Post by stevek192 on Dec 8, 2019 11:21:06 GMT
How can a team that is soo bad and inept in one half suddenly become a fighting, dominant flowing force in the second half? This is the question to which I cannot provide an answer based on almost half a season of watching this Rovers team. Before the kick off I looked at the team selection and thought that the team selected was probably the best 11 that GC could have selected in any circumstances but it was brought about mainly by the unavailability of Ollie Clarke and Rollin it is my opinion that particularly home games we should be playing a more attacking style which means at least one wide man and that we cannot afford to play three centre halves and three defensive central midfielders and I would go as far as to say that Ollie Clarke and Upson cannot play in the same team as they just negate each others abilities and show boths inefficiencies. That said by half time I was thinking that he could change pretty well any of the players other than the goalkeeper and it could not have been as bad! What makes it more difficult to fathom out what happened is that usually it is a couple of substitutions that inspire such a change but this was the same players that suddenly came to life and appeared fired up to the hilt. a game that looked dead and buried suddenly became pulsating entertainment!!
As regards my markings for the first half you could pretty well take 3 off the marks given for all apart from the keeper and for the second add on two to the same players. It was like the team had been freed of all restraints and given the freedom to forget any tactics that may have been employed and really go at a Southend team who; despite conceding over 50 goals this season; had relatively easily restricted us to one shot on target and looking like conceding more than the two9 goals we found ourselves deservedly behind. Whatever happened I just wish I could have been a fly on the wall in the changing rooms at half time!!
Jaakkola 7 One brilliant save in the first half and another pretty good one probably saved us this match because if it had been three or more down at half time a comeback would probably have been impossible. He was the one player who could come off at half time with his head held high as he stood no chance with either goal and did nothing wrong
Little 6.5 Starting to warm to him although like the rest of the outfield players it was a sluggish first half performance where both him and Rodman struggled to get involved compared to after the break when both attacked the opposition down the right and combined well. He looks a good footballer when he gets into his stride.
Craig 6 Marshalled the defence well and again put in a great header at the far post to be flicked in this time by the head of Kilgour for the fourth goal. No protection at all in the first half as the attacks came in from all angles and he looked as flustered as the other defenders as we resorted to the slow,passing backwards and sideways that with every pass puts us under greater pressure. As captain I wonder what part he played in the half time team talk because only once in the second half did we look in trouble at the back.
Kilgour 6 completely out of sorts first half and then like the team gave an inspired second half and scored the final goal with a clever flick over the line of Craigs header.
Rodman 6.5 Seemed inspired by a long run and powerful shot that the keeper saved excellently at the start of the second half and didn't really look back as he created havack on the right side with Little and put in some good crosses after a lack lustre first 45- he looks far better as an attacking player rather than the defensive one and could prove a key player in the second half of the season if we can bring in a couple of attacking players to bring him into the game
Upson 7.5 Mom Came off five minutes from the end to cheers where it could so easily have been abuse based on a pretty dismal first half display. It wasn't that he didn't try in the first half but he struggled like the other outfield players in the quarters to get any ball time and his first touch was nervous and edgy rather than the dominant force in the midfield in the second half that prompted ,kept us in possession and then crowned it with a magnificent strike on the half volley that hit the net from outside of the penalty area before the keeper could move to put us ahead for the first time.
Ogogo 7 Looked totally off the pace in the first half in a midfield that as a unit really played little part in proceedings but in the second 45 he was a man possessed giving more like his true self, fighting for and winning most of his battles and again scoring an important goal with a well placed shot in front of a pressurised central defender to bring us level. Him and Upson looked as good a partnership in the second period as it looked bad in the first half
Sercombe 7 This is the old Sercombe back at last. Far better when playing more centrally and can be class on the ball. For some was Man of the Match and I wouldn't argue with them as it was a close call between a fair few players based on the second half. Only the keeper was a contender at half time!
Leahy 6 Total lack of involvement in the first half especially early on but improved as the game went on.
Nichols 6 Should really have brought us back into the game with the first attack in the second half as we pressurised the Southend defence right from the kick off and an earler hit of the ball would surely have found the net rather than being blocked. That said he did a lot of good movement and spread some good passes around and probably any criticism of him,Rodman,Sercombe and Clarke Harris in the first half was as much down to9 a terrible servce as there own shortcomings.
Clarke-Harris 7 The sharing of goals proves we are not a one man team but even when he is not firing on all cylinders it is not surprising that opponents put two and sometimes three players on him. Nerves of steel on the perfect penalty that brought us back into contention and involved in some part in most of our good football and there was certainly an abundance of it in an exciting and industrious second half. In the first half he looked a forlorn figure who just didn't want to be out there and yet in the second he looked like a player who has great belief in his own ability and would be well up to staying after Christmas and trying to reach the Championship here rather than elsewhere. I personally feel it will take some movement of players in January together with retaining his services to keep us in contention.
Subs: Adeboyejo 6 Give him his due there is something there and the question is can we get it out of him on a regular basis?
Smith nole
Hargreaves nole
Crowd 7 Roused by a complete change around. I hear that some went home at half time and all I can say about them is more fool them because a game is a 90 minute affair and never over till the fat lady sings. first half the lady was flat rather than fat and sadly out of tune!
Ref 3 The game just seemed to pass him by.
Southend 5 Hard to recognise in the second half compared to the first half. As they came under more and more pressure so they got worse and worse and come the end were a well beaten team. In the first half they looked far better than their position and results suggested and in many ways similar to the Bolton team we faced a few weeks ago. They took the game to us and controlled proceedings scoring two good goals in the process and playing us off the park in an 8/10 performance compared to our 2/10 but after the break it was a complete reversal as we lay siege on their goal and probably deserved more than the 4 goals scored. Come the end they looked a side that are probably destined for relegation unless they can make over the five months remaining the sort of change that we made at halftime.
GC 8 - What did he say at half time? You could see he was seething at the break. Couldn't really fault his team selection but for some reason we just didn't perform first half which is strange given that it was the same players. He seemed to tweak with the formation as sometimes it is not clear to see exactly what formation we are playing. I would say it was more of a case of just pushing all the players 10 yards further forward and competing for everything in the right half of the pitch. To me the players whoever are selected seem to be bogged down in the defensive half of the pitch in the first half and the problem is what attackers we do have are feeding on scraps and just almost running around like headless chickens- outnumbered and rarely winning the ball. It was almost like a fair few fireworks were stuck up their backsides during the interval such was the difference second half.
So we go to Ipswich next week in the Play Off positions and the big question is which Rovers team will turn up? If it is the first half one then it could be a cricket score but if the second half team then it could get interesting. I feel a bit sorry for GC because at half time he could easily have changed most of the side next week and no one would complain but after the performance second half no one really deserved to be left out. Let's be honest it is the sort of game where the opponents mean that we are probably going to revert to the defensive line up and most would understand that and would jump at the chance to bring back a point.
I cannot end this report without mentioning the impeccable tribute to Stuart Taylor . A player who was a giant amongst men who showed the true meaning of loyalty and represented the club impeccably both on and off the pitch as a player, a member of staff and as a true Supporter. Legend is used far too lightly these days but just look at this - 627 Games 34 Goals and all for his beloved club Bristol Rovers. This is Legend personified. RIP Big Man. You will never be forgotten- A gentle giant who played the game the way it should be played and a record for our club that I would be very much surprised if it was ever surpassed. UTG
As regards my markings for the first half you could pretty well take 3 off the marks given for all apart from the keeper and for the second add on two to the same players. It was like the team had been freed of all restraints and given the freedom to forget any tactics that may have been employed and really go at a Southend team who; despite conceding over 50 goals this season; had relatively easily restricted us to one shot on target and looking like conceding more than the two9 goals we found ourselves deservedly behind. Whatever happened I just wish I could have been a fly on the wall in the changing rooms at half time!!
Jaakkola 7 One brilliant save in the first half and another pretty good one probably saved us this match because if it had been three or more down at half time a comeback would probably have been impossible. He was the one player who could come off at half time with his head held high as he stood no chance with either goal and did nothing wrong
Little 6.5 Starting to warm to him although like the rest of the outfield players it was a sluggish first half performance where both him and Rodman struggled to get involved compared to after the break when both attacked the opposition down the right and combined well. He looks a good footballer when he gets into his stride.
Craig 6 Marshalled the defence well and again put in a great header at the far post to be flicked in this time by the head of Kilgour for the fourth goal. No protection at all in the first half as the attacks came in from all angles and he looked as flustered as the other defenders as we resorted to the slow,passing backwards and sideways that with every pass puts us under greater pressure. As captain I wonder what part he played in the half time team talk because only once in the second half did we look in trouble at the back.
Kilgour 6 completely out of sorts first half and then like the team gave an inspired second half and scored the final goal with a clever flick over the line of Craigs header.
Rodman 6.5 Seemed inspired by a long run and powerful shot that the keeper saved excellently at the start of the second half and didn't really look back as he created havack on the right side with Little and put in some good crosses after a lack lustre first 45- he looks far better as an attacking player rather than the defensive one and could prove a key player in the second half of the season if we can bring in a couple of attacking players to bring him into the game
Upson 7.5 Mom Came off five minutes from the end to cheers where it could so easily have been abuse based on a pretty dismal first half display. It wasn't that he didn't try in the first half but he struggled like the other outfield players in the quarters to get any ball time and his first touch was nervous and edgy rather than the dominant force in the midfield in the second half that prompted ,kept us in possession and then crowned it with a magnificent strike on the half volley that hit the net from outside of the penalty area before the keeper could move to put us ahead for the first time.
Ogogo 7 Looked totally off the pace in the first half in a midfield that as a unit really played little part in proceedings but in the second 45 he was a man possessed giving more like his true self, fighting for and winning most of his battles and again scoring an important goal with a well placed shot in front of a pressurised central defender to bring us level. Him and Upson looked as good a partnership in the second period as it looked bad in the first half
Sercombe 7 This is the old Sercombe back at last. Far better when playing more centrally and can be class on the ball. For some was Man of the Match and I wouldn't argue with them as it was a close call between a fair few players based on the second half. Only the keeper was a contender at half time!
Leahy 6 Total lack of involvement in the first half especially early on but improved as the game went on.
Nichols 6 Should really have brought us back into the game with the first attack in the second half as we pressurised the Southend defence right from the kick off and an earler hit of the ball would surely have found the net rather than being blocked. That said he did a lot of good movement and spread some good passes around and probably any criticism of him,Rodman,Sercombe and Clarke Harris in the first half was as much down to9 a terrible servce as there own shortcomings.
Clarke-Harris 7 The sharing of goals proves we are not a one man team but even when he is not firing on all cylinders it is not surprising that opponents put two and sometimes three players on him. Nerves of steel on the perfect penalty that brought us back into contention and involved in some part in most of our good football and there was certainly an abundance of it in an exciting and industrious second half. In the first half he looked a forlorn figure who just didn't want to be out there and yet in the second he looked like a player who has great belief in his own ability and would be well up to staying after Christmas and trying to reach the Championship here rather than elsewhere. I personally feel it will take some movement of players in January together with retaining his services to keep us in contention.
Subs: Adeboyejo 6 Give him his due there is something there and the question is can we get it out of him on a regular basis?
Smith nole
Hargreaves nole
Crowd 7 Roused by a complete change around. I hear that some went home at half time and all I can say about them is more fool them because a game is a 90 minute affair and never over till the fat lady sings. first half the lady was flat rather than fat and sadly out of tune!
Ref 3 The game just seemed to pass him by.
Southend 5 Hard to recognise in the second half compared to the first half. As they came under more and more pressure so they got worse and worse and come the end were a well beaten team. In the first half they looked far better than their position and results suggested and in many ways similar to the Bolton team we faced a few weeks ago. They took the game to us and controlled proceedings scoring two good goals in the process and playing us off the park in an 8/10 performance compared to our 2/10 but after the break it was a complete reversal as we lay siege on their goal and probably deserved more than the 4 goals scored. Come the end they looked a side that are probably destined for relegation unless they can make over the five months remaining the sort of change that we made at halftime.
GC 8 - What did he say at half time? You could see he was seething at the break. Couldn't really fault his team selection but for some reason we just didn't perform first half which is strange given that it was the same players. He seemed to tweak with the formation as sometimes it is not clear to see exactly what formation we are playing. I would say it was more of a case of just pushing all the players 10 yards further forward and competing for everything in the right half of the pitch. To me the players whoever are selected seem to be bogged down in the defensive half of the pitch in the first half and the problem is what attackers we do have are feeding on scraps and just almost running around like headless chickens- outnumbered and rarely winning the ball. It was almost like a fair few fireworks were stuck up their backsides during the interval such was the difference second half.
So we go to Ipswich next week in the Play Off positions and the big question is which Rovers team will turn up? If it is the first half one then it could be a cricket score but if the second half team then it could get interesting. I feel a bit sorry for GC because at half time he could easily have changed most of the side next week and no one would complain but after the performance second half no one really deserved to be left out. Let's be honest it is the sort of game where the opponents mean that we are probably going to revert to the defensive line up and most would understand that and would jump at the chance to bring back a point.
I cannot end this report without mentioning the impeccable tribute to Stuart Taylor . A player who was a giant amongst men who showed the true meaning of loyalty and represented the club impeccably both on and off the pitch as a player, a member of staff and as a true Supporter. Legend is used far too lightly these days but just look at this - 627 Games 34 Goals and all for his beloved club Bristol Rovers. This is Legend personified. RIP Big Man. You will never be forgotten- A gentle giant who played the game the way it should be played and a record for our club that I would be very much surprised if it was ever surpassed. UTG