League 2: Southend United vs Torquay United

[Dave_Pougher]

Hope it's not too serious for Howe certainly sounds bad. Get better soon mate.

[Dave_Pougher]

who cares, hes crap!

Bit harsh........... I care because he's a TQY player and he appears to have recieved a very bad injury

[Gulliball]

Well that's the cherry on the cake. McPhee and Atieno up front on Tuesday?

[Neal]

yes sorry, it was, I take it back, just frustrated with it all

[Dave_Pougher]

yes sorry, it was, I take it back, just frustrated with it all

Well I understand how you feel

[Plymouth Gull]

Well that's the cherry on the cake. McPhee and Atieno up front on Tuesday?

I'm sure the AFCW back line are quaking their boots at the thought of it.



For that fact, expect AFCW to be fired up on Tuesday, they've been tonked 5-2 at home by Crawley! No doubt we'll get the backlash!

[AustrianAndyGull]

Well that's the cherry on the cake. McPhee and Atieno up front on Tuesday?

Can't wait. An interesting combination of someone who tries but has no ability as a footballer and another who the word 'static' was invented for but who has a bit of ability. Put them both together and we have one complete player who isn't very good. Bring on Wimbledon. We are screwed!

[Colorado Gull]

The result today was an absolute disgrace! That’s nine goals we have conceded in two games, we haven’t won in eight and that is not good enough and that is relegation form.

Ling will only go into the Loan Market when there is a crisis, but things should be sorted before a crisis occurs! Ling should have signed someone (or more than one) on loan after the abysmal Shrewsbury performance/result. Then we might not even be in this situation.

Our squad is ridiculously weak at the moment, and if Ling says that “There’s not a crisis”, or “The players that we’ve got are good enough” he’s mad. I would say that we have four good League 2 level players (Manse, O’Kane, Nico, Bodin.) The rest are either average, or rubbish.

I will look forward to what Ling has to say about today’s game but he MUST go into the Loan Market, there is now a crisis, and things need to change NOW!

Edit: I wouldn't mind Spear getting a game, he looked good in pre season and he can't do any worse than the players playing at the moment.

[tufcbrett]

I'm sure the AFCW back line are quaking their boots at the thought of it.



For that fact, expect AFCW to be fired up on Tuesday, they've been tonked 5-2 at home by Crawley! No doubt we'll get the backlash!

I would rather see Spear have a chance up top. Hes got more chance to do something.

[Jeff]

I debated whether I could even be bothered to write something after today's game. I decided I still would to help people who wernt there picture things.

Today wasn't pretty. There was a feeling over the side and amongst the supporters just like it was when we got relegated. There was an inevitability around us being awful, and almost a resignation that this is as much as we can expect. From what I've seen for myself these past 2 games, we're in trouble.

It was Southend who attacked towards the Gulls fans first, but the first half was massively forgettable. For the first 15 mins there was no goalmouth action at all. The game was played in midfield, and we were holding our own. We lined up with a very lopsided formation, as Oastler was in effect playing wide right. We did manage one great passing move, but Bodin was crowded out before he could get a shot away.

Between the 15th and 44th minutes, Southend created a few half chances but nothing more than that. Harris - who's movement caused us problems all game - headed weekly at Bobby, then turned provider for a cross which Ferdinand took away from Dickinson to avert any danger. Another Harris cross was headed by Hall in a similar situation, where the man behind was better placed, and Hall also swung a corner almost directly in at the near post but it fell just wide. I think at the other end we had a pea-rolling long ranger from Eunan, and a cross which just escaped Oastler at the far post, but that was pretty much it.

Things came alive at end of the half, when Harris header was superbly tipped away at full stretch by Bobby. From the corner, the ball ended up breaking to Hall, who took a touch to steady himself and fired in a shot which beat Bobby, but fortunately for us Ellis had got back to hack it off the line and away. And so ended the half.

Ellis had looked superb first half, winning lots in the air and not giving Dickinson a sniff. Saah was also playing better, winning his fair share in the air too and tracked Harris well. We must have defended well to limit the leagues 2nd placed club to such few chances. But at the other end we created little, and you could see we were set out for a containment job.

As for the second half, well........ It's hard to know exactly what happened, as now we were defending the opposite end and if you've been to Roots Hall you'll know the sight-lines are awful. But straight from Kick off Robbo was easily beaten, Hall swung over a deep cross which Timlin recycled at the back post. His shot was blocked, but only to the edge of the box for Ferdinand to drill home. 0-1.

We'd not even left the dressing room, and hadn't regrouped before we were 2 down. Hooked cross from the Southend right was volleyed in at the back post by Ferdinand, completely unmarked. 0-2 and the game was up.

We introduced Atieno for Oastler, but it made no impact as aside from Saah headin over a free kick, we didn't create. And despite not creating anything, we still pushed men forward which saw us caught on the break, Dickinson burying his one on one across Bobby and into the far corner to make it 0-3. And before long it was 0-4, Phillips heading in a corner near post. Routine stuff.

You could see that the confidence had completely deserted the players. Mistakes were frequent, effort was lacking. There was no movement or danger created, it was depressing and embarrassing. Southend even had the cheek to take off their keeper (who looked fine, aside from declining the opportunity to take one goal kick) to be replaced by some boy who I can assume who is their youth/reserve keeper. That was how threatening they saw us.

It actually worked in our favour, as soon after Atieno fired in a shot which said Keeper could only fumble out, and was cleared for a corner. The corner was half cleared, Mansell wildly slammed it back in and into the shins of Ellis, who's touch wrong footed the keeper and left the ball in the back of the net! 1-4!

But we never really looked like getting more, in fact Southend could have added another when Bobby tipped over Harris header. We sent Saah, Ellis and Robbo forward - why I do not know - but apart from a half hearted penalty shout for a foul on Saah, and Atieno hooking a volley over we never threatened.

And the end of the game was marred by an injury to Howe, who seemed to take a knock to the head and was taken away on a stretcher - at no point did he move, so it could be a serious one. What also soured things is one of our fans made some remark about the injury, which someone took offence too and some verbals followed. This was the second intra-fan outburst of the game, something which we don't see a lot of but I think shows the frustrations some people are feeling.

Its impossible to rate the players really, as it's so hard to know why it all went so bad second half. First half defensively we looked fine, to the point where I think everyone was quite pleased so I don't know who or why we went to pieces. However it's easy to note that Bodin, Howe and O'Kane were all way off form today. Manse and Stevens worked hard, and Atieno showed more effort than last week but it was all pretty futile. I don't think Southend were anywhere near their best today, but they easily dispatched us.

So what now? Well, one or two loan signins won't cure our problems I'm afraid. We don't look threatening enough, and it's basic technical skills and concentration that are letting us down. It looks to me we've got a pretty rotten squad of players, to whom adding a couple would merely paper over the cracks. It's worrying times, as we are rapidly getting closer to the bottom 2 and I can't see that the current crop of players or regime can arrest that.

I'm sorry if it's all doom and gloom, but that is what today was all about I'm afraid. I'm now convinced we're in for a real, real struggle and it's not an easy fix.

[Dave]

When i read that Lingy was going to put Ellis in, my own biggest fear was , he would move Robbo to right back and keep Saah in the team.

Yes i am only a fan, however my own opinion is our centre back pairing has not worked out, and out of the two Robbo was the shining light, i will not except that Saah is not good enough, however surely it plain to see his confidence is shot to sh@t , often a manager will choose to help the player by giving him a chance to play his way out of a slump, my view is he needs to be taken out of this situation and given a rest.

Saah and Ellis at centre back, not the answer not in a million years.

[yellowmonkey]

Oh well only 1 goal out should have put a bet on.

ei ei ei o
the onward march down the football league we go.

only 1 game away from the relegation battle but we not in crisis yet!!!!

[tufcbrett]

Im just glad there are some teams below us in the league who are playing just as bad if not worse for the moment. This will turn around, but two home games next week. If we fail to win any of them then i feel Ling should go. Saying that two draws wouldnt be enough.

I agree that some of us, including myself said 1 game ago this isnt our worst run ever. But its not like were losing out by the odd goal 1-0 or 2-1. Were getting stuffed and i dont know much much more we can take. A few wins next week would change everything but are we going to win them?

My birthday is next tuesday Lingy, win for me so you dont ruin my birthday haha

[divingbboy]

Ling will only go into the Loan Market when there is a crisis, but things should be sorted before a crisis occurs!

If this isn't a crisis, I'd hate to see what one looks like...........

[Plymgull]

I predicted we would lose 3-1 today, so i am not surprised we have lost 4-1.

Still, i am very disappointed and if we cannot get at least 4 points from our next two games then i seriously worry where our next points will come from.