A good strong performance. It's amazing what happens when you try to take a game to the opposition isn't it David... As a team we played well for the majority of the game and there was definitely a lot of fight there so at least the players haven't given up like they appeared to have in previous seasons when we were on a bad run. The good: McCourt. Absolutely brilliant the way he was taking players on. Why don't more players do that instead of crapping themselves when they meet an opposition player and freezing like a rabbit in the headlights, turning round and passing the ball backwards? They'd be worshipped if they tried it. O'Grady in the middle. He HAS to be played centrally more often now. Flitcroft can't argue with the facts any longer. When he's out on the wing he tries hard but has practically no efforts at goal. When he's central he scores. Last night he was central and got on the score sheet again so play him there more please. Scotland. Much, much, much better than Dagnall. The difference in quality is almost laughable. Wiseman. Can't fault his effort ever. Not the best defender in the world but he'll never stop running and after McCourt is the only person who will actually try to take players on. The difference being he does it using pace rather than skill and trickiness. He's actually pretty good at putting a ball into the box too. A low fast ball usually. In terms of effort and running he's up there with the best at the club. Off the pitch: The signage popping up around the ground is top notch. After 20 years of no improvements it's taken Ben just a few months to try freshening up the place. Well done Mr Mansford. The programme notes were also excellent again, keep them coming please. It's always good to be kept in the loop even if there isn't much to update us on. The bad: Butland flapped at a few things. Oh well, nowt new there, no better or worse than Steele. I don't think that should really be in the 'bad' section actually but I wanted to put it somewhere. Kennedy didn't look very safe and was getting beat a few times with them putting crosses in. If we persist with him there then he needs more protection than Mellis offers. Speaking of Mellis. His lack of effort which directly lead to their goal was diabolical. If Noble-Lazarus had walked back whilst their player ran past him with the ball he would have been slated by Flitcroft, in fact he has been in the past so Mellis deserves the same treatment i'm afraid. A wonderfully talented player who always seems to let himself down by showing no heart. I'd drop him for noble-lazarus and tell him exactly why he's been dropped and what's expected of him. He'd been excellent all night but in a struggling side he needs reminding that effort is required for 90 minutes not just when it suits him. The ref. Bloody awful. The ugly: The women of Barnsley according to Georgi All in all a good performance. Not brilliant but much better than we've been seeing and a big step in the right direction.
