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

[Kenny]

Brief comments until I've calmed down!

Best performance for a while, Carlisle had 2 attempts on target in the first half and scored both of them. Awful defending on the 2nd goal especially, everyone stod still and their player nipped in behind the defensive line to put them 2-0 up. That said it was a great fightback when we could have easily rolled over and let in another 3 from there.

Scannell and Herd had great games, Herds throw ins caused them problems all game. Moussa also had great game on the left.

Paterson, I think he has something about him but he looks destined to be buried by the boo boys before he's even got going.

Vernon doesn't seem to offer much, plays with his back to goal and then takes ages to turn.

The Referee today - total total tool. Let Price get away with murder, penalised Macca for a comedy blatant dive by Keogh and don't know what Barrett was sent off for?

 

[The Big Shrimp]

Brief comments until I've calmed down!

Best performance for a while, Carlisle had 2 attempts on target in the first half and scored both of them. Awful defending on the 2nd goal especially, everyone stod still and their player nipped in behind the defensive line to put them 2-0 up. That said it was a great fightback when we could have easily rolled over and let in another 3 from there.

Scannell and Herd had great games, Herds throw ins caused them problems all game. Moussa also had great game on the left.

Paterson, I think he has something about him but he looks destined to be buried by the boo boys before he's even got going.

Vernon doesn't seem to offer much, plays with his back to goal and then takes ages to turn.

The Referee today - total total tool. Let Price get away with murder, penalised Macca for a comedy blatant dive by Keogh and don't know what Barrett was sent off for?

I would agree with most of that, although regardless of whether AB's first booking was justified (it wasn't!) he was always on thin ice with this fecking banker of aref. He could of booked him again soon after the first booking, so he was always going to be walking after his foul, even with lack of intent by AB.

Something you don't hear from me often, but I thought Moussa had a good game, although he did fade in the second half. With this effort, we might stay up. We just need a decent striker, I'm sure we used to have one!

 

[bazzashrimper]

Thought Scannell was excellent - especially as a lone frontman. Special mention for Moose as it was his goal and fight afterwards that dragged us back into the game. Herd did OK - did get skinned defensively near the end but I like the way he likes to play the easy ball on the floor. Grant and Macca worked hard in midfield. Vernon - I thought he did OK, but should have scored that sitter. Patterson too missed a great chance - lightweight in the air, not the quickest, but he does have very tidy feet and seems to have a bit of vision - give him a chance, he's only a kid.

The ref was absolutely awful. He never had a difficult decision to make and yet seemed to make it look difficult. When he booked Barrett first time, it was terrible - he completely misread the situation, it was never a foul never mind a booking. I was a bit far from the second one to comment.

 

[BrettieAngell]

I would agree with most of that, although regardless of whether AB's first booking was justified (it wasn't!) he was always on thin ice with this fecking banker of aref. He could of booked him again soon after the first booking, so he was always going to be walking after his foul, even with lack of intent by AB.

Something you don't hear from me often, but I thought Moussa had a good game, although he did fade in the second half. With this effort, we might stay up. We just need a decent striker, I'm sure we used to have one!

Second booking was an absolute joke and one of the worst sending-offs i've ever seen!

Apart form the first 15 minutes when our defence went to sleep, I can't fault anyone today it just didn't go our way in the second-half.

 

[bilbyboy]

Brief comments until I've calmed down!

Best performance for a while, Carlisle had 2 attempts on target in the first half and scored both of them. Awful defending on the 2nd goal especially, everyone stod still and their player nipped in behind the defensive line to put them 2-0 up. That said it was a great fightback when we could have easily rolled over and let in another 3 from there.

Scannell and Herd had great games, Herds throw ins caused them problems all game. Moussa also had great game on the left.

Paterson, I think he has something about him but he looks destined to be buried by the boo boys before he's even got going.

Vernon doesn't seem to offer much, plays with his back to goal and then takes ages to turn.

The Referee today - total total tool. Let Price get away with murder, penalised Macca for a comedy blatant dive by Keogh and don't know what Barrett was sent off for?

In all honesty the 2nd was down to Mildy, he called for the ball, we heard him plainly, that is why everyone stood still, it was his mistake and, to his credit, he did apologise to everyone around him.

 

[mattytheshrimper]

Vernon is a joke. We let revell go but get him in?????? The bloke is a waster.

Herd and scanell had great games especially scannell he did so well and deserved a goal for his efforts.

 

[TBV_Dan]

Match started off poor, conceding 2 sloppy goals, and then completely out of no-where, we fought back to make it 2-2, and started to play much more positively. Had a number of chances to get a 3rd goal, but unfortunately, we just couldn't put it away. Still, not an awful result, but we have done much better.

Scannell was superb today, absalutely fantastic game from him. There was a number of occasions where he had little support, and one or two players trying to close him down, but he held onto the ball, and got a cross/shot in.
Also though Herd had a great game today as well, his throw-ins were very dangerous for the opponents, and it also won us a few corners as well.
Moussa also had a great game, brought us back into the game with a sweetly finished strike for our first goal, and really tried to create the chances for us.

Onto Tuesday, we desperately need 3 points, come on Southend!
:support:
UTB!

 

[Clinton Baptiste]

Some good some bad today.

Positives were the performances of Moussa, Scannell, Macca and the passion the players showed. Really shouldve won it in the 2nd half, created a lot more than we have in recent games.

Negatives, well the defending for the 2 goals was diabolical and highlights why we are 3rd from bottom. Even in the 2nd half both their wide players gave Herd and Francis a good roasting and we had plenty of last ditch blocks and challenges. Thought Herd was actually pretty poor, his crosses were overhit and he got taken to the cleaners by their right winger. Also the front 2 did nothing for me, Paterson works hard but not strong enough and Vernon was just anonymous.

Midfield certainly looked settled, and probably our best 4 midfielders, hopefully they can stay there till the end of the season. The one thing that annoyed me in the 2nd half in particular we held on to the ball too long, hence why there were a few offsides when an earlier ball mightve led to a better chance. Players look scared to shoot at times.

Barrets red card was harsh I thought but I think today he had one of his worst games of the season. Price had the making of the defence in the 1st half and Carlisle played some very neat and incisive attacking football, although their defence was very susceptible.

Francis had a poor game too, unusual for him. Guessing he will go for Sankofa in the middle which doesnt fill me with much confidence.

Nothing today made me think we wont be playing in League 2 next season although the players will give their all to make sure that doesnt happen.

 

[Lord Football]

A much improved performance and some entertainment, at last. Shame about the bloke in blue with the Little Man Syndrome. More about him later.

Midly 6 - Should have done better for the first.

Francis 7.5 - Another steady performance.

Herd 7 - Much better than Malone. Throws caused problems all afternoon

Barrett 6 - Ridiculous sending off. At fault for the second. What was he thinking?

Baldwin 7 - Keep him. Please.

Grant 7 - All action for most of the game

Macca 7.5 - Best game in a long while

Moussa 7.5 - Played in his position, scored. Best performance in a long while.

Scannell 8 - At last, at long last, we are seeing the play a lot us thought he could be.

Patterson 6 - No service, lack confidence.

Veron 5 - He hasn't got it. He should have buried his header late in the game. Looked a better played when moved into midfield after the sending off.

Subs

Sankoda 7 - Not much to do.

Ref - Mr Woolmer, you are joining the select brand of referees that I am not going to defend. The game had one bad challenge in it, you missed it (a two footer on Moussa). You managed to send Barrett for two cautions that defy the Laws of the Game. You were picky and pedantic. That's ok if you are reffing a punch up or if you pick up on everything. Any clown can make a player take a corner from inside the quadrant, that seemed to be your limit. You had no concept of advantage. You could not tell a dive from a foul or from a cleanly won ball. You are inept, and I wouldn't appoint you to a Borough Combination game. You are the worse ref I have seen since Danny McDermaid at Brisbane Road several seasons ago. No, in fact you are worse.

 

[Vange Shrimper]

Vernon doesn't seem to offer much, plays with his back to goal and then takes ages to turn.

1st Point: Like i've said in another thread, the sooner Vernon goes back to Col Ewe the better. He's not impressed me when i've seen him play (albeit it has been the past 2 games as i've been ill). We can do a lot better than him.

2nd Point: Patterson looked ****ed around the time he got taken off. He was getting booed a bit by the fans in the west as well. He was trying though.

3rd Point: Great to see Herd back. Forgot how far his throw ins went! Hopefully he can start against Walsall too.

4th Point: Barrett getting sent off. Booking for the first tackle, yeah that was understandable, but from where I was sitting (Block V West) it looked like the second was a bit too harsh.

5th Point: Baldwin. If he keeps jumping up grabbing the strikers top, tugging him or anything else, he's gonna get into trouble one of these days and was lucky today not even to get a talking to, which leads me onto my last point....

6th Point: How the **** can these people become referees? They are meant to go on training schools to learn to become one, get their badges etc etc. If that person today is claiming to be the referee for our game, I could so easily be the ref for the Walsall game and do a ****ing better job. He was a total tool and a disgrace. Macca ended up on the floor after a challenge and the free kick went Carlisle's way. Yeah, righto, ref.... What worries me is that more and more people are reffing in the league when they haven't got a clue what they are doing.

Sorry but to play so well and get god awful officials doing their 'job' has annoyed me.

That's my rant over and I don't give a stuff who doesn't agree with me :)

 

[Andy_S]

We never do things the easy way do we? Yes the referee once again managed to make himself the centre of attention with some atrocious decisions, but at the end of the day we've gifted them two goals. The defending for both were dreadful. For the first, we allowed the cross to come in far too easily, whilst Barrett was easily, and crucially, beaten by Dobie. The second, well, Mildy obviously made the call not knowing Marshall was coming in, it was one of those things.

Finally, after a few long hard months Herd was given a chance over Malone and he really did show why he should've been in there before hand. Was it Webb's influence? Who knows. But he was better going forward, his long throws were excellent, his distribution was far, far superior and he only had one real dodgy moment defensively, when he tried to allow the ball to run out, only to be beaten to it by Madine. As frustrating as it is that we've got to the stage that we're relying on long throws, it really did give us far more opportunities for shots on goal than normal.

Moussa had his best game for weeks, Scannell was our best attacking player AGAIN, whilst despite yet again not being able to pass for toffee, McCormack actually did a good job in the middle of the park.

The negatives though were that the front two were yet again pretty poor, whilst I thought Grant was a shadow of last week. And why oh why wasn't Spencer given a chance to come on? Tilly's decisions regarding substitutions have always been baffling, but one day, just one day, he should do the obvious. On the subject of substitutions, M'Voto was not best pleased at all that he wasn't brought on, but he's lucky he's still here, so he shouldn't complain.

Finally, it was good to see some real passion for the task from Mr Webb. He was up, down, up, down for the entire game. He's going to wear himself out though if he keeps bombing down those stairs to give advice to Tilly!

Ratings:

Mildenhall 6: Not as dominating as recent weeks and at fault for the second. Did make one stunning stop though.

Francis 7: Didn't get forward enough for me, although whilst I don't think he was as good as last week, he still had a decent enough game in his 170th appearance for the club.

Baldwin 7: His usual self really. No nonsense and fiery, but not as crash, bang wallop as Barrett.

Barrett 6.5: Sloppy for the first goal, partly to blame for the second and sent off, although did get himself on the scoresheet with a chance not even he could miss the target with.

Herd 7: Only one real iffy moment as I stated above and he gave Malone a lesson or two in my mind. Must get a run in the side now. Worked well with Moussa.

Scannell 7.5: Once again he was our best attacking player. He ran himself into the ground, gave the full backs plenty to think about and delivered decent crosses on more than one occasions. He really is proving that he just needed a run in the side and a bit of faith shown in him. One of the first names on the team sheet at the moment.

Grant 6: Not anywhere near as good as last time out and put in a performance that would've been more expected last week. Looked happier alongside Moussa.

McCormack 7: Got forward well, showed good energy, put his foot in when needed but was still poor in possession.

Moussa 7: Better than in recent weeks and was very neat and tidy. Good finish for his goal and did well when he was running at them. Seemed to look more comfortable with Herd backing him up. More of the same on Tuesday please.

Paterson 5.5: Runs around without ever really looking dangerous. Had one difficult chance that he put over the top, but the more I look at him, the more I think he needs time to settle down. His excellent display against Charlton seems a distant memory. I think he'd profit more with the more mobile Spencer alongside him.

Vernon 5.5: Another poor display from him. Won very little in the air and never looked like having the conviction to score. I can understand why he's playing week in week out, but I'd really like the eager Spencer to get a chance.

Sub:

Sankofa 6.5: I thought he looked quite assured when he came on. With Dobie and Price making a nuisance of themselves in the air, I was somewhat surprised that he and not Francis went to centre half, but he did alright won balls in the air.

 

[TBV_Dan]

3rd Point: Great to see Herd back. Forgot how far his throw ins went! Hopefully he can start against Walsall too.

His throw in's definately added more of an attacking threat, really hope he plays against Walsall!

 

[united we stand]

negative- one point wasn't enough
positive- If you were told that we would be 2-0 down after 10 mins, and would be down to 10 with 25 to go then I would take a draw.

Positives not mentioned so far
Francis dead balls- some great corners again today , and the free kick at the end was nearly in
Sankofa- When was the last time he played??? I thought he did a decent job when he came on , when you take into account how little he has played, and he was up against Price then it becomes a very good 20 mins.

Surrely the midfield will stay the same for Tuesday and also Herd?

 

[LeedsSUFC]

Midly 7 - had dodge moments at the start, but after the second goal was solid.

Francis 7 - strong, made a few mistakes not many, improving loads at the moment

Herd 8 - why hasn't he being playing instead of Malone, throwing are really affective.

Barrett 6 - playing well, first yellow he won the ball, second yellow he went for the ball, player 21 got in the way and hit on the knee very hard, didn't deserve a sending off though

Baldwin 7 - very solid like normal

Grant 7 - had lots of good passes throughout the game.

Macca 8 - won the ball and passed it, much better then other matches.

Moussa 8 - lots of really good runs, good goal.

Scannell 9 - should start upfront, he runs for everything given, once he has the ball he passes it or crosses it and Vernon or someone misses it.

Patterson 5 - today wasn't his day, again

Veron 7 - quite liked him today, he needs to keep the ball, not lose it

Subs

Sankoda 7 - didn't see much, but he played and didn't see any major mistakes

Ref: terrible!

 

[palexander]

Not sure if many were aware of this at the game, but listening to the game on the radio - they put a lot of the credit to the fightback to Webb.

At 2-0 down, he apparantly got up (though Andy above says he was up and down all game) and shouted down some instructions for Tilly to pass on (sounds like it was something like 'be more positive, get them pushing forward') - and within a few minutes we had got the goals.

Could be coincidence (or just bolleaux) but either way, nice to see Webb actually trying to influence things during the match and not just taking a back seat in the directors box.

As others have said though, point not enough and 2 points from 6 at home against 'poor sides' is also not good enough and indicative of the reason we are going to go down.

We just are not good enough - and I dont really mean the players as I think in different circumstances this group, or at least the core of it, is good enough for a mid-table finish - but all the off-the-field shenanigans it is what will do it for us this year.

 

[Maidstone Shrimper]

If we had three or four more games to play with I would have been greatly encouraged by today. MoM rightly Scannell who as well as putting in a good display of wing play showed a great first touch under pressure. Young Johnny Herd put Malone to shame with some superbly timed tackles in the first half, intelligent runs and of course the famous long throws. A few disappointing crosses second half but a great plus for the team. Macca was full of energy but obviously wasn't to the ref's liking. The "little man .. can be officious" Mick warned us about with his excellent Ref Watch made me fear for Adam Barrett after his first questionable booking and so it proved. A swing at goal with no malicious intent but contact was a free kick but not a yellow card but Barrett had obviously annoyed him. Moussa was a close runner up for MoM, not just the goal but his general attitude and skill. The striking positions need tweaking though. Vernon and Paterson both have their qualities but are just too one paced to work as a pair and we've got to give Scott Spencer a start - we've no other option (don't anyone say the name Laurent!). We've had one clean sheet and scored two goals ... if only we could do both in the same match.

 

[Andy_S]

Vernon and Paterson both have their qualities but are just too one paced to work as a pair and we've got to give Scott Spencer a start

I do agree with "too one paced" line. We're not playing as much pretty football as we used to, and today was screaming out for Spencer's pace up there.

 

[Andy_S]

This is what the Carlisle boss, Greg Abbott said after the game:


"Well it is a point gained, it is always going to be difficult, this is a difficult place to come, I am staggered that they are in the situation they are in because they have got some really good players. Today I thought they played quite well, especially after going two goals down, fair credit to Southend.
They have come back at us and asked us a few questions as the game has gone on. Then the second-half has probably been even-stevens, I am not sure how anybody else sees it but it was even-stevens and probably a draw at the end of it is a fair result."

 

[bilbyboy]

Not sure if many were aware of this at the game, but listening to the game on the radio - they put a lot of the credit to the fightback to Webb.

At 2-0 down, he apparantly got up (though Andy above says he was up and down all game) and shouted down some instructions for Tilly to pass on (sounds like it was something like 'be more positive, get them pushing forward') - and within a few minutes we had got the goals.

Could be coincidence (or just bolleaux) but either way, nice to see Webb actually trying to influence things during the match and not just taking a back seat in the directors box.

As others have said though, point not enough and 2 points from 6 at home against 'poor sides' is also not good enough and indicative of the reason we are going to go down.

We just are not good enough - and I dont really mean the players as I think in different circumstances this group, or at least the core of it, is good enough for a mid-table finish - but all the off-the-field shenanigans it is what will do it for us this year.

We didn't see Webb until we were at 2-2, which sounds pretty typical of one of Martins henchmen.
Mildy was seriously at fault for the second goal, he called for it, loudly, we could hear him quite clearly, he then apologised to Barrett and everyone else, full marks to him for owning up.
It is only the second time in years that i have felt like running onto the pitch and lynching someone, the first time was against Charlton at home, i think everyone knows who i wanted to lynch, today i would have loved to have seen that little idiot who was the ref hanging from one of the goal posts. How can we expect to play real football on a level surface with idiots, cheats like that in charge of our games?

 

[Andy_S]

We didn't see Webb until we were at 2-2, which sounds pretty typical of one of Martins henchmen.

Not quite. He came down just as the first went in.