I feared the worst but at the same time hoped we could battle & scrap our way to at least a point. Unfortunately we were 2nd best from start to finish, I can't even remember a 5 minute spell where we ever looked like troubling Leicester. The team selection was baffling, Mellis isn't a wide player, McCourt isn't a central player yet they both played there. It was obvious they needed switching after 10 minutes. In saying that I doubt it would've made much difference as both were appalling. The passing in general was terrible. I won't slate Dawson for it as his job is to win the ball back but the rest of the midfield & full backs can't play simple balls. It's painful watching the amount of times we kill our own attacks by playing balls to feet or even behind an advancing player when they should be played for the other player to run onto. I've always felt we have a chance of staying up simply because there's 5 teams who are just as bad us. However if Cranie & Ramage are out for any length of time we're doomed as M'Voto's out of his depth & I don't think Nyatanga can physically hack it. Leicester were impressive without getting out of 2nd gear. It could've been 6 or 7 in all honesty. Knockeart in particular was superb, one of the better players I've seen this season. Paddy & Mellis aside I don't think we lost through a lack of effort more a lack of ability. I just wish we'd of had a go, we didn't seem to go down fighting. I remember Newcastle coming here top of the league when we had Robins in charge & although they had the likes of Barton & Nolan we never rolled over & took a hard earned point, maybe we're just not good enough. It's all about how we bounce back Saturday. 3 points & this will be soon forgotten. Ratings: Steele 6 - Typical Steele in a way, couple of cracking stops but let too many balls come across his goal that he should've dealt with. Don't think he could've done anything with the goals. Hunt 3 - Awful. I don't know if he's unfit or what but he's performing worse now than when he first joined us when all logic should suggest he'll get fitter & better by the game. Cranie 6 - not enough to go on Ramage 6 - felt sorry for him as Nyatanga should've been brought on ahead of M'Voto but he wasn't & Ramage had to move to the left where his distribution wasn't as good Kennedy 4 - Poor. Been poor all season, has no competition. I really hope we use the spare loan place that Shea's freed up on a left back but I fear it'll be needed on a centre back. Mellis 3 - Dreadful. Never a winger, didn't look interested. Never have I wanted to see O'Brien in a Barnsley shirt so much Dawson 6 - Did ok to be fair. Found himself doing 3 men's jobs with his own, McCourt's & Mellis'. Woods 3 - Awful. Couldn't play simple balls, barely won a 50-50 & was out of position every time a Leicester player broke from midfield. Didn't even offer anything from set pieces tonight. Jennings 7 - I'd of given him the man of the match, he wasn't great by any stretch of the imagination but he kept going & put in a few decent crosses McCourt 2 - He's not a central player & he's not got 90 minutes in him unfortunately. He's a wide man who should be used as an impact player. He came close to rivalling his no show against Bolton O'Grady 6 - Kept going. Had no support. I can only imagine how fed up he is Subs: M'Voto 1 - Woeful. Way out of his depth. Proschwitz 5 - No service. Looked interested for a couple of 5 minute spells but then drifted out of the game again Nyatanga 4 - Poor but overshadowed by M'Voto
For Woods to get 3 and McCourt 2, wouldn't they actually have had to have done something? I couldn't work out whether Woods was hiding behind McCourt or whether it was the other way round. I'd never criticise O'Grady's effort, but he broke up more of our attacks than Leicester did. If Mellis had Dawson's heart and Dawson had half of Mellis's talent they'd both be worth persevering with. As it stands................
1 other thing. Our only form of attack seems to be the ball down the line to O'Grady so he can bully the opposing teams right back. Unfortunately when the right backs 6 foot plus & a strong lad we could do with a plan b.
yep talking a lot of sense Django. Said it somewhere else but our negativity is killing us We sit back and wait until they score before we go forwards, by which time we have no confidence/momentum which means we attack with no intent, it gets broken down and we get countered like tonight. it's painful to watch, like you say if we lost but had a proper go we'd all be much happier, it's just draining watching such tactics every game. Our creative play is non existent, last 2 goals we've scored have been a pot shot from Jennings and a 60 yard long ball to O'Brien. We're just too slow in every sense, movement, thought and use of the ball.
wouldnt av gave woods a 0 as he wasnt in game , didnt tackle or anything . mellis same as . hope ramage and crainie will be ok . hopefully bobby can get fit too
Thought we made them look better than they played with how poor we were. I'm sure the "we were playing top of the league" excuse will come out plenty of times. Basic training ground errors like not tackling and failing too often to string two passes together.
How Dawson gets a 6 I'll never. Baffles me what bfc fans actually watch Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
