Post-Match Thread and Ratings Shrewsbury Town 1-0 Southend United

[rayleigh dan]

Really felt Jason Williams could have been a decent option off the bench today.

Thank you Pubey for making me LOL for the first time today!

 

[Strutty the Shrimper]

Ratings:

Christian Walton - 7 - Kept us in it in the first half but should have done better with the goal.
Jason Demetriou - 6 - Usual performance of decent going forward but poor defensively, should have done better with the shot.
Adam Thompson - 7 - The only other player than Walton to turn up and play, gave everything and defended well.
Anton Ferdinand - 6 - Played better than his woeful performance Monday but that's not saying much.
John White - 5 - Poor game from Whitey who didn't look match fit.
Will Atkinson - 4 - One of Will's worse games in a long time. Not sure how he stayed on!
Ryan Leonard - 6 - Lots of effort but too many passes going astray.
Michael Timlin - 5 - barely made an impression on the game.
Stephen McLaughlin - 5 - another poor game from Macca who hasn't looked his best since returning.
Simon Cox - 5 - had little to feed on but when he did, made the wrong decisions.
Nile Ranger - 6 - influenced the game a bit in the 2nd half and came closest to getting a goal.

None of the subs influenced the game.

This was almost as bad as it gets, especially in the first half. When we actually passed the ball around we looked like we might threaten but that happened few and far between.

 

[LBBlue]

A fit first 11 are a match for anyone. Take one out and we struggle against most sides take two out and we're stuffed. If Coker and Wordsworth were both fit and playing we would have been OK. For Ferdinand and Ranger who aren't blessed with natural fitness it was another game too many. You can see why Gillingham released McGlashan and Nouble they don't do much. We should have tried to get a midfield playmaker in in January to strengthen the side instead of those who just sit on the bench and have added nothing. Maybe we should be grateful there is something still to play for in the last game. Rochdale could sneak in.

 

[davewebbsbrain]

The two best things about today were the indie band playing some great tunes before the game and the atmosphere in the away end. Allowed to reminisce back to the old North Bank days

 

[LBBlue]

Really felt Jason Williams could have been a decent option off the bench today.

Would have been no worse than Nouble.

 

[jtsouthend]

Maybe rules man Mick could help me out with this one. During the warm up, can teams practice long throws? I ask this as pitch size varies. Lenny has a good long throw but we rarely had a player where the ball was dropping.

Can we practice throws to see where the ball will roughly land in the penalty area?

We had about 12 during the game so the first couple should have been our "sighrters". But there were no technical adjustments (moving closer to the thrower etc)

We obviously "think" it is a weapon but the conversion of about 1 in 100 (even if it is that high) says it is not working

We realy win the flick on or any second ball if it is cleared (that applies to our corners as well)...a lot of it is down to poor player positioning (and that's a coaching / training thing)

attacking set pieces are generally poor and it is a case of lob it in and hope for the best, not exactly what you would expect in a professional sport. We have not really been a "threat" since Corr and Moshni left and the delivery has been poor to say the least

 

[rayleigh dan]

We had about 12 during the game so the first couple should have been our "sighrters". But there were no technical adjustments (moving closer to the thrower etc)

We obviously "think" it is a weapon but the conversion of about 1 in 100 (even if it is that high) says it is not working

We realy win the flick on or any second ball if it is cleared (that applies to our corners as well)...a lot of it is down to poor player positioning (and that's a coaching / training thing)

attacking set pieces are generally poor and it is a case of lob it in and hope for the best, not exactly what you would expect in a professional sport. We have not really been a "threat" since Corr and Moshni left and the delivery has been poor to say the least

I can only remember us scoring from a Leonard long throw once, against Wimbledon, and that was more down to their poor defending. It's so predictable too, every time Lenny looks for Thompson on the near post, nine times out of ten it either doesn't reach him or he gets out jumped.

I honestly think 1 in 100 is about right for a conversion rate, it just doesn't work! All it does is let the opposition organise their defence and get back in numbers. Please just throw it quickly and get a cross in, can we at least try this next week please Phil?

 

[LBBlue]

Bilel used to get on the end of Lenny's long throws. No one since then really.

 

[Pubey]

The problem wasn't just the long throws, but it was the general tactic to go long and direct with a lot of the play. Shrewsbury were excellent defensively, especially in the air, and they did a great job against us. I felt we didn't really change the tactics too much to try to work around this.

McGlashan came on but couldn't really run at players or stretch the game. Cox dropped deeper to have a more creative role but it was probably a bit too late and he was tired. Our best chance came at the end when Demetriou decided to run into the box to be an extra player and the ball dropped to him. We didn't get in and around the box well enough, and Shrewsbury were able to snuff things out and clear their lines.

I think it mainly came down to fatigue - we didn't want to play the ball about properly and so players looked for a direct option to quickly. Walton would play short to White or Ferdinand and they were so lethargic they turned it straight back to Walton, rather than look up and step forward.

 

[Shrimper]

The two best things about today were the indie band playing some great tunes before the game and the atmosphere in the away end. Allowed to reminisce back to the old North Bank days

Although I'm only in my early 20's, hearing Abacab by Genesis was wonderful. A proper old school tune. Better than the tripe played today.

Today was pretty **** poor and if I HAD to give a MOTM to someone in our team I'd give it to Whalton. The only one who seemed to care and want to push us forward. He saved us a number of times and deserves full praise. I don't think we'll do it now, we can't continually expect Millwall to drop points and we've had plenty of opportunities to get in the last spot. Oh well, push onto next season.

Also, can we please stop singing that "We're on our way back" and other related songs about the Championship. We're nowhere near.

 

[rayleigh dan]

The problem wasn't just the long throws, but it was the general tactic to go long and direct with a lot of the play. Shrewsbury were excellent defensively, especially in the air, and they did a great job against us. I felt we didn't really change the tactics too much to try to work around this.

McGlashan came on but couldn't really run at players or stretch the game. Cox dropped deeper to have a more creative role but it was probably a bit too late and he was tired. Our best chance came at the end when Demetriou decided to run into the box to be an extra player and the ball dropped to him. We didn't get in and around the box well enough, and Shrewsbury were able to snuff things out and clear their lines.

I think it mainly came down to fatigue - we didn't want to play the ball about properly and so players looked for a direct option to quickly. Walton would play short to White or Ferdinand and they were so lethargic they turned it straight back to Walton, rather than look up and step forward.

If that was the case then maybe both White and Ferdinand shouldn't have started? Playing unfit players has cost a
us recently though I'm not sure if our fully fit back up players would have been any better? If I'm right then PB hasn't build an adequate squad to cover any defensive injuries. The only defender injured is Inniss and yet we suddenly look woefully unequipped :sad:.

 

[buffalowolf]

Very disappointing,reading your comments past few matches seems like there needs to be many changes during the off season.Definitely i would agree even from this far away and being unable to see the matches ,just the results tell me we have bottled it,very few goals scored apart from that 4-0 victory,and this with what we thought was the best set of strikers since who knows when.PB definitely needs to strengthen the defense and midfield during the off season.I wonder if we ran the thread again about who every thinks will be gone after this season how much will change .

 

[secondalibi]

We were SO poor today. I almost don't mind losing if you play well and are beaten by a better side, but today we just looked clueless. There was no plan b at all. Early on we lumped high long balls for their central defenders to clear with ease. As this didn't work, you'd think we'd have tried something different, but no, the tactic was repeated again and again all afternoon. We've had a decent season, but at the worst time we seem to have lost our way.

 

[Fitz]

It has nothing to do with 'bottling it', more to do with too many players carry injuries and not match fit and due to the squad being too small, they are having to play.

With only one one left back and one 'creative' midfield player, as soon as they are injured the balance of the team dissapears. In addition some key players have lost form at the wrong time, McLaughlin etc.

Finally in certain areas we have a lack of quality in all positions. Demetriou does nothing for the team for me, poor defensively and whilst skilful on the ball creates very little moving forward.

If we don't make it, and part of me hopes we don't as not sure we are ready, we need to make some early signings in key positions.

My worry is, just like last summer when we lost Bentley and Payne, it will be Lenny and Coker off to pastures new in the Championship....and if that is the case we need some decent replacements.

Lets give it one last go next Sunday, getting right behind the team and see what gives

 

[Harry Bullocks]

2nd attempt - post pub....little creative stuff going on, and, having thought about it, thanks earlier posters....just HOW many times did WE have 2 guys competing for the same ball today :angry:

In PB we trust ,
I think we would've all accepted 7th / 8th place at the start of the season....my to tip for what it's worth....2 days off for the whole squad, employ masseurs abundant, and motivational / "kick arse" people to get the team ( and hopefully us), all set up for next weekend.......

As it's now "the day of the lord" ....I'm off to church to request he (and any other god you believe in), delivers as prayed for............................:thumbsup:

 

[Harry Bullocks]

that should've read "my TOP tip ".....gassed of Hampshire :blush:

 

[southend_aussies]

You know this is all set up for Nile Ranger to score in the 93rd minute to get us into the playoffs.

 

[mrsblue]

Our first 7 games and the last 5 games only gave us 8 points in total.....terrible stats but somehow we are still in the mix.

 

[orsettblue]

I was there and it was dire, nothing unlucky just plain poor.

Without exaggeration, we did not string 3 passes together in the first half, full backs were very poor, Thompson and Ferdinand either were told or decided to knock everything up in the air.

Timlin had his worst game I've ever seen from him, Cox and Ranger had no service whatsoever and Leonard, Atkinson and Macca were fringe players.

Slightly better second half but never threatened. Stats say we had 5 shots on target but if they were shots they were all powderpuff.

Huge away support seems to put us off???

 

[Tony Allen]

Well said Fitz - some players carrying injuries and have struggled - we lose and apparently that equals bottling it. Doctors in the stands decide who are injured and bring others in so not our strongest team or players out of position - we lose and again we have bottled it apparently etc etc. Reality is we are the seventh best team at the moment.