Southend United boss rips into 'weak' players after throwing lead away to lose to 10-man Chesterfield

Kevin Maher played for Southend and now manages them. Picture: Getty.

Leading 2-1 and with a man extra in the second-half, it was the Shrimpers who looked like extending their advantage but great goals from Joe Quigley and Jeff King saw them fall to defeat.

And Maher blasted his side as ‘weak’, ‘naïve’ and questioned their ‘desire.’

"When you’re playing top of the table teams you’ve got to stand up to it,” Maher told the Southend Echo.

“We got into the lead and with them down to 10-men you’ve got to win the game.

“We went into our shells and decided to sit back.

“It’s not a lack of quality, it’s a lack of desire.

“It’s the mentality more than anything else. It tells me about character with one or two.

“But I’m not waiting for anyone. If they can’t cope with coming to a top of the table team, being 2-1 up with a bit of a crowd going then they shouldn’t be here.

“Proper teams would put that to bed but we’re not that yet.

“We’re a nearly team all the time.”

The defeat leaves Southend 14th after two wins from eight.

Maher added: “You can’t carry people.

“I’m not having that.

“We’ll lose one or two over it.

“We’ll find out about character and find out about people in games like this.

“We have too many who are a bit too weak for it.

“We do some things ever so well but we’re naïve with a lot of things.

“People have got to learn quickly if they’re to come on the journey with us. “