Gateshead v Southend United: take the confidence north, leave the complacency behind

A good week — with one big question

The 3–1 win over Tamworth gave us plenty to smile about. Leon Chambers-Parillon kept his goalscoring run going, Promise Omochere added another important contribution and Sam Austin finished the job with a well-taken volley. A home victory, 17 points on the board and a place near the top: I would have taken that after the opening eight fixtures.

Yet it was the four substitutions at half-time that everybody wanted to talk about. Kieron Dyer changed a goalless match by introducing Austin, Twamley, Omochere and Massiah-Edwards. They transformed the attacking energy and gave Tamworth a second-half problem they could not solve.

The obvious question now is how many of them start at Gateshead. Omochere has influenced three matches in a row, and Austin has made a very strong case too. Chambers-Parillon, with five league goals and one in each of the last three games, surely deserves particular credit for the consistency of his finishing. It is a selection headache I am happy for the manager to have.

That said, it is not just about choosing the eleven most exciting attackers. We need balance. Tamworth still found a way back into the match after we went two ahead, and Carlisle had made life much harder than it needed to be. The challenge is to carry our attacking confidence north without carrying the defensive lapses with it.

Gateshead’s league position tells only part of it

Gateshead’s opening eight games have brought one win, one draw and six defeats. Their only victory was a 2–0 success against Woking; more recently they lost 4–0 at Forest Green and 1–0 at Kidderminster. Five goals scored, fourteen conceded and four matches without finding the net make for difficult reading.

But I would not fancy telling a Gateshead supporter that their team has nothing to play for. Quite the opposite. A struggling side on its own pitch needs a spark, and the arrival of one of the division’s in-form teams is exactly the sort of afternoon a manager can use to demand a response.

If Southend start slowly and allow Gateshead to win the midfield battles, their league position will be irrelevant. We have already seen what happens when we let the other side gain belief. I want us to respect the opposition, keep our shape and give them as little reason as possible to think an upset is coming.

Gateshead player to watch: Michael Spellman

Michael Spellman is a name worth noting even with Gateshead struggling for goals. He joined in the summer, has featured in Lee Cattermole’s forward plans and scored a stoppage-time equaliser against Solihull earlier this month. That tells us something useful about his determination.

After watching the ending at Carlisle, I have no desire to give another opposition attacker space in the dying moments. Spellman can be dangerous if the game opens up and he gets defenders turning. Keep him in front of us, make him work for possession and avoid inviting Gateshead back with careless clearances.

More broadly, the whole Gateshead attack needs taking seriously. They may only have five goals so far, but a single one at the right moment could change the atmosphere and give the hosts something to cling to.

What has worked away from Roots Hall

Southend have already won at Altrincham and Solihull, then shared the points at Woking and Carlisle. Eight points from four away games is an excellent base. The encouraging part is that the team has shown it can find a result in different circumstances.

The worrying part is how often we have relied on dramatic moments or outstanding saves. Duncan was important at Solihull and Carlisle, and those matches could both have slipped in the other direction. It is time to make the easier-looking fixtures genuinely easier by controlling the football rather than relying on another great escape.

There should be opportunities for Daley-Campbell and McAdam to supply width, for Oldaker to influence the ball through midfield and for Oli Coker to play his part. The movement of the forwards matters as much as the final pass. If Gateshead sit deep, we need patience and imagination; if they push out, we need to use the spaces behind them.

The long trip is no excuse

Gateshead International Stadium is not on anybody’s list of short away journeys from Southend. The supporters making it deserve an effort that reflects that commitment. This team has given them plenty to enjoy so far, and that is exactly why the expectation is growing.

I do not expect us to blow every opponent away. I do expect sharpness from the opening whistle, sensible decisions when we lose the ball and a willingness to keep playing even if the first chance does not go in.

Our prediction

Gateshead 0–2 Southend United

My score prediction before kick-off.