Post-Match Thread and Ratings Southend United 0-1 Accrington Stanley

[Clinton Baptiste]

Take Hall and Moshni out the team and you are left with not much quality. Desperately need Freddy to do the business this season. Tomlin was lively but Britt was hopeless. I know Kane and Leonard are only kids but what do they add? Kanes game seems to be going backwards, he looked such a talent when he burst into the team. Needs to play in a 3 in central midfield or not at all. Why Hurst and Spicer on the bench? Team again looked depressingly negative. At home to Accrington bloody Stanley. Prosser cannot play it on the floor and was agahst when we had him and Leonard on the left at one point in the 2nd half. Spicer looked like he had a bit of class about him and should start next game.
Find the low marks for Hall laughable, the only one to work the keeper today, put in great corners all game and the only midfielder who can cross the ball into the danger areas. Be very worried if we lose him. Class apart from the rest of the team.
Agree Barker all over the shop at times and another one who just hoofs it aimlessly. Belford did ok but a taller keeper may well have stopped that ball going in.

 

[Massimo Giovanni]

We were POOR (again), how big do we want the goal to be? Prosser was awful and Barker must be wishing he was playing on the right alongside steady SC. Midfield unsettled because they have not played together before, strikers need to check their radars because wide is WIDE, at least they (and others) should work the keeper? The stats will tell the story. Strange team selection and strange subs. What is happening in training that our lads are getting injured so much and seem to run out of energy after 60 minutes? Or is it that morale/confidence is so low that any injury is an excuse to not play?

 

[dannypav]

POSITIVES : Phillips , Clohessy , Tomlin and maybe Cresswell ( although desperation putting him up front so early with recognised strikers on the bench ).

NEGATIVES : Belford ( one attempt by the opposition and he dived late , sideways and under the ball - shocking attempt and lost us the game IMO ) , Barker ( won some headers , but slow ) , Hall ( good player , but no interest , f*** off ).
But the biggest negative was the idiots in the East Reds who just want to moan for the sake of it without knowing what they're talking about ( at the ref , at the opposition , but most annoyingly at our own players ).
Yes , it wasn't great , but their keeper made 4 excellent saves , so why the need to jump on everything we did wrong in the first game of the season.
I've got no problem with people who don't like or understand football , I have no knowledge of ballet or nuclear physics.
But , don't come to watch a game then , you bunch of imbeciles.
Comments such as "kick it forward" ( what does that mean ? ) and "Prosser should have headered it" ( there is no such word you morons !!!! ).
Anyway , too much sun today , so will leave rant there for now until I've had a few cold ones.
Just give them a chance first please or go somewhere else.
I'm going back to the North Bank next match and annoyed that I choose the East again today.

p.s. Excellent support in the North for the last 20 minutes - really good stuff lads - keep it up.

 

[meerkat54]

I dont want to keep on about Barker as i did most of last season. But he is slow and a big liability, way past his best and not up to div 2 standard. Yup and that Ferdinand guy just has not got his heart in the game.
I think PS has got some serious issues to address here and needs to be quick about !

 

[paddysat]

Belford 6 Not much to do
Clohessy 7 Put some decent crosses in
Phillips 6 Won his headers
Barker4 Past it, looked like he was on another planet half the time
Prosser 5 Hoofball, average
Leonard 6 Tried hard but didn't produce enough
Hall 8 Only real creative threat
Timlin 7 Played some decent passes, worked hard
Ferdinand 5 Anonymous
Tomlin 6 Potential, just seemed to lack confidence in front of goal
Assombalonga 6 Had to put up with being a target man which he didn't want to be

Cresswell 7 Won every header, not much else he could do
Spicer 7.5 Good running forward and put pressure on them
Harris 6.5 Talked a lot, didn't do much

Sturrock 4 Some awful calls eg Prosser over Straker, Ferdinand over Spicer, and didn't act until it was too late

Having read through the posts this one IMHO the closest to my ratings except for highlighted

 

[LennySUFC]

Tomlin IMO Looked like a good prospect as well as Cresswell who looked dominant, will be good to see him playing over barker in the near future!

 

[united we stand]

very very unusual that we all seem to be in general agreement.

The only things I would add are- a taller keeper would have saved the gaol (IMO - standing behind the goal), and for those not there , yes Ferdinand really was that bad and should have scored as well
Comedy/suicide moment - Barkers run near the end - wtf was that ?
Most surprising moment - Wiggy has not posted yet with 'told you so'

 

[Somerset Ex-TTB]

“There were some positives to take from the game,” he said. “Timlin and Ferdinand looked like they had a bit of rapport together"

WTF - I am seriously beginning to worry about Sturrocks judgement

 

[Andyhsufc]

It was a strange one. We didn't deserve to lose the game and we had enough chances to win the game, never mind a draw. However, the tactics and team selection were both wrong today and I think that is what cost us. Why sign a specialist left back and then play a young centre half instead? Why sign wingers (Hurst, Martin) and play a right back on the wing instead? And then we have two experienced strikers in Harris and Benyon on the bench but we decide to start with a young striker who probably only met the squad in the past couple of days. In terms of tactics, there was no urgency in our play and we only started to put real pressure on the opposition once we had conceded. When we are playing at home, surely we should be taking the bull by the horns and playing at our tempo rather than the tempo of a side who are going to finish mid table at best? So we didn't deserve to lose but I don't think we helped ourselves either. Much to work on if we want to get out of this league this year

Belford - 6 - Didn't have much to do apart from pick the ball out of his net. Should have done better with the goal
Clohessey - 6.5 - Got down the wing well to support the midfield and was solid as ever
Barker - 5.5 - Ok but I really think that Cresswell will replace once fit
Phillips - 6 - Solid if unspectacular
Prosser - 5.5 - Added height to the team and won balls in the air but he is no left back. Poor distributor of the ball and resorted to hoofing
Hall - 6.5 - Worked hard but wasted a few free kicks in dangerous positions and his numerous corners did not come to anything
Timlin - 6.5 - Didn't do anything wrong and tried to link play a bit
Ferdinand -5.5 - Drifted out of the game for the most part
Leonard - 6 - Worked hard but not playing in a position which really works to his strengths
Tomlin - 6.5 - Looked exciting but wasteful in front of goal
Assombolonga - 6 - Ran around a lot but didn't do a huge amount

Cresswell - 6.5 - Won headers as was required but he is not a striker
Harris N/A
Spicer N/A

 

[dingleydangley]

Comments such as "kick it forward" ( what does that mean ? ) and "Prosser should have headered it" ( there is no such word you morons !!!! ).

This made me laugh. I laughered. There are a couple of spanners behind me who simply shout "forward" at various times, as if professional footballers actually forget. "Headered" is a keeper, to which you could add "kickered" and "foulered".

Can't be bothered with ratings. Like everyone else, I can only watch a couple of players at a time so I'd have to make some up. However, I think that someone suggested that what we have on the left can't be as bad as Gilbert. I think that's wrong, although I look forward to being proved wrong. Oh, and despite the fact that I believe (reluctantly) that Moshni had to go, I think that he's greatly missed. Cresswell's makeshift contribution highlighted that even more for me.

Overall, I don't think we were at all bad (for a 4th division side), and we were incredibly unlucky to lose.

 

[Greenelk]

Belford 6
Clohessy 7
Phillips 6.5
Barker 5 Should have been subbed after about 60 minutes as was dead on his feet at that point
Prosser 6.5
Leonard 7 I must be one of the few that thought he did well in the 1st half, but faded in the 2nd
Hall 4 until their goal, then 7 - shame it took that for him to show he wanted it. some poor set pieces today
Timlin 5
Ferdinand 5 Thought the centre midfield pairing didn't work. Neither player closing down quickly enough, and gave AS far too much space
Tomlin 7.5 liked what I saw of him!
Assombalonga 6.5 Some nice touches, don't think a month will be enough to see his true potential though, so hope it's extended

Thought their goalie played a blinder, but was it 4 or 5 shots for us that went so far over the bar that rugby was being mentioned. Basic stuff that!

 

[southchurch]

Hoof, little imagination, hump it long, hopeless fans

over hitting simple balls straight into touch. could not string 2 passes togther. time wasting 20mins into the game. 2 shots on target all game And they win 1-0 .:winking:

 

[palexander]

Still really angry about today. I love opening day, a day of excitement and new things. Today was just same old same old and it's just what I didn't want from Sturrock this year. I've backed him as I think he has had a horrifically hard job, but for me, year 3 in a managers career - no excuses. We have to go straight up this year for sure or he has to go.

If this is the sign of things to come, then he can go now as far as I am concerned. Was so angry to hear the team and find most of the big new signings on the bench. What's the point of signing them early in preseason, gelling them and then not playing them? If I was straker or hurst, I'd be absolutely insulted about what happened today and would be knocking on sturrocks door in the morning.

Then putting cresswell upfront (and actually bigging that particular gem up post match) and then Harris in midfield... Just crazy.

Only bright spots were tomlin who looked very handy, though yet again, not a striker you can see getting many goals and spicer who I thought looked excellent in his little cameo.

Belford: 5 didn't have much to do but should have got the goal and distribution was poor.
Clohessey: 6 decent balls in
phillips: 7 dominant first half
barker: 4 absolutely shocking. How cresswell didn't start...?
prosser: 4 terrible. Not a left back and ... Well, I'm lost for words on that.
hall: 6 up and down. Provided our best threat but mind seemed elsewhere. Rather him not be involved.
Timlin: 6 all things considered, battled well
ferdinand: 5 light. Weight.
Leonard: 5 not really his fault. Stupid to leave him out there on the left.
Tomlin: 7 really impressed. Good control, quick, skillful. One of those players that will score 10 a season and 6 will be ins purple patch though.
Britt: 6 thought he got better as the game went on, but another typical young striker signing from sturrock. Why sign him with njie coming through? Would rather see our homegrown kids than loaning others in.

Spicer: 7 looked very assured and played some really decent passes.
Cresswell: 5 can't abide centre backs being thrown up front unless absolutely necessary. Don't feel today was and felt for Harris and Benyon.
Harris: 5 wasted in midfield. Another stupid decision.

 

[Shrimper 62]

To be honest I came away feeling fairly upbeat. I have certainly seen them play worse and win. Liked the look of Tomlin, Cresswell looked a player even allowing for him playing up front. Timlin did not have his shooting boots on, otherwise he sprayed the ball around nicely. Ferdinand looks too light weight while Leonard put a shift in, but added little else. Hall was ok, but will not be attracting offers on that display. Belford's lack of height was exposed.

But as I say still plenty to feel up beat about.

 

[greyerfox]

And as Jimmy Greaves once famously said it is a funny old game! Trouble for us is that our games in Aug and Sept mean that we need every point. It is a really tough programme.

 

[southchurch]

Prosser

Here we go again.
At this level he can defend. Quite good in the air and does try. PS just needs to say to him. play it short son. Give it to some one who can pass. Every time he gets the ball he's looking for a 50 yard pass. He just needs some one to come and get it off him and just let him defend. I think then it will sort of be alright. Tony adams was a good defender but he usually kept it simple when he had the ball. Bobby moore was the same. Defend , get the ball then roll it to some one else. Please i'm begging you.

Ref was a bit of a shocker today. He is was I call a play it safe man. Which means he will give the defence a free kick in their own box at the drop of a hat. If he gave the attacking side the same fouls there would be 10 penalties each game.

Hats off to Stanley player Joyce who got a bad kick when Clohessy miss timed a tackle and caught him in the stomach. Joyce got straight up and made nothing of it. I thought , now if this was the prem he would have rolled round on the floor for ten minutes.
Though late in the game one of there defenders did make a meal of one and fooled the ref. Though that wasn't hard.

 

[davewebbsbrain]

Here we go again.
At this level he can defend. Quite good in the air and does try. PS just needs to say to him. play it short son. Give it to some one who can pass. Every time he gets the ball he's looking for a 50 yard pass. He just needs some one to come and get it off him and just let him defend. I think then it will sort of be alright. Tony adams was a good defender but he usually kept it simple when he had the ball. Bobby moore was the same. Defend , get the ball then roll it to some one else. Please i'm begging you.

Ref was a bit of a shocker today. He is was I call a play it safe man. Which means he will give the defence a free kick in their own box at the drop of a hat. If he gave the attacking side the same fouls there would be 10 penalties each game.

Hats off to Stanley player Joyce who got a bad kick when Clohessy miss timed a tackle and caught him in the stomach. Joyce got straight up and made nothing of it. I thought , now if this was the prem he would have rolled round on the floor for ten minutes.
Though late in the game one of there defenders did make a meal of one and fooled the ref. Though that wasn't hard.

Prosser can't play short if nobody is offering the short pass and that seems to happen most of the time. He puts the ball into the channel for the winger/striker to run onto. Sensible football with no options.

As for the ref, total *****

 

[RobM]

Bottom of Div 4 and feeling bad, great. At least Straker didn't get a game so a positive there.

 

[bigmolt]

over hitting simple balls straight into touch. could not string 2 passes togther. time wasting 20mins into the game. 2 shots on target all game And they win 1-0 .:winking:

Totally agree. Apart from their goalie who pulled off 3-4 excelent saves, they were clueless. The ref gave them everything too. Hall was fouled twice infront of the East then their player fell to ground and the ref gave them a free kick. Their CH fell to the floor defending a corner in first half in front of me, the game played on for another 4-5 secs, we had ball on edge of pen area about to shoot and ref blew up!! Indicating a head injury. The guy was not even on the pitch, when the trainer got to him he indicated he was ok, got up and ran to the sideline. Then the ref gave them the ball to kick out as if he had awarded a free kick!! It happened again in second half too, infront of the South Bank.
As for Prosser flapping the ball into the net with his hand!! WHY ????? It was harder to use his hand than use his head. :angry:

 

[Azzurri Per Sempre]

Perhaps it is just what Sturrock asks the LB to do? I'm sure certain players could do more if they had the chance, but aren't they just following orders?