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

[Weston's left foot]

The Macauley Bonne situation is so similar to Graeme Jones 2002/3.

I’m desperate for it all to click for him but not entirely convinced it ever will.

yes I remember that.

I always wanted us to sign Steve Flack lol

 

[Chris Powell's mate]

I do wonder if there are two many cooks in the kitchen and having Still, Bentley, Currie and Maher complicates things more than it should..

Disagree!
They each have their roles, and no one complained when they were pulling rabbits out of hats last season.

 

[leeblue]

Maher out calls are ridiculous there are genuine reasons for recent poor performances, the question is what has been done to combat theses reasons, i think we have not recruited well tbh, again i understand the main targets were missed this summer so we have somewhat scraped the barrel. however i am pretty sure Bonne will flop. Gubbins is inconsistent to say the least. Moncur plays a role but its not scoring or assisting. Spine/possibly heart of the team decimated.
interesting few weeks ahead.

 

[RHB]

Poor today but not sure I can agree with the harsh criticism still. Squad has been decimated and looks bereft of confidence.

Entire back three would not have started the first game of the season. Has that impacted on Collin…quite possibly but he looks very much like a man in need of a proper number 1 to challenge him.

Bonne is still coming up to speed (and I actually thought he played pretty well today), Moncur has been overused and looked leggy and partnerships across the pitch still need developing.

Positives are GSM, just having a phenomenal season and KAF, a superb signing and looking like a real find.

Gateshead to their credit played lovely football and look like a really talented side. 3-1 was a fair result although I understand why people are being negative as these losses are starting to mount up.

Another one talking sense, for God's sake stop being sensible, no place for that on here tonight.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

I do think we need some competition on the left side for Bridge.... preferably someone with real pace. Jack's been great for us, but we need another option out there.

I think we really need support for Bridge rather than competition. He was doubled up whenever he got forward.

He’s not going to win a two on one. Give him a two on two and he’ll use his team-mate to either beat his man or he’ll draw in two men and release his teammate. He’s so much better in a two on two situation than a one on one situation.

If you don’t give him a man supporting him you are making him play with one hand tied behind his back. Put him in a position to succeed.

 

[GBJ]

Sorry Henry, I've just watched the highlights and a penalty it was not, apart from in the ref's eye. Collin played the ball and their player fell over him.

I thought Collin got a hand to it at the time, although I was miles away.

After watching the replay I’m still not convinced either way tbh.

 

[BEERMONSTER]

I like Colin but for me just too erratic to be part of a promotion side. Compare his kicking with the Dagenham keeper a couple of weeks back - just not at the same level. If we are going to play out from the back it needs a keeper who can execute that strategy.

I made the following observations after the Sutton game and I haven't seen anything to change my opinion

I honestly believe Collin has the makings of a top keeper but I do feel his all round game is having it's weaknesses exposed by the way we are set up to play. We require good distribution across the whole defence unit and it is obvious this is an area Collin needs to develop. I remember when Simon Royce came into the first team his kicking and distribution was not his strongest aspect but it improved but the whole goalkeeping set up at the time was chalk and cheese to what the Club has to offer these days. For me even though he has a lot of games under his belt, at his age he shouldn't have the unchallenged mantle of 1st choice keeper. We need an experienced keeper with strong all round abilities that will challenge Collin as 1st choice and ideally assist in his development. My concern for Collin is without the stimulation of real competition for his place and not just the presence of a non contract injury back up, his development will stagnant or indeed go backwards especially if he becomes a 'boo boys' target.
The last thing I want to do is lose an exciting young prospect like Collin but I genuinely believe the team and Collin would benefit from recruitment in this area.

 

[nick12]

I wasn't at the match today so I can't judge but after being shot down Tuesday did everyone (especially Overseas Shrimper) think all our players gave 100% or were the tactics really poor or were we just simply beaten by a much better team?

 

[henry18]

Sorry Henry, I've just watched the highlights and a penalty it was not, apart from in the ref's eye. Collin played the ball and their player fell over him.

I’ve seen them too and still believe the striker toed it away first

 

[GBJ]

I think we really need support for Bridge rather than competition. He was doubled up whenever he got forward.

He’s not going to win a two on one. Give him a two on two and he’ll use his team-mate to either beat his man or he’ll draw in two men and release his teammate. He’s so much better in a two on two situation than a one on one situation.

If you don’t give him a man supporting him you are making him play with one hand tied behind his back. Put him in a position to succeed.

As you said earlier, this is where Wes was vital.

A consistent Fonguck would have been the stuff of dreams.

 

[Wickford Blue]

That today was awful. We as Southend fans understand awful. This is the 5th season of awful.

Having been taken over did we all expect awful again.

I love KM. He is a legend at southend. But his teams play like he played. Solid, safe and unspectacular.

I looked at the side today and called a defeat as soon as I saw bonne up top on his own. He is unfit and not the quickest and was tasked with closing the defence on his own. He isn't the answer and looks disinterested.

Last season we had the best defence in the league. We are so poor at the back now. Look likely to concede every game.

Moncur is playing poorly, Husin is inconstant. We are missing miley. KAF is a good player and has something about him.

How does Pebble not get on the pitch today?

Gateshead didn't need to get out of 2nd gear to win. A team that play in an athletics track in front of 900 fans and have a vastly better squad who will be top 4 at the end of the year.

Something is very wrong at the moment.

Cosu are focusing on renovating the ground and increasing match day revenue. We'll I hope they are budgeting for 4500-5000 crowds because they won't be getting 6500-7500 with the budget they are setting. Yes we want better food, nicer toilets and pre match beers but not at the cost to the squad.

I am so sick and tired of following the club I love and just being disappointed game after game and month after month.

This is the first season as long as I can remember where I've honestly thought about working a home game. Better to earn money than just watch another inevitable poor performance and likely defeat.

If the fans knew what was going to be served up before the season started, then lots of season cards would have still been in the club shop.

So by my reckoning it is the takeover was completed on 19th July a whole 70 days ago!
Up until that point we were under embargo and since then we have lost 2 key players from last season which Kev would have been building his tactics and side around. We also have a load of injuries and Ralph was suspended.
I think we all need to set out expectations accordingly. Lots of talk on here about how we should have been set up, used other players etc. We don't have that luxury, KM has to work with what he has got and maybe they are not the ones he wanted but because of the embargo they are the ones he could get.
Just need to be patient in my opinion and write off this season until January when if there is money available we can get some more in.
Looking today we have a defence devoid of confidence and structure.
KM has done an amazing job and people need to be careful about what the wish for.

 

[GBJ]

I wasn't at the match today so I can't judge but after being shot down Tuesday did everyone (especially Overseas Shrimper) think all our players gave 100% or were the tactics really poor or were we just simply beaten by a much better team?

I don’t think there’s even a remote chance they aren’t giving it their all.

They just aren’t very good (at the moment, anyway).

And yes, Gateshead were good. They weren’t world beaters, but miles ahead of us

 

[wiggy]

He's set in his tactics and style and just rarely deviates even when obviously not working to the average football fan.

Very stubborn, very negative manager. God this is going to be a long season with him in charge

 

[Wickford Blue]

I know this is terrably negative.
But as an exiled Welshman and only been going to Southend for a few years. This terrible football.
Can I resell my seniors season ticket?

Do it mate or just don't come!

 

[leeblue]

A tad harsh but ive never been on the Collin train. Some promise but has played behind the best defence in the league for two years, not the case now.......

 

[shrimpled]

Genuine reasons for sure, but today was ****e.

 

[Shrimper95]

Where would we be without the goals from GSM? What a player!

 

[Finney on the wing]

I think we really need support for Bridge rather than competition. He was doubled up whenever he got forward.

He’s not going to win a two on one. Give him a two on two and he’ll use his team-mate to either beat his man or he’ll draw in two men and release his teammate. He’s so much better in a two on two situation than a one on one situation.

If you don’t give him a man supporting him you are making him play with one hand tied behind his back. Put him in a position to succeed.

To be honest, JB has been poor this season and much of last too. People keep banging on about how he misses Wes. Well they were not exactly playing well together week in and week out. They were so inconsistent and both not good defensively. I think the team have been carrrying JB. Don't get me wrong, I'd love him to show some of the old stuff we saw him do, but it's too infrequent and he is totally ineffective against more physical teams. So I think we 100% need competition for him

 

[shrimperjon]

Gateshead looked a pretty useful side to me.

Who lost 7-1 to ****ing Dagenham

 

[ShrimperStats]

Stop being outrageous and talking sense, it will ruin the tone of the evening.

NEVER!