SOUTHEND 2 CITY 0

WELL Michael Collins has certainly got one thing right.

On the eve of the Essex trip, he said that anyone wanting an easy life in football management was in the wrong profession.

That message has been rammed home for the rookie coach with the testing events of the last week or so.

The euphoria of that first-day victory at Shrewsbury has been swamped by three losses – one to a club from the division below – and the scenario surrounding Tyrell Robinson.

Collins is having to learn his trade fast and the hard way.

It was easy to feel some sympathy for the him as he watched his players shoved aside by a Southend team who, in his own post-match words, simply wanted it more.

That’s the most damning indictment for any footballer but City were simply second-class citizens in every department of the game.

They didn’t win enough tackles, were beaten to second balls, couldn’t stop crosses and were too passive when they did get possession.

It made for hugely uncomfortable viewing for Collins, the 400 travelling fans and chairman Edin Rahic, whose frustrated presence loomed large directly above the dug-out.

All the hype about the quality in this squad right now looks exactly that. All talk, no action.

There appear to be several currently living off their reputations; good players on paper but not reproducing that where it matters in a claret and amber shirt.

Maybe there is a complacency over places in the team without the sufficient competition to keep people on their toes.

If the likes of Jake Reeves and Alex Jones were fit and firing, perhaps there would be a bit more urgency in midfield and the attacking positions. Similarly, if Robinson had been available for selection.

Collins made his point during the Roots Hall roll-over with the early withdrawal of Jack Payne and Hope Akpan – two of those guilty of not doing themselves justice.

Payne, in particular, carries such high hopes from the Bantams this season after bossing the division last year with Oxford and Blackburn.

But since that great start at Shrewsbury, his star has been on the wane – smothered by Barnsley’s double-teaming tactics and then off the pace back in his home town this weekend.

His frustration at being subbed before the hour point was clear but it demonstrated that Collins was not going to put up with a below-par display whoever it was.

Akpan fared little better as City never came close in the midfield battle against Sam Mantom and Valley Parade old boy Timothee Dieng.

That left the defence exposed to an attritional afternoon as Southend maintained their reputation as League One’s busiest – if not hottest – shots.

The Shrimpers had gone into the game with 10 more efforts at goal than any other in the division – and kept up that tally with another 21.

City, in contrast, tested home keeper Mark Oxley only twice. Sub Jordan Gibson blew the best opportunity to claw their way back into the contest when he tried a step-over to fool him after Luca Colville slid him through on goal.

Colville, to be fair, emerged with some credit as he followed up a goal-scoring debut at Macclesfield with another bright effort in difficult circumstances. He tried to keep City going forward and looked to make a positive impression when few around him did the same.

Pity those around him could not have shown a similar willingness to get involved.

Tellingly, Southend boss Chris Powell felt his side had played better in their opening two games – which had produced just one point.

But they were still comfortably ahead of City, who laboured from the start.

The tone was set early and the only surprise was that it took Southend until after the break to turn their control of the contest into a lead.

The shots had stacked up before the break, Michael Kightly, Jason Demetriou and Mantom all going close.

Eoin Doyle, once again left high and dry to feed off scraps up front, offered a single retort to briefly stir Oxley.

Collins had stuck with his favoured 4-2-3-1 but Doyle got scant help from a midfield that lacked any conviction.

Joe Riley was once more the half-time fall guy as Kelvin Mellor took the right-back reins for the second period. But within 11 minutes Southend had struck twice from that side.

Kightly teed up the first for Tom Hopper to power through the pack and then Coker’s cross found a criminally-unattended Cox to nod a simple second.

Collins switched to two up front and threw on George Miller but thoughts of any comeback looked fanciful.

City could have made it an interesting final 10 minutes when Colville sent Gibson scampering clear.

But he infuriatingly tried to be too clever when presented with a one-on-one with Oxley and the Southend skipper read his attempted trick to snuff out the danger.

Just one goal from the first three league games represents City’s worst scoring start since 2009. It’s not as if they have been hammering at the door.

“Nothing is set in stone and if I feel changes need to be made, then I will do that,” said Collins afterwards.

“You have to show the club that level of respect and we were found short in that area. We’ve got to address that very quickly.”

But for all the talk of shaking things up, how many options are really at his disposal?

Those who are coming up short right now will know there are no obvious replacements breathing down their neck to challenge their position.

City’s squad may look big in number but the actual depth in certain areas remains questionable.

Those under-performing right now have nobody but themselves to push them to get out this rut. Or things are going to get even more uncomfortable very quickly.

The criticism, bubbling under since the shock appointment of Collins two months ago, is growing louder. Already, he finds his position under huge public scrutiny.

No-shows like Saturday can only accelerate that discontent.

Back-to-back home games this week against Burton and Wycombe offer the chance of instant salvation by rediscovering that momentum. Two positive results and the tension dies down.

Equally, they could become a double-edged sword if City don’t buck up smartish.

SOUTHEND: Oxley 6, Demetriou 7, White 7, Turner 7, Coker 6, Kightly 8 (Hendrie 89min), Dieng 7, Mantom 7, McLaughlin 7, Cox 7 (Robinson 76min), Hopper 7 (Klass 90min). Subs (not used): Bwomono, Kyprianou, McCoulsky, Bishop.

CITY: O’Donnell 6, Riley 4 (Mellor 46min, 5), McGowan 6, O’Connor 6, Chicksen 6, Akpan 5 (Miller 62min), Wright 6, Scannell 5, Payne 4 (Gibson 57min, 5), Colville 7, Doyle 6. Subs (not used): Knight-Percival, Wood, Hudson, Wilson.