Post-Match Thread and Ratings Southend United 2-4 Sheffield United

[WESTY_SUFC]

I just would like to say that you left with 15 mins remaining , the last 10 mins , granted they had taken their foot off the gas slightly, but we scored once and also nearly scored twice more from great play. As I said in my post , we actually finished positively and strongly. I do agree, we need some fresh faces and legs , but it's really not all doom and gloom !

Oh FFS no wonder we lost. We always lose when it turns up. Please send it back to Bury so we can start another great run

 

[buffalowolf]

The biggest mistake was made by the people who bought this game forward instead of allowing the players a weeks rest to recharge their batteries and perhaps get over some nasty little niggles etc,it wasnt the change of tactics.

 

[Shrimper]

The biggest mistake was made by the people who bought this game forward instead of allowing the players a weeks rest to recharge their batteries and perhaps get over some nasty little niggles etc,it wasnt the change of tactics.

I'd rather have this game now than on a Tuesday night in February which would see a much lower crowd.

I thought we were poor today and the class of Sheffield showed. Saying that, we were beaten by 2 set piece goals so that is at least some comfort that we were "equal" at open play. What annoyed me was Sheffield timewasting after 8 minutes. Come on.

I think we need to target the Rochdale and Scunthorpe games as the more "winnable" ones. But, we can do better.

 

[WESTY_SUFC]

The biggest mistake was made by the people who bought this game forward instead of allowing the players a weeks rest to recharge their batteries and perhaps get over some nasty little niggles etc,it wasnt the change of tactics.

We wouldn't need to move games to maximize revenue if there were big gates on a Tuesday night. You'll obviously be at Roots Hall supporting them financially next time so this doesn't need to occur again wont you? Or if your unable to make it informing the club directly and donating instead? 😜

 

[Chocolardo]

Is he trying to scapegoat Ted here? Bang out of order if so, nothing he could do about any of the last three goals at all and the first was far from his fault.

No the whole team. Defence was **** poor today and in the end let us down The first two goals where terrible defending.


Stop trying to moan at brown for anything possible, we could do much worse

 

[RobM]

No the whole team. Defence was **** poor today and in the end let us down The first two goals where terrible defending.

It wasn't defending at all for the first two. Can't blame the goalkeeper when two strikes at goal are unchallenged from set pieces.

 

[OldBlueLady]

Those advocating for having left the match where it originally was, when has it ever done us any favours to give our players extra time between matches?!!! Although this wouldn't necessarily have been the match I'd chose - for personal reasons - I fully understood the need to fill the day with a game.

 

[RobM]

Look on the bright side - we beat them on aggregate!

 

[dannypav]

Look on the bright side - we beat them on aggregate!

I said the very same thing to a friendly looking Sheffield U fan on the way out.
He smiled at me and with characteristic Northern wit and repartee , said "**** Off" ........

 

[Bobby dazzler]

truth is they were better all round than us. They started like a steam train and our defence panicked. Twice Ferdinand miscued the ball before demitriou messed up his clearance. The normally unflappable Ferdinand had some good moments in the game but this was his poorest performance for us so far. I will happily take one bad in over a dozen though. When Cox scored after good work by Fortune we looked as good as them and then we left one of their players free at the far post to score from the free kick. Shocking defending. The movement of their forwards and midfield left us chasing shadows in the second half.
The stats show we had 6 shots on target to their 4. the difference was most of ours were long range making it easier for their keeper to save them. Poor Ted didn't make a save if I remember rightly and yet conceded 4 goals and I don't blame him for any of them.
i hope Fortune was taken off due to a niggling injury as on face value Ranger should have been the one to go.
as for his next sub we were crying out for width when 2-1 down and it happened once we went three down.
we must regroup with big games to come. We are a decent team but come up against a superior one on the day.

 

[Ex-Member1]

Here, here to the last post. We know we are going to play better teams and lose now and again. That's the reality of football. COYBB

 

[manor15]

I'd rather have this game now than on a Tuesday night in February which would see a much lower crowd.

I thought we were poor today and the class of Sheffield showed. Saying that, we were beaten by 2 set piece goals so that is at least some comfort that we were "equal" at open play. What annoyed me was Sheffield timewasting after 8 minutes. Come on.

I think we need to target the Rochdale and Scunthorpe games as the more "winnable" ones. But, we can do better.

Did think that as well, but to be fair had we been 1-0 up at Brammall Lane after 3 minutes I doubt we would have been in a rush. If anything it's a compliment that they thought they had to time waste so early on.

 

[AndyT]

We were though. We were in a rush to be 3-0 up after 15 minutes! :cool:

 

[mrsblue]

I just would like to say that you left with 15 mins remaining , the last 10 mins , granted they had taken their foot off the gas slightly, but we scored once and also nearly scored twice more from great play. As I said in my post , we actually finished positively and strongly. I do agree, we need some fresh faces and legs , but it's really not all doom and gloom !

I never said it was doom and gloom,it was just one of those games where the opponent was far better,it's football.

When Freeman scored we scarpered as we could only see them scoring more.

 

[Ayrshire Blue]

They were a good side but we allowed them to be. The change in formation gave us absolutely no width and our CM's looked scared of the ball. Wordsworth was awful and Leonard wasn't much better they were just booting it forward every chance they got when we only had Fortuné up there with any pace and it never seemed to clock with either of them that the ball was coming straight back. They got the basics right and we didn't.

I'm really baffled why you would change the shape of a side that were unbeaten in 13 and playing particularly well at home recently. Ranger looked exhausted. Fair play to McGlashan for his goal as he made that all for himself after seemingly having nothing on.

No, there is no shame in losing to the side who will probably be crowned Champions but its disappointing that we didn't even give them a game.

The test of our promotion credentials comes now to see how we bounce back from this one.

 

[Microbe]

From where I sit I thought it was a good game of football spoilt to an extent by Sheffield United time wasting throughout the whole game and some niggle fouls. They don't need to do that, they were as previously mentioned the best team we've seen at the hall for quite a while.

We were in the game for MOST of the 90 mins and finished the game on a positive note with McGlashans goal. If not for a couple of uncharacteristic defensive errors we could have got something from the game.

I thought that we really missed McLaughlin today, a lack of width was obvious and didn't help today. Back to 442 for Rochdale please
Phil

1 defeat in 14 is good, we just need to keep it up.

Onwards and upwards

UTB

 

[AndyT]

Make you right about Macca. Just goes to show what an influence he has been on the side. We definitely move the ball around with a bit more purpose when he is playing.

I think PB was stuck between staying with the system, or working a way of getting the best players on the pitch.

Having Fortune, Ranger and Cox available, he probably saw that playing all three was a better option than starting with either O'Neill, Hines or McGlashan and leaving one of them out.

It was a bold and positive move, but their midfield really knew how to move the ball around quickly and close the space when they didn't have it and we got a little over-run and couldn't get on the front foot as much as we wanted to.

On reflection, we learned a few things and it's never bad to lose the odd match. It's how we respond to it that counts.

I expect us to revert back to the system that has worked. Playing Cox up top and maybe moving Tims into midfield, if Coker is fit.

We now have a week off and if we don't panic and tinker too much, we'll be back to winning ways.

 

[LBBlue]

Clearly Brown decided that he wanted to play Ranger but could not drop Cox or Fortune so we ended up with a nonsense system. We started so badly handing them the initiative Demetriou completely miskicking just before their first goal. He was probably looking to see where anyone was instead of keeping his eye on the ball. We could and probably should have been 3 down in 15 minutes. The wide gaping space on our left flank just invited them forward every time. They were more athletic than us, faster than us and won every second ball. We could not cope with their movement off the ball and quick accurate passing. The second half we just lumped it all the time until the last ten minutes when the game had been lost.

The team selection left us with few options and a bench full of wingers. Do we really need Hines if he is not going to get selected.

In his pre-match interview Brown said we were playing 442 and afterwards said he changed the system to combat their 3 at the back and maybe he had over thought it! He then went on to blame the players mentality- only one team turned up - said he didn't not like the fact that they had 4 attempts on target and scored 4 times - that's what clinical finishing is about Phil.

Wilder was so happy because I think that was the first time one of his sides had beaten us.


The next 4 games are going to be no easier.

 

[jfennell94]

Although I thought playing all 3 strikers worked at times in the first half and I was particularly impressed with Fortuné the problem for me was that it left us with a lack of options on the bench.

Both Fortuné and Ranger don't look capable of finishing 90 minutes and after 50 they both looked knackered but we didn't really have any striking option to put on and try and change the game at 2-1.

More than anything today showed that although we have one of the best starting 11s that we have had in a few years there are only really 12/13 players that are at that level and there is a big drop off in quality on the bench.

2 quality signings in January and we should comfortably make the playoff IMO (unless we are on the beach from March again)

 

[North Shoebury Blue]

I've been going to the Hall since Nov 1957 and have seen one or two matches since then, in the hundreds that is. We were beaten by the better team on the day and there is no disgrace in that. I did feel though that Sheffield looked the fitter of the two teams. We'll bounce back come Saturday.