Ratings v Wednesday (2 Viewers)

[Boicey]

Rushworth is a great keeper but showed why he isn't in the England reckoning. His distribution is extremely erratic - once again he booted the ball straight out of play at kick off, as he so often does. And he was extremely fortunate not to concede in the first half when he gifted the ball to a striker, with another in attendance. Fortunately, he is good at making tackles.

He slowed the game down in the first half (shades of Arsenal). Why?

He's a huge, huge talent, but he really needs to work on aspects of his game.

FTT's form has really dipped. Is he exhausted? Work needed on his fitness over the summer? Is his lack of game time in the first half of the season having an impact?

BTA is a great player, but he doesn't fit the Sakamoto role. He kept drifting infield, meaning we were too narrow. On the other wing, EMC was marked out of the game by Fusire, although I thought Markello did better against him.

MVE needs to learn to get back more quickly when we lose the ball (Dabo, although less skilled, was very good at that). He'll leave us very vulnerable in the PL if he doesn't get back down the pitch more quickly. He was our best attacking threat though.

Wright - another insipid performance. Simms offered a lot more when he came on, but then lacked the composure / skill to convert chances. We Will need a conventional striker who can bully defences and take chances. That is not going to be easy to find.

Rudoni was bizarre. Against Derby he occupied the spaces between the lines of defence brilliantly. Yesterday, he didn't (same against Hull).

Grimes remains pure class, but can only do so much on the pitch.

Overall, it was a bizarre performance, in reality extremely complacent (as some of us predicted in the match thread). Hopefully, we can relax now, but if we play like that then Friday could be another disappointment. Blackburn need a win, which will help, but a good tactic from them will be a low block and breaking at pace. The very large away crowd could get impatient, which will aid them. A point is far from guaranteed unless we up the game a lot.

We are so much better when we start with real intensity (e.g vs Middlesbrough). That must be the plan on Friday, surely?

Agree with most of that. But BTA most certainly isn't a 'great player'.

 

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[Cally Fedora]

He’s been great for us this season

 

[wingy]

Agreed - I said "He was our best attacking threat though."

Maybe he should have played in Saka's place with the New kid in his place.

 

[PUSB-We_are_going_up]

The defenders ratings are a bit low we kept a clean sheet and didnt really set a foot wrong?

 

[Sky Blue Pete]

Why?
He's been an amazing signing and I'd say a major reason why we got our season back on track, but he's been poor last 2 or 3 games.

Don't see anyone arguing with that.

Been plenty

interestingly I think a half time change taking him off and going two up top would have been a good move yesterday

 

[Ellery Cairo's Wig]

MOTM for me was JDS purely for the fact that he won four headers! The only thing that would have topped that would have been a right footed pass from Matt Grimes. Great end result, sub-standard performance. Hopefully the pressure is off now and they can get back to normal service (but please no more BTA on the right wing, although to be fair he was hardly ever actually on the right wing).

 

[skyblueiom]

I've been critical of MVE but he was prob our best player Saturday. Proper wound me up when in dying sweconds Torp didnt beat the first man, then his second attempt blocked grrrrrrr. why doesnt EMC drive for the byline and cross with his left foot more - hes proven he can do it, and given he usually cuts inside the defender prob doesnt expect it. And when did we last score from a set piece - corners long throws i cant remember the last time we even won a header let alone scored.

 

[AOM]

Although it was a cameo of sorts Markelo looked ok

First time I've actually seen Markelo play, and I thought he looked alright.
Reminded me a bit like Mason-Clark with how he's quite big, has good close control and a bit of skill.
Thought he was more of a threat than Esse

 

[shmmeee]

The only piece of skill for me was Eccles header that just went past the upright. He had to work really hard to get it even where it went and IMHO is the best headerer of the ball in the club. He anticipates it, attacks it and then by design steers it where he wants it to go. You compare that to Simms or Wright who have no anticipation, or plan 'b' incase of a deflection. Hate attacking it because they are not natural headerers of a ball and if by miracle, they make contact, if it lands on target it is usually by pure luck. If Eccles was a few inches taller he would make a marvelous Centre forward. Not Prem standard but he'd get a hatful in the lower leagues.

Simms has scored the joint most headers in the league but go off

 

[wingy]

Been plenty

interestingly I think a half time change taking him off and going two up top would have been a good move yesterday

I'd have done it, but who knows on Friday.