Torquay United v Southend United Sat 25 Feb KO 3pm

[divingbboy]

Anybody else watching the match stream finding that the picture has turned to crap in the second half? The NL graphics look fine, so I'm assuming the problem is the video feed from Plainmoor.

[knightmaregull]

Until now I've been glass half full. That was pathetic though, epitomised by playing a perfect free kick shooting opportunity short to the worst player on the pitch to set up their counter attack. Why on earth didn't Jarvis shoot? McGavin had been giving passes and free kicks away all afternoon. He couldn't even take one for the team and commit the professional foul to stop the goal. Pathetic.

Pains me to say it but sadly a change of manager to hope for the 'bounce' is probably our only hope.

Lapslie, Lawrence and Halstead must be wondering why they bother, playing alongside some absolutely awful players as they are.

[Admiral]

Can’t wait for those knife wielders to go bust, good riddance

Doesn’t look great for our survival hopes, how massive Dorking on Tuesday might turn out to be.

[Cheddargull]

14 games to go, possibly need 7 wins from that to stay up. A win every two games, ain't gonna happen.

[Rootshallbloke]

It will be a long day for their players. Probably no overnight hotel, team bus will want cash up front before moving, not much motivation for the players if they're not being paid.
While they live in hope, the reality is that every week they are in existence the debts increase and for every fan that says the premier league, the EFL and the FA should do more for grassroots football, you can't spend more than your income or this is the result.
Southend are currently in the playoffs and gambling that promotion will ease their debts. In essence they sre being funded by the taxpayer to the tune of about 5 million. This is not fair on all the other well run clubs in the league (not many of them though). As fans we moan about players leaving us to go to clubs for more money, but if we can't pay big wages then we can't have these players without ending up like Southend.
Put simply, If you want the club to do better, then you have to go through the turnstile every week, encourage your mates to go, go a bit earlier and have an extra beer or coffee, buy a programme or chips etc,
Sorry for the ramble.

The team travelled down yesterday and stayed at the Hilton Hotel last night. Yes, we are back in High Court next week and we may, or may not, still exist after that. The current feeling is we will survive, again. As for the taxpayer funding us, the debt is actually £1.5 million to HMRC and it's not clear to me how the Taxpayer is funding us. I can't say with total certainty that we don't pay high wages for our current squad, given most of them came from lower leagues I would be amazed if we do. Our coaching team has put together a great squad and play-offs are still there for the taking

Turning to the game, I think you saw a Southend team that doesn't know when it's beaten and nearly 500 Southend supporters travelled down with the benefits to your coffers that they bring. Good luck for the rest of the season and I hope you remain in the NL as your ground is a good day/weekend out.

[DevonBee]

Internet in Hants does not seem to be working…always the same after a defeat. The silence is amazing

[Taelee73]

Terrible performance, and a week after Barnet when I thought we were going to start the great escape, relegation now feels inescapable.
Some players are not fit to be called professional footballers, at least three of them today. The lad up front just runs around not winning any headers or holding the ball up, or passing/shooting.
Mensah? He's a defender?
Johnson milking the applause when we win, but disappearing the rest of the time is really getting irritating. As is blaming the ref, fourth official, and now wondering why some supporters are openly questioning him and then shaking his head, what do you expect?!
Weird formations, playing players out of position, no news about injuries. Asa Hall? Ali Omar, does he spend his life in the Lodge now?
That group of supporters that just stand at the far end of the Pop side giving abuse to Away supporters, but are stopped by a three foot high wall. The Away end, what plonker thought it a good idea to have a 3ft high gate in it right next to the Pop side? Comedy moment when said gate flew open and a steward ran over shut it and slid the handle across, that'll stop them!!
Supporters giving another clubs supporters grief about going bust, you do realise we owe around £5 million, and this will probably be us next season.

[DevonBee]

Back after watching another horror show and another 3 points lost. Will we ever learn ? Southend near and tidy in their passing, commitment and energy.
Us the usual hoofball to Jarvis and hit and Hope.
Not at all pretty to watch , and after getting back in it at 1-1.
Naively we throw it away. Schoolboy errors time and time again and another 3 steps backwards.
Once again today we have got exactly what we deserved , it’s embarrassing

[The deluder]

At least Uncle Clarke has paid the tax bill. What he gets out of this mess is beyond me.

[desperado]

What can you say after that ? As depressing as it gets. Completely outplayed, Southend looked at least a league higher. They were very good but we were embarrassingly poor. If that's not a team that's going down I don't know what is. We would be mid table or lower in National League South with that team. Only Jarvis of the summer signings has been of the required level. You have to ask questions.

[eddie6817]

Told you guys 3 months ago a change of manager was imperative it does work in many cases in football. Unfortunately relegation now looks more likely than not. I hope I'm wrong.

[culmstockgull]

After watching what passed for football this afternoon there are many words none of them printable to describe our performance, I hoped that hall may make his one and only annual appearance for 50 minutes or so and seeing the team I rightly feared for the worst.
Our midfield just did not exist, Mcgavin what can you say, I would rather have a youth player than him, de silva responsible for the first goal doing what he knows he cant and thats defend, he is an out and out winger he has no other skills, second half i saw him playing back four at times.There was obviously no training this week after the dorking defeat as the defence yet again let balls cross the area with impunity, how difficult is it for a coach to say anything that comes into the box you do watch it pass you boot it into next week.
There is no confidence in the squad although we do in places have ability, how can johnson influence this, may I suggest he stays away as far as possible from the team, they cannot play any worse without his input.

[portugull]

Well I really could not believe how bad we were in the first half excepting Nico Lawrence who was outstanding today.

Questions for Gary. Why did you play Mensah who is clearly unfit and was embarrassingly bad? Ali Omar is at least fit and strong but is he out of favour?

Why did you play Dillon De Silva on the left as a wing back which stops him playing to his strengths? Far better on the right wing.

We need Asa Hall and Dan Martin back asap because several of todays starters were just shocking, almost beyond words.

The only positive from today was we were better in the second half but committed suicide by not being sensible in the 90th minute. If Southend survive Administration then that dropped point in the 90th minute could be the difference between survival and relegation at the end of the season

If Southend do go bust and Maidstone do go down it now looks like 2 from 4 namely Scunthorpe, Torquay, Yeovil and Dorking to join them.

[Dazza]

You certainly don’t play Mensah. He’s at best a defender in a London league somewhere. I’m sorry anybody can see that. It was a ridiculous decision.

[DevonBee]

We need better than many that are cheating a living out of our club. We all know that half of these are not up for it.
Most will be gone come the end of April without a second thought for us.
Sad but true