Post-Match Thread and Ratings Southend United 1 - 2 Fleetwood Town

[Brett Angle]

Just got back from game. Disappointing result HOWEVER actually thought that for the first 50 mins bearing in mind players missing and Turner injury in first half I though the team played with quite a bit of savvy. Played to their strengths, looked pretty compact and didn't really look like conceding (even from set pieces). The Abhoration by Anton changed everything but for the life of me I can't understand the fans (not many in truth) who immediately turn on the manager calling for him to be sacked. How does that help the team and how on earth can you blame the manager for that? Fickle doesn't come into it. Nobody can legislate for that from such a senior, experienced pro.

Clearly the team had a game plan that they were executing well up to that and in Timlin and Kightly thought we won the second ball more often than not. We obviously need to sign replacements for Ranger, Leonard and upgrades on a couple of others - but I certainly felt buoyed by the performance (aside from the mistakes that then opened the door for them to get a second when we were still in shell-shock from the first) even though bitterley disappointed like everyone else with the result. But that is football - a cruel game that when things are going badly - Lady Luck disappears.

Ron has been accused of a lot of things over the years but one thing he is I think is intelligent enough not to allow disappointment to detract him from his principles and doing the right thing from a footballing perspective. IMO changing the manager now would be a huge mistake. Bring in some fresh faces by all means on the playing side (at least 4) but there is still more chance of us having a successful end of the season if everyone sticks together and works through this frustrating and disappointing few months. We can come out of this a lot stronger as a club generally as well as a player roster.

 

[RayleighShrimp]

8 defeats from 9, 1 win in 12. We are.

definitely no brakes...8 defeats in 9..... Brown and no2 must go, what’s all this long ball stuff about? Enough is enough.

 

[delr]

I think we’re gonna make the play offs

yep - next season league 2 play offs :cry:

 

[AndyT]

I'd love to agree 'Brett' and I like to think I'm a positive thinking person who is patient and forgiving, but it's down to a little more than a run of luck that has us where we are.

I desperately wanted the players to turn it on today and give us something to believe in, but I think PB just has lost what we had here and is hanging on, tinkering around with an old banger that should be off-roaded, rather than repaired and patched up to get us through until May, when we can buy a new model.

The spark and inventiveness has gone and only an injection of some fresh ideas and approach will turn it round now, in my view.

 

[leeblue]

Just got back from game. Disappointing result HOWEVER actually thought that for the first 50 mins bearing in mind players missing and Turner injury in first half I though the team played with quite a bit of savvy. Played to their strengths, looked pretty compact and didn't really look like conceding (even from set pieces). The Abhoration by Anton changed everything but for the life of me I can't understand the fans (not many in truth) who immediately turn on the manager calling for him to be sacked. How does that help the team and how on earth can you blame the manager for that? Fickle doesn't come into it. Nobody can legislate for that from such a senior, experienced pro.

Clearly the team had a game plan that they were executing well up to that and in Timlin and Kightly thought we won the second ball more often than not. We obviously need to sign replacements for Ranger, Leonard and upgrades on a couple of others - but I certainly felt buoyed by the performance (aside from the mistakes that then opened the door for them to get a second when we were still in shell-shock from the first) even though bitterley disappointed like everyone else with the result. But that is football - a cruel game that when things are going badly - Lady Luck disappears.

Ron has been accused of a lot of things over the years but one thing he is I think is intelligent enough not to allow disappointment to detract him from his principles and doing the right thing from a footballing perspective. IMO changing the manager now would be a huge mistake. Bring in some fresh faces by all means on the playing side (at least 4) but there is still more chance of us having a successful end of the season if everyone sticks together and works through this frustrating and disappointing few months. We can come out of this a lot stronger as a club generally as well as a player roster.

Interesting how you think cox being isolated
Timlin and kightly constantly chipping the ball to the fleetwood defenders (or off the pitch) no coherent attacking pattern of play as savvy

 

[AndyT]

Interesting how you think cox being isolated
Timlin and kightly constantly chipping the ball to the fleetwood defenders (or off the pitch) no coherent attacking pattern of play as savvy

Don't want to speak on 'Brett's' behalf, but I think he meant that we were managing the game and nullifying the threat, thus keeping us in it and with a bit of momentum and a goal nicked, we could have got a hard-earned 1-0 win.

It wasn't pretty, but probably wasn't going to be. You can see what PB was trying to do. Personally, I think he has the personnel and shape wrong, but on the pitch, we were in the game.

What I did feel was that it was like an away performance and you can't really work on those principles at home.

 

[wivs]

How much longer have we got to put up with this? It was obvious as soon as the team was announced with one up front. So once we conceded, there was only ever going to be one outcome... another defeat.
Nothing wrong with bringing Wabo on, he actually did very well, but surely not take Cox off. McGlashan offered nothing.
The tactical genius that is Brown mucked up again in my opinion and the sooner he's put out of his misery the better.

 

[Jay_SUFC]

We should not be playing 5 at the back at home against Fleetwood - they were woeful but unfortunately we were worse!

I can't do ratings other than to say I thought Timlin and Kighley did ok, felt sorry for Cox and no way he should have been taken off and finally, what does MAF offer; doesn't look like scoring at all, however I did like the look of Wabo.

My final word is that Brown has to go now; useless tactics, no signings and awful recent record - still not sure who we can replace him with, but I'd take a dead cat over him at the moment

 

[fbm]

Typical PB press conference afterwards.. plenty of blame for everyone else other than himself. Talks about 4 or 5 players we’ve made enquiries for and he hopes to have a couple in before next Saturday.. he is doing a lot of talking as if he expects to be in the job for some time yet.

Not fair really... he fully took the blame and accepted responsibility and said he was letting the players down.

 

[blues exile]

The writing has been on the wall for months and still the situation is allowed to drift on. It would still be possible to salvage something from this train wreck of a season if Martin acts now. What folly it would be to give Brown time and money to turn things round. His awful stone age football would be bad enough if we were winning but a losing run like this makes it imperative to take drastic action now before it's too late. Another month of this and our fate will be well and truly sealed.

 

[Cricko]

https://www.southendunited.co.uk/news/2018/january/phil-brown-fleetwood-reaction/

 

[duncan bulgaria]

No creativity going forward , no midfielders getting beyond the back line , playing one 5ft 8 lone CF vs Fleetwoods 2 giant CB’s was a strange move , then to continually lump long balls down their throat was criminal .

I can’t think of one moment in the game where a player done something to lift the crowd , I think our first corner was on 79 minute .

A list of things that are contributing to our slump but I looked at the players as soon as Fleetwood scores and they were defeated , body language said it all .

I think it’s time for a change as the quality of football being served up to the fans is shockingly bad

 

[BrettieAngell]

https://www.southendunited.co.uk/news/2018/january/phil-brown-fleetwood-reaction/

#deludedbrown

 

[Brett Angle]

I'd love to agree 'Brett' and I like to think I'm a positive thinking person who is patient and forgiving, but it's down to a little more than a run of luck that has us where we are.

I desperately wanted the players to turn it on today and give us something to believe in, but I think PB just has lost what we had here and is hanging on, tinkering around with an old banger that should be off-roaded, rather than repaired and patched up to get us through until May, when we can buy a new model.

The spark and inventiveness has gone and only an injection of some fresh ideas and approach will turn it round now, in my view.

i'm not blaming it on luck - as you know the reason I believe we are where we are is the general underperformance of a number of players who we all had high expectations of at the beginning of the season. Luck it times like today when the guy who scores could possibly have had a red card just before and leading up to it your most experienced player makes a (first today) mistake you would be disappointed if my Under 11's made and then gets duly punished.

also in terms of Leeblue with the players out, the situation we find ourselves in, the enforced change in the first half etc I believe the tactics were right and would have bought us that win or as a minimum hard fought draw we need to start the process of turning the ship. No one went there expecting champagne football let's face it.

 

[fbm]

So, here's the thing.

It has been said that Phil Brown doesn't have a "Plan B". I disagree.

I'm not sure we have a "Plan A".

We do, however, have a "Plan Q" and probably Plans R, S and T, all of which we saw today.

What an absolute shambles of a performance, formation and match.

With the injury to Turner and Ferdinand not being 100% fit (probably not 75% actually) we are in a complete hole at the back. New players are needed now. Harry Kyprianou is not the answer, his confidence is shot to pieces.

If Ron is playing a "wait and see" game, how much longer and how many more games do we have to lose before something is done?

It's frankly dreadful. What an awful, awful season.

 

[GBJ]

but for the life of me I can't understand the fans (not many in truth) who immediately turn on the manager calling for him to be sacked.

As the previous week's poll stated, 3/4 of fans have had enough. Regardless of how the goals came about, it's the fact of going two-nil down at home, AGAIN. It's a crap performance AGAIN. It's crap tactics AGAIN. It's just another kick in the face of the fans, which 3/4 of seem to be able to identify the main problem.

How does that help the team and how on earth can you blame the manager for that?

The team do not want to play for the manager. It's a moot point whether the fans give them vocal backing or not.

 

[Spenser]

Well, if PB genuinely enjoyed the first 55 minutes as he says he must have been watching a different match from me.
It takes a lot for me to criticize the team and the players but no proper shots in 45 minutes at home to a very average oppo was awful.

The system and tactics were negative beyond belief and to expect a decent pro like Cox to play on his own with zero support is ridiculous. I felt a few players came out with credit but the tactics (and the pitch) are just not good enough. Difficult to see how we are going to pick up any points playing like that.

 

[RobM]

Today I am asking myself "Why do I bother?" and I struggle to answer that.

Entertaining? No. Exciting? No. I really don't buy "It's my club" stuff anymore. Loyalty has its limits. I wouldn't keep buying CDs of a band that were once good but are crap now. I only go now because I'm expected to.

 

[amsemp]

Only slight positive to come from it was that Wabo looked a decent prospect when he came on. Not that he could’ve done a lot with constant long balls against probably the two tallest centre backs in the league.

Absolutely dreadful today. We had nothing in our locker and were woefully short of ideas. Long ball quite obviously wasn’t going to work against Bolger and co. but we continued doing it well into the second half, even though it hadn’t worked once all afternoon.

Timlin was awful, McG and McL barely got a foothold in the game and Cox was predictably isolated and kept quiet. We were shaky defensively, lost the midfield battle and had nothing up front that was going to remotely trouble Fleetwood. I’m genuinely concerned for us.

Fleetwood weren’t a great side by any stretch and it was the introduction of Madden which tipped the balance. He looked like a great player. Miserable afternoon of football all in all. It was a real chore sitting in the cold and watching that today. I really don’t enjoy going to games at the moment and I can imagine some of the pay on the day fans staying away.

I desperately wanted Wabo to start because I wanted a reason to look forward to the game, to see someone new and potentially exciting. When I saw he wasn’t, I just knew it was going to be the same old ****... and it was. It’s depressing at the moment. It really is time for a change.

 

[RobM]

"With the injury to Turner and Ferdinand not being 100% fit (probably not 75% actually) we are in a complete hole at the back. New players are needed now. Harry Kyprianou is not the answer, his confidence is shot to pieces."

maybe so, but why replace a central defender with a left back? Would you replace a flat tyre on your car with a gearbox?