Post-Match Thread and Ratings Southend United 0-3 Barnet

[Rooster79]

Sooo anyone still defending 3-5-2 (more like 5-3-2) as the only way to play football?

I’d also say the North Bank experiment has been a massive waste of money! Made the atmosphere so flat.

Maher needs to shake things up, maybe try something different, I’m not sure it can get much worse.

 

[Barry.C]

Can we afford to pay Paul Clark for 2 sessions a week on defending and another 2 sessions for a sports psychologist. NOT for the Team but to help the supporters through the experience

 

[kentblues]

I’ve a nagging feeling something’s not right, team spirit or whatever .. I stand by that. It’s been the body language .. the lack of protest when our players get fouled or decisions go against us .. and notably a few of the underperforming players raised their game substantially for Charlton (funny that). It may be we need a whole new dressing room, which can’t be achieved in Jan. There’d need to be outgoings as well as incomings. Or …. maybe the coaching staff aren’t totally free from scrutiny. Ultimately football is about results.
Let’s hope we get things right soon however it’s achieved. As someone else said if today was your first match you’d never return.

Well lower division sides raising their game against sides in a higher division is routinely the case.

I agree more widely the team is a bit “stale”- the lack of transfer activity and freshening up, and to many players comfortable with each other and on long contracts… remember at the time we all wanted them rewarded…well here we are…

 

[Barling Magna]

From the Barnet fans forum:

"Just seen their disallowed goal back - Evans spills it onto Hartigan, and Walker pounces. Thought Evans was solid (without having any real saves to make) and almost certainly an upgrade on Hayes, but that could have been a costly error.

Still, we had one of those at Hartlepool, so these things really do tend to even themselves out."

 

[sufc_dave]

Barnet were miles ahead of us today. Just goes to show the team is nowhere near good enough. Not one player can hold their head up high after that performance, 2nd best all over the pitch.

 

[Callumturner22]

Recruitment has been poor hasn’t helped

Then we have lost key players ie cards and Kensdale for example haven’t been replaced

Bim come in and done well but now progressed elsewhere good luck to him . so who’s going to come in to replace him if anyone .

Why does it feel like we’ve gone downhill so suddenly not just on the pitch but of it too which is a big worry.

 

[Holy Joe]

He does the old fitness thing all the time when he doesn’t fancy a player….Collin on one arm/leg has got to be better than the amateur today?

I wasn't particularly impressed by today's keeper (nor Jeacock either) but I understand why he was brought in.

 

[KiwiRob]

This season has been completely draining. I can count on one hand the number of games this season that have been genuinely enjoyable, most of those due to Pepple who isn’t here anymore.

Morton sets up KAF for the only goal against Southport. Yet both drop to the bench for the completely pedestrian Miley and Husin. Both have not been anywhere near good enough this season, and that isn’t going to change if their mediocrity keeps being rewarded with a place in the starting lineup. The midfield overall was just non-existent.

I feel sorry for the strikers, the service just isn’t there. And unfortunately neither of them are like Pepple who could create chances from nothing.

You can see why Harness is available as a short notice panic loan, hopefully Collin is ok for next week.

Defending from corners absolutely shambolic, and not for the first time this season.

I don’t think I’m Maher out yet personally, but at any ‘normal’ club, he would be close to the sack. He has clearly built up some credit in the bank with COSU based on what he has done over the past couple of years, and not undeservedly so. But I have serious doubts about whether he is the one to get us promoted, which begs the question how much longer do COSU give him? They either need to back him more with transfers, or make a change. Because carrying on as we are is not a viable option.

Kevin Maher always says players must fight for the shirt and I think we would all agree with him on that. But he does not seem to be walking the talk on this requirement. After all, a number of players such as Husin and Bridge have seriously underperformed this season and yet they keep getting picked regardless. Players like KAF, Morton and Waldron do not appear to be given a fair chance to fight for a first-team place. Apparent favouritism or misplaced loyalty undermines team morale and weakens a manager's effectivness.

 

[Holy Joe]

Why is it a low priority - how many other teams are running with one keeper?

Imho it's a low priority as
(A) We have higher priority positions to fill, e.g. attack midfielder, striker, CB, lwb etc etc
(B) 2nd choice keeper is a strange position - normally a youngster that plays in reserve games to improve and is on bench to come on as sub if needed. If 1st choice out injured for a lengthy period of time, often another keeper is brought in on loan to take the 1st choice place. Now given we haven't got reserve games nor in say the u21 premier competition thing, there is very limited scope for a 2nd choice to develop.
(C) As we've seen it's relatively easy to bring in cover as needed
(D) I'd question the ambition of any keeper coming here as 2nd choice.


I don't know how many other teams are running with 1 permanent keeper, haven't checked. Some have got a loan as their No1. We've had a loan as our no2

 

[lreed567]

This sums it up for me, I didn't see any tactical changes at half time, just the same tactics/formation but with bridge going forward instead of Ralph and bridge was just as in affective. Maybe I'm wrong but that is how it looked to me

 

[wiggy]

Oh and moncur fire and scores 2 in 3, clearly a better player than was being used by us

Is it really that hard to understand that Maher ain’t got a clue. He had a quality player on his hands in Moncur but as with Morton he just had not got the ability to see it. How can you be an ex professional footballer and are blind to any flair. Moncur has confirmed in black and white, our manager is hopeless with the tools that he has!

 

[Holy Joe]

This sums it up for me, I didn't see any tactical changes at half time, just the same tactics/formation but with bridge going forward instead of Ralph and bridge was just as in affective. Maybe I'm wrong but that is how it looked to me
View attachment 35364

I commented in the match thread - I actually forgot Bridge had come on - totally anonymous in the first 10 to 15 mins of the 2nd half - seemed to get more involved after that.

 

[lreed567]

Is it really that hard to understand that Maher ain’t got a clue. He had a quality player on his hands in Moncur but as with Morton he just had not got the ability to see it. How can you be an ex professional footballer and are blind to any flair. Moncur has confirmed in black and white, our manager is hopeless with the tools that he has!

I really feel for Morton, he never seems to do much wrong but doesn't seem to get a look in, maybe kev is too loyal to certain players, which isn't a good way to be

 

[Shrimper]

I really feel for Morton, he never seems to do much wrong but doesn't seem to get a look in, maybe kev is too loyal to certain players, which isn't a good way to be

He isn't of Kev's favourites, can't risk dropping them

 

[Hooly]

From the Barnet fans forum:

"Just seen their disallowed goal back - Evans spills it onto Hartigan, and Walker pounces. Thought Evans was solid (without having any real saves to make) and almost certainly an upgrade on Hayes, but that could have been a costly error.

Still, we had one of those at Hartlepool, so these things really do tend to even themselves out."

That was my view & I was in the front row of the South Upper right behind the left post.

Their keeper seemed to lean over the guy in front & simply drop it.

 

[Always A Blue]

A couple of moments today (whilst probably small in the grand scheme of things) given the comments which could, and have already been made on this thread about performance, player quality, connection between fans and players/management etc.

- On multiple occasions when defending corners in the first half, we were incredibly slow organising who should be marking who. Ahead of the first goal, there was a Barnet player with no marker (unrecognised by our players) up to just before the ball was swung in. Painful viewing from the South Upper. Even more so when the ball hit the back of the net.

- Gussy nudged one of their players off the field in the corner of the South, and most Barnet players were across in seconds to remonstrate with Gus and the ref. The majority of our players stood and watched from afar. Don't get me wrong, I get as bored of these antics as much as the next fan. However, I worry when it's my team who aren't the ones doing it.

I started to worry today, with next season in mind, that the rebuild may be bigger than I originally anticipated. In my opinion, we appear to need, among other things, a serious injection of on-field leadership, footballing nous, and an ability to dabble in the dark arts if we hope to mix it with the best of them.

 

[stewart]

Well i stated a while back after we had a couple of victories against teams below us and a 4-2 victory against a team 2 leagues below us and many were happy and saying we back , that i would leave my comments regarding Maher until we played a decent team , .Well today we did and got our asses whipped, if still many off you believe Maher is the answer then you are day dreaming or on the pot, we wont be going anywhere soon under Maher ,his tactics and team selections are dire, Moncur who many n here have put down stated it in black and white has been said by a poster earlier on the thread. Teams must be looking forward to coming here now knowing Maher is so one eyed he wont change formations or selecting his out of form favourites. Time to go Maher, you was a legend as a player but like a few past players ,no good as a manager, do the right thing by the club you say you love so much and RESIGN..

 

[PIERS]

Golding is not bad but he got royally turned over for the first goal.. the disallowed goal was a joke ..
otherwise they were fitter, bigger, faster, more attack orientated.. they played the ref better, they were always looking for the break , their defence was, well I dont know how old their centre backs are but they looked like they has done 6 seasons of hard graft ..
GSM got taught a lesson by their left full/wing back.

 

[rayleigh dan]

I said to my mate before kick off, at least they shouldn’t cause us problems from set pieces, there’s no one in their team much over 6 foot!

Putting aside our abysmal set piece defending, we didn’t lay a glove on Barnet. All that BS about players stepping up without Bim… sorry they all hid and shirked responsibility today. The midfield especially infuriated me, Cav decided to dive in needlessly and get booked, then went missing completely. Husin and Coker chased shadows but were **** poor in possession too. How Barnet dominated us in this area was so depressing, this was one area I thought was okay, at least defensively!?

Kendall and Walker… How did Maher ever think that’d work as a partnership? Bonne has to start for me (depressing I know). He’s the only no 9 we’ve got, everyone else plays the support second striker role.

We also need to hear something from the guys in charge about their plans for the team, they’ve been very quiet. I don’t expect to get hammered by a team who struggle to get 1k fans at home, today was reminiscent of that notorious 4-0 Chesterfield defeat when Brown got outed.

Questions need to by asked about what COSU’s ambitions are? If it’s mid table NL then I’m not renewing my season ticket next year, sorry. I think many will think the same and your revenue will decrease.

 

[bazzashrimper]

Golding? Interesting one, he looks composed and mostly played ok - but, scored an OG and lost his man at 2 corners that they scored from - that cost Crowther his place in the squad

Did he lose him for the first two? The free kick in the last minute, Golding was marking him in the middle of goal by the 6 yard line. Just before the delivery the player ran 4 or 5 yards forward to another player and gave him a little nudge (not sure who). Golding stood still. Then the lad dropped back between Golding and the other player. The ball went about a foot above his head, but he was now unmarked, 6 yards out and near the middle of our goal.

Im not an expert on defending set pieces so am not sure whether Golding was zonal in the middle of goal. I can’t imagine what happened was what should have happened though.