Ratings!

[* ORM *]

I'm in broad agreement with the ratings. That's two home games on the bounce I've been very impressed with the all round performance from Freddy. Excellent but only surpassed by Clarke at the back. Francis may have put a couple of dodgy passes in but there were a couple of times in the second half where the hopefull ball was the best option with a couple of players closing him down and no help around. The missed pass to Macca tearing down the wing was unfortunate.

How different it could have been after just a minute into the game. A nervous game and Burnley ran their hearts out and were arguably the better team on the night. For some reason we stopped playing football. Credit to the crowd, despite the merited moans and groans they still got behind the team.

We've had enough games where we've been the better team and lost so it's about time we had some luck. At least one of the two penalty shouts in the last minute could have been given. I thought the ref did OK and his case was clearly not helped by yet another ineffectual lino in front of the West. There was at least one Leicester offside moment in the second half but so many other decisions where he just wasn't up with play.

3 points Saturday would be nice. :p

Odds on Macca lasting the rest of the season with

a) no more than 1 booking
b) at least 1 red card

:p

 

[Jam_Man]

Wouldnt say Burnley were the better team, they started very brightly but didnt threaten us much after the first 10 minutes.

I was never worried about them scoring, just whether we could break the deadlock.

When they started wasting time after 10 minutes you knew it was going to be a testing game :)

As to linos the one on the east side got slaughtered for every flag but I have to say on at least two or three occassions Eastwood was blatantly offside and people still screamed blue murder the lino was wrong. No one criticised him first half mind:)

 

[bluearmy1]

Thought it was a terrible game, but the right result.

My report on the longpier available now

 

[Crabby Shrimper]

. There was at least one Leicester offside moment in the second half
:p

Blimey, they must've been some way offside!

 

[Smiffy]

Agree with most of the ratings...

In conclusion, an average showing from our boys, mostly down to the negativity of The Dingles, why do we always struggle to break sides like that down...

Anyway, Thanks Bradders, you have put in some workman like performances, but your time is up son, time for Richie to start and offer some real threat upfront with Fred, he cant do it all on his own...

 

[leeblue]

agreed but with Macca suspended Foran will prob be on left when gower moves inside thus leaving Bradders to start again.

 

[Joolz]

As to linos the one on the east side got slaughtered for every flag but I have to say on at least two or three occassions Eastwood was blatantly offside and people still screamed blue murder the lino was wrong. No one criticised him first half mind:)

Jam Man, this is what they call home advantage i.e. the crowd getting on the officials back. I often indulge in it myslef, knowing full well the officials are correct, but we are not there to be objective about everything. That can wait until after the final whistle.

 

[dloman]

JCR was superb first half....

Have to agree in the first half JCR put in more tackles than Maher and McCormack combined, though with Maher this is understandable as i believe he maybe on 9 bookings as well.

 

[leeblue]

All match officials should hang! except Mr Singh he is lucky for us and I like him.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

I thought Francis was dire. At times it was like watching Andy Harris, so poor was his distribution. Its such a shame as he is a very talented player.

I'd like to however single out shorty for some extra praise. I've been fairly critical of his inability to command his 6 yard box over the years, something which I suspect Tilly/Lee Turner agree with, as the last two games we've seen him regularly come for crosses within the 6 yard box and occasionally beyond. I believe its no coincedence that we've kept clean sheets in these games now he's started to come for crosses.

He missed one cross tonight, but was rescued by the poor referee who gave a free-kick for a non-existant shove. You make your own luck in football, and you may as well take advantage of the ridiculous amount of protection keepers get from referees by coming for crosses. So well done Darryl and more of the same please against Leeds.

 

[number11]

The Francis / Hunt debate at right back is similar to the Jupp / Hunt one last year. Hunt will be solid, reliable, but nothing special, wheras Francis (as Jupp last two years) will add something going forward, will sometimes do something very good, but also prone to something horrendous.

I thought Francis looked woeful at times, hoofing ball up in air or out the ground, yet he also bombed forward well and played some decent crosses. Might sound strange but Francis does seem to struggle kicking a rolling or bouncing ball with any control.......maybe he needs some Lee Turner / Daryl coaching on this!!

Was surprised at MOTM award, though I see Francis as a better version of Jupp, and certainly has the potential to be far far better than Hunt.

On a hoofing Andy Harris style point, Hunt at left back was exposed a bit today, especially when the ball was played outside him (eg on his left foot) and he would lean across with his right to put it out in dangerous positions, or sliced it off with his left. Much rather Hammell back.

On another point on the clearances......Clarke played some great balls with both left and right peg......I couldnt actually work out what his dominant foot is. My MOTM.

 

[Suffolk Blue]

I don't usually do this but here goes...

Ratings
=====

Flahavan 6 - Never had a real save to make but claimed everything that came his way in the air (except on one occassion when he looked to have been shoved); impressed to see this aspect of his game has improved so much.

Francis 7 - A little wayward on a couple of occassions when clearing under pressure. Other than that he was solid in defence and showed exactly what modern full-backs are supposed to do in providing the support and overlaps to his winger.

Hunt 6 - Lost his man a few times and seems to drift away from his post too much for my liking. Also can't see how people claim he is comfortable on the ball; everytime he comes under pressure he can't wait to get rid of the ball even if he's playing someone else into trouble. (also notice the look of panic in his eyes when he moves forward and can't find King Kev to pass to.)

Clarke 8 My MOTM - Nothing was going to get by him tonight (except for the little Burnley midfielder who cut through our entire team twice). Almost every clearance seemed to find a blue shirt too.

Sodje 7 - Would have scored higher if not for a pretty shaky beginning. How I love to see the big man's headers turn defence into instantaneous attack.

JCR 6.5 - A not unusual game for JCR. He gets a 6.5 from me not because of any real failing on his part but rather because the team don't allow him to do more by working to his strengths. We all know excactly what he's going to do when he gets the ball so why don't our forwards get themsleves into positions where he can easily cross or pass to them. Agree that he's looking tired though; perhaps a couple of matches from the bench would recharge his batteries.

Maher 5 - Poor game from King Kev for me. Lost the ball too often for my liking; not tigerish enough in the challenge and often wasteful when in possession. Too many times looking for the killer pass instead of the quick simple one. Unusually though we won with Kev playing poor!

Macca 6.5 - A few too many wayward pases and two occassions when he wasn't paying attention when the ball was played to him or close to him. Got back into the game more late on and will be missed while banned (does he get a special prize for his 11th booking :))

Gower 6 - The most frustrating player on the pitch again in my eyes. Possibly the most talented ball-player at the club and has great vision but can sometimes look totally disinterested. Never the most committed player in terms of getting stuck in, but last night he let too much of the game pass him by.

Eastwood 8 - On another night he might have scored a brace from nothing at all and we'd have been multiplying the millions again. How this guy has scrored as many as he has with possibly the poorest service in the division is beyond my comprehension.

Bradbury 5.5 - Won his fair share of the ball but never did much with it and looks so tired, both mentally and physically. I don't imagine he was ever intended to be a permanent fixture in the forward line and it shows badly. Can't we find a way to get Foran and Freddy up front on Saturday? Give Bradders a rest.


SUBS

Sam 6 - Lively but looked lacking in Match Fitness. Definitely got a sharp mind and not a little mobility. Might have been a different report if he'd put the header in the back of the net 30 seconds or so after he came on.

Foran 7.5 - Never sure how to score a sub on 20 minutes performance. Foran though has impressed me so much since he joined; committed, pacey, good in the air, good football brain (anticipated very well last night), quick feet. Don't know what more he has to do to unseat Bradbury and provide us with a truly fearsome attack.

Harrold 6 - Still think Matt is one to persevere with. Seems to have good attitude and last night as always, gave his all when he got on the pitch. Loses a bit in terms of strength but compensates with an almost Rawle-like awkwardness sometimes. As soon as the ball left Darryl's boot last night and was heading Matt's way you knew something interesting would develop. Couldn't have been much more interesting!

 

[Blues Trader]

I couldn't agree with Harrold and Foran so close. Foran was a 9 in my book. Bradbury was a poor 4, and Francis showed what a class act he is, so a 9 for him too. Sodje was rock solid at the back, wins every fifty fifty ball and never loses out on a one on one. 8.5