Lincoln at Home - Player Ratings

[Piglet_Phoenix]

First off, ultimately we can’t blame anybody else for the defeat today apart from ourselves. We gave away a shockingly poor goal and failed to create any worthwhile goalscoring opportunities ourselves. You have to hand it to Lincoln, they wanted the points more than we did today – and this is unacceptable. Defensively, they were solid and as we wanted to make the game a battle – they obliged and you have to say they were stronger than us.

The way to beat Lincoln is to play football rather than try to scrap it out toe to toe with them. To get the ball on the ground pass and move, create space and pull their players around. However, we don’t have the players with either the intelligence or the technical ability to do this and it showed. It wasn’t about team selections, tactical formations and managerial decisions on the day – our squad of players is simply, not good enough to reach the top seven of the division. We are a poor / average mid-table tier four side, for the resources we’ve invested, this is a poor return.

Sometimes in football decisions go against you, it’s a fact of the sport. Penalty decisions, red-cards, whatever may happen – you can’t change it (unless you surround the referee aggressively mob-handed, like Lincoln), as a professional you have to ensure your performance is good enough to win the game in spite of the referee. Which is easy for me to say, of course.

The standard of refereeing this season in our games, has on the whole been excellent. When I compare to MLS referees and linesmen over here, our League Two officials have been clearly better. I’m loath to be critical of referees these days as this criticism is too often used as an excuse or try and mask your own poor performance. Today however, I have to mention it. We had a clear penalty overturned, the referee had a perfect view, but due to pressure from the swarm of Lincoln players and the opinion of a linesman (who couldn’t have had a clearer view) the referee changed his mind. Who knows what might’ve happened at 1-1.

Then we have the red card, which I reckon the referee gave out of spite. He couldn’t wait to get the red card out of his pocket, despite taking an age over the penalty decision he didn’t need any time to think about this tackle, he was desperate to send Jones off. For me this demonstrates he wasn’t impartial and wanted to make sure we didn’t get anything out of the game. I don’t think Jones tackle was any worse than countless times Lincoln players tripped our players when we were trying to break clear. It was a 50/50 ball he had to challenge for, there was no malice in the tackle, it was not dangerous play and he wasn’t seeking to gain an advantage by fouling. In a challenge for the ball he came off second best and it was a foul for sure, but yellow card?

I commend Curle for having the restraint to ignore the ref as he walked past him at the end of the game. I’d have punched the little cheating sh_t in the face.

Anyway, ratings...

Bonham – 4 – Easily the busier of the two goalkeepers. Made a couple of decent saves in the first half, but he really needs to get stronger hands on the ball and make sure he sends it out to neutral areas. Really awful flapping about for crosses and some abysmal passing. Fast asleep for the goal, but he wasn’t the only one.

Liddle – 4 – I don’t believe Brown played badly enough on Friday to be dropped and Liddle’s return did not strengthen our defence. His performance was certainly committed but I’m not sure how effective it was when we were in possession. We’d have benefitted more with Brown’s ability to overlap.

Ellis – 5 – Probably our strongest defender on the day and battled manfully again all afternoon. On a day like today, however, we needed a few more players with technical ability rather than just strength and honesty.

Hill – 2 – Allegedly there to organise the defence, however the goal came through a simple ball through the channel which was ultimately Hill’s responsibility to close down. Maybe he was attempting to catch a crafty breather due to his age, fitness and having to play two games in four days. If you get to half time 0-0 it’s a different game, isn’t it?

Parkes – 5 – Harshly substituted? Maybe, although Curle perhaps realised Parkes was on a card and the referee was just itching to send one of our players off. Overlapped quite well without setting the world on fire.

Joyce – 4 – There was a five minute period of the first half when Joyce was in the game. Passing forward with impetus and rhythm, making interceptions and tackles, but as the game wore on the ball started passing him by and he was bashed out of the game by Lincoln.

Jones – 5* – I actually thought he was much improved today and in the first half was arguably our best player. Some of his passing was excellent and he was keeping things ticking over in midfield without ever really taking the game by the scruff of the neck. In comparison to Lincoln’s midfield, Jones and Joyce looked weak – I’m no longer convinced this midfield combination is good enough to get us out of the division.

Devitt – 2 – Flattered to deceive and despite one or two flashy touches, completely failed to deliver any meaningful quality all afternoon. It’s the same problem, our entire creative output as a team is dependent upon Devitt – if he fails to turn up or is marked adequately we look extremely predictable. I’d like to see us give our other wingers the opportunity instead of Hope and Devitt. We have at least O’Sullivan, Lambe and Twardek who can play wide, maybe even Egan and Nabi – is Devitt the best option every week?

Hope – 1 – Ran around a lot, however his job of being our annoying little sh_t on the left-wing was nullified by Lincoln basing their game on being an entire team of annoying little sh_ts. And lets face it, they do the job a lot better than Hope. A player with a brain would’ve been more effective today, I suspect. It’s horses for courses, Hope should’ve started on Friday and been rested today – Curle got it the wrong way round.

Bennett – 4 – Effectively handled all afternoon by the Yeti at the back for Lincoln. It wasn’t Bennett’s most effective afternoon, but he was giving as good as he was getting and the service to him wasn’t the best.

Nadesan – 4 – As per Bennett, was chasing shadows for long periods of the game but showed some neat touched and awareness. It’s a great shame we don’t seem to have anybody with the ability to get the ball to his feet down the channels or in the box.

Subs

Grainger – 2 – On the pitch for thirty seconds and immediately exposed defensively. Added nothing to the side and with him on the pitch, we looked poorer.

Campbell-Ryce – 3 – I expected some of the driving passing and technical quality we witnessed at Wycombe, but what we got was some pedestrian plodding and really poor use of the football. Rusty.

Stockton – 0 – You effectively raise the white flag on your season when Stockton comes on.

[griff]

Wonderful Piglet, and I agree with every word. The Paddock were outraged at the antics of the ref, quite rightly, but I was more upset at the poor skills of some of our players.

[mullen103]

I tend to agree with Piglets ratings.

We’re completely wrong on Devitt, according to the other board, although if you give less than a 10 there on your back.

Yes the referee was awful, he just did not have a clue, but Lincoln weren’t fully at the races as had mind on Wembley but we fannied about and didn’t go into challenges and we’re lethargic. The ref maybe cost us a point but there’s no way we deserved to win it.

[griff]

Lincoln were more professional in all respects. Simple.