LoughboroBlade
Well-Known Member
Well it was crap but you know what we have been much worse this season. I said that via text to a few mates who sent me mocking texts. I honestly answered with that was one of our better performances of recent times! We have been much, much worse in many games. Still saying that we still were pretty woeful. We played as three separate departments, actually scrap that it seemed like 6 or 7 or even 11 separate departments.
Started the game slowly and Basham committed a stupid foul and booking but game was scrappy and gradually we came into it and had a spell where Flynn nearly scored and Sharp had a few decent efforts. Then we conceded a ridiculous goal. Utterly stupid. We gave it away twice in quick succession via Adams and then Flynn. Then Coutts played a horror ball to Hammond who compounded it by chopping his man down. The free kick saw Whiteman asleep and then Long made a real rick of it and then as we stood about they poked it in. No way a foul and I think many players appealed hoping it may deflect away from the numerous mistakes many made in lead up. Long never had it under control. It was poor keeping but don't discount the numerous errors beforehand. We then scored a good goal with for once some clever play as we saw they had put a lot in the wall and we outnumbered them in the box. Good delivery and good header. Game on. However, rest of half very little happened. Long nearly fluffed another one and they had a few half chances but overall 1-1 was right. We had done ok in spells and actually had a fair bit of the ball in midfield. It was not a disaster but still not sparkling.
Second half began scrappily but we had two big chances. Adams did really well and then just made wrong decision at the end. All those criticising I would say he made it with a very good run and without the run; there is no such chances. He should have done better and then on the cross was off balance after the initial chance. Then the big moment. Bad mistake as their centre half did his Neil Collins impression but Sharp with so much time seemed obsessed with trying to lob it. He could have taken it down and gone round him, drilled it across him. Of course if it lands it, we say it is a great finish but he missed by quite a bit. It was ridiculous for him to be so laid back and try something like that when in the clear. He worked really hard and was one of our better players, as he has all season but he has missed a lot of good chances too. Tonight's was guilt edged and to not even hit the target was awful. Just because it was Sharp does not mean he does not escape criticism. This was as bad a moment as the errors on the first goal.
After this they gained confidence and the lad scored a cracking goal but as with Crewe's first, he had all the time in the world. Done let him come inside and then line it up. This was all after another Hammond giveaway. No chance for Long. Great goal but we never seem to score goals like this. We never shoot from outside the box.
After this I thought we were pathetic to be honest. Performance has not been awful - mediocre but after this it descended into the players feeling sorry for themselves and they looked they gave up. Flynn and Coutts may have been sat on my sofa. Mind you they would not have wanted to get near anyone. They were 10 yards off every Southend midfielder second half. We did not la a glove on them and the time and space they had was embarrassing. No one put a tackle in, no one seemed to bother. They just went through the motions. Subs came on; the formation went all over the shop but we did not look like scoring until the late Adams chance which although decent was a narrow angle and did hit outside of the post. I would not even class that as a bad miss.
We finished the game with a random formation with players playing all over the shop and no one quite sure where. As someone said on another thread it was like one of those Championship manager games where you just think sod it and shuffle the players all over and play 8 strikers!
The third goal was taken well but a simple punt out; suppose we were chasing the game but Done again badly exposed. He is not and never will be a defender. Class finish and showed composure our strikers did not have. 3-1 flattered Southend but they probably shaded the game just and were more clinical. I also felt second half they put in more tackles, ran around more and looked more interested generally.
United - No one expected us to follow up Saturdays less than convincing win with a performance or back to back wins. No one was thus surprised by another disjointed mish mash performance. We were in the game for the most part but still looked poor in many aspects, namely passing, tackling, closing down and shooting. Defensively we were sloppy and so many sliced clearances or wayward headers and they could have had more goals really but for Long towards the end. The game does change on the chances and Adkins will use that as his latest excuse. He is right. Sharp or Adams score easier chance than the Worrall one and it is a different game. However, this covers up so many deficiencies. Is it me or does every team seem to have 9 or 10 quicker players than us. We look like we are in quick sand. We are so languid all over the field.
I actually felt for the front two who had no service and had to create most of chances themselves and even ones Adams missed he made. Sharp of course had the big chance but he worked hard apart from them. I thought McGahey and McEVeley looked sloppy all game. Basham started badly but got better as the game went on. The two wing backs had poor games, Done especially. Coutts and Hammond started ok but faded oh so badly and second half they were abysmal. Coutts especially. Did he actually touch the ball? Ditto for Flynn. As we have so many times this season we got overrun in midfield, they had acres of space and this invited pressure. The defence were not great but with no pressure on the ball then they are always struggling and know chances will come. We are such a soft touch in the middle and one paced at that. The priority for me is of course some defenders but a couple of quick, dirty (yes dirty) midfielders in the summer who will intimidate, cover ground and actually start to give us a chance in games.
The season is done. It has been for weeks, months and maybe since opening day. It was probably done when Adkins decided to keep faith with most of the crap who had failed previous few seasons. Now we start thinking for next season. I would not play any of the free agents (none to be kept for me aside Long at a push - McEveley and Flynn sealed their fate for me tonight in a must win, big game - they revered to the crap they have been most of SUFC career) and none of the loan players. Not sure on Calvert Lewin, Reed or Whiteman. Reed has had plenty of chances and not taken them. However those 3 and some other kids deserve a go now. They at least will be here next season even if only fringe/back ups. Coutts and Hammond should not even be considered. Their lack of effort is disgusting. I watched both of them barely jog back numerous times tonight. Coutts once fell over and just laid on the floor as they broke. Did not even try and get up. Hammond scored but was at fault for both goals partly and offered another performance of nothingness. Two players who are done. Finished. Their legs have gone. Even someone who does not know much about football can see that when other players constantly run beyond them time after time.
Now McCabe has a decision to make. I really am split and am a bit on the fence but leaning more towards a change. Those who say we keep sacking managers and look where that has got us etc do annoy me a bit. We keep sacking managers as they have been rubbish. Some of the appointments on the surface, Clough, Blackwell, Adkins all were praised by many - I include myself. Some have been poor and even seemed questionable, Adams, Wilson, Clough, Robson. However, despite the sale of Murphy and maybe he has not had funds he quite would have wanted, he has been allowed to bring in players on a lot of money. Sharp, Hammond, Sammon etc all will be on some of top wages in the division. I'd wager they all might be in top 10 of all players. Brown's point about us having a budget four times the one he had at Southend is startling when you look at respective sides. There was hardly anything between the sides and most of quality came from them when it mattered.
He has failed in everything he has done. Signings, selection, formations, coaching, performances and results. His job is to get the best out of his staff and his players. To motivate them and inspire them and ultimately to get results. If he cannot do that then to show a blueprint, an infrastructure moving forward. He has not done that. I cannot think of one positive, other than the fact he has started to move on the dross - 9 months too late. Would I feel confident he can mould us into a promotion side? Am I confident he can get the right players? Sadly, no on both counts. That means McCabe may have to roll the dice. If he does not and we keep him and it starts badly then what do we do. Wait another season, wait 3 or 4 more transfer windows was it Phipps said? Every other 'big' club has managed to turn it round and get out of this division, first, second or third time of asking. Leeds, Forest, Weds etc. Even Wolves and Wigan. Straight back up. No problems at all. We have not done it due to ultimately mismanagement from above but I am startled how badly Adkins has done. He cannot offer any kind of argument if he is fired at the end of the season as he has failed spectacularly. To be below Burton, Gillingham, Walsall, Southend, Port Vale, Rochdale etc is unacceptable. I do not buy the attitude of 'we are a league one side that is who we are and we need to accept it'. It's this laughable negative attitude that sees us failing. We need to think we are bigger than those clubs and go out and attack these sides and get our great supporters behind us.
So I suppose I am talking myself into another change. The alternative worries me more than twisting again. I think to be honest more fans outside of SUFC (not that I give a damn) would be more surprised if we did not sack Adkins based on the performance this season. I think his days with Southampton and Scunny are a long time gone and he has failed as much as he has succeeded now at four clubs. McCabe will watch the closing weeks carefully. Whilst I am advocating us playing youngsters and shaking it up; I know that could lead to more defeats (know they may not do much worse but there are always games like Oldham and Crewe where average Joe's like Flynn turn it on - if we do not play them we may not win such games) and ultimately lead to Adkins going. If we say lost next 3 on bounce which I think is very possible looking at the games then we would be around bottom 6 or 7 and Adkins would probably move him on. So whilst season is over in terms of us achieving anything, for Adkins the next 7 games may decide his job. In reality it is the previous 39 that should have decided his fate.
Southend- Very ordinary side. Outside of Adams runs and thrusts and Sharp's hard work and some decent efforts, I thought Worrall and Payne were the best two players on the field. They probed, ran with it and showed some good skill. They were nowt special but better than what we had. I felt for front two who had no service and had to create most of chances themselves and even ones Adams missed he made. Sharp of course had the big chance but he worked hard apart from them. They had a few clubbers at the back. Honest journeymen. Much like ours but always waiting for a mistake. They obliged and we missed. The lad up top Barnett is a journeyman and had had less success than a Sammon type. Yes, seriously. Still he caused us problems just by working hard. They had a number of quick, nimble players who just got stuck in and then ran at us. We did not have any of that aside from Adams. Slow, immobile, clumsy crap. 3-1 did flatter them but they scored two great goals so in that respect deserved the win. They won't go up. Brown is a poor manager for me who has nearly as many soundbites as Adkins. He took them up but not sure he is better than a lower league manager. He has a better fake tan supplier though. However on that evidence you would say they have a brighter future and more chance of going up the right way out of this division than us.
Long 6/10 - Weird. He made two good saves second half and one save which he nearly pushed in. He caught a few and punched a few others. However he had a few other dodgy moments and his handling was a bit erratic. The goal was poor. He should have held it or pushed it out. It was stupid and then he should have been up quicker or reacted better and thrown his body at the ball. It was a poor mistake and showed why I still have doubts over him long term as there always seems to be a mistake in him. Badly left exposed though so many times. Little chance on other two goals.
Whiteman 5/10 - Sure he is young and not sure he is a right back or right wing back but he looked out of his depth I felt tonight. Adkins fault for putting him there when he surely should have played Flynn there and the kid in midfield. He was poor often defensively and got beat for pace and trickery a few times. On the goal he was caught ball watching. Second half he continued to be slow to react and his passing/clearances were not great. Kept going but showed he is not a defender. Adkins will say he was a wing back but both him and Done had to defend more than attack so were more like full backs in a 5.
Done 4.5/10 - As above. Not a defender. Done well at the Lane and got opponents turning the other way so not had to defend. Today he was never at the races defensively. He made our goal with a nice free kick and had a few runs forward but at the back he never got to grips with Worrall. He was badly at fault on second as he let him run away from him twice and never got close to him as he shot. I felt a number of other occasions he was left exposed as they attacked down this side too. No help from others but one on one at the end showed he is simply not a natural defender. With Adams and Sharp clearly future up top, not sure where he fits in. He tries hard and never hides but another that not sure about his future at the Lane.
McEveley 5.5/10 - Worst performance for some time. He was clumsy from the off and made numerous mistakes slicing it out or up in the air. He gave away some silly fouls and often was sluggish in chases with the strikers. I felt he looked like a players that sadly is on his way out. He did not hide and another who has earned some respect for not giving in this season. I personally think we need to move on from the likes of him. He has done well since Xmas but was poor tonight.
Basham 6/10 - Started game badly with stupid booking and then gave away a few other fouls and second half thought he might go off with some really silly decisions when chasing back. However had a few lung bursting runs from his own half and did not hide. His touch and passing is wretched though. Another very ordinary player who lacks pace and mobility and mostly ability. Tries hard and one of few cannot label as going though motions but that still does not mean he is good enough. I remember when he played first 3 or 4 games for SUFC I felt he was not good enough and sadly 2 seasons later not sure I have seen much to suggest otherwise.
McGahey 6/10 -Might have been our best defender of a bad bunch. He was steady enough and I recall least amount of mistakes from him than any of the others. He made a few blocks and clearances. Still does not impose himself on the game and unsure he is someone we should be keeping.
Coutts 4/10 - Early on he made a few decent little passes and linked well but he often does that in games and then starts to hide, fade, fall to the deck and look a spent force. Today was no different. He did alright first 20 minutes or so but then pretty much non-existent. He stands 10-15 yards off his man and then simply does not or cannot run back when players break off from him. Awful ball in the build up to free kick to first goal. A passenger and one we need to shift on.
Hammond 4/10 - He scored! A few neat and tidy passes and break ups early but then he gave away a free kick early on and was lucky not to be booked. Then another free kick. Led to the goal. Scored a good header but then gave away another pass that led to the second and then like Coutts disappeared. Still interested to see what he offers and as the Sky commentators said what makes him seem underrated? Like Coutts, simply not got legs or mobility anymore. Never seen a player go to ground so much or make as many niggly fouls as he simply does not have legs to run alongside players. On the ball he cannot do much other than odd sideways pass. McCabe has to stop Adkins signing him if he remains as manager. There can be no debate.
Flynn 3/10 - As bad as the above two; maybe worse. Did he even play? Not sure he even got his short dirty. He had a really good chance that he missed early on. Took some dreadful set plays and crosses and generally was the Flynn of most of his United career; non-existent. Was he even on the field second half. Another soft touch who lets players have the ball, does not get close and then when on the ball cannot wait to get rid of it, again rarely forward. Must be released in the summer. Odd good game against dross like Oldham should not see another contract. He will end up back in Scotland or League Two surely. Adkins said of him tonight: “Thought Ryan Flynn was superb at times” Is he on Jose's tablets?
Sharp 6/10 - Overall I would give him higher as he had 3 or 4 great efforts on goal and worked extremely hard. Held it up well and linked with Adams when he could. Still it will all be about that chance; a shocking miss. He seemed to have too long but had made his mind up long before instead of doing what he normally does which is shoot across the keeper or just inside the near post (seen him do both). The fact ball bounced up seemed to make his mind up but was a high difficulty of skill to execute or certainly higher than what he could have done.
Adams 7/10 - Our best player as Holloway alluded. Missed a good chance but he made it. Ran with the ball, always attacked. Looked different to anything else we had. Sure he made some poor final decisions but he always wanted to turn the defence. Ask Brown which United player worried him most and I would guess it would have been Adams. Still a lot of maturing and to learn the game but one of our (only) bright spot for next season. Unless we sell him (not saying he is ready for a higher league but clubs take chances on raw talent like him).
Subs:
Calvert Lewin - Showed more than he has in other games which is exactly nothing. One run and curled shot over and won a few headers. Least put himself about but he looks incredibly raw and seems unsure where to run to or stand; even on corners.
Sammon - Perpetual Motion said Birtles. I can think of two other words to describe him. They begin with F and S respectively. He came on and erm....did he even come on? Still at this point we had a 2-1-2-2-3 formation so he was probably playing left back.
Woolford - Nice sleeve (tattoos).
Good night. God bless.
I agree with most of that but would mark Basham lower and Flynn higher. I thought Flynn was average rather than awful, and I certainly wouldn't put him as worse than Hammond or Coutts on last night. His better moments were generally in and around their box. I can see why he was kept there rather than switched to right wingback, as he does have goals in him, but sadly last night puts another question mark next to him on the contract front.
Hammond and Coutts could be summed up by their contribution to the first and second goals. Hammond gifting possession with a long pass forward on the 2nd. For the first, Coutts (the guy that's apparently one of our best passers) messed up a simple short pass, which was followed by a standard Hammond foul for the free kick they scored from.
Big miss from Sharp, who other than that I thought was one of our better players along with Adams. It really was a carbon copy of the chance he scored from at Colchester – quick thinking from Long to launch it early, and I'm assuming Sharp hadn't realised just how much time he had and perhaps thought if he tried to take a touch a defender may have caught him. Even so, he's got the skill set to sink it over the keeper in that situation – Ports scored a similar type of lob in his first season with us. I never thought that 4 years on that season was going to be our highest finish in that period...
