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Post-Match Thread and Ratings Southend United 3-2 Bristol City

I'm totally gutted i couldn't go last night it easily sounds the best bit of football at the hall for a while, im so glad all the forwards are doing well an it seems like there is already an understanding amongst the lads which is superb at this stage so full credit to sturrock an co for doing so well so far in such a short space of time.
Happy times ahead i can feel it
 
Did no-one else notice how well Barry Corr did defensively? :unsure: It's a side of play we've not seen from a forward since Lee Bradbury. Also Scotty Spencer, our very own Ole Gunner-Solskjaer perhaps!
 
Paterson for me showed what a class player he is, not just for his two goals, but his diagonal running through the City defence all night had them in tatters, they didn't know how to handle him and it showed at the end of the game when he could hardly walk off the pitch - he simply gave everything. (66/1 as top scorer, he he)

66/1 looks like a good call to me. Jammy!!
 
I don't get to as many games as I would like but managed both of them this week. My views are:

All of the back 6 have looked impressive and we still have others to come in who come with positive reviews. Coughlan will be a strong squad player providing backup to the main men. Prosser and Phillips have both looked quality as have the widemen.

Soares and Zaaboub have been the real disappointments. Early days and I have not dismissed them yet but need to improve.

Easton and Grant will be an excellent pair at this level. Grant's scoring record will improve significantly as Easton will free him up.

Sturrock has shown good endeavour and some nice touches but must get his hair cut (I cannot believe that his colleagues have not pinned him down in training and done it themselves).

Corr was superb from the minute he came on last night and I was impressed with him on Saturday too. He will be such a handful for defences and the others need to pick up the pieces from him. I think, as the partnerships develop, the forwards will start to read each other better. On Saturday, especially, balls were knocked into spaces with no-one there.

Hall may well be a real find but lacks experience (a bit Theo Walcott). Great moment near the end when, after Hall giving the ball away in attack once before, Grant gave him a yell, took the ball of his foot, and ran into the corner to use up time - great thinking.

We now have a big side and I think we should get a lot from set pieces.

Really well organised and disciplined and, although it may be early season optimism, I think we should be expecting a playoff finish or better.

On a separate note, I couldn't believe that last night some poor bloke got sold a ticket 3 ft behind a pole. You would have thought that, bearing in mind the crowd they expected, they would have held those tickets back. Hardly customer focussed!!!!!
 
This is my first visit to the site since the game, so I'm sure everything has been covered, but I can't really let a home game go by without putting my views out there.

It was a fantastic game and a fantastic performance. To be able to witness that after the year or so we've had is quite frankly unbelievable. Who'd have thought just 2 months or so ago we'd see a team on the pitch that gave 110% and outplayed a Championship side for long periods? I thought the management we very clever last night and did for us what so many have done against us over the last couple of years in particular. They changed formations during the game to combat the opposition, whilst changing it to suit us at other times as well. Very good management. The pair of them seem to garnish so much respect from the players. What was also refreshing was to see just how much bottle this side seemingly have. Twice we came from behind and no matter what, they came out fighting and they played for each other. Not since we won League 1, have we really had a TEAM on a regular basis, we've seemingly had individuals playing for themselves too often. I just hope this lot keep the teamwork up.

We can play good football, we can put up a fight, we can play the aerial stuff and we can be organised. If there's a bit of form and momentum added to that, we should have a decent enough season.

Ratings:

Morris 7: From my vantage point I have to say I thought he should've done far better with the first. Yes it was hit sweetly but it was straight at him. If he'd have stood up instead of crouching down the ball would've hit him. He had no chance with the second and other than the previously mentioned error, he had a decent enough game. I'd have liked to have seen Evans start in the Cup though.

Simpson 7.5: For me he was the revelation of the match. An attacking central midfielder by trade, he was on the whole, great at right back. Yes he got caught a couple of times and gave away silly free kicks, but he's not even a defensive midfielder, his ability is going forward. I praised his signing on here and that's because as he showed last night, he's technically very astute and the more game time he gets, the better he'll get. I'd be very keen to see him sign up in January already.

Coughlan 7.5: He was fantastic for 70 minutes, but after that his legs completely went. He continued to give everything though and seeing Akinde continually run at him, you have to praise him for that. I think the other three centre halves should be ahead of him, but last night showed what an adequate player he is to have in the squad.

Prosser 7.5: I've been thoroughly impressed with him so far, especially with the reviews with which he arrived with. I still think you can see there's an error or two in his locker, but he looks right at home already. Perhaps being back down South with his family around him is going to help him show the potential that Port Vale couldn't see?

Barker 8: He's immense. On the evidence of what I've seen so far, he's possibly the best left back I've seen in my time supporting the club.

Soares 7: I thought he looked far more at home than he did on Saturday and I really think that he looks best when we're playing 4-4-2. When he's played further forward you can tell he's always wary of the space behind him. He was very unlikely with a fine left footed strike in the second half and again with a header shortly after. He's another one that will improve, I have no doubt.

Grant 8: Where does he get that energy from? He covered every blade of grass for the 120 and was superb. It might be just a hunch, but I think the new management like him. And where has this new attacking instinct of his come from? He appears to be flourishing without either an angry Irishman or a walking accident of a Frenchman next to him.

Easton 7: Better than on Saturday, he kept things ticking over, whilst leaving Granty to do the leg work.

Zaaboub 6: The only real disappointment of the evening, but is that surprising after a year out of the game and then the fact that he missed nearly all of pre season? He'll feel his way into things and I don't expect his really ability to come out until we've hit the winter. Still nearly scored with a decent free kick though.

Paterson 8: Was dead on his feet by the end, but he was fantastic. There's a real player in there and we might just get to see that this season. What he lacks with that extra yard of pace, he makes up with his ability. There was moment in the first half when he set up Zaaboub with a quite wonderful lay off with his chest, which really showed this.

Sturrock 8: This guy seemingly has far more ability than anyone has ever given him credit for. yes he''s got the work ethic that people have mentioned, but he can play. He's not just there to chase. And not only can he play, he seemingly has a decent footballing brain as well! He could be the dark horse of the signings this summer.......

Subs:

Corr 7.5: Much better than at the weekend! Looked more of a goal threat and not just when he did find the net obviously!

Hall 7: It took him a while to get into the game, and only after he'd committed two rash challenges before he'd even touched the ball, but then he became a useful outlet for us. He's quick, skillful and can clearly pick a cross if the third goal is anything to go by. He should do well.

Spencer 7: At times he did struggle on the wing, but what a ball for Corr. I do worry for him that he's going to be used in rotation with Soares though.





Oh and one last little thing - a little moan. Is it just me that really doesn't like the new programme? It looks like some generic Premiership programme all of a sudden. After year on year of improvements, we seem to have gone backwards. And error after error doesn't hide the fact that it seems to be lacking a little substance... And before anyone says Cup games have smaller programmes, I am more talking about Saturday's one! The fact that our own squad numbers on the back of both of them are wrong says a lot I'm afraid............
 
The whole team were awesome last night and what the manager has instilled in these players in such a short time is unreal and he needs to take a lot of credit for that, i saw something in Southend that i haven't seen for a long time and that's passion and it's great to watch a team fight for 90 mins.
Only 2 games old and who knows what will happen in the coming weeks, months but what i do know playing with that much passion will win you more games than losing them.
I feel i have my Southend back and its greattttttttttt.
10 out of 10 for all the players last night.
 
Morris- 6
Simpson- 6
Prosser- 8
Coughlan- 7
Barker- 8
Grant- 9
Easton- 7
Zaaboub- 5
Soares- 7
Paterson- 7
Sturrock- 7

Corr- 8
Spencer- 7
Hall- 7
 
Oh and one last little thing - a little moan. Is it just me that really doesn't like the new programme? It looks like some generic Premiership programme all of a sudden. After year on year of improvements, we seem to have gone backwards. And error after error doesn't hide the fact that it seems to be lacking a little substance... And before anyone says Cup games have smaller programmes, I am more talking about Saturday's one! The fact that our own squad numbers on the back of both of them are wrong says a lot I'm afraid............

Cost-cutting, I'm afraid Andy. It's gone out-of-house.
 
He's a Londoner and was at Tottenham as a youth.

Thanks.

Whilst Sturrock brought in a core of older, experienced players who'd all played for him like Coughlan, Easton, Zaaboub, Sturrock Jr etc, the younger players seem to fall inside Webby's M25 rule in Morris, Prosser, Phillips, Clohessy, Hall, possibly Soares. Don't know if that is deliberate or coincedence.
 
Thanks.

Whilst Sturrock brought in a core of older, experienced players who'd all played for him like Coughlan, Easton, Zaaboub, Sturrock Jr etc, the younger players seem to fall inside Webby's M25 rule in Morris, Prosser, Phillips, Clohessy, Hall, possibly Soares. Don't know if that is deliberate or coincedence.

I always thing it probably just works out that way because out of contract players that live in London would rather play for us than Carlise. I would like to think that they have been signed because they are local lads though!
 
Really? Bad times.

Does paying another company to produce it actually save much money then?

Had heard that the company producing it are actually responsible for the vendors as well which is why there were none to be seen outside the ground on Saturday, at least on our (West) side.
 
Have to echo those others who said last nights performance was immense.

Like many others, the standout performance for me was Grant, his work rate was astounding last night. He is playing with such freedom now, and that in my opinion is down to the steadying influence of Easton beside him. If we can get through the August window without losing him to a Championship side, we are in for a treat this Autumn, we really are.

First time I have seen Coughlan tonight. As the only player in the squad older than me I have to big him up(!), but he really did remind me of Rob Newman - even down to the way he got caught on the half way line with the ball caught between his feet. His influence out there was exactly what the tie needed last night, all the more so when we went behind at two very difficult points in the game. Like Easton bringing the best out of Grant, I think Coughlan gave Prosser the confidence to get stuck in and really shine next to him, which he did with some great interventions and some battering ram headers as the night wore on.

Simpson put in a very solid performance at right back, though was caught out of position a few times, perhaps to be understood if he was in an unfamiliar role. We probably won't get found out like that quite so much week in week out in League 2, but Brizzle's second goal came about through that.

Barker, sign him. Simple as. Superb commitment; took a nasty knock on the head and was itching to get out again. Feel so sorry for Jonny Herd, but can't get around the fact that Barker is a different class. Slight concern about his pace, especially in a back four with Coughlan, but he really is a solid player.

The one area last night where there is still places up for grabs is on the wings. Zaboub was the only real disappointment last night; perhaps a bad day at the office, perhaps he's taking longer than others to settle in (I believe he has language problems?), but he didn't seem to click with his team mates tonight, who to be fair were sympathetic to it and offered encouragement - a great sign for general team spirit. Screech put in a surprisingly good performance out wide; still has a tendency to blow hot and cold but I am sure last night's cross for Corr won't be the last flash of brilliance we'll see from him this season. Very interested in seeing more of what a fit Ryan Hall will offer. He made some great runs and won us free kicks in good positions, great cross for the winner too. Soares looked like a player playing well within himself last night - nothing special from him but he knew he wasn't having a blinder and generally played some good, sensible football.

Paterson and Sturrock worked well up front. Both worked pretty hard, with some very sensible posession-oriented football, bringing team mates into play very nicely (a great combination between Sturrock winning, holding up then chipping it up to Patterson who chested it into Soares path for a snap shot was a good illustration of this). Corr added some great hunger to the game when he came on and deserved his goal for some superb knock-downs, headers and hold-up play - saw the positive aspects of comparisons with Crouch tonight.

Morris clearly isn't as commanding as Mildy, something he must work on with the high, swirling balls aimed at bruising centre forwards he will undoubtedly have to deal with this season, but was tidy enough for the most part. Maybe at fault on the free kick, simply couldn't tell very well from East Red.

Overall, the atmosphere tonight was better and better as the team got better and better during the game. You could see them growing in self belief and it was a privilege to watch. The atmosphere was entirely about the team lifting the crowd last night. Team spirit and work rate was immense and I am now quite excited about the season. What Sturrock and Widdrington have achieved in 1 month is nothing short of a miracle. We're a long way from safe, but then I am also a long way from the sense of foreboding I had about this season as recently as 2 weeks ago.

UTB!

One last thing - on last nights evidence, this is going to be a very long hard season for Brizzle fans. They never got going despite an excellent start and to have shipped 6 goals in two games against two clubs who, putting it mildly, never really set League 1 alight last season, you have to worry for them.

An excellent report, Fish - that really gives an insight into the game for those of us who couldn't be there. I know there are a couple of journalists on the board, but your football analysis and general reportage makes me think you could do this too. Many thanks. :clap:
 
Really? Bad times.

Does paying another company to produce it actually save much money then?

I'm writing for the programme this year and I got the impression as changing the supplier might've been a cost-cutting exercise, rather than paying for an extra member of the media team at the club. Give it time and I'm sure the programme will be back to the level it has been the last few years...
 

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