[Archived] Southend v Rovers

[philipl]

OK might be a bit premature but two weeks from today we will have re-acquainted ourselves with a level of football we all hoped/believed we had left for good in 1980. Here's hoping for a repeat of 1979/80 and not a repeat of 1971/2 (remember that 7-1 hammering at Shrewsbury?). 

Frankly, I have no idea who the Southend players are and these days not much more of an idea about who is turning out for Rovers. 

Actually, that's not totally true. Southend feature Marc-Antoine Fortune whom I remember playing for Celtic against us in a pre-season friendly covered by Celtic TV in truly bizarre fashion with a geriatric pundit and a wee bairn of a lass. Fortune looked an absolute donkey that day against Premier League opponents so a repeat performance pulling kiddies trolleys on the sea front wouldn't go amiss, Another forward Simon Cox sounds vaguely familiar as does Theo Robinson whilst Anton Ferdinand has seen Premier League football somewhere as well as being well-related. Michael Kightley rings a bell from somewhere. The locals seem to rate midfielder Ryan Leonard as he has been their player of the season for the last two years running. For collectors of names, snooker star Stephen Hendrie is good on the cushes while they don't come more honest fish and chips than 'keeper Ted Smith. 

Roots Hall is a tidy proper looking ground with a capacity of 12,392 but might be a bit run down these days as there are plans afoot to move to a new stadium. Southend get reasonable gates at this level and I would be surprised if we take less than 1,000 so it could be a bit cozy and intense. They averaged 7,406 with a high of 10,321 last season. 

The boss needs no introduction being the old Notlobber Phil (aren't I gorgeous in my fake tan) Brown. Expect the half time team talk to take place on the pitch.

Southend started out as the Blue Boar pub team so that can't be bad and they play in Chelsea's hand-me-downs of all blue and white socks so it will be a first outing for our snazzy new old black and red stripes away kit.

https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2017/jul/23/southend-essex-seaside-arts-festivals-seaside-family-holidays?utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=GU+Today+main+NEW+H+categories&utm_term=236194&subid=572785&CMP=EMCNEWEML6619I2

A pretentious guide to Southend in today's Observer which prompted me to write this... pretentious, moi? (I can write that without attracting abuse on here these days)

So how will we do?

Two perspectives- 

1) Rovers all but two goals stayed up last season, the player departures haven't weakened us as far as I can see (anyone sad to see any of them leave apart from Mahoney who scarcely ever played?) although there are ominous signs of unwelcome bids coming in. The signings look to have balanced what was a very unbalanced squad and given better strength in depth. Pre-season sightings suggest we might actually be fit and organised which will be a novelty since Big Sam left.

Hands up, who would take the squad and backroom staff for the season opener at home to Norwich last season over the the squad and backroom staff we are going to see at Southend on Saturday 5th August (an obscenely early start to the season)? OK I am cheating sitting in Malta but I didn't see anyone put their hands up.

Putting it another way, had Duffy not scored those own goals, we wouldn't be starting another season in the Championship dreaming of promotion with this squad but we wouldn't be too worried about relegation either.

2) This is a tough starter by League 1 standards. Southend finished 7th, one point behind Millwall (promoted by the play-offs) on 72 points with a positive goal difference of 17. They will be smarting and determined to get off to a flyer and unlike others in this division, are probably more than equipped to give their fancy dan Premier League Champions opponents a real chasing while playing a fair bit of football (Phil Brown sides usually do). This has banana skin, "who do you think you are?", go home you northern....... with your tails between your legs written all over it. It could be an opening day hiccup or it could be a cold bath reality that we are going to struggle under the Vs even at this level.

 

My hunch on the result, pre-seasons aren't that reliable a guide but what else have we got to go by? We have looked promising while Southend's latest outing was a 1-1 away draw at Ebbsfleet. I am going to jinx us with a prediction of a 3-1 away win.    

[J*B]

I know absolutely nothing about Southend so that's been very helpful, thanks Philip. 

I reckon we will lose. 

[chaddyrovers]

Southend currently only have 20 first team players

[Stuart]

You can only play 11 at once.

How many have Rovers got now?

[tomphil]

Southend 2   Rovers 2

A tricky introduction to what really lies ahead, us dominating mostly but them competitive and holding firm scoring from 2 set pieces which I think will trouble us this season.

Away following approx. 1300.

[blueboy3333]

Bit of a wake-up call that when you see the players they have.  Kightly, Ferdinand and Fortune have all played in the Prem not so long ago and Cox has only just dropped down from the Championship. They've also brought in Michael Turner the big CB from Norwich this summer, another who played in the Prem I think,  and also our old friend Stephen Hendrie (maybe they aren't that good then!).

[AllRoverAsia]

Stay Safe

If you are going to the game please be bloody careful:

http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/cambridge-news/simon-dobbin-family-football-attack-13314034

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4704274/Twelve-Southend-fans-jailed-attack-Cambridge-fan.html

[JacknOry]

I'm gonna say one-nil to us - if the squad stays as it is. Mulgrew and Lenihan have to be among the best CB pairings at this level so can handle them I reckon. We will nick a goal in an even game. 

[tomphil]

43 minutes ago, AllRoverAsia said:

Stay Safe

If you are going to the game please be bloody careful:

http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/cambridge-news/simon-dobbin-family-football-attack-13314034

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4704274/Twelve-Southend-fans-jailed-attack-Cambridge-fan.html

I read somewhere a while back that Southend is like the retirement home for a lot of the old ICF who've either fallen out of love with Whammers and modern football or get rounded up by the OB everytime they go near their old stomping ground now.

Sounds like it but this kind of thing is still alive and well in the lower leagues hence North End still thinking they are a crew after spending years down there.

[blueboy3333]

39 minutes ago, AllRoverAsia said:

Stay Safe

If you are going to the game please be bloody careful:

http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/cambridge-news/simon-dobbin-family-football-attack-13314034

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4704274/Twelve-Southend-fans-jailed-attack-Cambridge-fan.html

Utter scumbags. His poor wife and kids.

Revved up on coke and booze and in a group of 10 they can take on the world (well, one middle aged bloke). Get them alone and they are snivelling little arsewipes.

[1864roverite]

Looking forward to the outing. Never seen Rovers play there although I have been to Roots Hall before.

Will we see you there Philip? Myself, Prestron Blue and others are heading there.

Rovers to win 3-1

[Oldgregg86]

New ground for me. Suprised by the quality that Southend actually have and will be a really tough game and one I wouldn't like to call ( especially after my York prediction) . Should be entertaining. Let's hope the sun's out and we can all have a good day COYB 

[mhead]

Its all so retro....after Morecambe, Grimsby comes Southend. The 'Fish n Chips' tour.

We even have now our own Beamo 2.1 in Joe Nuttall. Hope he gets a game at Oldham -he can aim for all the ball marks on the stand behind the goal left by the original.

Here we go!

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

We want the three points...EVERY GAME.

1-2 Rovers

 

[dallydally]

A very tight 0 - 1 with DG scoring

[AllRoverAsia]

1 hour ago, mhead said:

Its all so retro....after Morecambe, Grimsby comes Southend. The 'Fish n Chips' tour.

We even have now our own Beamo 2.1 in Joe Nuttall. Hope he gets a game at Oldham -he can aim for all the ball marks on the stand behind the goal left by the original.

Here we go!

"Nuttall Nuts One In"

I can see the headlines already 

Joe Nuttall, proper footballer name. I wish the lad well...and us!

[Tim Southampton Rover]

I think we'll win quite comfortably. 

I'm going to say 2-0 away victory. 

[bazza]

Joe Nuttall. We have a street named after him and used to have a stand named after him, too.

Regarding the game..........we'll lose.

[rossyste]

My one and only trip to Southend under King Kenny...fireworks behind the home end were decent

 

Southend United v Blackburn Rovers, 05 November 1991

Score	3-0 to Southend United
Competition	League Division Two
Attendance	4,860

[Tom]

Nervous with it being our induction, any team at home I would have fancied a win but think we may come a cropper here, 2-1 loss and a real grounding 

[lraC]

It might be false optimism and as the big day arrives, I might get the pre match jitters and change my prediction. I have Rovers down to win this and get off to a good start. I see goals in this side and think we will be looking to retain the ball, even when away from home. Southend 0 - Rovers 2

[Dreams of 1995]

If that lad Hendrie is playing at left back I think we know which wing we should target. Overload the right side and watch us score for fun.

I think we will win 2-0 with a goal either half. We'll definitely face some pressure at some point - Southend are no push overs. It's whether our midfield, notoriously weak for years, can remain sturdy and provide cover for the back 4.

This season is going to be an odd one. I can see some big wins followed by some absolutely devastating losses. Let's hope we don't start with a loss.

[G Somerset Rover]

On 23/07/2017 at 11:07, tomphil said:

Southend 2   Rovers 2

A tricky introduction to what really lies ahead, us dominating mostly but them competitive and holding firm scoring from 2 set pieces which I think will trouble us this season.

Away following approx. 1300.

I feel a 2-2 coming as well. They look quite a decent side. Likes of Kightly, Turner and Cox are very good players for this level.

Reckon we'll be ahead but they'll hit us with a sucker punch late on to hit the pre-season optimism. Draw won't be the end of the world away to one of the better sides at this level.

Where's Merce with his '4 or 5 nil hiding, too easy' prediction?

[RV Blue]

Very tricky start, Brown will have them well up for this. If the game was tomorrow, I would pick:

                       Raya

           Lenihan Ward Mulgrew

Caddis Evans Whittingham Williams

           Bennett         Dack

                     Graham

[Butty]

On 23/07/2017 at 09:17, philipl said:

OK might be a bit premature but two weeks from today we will have re-acquainted ourselves with a level of football we all hoped/believed we had left for good in 1980. Here's hoping for a repeat of 1979/80 and not a repeat of 1971/2 (remember that 7-1 hammering at Shrewsbury?). 

Frankly, I have no idea who the Southend players are and these days not much more of an idea about who is turning out for Rovers. 

Actually, that's not totally true. Southend feature Marc-Antoine Fortune whom I remember playing for Celtic against us in a pre-season friendly covered by Celtic TV in truly bizarre fashion with a geriatric pundit and a wee bairn of a lass. Fortune looked an absolute donkey that day against Premier League opponents so a repeat performance pulling kiddies trolleys on the sea front wouldn't go amiss, Another forward Simon Cox sounds vaguely familiar as does Theo Robinson whilst Anton Ferdinand has seen Premier League football somewhere as well as being well-related. Michael Kightley rings a bell from somewhere. The locals seem to rate midfielder Ryan Leonard as he has been their player of the season for the last two years running. For collectors of names, snooker star Stephen Hendrie is good on the cushes while they don't come more honest fish and chips than 'keeper Ted Smith. 

Roots Hall is a tidy proper looking ground with a capacity of 12,392 but might be a bit run down these days as there are plans afoot to move to a new stadium. Southend get reasonable gates at this level and I would be surprised if we take less than 1,000 so it could be a bit cozy and intense. They averaged 7,406 with a high of 10,321 last season. 

The boss needs no introduction being the old Notlobber Phil (aren't I gorgeous in my fake tan) Brown. Expect the half time team talk to take place on the pitch.

Southend started out as the Blue Boar pub team so that can't be bad and they play in Chelsea's hand-me-downs of all blue and white socks so it will be a first outing for our snazzy new old black and red stripes away kit.

https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2017/jul/23/southend-essex-seaside-arts-festivals-seaside-family-holidays?utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=GU+Today+main+NEW+H+categories&utm_term=236194&subid=572785&CMP=EMCNEWEML6619I2

A pretentious guide to Southend in today's Observer which prompted me to write this... pretentious, moi? (I can write that without attracting abuse on here these days)

So how will we do?

Two perspectives- 

1) Rovers all but two goals stayed up last season, the player departures haven't weakened us as far as I can see (anyone sad to see any of them leave apart from Mahoney who scarcely ever played?) although there are ominous signs of unwelcome bids coming in. The signings look to have balanced what was a very unbalanced squad and given better strength in depth. Pre-season sightings suggest we might actually be fit and organised which will be a novelty since Big Sam left.

Hands up, who would take the squad and backroom staff for the season opener at home to Norwich last season over the the squad and backroom staff we are going to see at Southend on Saturday 5th August (an obscenely early start to the season)? OK I am cheating sitting in Malta but I didn't see anyone put their hands up.

Putting it another way, had Duffy not scored those own goals, we wouldn't be starting another season in the Championship dreaming of promotion with this squad but we wouldn't be too worried about relegation either.

2) This is a tough starter by League 1 standards. Southend finished 7th, one point behind Millwall (promoted by the play-offs) on 72 points with a positive goal difference of 17. They will be smarting and determined to get off to a flyer and unlike others in this division, are probably more than equipped to give their fancy dan Premier League Champions opponents a real chasing while playing a fair bit of football (Phil Brown sides usually do). This has banana skin, "who do you think you are?", go home you northern....... with your tails between your legs written all over it. It could be an opening day hiccup or it could be a cold bath reality that we are going to struggle under the Vs even at this level.

 

My hunch on the result, pre-seasons aren't that reliable a guide but what else have got to go by? We have looked promising while Southend's latest outing was a 1-1 away draw at Ebbsfleet. I am going to jinx us with a prediction of a 3-1 away win.    

Great preview mate. On the game, there won't be many tougher away assignments than this so I'd definitely take a point, I'm gunna go for a 2-1 rovers win though, lateish Graham winner.