Southend United V Torquay United 29/3/14
Posted: 30 Mar 2014, 23:31
First post on here since November for a number of reasons you won't be interested in (may touch on them in the post however), other than yesterday was the first match I have been to since Wycombe, so feel the need and the ability to comment.
I finally gave up after the loss to York, so went yesterday with low expectations, preparing for next season. But it was still painful.
What is so frustrating is we, as a club from top to bottom, have shown no sign of having learnt anything from our mistakes. Perhaps it was more by coincidence, or the luck of the team selection tombola, but the fact that we had Mansell and Harding in midfield yesterday and Hawley up front spoke volumes. Where have we come in the last six months or so. Unfortunately we all know the answer to that.
I won't dwell on things too much, as it has been done to death on here, to no avail. But that this season, with the playing personnel that we have despite their limitations, has been allowed to go so drastically wrong is unforgivable, and many are responsible to some degree.
Our back five are not that bad, any of them, plus a couple of possible replacements not playing yesterday. First time I have seen O'Connor, he looks a decent player. I would say that our defensive unit, not perfect by any means, is well capable of featuring in a top 7 side of what by all accounts (anyone hear the text from the Scunny fan on 606 last night?) has been a dire league this season. Will add that I think since last season Nico has been a weak link, but that is an old debate now, and he did fairly well yesterday.
Going forward, well we have absolutely no idea. But you don't need me to tell you that. The system is wrong, the tactics are ineffective, the midfield is not fit for purpose, and that surely now has to be obvious to absolutely everyone (even if you only read the forum and don't attend games), our wide players are isolated and don't appear to have focus (Chappell looked good, why has he been so far from the team?), we can't score - Clearly our (own) marquee striker is a capable footballer at this level, but that means piss all if there is no goal threat. Overall, we were feeble.
So we move on. I am an eternal optimist, and don't share the views of some that relegation spells the end of the club. It will be tough, granted, but finishing top 5 and playoffs means finishing in the top 20% of the division, that has to be a realistic target. I understand that significant changes and tough decisions will be requires, but this is football and also business. Nothing is impossible, but things will need to change. That said, I also believe we have little to lose in initially giving CH a chance to build his own team next season. But the signs this year have not been good, and, whilst time should be given, continued failure cannot be allowed to be an option.
I too thought they handled it for their goal. The referee lost control of the game late in the first half, and from before half time it looked very likely that someone would be sent off. To his credit, the ref didn't seem to want to do this (Should Harding have been sent off (for a foul, not because he was crap)?), but he was still poor.
The fact Southend are 7th is a sad reflection of the league we are in based on yesterday. And the strikers doing a little dance/jump as Rice kicked the ball lacked class, presumably coached. That were better but not by that much, and can't see them having any chance of going up.
Finally, seeing as Scunny have just broken a 125 year record for an unbeaten run, anyone else think we are nailed on to beat them next week, and probably comfortably so? Will matter not of course, as we aren't going to win 5 from 6, and even if we did not sure that would be enough.
3-0 next week, you heard it here first.
I finally gave up after the loss to York, so went yesterday with low expectations, preparing for next season. But it was still painful.
What is so frustrating is we, as a club from top to bottom, have shown no sign of having learnt anything from our mistakes. Perhaps it was more by coincidence, or the luck of the team selection tombola, but the fact that we had Mansell and Harding in midfield yesterday and Hawley up front spoke volumes. Where have we come in the last six months or so. Unfortunately we all know the answer to that.
I won't dwell on things too much, as it has been done to death on here, to no avail. But that this season, with the playing personnel that we have despite their limitations, has been allowed to go so drastically wrong is unforgivable, and many are responsible to some degree.
Our back five are not that bad, any of them, plus a couple of possible replacements not playing yesterday. First time I have seen O'Connor, he looks a decent player. I would say that our defensive unit, not perfect by any means, is well capable of featuring in a top 7 side of what by all accounts (anyone hear the text from the Scunny fan on 606 last night?) has been a dire league this season. Will add that I think since last season Nico has been a weak link, but that is an old debate now, and he did fairly well yesterday.
Going forward, well we have absolutely no idea. But you don't need me to tell you that. The system is wrong, the tactics are ineffective, the midfield is not fit for purpose, and that surely now has to be obvious to absolutely everyone (even if you only read the forum and don't attend games), our wide players are isolated and don't appear to have focus (Chappell looked good, why has he been so far from the team?), we can't score - Clearly our (own) marquee striker is a capable footballer at this level, but that means piss all if there is no goal threat. Overall, we were feeble.
So we move on. I am an eternal optimist, and don't share the views of some that relegation spells the end of the club. It will be tough, granted, but finishing top 5 and playoffs means finishing in the top 20% of the division, that has to be a realistic target. I understand that significant changes and tough decisions will be requires, but this is football and also business. Nothing is impossible, but things will need to change. That said, I also believe we have little to lose in initially giving CH a chance to build his own team next season. But the signs this year have not been good, and, whilst time should be given, continued failure cannot be allowed to be an option.
I too thought they handled it for their goal. The referee lost control of the game late in the first half, and from before half time it looked very likely that someone would be sent off. To his credit, the ref didn't seem to want to do this (Should Harding have been sent off (for a foul, not because he was crap)?), but he was still poor.
The fact Southend are 7th is a sad reflection of the league we are in based on yesterday. And the strikers doing a little dance/jump as Rice kicked the ball lacked class, presumably coached. That were better but not by that much, and can't see them having any chance of going up.
Finally, seeing as Scunny have just broken a 125 year record for an unbeaten run, anyone else think we are nailed on to beat them next week, and probably comfortably so? Will matter not of course, as we aren't going to win 5 from 6, and even if we did not sure that would be enough.
3-0 next week, you heard it here first.
