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

[turkishm]

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

Cautious and defensive but still we loose 3 0 at home. So we're do we go from here is it Km fault or are the players we have just not good enough. I can't comment because I dont see the games. But wasn't it obvious we were going to loose this game. Imglad our club has been saved from oblivioun but to go to the next step money has to be spent if not then get used to being mid table in National league.

 

[Mad Cyril]

I

I find some of the comments on here really interesting.
I see the problem of being decent players (most of them) who are being badly coached.
Other fans clearly see the problem as being substandard players.

Disagree. I think there are too many mediocre players.

 

[Sherif H]

Cautious and defensive but still we loose 3 0 at home. So we're do we go from here is it Km fault or are the players we have just not good enough. I can't comment because I dont see the games. But wasn't it obvious we were going to loose this game. Imglad our club has been saved from oblivioun but to go to the next step money has to be spent if not then get used to being mid table in National league.

Both the manager and players, but mainly Kev for me. These players are very limited in ability, but capable of better than the absolute **** we are being dished up every week. They either aren't capable of playing how he wants, or they have lost trust in what he is asking them to do.
Either way, it is a recipe for utter medicrioty, which apparently 3 or 4k fans were happy to applaud off at the end of the game. Puzzling.

 

[ShoeburySU]

Poor formation, tactics, player selection, unable to defend set pieces followed by terrible refereeing decisions.

We need to be more physical as we continue to be bullied and not try and walk be the ball into the net.

At this is was only cold and dry and not cold and wet

 

[Cricko]

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

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


Barnet scored twice from set pieces to condemn the Shrimpers to their first loss of 2025.

And Maher did not hide his frustration at the final whistle.

"We're really disappointed of course,” said Maher.

“Not just the result but the manner of goals we've conceded.

“We didn't do enough in both boxes.

“We have a chance from a corner we've worked ever so hard on and Ralphy has a free header from 12 yards but then we go up the other end and a set-piece has cost us again.

"That moment we couldn't recover from and then we go 2-0 from a bit of poor defending from our point of view and then there's a mountain to climb.

"But the last game we lost away at York was down to set pieces again and this season it's costing us massively.

"It's something we've worked on and looked at but if people lose their man and don't get first contact in the box then that's what happens."

The Shrimpers thought they scored from a set piece of their own when Josh Walker tapped home after Bees shot-stopper Owen Evans had dropped Oli Coker’s corner.

And Maher could not believe the goal was not allowed to stand.

"I've watched our one back that's disallowed, it's an unbelievable decision,” said the Blues boss.

"The keeper has dropped it over their player and Walks is nowhere near it which is why he can just tap it in.

"It's an incredible decision from a referee who I thought was really poor all day but he's not the reason we lost."

However, Maher remain determined to turn things around.

"We've got to keep going,” said Maher.

“We've lost a game of football and we're all frustrated. I can feel that around the place and I get that.

"But we've got to realise where we are as a club and we've got to stick together.

"The takeover has happened but there's a lot to go.

"We've got to win football matches and we're not going to dismiss this but we've got to try and pick the lads up because they're hurting.

"We'll deal with this Monday."

 

[Flinty]

Not really much to say about that than has already been said.

I’m afraid I’m inching ever closer to ‘Maher Out’ purely on the basis that, in my option, he doesn’t use the resources he has to the best ability . You can argue the starting 11, personally I would have started Morton for Miley and Bonne for Walker, everyone will always have an opinion. What I can’t fathom is Bridge at halftime, who has been poor all season, coming on as a like for like replacement when we have been completely over run 1st half. Even more baffling was taking off Kendal for Bonne. That’s not a dig at Bonne, as I think he offers more to the team than many give credit, more that we are losing and you are taking off attacking players and keeping the same system which is already failing. As someone mentioned earlier, against FGR we went 4 3 3 and at least tried something which got us back into the game, but today nothing just the same formation, same subs, same result. For that and the stubbornness to change is why I’m doubting Mather’s suitability, the same stubbornness cost Russell Martin his job at Southampton.

 

[AustScullyPriorPowell]

Cav Miley, SHOCKING
And we have Keenan and Morton on the bench!!! WTF
COSU need to act but something tells me, the only change will be the good attendances.

 

[Southend Elvis]

I don't know bugger all about football, but i would hope the manager and players of my team that I support would do. How many years do we have to put up with this rubbish, we don't deserve the fantastic support that we get. Something has to go right for once, we can't get any worse... can we ?

 

[JB Shrimper]

Today was sll sbout Maher's stubbornness and inability to manage our great club.
Stubbornly played the same awful formation that has not worked all season.
Stubbornly started players who are out of form.
The stubborness of bringing in mainly defensive midfielders in the years with us.
Stubbornly telling the team to play a non-direct game with more passes than needed before even thinking of a shot.
Stubbornly not playing the best striker pairings.
Stubbornly won't resign so we, as a club, can move foward with a more progressive coach.

Currie and Benno don't necessarily need to go with him but Maher has to go, or if we are rewarding his loyalty give him an ambassadorial role but keep him away from the first team.

 

[GBJ]

The anger still hasn’t subsided. My thoughts on the players today:

New guy in goal - where do we get these keepers from? Bargain basements? I thought Blondie was by far the worst I’d seen at RH in 30 years, but this guy is straight into the mix.

Golding/Taylor - battled well but made a few errors.

Gubbins - a load of Gubbins. Although I do like the fact he’s willing to put a cross in early/first time

Gus - seems to lack pace/energy. Final ball still isn’t happening.

Ralph - meh

Noor - Back to Dartford. Needs 4, 5, 6 touches to do anything.

Miley - the sun is setting on his Southend career.

Coker - looked out of his depth

Kendall/Walker - both run hard. No service whatsoever

Bridge - A shadow of his former self.

Bonne - could walk out of a brothel with his pockets full.

KAF - looks busy due to his diminutive stature, but struggling to see what he offers

Morton - uncharacteristically **** today.

Waldron - luckiest man on the pitch today. He had a lovely, gentle stroll around the hallowed RH turf and managed to keep his kit fresh and clean.

Maher - love King Kev, but it felt like he was more content in not getting steamrolled by a good Barnet side. The substitution of Kendall for Bonne made zero sense then, and it still doesn’t make sense now. Why not keep Kendall on and still introduce Bonne to the mix? At 2-0 down we had **** all to lose.

 

[Ricey]

Embarrassing!

I predicted us to lose 0-3 in the prediction league, because Barnet are where they are. But I didn’t expect it to be in that fashion. The team selection was dreadful, the set up with awful and the overall performance from the whole team was ****ing shocking.

To put things into perspective we have 1 win more than Braintree Town! That in itself is a joke. Yes the quality of the team isn’t the best and I don’t expect us to be up their with Barnet/York/FGR but we shouldn’t be performing like this.

The recruitment has been non existent and even when it’s desperately required we’ve not done it. Harness is absolute dog ****!

Paul Clark said something that worried me on the radio. He said we are at the back of the queue for signings, because of the past. If this is still the case when we have new owners and Ron as far away from the club as possible then that’s concerning. Because of this always spoken about list of targets and all those we ‘missed out’ on during the embargo that were due to sign. I don’t understand what has changed. They were lined up to sign and that was stopped due to the embargo.

For me and I expect the usual who have their heads firmly planted up Kev’s arse will find every excuse under the sun. He has to go, he will not get us promoted, he is not the answer and we need to move on. Thank you for everything during those **** times but it’s time to move on. These players aren’t the greatest but they’re better than they’re being played.

 

[MisterStubbs]

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


Barnet scored twice from set pieces to condemn the Shrimpers to their first loss of 2025.

And Maher did not hide his frustration at the final whistle.

"We're really disappointed of course,” said Maher.

“Not just the result but the manner of goals we've conceded.

“We didn't do enough in both boxes.

“We have a chance from a corner we've worked ever so hard on and Ralphy has a free header from 12 yards but then we go up the other end and a set-piece has cost us again.

"That moment we couldn't recover from and then we go 2-0 from a bit of poor defending from our point of view and then there's a mountain to climb.

"But the last game we lost away at York was down to set pieces again and this season it's costing us massively.

"It's something we've worked on and looked at but if people lose their man and don't get first contact in the box then that's what happens."

The Shrimpers thought they scored from a set piece of their own when Josh Walker tapped home after Bees shot-stopper Owen Evans had dropped Oli Coker’s corner.

And Maher could not believe the goal was not allowed to stand.

"I've watched our one back that's disallowed, it's an unbelievable decision,” said the Blues boss.

"The keeper has dropped it over their player and Walks is nowhere near it which is why he can just tap it in.

"It's an incredible decision from a referee who I thought was really poor all day but he's not the reason we lost."

However, Maher remain determined to turn things around.

"We've got to keep going,” said Maher.

“We've lost a game of football and we're all frustrated. I can feel that around the place and I get that.

"But we've got to realise where we are as a club and we've got to stick together.

"The takeover has happened but there's a lot to go.

"We've got to win football matches and we're not going to dismiss this but we've got to try and pick the lads up because they're hurting.

"We'll deal with this Monday."

Same excuses, every single time. Absolutely no accountability from Kev.

 

[Ipswhrimp]

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.

Hmm, 'what's a footballing hipster?', I wondered. So I looked it up. There's plenty of research out there. For anyone who has ever defended any of Kev's tactical decisions, read the following and see if it's you:

"After watching live, you’ll eagerly sit through a recording of the match, pausing and rewinding on multiple occasions to dissect tactical trends, analyse changes to the formational shape of the teams, and note ‘player movement’. For the fully-fledged football hipster, you may also freeze and screenshot examples of said play, adding them to an online ‘tactical trends scrapbook’ and writing a blog about Uruguay’s inverted wing-backs, Colombia’s ‘false nine’ or whatever."

Guilty as charged?

 

[ColinMorrisWalksOnWater]

If today wasn't bad enough, a couple of comments from Barnet fans:

#BeebotRegistered User​

Joined:Feb 18, 2022Messages:1,369Likes Received:504Location:GBSupports:Barnet, Maidenhead

Southend the poorest team we've played in a while

Easy BeesyRegistered User​

Joined:Jun 24, 2022Messages:120Likes Received:53Location:OxfordshireSupports:Barnet

Don’t feel like we had to get out of second gear in that game, we have played much better than that and drew or lost. We did look solid and didn’t give up any of any chances.

 

[Mad Cyril]

To borrow a phrase from little Carmine we are at the precipice of an enormous crossroads

 

[Cricko]

Bonne - could walk out of a brothel with his pockets full. Hahaha. Nicely put @GBJ

 

[rararblue]

Would have made my first sub. after 5 mins. Miley off, for thar ridiculous jump in foul - there's the defensive midfielder out the game.
Is that 5 goals (York and today) from far post deep corners? Just Maybe, we should look at that? Not rely on 1 defender.

 

[SuperRonnieP]

Personally, I’d hate for another ex hero to come in.. we need a ‘manager’.
It would be lovely to have a Tilson scenario, and by having another ex player come in, it’s always a risky move if/when it goes wrong

Only former player I'd want is Andy Woodman. Pie in the sky thinking sadly.

 

[WestyReturns]

Humiliating display. No manager in our history would get away with being battered by Barnet. Maher shouldn't be any different. Time to go NOW

 

[GBJ]

Time for Maher to go now, sideways and backwards everywhere we go! Harris and Barrett push the boat out and get these boys in!

Believe me, if you’re not a fan of Maher’s football, you certainly won’t like Harris’.

Not unless you’re partial to a rigid 4-5-1.