Result mattered more than the performance which wasnt great, dont think Gueret had to make a single save.
First half we were poor, MK dons couldve had 3 or 4 with better finishing. Both their wingers were getting the better of our full backs.
Second half much better, worked much harder and started getting more balls in the box.
Ref was poor for BOTH sides, shame about Grant as he has been excellent in a variety of positions.
Two biggest disappointments were Doogie (for the umpteenth time) and Macca whos passing and shooting left much to be desired.
Saying that with only 3 fit defenders and 14 fit professionals, a fantastic result.
Mildey- 6, not much to do but did it fine.
Francis-6, poor first half, got better in 2nd half.
Barrett- 7, typical AB, threw himself into everything.
Grant-7, been really solid wherever he has played across the back.
Herd- 7, a few dodgy moments, but 2nd half thought he was superb.
Laurent- 7, only player capable of taking players on, but must improve final ball.
Macca-5, poor passing and shooting, plays 2 bad passes for every good pass.
JEff- 6, not sure why MOTM, wasnt his goal and he gave ball away a lot.
Moose- out of form but no one to put pressure on his place. Did improve 2nd half.
Doogie- 5, anonymous, barely broke sweat. Must be enjoying his £3k a week.
Barney- 6, cool as you like for penalty, didnt get much joy from their big centre backs.
Fairly good ratings.
Thought we battled really well for the whole 90 minutes. I said to my Dad with about 15 minutes to go that, the whole team looked absolutely dead. Understandably of course. Just shows how professional they are, trouble with wages, lack of players but still battling 'til the very end week in week out.
Laurent, was amazing tonight, I think partly because his actually very skilled, and partly because his an unknown player to most defenders in the league. I'm sure when they look at the team sheet, Laurent is the last person they would be worried about, more concerned with Freedman and Barnard.
Freedman, what to say? Can't add much to what's been put on here for the past few weeks. Was his performance worth £3,000? No. Even if he adds valuable experience to the side, his wages cannot be justified. As soon as he is gone it'll be a huge weight of our shoulders.
Would like to see Walker start next weekend, or perhaps Scannell again, who looks quite lively. Just felt that tonight we really looked dangerous when running at MK, Laurent proved this. Whilst Walker is liable to a frustrating slip or miss pass- he can run at people, and deliver a bit of magic when required.
Okay, Ratings.
Mildenhall- Didn't have much to do. Saved well from Puncheon in the first half, some good catches and did the basic's well. Another solid performance. 7
Grant- At times looked shakey, but on the whole did his job well. Good tackling in the second half. 7
Barrett- Personally think that right now, his the most important player we have. Passionate, committed, determined- he gives absolutely everything. Won his headers, battled well against some very good MK strikers and put everything on the line for the team. 8
Francis- Some good passing, did his job but from where I was, seemed to be part at fault for the first goal. 6
Herd- Some very shakey moments, and his lack of a right foot is a huge worry. I thought that to make it as a pro now days you had to be able to at least use your weaker foot at the most crucial times? Don't get me wrong, his young and being called on when not 100% fit, so no big criticism of Johnny. Generally doing a good job, just when it's on his right foot- I worry. 6
Laurent- As covered above, he was brilliant. Full of running, turns and tricks. Played some nice one two's as well. Very talented player and was my man of the match. 8
JFC- Started poorly. Some misplaced passes and sloppy control. Also thought he got muscled off the ball easily which is strange considering his size. Got the 'goal' which from where I was, clearly came off the defender. Thought he has, like most of the players, a better second half. 6
McCormack- Thought he was quite good. Managed not to get booked but still battled well. Wish he'd rediscover the fire he had from two-three years ago. He still has good pace, just wish he would use it more. With Barney and Freedman up front, we don't have the fastest frontline. But we do have pace in midfield, Laurent, McCormack and Moussa. Let JFC cover while you get forward Macca! And please please please, work on your shooting. 7
Moussa- Has such good control of the ball. Mildenhall targeted him a few times with long balls and he managed to control them and get the ball moving again. Not the best I've seen him play but he was very good. Such a bright talent. 7.
Freedman- Could say everything that's wrong with Dougie, but it's been done and I've sort of covered it in the above. Too old and over paid. 5
Barnard- Full of effort. Think he's actually looking better and better each time I see him. When he first signed for us (3 years ago?) I thought he was too lightweight, lacked much pace etc etc. But he's really developed into a complete striker. Showed how clinical he really is with the two off-side goals. Needs more service but he got the goal that his effort deserved. 7
Subs
Scannell- Looked fairly lively. Held it up and made runs behind their defence, injecting some much needed pace. Useful player. 6
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Overall- Pleased I came back from Uni to see this one. Was gutted I missed the Gillingham match but this went some way to making up for it.
Well done you Super Bluessssss.
