, with The anonymous Bentley not up to much and Goater clearly struggling.

 

[Guest]

Most of the posts on here have nicely summed up what I thought about the game already, so I won't go there.

Usually on the way home from a defeat the car is quiet and pervaded by an air of doom. Last night, the mood seemed to be more or less 'it was just a blip, we will be better on Saturday, bring it on'.

We've not suddenly become crap, I have confidence that the lads will want to redress the balance on Saturday...

 

[M25 Shrimpers]

Football has never been more obviously a game of opinions chaps!
I personally thought Efe had a very good game at the back....commanding in our 18 yard box, and won almost every ball in the air.
Spinner on the other hand...apart from his one dimensional game, does look shakey week in, week out. That slip on the half-way line summed up our performance in one fell swoop!

I too am of the school of thought that this was a blip, rather than something major to be worried about.
I just think Tilly (god forbid!) got the tactics and formation wrong tonight...just didn't come off for us.

UTB

 

[Shrimpbizkit]

I doubt we will come up against a team in our remaning games who attack us with such vigour and purpose, and I doubt we will be that poor again. Its easy to say in hindsight but Che has been one of our most consistent performers this season and should not have been dropped. I also think Goater is one of those players who only plays well when the whole team is palying well, when the chips are down hes pretty much useless unlike Freddy who I thought was outstanding last night and can hold his head up high along with Flavs who must surely be one of the best keepers outside the Prem.
Look on the bright side- look at our remainig home fixtures, all winnable, and get a couple of wins away and we'll be ok.

 

[M25 Shrimpers]

Ahhh yes...I forgot to add that...I had two (dare I say it) Hamsters there last night as "guests". Thought I would unleas some proper football upon them, however it didn't quite work!

But yes...even they proclaimed that Darryl made a couple of "world class" saves. The guy sure makes up for his lack of height with shot stopping ability....up there with the best.

 

[stickyboy]

How can a defence who have only conceded 5 goals in 13 goals suddenly become incapable of dealing with anything. We looked a bloody joke and a total embaressment at the back - Thought Sodje wasnt too bad but the others had a total nightmare. Freddie worked his socks off and hopefully Bradbury will be given a chance now Goater has surely finished his Southend career. We cant afford to carry him I'm afraid, notice the Brentford attackers were chasing down everything, Goater simply can not do that anymore, Bradbury or Gray when fit chase their defence down and put them under more pressure. Darryl again made some quality stops, surely the best keeper in the division

 

[Shrimp in a Kilt]

Quote[/b] (M25 Shrimpers @ Feb. 15 2006,09:20)]I too am of the school of thought that this was a blip, rather than something major to be worried about.
I just think Tilly (god forbid!) got the tactics and formation wrong tonight...just didn't come off for us.

UTB

Well put. Even the most experienced managers can get the team/tactics wrong, Tilly will have seen where the problems were, will digest that and move on - and so should we. Time to stop worrying about last night and start to think about the next game.