Rayleigh boy
Director⭐
usual half hearted, disorganised warm up -
everything looking a bit slack and careless e.g. Darryls kicking and distribution
but its League One and the opposition can't really play. Loads of good old hoofs and a bit of head tennis -
Matt Harrold looked fit, trying to put himself about and and trying to hold it up, Maher looked sluggish but we seemed to have the quality all over the pitch ....except for the stupid need to give away stupid free kicks with stupid tackles in stupid places that the rather dim ref. was going to read wrong everytime. It meant the O's got to practice their balls into the box and Adam and Peter got to look comfortable -
Then we score and should be bossing the match from now on - BUT blonde Bobby Dazzler is given yet another chance to con the ref with a midfield flop and its 1-1.
It seems that Maher and Macca have not learnt a thing and their resentment of Thorntons talent (sign him Tilson) leads to the inevitable red card - (you wouldn't mind if someone had actually chinned the bloke) and now we've got to watch the red team pass the ball about - slowly.
Good old Wayne Gray did the decent thing and let us off with a scuff from 12yards but it was always going to happen - sort of felt it was fair enough really - felt happy for the O's fans - it was decent turn out by them.
It was all a bit heartbreaking to be back to this standard of footy - the CCC
sides were so much quicker and deadlier and our game was really improved by it.
The positives were a post-match realisation that McCormacks entirely predictable suspension means that Tilson will be forced to make changes
and watching Bailey, Macdonald, Paynter and Black warm down with Brush you sense that some established Southend first teamers might struggle to get their places back if they find themselves on the bench - a squad at last
perhaps.
The "crisis" upfront was hard to assess because Harrold is obviously a target man more than a scorer and Hooper did get himself two chances - which he
didn't take. Its tough but if you miss them you just aren't that good. If he had got to play the 2nd half upfront we might have seen more - either way
we haven't seen either the Macdonld fella or Paynter. And seeing Paynter now
looking properly fit and keen you've got ask why he wasn't in that physical shape before.
Perhaps T and B are thinking with the experience and ability in midfield and with centre backs useful at corners goals will come from all over and the best we can hope for up front is sort of average for this league.
New boy Gilbert made a couple of errors and looked a little unsure once or twice but is quick and quick and the players obviously trust his ability. The saddest thing about the left back is the other players just don't trust his ability. At Hillsborough last season they wouldn't give him he ball and he was off at half time. This is not doing the guy any favours - let him go.
So we got mugged - absolutley mugged and I hope Tilson and Brush wake up and give some new faces some opportunity - I wonder how Moussa, Baily and Black would handle more responsibilty against Cheltenham Town.
Nine half thousand people went to the opening game in League One - is the club rising or falling ?
everything looking a bit slack and careless e.g. Darryls kicking and distribution
but its League One and the opposition can't really play. Loads of good old hoofs and a bit of head tennis -
Matt Harrold looked fit, trying to put himself about and and trying to hold it up, Maher looked sluggish but we seemed to have the quality all over the pitch ....except for the stupid need to give away stupid free kicks with stupid tackles in stupid places that the rather dim ref. was going to read wrong everytime. It meant the O's got to practice their balls into the box and Adam and Peter got to look comfortable -
Then we score and should be bossing the match from now on - BUT blonde Bobby Dazzler is given yet another chance to con the ref with a midfield flop and its 1-1.
It seems that Maher and Macca have not learnt a thing and their resentment of Thorntons talent (sign him Tilson) leads to the inevitable red card - (you wouldn't mind if someone had actually chinned the bloke) and now we've got to watch the red team pass the ball about - slowly.
Good old Wayne Gray did the decent thing and let us off with a scuff from 12yards but it was always going to happen - sort of felt it was fair enough really - felt happy for the O's fans - it was decent turn out by them.
It was all a bit heartbreaking to be back to this standard of footy - the CCC
sides were so much quicker and deadlier and our game was really improved by it.
The positives were a post-match realisation that McCormacks entirely predictable suspension means that Tilson will be forced to make changes
and watching Bailey, Macdonald, Paynter and Black warm down with Brush you sense that some established Southend first teamers might struggle to get their places back if they find themselves on the bench - a squad at last
perhaps.
The "crisis" upfront was hard to assess because Harrold is obviously a target man more than a scorer and Hooper did get himself two chances - which he
didn't take. Its tough but if you miss them you just aren't that good. If he had got to play the 2nd half upfront we might have seen more - either way
we haven't seen either the Macdonld fella or Paynter. And seeing Paynter now
looking properly fit and keen you've got ask why he wasn't in that physical shape before.
Perhaps T and B are thinking with the experience and ability in midfield and with centre backs useful at corners goals will come from all over and the best we can hope for up front is sort of average for this league.
New boy Gilbert made a couple of errors and looked a little unsure once or twice but is quick and quick and the players obviously trust his ability. The saddest thing about the left back is the other players just don't trust his ability. At Hillsborough last season they wouldn't give him he ball and he was off at half time. This is not doing the guy any favours - let him go.
So we got mugged - absolutley mugged and I hope Tilson and Brush wake up and give some new faces some opportunity - I wonder how Moussa, Baily and Black would handle more responsibilty against Cheltenham Town.
Nine half thousand people went to the opening game in League One - is the club rising or falling ?
