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

[cerbera45]

so cautious and defensive right from the very start, I only currently see fear in the eyes of the management and players

 

[It'sGrimUpNorth]

I’m glad I chose to poo pick the paddocks today instead of driving down for that!!

 

[RHB]

That was very painful watching. We were second best in every department, and when you look at the respective positions in the table, it's not a huge surprise. The ref didn't do us any favours but that is not an excuse for our performance, although I thought he gave us the goal before he changed his decision. Would a goal for us then have changed the outcome? I just don't know. We now need a serious drains up discussion within the coaches and the squad to try and put things right. New players may help (if they are any good), but otherwise this team are going to have to grind out results and points to keep us mid table.

An unrelated question - why was the drum and a few fans in the North Stand, and the vast majority of the Blue voice in the West Stand? Is a return to the North popular enough to continue the experiment?

 

[Elmsleigh shrimper]

That was shocking! This is comfortably the worst spell in our history, at least that I have witnessed since 1964. The mid 80's were bleak but we were still a league club and the upturn came quickly . Now we're stuck in the quicksand of level 5 dishing up zero entertainment. I guess that's the price we're paying for decades of financial mismanagement. Things can only get better? Well you'd think so but who knows.
I need to have a beer and warm up now.

 

[Ipswhrimp]

Get Kev out tonight and bring Barrett in now, timed perfectly for the daggers

Beware the Ides of January, Kevin Caesar.

 

[ESG]

Great man for the war and will adore him forever for that, but at some point we have to stop talking about the war and start the rebuild.

At this moment I severely doubt he's got what it takes for the rebuild.

Bit like Winston Churchill

 

[LBBlue]

So yet another Saturday afternoon home disaster.
Actually it was embarrassing and shambolic.

After the 8 minutes in the fog on Wednesday Kev deemed it necessary to axe Bridge and bring in Walker - for Bonne. Ralph moved to left wing back and the whole of the first half I wondered “what is the point of Ralph” - “why is he on the pitch he’s not doing anything” He wasn’t much better second half - not an inspirational captain.

Another day another ref Cav could have seen red after 3 minutes.He got away with a yellow bit after that the hopeless and hapless ref gave them everything.

Up until we gave them the first two goals I didn’t think they were that great. But - that first goal deary deary me - a carbon copy of so many we concede - too weak in the challenge fall over free header and that was that.

Barnet were great at modern football - the Bees - very buzzy pests, sprint, harry, challenge, pull push knick the ball or fall over and win a free kick. We run with our legs tied together. Swarming every where. They didn’t actually create much - they scored three - two from shambolically defended corners.

The worst part for me was the last 15 minutes of the first half we looked like we stopped trying. And then what do we do to shake it up. The pointless Ralph goes back into the back three for Bridge. Didn’t change anything- we should have had at least 3 changes at half time. But the. As time went on the regulation changed happened - and we conceded another sloppy set piece and our keeper should have seen red. We wouldn’t have been able to play next week then - would have been a blessing.

Mr angry

 

[Sherif H]

Playing turgid football.
Never look like creating a solitary chance let alone scoring a goal.
Manager can't take criticism and won't change his approach.
Stadium falling to bits with seemingly little of any note changed.
No investment in a playing squad which is totally shot to bits and unfit for anything more than a lower mid table finish.
Fans applauding players and management after another **** performance where they gave up after the first goal went in.
Food and beverage offering absolutely disgusting.

Honestly, feeling pretty low about this place at the moment. Going backwards.

 

[It'sGrimUpNorth]

Tilly & Brush please.

 

[Sherif H]

If we benchmark ourselves against Barnet who are amongst the best teams in this league, rather than praising ourselves for beating Ebbsfleet and Braintree, it's fairly clear to see we're some way off the pace. Are Maher and Currie going to close the gap given time? It's a no from me - but how do you exit with them? We've given them long contracts (well earned contracts) that we're going to have to carry on paying unless they find employment elsewhere (assuming there aren't performance based clauses in there that allow us to exit). Also, is Justin going to sack anyone, or is he happier being everyone's mate?

Indeed. All well and good shaking hands and kissing babies, but meanwhile Rome is burning.

 

[Shrimper83]

Time for Maher to go now, sideways and backwards everywhere we go! Harris and Barrett push the boat out and get these boys in! No Fight No Spirit.
Hopefully the mass exodus shows maher and co that he is losing support fast! The keeper today was no better than Collin! The midfield lack creativity, I haven't seen anything promising from Walker and Kendall tried but with no support or service. My only positive from today was Golding a player that looks too good for us!

 

[Holy Joe]

I actually thought we tried to play more direct today - there was less sideways and possession - the problem was the ball didn't stick up top and we conceded possession.

 

[Suffering shrimper]

Disgusting there’s ways to loose and that ain’t one of them. Never seen the crowd turn like that today but was fully deserved and Maher couldn’t face w block at the end he needs to walk now or this will go toxic. I’ll be forever grateful for what he’s done but every good story has an ending…

 

[SOUFC/Thurrock]

Can’t see the point in getting rid of Maher unless you give him the same budget Barnet, FGR and York have got and we’re still no better. We’re average because we’ve got an average NL budget. Change of manager won’t suddenly make average players great.

I agree in part regarding budget but the size of the budget has no bearing on his tactics, Kendal for Bonnie when we are 2-0 down is a joke, 5 at the back with no wingers and 3 central holding midfielders is a joke, bring Jack on to play left wing back is a joke. He has no plan b tactically and that is not acceptable. As fans in the stadium if he was to throw caution to the wind at 2-0 and put 3 strikers on to get us back in the game and we lose 3-0 or even 4-0 at least we can all see he is having a go and get behind him.

We never leave early and today we left at 74 minutes. This cannot carry on, it is dreadful to watch.

 

[Sherif H]

No doubt the footballing hipsters will have an excuse for Kendal being hoisted off for Bonne, but that was the last straw for me.
Plenty of other dissenting voices aimed squarely at Maher after that.

 

[nick12]

If we benchmark ourselves against Barnet who are amongst the best teams in this league, rather than praising ourselves for beating Ebbsfleet and Braintree, it's fairly clear to see we're some way off the pace. Are Maher and Currie going to close the gap given time? It's a no from me - but how do you exit with them? We've given them long contracts (well earned contracts) that we're going to have to carry on paying unless they find employment elsewhere (assuming there aren't performance based clauses in there that allow us to exit). Also, is Justin going to sack anyone, or is he happier being everyone's mate?

I have my doubts about that. Justin is a lovely bloke who I have a lot of time for but at the end of the day he is the Chairman.

I do worry sometimes that he is more concerned about being mates with everyone than addressing the on field problems of which we have so many.

 

[Evening Echo]

SOUTHEND United boss Kevin Maher was frustrated by the manner of Blues’ 3-0 defeat to Barnet this afternoon.

Read more on this story


Help with Echo links

 

[HertfordshireBlue]

The thing is, and I lose sanity every time I write this post… Our football is too negative, we never attack and create no where near enough chances. The wing back formation does not work yet we play it every week. Kev’s stubbornness to keep playing the same style of football and loyalty to players who are no where near good enough - will get him sacked and I’m past the point of caring.

We could have Mbappe, Salah and Messi up top and we would still play across the back line or back to the goal keeper with 0.2xg every game. We never drive at teams and we’re always too slow and completley out of ideas with forward runs or passes. The amount of hoofs down the line or from our goalkeeper was Sunday league..

The thing is look at the difference in what teams do to get promoted in the league table. You can see the top 3 teams are clearly a level above and the most interesting thing is the goal difference (+24, +24, +27) and the irony is that we’re the team who priorities defence and clean sheets over scoring goals with (-1 GD). The only way we get out of this league is by doing what York; Barnet and FGR and every team who has been promoted in recent years are doing - PLAYING ATTACKING FOOTBALL AND SCORING GOALS REGARDLESS OF HOW MANY WE CONCEDE!

I wanted this to work out so badly for our club legend but it just wasn’t meant to be. It’s no contest Maher has undoubtedly had the hardest job in the football pyramid during his tenure and that even this season he has been fighting with one hand behind his back missing out on all summer transfer targets. But if he really loves the club he should make way for someone to get us scoring, fully utilising Kendall and our midfield who are wasted on the bench and start afresh with no links to this current squad. Even if we had all our transfer targets, I still don’t believe we would be any better.

He will always be a club legend to us whatever happens next and his undying service to this club will never be forgotten - but he has to go or change his ways.

 

[Holy Joe]

I have my doubts about that. Justin is a lovely bloke who I have a lot of time for but at the end of the day he is the Chairman.

I do worry sometimes that he is more concerned about being mates with everyone than addressing the on field problems of which we have so many.

He's chairman - but can be outvoted by other Cosu members.

 

[nick12]

Terrible tactics, awful substitutions and s#!#e ref. We were shocking (yet again) I have lost count of how many times I have said that this season.

Barnet are nothing special but we made them look fantastic, as has been said on here they didn't need to get out of 2nd gear.

How much longer do we have to endure this utter dross? I am dreading next Saturday and Sittingbourne must be thinking they will walk into the next round if they put in a bit of effort.