Post-Match Thread and Ratings Southend United 1-3 Gateshead

[annie1954]

Best player on the pitch was Billy Best, he ran rings round Nobbler.

True I thought Nobbler was very slow today he needs a good rest maybe have him on the bench and bring him on for the last few minutes ( lol )

 

[Mr Browns Ghost]

Watched it again at 0.25 speed on the 'highlights' and never a penalty - clearly plays the ball first. Idiot ref has a clear view as well and still gets it wrong.

Maybe you should watch from the Gateshead camera on our goal as clear a clear penalty as their ever was check it out on twitter

 

[SHRIMPERPETER]

SOUTHEND United boss Kevin Maher slammed the Shrimpers’ ‘scandalous’ defending following a 3-1 defeat to Gateshead at Roots Hall.

A first half strike from Blues wing-back Gus Scott-Morriss cancelled out Jacob Butterfield’s opener for the visitors.

But a second half penalty from Luke Hannant and a header from Ben Radcliffe saw Gateshead pick up all three points.

And Maher was clearly frustrated with the goals conceded.

"It's really disappointing and really poor,” said Maher.

“It looked like a team who had been thrown together against a team who had been together a while which is what it was.

“The first goal is really poor.

“It's one ball in behind and we should be in that channel defending.

“The recovery runs are poor and there's hesitancy about the place which you can feel.

“That's only caused by us and nothing else.

“But we got ourselves back in the game and then at half-time we spoke about a plan of how to build pressure but we do the complete opposite.

“The goals we give away are scandalous."

However, Maher’s criticism of the defending did not stop there.

“We gave pathetic goals away,” said Maher.

“We had the best defence in the league last year and it's a completely new defence now.

“That's nothing on them but too many of the goals are becoming similar.

“We've giving four penalties away now I think, we've conceded four set pieces and that's nowhere near good enough.

“It's too easy and too soft for that to happen.

“You can't give yourself any momentum in the game when you're gifting teams goals.

“We're really disappointed.

“We had some chances but they looked like a team who had played together quite a while which is what we looked like last year too.

“We're not that now and we're a team in transition.

“It looked like that but we've got to do the basics right which is not conceding set pieces and penalties.

“We want to build pressure and momentum and grow confidence that way."

And Maher is keen to see a strong reaction.

“Players in the building have got to stand up and be counted,” said Maher.

“Some of the goals are way too soft.

“You look at Barnet when it's 1-1 and we get done on one breakaway, we lose at Fylde late in the game through the same thing too.

“Sutton we're on top but one mistake and we go under.

“It's all too easy and that's the biggest worry rather than tactics or anything like that."

“But we've got to stick together, be strong and brave at the right time and show some character because it becomes tougher when you lose games.

“We've got to stick together and make the right changes we feel we need to move forward"

“We've got to stick together and make the right changes we feel we need to move forward"
Maher doesn't know what move forward means!!!

 

[Tampa Blue]

Maybe you should watch from the Gateshead camera on our goal as clear a clear penalty as their ever was check it out on twitter

No thanks, had a perfect view at the match and the highlights are very clear

 

[OldBlueLady]

I will just comment on Bonne though as I am surprised to see so much criticism of him. I thought he was very commanding in the air, and won the majority of headers - there was just no-one anywhere near to take advantage of this.

 

[Target man]

I will just comment on Bonne though as I am surprised to see so much criticism of him. I thought he was very commanding in the air, and won the majority of headers - there was just no-one anywhere near to take advantage of this.

Spot on.

 

[GIBBO]

We need a new keeper.

Missed Taylor big time. More so than any other player

We have too many players out of form. Moncur does all the pretty things. Has he actually got any assits?

Husin way of the boil.

Walker looks good

Negative from the word go. Only 1 up top.

How come most other teams work the magic on there players.

In life you got to be a killer. To succeed.

I love Kev, something has to change. Roll selves up time.

We lack horrible players we need to get a couple in. Old school types. Every good team has them. We have miley. That is it.

Anyway, going watch my sons U9s team who play better from the back.

We are a poor man's Southgates England.

 

[Finney on the wing]

So my thoughts…

It was a poor performance, make no mistake, but also take nothing away from Gateshead, they were excellent.

Bonne, in my opinion, played well, just can’t be a sole striker. He won nearly all of the flick ons that a fit Walker or Pepple would have run on to. He also looks lively in the 6 yard box and I’m confident that it will click for him soon.

Gus is gus, we all love him and we are fortunate to have him, but in being so good going forward, he lacks defensive nous and that was evident in Gateshead’s first goal.

It WAS a penalty, absolutely no complaints, from those fans near it like me, nor the players. Their striker toed the ball away and Collin brings him down. I’m also convinced that when our back line can settle a tad more, so will Collin’s performances.

A random special mention for George Wind who I thought was excellent when he came on. He won most of his headers against some strong players, but also made a couple of good overlapping runs late in the game. Looks like a good talent.

Also thought Foran was okay - he looks quite pacey and good in the tackle, so not a bad replacement for now.

We badly need Miley & Coker back - our midfield was non existent from about 60 mins onwards, which aided the very disjointed performance.

Do I think the season will continue like this? No.
Will cohesion soon come and we’ll start playing well? I think so.

We’re the national league equivalent of Belgium. Good players for this level, just not playing as a team as yet.

I thought Wind showed he had real pace too. Would love to see him getting more time on the pitch

 

[Grayson]

A perceived better atmosphere with lower crowds doesn’t pay the bills.

Somehow I don’t think the consortium will share your who cares if the crowds drop outlook.

Correct, as they should, but I am still not going to care if the bandwagoners get upset. The core 5,000 who stuck with the club know who they are. We are the ones that deserve success.

Every time I read someone complain 'the fans will stop coming', I see it as a thinly veiled 'I will stop coming'.

 

[Leigh_Seasider]

I will just comment on Bonne though as I am surprised to see so much criticism of him. I thought he was very commanding in the air, and won the majority of headers - there was just no-one anywhere near to take advantage of this.

What confuses me is Maher has in the past shown a preference for two up top and it worked to good effect only recently. He’s got Walker on the bench and Pepple and only brings Walker on when the game’s lost. Why?! Bonne was getting his head on things all game, there was nobody there to take advantage.

 

[blues exile]

“We've got to stick together and make the right changes we feel we need to move forward"
Maher doesn't know what move forward means!!!

To use words like 'scandalous' and 'pathetic' describing yesterday's performance does not exactly chime with the exhortation to stick together. Brown was castigated for throwing players under the bus and this sounds remarkably similar,.

 

[barton west]

So my thoughts…

It was a poor performance, make no mistake, but also take nothing away from Gateshead, they were excellent.

Bonne, in my opinion, played well, just can’t be a sole striker. He won nearly all of the flick ons that a fit Walker or Pepple would have run on to. He also looks lively in the 6 yard box and I’m confident that it will click for him soon.

Gus is gus, we all love him and we are fortunate to have him, but in being so good going forward, he lacks defensive nous and that was evident in Gateshead’s first goal.

It WAS a penalty, absolutely no complaints, from those fans near it like me, nor the players. Their striker toed the ball away and Collin brings him down. I’m also convinced that when our back line can settle a tad more, so will Collin’s performances.

A random special mention for George Wind who I thought was excellent when he came on. He won most of his headers against some strong players, but also made a couple of good overlapping runs late in the game. Looks like a good talent.

Also thought Foran was okay - he looks quite pacey and good in the tackle, so not a bad replacement for now.

We badly need Miley & Coker back - our midfield was non existent from about 60 mins onwards, which aided the very disjointed performance.

Do I think the season will continue like this? No.
Will cohesion soon come and we’ll start playing well? I think so.

We’re the national league equivalent of Belgium. Good players for this level, just not playing as a team as yet.

Have not seen Wind play but those who have have praised him. I would like to see Wind at right back and Gus as a right winger. It would strengthen both the defence and the attack. It would require a change of formation so it won’t happen.

 

[thenobster]

Armchair critic here, but from what I’ve read, the language is completely different. Calling out individual players in public, stating players need to ‘stand and be counted’ really isn’t the language of a manager in control or a manager protecting his squad of players.
Someone mentioned this is ‘Brown-esque’.. I see where you’re coming from.
If you’ve a problem with a player, deal with it. Problem with the team? Then you have to look at yourself or find the root cause.
Just DONT do it publicly.

 

[thenobster]

Ps, for what it’s worth, I don’t think Kev will be here seasons end and neither will GSM.

 

[SeldomSeenShrimper]

Wasn't at the game, but having seen the highlights, we looked alot like we did in our first season in the NL

In fact, it actually reminds me of the league 2 campaign

We seem very fractured, we don't look fit, and we look void of ideas and despite the odd bits of class we have we look like a team that could implode very easily

 

[secondalibi]

Unfortunately, this is us for foreseeable future. We're just not very good. We are where we are, because we deserve to be. Very poor again today, we could have easily been 3-0 down inside 20 minutes. We deserved nothing, Gateshead were way ahead of us. Nothing will change soon, there is no quick fix, and we aren't allowed to criticise Kev's tactics. It's very much a case of suck it up. It's going to be a very long season.

 

[AlfaShrimper]

I will just comment on Bonne though as I am surprised to see so much criticism of him. I thought he was very commanding in the air, and won the majority of headers - there was just no-one anywhere near to take advantage of this.

Personally thought he was very lazy. Lots of shouting at others but didn't break a run let alone a sprint

 

[LBBlue]

So as disappointing as yesterday was let’s look at some numbers

7 - not so lucky - the number of players who started the first game of the season who couldn’t start yesterday. 2 gone for good, 1 suspension - already- and 4 injured or coming back from injury.

21, 23, 20, 23 - the ages of our goalkeeper and 3 centre backs.

0 - the number of games those four had played together.

77 - the combined number of senior games the back three have played in their careers.

2 - the number of goals Jack Bridge has scored in open play since the start of last season. He really ought to know where to be for cross from the right at his age.

17 - the number of players on full contracts (excluding Faulkner) of which 6 were not able to start yesterday.

5 the number of games Cardwell started for us compared with 1 at FG. What a waste of a decent footballer.

And finally

60, 65, 70, 78, 84 the minutes in which Gateshead made their 5 substitutions. Contrived managed or what? My weekly anti 7 subs rage - how’s that any good for football?

 

[bluethroughandthrough]

I get it when people say the other side was excellent today, making that the acceptable excuse. You then have to analyse what made them excellent. Better players? Better attitudes? Better tactics?
We have to be that better side. Hopefully a week on the training ground will provide these answers for both the players and management, because although we have injuries (and every club experiences this), we have to find a way to do better. If something isn't working you have to change it.

"Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results"

Kev has a preffered system, which with the right players has proven to work. Unfortunately due to a number of unforseen circumstances, he no longer has those players (contract termination, clause in contract release, injuries, delayed takeover). The current hand he's been dealt with doesn't allow for that favoured system to work, certainly from a defensive point of view. So I believe he has to change it. That doesn't mean he or his system has failed, and when he has the right players, he can return to it. However, you have to work with what resources you have at that time.

Bonne is a great example of this. Brought in to score goals but being used as Cardwell was to play as a target man. That's not his game. He ran yesterday challenging for headers for others to run off of, which wasn't happening. Then he's criticised for not being a poacher. Is that his fault?

Proven to work really?
In compared with what?
Because we got near the play off? We have had awful performances under Maher with these questions asked but we excused them because of the team club status. Then your comment about insanity makes even more sense .
Hard to say of course but with better "Gateshead" like tactics could we have done even better.

 

[Target man]

Might not be everyone's cup of tea or the long term answer, but I'd like to see a different system next week. Pick a system that suits the players and take out Crowther and Bridge, who for me have not contributed anything positive of late. Foran and Gubbins may be more suited to a back 4, and remember both have a better pedigree of coaching, coming from Arsenal and QPR. I'd give Collin the benefit of a different system and Bonne a player like Walker or Pepple to run off his flicks, which worked at Solihull. GSM is a scoring machine and delivers a great cross, but defensively is wanting at times. I'd play him in a diamond and give Wind a shot at RB. This way out of possesion we are doubled up on the right, and have pace on the left.