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

[onceknownasrab]

We were beaten by a unit that knew both sides of the game. Technical and physical. When Sutton played they were by no means mugs. They also knew the dark arts and bullied us off the ball, mostly hard but fair, and when unfair the ref allowed too much to go by. They were a very different proposition to Eastleigh and it worked for them. One has to ask the last time we really competed against physical strength. A long time ago is the answer. That said, we try to play football and won't meet too many like Sutton. Bad day at the office but, let's move on.

 

[Tinks]

Oh dear! Not the result I was expecting given Tuesday performance
I have to say I thought the first half we didn’t play to bad and had chances. We looked alert and I thought some of the passing was really good. Sutton were big and bullies but, what a goal from Gus and I thought that was going to set the tone for the game. Their equaliser just before half time knocked us but it was the goal after half time that I thought killed us.We just seem to go to pieces after that.
On paper I think we have the makings of a really good team but please sort it out at the back and Colin needs to look at his distribution.

We have a long trip coming up on Tuesday so let’s all hope the boys can brush themselves down and be prepared to go again

 

[Taters123]

No, the issue is that we don’t have anyone open to pass to.

His options are then to try and force a pass that isn’t there or knock it long to where Bim is all alone up front and if he wins the flick it goes to no one and the ball comes back too quickly.

We need players to look ahead a pass and not pass to someone with no options other than to knock it long. There are too many passes that go down blind alleys forcing the recipient to launch it long.

It’s fine passing back to Collin if he has a pass open to a free man (say Gubbins passes it back and Taylor is free on the right) but we then need Taylor to also have an option open otherwise it just goes back to Collin who has to knock it long. This requires better movement and better awareness. Neither Gubbins nor Crowther look particularly comfortable in possession. Taylor was the weakest of our centre-backs in possession last season and is now the best. That’s where the issue is. The midfield can help by ensuring they are open and that when they take passes they look forward rather than just backward.

Their second goal came from a poor clearance from Colin who had time to pick his pass/clearance. You would expect the keeper to make sure he clears his lines well irrespective if someone available or not. Also happened in Eastleigh game and pretty sure it has cost us a goal in a previous game as well.

 

[bluethroughandthrough]

Our league position has improved every season which clearly shows progress. That’s not an opinion, it’s a fact.

And our players have got steadily better and yet we make the same mistakes and same tactics. The variable placement in the division is all marginal. Not sure id put much weight on your presentation of the facts

 

[Hadleigh-shrimper]

As long as you are happy with a massive massive over reaction when we beat Eastleigh then you can also be happy with the massive over reaction when we lost today … you can’t have both

Agreed with both as I said never get to high when win or too low when lose it’s one game. First home defeat the season

 

[Chris Powell's mate]

Kev reckoned the side lacked 'character' when conceding the first, and added: 'players were playing as individuals' in the second half.
He also reckoned the ball was going back to Collin a bit more than he would have liked.

 

[Chris Powell's mate]

Have just seen the goals.
For Gubbins to OG as he did was worse than the kick-out, but what really hacked me off was Bonne's A) woeful header, and B) his tap into Steve's arms.
That's not a natural scorer.

 

[tallboyblue]

Pick h

No point about beating the bush we need another goalkeeper and a wily old centre half.

 

[Rock Lobster]

It really doesn't matter if we win or lose, the only thing that really counts is who was right and who was wrong.
And always remember, your real enemy is your fellow supporters who hold a different opinion.

 

[RHB]

I absolutely hate it when we manage to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. At 1-0 we were bowling along making Sutton look average. Nowhere as slick or fluent as Tuesday, but nevertheless I had no thoughts that the final score would be as it turned out. It goes to show that one costly mistake from our defence managed to deflate our boys in Navy Blue and yellow stripes. At 1-1 Sutton had their foot in the door and the prospect of a point at Fortress Roots Hall was starting to fire up their ambitions. After that it was down hill rapidly and a mixture of two more goals and brute force and ignorance saw Sutton home claiming all 3 points.

Overall we didn't play well, in fact we were second best, but that happens sometimes in football and players that we were drooling over on Tuesday did their reputations no good this afternoon. At the risk of getting rinsed by the Over the Top brigade, if you don't have a bench of players capable of changing the game then you can struggle. Similarly, if you lose the spine of your team, for whatever reason, you can struggle. On Tuesday night Crowther was very assured and had Mccallum in his back pocket. This afternoon he showed his inexperience at this level. There was nothing wrong with Maher's substitutions in terms of timing, but they weren't going to change the game in our favour and we still need new bodies in to take us up to the next level. As to what Maher does with his hands, really I don't give a ****, folded or in his pockets, that is his choice.

We will recover from this, and continue to make progress, maybe as early as Tuesday night, but face facts we are a bit Jekyll and Hyde currently but new players yet to be announced hopefully will give us that extra oomph to improve our consistency. Bit of a book here, so sorry, but the Three Amigos are my coaches of choice, and I'm sure they will get the team where they, and us, want it to be. And finally posters that now reckon Maher's not up to it, well, you are absolutely entitled to your opinions, but in my opinion, you're talking out of your collective arses.

ps -Although our performance wasn't affected by him, the ref was a pedantic knob that allowed some serious GBH on the pitch to go consistently unpunished, and that can't be good for football.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Their second goal came from a poor clearance from Colin who had time to pick his pass/clearance. You would expect the keeper to make sure he clears his lines well irrespective if someone available or not. Also happened in Eastleigh game and pretty sure it has cost us a goal in a previous game as well.

Time to pick out who with the pass/clearance though?

He cleared the ball to basically the halfway line.

It’s happened in previous games as well because there hasn’t been an easier pass available. The solution is (a) to offer him easier passes and (b) stop playing it to people who only have dead ends to go down and so end up passing it back to him.

 

[The Original Tribal Chief]

We're you at the game and are ypu actually a Southend Supporter?
To start talking about getting rid of Kev....you should be working for Trump and the Ref was OK....he was shocking!!

What the **** has Trump got to do with a Southend performance? Give it a rest for **** sake.

 

[Leigh_Seasider]

Well I won’t overreact as some have done, some of the posts are a bit predictable really, on Tuesday we were world beaters!

Bad day at the office. We let them bully us a bit which is strange as we should be used to that kind of thing by now (missed Cav maybe?). Clearly they were up for it today and it was a classic smash & grab. I don’t think the timing of their first 2 goals helped.

I thought Moncur was decent. Pepple I thought did great up top. Appiah-Forson had an effective cameo, he even ran into the box with intent at one point, sadly didn’t rifle it home.

Defence/Collin were uncharacteristically poor today, Crowther will have a few like that I feel til he’s fully up to speed. Macauley Bonne will want to forget that game quickly. How didn’t he put that chance away? Shame as he showed a few glimpses, let’s hope it’s just lack of match sharpness.

Anyone can beat anyone in this league and it’s a long season. Let’s just mark this one as “must do better” and move swiftly on.

 

[Hawkwell Blue]

What I'd give to have a striker who can score week in week out.

Says every fan in the country, except those who support Manchester City.

 

[Dutch Branch]

How did we go from 40 minutes of total domination to looking like relegation contenders. Sutton were shocking first half. Three away games now and the next home game is Gateshead. Lots of work to do, I actually thought that after Tuesdays impressive performance we would take it to the next level but no .

 

[ColinMorrisWalksOnWater]

Just to put some sort of perspective on this and that things could always be worse.

Torquay United got knocked out of the FA Cup today in the 2nd qualifying round, 3-0 at that hotbed
of football legends............................Bishops Cleeve!

 

[Jedi Shrimper]

That was tough to watch second half.

Thought we were looking strong until the mistake right at the end of the first half, we were controlling it, everyone was at least a 7 at that point and Pepple really impressed, worked hard, held the ball up and could receive it back to the goal and turn with it.

Then second half Sutton came out probably having received a rocket and after the 2nd goal we just lost it. It was a poor kick from Collin but should never have resulted in a goal, our defence had completely turned off and got drawn to the near post leaving the easy tap ins for both the second and third. Uncharacteristically poor defending for us.

We were poorer after Morton and Pepple went off, Bridge should’ve been subbed off. Aside from the terrible finish, Bonne looked like he’ll bring a lot to the team once he’s up to speed. Appiah-Forson played with energy and showed a great ability to drive forward and ride a challenge too.

Awful refereeing which stopped us having a chance of getting going too. One of those days where everything was against us including ourselves.

Also a 0/10 to the **** behind me who wouldn’t shut up all game long, constantly belittling our players even when we were doing good things. Never wanted to punch someone more in my life. Never sitting there again.

 

[MisterStubbs]

Just to put some sort of perspective on this and that things could always be worse.

Torquay United got knocked out of the FA Cup today in the 2nd qualifying round, 3-0 at that hotbed
of football legends............................Bishops Cleeve!

Not to mention Gateshead who have started the season well and are being tipped by many to repeat last seasons heroics.. they’ve just got battered 7-1 by the fake wannabe West Ham lot.

 

[leeblue]

Colins been good at times but has benefitted greatly from playing behind an excellent defence.
However it must be remembered that we have had to settle for players over the last few years and I feel we have settled in the GK dept.
He's always had a mistake in him particularly kicking and there's way too many instances to recall now.
There must be better out there, let colin develop further out of the spotlight.

 

[They Call It Madness!!!]

I've got to be honest, okay I'm bloody cross and annoyed...but I don't think we played terrible. We didn't lose because we were absolutely awful, we've had 65-70% of the game and had 10 shots on target (the powder puff ones do count).

Another day we could have scored a hatful. We've made some dreadful mistakes and got punished.

It's annoying and it's not great but the proof will be the reaction afterwards. It's one game, we were ****housed all game and didn't know how to answer it today but with that magical moment it could've been different - like a second goal that we needed so desperately.

If we play again and don't learn from our mistakes then I'll be upset of course. We could've been Gateshead who must be the worst team in the league (to lose 7.1 and still my favourites for promotion).