Post-Match Thread and Ratings Southend United 1 vs 3 Morecombe

[Fairport]

What a disappointing afternoon! Morecambe came with a plan and it worked perfectly, their finishing was also decent. I was hoping that the work-rate we have seen this season would carry us through most games but today our lack of quality was exposed. The back four is not the same without Cresswell and Clohessy. White and Coker couldn't get a regular spot last season even in a struggling Colchester team, Prosser is a Port Vale cast-off and Phillips doesn't look match fit. This unit really does not seem good enough. Although we have quite a few midfielders to pick from I really cannot see more than ten goals being scored between the lot of them this season. Hopefully Corr and Eastwood can grab enough goals to see us through the season. With the transfer embargo and financial mayhem at the club it would need a genius of a manager to get this squad promoted. Although many of todays team could do better we seem a million miles away from being a team challenging for promotion. Hopefully Phil Brown can use the loan market to our advantage and add some more ability to the squad. Fingers crossed for a better performance next Friday.

 

[Welly7]

Disappointing is an understatement! Thought Morecombe worked their game plan well first half and we just couldn't get going. Second half was very poor from too many players and we gifted them two goals.
Frustrating to say the least but its the first poor performance of the season and I'm not gonna start blaming individuals as, overall, I've been impressed with the other five games ( despite last two away results. )
Hopefully Friday will be much better and we get back on track. It's a big game now!

 

[Willie Coulson's Red Cheeks]

I've been away so this was my first game and I was really looking forward to it after all I had been reading.

Then the game started. I could see that we were trying to play passing football.................but we weren't doing it very well so a few more long balls were played - for 2 strikers who are not great headers of the ball.

The first 15 minutes of the second half were a horror to watch as we conceded twice and looked like conceding others whenever they had a corner. I came away thinking that we looked like we did under Sturrock at its worst - but without the muscle. Morecombe were a big side (there are lots of those in League 2) and we looked outmuscled and vulnerable. I can see why we have struggled at set pieces. Last year we would have had Cresswell, Phillips, Barker and Corr who were all good in the air at corners - when attacking and defending. In this match we only really had Phillips who I would say is a real ball winner in the air.

I really hope that was just a bad day and I look forward to seeing evidence of the early season form which I missed. Phil Brown seems to have done a very good job but now is when we see what he is made of. That's 3 games lost in a row with a tough game against Bristol Rovers on Friday night.

Hoping to see a much improved performance then!!

 

[Southend Pier]

I've been away so this was my first game and I was really looking forward to it after all I had been reading.

Then the game started. I could see that we were trying to play passing football.................but we weren't doing it very well so a few more long balls were played - for 2 strikers who are not great headers of the ball.

The first 15 minutes of the second half were a horror to watch as we conceded twice and looked like conceding others whenever they had a corner. I came away thinking that we looked like we did under Sturrock at its worst - but without the muscle. Morecombe were a big side (there are lots of those in League 2) and we looked outmuscled and vulnerable. I can see why we have struggled at set pieces. Last year we would have had Cresswell, Phillips, Barker and Corr who were all good in the air at corners - when attacking and defending. In this match we only really had Phillips who I would say is a real ball winner in the air.

I really hope that was just a bad day and I look forward to seeing evidence of the early season form which I missed. Phil Brown seems to have done a very good job but now is when we see what he is made of. That's 3 games lost in a row with a tough game against Bristol Rovers on Friday night.

Hoping to see a much improved performance then!!

I think you'll find it is at home to Scunthorpe United on Friday Night:winking:

 

[DCC]

Can't believe they only brought 64 fans down. Their annual trip to Roots Hall is their most nailed-on 3 point away day of the season. The 4th year in a row they have come down and done a job on us. We're just gonna have to accept they're our bogey team. Hopefully we won't be in the same division as them for much longer...

 

[chapperzUK]

Can't believe they only brought 64 fans down. Their annual trip to Roots Hall is their most nailed-on 3 point away day of the season. The 4th year in a row they have come down and done a job on us. We're just gonna have to accept they're our bogey team. Hopefully we won't be in the same division as them for much longer...

I bet that even if we do win promotion this year, they will somehow follow us up just to take 6 points off us the following season!

 

[OldBlueLady]

For anyone not there, I know its been said but straker did not cost us the game today. I can't say anything positive about his performance but can say that about the rest as well

Agree totally with this, 90% of the team under performed today, I don't understand why so many did, or so many are making him the biggest scapegoat. For me the buck stops with the boss, he made the call to bring Timlin back and, much as I like Timmo, he just wasn't ready mentally or physically - anyone else see him beating his head and yelling in frustration? Lenny was having to cover both roles. Not enough ball being played to feet was the biggest problem and I have to be honest and say I didn't see their 2nd goal, I thought the days of conceding so soon after the break had gone and I was looking at my phone! :blush:

Bentley - 5, did next to nothing but pick the ball out of the net 3 times, is it time for Smith to be given a go? Wouldn't surprise me
White - 5, poor by his standards, did get forward a lot more as the game went on, and put some good work in but defensively, there's big question marks against the whole defence
Phillips - 5, looked knackered at the end, grow the beard back please, seems to be luckier than being clean shaven!
Prosser - 5, some decisive heading but far too much punting it forwards
Coker - 6, best player on the pitch apart from Hurst. Never gives up, continually offers the overlap, even if it is ignored far too often, puts a good cross in and delivers a good corner
Hurst - 7, MOTM by a mile today, delighted to see him come back and score on his first full game this season. Needs to work on building understanding with John White
Timlin - 4, really not in it at all
Leonard - 5, worked hard but he'll be disappointed with his efforts
Straker - 5, was he trying too hard? Take a step back and assess what's changed this month, then re-discover the earlier form and shut the doubters up!
Eastwood - 6, persevered, I thought he was fouled in the box and should have had a penalty
Woodward - 6, promising enough debut, he can develop and learn from the others, his pace and willingness to go for anything should be used to our advantage

Subs:
Atkinson for Timlin - 6, did ok when he came on, personally I'd have had him RM and moved Hurst to LM and brought Payne on at the same time. Pace had the chance to get us somewhere and we didn't use it enough
Payne for Straker - 6, energetic and willing to chase

Officials:
Far too many handballs in the last couple of games that aren't being given, couple of blatant ones today, including one we thought around where I sit, should have been a penalty in the 2nd half. Got the red card right but got Timlin's caution so wrong.

Poor atmosphere I thought today considering all those kids were in X Block, we really should have utilised their enthusiasm better.

Fab to see all those youngsters though, let's hope that the next generation of Kane Ferdinands, Dan Bentleys and Jack Paynes all enjoyed their day!

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

Can't believe they only brought 64 fans down. Their annual trip to Roots Hall is their most nailed-on 3 point away day of the season. The 4th year in a row they have come down and done a job on us. We're just gonna have to accept they're our bogey team. Hopefully we won't be in the same division as them for much longer...

Are they going up then?:winking: :sad:

 

[Sandbach Shrimper]

What a load of rubbish. Even before we took the lead we weren't playing particularly well. Coker and Woodrow in my opinion are the only two players who can say they played reasonably well today, Woodrow looked decent on the ball but he wasn't going to win anything in the air against their centre-backs. Leonard was OK, Bentley couldn't do much about the goals but I'm still not convinced he's better than Smith. The rest were poor. Straker and Prosser were particularly bad, and I've yet to see what Atkinson brings to the team. Timlin and Hurst looked understandably rusty. The subs made no impact although at least Payne looked like he wanted to make something happen. The rest seemed to have given up by then. Credit to Morecambe, they defended well and took their chances. The 3rd goal was a lovely bit of play from Sampson - their 64 fans must have enjoyed that! It's almost like we've played gradually worse with each game this season. Need to get back to winning ways on Friday.

 

[Richard_Cadette]

To me, it seems that the last gasp goal we conceded at Chesterfield has really knocked out confidence. 3 wins in a row, and what looked like a hard earned, and well deserved point, at Chesterfield, got snatched away from us, and now we're looking like a side who last lost a little bit of belief.

Today, if we'd have got to half time, I think we'd have won, and won comfortably. Whilst the first half wasn't all-action, high tempo, it was decent enough, we dominated, and I thought made an excellent start, nearly scoring very early on. We were good value for the lead, but slack defending and we're back at 1-1.

Calamitous start to the second half, and we seemed to be punch for the remainder of the game. Cliche or not, but it is absolutely true - goals change games, and that was so evident today.

Was listening to the comments on BBC Essex on the way home, and was a little confused - there were a couple saying PB shouldn't have changed a winning formula and left the team as it was - well we lost the last two games, and to be fair, Hurst and Timlin are arguably our most two influential players - if they're fit, they are likely to be in the side. My only comment about it is the decision to drop Atkinson who I think has been pretty decent for us since he signed. For me, it he should have played in the centre of midfield alongside Timlin, with Leonard dropping to the bench.

The other contributing factor for me is Marc Laird. Given the style of football we're now playing, we need someone in there who can get stuck in and have a presence - Laird does that very well, and perhaps it's no coincidence that we have started conceding goals since he got injured - we have developed a soft centre and I believe his absence is the root cause of that.

If you look at our midfield, when all are fit, you could make a case for Hurst, Atkinson, Laird and Timlin - Not sure you would find many better midfield line-up's at this level to be honest, especially now as PB is asking them to get the ball down and play.

We need to toughen up for sure, but Rome wasn't built in a day and we are playing a completely new system from the last 3 seasons, and it will take time to bed in. we've also lost our best centre half. and by not replacing him, there was always a risk of losing a solid base.

I don't think we're too far away, certainly in terms of personnel, and if we can tighten up and get our belief back, we' could easily get back on track - My only long-term nagging doubt in all of this is Phil Brown's ability to halt long term winless streaks. He had an almighty one at Hull which nearly got them relegated, and he had an equally bad one at Preston which cost him his job - I would have genuine concerns if this run continued for any length of time. I'm certainly not Brown bashing as I quite like what he is trying to do, but the nagging doubt just won't go away.

 

[OrangeyBrown]

Today showed just how important Laird is to our team. Whenever one of our players had the ball there was no-one trying to give them an option in the middle. Timlin was the biggest culprit but he's obviously still rusty.

At one point Straker took the ball past 2 players, stopped and looked around and saw that he had no options whatsoever other than to pass it back to Phillips! This led to him trying too hard to do all the work himself and he ended up giving the ball away far too much throughout the game. Whether it's lack of confidence or cohesion, it needs to be sorted out on the training ground sharpish. Atkinson and Hurst were probably the only 2 players that weren't completely bad today and that's being generous.

 

[GrayBlue]

This is so typical of our team! No matter who owns us or who manages, we always seem to play brilliantly for a while followed by total rubbish! Why? Then we have a great season, get promotion followed by an indifferent season where we follow the pattern of being great one week and rubbish the next (Or a few games of one followed by a few of the other). That is followed by a rubbish season and we are relegated followed by several seasons of brilliant and rubbish. Why? It has never made sense to me, just makes me suspicious of what is happening behind the scenes, but maybe that is me being paranoid :'(

 

[Blues 'n twos]

Too many players believing their own press after the start to the season, only consolation was I was on duty today and got paid to watch that s**t

 

[Jam_Man]

For anyone not there, I know its been said but straker did not cost us the game today. I can't say anything positive about his performance but can say that about the rest as well

No he certainly didnt, it was a poor performance even up to when we scored. We never really played well although first half we were the better side we still didnt look like the team we have been.

That said I was getting very frustrated with Straker up until we scored. Almost every time he got the ball he lost it and most of the time when not under great pressure.

This gets noticed far more when we arent playing well unfortunately as when we are struggling to find any flow then when we do get the ball in the oppositions half it is even more annoying to simply pass it back to them.

Even earlier in the season I never really got the Straker love in, he looked better than last year but no more.

He is the first player I would replace but that doesnt make him a scapegoat, just the poorest of a very poor bunch today.

 

[Jam_Man]

This is so typical of our team! No matter who owns us or who manages, we always seem to play brilliantly for a while followed by total rubbish! Why? Then we have a great season, get promotion followed by an indifferent season where we follow the pattern of being great one week and rubbish the next (Or a few games of one followed by a few of the other). That is followed by a rubbish season and we are relegated followed by several seasons of brilliant and rubbish. Why? It has never made sense to me, just makes me suspicious of what is happening behind the scenes, but maybe that is me being paranoid :'(

Id say fans of 90% of clubs in the world can probably say the same thing.

Welcome to the world of football....

 

[KiwiRob]

I think it is time to give Conor Clifford a run of games in central mid-field to replace Laird. He has great promise and will only realise that potential if he is given a real chance.

 

[Jam_Man]

I think it is time to give Conor Clifford a run of games in central mid-field to replace Laird. He has great promise and will only realise that potential if he is given a real chance.

You have to ask why Payne was put on instead of him though?

 

[Evening Echo]

Southend United 1, Morecambe 3

SOUTHEND United’s winless streak against Morecambe continued at Roots Hall this afternoon as they sunk to a disappointing 3-1 defeat.

More...

 

[* ORM *]

Highlights of the day. The loony in West Road with a baseball bat before the game (explains the helicopter), meeting up with some good old friends in the Spread and the West, seeing the new side in action. Leaving the game. Actually there were some glimpses of hopefulness in between but the optimism I've been watching from afar was firmly put into perspective. Impressed with Freddy's size and appetite, Hurst, Leonard and the new striker. I think we'll be ok but that should manage a few expectations after early season results.

 

[ms brush]

I always thought we would struggle against Morecambe, so no surprises there for me. I would have been surprised if we had even managed a draw to be honest, but I wasn't expecting such a poor display from most of the team. On our day, we can beat anyone at this level, but we got drawn into lobbing hopeful high balls, which their big boys could easily deal with, and we got hurried into poor passes which they intercepted. Yet again, our penchant for scoring then losing concentration was our undoing. Once, for the equaliser was marginally forgive able, but the second, 15 seconds into the second half was not. They were bigger than us, winning more balls than us, and they came down and did a number on us. Again.

I thought we got all we deserved yesterday.

Bentley 5 - seems to have lost confidence.
White 5 - not at the standard we have very quickly got used to. Maybe he was leading by example, which explains why everyone was out of sorts :'(
Philips 5- clearly not fit yet. A very long way from his best.
Prosser 4- very poor. Was responsible for at least one of their goals and was a bit headless chicken.
Coker 5.5 - pick of the defence. Just.
Hurst 7 - MOM by a country mile, for what was essentially an average Hurst performance - some great movement and was exploiting gaps, and bagged a goal on his return. Worrying though, the best player on our side is just back from injury and looks good on an average performance because others are so poor!
Timlin 3.5 - oh dear. We all know Timms has had a tough time with his injury and the other business this year, but mind and body clearly aren't in sync yet. Nothing seemed to be working for him. The yellow card was a bit unfair i thought, they were getting away with far worse. Probably needs a few more sub appearances before he starts a game again.
Leonard 6 - stretched too far, trying to do him own job and cover Timlins as well.
Straker 5 - too many passes going astray still. Works hard, and is probably trying too hard. He was not our worst player. It was a poor show from someone who can do better.
Eastwood 6 - not too bad from Fred, considering he was constantly seeing the ball fly miles over his head, or being passed straight to a defender... Actually impressed with his battling, he was fighting a losing cause but didn't give up or let his head drop.
Woodward - 5.5 not bad debut, with no service and against a couple of giants... Looks promising, just concerned about similarity to Eastwood's style.

Subs
Atkinson 6 midfield looked better with him in it.
Corr 5 anonymous, couldn't make any impact.
Payne 6 probably a good time to give the lad a run out. We were going to lose anyway, so his lack of size had no effect - in fact, he seemed to be able to move quite freely, a bit like a mouse between a herd of elephants!

For me there are 3 positives
We are only 6 games in, and now isn't a bad time to have a string of poor results as we have time to turn it round again.
There are only a couple of times a season where 90% of the team play badly at the same time...
We were trying to play good football. We just weren't very good at it, so there is hope.