Post-Match Thread and Ratings Col Ewe vs SUFC 08/02/10

[TravellingBlue]

Mildy 7

Francis 5

Barrett 5

Mvoto 6

Malone 5

Scannell 8

Christophe 5

Moussa 5

Watt 6

Spencer 5

Laurent 5

Patterson 7

Pitch -100

Think Tilly got it right in post match interview. We gave away two very, very soft goals that should have been dealt with.

Thought we bossed the majority of the game. Laurent is the most frustrating player I have seen, has obvious skills but if you have a winger who can't pass the ball then he needs to go and learn! Spencer a lot of huff and puff but no real product. Sanchez, little flashes, but the game really passed him by. Paterson has very good feet, and gets into good positions, hope to see a lot more of him. Defensively Mvoto was a million times better than the Swindon game. Where we are lacking for me is midfield - need more strength.

Why was Adam's goal disallowed? Even after watching SSN this morning I still don't know????

A good performance, we deserved more, but roll on Saturday and taking a similiar performance we should get the three points.

 

[GBJ]

For me I reckoned 2nd half we were crying out for Dougie's brain as a way to get Spencer or Patterson in on goal and I'd have taken Franny off for him.

A few other comments, tactics were poor....again. At 2-0 down we should've gone for it, Dougie could've come on and changed that game,

I'm not picking on you Kay, just wondering, is this the same Dougie that played cack against Southampton because "the conditions didn't suit him?"

 

[GBJ]

Mildenhall - 7, Made some great saves. Wondered if he could have done more for the first?

Francis - 6, nothing speculative really

M'Voto - 4, injured or not, he was crap, and i'm beginning to wonder what everyone see's in him. Terrible against Swindon, terrible last night and was unbelieveably terrible against Brighton arlier in the season. He got mugged too easily last night, and looked shaky and scared.

Barrett - 6, solid performance, but he has to stop grappling with forwards.

Malone - 5, shocking deliveries, didn't push forward too much, got caught out a few times.

Scannell - 7, By far the best player on the pitch. Let's see if he can keep it up consistently now.

Moussa - 3, Was he even playing in the first half? second half he showed a bit more battle and fight and his rating goes upto 5

Christophe - 2, Useless. My (neutral) mate said the same. He completed one decent pass in the second half, but apart from that there's not a lot of good to say about him. He can't pass, some of his stuff make Macca's passing look Beckham-esque. when he gets the ball (at feet) he ***** himself and is more often than not tackled. Useless.

Watt - 5, showed he does have some talent, but last night wasn't really his cup of tea.

Laurent - 6, great 1st half, but no end product. went AWOL in the second half.

Spencer - 5, didn't do a lot wrong, then again, didn't do a lot.

IMO we just don't have the quality atm. We've got too much dross in our team, yet we can't do anything about it so just have to suffer it. I don't envy Tilly.

 

[monkwell]

Scannell's trickery and ambitious passing was all the more amazing given the pitch - he has so much potential and I really think he'll fulfil it if he gets a decent run of 90 minute games.

 

[sadsy]

Mildenhall 6 - Couple of good saves , might have done better for both goals

Francis 6 - 75% of the time looks class, the other 25% abysmal

Mvoto 6 - Shocking start and didn't look fit , did better as the game went on

Barrett 5 - Yes the pitch didn't help for the goal but still should have cleared it , usual commitment but looked uncomfortable defending all night. Would swap him for Baldwin on Sat or stick him at left back , doubt if Tilly will do it though.

Malone 5 - Did ok defensively but please stop let him taking set pieces.

Scannell 8 - Cracking game , best game in a Blues shirt

Christophe 6 - Worked hard , can't pass water !

Moussa 7 - Best game for a while , looked much better centre mid.

Watt 6 - Looked decent on the ball , didn't see enough of it though

Laurent 5 - So frustrating. Great on the ball and going past players , decision making awful.

Spencer 7 - Busy player always looking for the ball , has some spark about him. Good job his blaze of the bar was offside !

Paterson 6 - Good movement when he came on , keeper made a good save from best move of the match , tho Paterson could have done better with it

 

[wiggy]

Ok, problem was it was yet another enforced change of personnel that had had little time to do a great deal in training together, we'll see it again on Saturday when Baldwin, Vernon and Macca are back. For me I reckoned 2nd half we were crying out for Dougie's brain as a way to get Spencer or Patterson in on goal and I'd have taken Franny off for him.

Mildy - 5, had time to dive on that ball still for the first goal it was travelling so slowly, and then the 2nd he just stood there berating everyone when he really should have done better when the ball went across goal. For a big bloke that was not a good performance, although he did make a couple of good saves. Looks low on confidence again.
Franno - 7, Simon had a good game, kept their winger quiet and played well both defensively and in attack.
M'voto - 6, wobbily in the first half but improved in the second, few more games needed yet to be anything like he was. Baldwin back in on Saturday please.
Barrett - 5, struggled with Platt and then Gillespie all night, poor Adam, sometimes you're just fated to have a 'mare on Sky.
Malone - 6, don't get it why some are so hard on him, defensively he did well, the only problem was set piece delivery and that's easily solveable - don't let him do it!
Scannell - 8 MOTM, very encouraging performance from Damien, they didn't know how to play him and Tierney should've been carded a couple of times for the tackles he put in on him. Some good crosses, but like Laurent there were instances were Spencer was in a better position so looking before shooting still needs to be encouraged.
Moussa - 7, much more Mousse like performance, especially in the 2nd half and had the balls for a very good long range strike.
Jeff - 6, couple of decent speculative through balls to the youngsters and some bustling tackling going on in defence. I'm not sure people really understand his role.
Watt - 6, lots of running and looked confident enough, I think our league will be a shock to him somehow! Good defensive work though as well.
Laurent - 6, not a fan of his up front, and still believe he's better as the wide man, some great attacking runs and shots to be fair and normally we'd be quite happy that he was shooting, he's not played much with Spencer so is just not used to looking for him.
Spencer - 7, good game from Scotty, think he will do very well alongside Vernon. Made himself available and was more than happy to get in the mix.

Patterson for Spencer - 7, looked much more like it coming on but still would've liked to see the two youngsters up front together, probably a fitness thing still with Spencer though.

A few other comments, tactics were poor....again. At 2-0 down we should've gone for it, Dougie could've come on and changed that game, him and Patterson for Laurent and Christophe. Lino on our left was truly appalling and the ref was not great either. If in doubt give it to Colchester. The pitch was truly awful, the club ought to be fined for calling it a "playing surface", the PA system was not much better! Top marks though for having IPA on sale plus wine and spirits, and a very nice balti pie!

We though, were awesome! Fantastic atmosphere, well done to all that made the effort.

....you forgot Macca 9!

 

[Blues 'n twos]

Haha he weren't happy was he. If anyone has video'd it please stick it on youtube

Supershrimper1 has the whole thing on vid and will upload ASAP, quality take down!!

 

[Ayrshire Blue]

Mildenhall 5 - Could have smothered the thing before Barrett's attempted clearance and maybe put someone on the posts for the second, kicking was better but I don't like the guys body language and attitude at the moment.

Francis 5 - Dithered a couple of times and had a typical lack in concentration when he let the ball roll under his foot.
Mvoto 5 - Still doesn't look fit, very shaky start but gradually got better as the game when on.
Barrett 6 - Feel for him with the goal but there were two occasions to get rid of the ball before it got that far.
Malone 4 - I cannot for the life of me work out how this guy is still taking our set pieces, didn't beat the first man once.

Scannell 7 - Best game for us - complete contrast of the game at Millwall.
Christophe 6 - Worked hard and got stuck in, can't pass.
Moussa 6 - Much better from the Moose, looked very strong on the ball. Decent strike in the second half but it was straight down the keepers throat.
Watt 6 - Looked decent enough on the ball, will be a totally different player on a decent pitch.

Laurent 6 - Great pace and skill, but a bit of a greedy bar steward.
Spencer 7 - Full of energy and running, always wants the ball.

Subs-
Paterson 6 - Forced a good save after great work from Scannell, other than that struggle to think of anything to note.

 

[superblue24]

I sympathize with the attacking players last night who although dominated the game in spells, must have been wondering why they were bothering with the flimsy rearguard we have! I mean, that first goal, as sloppy and as much attributed to the pitch as you can have it, you still must be asking the quesstion of who was actually picking up Wordsworth? Barrett may well have plunged his foot into the cabbage patch instead of through the middle of the ball, but you can bet your *** that if the surface was perfect, Wordsworth would have struck it 10 times better giving Barrett no chance to get near clearing the ball. The second goal, again against the run of play, what on earth were the defence doing? Another sloppy gift of a goal!

If you ask me, the defence was a total mess last night with all but Barrett to blame. He dropped a clanger, but at least he showed some ability at the back for the next 87 minutes. M'Voto was clearly not match fit or alert in the first half, although surprisingly played fairly well in the second. Francis and Malone were awful.

The attacking side of the team can't be completely blameless either. For all of Laurents doubtless talent, it's all for nowt if he doesn't know the difference between when to shoot and when to square the ball for your colleague to tap in.

Scannell (motm) was clearly our best player, and I'm going to have real issues with next person who tries to tell me that Betsy was better or that he is a "flop". He cost £5K, which on the performances I have seen so far is a bargain! Despite the shockers I have seen from him. Compare Scannells worst performance against Betsy's, and their best....For me, Scannell comes out on top each time! (professionalism aside)

Christophe has either lost heart or ability. I would say its the former, and after seeing last nights rearguard performance, I'm not sure I can blame him! Moussa did OK imo.

Watt was pretty much anonymous all game until about 70 mins in, he managed a skillful dribble into the box ..... which came to nothing.

Spencer and Paterson also seemed to not have much impact on the game, although whether you can put that down to the lack of service from Messrs Laurent and Watt is another matter.

And the next person who can honestly tell me what was wrong with Barretts effort wins a Blue Peter badge....Did anyone feel the ref was a little biased last night?

 

[canveyshrimper]

And the next person who can honestly tell me what was wrong with Barretts effort wins a Blue Peter badge....Did anyone feel the ref was a little biased last night?

Absolutely not, I thought the ref (disallowed goal apart) had a good game, played some very good advantage (in our favour), particularly when Prutton took a hack at Scannell. Kept control of the game under very difficult pitch conditions, all in all one of the better refs we've had.

 

[superblue24]

Absolutely not, I thought the ref (disallowed goal apart) had a good game, played some very good advantage (in our favour), particularly when Prutton took a hack at Scannell. Kept control of the game under very difficult pitch conditions, all in all one of the better refs we've had.

I thought in the first half especially that every decision seemed to go against us. Probably calling the ref "biased" was a bit naive of me....More that most 50/50 decisions went the other way....Probably more lack of luck....

 

[Mick]

And the next person who can honestly tell me what was wrong with Barretts effort wins a Blue Peter badge....Did anyone feel the ref was a little biased last night?

Without the benefit of seeing it on TV, I thought from behind the goal that we were not getting our fair share of 50-50 decisions. The clear cut ones he got right, but those which were questionable seemed to go to the home side. I lost count of the number of times the ball went out of play and the referee and lino looked at each other with no idea, then gave the throw to them.

Also, he was quick to caution Laurent; less so the Colchester defenders who were, in my opinion, more culpable.

Not a bad performance though and didn't affect the result of the game (always a plus).

 

[superblue24]

Without the benefit of seeing it on TV, I thought from behind the goal that we were not getting our fair share of 50-50 decisions. The clear cut ones he got right, but those which were questionable seemed to go to the home side. I lost count of the number of times the ball went out of play and the referee and lino looked at each other with no idea, then gave the throw to them.

Also, he was quick to caution Laurent; less so the Colchester defenders who were, in my opinion, more culpable.

Not a bad performance though and didn't affect the result of the game (always a plus).

It was disappointing when Laurent surged down the left in the first half past that massive lump playing at right back who leaned into Laurent and then the ball went out for a goal kick....

What advantage was played there? Should have been pulled back for a free kick.....(Although probably would have ended in the same outcome!)

 

[EastStandBlue]

Tactically, especially in the first 20 minutes, I just couldn't work out how we were lining up and I don't think the players truly knew either. Scannell, Laurent and Watt kept getting in eachothers way (Although Watt has an excuse), Was Watt played through the centre? Was Laurent supposed to be up front? Were we looking to target a specific full-back? It was all a bit confused to be honest and it definitely attributed to our downfall.

Tilson talked all week long about changing our tactics to combat the pitch, which is great, except we didn't at all. We played some really slick football, looking to poke a hole through the Inbred defence and the flank on the right hand side of us was awful and hindered our attempts no end.

The sad thing is, for the first goal, you could watch 100 watches on a pitch as dreadful as that and it'd never happen again. Then again, part of me is glad it was Barrett, as if it was any other player at our disposal some of our fans would never give them the time of day again.

Ratings:

Mildenhall - 6 - Collected some things really well against the big set-piece attack, but was at fault for the second.

Francis - 6 - Tried to work something but just couldn't adapt to the pitch.
Barrett - 6 - Couldn't see anything wrong with his goal, looked Ok at the back.
M'voto - 6 - Looked sluggish, which was to be expected, but coped well enough with the physical presence
Malone - 5 - He's a footballing full back, so he was always going to hate this pitch. Let their winger in a few times though and his delivery was dreadful.

Scannell - 8 - One of the only players to be effective for 90 minutes. Constantly ran and is showing signs of what a run in the first team can do.
Laurent - 6 - Good first half, Ineffective second. Seems like I say that every week. If he played in Spencer rather than go for goal it could've been a very different story.
Watt - 6 - Knew he'd struggle with the pitch, but at least pass it to the lad. Made some clever runs, looked tricky and generally looked like he knew what to do. Will come into his own on a worthy pitch.
Christophe - 5 - Same again from the big man. Done his job well but provided very little else.
Moussa - 7 - Much improved in the second half, which surprised me as I thought he'd suffer. Made every effort to pass the ball and look positive, also having a good crack towards the end.
Spencer - 8 - I really do like the look of this lad. Until he faded in the second, he really put himself about and looked like he was causing problems. For a little lad he's certainly strong and I've no doubt he'll be a success here. Once again, however, he needs a strike partner.

Subs:

Paterson - 6 - Looked to work hard but ultimately didn't have enough time to really do anything.


If you ask me, we were very unlucky last night. We dominated large parts of the game, mounted pressure on their defence and caused them problems. My only gripe is, on 60 minutes it was clear that we had the game by the throat but lacked a cutting edge, yet Tilson remained cautious with his approach. Then was the time to bring on Patterson alongside Spencer, adopt a 4-4-2 and go in for the kill...

I was also a little disappointed at how much effect the second goal had on the team. Their heads just completely went and the 10 minutes after they looked a shadow of what they were 20 minutes prior. I also have no idea why our goal was ruled out, but it wouldn't have made a difference.

Glad to see Maher in attendance though, and good to see the two mascots bullying that feeble eagle.

 

[Skyblue]

Whats on earth happened to Scannell, has he had a Brazillian or something? Why is he more at home playing on a beach when all around him were falling ars*over t*t. Should we consider abandoning FF and moving to Shoebury east beach instead or perhaps better still plough the wings at RH bung a couple of tons of sand and water down and watch him rip deffences apart.

 

[united we stand]

Without the benefit of seeing it on TV, I thought from behind the goal that we were not getting our fair share of 50-50 decisions. (always a plus).

I have now seen our 'goal' 10 times on TV and I still can't see whats wrong with it. I assumed on the replay I would See Barrett wrestling thier center back as normal, but he didn't. Is it me becasue I just don't get it , even neutralas at work are saying they don't understand

I love Mildy, but he could/should have saved the first and come for the cross for the second - BUT he did do a couple of excellent saves to make up for it .

 

[Rob1920]

Won't do ratings as there are plenty already, but a few armchair observations;

I actually thought we played bloody well overall, and were undone by 1 freak goal and 1 that was more luck than judgement. Added to the perfectly good goal we had disallowed (if that was a foul you might as well make football a non-contact sport), we could easily have ended up with a 1-1 or even a 0-1 on a another day & we'd all have a different attitude.

Pitch is unplayable. Yes they have to play on it as well but they're getting a lot more practise than visiting teams. It gives them an unfair advantage, simple as. They should be ordered to re-lay it before more games are played there. Plus the potential for injuries is huge.

We have a lot of very talanted players, but most are inconsistent. when it clicks, even on a pitch like that, we play football from a higher level. But then we fanny about in defence & play ourselves into trouble instead of booting it into row Z.

I hope Laurent got a rocket from T&B. All the skill in the world, no brain to go with it. Should be dropped for a while until he learns to play for the team, not himself.

Malone. Ok he's average, but some of the comments he gets on here seem harsh. I do agree Herd should be playing ahead of him, can only assume Malone's here on a 'must play' arrangement with Wolves? Maybe they pay his wages only if he's playing? Just a thought.

Spencer got marked down by some, I would give him at least a 7, maybe 8. He twice lost his marker & got in a scoring position only to be ignored by Laurent. Could easily have had 2 goals. He must also have been very p*ssed off with a certain Frenchman.

Thought Moose looked good, Watt showed glimpses of what he'll be like on grass. Scannell was outstanding. The run & link up with Paterson near the end was quality, from both players. Again on another day the ball doesn't hit the keepers foot & goes in.

In summary, Col Ewe are nothing special. Big at the back, big at the front, & not too concerned about the middle. But they're good at what they do. They'll need more about them to survive if they go up however.

Us, I just can't see us going down when we have as much ability in the dressing room as we do, and can play the way we know we can. Can't deny we're in a relegation battle but confident we'll get a run going & pull away.

 

[yogi bear up the cagire]

For once I can make some attempt at giving ratings after having actually seen a match. However it wasn't that easy to identify players on a small computer screen and the commentator didn't help (I presume it was Sky), by just not naming players in action or mispronouncing names.........(did I hear three interpretations of Mildy?)

MILDY 7 Some good saves ......perhaps could have done better for the
the goals? .................injury???
MALONE 5 The mark is certainly low for the set pieces. That AWFUL free-kick
that sailed over everyone in the first-half, sticks in my mind. Was his
defending better?
BARRETT 5 Oh, it's so difficult to say but I just wish Adam's speed and skill and
came anywhere near his level of passion and committment. Felt sorry
for him after the first goal ...........you could see that he just wanted disappear into the mud. Was I the only one to see a hint of Adam's
famous arm around the neck of their defender as they jostled for
position, prior to heading the goal in.
M'VOTO 5/6 One of the positives of the night. Following his part in the pantomine
of the first goal, he slowly improved and had quite a good second-
half. Encouraging that he lasted the ninety minutes and I believe,
with a run of games, could be one of our key players in helping us
avoid the drop.
FRANCIS 6 Patchy evening........curate's egg performance.
LAURENT 7 Great skills ..........frightened their defense, although at times, as
many have pointed out, he was greedy and chose the wrong option.
Think it's a bit unfair, as one or two have suggested, that he should
virtually shoulder the responsibility of our defeat. Should also be out
wide than up front.
CHRISTOPHE 6 One of the few players I found difficult to rate, rarely mentioned
apart from when the ball went through his legs for their second.
MOUSSA 7 Following all the horrors I've read about him recently, I didn't think
that he had a bad game. The only decent long range effort of the
match was well saved by their goalkeeper.
SCANNELL 9 Delighted for him, great game and great skills, the ball he laid on for
Paterson deserved a goal. If he can keep it up he will be an
important assett for our survival battle this season. My only worry
is that his passion or frustration can turn 'Maccaresque'......needs to
be careful not to pick up silly yellow or red cards. MOTM
WATT 7 Great run early on..................think he then got lost in the mud......
welcome to League One football and League One pitches Mr Watt!
Showed up well towards the end and looks as though, with Damien,
he could be an important element in the side for the rest of the
season.
SPENCER 6 Useful but still young........would benefit from having Vernon or
Freedman alongside him.
PATERSON 6 As above for Spencer

Obviously disappointed about the result but did think that there were a number of positives. Didn't really expect anything from the match but as with everyone else I was gutted about the two goals that lost it for us. The important thing is that Tilly is ruthless in the selection of a settled team which he believes is capable of saving us from the drop (but will he be???).........I feel that there is enough quality there but we need to get a run of games together with the same side who have the committment and enthusiasm to get us out of trouble.

 

[pickledseal]

Sorry if I've missed this, but is Mildy injured? Certainly seemed like it last night!

 

[madaboutblues]

He went down low to make a save ball and I'm not sure if he got caught by a stray foot or just twisted awkwardly but was definitely in pain afterwards on his left side and spent the rest of the game alternating between stretching to try and ease the pain and just holding his side.