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

[rlb999]

Stop going on about the transfer policy. Maher has brought players in, but still plays his favourites.

Gus had been poor since coming back from suspension, yet keeps Wind out of the side, even though he played well.

Morton and KAF can't get in the side, even though both Miley and Husin have been awful this season.

You really think of we sign these attacking midfielders etc everyone wants, will actually start!!!

He won't start them, and by the time he's crammed them into his system, he'll have stifled their creativity. We stood behind him at Braintree and heard everything he said to the players. Kendall was trying to move around, find space, and run in behind - Maher was bollocking him, and ultimately hooked him, for not staying in shape and not tracking back. It's Braintree ffs, not Liverpool - we should be taking the game to them.

 

[Cricko]

 

[Ricey]

No he is doing your head in and a minority of vocal posters.

The simple fact is that this is a mid table squad. No amount of tinkering with the line up (or manager) will change that fact. If the squad isn’t strengthened then that, to me, signals COSU’s intentions for this season.

As for supporters leaving early, abusing players etc, you should be ashamed of yourselves. I’ve seen football much more dire at RH, admittedly in front of 2-3,000 crowds. Thick and thin springs to mind.

How do you know that? Outside of a couple of players this is pretty much the same team that nearly got into the play offs. Why have they regressed so badly?

They’re being paid, there is no threat of the club going under. Why has players like Miley, Bridge, Husin and even in recent games Gus looked like the shadow of their former selves. A couple of months ago fans thought Gus was destined for the EFL. Now I doubt York, Barnet or FGR would be interested. It is not a coincidence that these players have all suddenly become ****. It’s down to the manager to get the best of these players, they have the ability as we have seen it.

 

[OldBlueLady]

Best bit about yesterday afternoon was the lovely hug and greeting I got from Ben Coker!

Other than that, it was a woefully disappointing performance with a frankly bizarre decision to replace the lively Kendall with Bonne when Walker had been poor apart from the first 15 minutes.

I thought Nathan Ralph had a decentish game, Goulding largely composed but definitely at fault in the goal mouth, Gubbins better going forwards than defending, Harry Taylor strangely full of mistakes. Gus not himself at all - Cav had to tell him off for rowing with Ollie Coker after a misplace pass. Again we're conceding from set pieces where Harry Cardwell was so valuable.

Midfield was over run easily, Cav being neutered by that early yellow. We've got to be nastier though. It's all very well coming high up on the fair play table, but we're easy prey for organised teams. The odd pinch, or jab of a finger in the ribs to stop opponents bullying us. Cav is literally the only player prepared to put himself on the line in those situations so it's no surprise he picks up those cards - others have got to do their bit.

Felt so sorry for Charlie Kendall, he ran himself silly yet got practically zero service. I'm not a fan of Walker, and thought it was a wrong decision to start him as opposed to Bonne against a team like Barnet. And then to sub Kendall first?

New keeper? Well, nothing there to suggest Collin won't start next weekend.

We've got to dig into the coffers to find some players to bring in. There is too much wrong here at the moment but Barnet are what they are - organised, bullying and with a big squad to choose from. It did look like men vs boys at times.

Less said about the officials the better, yet another to add to the long list of incompetents. I do wonder if they come to RH with a pre-conceived idea. Disallowing the "goal" Walker scored was a dreadful decision.

 

[* ORM *]

I don’t think anyone is disagreeing that the players / squad are most probably mid table…for reason due to the previous regime. What is getting everyone’s back up is the constant failure to change things, like yesterday when the game plan clearly wasn’t working. That along with dropping / not picking players who have performed consistently better this season than others that start week after week

Again I don’t disagree necessarily and I’m at a disadvantage due to exile but it’s also a lot easier being a distant fan after a game like yesterday

 

[* ORM *]

How do you know that? Outside of a couple of players this is pretty much the same team that nearly got into the play offs. Why have they regressed so badly?

They’re being paid, there is no threat of the club going under. Why has players like Miley, Bridge, Husin and even in recent games Gus looked like the shadow of their former selves. A couple of months ago fans thought Gus was destined for the EFL. Now I doubt York, Barnet or FGR would be interested. It is not a coincidence that these players have all suddenly become ****. It’s down to the manager to get the best of these players, they have the ability as we have seen it.

Because there are at least two players from last seasons squad that have gone and not been matched for quality.

 

[Ricey]

Because there are at least two players from last seasons squad that have gone and not been matched for quality.

So Harry Cardwell and Ollie Kensdale are the reason that Cav, Noor, Jack and Gus have suddenly gone from decent to ****e? Sorry I don’t get your logic there.

Yes I agree Kensdale is a huge miss, Cardwell not as much but I agree he is missing in defending set piece situations with his height. But Pepple came in and did an excellent job of replacing him. Those two leaving cannot be put down to the reason for underperforming players.

 

[OldBlueLady]

So Harry Cardwell and Ollie Kensdale are the reason that Cav, Noor, Jack and Gus have suddenly gone from decent to ****e? Sorry I don’t get your logic there.

Yes I agree Kensdale is a huge miss, Cardwell not as much but I agree he is missing in defending set piece situations with his height. But Pepple came in and did an excellent job of replacing him. Those two leaving cannot be put down to the reason for underperforming players.

Bim was great, but he didn't have Harry's skill in defending .

 

[Ricey]

Bim was great, but he didn't have Harry's skill in defending .

Agreed and he couldn’t last a full 90.

 

[nick12]

Because there are at least two players from last seasons squad that have gone and not been matched for quality.

Agree we haven't matched them for quality but were we this bad when HC was out injured for a long period? I can't ever remember leaving RH saying "without OK we would be screwed" IMO they have both been made out to be the reason we are so poor and I don't buy it.

I don't agree that losing 2 players has caused us to be so boring and negative and made all the other players play far below their capability on the pitch.

 

[They Call It Madness!!!]

In my opinion, so many of you are spot on.

However, these players could be/are good enough if we played differently.

When we had Brunt, we used to drive at teams. Husin came in and took over from Brunt when he left. Husin is more than capable of driving at teams, arriving on the edge of the box or even in the box and shooting. He is NOT a left sided CM. We also used to press with this formation. 2 wingers pushing on, strikers on the edge of the box. We just don't play like it anymore and I think that certainly sums it up when people say we've gone backwards.

Between Coker, Miley and Moreton, we have three very different but capable ball winning/playing midfielders. Play them as a two in front of the defenders.

Push our wing backs further forward knowing that we have two CDMs who drop in. Get the width, we really did use these effectively when Kev first came in. Fast early crosses.

Allow Taylor and Ralph to push forward wide (like we used to do when Kev first came in) allowing to overload when the ball is on their side. Again with 2 CDMs always options to keep the Maherball running and then switching play, something we did well and got us on the edge of our seats 2 years ago.

Give other teams so much more to think about. 2 strikers with 1 dropping and allowing Husin (or even Wood/KAF) to run in behind.

I really think the squad is more than capable of pushing up the table but we must change the way we play.

 

[Paddypel]

This is just awful! How you can be so passive and accepting of a defeat at home in that manor. Zero accountability at all for these poor performances, shocking.

 

[blues exile]

This is just awful! How you can be so passive and accepting of a defeat at home in that manor. Zero accountability at all for these poor performances, shocking.

He keeps reciting the same mantra again and again. His words, like his style of play are entirely predictable and lead to nowhere.

 

[DCC]

Agreed and he couldn’t last a full 90.

He never got the chance!

 

[nick12]

Apart from regretting purchasing a ticket for the Daggers match next week I will probably waste my season ticket and not got to the Fylde match and unless there are big changes before next season I will be reverting to pay per game instead of renewing my season ticket so I can choose who I see us lose to.

56 years as a supporter, there is no other club for me and I don't do 2nd teams but we have become such a hard, boring and depressing watch, all Southend supporters have been to hell and back but this current style of negative play week in week out has turned our current squad into one of the worst I have seen in all my years.

We showed what we are capable of against Charlton and then reverted straight back to sideways backwards passing and being terrified to have a shot on goal. This squad are far more capable IMO but they are not playing to anywhere near their best and whether that's down to the Management or the players themselves it isn't good enough or acceptable.

 

[IloveShrimp]

This is just awful! How you can be so passive and accepting of a defeat at home in that manor. Zero accountability at all for these poor performances, shocking.

I heard his post match interview on BBC Essex. He doesn't seem to want to take responsibility for anything. Not a good image, and if he takes the same attitude whilst managing the players can't be good
Here's something that I haven't seen mentioned on here yet, that is, how many current players who may put in a transfer request in the summer?

 

[Boreham Blue]

What was most depressing for me yesterday was the obvious lack of a Plan B in terms of tactics. All of these comments are framed by I recognise we don’t get to see everything like a player with a niggle or someone who does something in training we don’t get to see BUT

Kev chose are starting 11 which for the most part I quite liked as I think Jack Bridge has become completely ineffective and I see the benefit of Gubbins not least because he does play some searching balls with his left foot (although yesterday most didn’t come off) and seemed a bit odd that after picking a just front two for Boston, something changed (which could simply be someone coming back into form or a tactical change) however at two nil down continuing to do the same and hope that we would suddenly score 3 seems foolish. Although Charley wasn’t looking like scoring a hat-trick, he was causing some problems and it felt that what the front line was calling out for was a focal point and for my money that was Bonne. We could have switched to a 4231 by sacrificing Gubbins, replacing Husin and Coker (who had one of his worst games) and bringing on Bonne, Moreton and Bridge. Having Jack, Walker and Charley playing off Bonne might have at least allowed us to have a go. Probably wouldn’t have overturned the deficit but at least we would have tried.

Despite questions asking what Bonne did and even if he touched the ball, he brought a lot of energy, won nearly every ball on the air (or where lost won throws and a corner) and played off some nice touches to a teammate.

I remain in hope that there is a sensible plan behind the currently frustration of no signings etc but the longer it goes on the more difficult it is the cling to that hope.

 

[Shrimper]

I heard his post match interview on BBC Essex. He doesn't seem to want to take responsibility for anything. Not a good image, and if he takes the same attitude whilst managing the players can't be good
Here's something that I haven't seen mentioned on here yet, that is, how many current players who may put in a transfer request in the summer?

Hopefully the majority

 

[OldBlueLady]

Although Charley wasn’t looking like scoring a hat-trick, he was causing some problems and it felt that what the front line was calling out for was a focal point and for my money that was Bonne. We could have switched to a 4231 by sacrificing Gubbins, replacing Husin and Coker (who had one of his worst games) and bringing on Bonne, Moreton and Bridge. Having Jack, Walker and Charley playing off Bonne might have at least allowed us to have a go. Probably wouldn’t have overturned the deficit but at least we would have tried.

Despite questions asking what Bonne did and even if he touched the ball, he brought a lot of energy, won nearly every ball on the air (or where lost won throws and a corner) and played off some nice touches to a teammate.

I remain in hope that there is a sensible plan behind the currently frustration of no signings etc but the longer it goes on the more difficult it is the cling to that hope.

Exactly, and yet there is still a large faction of our "support" not prepared to give Bonne any chance.

 

[CaptainSmudger]

Kevin,If you can’t get in the ‘right’ personnel in please at least play 442. George Wind Right Back, Morton every game, Danny Waldron needs games and will score. play James Walker left Wing.Bridge and Husin good to bring on from bench.