That was my first game for a month or two...and what a depressing experience.
A delay at work meant I missed their first goal so I have no idea what happened. The second goal was awful defending from Wright, a silly challenge by Clarke, but he did get clearly the ball first from my angle, so never a penalty...did the cameras back up this view?
The view at Roots Hall is rubbish, but we seemed to have some decent chances down the far end in the first half...Southend looked like a team with fragile confidence, a goal before the break and we might have had them rocking.
In the second half, it was ludicrously bad, totally agree about the endless square passes along the back four...that's not "playing football", that's suicide.
What was so apparent was the complete lack of pace in our team. I love Beano for what he's done over the years, and at least he tried, but those runs beyond the defence he used to make have clearly been coached out of him. Constantly coming short or running the channels is all well and good, but as their nippy forward showed, playing off the shoulder of defenders at this level is so much more effective. Why can't we have a pacy forward?
Here's a reason: we renewed the contract of Smalley. What an utter waste of time, space, and sadly, money. When did he get so fat too? He looked massive today. What position was he playing? Winger, my arse. We had too many square pegs in round holes. Smalley was a fat, shit, disinterested peg.
(We also signed - on a two year deal remember - a striker who doesn't want to play striker, who's contributed just three goals, and lo and behold - has a long term injury. With seemingly many other interests in his life, should we really expect Kitson to be busting a gut to get back on the field? More folly.
Potter stank the place out, let's hope this is a player struggling after a long lay off, rather than anything more serious.
Rigg was second to everything. I've really tried to like Rigg. I like wingers .. that's my default position. However, I'm growing tired of hoping for more from him. Will it ever happen?
Danny Rose I've never really rated. The game passes him by now, as it always has done. Him and Ruffels looked lightweight on paper, they were totally overpowered today. Maybe Whing will give us a chance of at least competing in midfield.
What's happened to Wroe? What's happened to Davies? Both were so promising when they joined. Something in the coaching at our club crushes creativity. I like Mickey Lewis, I remember watching his first match as a player, but something is wrong with the coaching at our club at my fear is that Mickey might be partly/mostly responsible.
Wright had an awful game. He has credit in the bank, but will use it up quickly with games like that.
Clarke made some incredible saves, but had some nervy moments too. The penalty challenge was fair but was also silly.
Hunt looks good as a centre back and tried his best as a left back, but he's a right back. This was madness. I felt for him tonight.
I'm leaving the young lads out of my critique, it's unfair to judge when their more senior pros were playing so badly.
A few other things stood out: In the shambolic half time warm up, there was a total lack of seriousness from the subs. Davies just kept launching the ball into the stands and laughing, the others - if not titting about - were putting on a display of general ineptness. Passes were flying everwhere, first touches were missed...Only Williams and Connolly seemed remotely capable of kicking a ball... it was interesting they spent the whole time in each others company, passing to each other, not mixing with the others. The two really good players in my University team did the same, while the rest of us rubbish lot weren't considered good enough to be passed too. It reminded me of that. Is it too much to ask for a bit of intensity? After all, these are players who are likely to be brought on to change the match.
Corners. We clearly have no strategy. We clearly don't practise them. We put massive Alfie Potter on the near post. Somebody should sit the coaches/management down and force them to watch the Beauchamp--Elliott--Moody+Massey-bundle combo of 95-96 on VHS for a week. Putting all the big men around the far post means the corners have to be aimed for the far post, giving the keeper every chance of going to get it. Sticking a big ugly bruiser on the near post and aiming for him at least makes it hard for the opponents.
This is not a great squad. It's slow. It's lacking fight. I worry about the coaching, especially of the forwards. Our tactics have been negative for a long time, this will take some changing because not shooting has become second nature to our 'forwards'. Southend tonight shot on sight, our lot regularly turned attack into defensive panic in our end with stoopid backward passes.
Good luck Gary Waddock. You've inherited a shambles.