Southend United fans have their say on defeat to Cheltenham Town

Damned if he does and dammed if he doesn’t. One mistake cost us what would have been an excellent point. We could have got at them from the start and lost 3-0, bad for confidence and goal difference.

@Hartypoos

If at the start of the night I'd been offered that we collect the same number of points as Grimsby and Barrow I'd have taken it. Tough game, almost nicked a point.

@Moorhouse79

Molesley should have stuck with the same team as last week. Leaving Ferguson out and isolating Acquah up the front cost us.

@clarebear62_b

Looked solid other than a clumsy challenge to gift them the penalty. Yet again lacking ideas going forward. Personally I would have kept Hobson centre back with White and put JD right back. It was always going to be a difficult task though and attention turns to Saturday.

@KetchleyShane

Set up very defensively and absorbed almost everything they threw at us. Midfield was weak and meant Acquah was isolated and we were forced to hit long balls. New keeper impressed me, looked assured and comfortable. No complaints on the penalty.

@Kaylalula

Plan was to nick a 0-0 or a late win with substitutions.Rested some key players for Sat and it very nearly worked.Personally I don’t like any midfield when it doesn’t have Taylor, Macca, Ferguson in it. Akinola has to play as well.We are more than capable of getting three points Sat.

@AdamMarsh000

Disappointed with the changes , this isn’t hindsight, said the same at the start. Why break up Hobson/White? We are organised, no argument. But why rest players that should be starting. We need points. Ferguson, Taylor, Simeon, if fit, should start. Battled hard, no points though.

@harrisufc

Need to keep Hobson and White together at CB whenever fit.

@Jones616Kevin

It’s always fine margins not thrashings that decide things down the bottom: 1-nils, 2-1s. Difficult to be too critical after last few games but if you set up to create few chances you’ve got to be cut-throat clinical. Lucky with results elsewhere but can’t keep relying on that.

@TimBlore1

Disappointed. I felt we could've taken it to them rather than setting up too defensively and resting key attacking players. A game that we weren't expected to take anything from, but, gutting nonetheless after some reasonable results lately.

@PJDW3

No shots on target ,defend from kick off ,long balls to a so called striker ,but can't blame him this time with no help. Won't be safe playing like this every game.

@FATBOYCLARKIE

Shocking. Created nothing, just very very poor. To be fair they weren’t the best but created and played the ball around a lot better than us. Can’t believe MM says we will get enough goals to stay up! Bring in Simpson!

@preshedge2

Was happy with the performance and 0-0 at HT, no shots on target at all is very disappointing, however we’re not going to get something from every team at the top of the table.

@SteveShelsher

Too many long balls, we play so much better when we get the ball down and pass it around. Didn’t look like scoring but looked much better defensively and it all came down to one stupid tackle to give away the penalty that lost us the game.

@BowendjDan

Lots of commendable running about and attempts to move the ball faster. No end product. There is no point sticking Acquah up there on his own. Dieng should have scored.

@Raycrud

Set up not to lose. However if ye don’t have any shots on target you’ll never win. Move on, bring on Oldham. We just need a couple of wins with other results going out way and we’ll be ok.

@glentiesbhoy

Got the line up wrong, players were out of position and it showed. Our experienced players looked leggy and past it (RH, GH, JD). Everyone will focus on the one stupid mistake but the rest of the 89mins was filled with lacklustre play, no presence in midfield and a weak attack.

@ajpcrowe

No need to panic or be negative. The local radio team from Cheltenham were very upbeat about Southend. To only lose by one goal (it was a penalty too) against top of the League and some supporters not happy, goes to show how far we have come. Onto Saturday now.

@ScottyBarber12

Team selection was wrong, we should have started with the 11 that finished the game. We need to be playing to pick up points for the current game, not keeping in reserve for the next. It’s also two chances we’ve missed at pulling a bit clear, how many more will we get?

@BenRudd15

We need to play our forwards closer together our wing play seems like a luxury as even if our wide men beat opponents there are no players in the box to pass to so we should try going down the middle.

@phillsilver9

To win football matches you need to score goals. We’ve got good attacking players at the club now in Rick and Akinola, he needs to play to their strengths! No excuses, the manager's decisions are baffling and his tactics are shocking. We are down unless that changes and quickly!

@craig_childs84

MM got it wrong. Six changes?? We aren’t in a position to rest key players. Hobson isn’t a RB. Why split him and White up? Should have been JD at RB. Worrying choices again.

@Manleyst

Extremely frustrating but it just shows how far we have come. We need to start scoring more goals and creating more chances. We can’t keep scraping through games without scoring because we will be punished by these sorts of sides.

@_jedmondson

We’ve matched the team that ends the night top of the League. In fact, in recent weeks we’ve played all those near the top of the League and more than held our own. It speaks volumes for the level of quality in this League. Thought it was the sort of penalty we don’t get given.

@RyanStubbs_

I understand it was a tough ask  and players need to be protected with the schedule, but no shots on target and no corners in any game will pretty much get you nowhere. Can’t deny the organised, fighting spirit. We need to score. No getting round it.

@piershewitt

Deserved a point; silly penalty but feel bad for Hobson as the fall guy played out of position.No shots on target again but Dieng and Acquah missed sitters. No excuse for Halford being anywhere near the starting lineup with so many better midfield options.

@BryanGOBsmacked

Surely it’s time to be a little bit more attacking?. So dull to watch too, Oldham will be a good chance for us to have the same attacking style as we did at FGR. Another huge huge game for us.

@bennieyeSUFC

Wrong team selection cost us.Starting line up had no goal threat and so it turned out as we had no shots on target. Lack of ambition when we need points is crazy! Ok defence did well and we only lost by a penalty. But why didn’t Ferguson,Taylor and Akinola start? Play our best team MM!

@tommyharris57

Bottom three all lost, we had by far the harder game. Disappointing but let’s move onto Saturday. Oldham aren’t great at home. It’s winnable.

@easymorninrebel