It was a sunny afternoon in High Wycombe and all seemed good again. Southend were out of the relegation zone and were winning 3-1. Football rarely does fairytales though, and it showed. The shrimpers let in two injury time goals to make it 5 league games without a win- their worst ever start to a campaign.

Who is to blame and where did it all go wrong?

Kevin Bond’s side started the game in great fashion and played some neat passes forward and were rewarded when Brandon Goodship got his first professional goal in a Southend shirt on the 11th minute. Not satisfied with a one goal lead, the shrimpers pushed on and Stephen Humphrys also got his first goal of the season with an excellent left footed curler from outside of the box.

I’m sure that not one Southend fan would’ve expected to be 2-0 up at any stage in the game today, and especially not by the 30th minute. However, the travelling side had not kept a clean sheet for 30 games before today’s match and in typical Southend fashion this run extended to at least another game when Mark Milligan tried to kick the ball out for a corner, but instead hit towards his own net.

Wycombe used this goal as a catalyst and carried on pushing for the rest of the half and so it was a massive relief when referee Darren Drysdale blew up for half time. Similar to every other game this season, Southend had played good football until the first goal and so there were massive concerns at half time that we’d throw away the victory.

Thankfully, Humphrys came to the rescue again and slotted home his second to make it 3-1 to the Essex side. The game seemed done and dusted as the yellows still controlled the game- much to the credit of the front men who ran themselves into the ground. Bond’s 5-3-2 formation dropped into a 4-1-4-1 which was questioned by some shrimpers. It didn’t however seem to make too much of a difference and 3 points seemed to be returning to Essex for the first time this season. Unfortunately, nerves heightened from the players and Wycombe took advantage, when David Wheeler’s pass beat the Southend Defence as Scott Kashkett sliced the deficit in half.

The Chairboys then brought on Adebayo Akinfenwa, a man who needs no introduction. The “Beast” as he is known, loves a goal against Southend and seemed to be a move which had both a mental and physical change to the game. Southend were tight at the back for the first hour, despite conceding two and Akinfenwa meant a new change to system. Four players were dragged into marking the 37 year old, which left gaps open. 3 of the flat back 5 alongside Sam Mantom had their hearts set on stopping him from scoring which meant Wheeler and Kashkett had places to run into and exploit.

Nathan Ralph was struggling down the left hand side and, again, Wycombe took advantage through a long spell of pressure. Jack Grimmer played in Scott Kashkett who put his effort over shortly before Grimmer again picked out a neat cross, this time finding Wheeler who hit the crossbar. Gareth Ainsworth’s side kept at it and were knocking on the very broken door of Southend’s defence. The high pressure which had been seen throughout the entirety of the first hour stopped and the yellows sat back, inviting more pressure; this time through Dominic Grape who hit the post.

Whilst Southend were losing hope, Wycombe grew in confidence and continued their play through Akinfenwa, despite having Shaughnessy, White and Bwomono man marking him. The away side were forced to play route one football but Humphrys had ran himself into the ground meaning The Robinson took his place. A short spell of pressure followed for the shrimpers but it amounted to nothing. With five minutes to go, Akinfenwa continued his impact winning every header that came to him and so Bond made a gamble. He took off Bwomono for Andre Blackman and hoped that he’d be the man to contain him. It wasn’t to be though and in the 90th minute, after a set piece situation, Akinfenwa was given too much space by Shaughnessy and White as he laid off a pass to Anthony Stewart to make the game 3-3. The away end was left heart broken; the players left shattered. It wasn’t to be the end of the nightmare though, with at least 5 minutes of stoppage time to be given after injuries to various players. Wycombe kept attacking, Nick Freeman played through Scott Kashkett who lost Ralph, skipped past Shaughnessy and slotted home to give Wycombe the lead.

At the end of the game, Southend’s players came over to applaud the travelling shrimpers; the opposition manager came and applauded the travelling shrimpers; but one man didn’t- Bond. There’s no denying that yesterday’s result should never have happened, and about 95% of the Southend United Facebook Group were calling for Bond’s Head, #BondOut grew in popularity on Twitter and talk on the way out of the ground was one of disgust. Kevin Bond came under lots of criticism for not facing the fans, including criticism by me, but looking back with a calmer head, it’s understandable why. He had just seen his team throw away three valuable points which meant they are still the only team in the EFL without a point. I’m sure he was hurting like the rest of us and couldn’t face the embarrassment of going over to the fans.

Many fans blamed Bond for the defeat, but controversially or not, I have to disagree. Wycombe have made their best ever start to a League One Campaign, and under Bond we managed to take a 3-1 lead away from home. If Bond was so clueless and inept there was no way we would’ve made the gains we did. Many blamed the change in system and the substitutions for the defeat but you have to look at it logically. The change in system came at half time, whilst Blues were 2-1 up. In the last 10-15 minutes of the first half Wycombe were bombarding our defence and looked like they would grab a second. The change in system was designed to get rid of the gaps and apart from when they scored their second, it was working. Blues were solid and looked like they got their foothold back.

Fans on Facebook and Twitter criticised him for bringing both goalscorers off but that to me screams that they were either not at the game, or were judging based on emotions. Both strikers were a credit to themselves and the football club; both running themselves into the ground. When Blues psychologically decided they would hold on to their lead instead of grab more goals, a direct approach was made. Humphrys did not have the legs to keep chasing and so Bond brought on Theo Robinson to chase the passes (something our own fans have specifically said that’s when Theo should be used). Unfortunately, and not to the fault of KB, Robinson failed to make the impact we would’ve wanted. Goodship also ran himself into the ground and with him being tired, many of Wycombe’s attacks came down our left wing. Bond brought on Ndukwu, who has looked solid since joining, another sensible decision.

The third and final substitution, which seems to be the most controversial, was when Bond brought off Elvis Bwomono for Andre Blackman in the 89th minute. Some of the questions I’ve seen asked is why was it made so late in the game- but it was obvious to anyone who was at Adams Park that there’d be at least 5 minutes of stoppage time thanks to various injuries and substitutions. Bwomono is not the tallest of defenders and certainly isn’t one of the most physical in the team. This showed when Akinfenwa kept shrugging him off like he wasn’t there. In Blackman, there is a slightly more experienced defender, who is both taller and stronger, and may have been able to cope better. This is not to say Elvis had a bad game and was probably one of our better players but I completely understand why Bond made the decision to bring him off. I’ve seen people say that it was this decision that lost us the game but it was a set piece which saw the equaliser (where all eleven players were in the box) and Nathan Ralph’s man who scored the winner.

It is no doubt a massive concern to any Southend fan that we have made our worst ever start to a campaign but you have to look at it without the emotion. The truth of the matter is that we have made massive improvements each game. I do not think it’s good enough at the moment and I have said this multiple times. 14 goals in 5 games is disgraceful and the wait for a cleansheet is gruelling. Fans have said it’s Bond’s fault because he has had a summer to bring in new players and get rid of the mentality. This isn’t FIFA and we aren’t a Premier League Club. We can’t just identify a problem and fix it overnight. We can’t just release players from their contract and sign new players- it costs money we don’t have. We can’t bring in five new players and increase the budget when we are almost £20m in debt. On Wednesday, Southend were faced with another winding up petition at Court showing a real cause for concern. Bond repeatedly says he wants to get rid of the culture that was left from his predecessor and was criticised for saying it could take two windows time. Next June, there are eleven Southend players out of contract and at the moment I can only think of 2-3 who deserve a new deal. Nobody likes losing every week and nobody likes seeing the club where it is but there isn’t a magic money tree that can come and fix this, and there isn’t a magic manager who can wave a wand and get us in the top six. The legacy of last season will remain for a while and the Sunderland game cannot paper over the cracks.

Bond has not been perfect and he certainly has made mistakes. Changing systems each week must surely damage the players and there must be consistency. I’m seeing consistency in the way Bond wants to play but I’m not seeing consistency in the execution. Before Saturday, Blues had scored one goal, an own goal, and shipped 10. The problem is there for all to see and must be sorted before Southend United become a League Two club. On Tuesday night, Posh’s owner Darragh MacAnthony said we played good football and yesterday Gareth Ainsworth had high praise for us after the game, saying he felt it was now that we’d turn a corner. We all know Ron Martin is a lenient chairman and so we, as fans, must stick together. It’s soul destroying losing every week and sometimes you ask yourself why you do it, but I have no doubt Bond will come good. We have a great opportunity to get through to the third round of the Carabao cup before a home game vs Rochdale. Whether you’re Bond In or Bond Out, we’d be lying if we said we weren’t concerned about the state of the club but this is a results based business and time is definitely running out for the man in charge to get it right. UTB.

On Saturday afternoon, Southend traveled to Sincil Bank in search of their first league win of the season just four days after progressing to the second round of the Caraboa Cup. Bond opted to stick with his side that beat Stevenage with only John White coming in to replace the injured Harry Lennon. It was to be no guaranteed victory though, as Blues’ opponents had won their 3 previous games, scoring 5 and conceding 0. Danny Cowley’s Lincoln City were loving life in League One, and they were looking to continue their perfect start. Since Cowley’s appointment in 2016, Lincoln fans have been living on Cloud 9 with two promotions and an FA Cup Quarter Final being achieved. In that same time, however, us Southend fans have had a rockier period, seeing two manager sackings, loss of our best players and a drop in the League One table from 7th to 19th.
And it was this fate that continued in the game, with Lincoln looking like they were in a completely different league to the Shrimpers. Southend did look like they were matching their hosts for the first part of the match, with Sam Mantom hitting the post after just seven minutes on the clock. It was too good to be true though, with Lincoln’s quality growing stronger with each passing minute. Former Southend man Jack Payne showed the exact performance we have been missing since the Leigh-on-Sea born midfielder left with not one defender being able to get close to him.
Set pieces are a huge part of Lincoln’s success and so pointless fouls should’ve been avoided. However, as with every Southend side, the basics were not followed when fullback Neal Eardly was brought down on the edge of the box. With the resulting free-kick, Lincoln scored with a great header from Jason Shackell. It was at exactly this point that I knew it was game over. Southend have won just 5 games in 2019 and in only one of these wins, had the Shrimpers come from behind. The goal also meant that Blues’ wait for a clean sheet extended to 29 games, a very worrying stat. After Lincoln’s goal it became men against boys with the visitors unable to get out of their half. Just 9 minutes later, Lincoln doubled their lead with another set-piece. Harry Toffolo and Jack Payne skipped past young Elvis Bwomono and Isaac Hutchinson to slot home the second. Half time ended with many away fans fuming at the performance, and rightly so.
Kevin Bond would’ve hoped for a reaction from his side and brought on Stephen Humphrys for Charlie Kelman, who had a disappointing first half. However, the side did not grant his wishes, when just three minutes inside the second half Joe Shaughnessy brought down Tyler Walker inside the box before the Imps striker converted to make it three. At this point, some of the 600+ travelling fans concluded they had seen enough and headed for the turnstiles. Who could blame them? At the top of my memory, Saturday’s second half was the worst 45 minutes I had seen us play in almost 150 games. Our team of professionals were helpless and were nothing more than ball watchers. On the 81st minute, Southend’s day went from terrible to nightmare as Andrade slotted home to give Southend their biggest defeat since Plymouth Away on March 2018.
The game seemed to be a symbol of Southend’s current state. Over 600 loyal supports travelled the 326-mile round trip filled with optimism and hope of a performance that made them proud to be Southend but were quickly left disappointed with a spineless performance that made them embarrassed. At full time, those who were left in the crowd still showed their loyalty and applauded the members of the team that bothered to come and apologise.
The truth is, this isn’t a one-off and it isn’t a problem with the manager. The club has been on a steady downfall since beating Chesterfield 4-0 in 2017. The unbreakable bond of our players and the “never say die” attitude has slowly disappeared with the departures of Adam Barrett, Ryan Leonard, Michael Timlin and more. Southend’s transfer policy has been one of a gamble rather than sophisticated. Premier League has-beens have been signed who couldn’t care less about the club’s performance as long as they get paid. Youngsters who have a few good games at the u18 level get promoted to the first team and think they are better than they are leaving the fans to be let down week after week.
Not everyone at the club is like this. Stephen Humphrys, the man who kept us in League One, was brought on at half time (by which point the game was over) and received zero service all game. If anyone had no blame for the defeat it was him; however the Mancunian born striker showed his passion for the club and was the first player to come and apologise to the fans. It is this sort of drive that has been missing for numerous seasons. The club has a losing mentality and sets out not to lose games rather than to go and win them.

Kevin Bond is trying to install his philosophy into the side, however our fans cannot expect this to happen straight away. He has taken over a side that has spent the past 2+ seasons playing route one football and is now being asked to build from the back. You do not become pro at a new system straight away and you certainly don’t get rid of a losing mentality over night.

At Coventry we looked nervy but grew into the game and matched the hosts for at least the final half hour of the game- we were ultimately beaten by a very good team goal. At Blackpool we were beaten by 3 individual mistakes which could’ve easily been avoided and 3 of Lincoln’s 4 goals yesterday came from set pieces. If these scorelines were spread out across the season there’d be little concern. We have faced three of the top four sides in the league at the moment and have two tough fixtures up next in Peterborough and Wycombe.

The scorelines seem to suggest that we have been played off the park with no sign of hope however going off stats that’s not the case. I don’t like using stats as a reference to games as it only takes one shot to win a game but it does make for interesting reading. In the three games we’ve played, Blues have averaged 54% possession, their highest being 63% Vs Blackpool. The Shrimpers have also completed an average 426 passes a game, a massive improvement from Chris Powell’s legacy. The stats also show that Blues are pressing up field. In the three defeats, we have had a combined 35 shots but just 8 of these have been on target. There is clearly room for improvement but now is not the time to be calling for the gaffer’s head.

Things in football can change so quickly as us Southend fans know. 3 months ago Southend were a League Two Club for 17 minutes. 2 years and 3 months ago Southend were in the League One Playoffs for 9 minutes and over 4 years ago the Shrimpers were 22 seconds away from another season in the basement of English Football. It’s time to stick together and back the players; that first win may not come this month but it’s around the corner and when it comes, it’ll feel good. We have to keep showing up and sing from the first minute to the last, because this is the club that does not know when it is beaten. UTB.

Just three days on from the disappointing defeat against Blackpool, Southend had a chance to right the wrongs with a short trip up the A1 to League Two Stevenage in the first round of the Caraboa Cup. On paper, it should’ve been an easy victory however Blues haven’t won in the competition since 2010, a fete which has seen Southend lose their last 8 games in the competition. Both sides were looking for their first victory of the season, and Bond demanded a response from his side.

The manager opted for a 4-4-2, with Bishop being given his first start of the season between the sticks; a back four of Elvis Bwomono, Joe Shaughnessy, Harry Lennon and Nathan Ralph; Isaac Hutchinson was given his second start of the season whilst Stephen McLaughlin returned to the side on the other wing; Captain Mark Milligan and Sam Mantom were in the middle of the park whilst Simon Cox and young Charlie Kelman started up top.

It was a bright start for the Shrimpers when Kelman pounced on the ball in the middle of the park before driving forward and setting up Stephen McLaughlin for a strike just outside of the box. Macca was determined to impress after his horror show vs Coventry and he was doing exactly that. The Irishman linked well with his teammates and caused many problems for the Stevenage defence. The pressure continued and Southend won an early free kick on the eighth minute on the edge of the box after a foul on Nathan Ralph. However, Mantom’s freekick struck the back of Harry Lennon’s head leaving the centre half on the floor for a good minute. It was noticeable that this affected the defender, who seemed to be showing signs of concussion. The 24 year old was struggling to move properly and didn’t have a clue where he was or what he was doing. This caused problems for us, and on the 14th minute Dean Parrett hit a wonderful strike from 20 yards out against the run of play to put the hosts 1-0 up.

The goal meant Blues’ wait for a cleansheet extended to 28 games. It was no longer a question of if Southend had the ability to perform but if they had the mental toughness to fight back away from home. At first it seemed this wouldn’t be the case. Heads dropped and the defence began to sit back. More mistakes from Lennon meant Kevin Bond had no choice but to bring the defender off for John White, his first appearance since scoring Vs Sunderland.

The confidence began to grow again and a succession of corners piled on the pressure against Stevenage with the away side pushing for an equaliser. Elvis Bwomono had perhaps his best game in a Southend shirt last night, beating his defender at every opportunity and made advantage of the space he was given. The youngster was only stopped when he was fouled, which seemed to be going unpunished from referee Christopher Sarginson.

Southend’s domination wasn’t over and with five minutes of the first half to go Isaac Hutchinson had a glorious chance to equalise had it not been for a great block from the Stevenage defender. Halftime finished 1-0 to the hosts but it would be interesting to see if the visitors could capitalise on their domination.

And Blues did just that. 2 minutes into the second half a perfect Elvis Bwomono cross found the head of Charlie Kelman who scored on his first start of the season; his first goal since the wonder strike Vs Plymouth Argyle in January. With this goal, Southend were playing with a confidence I hadn’t seen in a long time. Blues were pushing and could only be stopped by a series of fouls from their League Two opposition. The eight minute spell was concluded with yet another Charlie Kelman goal- a sweetly hit strike inside the box after a crisp pass from Nathan Ralph.

After this goal, the game was all Southend. Bwomono was a man on a mission, almost unplayable down the right hand side whilst Isaac Hutchinson also done damage, keeping the Stevenage defence on strings. Charlie Kelman’s high pressing also helped cause problems and it was a great advert for the work of Ricky Duncan and the Academy Staff. Down the other end, Nathan Bishop had a quality game. Not called upon often, the youngster kept his focus and commanded his box (something which seems to be missing when Ox plays). The youngster was not afraid to come out for balls and even left his box a few time to clear a few passes. He definitely gets my vote to start on Saturday.

On the 77th minute, Andre Blackman replaced Stephen McLaughlin for his first appearance of the season. The fullback played the remainder of the game on the wing and impressed the travelling fans with his skill and strength. The defender, who is on a monthly contract, definitely repaid the faith Bond put in him and didn’t put a foot wrong.

It was only the last 5 minutes of the game in which Stevenage caused problems. As expected, Southend sat back and invited pressure. However, the Shrimpers kept their heads and saw out their first victory in the EFL cup since 2010. Blues were rewarded for their troubles with an exciting (!) home tie against fellow League One opposition MK Dons. That said, whilst it is a boring tie, it is a winnable one. It is an opportunity for further prize money and an extra chance of playing one of the big boys in Round 3.

Final Verdict: It was an exciting game from Southend. Bond’s tactics and formation were spot on and every player on the pitch was outstanding. Charlie Kelman’s high pressing saw him reap the rewards with his first professional brace whilst Isaac Hutchinson and Nathan Bishop also impressed. White and Shaughnessy were solid at the back whilst Milligan commanded his midfield for the third game in a row. The standout player for me however was Elvis Bwomono. It was a superb performance from the young fullback who made not one mistake the entire game. Up next, we face Danny Cowley’s Lincoln City in front of a bumper crowd at Sincil Bank which will be our toughest test yet. It will be interesting to see if Bond keeps with the side that won last night or if he opts to make a few changes against a side who are yet to concede this season.

Competitive football returned to Roots Hall for the first time since Stephen Humphrys’ heroic match winner vs Sunderland. Both of Bond’s two wins last season came at home, leaving many shrimpers to be optimistic about the season ahead. However this optimism turned to realism after just nine minutes when Harry Lennon’s own goal gave Blackpool the lead in unfortunate circumstances. Following a Blackpool freekick, debutant Liam Ridgewell failed to head the ball away, falling to Mark Oxley, who under pressure from two Blackpool players could only half-heartedly punch the ball into the Harry Lennon’s calf before bouncing back into the net.

It was clear to see that this goal affected blues. The team have kept just two clean sheets in 2019, the latest being January 26th in a 4-0 win vs bottom of the league Bradford, a run equalling 27 games (including preseason). Things turned from bad to worse just three minutes later when Stephen Humphrys’ misplaced pass found Sullay Kaikai in the middle of the park playing a crisp ball past Liam Ridgewell to Nathan Delfouneso who put the Ball over Mark Oxley to make it 2-0. This was frustrating for the home fans who let their feelings known to Kevin Bond’s side. The Essex Side were still slow to get going and on the 28th minute, Blackpool nearly added a third had it not been for a good Mark Oxley save.

Simon Grayson’s men kept pushing though and on the 37th minute awful defending between Liam Ridgewell and Harry Lennon meant Delfouneso added his second. Game over. The first half ended with boos ringing out from the stands.

Speaking to mates at half time, some blamed the formation. However I don’t think that was to blame for the defeat. At Coventry, we learned one up top did not work. Bond opted with a 5-3-2 this week, a difference from the 4-3-3 just 7 days earlier. Cox and Humphrys are our two best strikers available at the moment and were justifiable changes, despite Cox starting his preseason a week and half ago. In his post match conference, Bond labelled the front two “shocking” which was fair despite there being little service for the majority of the game. The gaffer also opted to change his midfield to Mark Milligan, Sam Mantom and Isaac Hutchinson, a welcome change. This midfield however disappointed the fans. Sam Mantom was nowhere to be seen and young Isaac Hutchinson was clearly frustrated after missing a few early chances. This frustration seemed to get the better of him, trying hard to impress instead of playing the simple balls. That said, Hutchinson did take a few good set pieces although I’m sure he’ll be disappointed in his performance. The only player who can hold his head held high was Mark Milligan. The Aussie Xabi Alonso was a silver lining in a disastrous performance. A true leader, Milligan was commanding his team mates where to move and what runs to make, something which he shouldn’t have to do.

It was the defence however that was the biggest problem. As stated, Blues have not kept a cleansheet in 27 games and all three goals today could have been avoided. Five at the back was needed to cope with the threat of Sully Kaikai, Nathan Delfouneso and Armand Gnanduillet. After witnessing one of the best debuts I’ve seen in Nathan Ralph last week it was only fair I got to see one of the worst in Liam Ridgewell today. The former Hull City man was clearly chosen too soon, at fault for at least two of the goals today before being subbed off on the 52nd minute to sarcastic applause.

This game showed the need for a creative midfielder though. If we are to play out from the back, Bond must sign someone who has the intelligence and ability to pick a pass out of nowhere and inspire our strikers to push forward. Layton Ndukwu’s introduction seemed to make some impact down the right hand side but it wasn’t until the 70th minute when Blues started to trouble the Blackpool defence. A disgusting tackle from James Husband on Elvis Bwomono meant he got sent off (despite the linesman not even flagging for a foul!). After a period of corners, Isaac Hutchinson found Harry Lennon who assisted Simon Cox for his first goal of the season. A multitude of shots than attacked the Blackpool defence with Mark Milligan forcing a good save from ‘keeper Jak Alnwick from long range.

Southend kept pushing and in the 93rd minute Theo Robinson missed a header from 3 yards out after Charlie Kelman’s header was rebounded into his path. It was to be the last piece of action as the referee ended the game for Southend to kick off their home campaign with a defeat. Blues were beaten 13 times at home last season, a club record, and everything must be done to ensure this fate isn’t repeated. We go to Stevenage on Tuesday night in hope of our first League Cup win since 2010 before a tough trip to Lincoln, who have won both of their League One games without conceding. Bond must iron out these defensive errors if the club are to push on from last season and avoid relegation. Whatever happens, Southend till I die. UTB.

From SS2 and Beyond, Southend fans follow over land and sea much to their own disappointment. Here you’ll find my views on all things Southend. UTB!

In a sport dictated by lavish sponsorship deals and TV Rights, many clubs are struggling to survive and thrive. Coventry will play this season away from home, Bolton are struggling to survive whilst Bury fans don’t even know if they will have a club to support come the end of the season. However, the problems don’t stop there. Blackpool have only just got rid of their disgraceful owner, clubs such as my own are struggling to pay wages on time and many fans are worried about the future.

These blogs will focus on all things Southend- on the pitch and off the pitch. After the great escape pulled off last season, I will be following Southend as they look to build on and put last season’s mess behind us. I’ll be giving my honest views on the good and the bad.