Let's talk about the Southend Game

[GazLaz]

There’s no chance he will play three at the back in the first game.

[selby]

  A lot of people seem to have Lawlor as first choice goalkeeper in their teams.
  After the preseason games I would expect Marosi to hang on to the first team shirt he had at the end of last season.
  I rate both as young goalkeepers, though I think Marosi just has the edge at the moment.

[DonnyBazR0ver]

I'd be very surprised if he deviated from the 433 which he has been promoting since his arrival and drilling the players in that formation. For that reason, it seems Whiteman is his preferred choice for centre mid. He wants players to attack as a team and defend as a team, so ideally, we'll see some flexibility and movement where players don't necessarily stick to their zone in an effort to find space. We saw some of that in the first half v Blades.

That means Whiteman can get further up the pitch with other players covering if necessary.

What I hate to see is the 'defensive' midfielder on the centre half's toes, sitting back and conceding territory, and getting a nose bleed if they stepped over the halfway line. This  happened all to often in games, particularly late on in matches.

He wants to play high energy which requires stamina, bravery and desire. He wants runners in to space to stretch the the opposition back line which means the ball has to be passed early.

All good in theory but do we have what it takes? We'll judging by the first half v Blades, I would say yes, even if it's work in progress.

[DonnyBazR0ver]

GM just said he hopes Crawford will be fit for the weekend.

[Alan Southstand]

I certainly don't think we are going to threaten anyone, just yet. It will be interesting to see who we get in before the window closes. I just can't get excited at the minute and I wish we were starting the same time as the PL!

Love to be proved wrong, of course, but..........

[mpc123]

I certainly don't think we are going to threaten anyone, just yet. It will be interesting to see who we get in before the window closes. I just can't get excited at the minute and I wish we were starting the same time as the PL!

Love to be proved wrong, of course, but..........

Like you Alan I still think another week would have been great for us with GM coming in only a few weeks ago.

I suppose a lot of clubs will be saying that though. I see Tottenham haven't even made a signing yet, the transfer business each year for everyone just seems to be getting later and later.

Like you Alan I'm sat on the edge of my seat waiting for sky to announce we have signed someone, fingers crossed it is someone decent in this transfer window to add to already a decent squad.

Time will tell if GM has got it right, I'm quite confident this year of a play off place though and feel we will get stronger as the season goes on.

[RoversAlias]

Man Utd fans are going mad at the moment that they aren't making signings. It's the same up and down the leagues for most clubs.

[Alan Southstand]

I wish I had your optimism, MPC, I really do, but to me, there is no evidence that we are set ready to mount any kind of challenge at all and, as things stand, I think we'll be battling relegation.

The 2 players he's going to sign will probably be the 2 triallists and that doesn't help things in the slightest. If they're not those 2 and we do actually sign a couple of 'quality' players, then my pessimism may just start to turn to optimism. It's a big IF, though!

[mpc123]

I wish I had your optimism, MP3, I really do, but to me, there is no evidence that we are set ready to mount any kind of challenge at all and, as things stand, I think we'll be battling relegation.

The 2 players he's going to sign will probably be the 2 triallists and that doesn't help things in the slightest. If they're not those 2 and we do actually sign a couple of 'quality' players, then my pessimism may just start to turn to optimism. It's a big IF, though!

I've past some optimisium onto you via 4G Alan, there you go.

I think like you have said in a previous thread Alan, a decent forward and midfielder and things will look a lot better for you I am sure.

I can feel it this year though. I think GM may have that secret sauce that fergie couldn't find.

I really liked dickov of and fergie and the way they come across in interviews but GM reminds me so much of SOD which brings back so much happy memories, fingers crossed on that big IF for you alan

[since-1969]

If Southend turns out to be the start we hope for , then pessimism goes out of the window , so let’s hope that the Board have blind sided the pundits and made these so called self appointed experts run to bookies to the change their tips . As most have us L2 bound .

[Campsall rover]

   He is stronger, has better ball retention, and is better at finding a man with a pass, and is more aggressive and a better tackler ( not losing the ball is the most important) but is not as mobile.
   The pluses outweigh the negatives for me, why should he not play in midfield where his pace is not  exposed as much? what do you see in Blairs and Whitemans game apart from pace that is not in McCulloughs?
  I am not having a go, I am genuinely interested, as I am sure other people would be, we can all learn from others opinions.
  It is what Forums are all about, especially this thread.
   As has been pointed out by other posters, Blair and Whiteman have had thier best games further forward, which is where I see them being better, and can both bring a threat and energy into that area as either starters or tactical substitutes later in the game.

Bang on Brian, I just don’t understand why people don’t like McCullough.
Whiteman is much better suited and more effective further forward.

[DearneValleyRover]

I think we will line up like this:

Lawlor
Mason Wright Butler Amos
Crawford (if fit) Whiteman Rowe
Copps Marquis Wilks

If playing 4-3-3 I personally would like to see

Marosi
Mason Wright Butler Andrew
Crawford New Mid Rowe
New striker Marquis Wilks
Unfortunately the above won't happen.

[Alan Southstand]

I’d go with your preferred, Dave, with one slight adjustment:

Marosi
Mason Wright Butler Andrew
New mid New Mid Rowe
Crawford Marquis Wilks

[GazLaz]

How can people pick players we haven’t signed????? Hahaha

[selby]

  It looks like Mark Oxley will be fit to play in goal for Southend at the weekend.
  They are being tipped to be up there by some of the pundits and are being well backed with some of the bookies to do well, so it looks like being a stiff opening game of the season.
  Having said that I see no reason why if we play well we cannot get a result.
  Reputations mean nothing at this time of the year, and are there to be made or lost, there is no reason, if the players have the ambition and willingness to work hard, we cannot progress and have a good season.
  I am looking forward to it, as I am sure everyone else is.
  I will comment on some of our supporters perceived lack of signings and depth in the squad at the moment.
  I have seen in my time some bigger clubs than us sign quite a few signings in preseason, but take quite some time to gell, get used to the formation, and tactics of the manager, therefore getting away to a slow start to the season which has been hard to recover from.
  Other managers have signed players, and introduced them into the team when they have  settled in and the results have been better, and less expectation on the players themselves.
  In Crawford, Wilkes, and I am going to add Andrew, we have, if picked to play close to a third of a new side on show from last season. That is quite a change in personnel in a team.
   Like others I would like a couple more quality players to arrive before the window opens, but would be happy to see them come after Saturday's game.

[since-1969]

I’d go with your preferred, Dave, with one slight adjustment:

Marosi
Mason Wright Butler Andrew
New mid New Mid Rowe
Crawford Marquis Wilks

Isn’t Copps good enough now ? McCullouch ?

[mpc123]

I’d go with your preferred, Dave, with one slight adjustment:

Marosi
Mason Wright Butler Andrew
New mid New Mid Rowe
Crawford Marquis Wilks

Isn’t Copps good enough now ? McCullouch ?

Copps where Crawford is

Whiteman centre mid

Crawford right mid

[RedJ]

How much of a walk is it to the seafront? we're gonna be there for about midday and have f**k all to do at this rate

[les@donr]

A good couple of miles, better taking a bus to the seafront, anything going to shoeburyness will take you there.

[the vicar]

How much of a walk is it to the seafront? we're gonna be there for about midday and have f**k all to do at this rate

as far as I can remember it's a 20 minutes walk, but it's going to be 28/29 degrees so might not be a pleasant walk in that heat

[RedJ]

Probably bus it then, cheers lads.

[selby]

  Have a good trip everyone who are Going, we always see  a fair sprinkling  of strange faces when playing down south, I suppose exiles from the land of milk and honey doing missionary service in the backwoods of the South East.
  Hopefully we can get a result, and they can clean their car on the drive with their Rovers shirt prominently on display Sunday morning.

[rtid88]

Had a dream last night that we won 7-2! Come on you Reds!!!
 

[selby]

  I found it hard to comment last night, and needed to go to the pub to let it all sink in and watch the highlight programme.
  As other supporters have said elsewhere, although it was not a classic for any purists as far as free flowing football and skill was concerned, it was 100% entertainment, full on in your face lower division football at its best.
   Added to that was goalkeeping display that will be hard to equal all season, and if Marosi does play to his first half display regularly, he will be playing international football, and probably at a bigger club, he was fantastic, he only has to distribute the ball better, adding to the entertainment giving some hair raising passes out to the back four.
   For long periods we were outplayed, especially in the first thirty minutes, Southend exploiting the gaps behind our full backs, who in fairness to them were not given much help by our midfield who were overrun.
   But we never gave in battling, and as I said Marosi kept us in the game, The two new players Crawford and Wilkes, Crawford I thought was struggling with the pace of the game at the start, but definitely grew into the game after half an hour, Wilkes found it hard to retain the ball in that period, as they all did but again grew into the game, and scored a great goal, looks good on the break, and does not shirk the rough stuff, and goes back for more.
   The new system looked what it is, new to the players, and at times we found getting hold of the ball difficult. Rowe and Coppinger took time to get into the game, but I was surprised when Coppinger came of, as he had just started to be an influence on the game to me. Rowe came into it as well and was probably our best player in the second half, getting through a tremendous amount of work.
  Lot's for our coaches to work on, and the players will definitely need to be as fit as they have ever been, but if the rest of the season is as entertaining as this game, we are in for a right ride.

[RedJ]

We were talking about it on the way back to my car but how on earth has Rowe's shot gone in? one of the tamest efforts I've ever seen and quite a few of the Southend players just seemed to look at the ball as if they were watching a dog preparing to have a shite on their rug with no time to shoo it outside.

[Dare to dream!]

100% agree with Crawford, he showed little glimpses but quite clearly was off the pace, could either be down to his injury or adapting to English football.

For those who didn't go, if you though Marquis was a handful wait until you see Wilks...

[drfchound]

I said yesterday how much those two are going to get under the skin of opposition players and fans.

[Dare to dream!]

I said yesterday how much those two are going to get under the skin of opposition players and fans.

They are going to cause mayhem... Marquis is a proper nasty bas**rd and one of those players who you would hate as an opposition fan but Wilks is an absoutle wind up merchant, going to fun watching them two

[drfchound]

We were talking about it on the way back to my car but how on earth has Rowe's shot gone in? one of the tamest efforts I've ever seen and quite a few of the Southend players just seemed to look at the ball as if they were watching a dog preparing to have a shite on their rug with no time to shoo it outside.

You have a wonderful turn of phrase sometimes mate.

[Jonathan]

What a bizarre game but what a great day out capped off with a win.

Got to be honest I thought the scoreline papered over a number of cracks, but that’s not to say we haven’t got some potential.

The particularly worrying things were the inability to string three passes together all game, the astonishing naivety and total lack of control of the game. But that was tempered with some clinical finishing, some impressive hustling and real guts when it came to putting bodies on the line in the ridiculously lengthy allocation of stoppage time.

Marosi was outstanding, I thought the two centre halves did very well. Full backs were exposed. Whiteman put his foot in but was on his own in the middle of the park. Marquis put in a tremendous shift as always and Wilks definitely has something although there are also things to work on which is to be expected.

All in all I think there is plenty of room for improvement in the performance and I hope that’s just an understandable consequence of getting used to the new manager’s approach. I’d be very worried if that’s how we want to play. But what a great result to start the season with. Made for a top day out.

Looking forward to the open top bus parade when we get the trophy in May.