The current squad (Thoughts)

[Liam AAS]

The current squad are decent, top half side but, as is well documented, we have lost the spine. A couple of players are struggling for form, a couple of others are struggling for fitness and some are having to find their feet in a new role in the team.

We need time to get everyone back fit, patience and support from fans, two starting XI players to replace Kensdale & Cardwell and not too much else.

 

[LBBlue]

Cardwell, Kensdale and Crowther were our only players of significant height.

We all know what has happened to the first two and unfortunately it appears that Crowther maybe out of his depth. So any team with players 6ft 2” and taller are likely to punish us at set pieces - they just need someone who will put the ball on their head and Ferguson did that twice on Saturday.

 

[bazzashrimper]

Cardwell, Kensdale and Crowther were our only players of significant height.

We all know what has happened to the first two and unfortunately it appears that Crowther maybe out of his depth. So any team with players 6ft 2” and taller are likely to punish us at set pieces - they just need someone who will put the ball on their head and Ferguson did that twice on Saturday.

I would normally agree with you, but it doesn’t matter how tall people are if they are not marking. Both goals the other day were free headers. We need to be better than that.

 

[dusterman]

The current squad are decent, top half side but, as is well documented, we have lost the spine. A couple of players are struggling for form, a couple of others are struggling for fitness and some are having to find their feet in a new role in the team.

We need time to get everyone back fit, patience and support from fans, two starting XI players to replace Kensdale & Cardwell and not too much else.

Patience seemed in very short supply in the West stand.

 

[leeblue]

Patience seemed in very short supply in the West stand.

Literally heard someone shout Maher out in block V

 

[dusterman]

Literally heard someone shout Maher out in block V

Yep. Booing Collin, jeering Bonne and any backward pass etc. No support at all even at 1-0 down. I think lots of people expected a win and couldn’t haul themselves out of the mire to back the lads. Ot was a humbling afternoon. Felt very similar to Chesterfield. Like an OK this is **** moment.

 

[Thundersley Blue]

Just for information and a reality check on the Club, there is an article on BBC about Football Governance. Tom Lawrence gives the Club's and his view on behalf of the Club. Hopefully a spot of common sense for some on here.

 

[dusterman]

Just for information and a reality check on the Club, there is an article on BBC about Football Governance. Tom Lawrence gives the Club's and his view on behalf of the Club. Hopefully a spot of common sense for some on here.

Southend United urge clubs to follow governance lead - BBC Sport

Southend United believe other clubs should follow their lead after joining forces with an independent governance specialist to ensure future sustainability.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Thundersley Blue]

Southend United urge clubs to follow governance lead - BBC Sport

Southend United believe other clubs should follow their lead after joining forces with an independent governance specialist to ensure future sustainability.

www.bbc.co.uk

Thanks for doing that, I was just about to ask whether someone could put the article on here.

 

[danbowen]

Not a fan of fans making Collin the scapegoat. He has a pretty inexperienced defence in front of him at times and the defence regularly changing. I dont think Collin has been any worse than most of the other players with exception of GSM and Taylor.

Bridge is a great example. Hugely ineffective almost all of the time this season. If he wasnt a Southend fan and youth product I highly doubt many on here would want him to start game in game out.

I think players should rightly be boo'd at times and not clapped off the pitch. So many games this season already we have been poor to put it nicely.

I think the blame lays in a few areas:

1) COSU - we should have been able to re-invest the Cardwell money and I find it hard to understand why we didnt go for it this season with the weakest league in years, new owner buzz and a fresh new season to hit.

2) Management - regardless of how much we respect Maher it doesnt make him exempt from criticism. He could have bought other players in or changed the formation more often. I am not in the Maher out camp but these poor performances cannot continue. He says he knows what is needed but what is that and when will we see these changes?

3) Players - too many of the players are not performing anywhere near the standards they set last season and it isnt just one game here or there, it is most games! We lack leaders, we lack pace and we lack winners. We will not get out of this league until we add these types of players.

 

[Bearded Shrimper]

i think it's the intangibles that are killing us. we don't seem to know our style of play, can't score for ****, and keep letting goals in. so just the back, middle, and front that need sorting. but i think that's what happens when you try to build up in the season. one problem for me is Wes Fonguk. When we had him we kept the ball in the top end of the pitch. but now it comes straight back

 

[ShrimperMatt0099]

Not a fan of fans making Collin the scapegoat. He has a pretty inexperienced defence in front of him at times and the defence regularly changing. I dont think Collin has been any worse than most of the other players with exception of GSM and Taylor.

Bridge is a great example. Hugely ineffective almost all of the time this season. If he wasnt a Southend fan and youth product I highly doubt many on here would want him to start game in game out.

I think players should rightly be boo'd at times and not clapped off the pitch. So many games this season already we have been poor to put it nicely.

I think the blame lays in a few areas:

1) COSU - we should have been able to re-invest the Cardwell money and I find it hard to understand why we didnt go for it this season with the weakest league in years, new owner buzz and a fresh new season to hit.

2) Management - regardless of how much we respect Maher it doesnt make him exempt from criticism. He could have bought other players in or changed the formation more often. I am not in the Maher out camp but these poor performances cannot continue. He says he knows what is needed but what is that and when will we see these changes?

3) Players - too many of the players are not performing anywhere near the standards they set last season and it isnt just one game here or there, it is most games! We lack leaders, we lack pace and we lack winners. We will not get out of this league until we add these types of players.

Spot on with this!

 

[JB Shrimper]

Any idea what Kev is "accelerating?"

 

[Ulysses]

IMHO we need to change the formation and team for the cup game. Eastleigh should prove adequate opposition for this.

I’d play 4-3-2-1

Hillson
Ralph-Taylor-Foran-Wind
Husin-Moncur-Morton
KAF-wood
Walker

Subs
Colin, Gubbins, Crowther, Faulkner, Pebble, bridge, bonne

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

IMHO we need to change the formation and team for the cup game. Eastleigh should prove adequate opposition for this.

I’d play 4-3-2-1

Hillson
Ralph-Taylor-Foran-Wind
Husin-Moncur-Morton
KAF-wood
Walker

Subs
Colin, Gubbins, Crowther, Faulkner, Pebble, bridge, bonne

Would you be passing out from the back or making use of the aerial ability of the KAF-Wood-Walker trio?

 

[dusterman]

Would you be passing out from the back or making use of the aerial ability of the KAF-Wood-Walker trio?

You joke, but at 5’5 I made a cracking target man at youth level.

 

[TJC]

IMHO we need to change the formation and team for the cup game. Eastleigh should prove adequate opposition for this.

I’d play 4-3-2-1

Hillson
Ralph-Taylor-Foran-Wind
Husin-Moncur-Morton
KAF-wood
Walker

Subs
Colin, Gubbins, Crowther, Faulkner, Pebble, bridge, bonne

No GSM? Have I missed something?
Edit: Ah yes, suspended.

 

[Zeuss]

Pace, power, athleticism
Lacking big time. Nathan ferguson bossed it. Let that sink in. We have a small....tippy tippy midfield that gets blown by most games, bullied. I'm not sure why those responsible for recruitment have a dislike of this kind of player....Bridge....weak and seems to have lost a bit of zip, get a strong pacy replacement please.
We've signed two formerly good players at this level in Bonne and moncur. Neither are doing anything of any use, they look like those luxury players you have when others are doing the dirty work and graft, well we don't have players doing that at the moment either...noor is woeful at the moment.
KAF....I diagnosed a syndrome many years ago for tiny footballers...its a syndrome I first noticed with JCR, these small players LOOK fast and pacy however the opposite is true, they LOOK like they are fast and busy bit really their tiny little legs have to work three times as hard just to match one normal stride for everyone else thus giving the illusion they are doing bits but actually they are just little people trying to keep up with the grown ups. He can play a pass here and there but really its not a killer pass an assist or anything useful and of course he gets smashed all over the park by anyone over 5 foot 7.
Continuing with the midfield. Why does each and every one take 7 touches before passing the ball...usually backwards. The simple premise of pass and move....so adequately displayed by our opponents just isn't there. A triangle....basic bollox football...nope, noor has 12 touches nearly loses it and passes to a CB who then gives it to moncur who has 6 touches then gives it to a CB, who then and stay with me gives it to KAF...who actually turns forward and LOOKS like he's driving forward but he only covers 4 yards due to being three foot tall then stops and goes sideways to Noor who has 11 touches and passes back to a CB....its turgid while also lacking basic stuff.
COSU have zero intentions of throwing difference making money at the squad, sensible budgets should be commended of course given our history.
In short we've lost the heart of our team I'm afraid and two of the big signings are basically tarty players who won't go to war for us while also producing zero goals or assists.
The return of Miley can't come soon enough but is he enough.
I am actually worried about the playing side, which is weird for starters.
Kev has credit no doubt, I'm desperate for him to sort it out and get us going again I just don't think he has the characters to fight out of the slump. When the chips are down I would not want to turn to Moncur or Bonne for the graft required to get back in a game.

Quite interesting observations about KAF and his small stature .
. Cue a round of childish jokes about his finishing which needed improvement, but last season we had Callum Powell who was both short and very fast. With him,together with Cardwell admittedly,our closing down game worked to perfection last season .Opposing defences could never relax in possession or out of it, knowing someone as fast as Powell could be running onto through balls.

 

[stewart]

thought somewhere it said GSM suspended for the Rochdale game the the cup game.

 

[stewart]

if you playing one up front it has the be Pebble ,but this is just a cup game i wood give Wind and Wood and maybe Hillson a start. lets see if they good enough.