Southend match player ratings

[TommyGreen]

01 Slocombe - 2
18 Nolan - 3
30 Williams - 4
07 Sparrow - 7
05 Mirfin - 8
06 Canavan - 7
14 Hawkridge - 5
24 Syers - 5
29 Winnall - 7
27 Madden - 6
28 McSheffrey - 5

16 Adelakun - 4

Referee - 4

Sparrow's time out seems to have done him good, his energy and speed is great for his age. Not sure why Winnall was brought off and Wilcox trying to explain it tactically after the game on Radio Humberside made me question it even more.

A lot of these draws are actually fluked points because so many games have been thrown away so badly it's a wonder we haven't lost at least half a dozen.

The league table simply shows that the standard at the top of the table has been poorer than what it has in previous years. A lot of champions win with 85-90 points and I can't see that this year can you? In another year we'd be fighting for the playoffs and nothing else.

But, the record is still something to celebrate.

[Foxstreetfiveseven]

Who would have thought that after all the defensive errors that cost us points it would be Slocombe who would be responsible for throwing a 2 goal lead away?
A keeper who is usually so dependable had little to do all night and gets caught out twice.
To me the defence is clearly not good enough to hold out so why do we simply give up trying to play football in the second half? It has been a trait of ours for years, probably going right back to when Laws first took charge. The only way we are going to get back to winning ways is to play proper attacking football for 90 minutes. Wilcox said post match we couldn't keep up the same momentum we had in the first half for 90 minutes. Maybe not but we have enough quality on the bench to make changes and still keep up the pressure. As it is we are just surrendering and everyone who plays us knows exactly that.

[fletcher9]

It wasn't a question of us not keeping the momentum going from the first half. We simply stopped playing any football whatsoever. Yet again we sat back and said come and get us. To talk of lucky or worldy goals totally misses the point, Russ. If your going to sit on the edge of your own box and then make no effort to retain possession and move up the pitch you are inviting the outcome that occurred yet again.

There is not the slightest sign of this trend stopping. Everything we've seen since Madden and Winnall were put together shows they are not a pair that works for us up front despite both being natural poachers. Not immediately bringing in an experienced man to hold the ball up and win the occasional header following the injury to Burton will go down as one of the most baffling decisions this club has ever made.