Post-Match Thread and Ratings Southend United vs Cheltenham Town

[jamesmut2000]

We were bloody awful - only an inept referee performance has overshadowed our own equally inept performance. Playing one man up top with 5 midfielders who showed no desire to break forward and help the lone striker is a recipe for disaster. At one point Corr was chasing his own flick ons as no one else could be bothered.

And just seen the goals - can't see a foul on Straker personally and if you jump with both arms in the air like that you're asking for trouble.

 

[South Bank Hank]

I know a lot of people are pointing at our poor display. I was more struck by Cheltenham who looked excellent yesterday and certainly deserving of their point. Whether the two games with 10 men took it out of us or not, for me, Cheltenham were one of the best teams to visit the Hall this season and it was testament to where we are right now that we still managed to get ahead and stay there until the final seconds.

 

[Rick Parsnip]

Can't believe how much we are missing Lenny from our mid-field. Only 21 but so influential for us. Same last season when he was'nt playing we did not look the same team.

 

[Eddy Melito]

totally agree with this point

McGlashan looked really dangerous for about 25 minutes, but i think after that the back line got the measure of how to play him and i dont think he did too much after that. he seemed to have a free role across the front line to work off harrison, so was popping up across the back line.

 

[davewebbsbrain]

I was sure i saw Atkinson booked too as davewebbsbrain - BBC doesnt mention booking but sure it was he fouled in a Cheltenham attack and he booked him quite a while after when their was a break in play. It was nearer the family stand area of the pitch , maybe I am wrong?

I always thought we were so truly awful today (similar as at Newport) that we shouldnt accept the point

You are right, Atkinson was definitely booked. As they walked back to the middle of the park after our attack quite late on in the second half, the ref walked with Atkinson, got the yellow out and showed it to Atkinson.


Also, which I've not seen before, just before the start of the second half, the ref assistant was checking the net in front of the South Upper, had a chat with the keeper then shook hands. Corr flagged offside numerous times wrongly in the second half. I didn't see anything pass hands when they shook, but???? (tongue in cheek before anyone mentions bungs)

 

[The General]

Lets be honest, we got lucky vs York, we got lucky at Pompey and our luck held for 93 mins today ... !

 

[Firestorm]

Can't believe how much we are missing Lenny from our mid-field. Only 21 but so influential for us. Same last season when he was'nt playing we did not look the same team.

Spoke to PB briefly at the Thorpe Bay Broadway Xmas thing last night and he also felt that we are missing Leonard at the moment

 

[KAB]

Lucky to get a draw, Bentley, Prosser and Corr were the only players who were above average and too many were mentally lazy, showed by the willingness to offer a long hoof towards Corr at every opportunity without giving the required support. It was always the easy option and the opposite of what has bought us success. Brown has a difficult job to keep the team playing in the style that has seen some good wins. Many players have a default position of switching off the brain and lumping it forward, not sure why this is but when it happens it diminishes our chances of offering something different that can win tight games.

 

[Eddy Melito]

often people get confused between their own team doing badly and the opposition doing well. cheltenham worked hard to close players down, often leaving them with no other viable option than to go a bit longer.

 

[yogi bear up the cagire]

I do wonder if he continues the way he has been playing for the rest of the season if we will be able to hang onto Dan Bentley. Can see a bid coming our way for him in the summer. Don';t think they'll be a pre-contract in January.

Certainly get the impression that we won't be able to go up the Leagues quickly enough to hang onto him. Have my doubts about keeping him even if we get promoted..........certainly won't if we don't. I suppose there is possibly the factor of, having come up through the youth ranks, that may come to play?

 

[OldBlueLady]

Can't believe how much we are missing Lenny from our mid-field. Only 21 but so influential for us. Same last season when he was'nt playing we did not look the same team.

Absolutely this ^.

Our midfield is too full with central midfielders, and Laird looked well off the pace especially with his challenges and timing yesterday. Thought Clifford should have started, and thought Payne would have been a better option when Clifford did come on, as at least we would have had someone to run at the Cheltenham defence and try and do something with Corr's flick ons.

Playing one up top at home is just not acceptable to me. Hurst and Straker may, as PB said in post match interview, have licence to get up there when they want, but they're not doing it. They're staying wide and leaving Corr isolated. He can't win flick ons and then pass it to himself. Timlin was having to do so much extra work in the middle because Laird wasn't at the races, otherwise he might also have been up there to try and get on to a flick.

Far too negative once we went one up, and even more so when it became clear we were settling for a one goal lead. Always criticised previous incumbents for failing to make subs when we needed to, same again yesterday.

Bentley - 8, cracking game from Dan, did very well
White - 7, played well, did get taken a few times by McGlashan but was strong otherwise, especially when heading, and got forward well
Kiernan - 6, did ok
Prosser - 8, another good game from Luke
Coker - 6, seemed to struggle a bit to me
Hurst - 7, another good goal, and good effort
Laird - 5, off colour, looked leggy
Timlin - 8, worked bloody hard, kept going, kept driving
Atkinson - 7, did ok, silly challenge for the booking
Straker - 6, good runs forward but not a lot else yesterday
Corr - 7, tried hard but can't do it all on his own, looked quite despondent at times

Subs: Clifford for Laird, 6, not a lot of time to judge but seemed an improvement
Thompson for Hurst, pointless substitution

Officials: Shocking West stand lino who clearly didn't know the offside rule, which meant Kettle had to keep giving offsides against us. Inconsistent is as good a summary as any.

 

[KAB]

often people get confused between their own team doing badly and the opposition doing well. cheltenham worked hard to close players down, often leaving them with no other viable option than to go a bit longer.

Absolutely agree that Cheltenham did their job of closing us down but there was a definable attitude of not wanting to lose rather than wanting to win, too often the long ball was a selected option and that is where the coaching staff have a difficult job, in changing that mindset. Early days still and the progress overall has been good.

 

[yogi bear up the cagire]

Can't believe how much we are missing Lenny from our mid-field. Only 21 but so influential for us. Same last season when he was'nt playing we did not look the same team.

You also get the impression that he's been out for a long time but in the end it's only a week! Doubt that he'll be back for Chesterfield, as the initial estimate was two weeks absence.........let's just pray that he's OK for Torquay and certainly Rochdale, which, on paper, looks a tougher match.

 

[Silencer]

Just seen the highlights on SSNews - a penalty all day long, Straker jumping to compete with a couple of players, but with his arms above his head and the ball hitting his hand. He may have been under pressure but his hand should have been nowhere near that area. We'd have screamed for that had it gone the other way. Talking of hands, frustratingly (and I'm a fan of his generally), Straker was almost single-handedly responsible for the added time, running away from the throw-in that really ****ed off the ref and getting the booking for delaying the free-kick. Time wasting is part of the game but you've got to be cute about it!!

MOM? Prosser dominant again, but I'd give it to Barry Corr for his leadership up front, his knock-down for the opening goal, and for running off a broken foot in the second half.

Bentley just seems to be getting better and better - great distribution (for the most part), a couple of smart saves and excellent command of his box today.

Pretty much this.....

Would add that it was the worst performance that I have seen from Robbie Kiernan in an otherwise brilliant start to his Southend stint. White played very well after the initial 20 minute roasting from that diving cheat McGlashan.

The ref was dreadful, regardess of the penalty and added time incidents, he was jus plain awful, inconsistent and was one of those refs who wanted to make the game about him. How Atkinson and Straker received the some punishment for petulance as the Cheltenham player did for that horror airborn lunge I will never know.

Poor, frustrating but maybe the reality check and kick up the backside that we need. As the gaffer said, could be a important point earned come the end of the season.

P.S What was Ron doing on the pitch, he saw the red mist big time but loved the passion.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Bentley 7 - came for a couple of crosses, made some smart saves but saves I'd have been disappointed if he hadn't have made
White 5 - got beaten too many times by McGlashan as we looked really dodgy down our right
Coker 6 - more secure than White's flank but not one of his better games
Prosser 7 - pick of the defence, got beaten once but otherwise solid and recovered superbly to put the Cheltenham player off when it looked like they had to score
Kiernan 5 - his dodgy backheader nearly cost us a goal, also beaten a couple of times by McGlashan and his partnership with his full-back looked iffy. Needs to win more headers and more convincingly if he's going to play centre-half
Laird 6 - looked a little sluggish but we still looked better with him than without him
Atkinson 5 - off the pace, took a long time to get into the game and struggled positionally as he switched positions from Tuesday
Timlin 7 - the one player who offers some unpredictability, he changes the angles of our attacks
Hurst 7 - scored and looked one of our more lively players when he was surprisingly and unsuccessfully subbed at the end
Straker 5 - another off the pace
Corr 8 - pick of the team. Won every header, including the one that set-up Hurst for the goal. He not only had the beating of them in the air but also was outpacing them. Would have wreaked havoc had he had any support and some better service

Clifford 5 - once more ineffective. Repeatedly got himself caught out of position, which led to Atkinson getting booked
Thompson 5 - came onto shore up the defence and how did that work out?

 

[united we stand]

We all see the game differently,so out of interest did anyone say to themselves when Thomson came on - 'good substitution- that makes sense, that's just what we need now'

 

[Somerset Ex-TTB]

What is it with some idiots on here blaming the ref for us being crap yesterday. Also the west stand lino? How many of those on here were sitting in line with those offsides? I think there were 3 decisions and 2 of them were obviously offside (from being in line in the East Green), and I called both of them before the flag went up.

The 3rd one was close, but probably correct. None of them were obvious mistakes.

Please can we stop this crap blaming Kettle and the lino's and just admit that we were rubbish, and got lucky to get a point.

 

[Villageblue]

We were lucky to get a draw, how we can start with 5 in midfield at home is beyond me. Barry Corr had no support, Straker and Hurst just kept swapping wings and really did not come inside to pick up any flick on's from Barry. Then with 10 minutes to go we bring another defender on. When is Phil Brown going to give Seedy a run out? I believe the midfield was too full of players who were leaving it to others to do the hard work. At least with two up front Cheltenham would have had to do more defending.

 

[Supa Shrimpa]

Not a great performance and Cheltenham were definately worthy of a point.

Bentley 8...Looks very confident and made some big saves at the start of the match, that kept us in the game.
White 7...Solid, as usual. Had a tricky winger to contend with.
Prosser 7.5...I like his no-nonsense defending at the moment.Gives everything to the cause
Kiernan 6...OK. Looks a decent player
Coker 6.5...A fairly quiet game by his standards
Hurst 6...Final ball let him down a few times.
Laird 6.5...Busted a gut, but needs a couple more games to get his touch back
Atkinson 6...Quietly goes about his business
Timlin 7...Fantastic workrate. The Timlin of old.
Straker 6...Somtimes sublime, sometimes ridiculous.
Corr 7.5...Won plenty of headers, but his nearest team-mate was miles away. Worked hard and I felt sorry for him (until he got himself a stupid booking)
Subs : Clifford 6...Ok. Thompson 6...Ok. Did we need a 2nd defensive substitute ?

 

[yogi bear up the cagire]

For EVERYONE apart from Tangled up in Blue

This will possibly be news to everyone, apart from Tangled up in Blue! :winking:

http://www.theguardian.com/football/...ham-league-two
​