Most liked posts in thread: The Southend autopsy

We were abysmal last week, didn’t have enough to beat Macclesfield midweek and from what I’ve read / heard we’ve been awful today. We had a pathetic preseason and now we’ve got a serious issue with Robinson. Yes, we won at Shrewsbury but I fully expect them to struggle this season.

My own feeling as that whilst it might be nice for Collins to have these lovely coaching certificates and whatever they mean feck all if you have a bunch of players that have zero respect for you and likely think your completely out of their depth. He achieved absolutely nothing as a player and has zero coaching experience. Managing people in any business is tricky, but if would be like expecting a trolley pusher in Morrisons car park to suddenly be the store manager because he’s got a certificate in shelf stacking. I don’t blame Collins, sounds like this position was dropped on him in desperation rather than him being keen to have it.

15 months ago we should have won the play off final by half time. Fast forward to present day and we’ve managed to completely dismantle a strong side, piss off 2 experienced managers in Stuart and Grayson, destroy the optimism of the fan base and have had the vast majority of admin / bavkroom staff leave the club.....who is the one constant in all this this shitfest?? Yes, Edin, it’s you.

Collins may be out of his depth, but in comparison Edin is as sunk as the Titanic.

 

He is out of his depth but with no one else willing to take the job has stepped forward. Wrong man but do I blame him yes in a small way but those above are the real villains.

 

It’s hard to know how to dissect today.

My overriding take on the whole thing is that we were a shambles from start to finish. We looked every inch a side full of individuals who didn’t have a clue what system they were supposed to be playing, and didn’t look fit. No urgency, no desire, no aggression.

Off the ball we were a mess. Full backs exposed, the whole side 10 yards too deep, we gave Southend so much time and space it was untrue. Riley was badly exposed and had a nightmare. Akpan and Wright were far too cautious - Wright in particular; what I’ve seen so far leads me to question why the hell we signed him, let alone made him captain. He’s garbage.
Scannell on the left is bizarre and nonsensical. Doyle is isolated and shouldn’t be played alone up front.

The system looks totally confused. I don’t think they know what they’re supposed to be doing and it certainly isn’t setting us up to get the best out of what we’ve got.

A decent summer of recruitment but a shambolic preseason and a shambolic selection of manager/coach is setting the tone for a relegation dogfight unless changes are made fairly soon. A couple more games to see how we go, but similar performances this week will see things turn toxic.

 

Yep sadly the guy is way out of his depth but was a joke appointment from the start. As I stated on another thread though the problems run far deeper than just the manager. All fears from the 2nd half of last season are being realised. Different personnel but very much the same story on the pitch. We are in a mess and only going one way. I really fear for us

 

It seems the club has gone backwards so much in so little time all because one despot thinks he knows best. I don't blame Collins, although it appears he is out of his depth, sadly. I can't think of one positive thing the current owners have done since taking over. The dev squad is a waste of resources, the only player of which that looked saleable is currently under arrest! (Not the club's fault!) They let good players leave and replaced them with much worse. They waived the compo for Parky then shafted Stuart (IMO). Players downing tools in the new year. Whoever is at fault there, it destroyed last season and suggests cohesion at the club is poor. Staff leaving in droves. Rumours. Counter-rumours. I'm sure some of which are wrong or blown out of proportion but it just seems like a massive omnishambles from the top down since last summer and I fear it's going to get worse before it gets better.
Saying that if we win the next two I'll be eating my words but right now we need two positives; one to cancel out the negative and one.... just so we can have a positive!

 

That defence don't look any stronger to me, looks to be all over the place. To be fair to them until Collins learns how to manage an adult side properly then they are going rely on themselves to get through games. I guarantee this group of players would look different straight away under an experienced coach, its like developing a new formula one car, then looking for an experienced driver but then deciding to give the ride to one of the tyre changers then wonder why the car keeps going off the track.

 

Bloody hell, 3 weeks into the season, and I'm totally pissed off already. Its going to be a long hard season of struggle.
I have finally lost patience with the owners, the fault lies squarely with them for this shambles, I actually feel sorry for their puppet Collins.

No idea what the answer is whilst these clowns are running ( or ruining ) our beloved club.

Please Mr Tordoff, come and rescue us

 

4-4-2 next match. Get some experience in the back line.

Mellor at right back. Brilliant right back last season and scored goals. Used to this league and looks physical. Riley needs some time out. First season playing consistent football. Needs a check and a programme of some bits to work on.

Center backs of McGowan and kilgallon. These two should know each other a bit and should be able to lead a back line with their respective experience. Let’s give kilgallon his extension after 50 games if that’s what it is. He deserves it and will add some much needed stability back there. If he gets another 12 months so what. Someone will take him off of our hands if Scottish clubs were interested in the summer.

Left back has to sadly be Chicksen. As bad as he is. No one else. Maybe just tell him to defend and leave the attacking to others. Concentrate on that. Maybe give wood a chance.

Midfield has to be players who can get about the pitch and will stick a foot in and press. Coalville with Akpan? Struggling otherwise. Need reeves back to push them. Wright is not a captain. Sorry but he’s not.

Left wing, Payne? Will have to do a job so we can get 2 up front. Seems good enough on the ball and can always drift inside as the game goes on.

Scannell out right and make him a bustling winger like we were promised. Jamie Lawrence mould.

Two up front. Miller and Doyle. Get some crosses in the box.

 

The guy talks in cliches. Moans about a lack of composure but doesn't pick Mr composure himself, player of the year, Matt Killgallon.

 

I miss Lawn and Parky.

 

Go 442 with the current squad and you’ve got Miller and Doyle up front. You’ve then got a choice of Patrick, Clare, Jones and Bruenker on the bench. Two of those are absolutely not up to the standard of League one football, one is perennially injured and the other one is a kid. The squad is thin and unbalanced.

 

Our defence is probably not the biggest problem. The big problem is what happens in front of them.

Midfielders and forwards aren't really sure where they're supposed to be when we don't have the ball. We seem slow or lackadaisical to close the opposition down and stop passes/crosses. It was all a bit odd really.

I heard Riley got panned but let's not forget he went off and we conceded two second half! Riley, again, wasn't to blame by himself there was a lot of nonsense happening in front of him.

Basically, we look disorganised and I haven't even started thinking about attacking yet.

Going forwards I could see we'll do well on the counter attack but general attacks it doesnt look like we have a plan. To give an example, Southend's plan was pushing us back, few through balls/over the top, attack Rileys side. They had a plan. We didn't have any plan and god only knows why we don't shoot from distance. Aside from Colville no one looks to take a shot on. Worryingly we don't seem to have a plan scoring from free kicks or corners so God knows how we're going to score.

 

Just seen SP report in the T&A, to be fair he doesn't hold back and credit to him for reporting what the fans saw, telling it as it is and for once not what Edin would like him to write

 

Now if we go into home games versus Burton and Wycombe playing just one up front in a system that nobody understands I think we’ll reach breaking point already with an increasingly agitated supporter base. Collins should rip up his Barcelona tactics book, realise he’s at Bradford City and this is real rather than a classroom and go 4-4-2 and direct of needs be. If some fecking idiot upstairs doesn’t like it he should tell him to concentrate on paying off Bruekner and Patrick and bringing in a proper centre forward

 

Makes me laugh how fans and clearly Collins blamed Riley at half time, then 15 minutes after half time we are 2 down both from our right. It was clear that it was system not personal that was to blame, he was left 3 against 1 at times, with no winger or central mid tucking in to help. He's the one player I feel for today, even Meredith would have been mullered.

 

Begs to question what the coaching team do with the players all week during training as we appear to struggle to do the simple things.

 

Sorry Jon, can't agree there. You look at Wigan and Blackburn last year who had number 10s in Dack and Powell who excelled in this division. Payne can be that player for us.

Unfortunately, unlike Blackburn and Wigan, we don't have a set style of play and formation. Instead of giving Payne the ball at his feet in dangerous areas, we're lumping the ball up to Doyle and hoping payne will pick up second balls.

I get why you may think this but it isn't his fault we haven't seen the best of him.

 

Which Bradford City fan would want the coach/manager to fail, I'm sure come Tuesday evening 14,000 City fans will be giving the 11 players selected to start all the vocal support they can, the rest is up to the players and coach to get a result.
I think the lad has been put in an embarrassing position Edin offering him the head coaches job, just what could he say, sorry boss I've still to prove my self at U18 level, of course he would be silly not to take the job, we should never have been in that situation to have someone who hasn't had previous coaching/managerial experience taking over after the way we saw the second half of last season capitulate.
Edin told us he was going to take his time and get the right candidate in, according to both Edin and the T&A there were several high quality applicants but none meet the criteria Edin wanted, I personally find that difficult to believe.