Post-Match Thread and Ratings Rochdale AFC 0-0 Southend United

[blues exile]

I suppose the ends justify the means, but the team was obviously set up to contain Rochdale and hope to score on the break. Against one of the lowest scoring sides in the division, this was setting our sights too low in my view. Despite their games in hand, Rochdale are where they because they are having a bad season and it would have been nice to see us looking a bit more ambitious. We played as a cohesive unit and stuck to the game plan so credit there, but it's going to be a pretty dreary end to the season if this is any indication. Despite CPs post match dismissal of another blank day for the 'strikers' this is something that can only be addressed by the acquisition of at least one proven goalscorer. None of the current bunch is capable of even double figures in a season and that is simply not good enough if we are serious about a proper challenge for the playoffs next season.

 

[Jai]

I suppose the ends justify the means, but the team was obviously set up to contain Rochdale and hope to score on the break. Against one of the lowest scoring sides in the division, this was setting our sights too low in my view. Despite their games in hand, Rochdale are where they because they are having a bad season and it would have been nice to see us looking a bit more ambitious. We played as a cohesive unit and stuck to the game plan so credit there, but it's going to be a pretty dreary end to the season if this is any indication. Despite CPs post match dismissal of another blank day for the 'strikers' this is something that can only be addressed by the acquisition of at least one proven goalscorer. None of the current bunch is capable of even double figures in a season and that is simply not good enough if we are serious about a proper challenge for the playoffs next season.

Fair to say Rochdale are in good form and have only conceded one goal in their last five league games (away to Wigan). So some mitigation there and I thought they defended very well.

From what I could tell it looked like Chris Powell was happy to contain knowing they would tire/have to go for it as the game progressed as they needed a win. It was a tactic that seemed sensible and nearly paid off but to be honest we looked happy with a point. We could have won it at the end, but a point isn't bad.

Away from home, we were hemorrhaging goals before Powell arrived. Stopping that was the priority and we're not conceded in three tricky games (Peterborough are a decent side, Bury and Rochdale both in form when we played them and long midweek trips). There's work to do going forward of course but the main thing is we're unbeaten away which has been our biggest problem this year.

This is a very mediocre Southend side. We haven't become world-beaters overnight and we're not going to win every game. Slow progress is not a bad thing.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Yearwood never stopped running, chasing and snapping at Rochdale in the middle of the park, but was let down by Wright and Woody not doing their fair share of the graft that was necessary tonight. Wright offered up an honest 90 mins but not a lot went right for him, Woody had one of his strolling games. Premier qualities Mr Powell? - maybe at the hotel chain but not any more than that on that performance.

I thought that was exactly Powell's point when he described him as mercurial. He said his talent was Premier League, not his effort/consistency.

Having tried to build his confidence up by publicly flattering him it'll be interesting to see if he next tries publicly criticising him if that was a complacent display. I expect however he'll be more discrete and when it comes to that he'll save that for private and only publicly do so as a last resort.

This is a very mediocre Southend side. We haven't become world-beaters overnight and we're not going to win every game. Slow progress is not a bad thing.

Indeed. It's a positive that Powell can now properly see the size of the task he's inherited. The worst thing that could have happened is that a few wins masked the enormity of the rebuild that is required so that the squad wasn't overhauled in the summer.

 

[Blueronron]

The problem, with posters continuing to write a re build is needed, is who will we get in to replace, at the end of the day it has to be an improvement what has left

We are a low/middle sized club, with a decent following, but to entice a player who (a) Wants to improve his career (b) Play for the club 100 % (c) Believe in the vision that has been written for the past 10 + years is a hard call

If we get older players in and they are injured, we have the regular posters moaning, if we try and sign a hungry youngster from lower division or Championship and he doesn't score we have the regular posters moaning what a waste send him back to reduce wages

Its not as simple as rebuilding, we need an approach very carefully, Chris Powell has the crowd with him, come next season he will be on his own and no one can be expected to duck if we come under a few defeats.

Personally I feel we have the squad capable of a challenge next season, obviously forwards are a problem, but they are only as good as the service they receive

Would Freddy have been as prolific if Gower was not about to supply him ?

UTS

 

[Firestorm]

More to the point is Mantom still injured ,if not why have him on loan if he isnt going to get any game time ,

he was on the bench Saturday so I doubt he is still injured.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

The problem, with posters continuing to write a re build is needed, is who will we get in to replace, at the end of the day it has to be an improvement what has left

We are a low/middle sized club, with a decent following, but to entice a player who (a) Wants to improve his career (b) Play for the club 100 % (c) Believe in the vision that has been written for the past 10 + years is a hard call

If we get older players in and they are injured, we have the regular posters moaning, if we try and sign a hungry youngster from lower division or Championship and he doesn't score we have the regular posters moaning what a waste send him back to reduce wages

Its not as simple as rebuilding, we need an approach very carefully, Chris Powell has the crowd with him, come next season he will be on his own and no one can be expected to duck if we come under a few defeats.

Personally I feel we have the squad capable of a challenge next season, obviously forwards are a problem, but they are only as good as the service they receive

Would Freddy have been as prolific if Gower was not about to supply him ?

UTS

They don't necessarily need to be better quality, they just need to be a better fit for the system the manager is going to employ.

Besides signing players on the basis of what they did 5-10 years ago rather than what they are likely to do in the future, the issue with Brown's transfer policy was he signed too many players without any idea how he would fit them into the team. Care needs to be taken that the signings are right for the style and system that Chris Powell wants to utilise. If the plan is to have two wingers like McLaughlin and Kightly crossing the ball in then we need centre-forwards (and a centre-mid) who can get onto the end of them. That's not Cox. If the plan is to use Cox's intelligence then we need midfielders (and a targetman) who can link up with him - both in terms of passing and off-the-ball running.

We need players whose strengths we play to and whose weaknesses can be mitigated by their team-mates. If one centre-half can hardly run then you don't want him playing alongside another centre-half who gets overtaken by Cricko in his mobility scooter.

We may have sufficient quality (particularly if like Brown you are still scouting using Champ Manager 2010) but our squad isn't balanced. Freddy wouldn't have been prolific if Mark Gower's game was all about getting in early crosses.

 

[Cricko]

I resemble that remark :stunned:

 

[Bolton Shrimper]

Sounded on the radio that we were very good at the back, average in the middle and very poor up front.

in a nutshell yes. We seem harder to beat now. Oxley made 3 good saves but punched twice when he could have caught. Resolute enough defence but nothing commanding and gave the ball back to Rochdale too many times after having won/recieved it. Rochdales poor finishing is the only reason we did'nt concede as they made 5/6 very good chances. We offerred very little going forward until the last 15 minutes and the midfield played mostly far to deep until then. Seems like we came for a point but with the intention of trying to nick it at the end when we knew the game would become stretched. We will take this point against a side in trouble ala Bury away last month. Plus point Drew Yearwood played well again and will be some player in a year or two. 4/5 odd/completely wrong decisions by the Ref/ lino who were very average. 6/10 for us overall.

 

[rigsby]

They don't necessarily need to be better quality, they just need to be a better fit for the system the manager is going to employ.

Besides signing players on the basis of what they did 5-10 years ago rather than what they are likely to do in the future, the issue with Brown's transfer policy was he signed too many players without any idea how he would fit them into the team. Care needs to be taken that the signings are right for the style and system that Chris Powell wants to utilise. If the plan is to have two wingers like McLaughlin and Kightly crossing the ball in then we need centre-forwards (and a centre-mid) who can get onto the end of them. That's not Cox. If the plan is to use Cox's intelligence then we need midfielders (and a targetman) who can link up with him - both in terms of passing and off-the-ball running.

We need players whose strengths we play to and whose weaknesses can be mitigated by their team-mates. If one centre-half can hardly run then you don't want him playing alongside another centre-half who gets overtaken by Cricko in his mobility scooter.

We may have sufficient quality (particularly if like Brown you are still scouting using Champ Manager 2010) but our squad isn't balanced. Freddy wouldn't have been prolific if Mark Gower's game was all about getting in early crosses.

Forget systems surely you picked up on CP's comments about the January last day transfers. We couldn't even sign a replacement for Lenny.....Scunthorpe sniggered when we signed the injured Mantom.

Unfortunately he will have the exact same problem PB had when it comes to summer signings, 30 players either spoken to and even interviewed before June..... Due to reasons that have nothing to do with the manager I can't see anything changing in just a few months.

As for your other obsession about Ferdinand and Turner, here's some stats for you. Since Turner recovered from his injury and made his league debut v Pompey his record with Anton for games they have finished in...

P13 W5 D4 L4.......No bad as it was in the final days of the PB reign and includes our annual loss at Scunny and missed penalties at Pompey and MK.

The games they didn't play and I include the Shrewsbury game when Anton went off early and Fleetwood when Turner went off first half
P6 W0 L6..

Both players read the game well and are our best combination at the back. If there are any young CB's out there with that ability and pace they certainly won't be signing for us.

 

[tommy tucker]

maybe chris powell is making sure we are safe from the Rword then maybe he will put montom in the side to see what he brings to the team .And if he goes well and is available in the summer he may go in for him then who knows .

 

[Barling Magna]

Are we suffering from appointing managers who were defenders, I wonder? Of course they should be able to understand every position on the field but, subconciously, are they too focused on defence and less focused on attack? Does a clean sheet mean more to them than a 4-3 win? It's all very well not conceding but you've got to score as well. Both PB and CP seemed preoccupied with clean sheets in a way that Sturrock wasn't, and we had some good strikers under his management.

Probably nothing in this at all and both PB and CP were/are actually equally proficient in their defensive and attacking tactics. But I do wonder though..........

 

[rigsby]

Are we suffering from appointing managers who were defenders, I wonder? Of course they should be able to understand every position on the field but, subconciously, are they too focused on defence and less focused on attack? Does a clean sheet mean more to them than a 4-3 win? It's all very well not conceding but you've got to score as well. Both PB and CP seemed preoccupied with clean sheets in a way that Sturrock wasn't, and we had some good strikers under his management.

Probably nothing in this at all and both PB and CP were/are actually equally proficient in their defensive and attacking tactics. But I do wonder though..........

We scored 70 goals last season. I believe Tilson's tittle wining team are the only ones to better that. Then add the fact that we hardly scored any goals from set pieces, as we had no aerial threat I would guess we may have even scored more from open play than any previous SUFC team in L1 or above.

I don't think either PB or CP have become over defensive, its more to do with a record number of missed easy chances in the same season. Even in our 0-5 thrashing at Rotherham, Fortune missed 3 chances that were all easier than Kieffer Moore's 3 goals. In the same week MAF and Robinson both missed easy headers on the opening day v Blackburn when we were leading 2-1. Cox missed a sitter v Newport at 0-0 on the Tuesday......Even after missing several good chances at Gillingham before half time and a penalty miss v Rochdale.... I kept saying that won't continue but sadly for us and despite some good work rate, none of our forwards have produced goals so far this season.

 

[Barling Magna]

Yes, good points. I guess we're making the chances but lacking a Jamie Cureton, Billy Sharp or Barry Corr or whoever to put them in the net.

 

[rlb999]

Some may be happy with a point, but I think there was an opportunity there to go and win that one. The midfield (Dru aside) was functional but limited. Wordsworth didn't get into the game, and Wright isn't that good a player in my view. I was surprised that we didn't see Timlin or Mantom come off the bench - this would surely have injected a bit of urgency to the proceedings? Don't quite understand the Mantom signing - if he can't get some minutes under his belt last night, when is he going to? And if he is 6th choice midfielder why did we bring him in?

Kightly could scare the hell out of defences at that level if we could get our set up right.

Oxley 6, Demetriou 6, Turner 8, Ferdinand 7, Coker 6, Wright 6, Yearwood 7, Wordsworth 5, Harrison 5, Fortune 7, Kightly 6.

 

[The Watermill Wino]

Was interested to see Jack Payne and his mate Bradley Dack in the front row last night, hiding under his hoodie, JP that was. Must have been scouting for Blackburn?

 

[Up the Shrimpers]

Was interested to see Jack Payne and his mate Bradley Dack in the front row last night, hiding under his hoodie, JP that was. Must have been scouting for Blackburn?

They must have been not very impressed by the guy who was shouting obscenities at the top of his voice for the whole first half? Now we all swear a bit from time to time but I think he had a bit of a problem.

Did I hear right that it was his first match back after a ban? Anyway I see the stewards eventually chucked him out during the 2nd half.