Post-Match Thread and Ratings Southend United 2-2 Altrincham

[Strykr]

He's got the money to have the builders work on the training pitches at Fossets all week though. This I can see from my window at work.

I think it is pure neglect of Roots Hall.

You would neglect it though if you knew it was being knocked down soon, sadly thats just common sense.

Its just once again **** for our fans, and our home.

 

[Lester Bangs]

You would neglect it though if you knew it was being knocked down soon, sadly thats just common sense.

Its just once again **** for our fans, and our home.

I wouldn't invest in major capital improvements. I would, however, maintain the day to day operational stuff like keeping it clean from animal waste and ensuring the tea room was stocked. You can't sell it if it's not in stock and sales mean cash in.

 

[Strykr]

I wouldn't invest in major capital improvements. I would, however, maintain the day to day operational stuff like keeping it clean from animal waste and ensuring the tea room was stocked. You can't sell it if it's not in stock and sales mean cash in.

Completely agree. Sad its not the case.

 

[Joolz]

I’ve never been one for thinking off field issues have an impact. During the week yes, but once a player crosses that white line surely their focus is 100% on the matter in hand?

I think our problems are down to injuries, using up our fair share of luck (which we had during the unbeaten run), and a few players losing a bit of form.

Once we have our injured players back (or if) I think we’ll return to the team most of us were hoping for this season - a side challenging for the playoffs.

 

[Leigh_Seasider]

Seems to me our fortunes changed when the captains armband was taken off Miley ,who had been inspirational up until then ,if the threads you people were posting were factual and given back to Ralph and the dropping of Kensdale, The defence up to that point had been rock solid and praised by all .This i think was a big mistake by KEV and co. If its not broken why tinker with it, Ralph should have had to bide his time on the subs bench. Why and there has to be a reason are we getting so many injuries mostly i may add to our strikers and now keepers. Maybe its time to recall Benton from his loan and give him a run , he at least not afraid to have a shot ,seems to score plenty of goals from midfield .And i wonder if Hobson can do what our favourite ,defender come attacker come fighter from Tunisia once did for us and play a strikers role whilst we wait for others to return from injury .

I said to my son after Mooney went off injured, we’ll end up playing Hobson CF at this rate. We need to ride through this period and hope it gets better .. let’s hope we nick a win soon as after the **** up for their 2nd I saw heads go down and shades of the last few seasons. Confidence is everything.

 

[hlane17]

I’ve never been one for thinking off field issues have an impact. During the week yes, but once a player crosses that white line surely their focus is 100% on the matter in hand?

I think our problems are down to injuries, using up our fair share of luck (which we had during the unbeaten run), and a few players losing a bit of form.

Once we have our injured players back (or if) I think we’ll return to the team most of us were hoping for this season - a side challenging for the playoffs.

The out-of-depth loanee goalkeeper's gaffe yesterday (and a lack of a solid no.1 keeper in general) is a direct result of the embargo.

If we were not embargoed, as I understand it from others on here we've had a Steve Arnold replacement lined up for months. This top NL goalkeeper would have been on his way to SUFC.

God only knows if the deal is still on after the total **** show of the last couple months. I would recommend he stays at his well-run club and avoids becoming one of the deckchairs on the SUFC Titanic.

As for other injuries, we can't even dip into short term loans to fill the gaps and keep the momentum. Again another impact of the off-field issues.

You have to give the management and the players the tools to succeed, that includes competent and fit teammates. It seemed to get a bit ugly yesterday as it became clear the defence don't appear to get on with our loanee GK.

I find it seriously concerning that Chris Phillips has real worries about the current club situation as per his tweet yesterday. He's seen it all before so if he's concerned, we should all be.

 

[Whispering Bob]

Southend United slip to 6th in the table.

Does not sound good as Mooney heads off on a stretcher down the tunnel to applause from the East Stand.

He was lucky he made it to the tunnel, I said to my brother that the two stretcher bearers appeared to be blowing when it was empty and that they would really struggle with Mooney in it. Sure enough one took a tumble and Mooney looked, bemused, shall we say.

 

[Whispering Bob]

A subdued performance lacking any Oomph, a fan behind me summed it up perfectly when he bellowed 'Nobody wants the ball!'. Even W block were quiet (down to the early kick off or off the pitch woes?). A bobbly pitch didn't help. I thought Altringham deserved a point.

Blondy - It was made clear that the players had little trust in him after that calamitous second goal, but they should remember he saved them twice after the oppo had weaved through them with ease.
Gus - Walking a tightrope following his cynical foul on the edge of the box.
Hobson - Ok, one match saving tackle.
Lopata - Average
Ralph - signs of rustiness.
Bridge - they double teamed him yet he was still the main threat.
Miley - Least effective game I've seen him play.
Taylor - Put in quite a few tackles yet lacked quality on the ball.
Fonguck - Showed some glimpses, plenty of effort but looked leggy after an hour.
Mooney - Disappointing, dwelt on the ball for their opener (no foul for me).
Wreh - Some good hold up play and quick feet.

 

[Swiss Tony]

One last thing, what happened in the West stand today, saw three young ladsy ymaybe 13 being held outside NE corner after the game. Also saw another large group of young lads hanging around the same area. A bit concerned with our fan base at the moment. Know my son who sits in W block said there have been some right dickheads in there this season, not lads that he has seen before.

This may tie up with beer bottles and cans all around the West stand entrance area and nearby residents garden walls before and after the game over the last few matches.

 

[OldBlueLady]

3 cheers for Ron from the cabbage Trust.

You really are an absolute charmer, aren't you?

Off to the ignore button you go.

 

[OldBlueLady]

It was a 12.30 kick off. Didn't need the floodlights on but the ref insisted. Made no difference, he didn't see any of the fouls,tugs, pulls and pushes on our players anyway

It was a 12:30 kick off on a very gloomy day, I'd imagine there was no choice but to have the floodlights on.

 

[Swiss Tony]

The South Stand experience was no better today. Used to the pigeon s**t but the walk way behind the upper tier seats is now covered in fox s**t. Gets worse every game.

A slight improvement in West stand today the water was just about lapping my shoe soles in the toilets,keep up the good work Ron.

 

[OldBlueLady]

Decent 1st half. Bridge the standout player. We could have had 3 or 4 by HT if we had had our shooting boots on.

Everyone was poor 2nd half. Morale massively dipped after the howler between Blondy and Lopata.

What was disappointing, was the 2 times that the W block had a little 'Martin out' chant 1 of the Trust board members sitting 2 rows in front of me by the halfway line responded both times with comments shut up and to f**k off.
Very poor from them.

That would be myself, as you probably well know, though I think it was "shut up" both times. If you remember, the requests have always been to support the team during the match, hence why we reacted like that. Others obviously felt similarly because it was just a ripple of protest on both occasions. If you're going to protest, then do it before the match or during half time, it's absolutely pointless when Martin isn't there anyway.

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

I guess that depends on whether there was enough money to bring players in and pay the bills and play the wages.

One things for certain, if Dackers had stayed we'd have had one more striker available

While I certainly agree with your conclusion the logical retort to your opening remark is that if there isn't "enough money" (almost certainly the case) it's time for the current Chairman to step aside in favour of someone who can provide some.

 

[Evening Echo]

SOUTHEND United boss Kevin Maher felt it was two points dropped for his side against Altrincham at Roots Hall.

Read more on this story


Help with Echo links

 

[OldBlueLady]

I thought it was a game of two halves, first half Bridge and Fonguck were both pretty good, 2nd half Bridge was doubled up on every time he got the ball and Fonguck went missing. Felt for Mooney, clearly not match ready but the situation with forwards meant he had to start, and no-one deserved the challenge he got which led to what is possibly a lower leg or ankle break. If anything, I thought he was trying too hard.

Defence looked out of sorts, clearly not got the understanding between Blondy and them, and FWIW, I have Kacper every bit as culpable as Blondy for the mix up which gifted them the 2nd. One of them HAS to call it. And Ralph should have stepped in afterwards and told them both to pack it in.

GSM looked more and more frustrated as the match went on, Hobson was our best defender in my eyes. I'd have put Sandat on towards the end purely for the energy - that was something that we really lacked in the 2nd half, really missed Powell's energy. I'd also have brought Demi on in the middle as we were getting over run more and more.

Blondy - 5, not as bad as some have said, but there was no-one to get on the end of his kicks, couple of decent stops
GSM - 7, worked hard going forwards and defensively
Hobson - 7, really developing into a good, solid defender
Lopata - 6, not his best performance
Ralph - 6, still doesn't look fully fit to me
Bridge - 8, MOTM, fantastic first half performance
Taylor - 6, don't really see what he brings, he doesn't seem to tackle much and doesn't get forwards
Fonguck - 7, great first half
Miley - 7, even he was a bit under par
Mooney - 5, not his day - in any sense
Wreh - 7, worked hard, got nothing out of the officials

Subs:
Cosgrave for Mooney - this sub was always on the cards, even before the injury. He doesn't get much chance in a team that's set up well, does he?

Officials - well, I thought the ref had forgotten his whistle in the 1st half, barely noticed them. Didn't give anything for any of the numerous shirt tugs, and wrestling, then in the 2nd half, we got stuff given against us that he'd let go earlier in the game, and seemed to get over fussy. Weird.

 

[overseas shrimper]

I wouldn't invest in major capital improvements. I would, however, maintain the day to day operational stuff like keeping it clean from animal waste and ensuring the tea room was stocked. You can't sell it if it's not in stock and sales mean cash in.

Hard to stock if you;

1. Don't have the staff to place the orders
2. Don't have willing suppliers due to outstanding payments

And pointless stocking up if you Don't have staff to serve punters.

Pure conjecture on my part, but quite plausible reasons IMO.

 

[OldBlueLady]

Oh, and by the way, it was bloody cold!!!

 

[Andyhsufc]

Hard to stock if you;

1. Don't have the staff to place the orders
2. Don't have willing suppliers due to outstanding payments

And pointless stocking up if you Don't have staff to serve punters.

Pure conjecture on my part, but quite plausible reasons IMO.

The sad thing is that they were staffed but were turning away people due to lack of goods.

A quick look on Amazon shows you can buy a 2kg box of Cadbury drinking chocolate for £15 which serves 70 people so that would £2.30x70 = £161.00. A couple of these in each outlet and over the winter period you are talking about 1000s of pounds of potential lost revenue just on hot chocolate!

 

[Strykr]

The sad thing is that they were staffed but were turning away people due to lack of goods.

A quick look on Amazon shows you can buy a 2kg box of Cadbury drinking chocolate for £15 which serves 70 people so that would £2.30x70 = £161.00. A couple of these in each outlet and over the winter period you are talking about 1000s of pounds of potential lost revenue just on hot chocolate!

Maybe we need a gofundme so we can buy the club cheap hot chocolate we can then buy at an exorbitant price.

Just thinking out loud...