SuitsBlue
Player Valuation: £50m
i will address the physical view later, what i saw of the team today was of much more concern that multi-obstructed-views.
there are 19 managers in this league that know hibbert cant pass forwards, and there are 19 managers in this league that know neville (who should have been booked today) struggles to pass and move himself forward in midfield - better showing at RB but still prone to the dreaded 'hoof'.
managers know to double up on other players and allow these two space so that players under pressure will eventually play the ball to them, and from there its as good as theirs (the oppositions) anyway.
chris samba is 6'5" tall, let that sink in, he is, i believe the second tallest defender in the league after zat knight.
hibbert, yobo and neville were all guilty today of the dreaded 'hoof' where by the long ball from defence was played up to 5 foor something johnson who didnt have a hope in hell.
70 [Poor language removed] minutes we had this [Poor language removed], we gifted possession away time after time after time.
when vic came on and could outstrength samba we started cooking, we got the second ball, we gained territory.
cars and stubbs were off their games today.
jagielka was fantastic, a real performance in every position, he looked to play football and get the ball on the deck, he did well dictating the game to savage and dunn.
really impressed with jags - more of the same please sir.
baines was fantastic, really solid leftback, so good in fact the team were surprised, again and again he was left unmarked on the left flank with acres to play into, but time after time he was overlooked or missed and on the few occasions the ball got to him - it took an age and the break possibility had been nullified.
someone confident at the back could have pressurised burn all day by pinging the ball cross field for baines.
really impressed with him, solid performance, defended very well, showed good feet and touch + a willingness to get at and take players on. crosses could have been better but it was his debut, so he needs time and a few games.
howard was solid.
hibbert poor going forward, no confidence and always looked for the backpass - solid defence
yobo - great defending, had to make some telling tackles, when playing the ball forward hoofed it and lost it like hibbert did.
stubbs - not himself today, uncharacteristic hessitancy
lescott solid and composed, cool and calm.
mcfadden isnt fit, he was dead on his feet. took the goal well, tried hard but gave possession away too often and fell over a lot.
neville - guilty of bad distribution, showed some fire and guts but not enough end product
baines - see above
jags - see above
arteta - not his usual good self, only flashes of brilliant play - he was stunning against spurs - i hope we arent seeing a trend for the 'big games'
cars - well off the pace
osman - some nice touches, and tried hard, but burn are a big side and they closed down every bit of space, good passing but easily bullied.
jags - see above
johnson - clearly struggling with injury, real trooper for seeing the game through, but was clearly suffering.
vic - changed everything, blackburn couldnt handle his strength and power, he pressurised like no one else had and that got burn worried, good cameo.
moyes - changed it eventually, got us a point, in the final 10 i thought we would do it, but the ball didnt run for us much today. If he is anything like me he cant wait to see jags and cahill in midfield together - its gonna be brutal.
MotM ???? baines or jags - im gonna say jagielka.
there are 19 managers in this league that know hibbert cant pass forwards, and there are 19 managers in this league that know neville (who should have been booked today) struggles to pass and move himself forward in midfield - better showing at RB but still prone to the dreaded 'hoof'.
managers know to double up on other players and allow these two space so that players under pressure will eventually play the ball to them, and from there its as good as theirs (the oppositions) anyway.
chris samba is 6'5" tall, let that sink in, he is, i believe the second tallest defender in the league after zat knight.
hibbert, yobo and neville were all guilty today of the dreaded 'hoof' where by the long ball from defence was played up to 5 foor something johnson who didnt have a hope in hell.
70 [Poor language removed] minutes we had this [Poor language removed], we gifted possession away time after time after time.
when vic came on and could outstrength samba we started cooking, we got the second ball, we gained territory.
cars and stubbs were off their games today.
jagielka was fantastic, a real performance in every position, he looked to play football and get the ball on the deck, he did well dictating the game to savage and dunn.
really impressed with jags - more of the same please sir.
baines was fantastic, really solid leftback, so good in fact the team were surprised, again and again he was left unmarked on the left flank with acres to play into, but time after time he was overlooked or missed and on the few occasions the ball got to him - it took an age and the break possibility had been nullified.
someone confident at the back could have pressurised burn all day by pinging the ball cross field for baines.
really impressed with him, solid performance, defended very well, showed good feet and touch + a willingness to get at and take players on. crosses could have been better but it was his debut, so he needs time and a few games.
howard was solid.
hibbert poor going forward, no confidence and always looked for the backpass - solid defence
yobo - great defending, had to make some telling tackles, when playing the ball forward hoofed it and lost it like hibbert did.
stubbs - not himself today, uncharacteristic hessitancy
lescott solid and composed, cool and calm.
mcfadden isnt fit, he was dead on his feet. took the goal well, tried hard but gave possession away too often and fell over a lot.
neville - guilty of bad distribution, showed some fire and guts but not enough end product
baines - see above
jags - see above
arteta - not his usual good self, only flashes of brilliant play - he was stunning against spurs - i hope we arent seeing a trend for the 'big games'
cars - well off the pace
osman - some nice touches, and tried hard, but burn are a big side and they closed down every bit of space, good passing but easily bullied.
jags - see above
johnson - clearly struggling with injury, real trooper for seeing the game through, but was clearly suffering.
vic - changed everything, blackburn couldnt handle his strength and power, he pressurised like no one else had and that got burn worried, good cameo.
moyes - changed it eventually, got us a point, in the final 10 i thought we would do it, but the ball didnt run for us much today. If he is anything like me he cant wait to see jags and cahill in midfield together - its gonna be brutal.
MotM ???? baines or jags - im gonna say jagielka.
