Reply With QuoteBlackman 6/10 – Handling and general keeping fine but then second half a few soft shots/headers were parried or he looked less than convincing. First goal went in at near post but was close range so not sure he could do much but the second was not a hard shot and also seemed to go in near side.
Baldock 5/10 – That is the poorest he has been for us for me. He did not really get forward much save for one run first half but defensively he was up against Maghoma a lot and he caused him all sorts of problems. He gave away several fouls and was beat 2 or 3 times by him and Jota. Second half was the same story. Stevens will get a lot of criticism but Baldock was as bad today.
Stevens 5/10 – He has been poor for a while, save a few decent home performances and today that carried on. He gave his man too much room and made too many mistakes. He switches off at times and needs to be closer to his man. Did not offer much going forward. I felt both wingbacks were really poor today struggling both ways.
Basham 6.5/10 – Got caught square twice second half in trying to play an offside trap and on the second Maghoma got away and put in the winner. We allowed them too much space and time second half in and around our box. He tried hard when he had it to get forward but today not sure our wing backs or overlapping centre backs really overlapped or got forward much at all. I would have considered taking one of the centre backs off and changed the shape. He at least kept trying and one of few who won some of his battles. Most did not.
O’Connell 6/10 – Felt he was slow to react on the goal and that he should have got there on the second ball but just stood and watched really. A few other times he was a bit slow also defensively. Going forward he tried to carry it on but got crowded out quite a bit. He seemed another that looked a bit tired
Stearman 6/10 – Steady-ish but felt was not helped by midfield and wing backs allowing too many balls into the box. Also, he did not get there on the goal when the corner came in and lost the first challenge. Many came in too easily too. Stearman did ok but we only had one striker to mark as Adams kind of came off the front.
Fleck 7/10 -Our best player but that was not hard. He was maybe the only player today who actually put a real shift in, tried to make things happen and was positive. Many of our other players played safe or backwards and looked very nervous. He at least tried to play a forward pass or ran with it a few times. He made mistakes also and as I say below, our midfield lost the battle but I felt he got little help. So many times, he ran forward and looked up and there was no movement or options.
Lundstram 4/10 – Not great but not sure he was much worse than Evans and Birmingham picked up every loose ball and won the midfield easily. Him and Evans together has not worked in most of the games they have played (except Boro). They are both too slow and immobile and quicker, more nimble and stronger players pick them off and run beyond them. If they do not doo the nitty gritty I expect them to show some of the decent quality they have on the ball but they did not do this. They either gave it away or went backwards/sideways. I am not sure Lundstram has improved that much since we signed him and it is one step forward, two back at times. He needs to get much fitter and leaner for me. He is too slow and pedestrian to be effective at this level if he does not get on the ball.
Evans 5/10 – Thought he was really poor today. Did not get on the ball and was overran at times. Lost a lot of 50/50 balls and then when he did have it, he gave it away. Second half I barely noticed him. I got criticised for calling him and Lundstram flat track bullies a few weeks ago but today kind of emphasised why I felt like that. He had one decent shot saved but other than that very little. They have done ok in some games but too often they follow a good game by a poor one. Wildly inconsistent and do not affect games enough positively. It says something that as soon as Coutts is fully fit, it will still be him and Fleck. The new players have just not been consistent enough. At times Evans has looked good with some goals/assists but other times like today and Barnsley completely anonymous. Jury still out on him for me.
Duffy 6/10 – Started the game well and scored and clearly enjoyed it. After this he had a few moments where he set up some half chances but after this sort of got crowded out as they came into it. Second half he was not in the game at all but I still would have left him on and sacrificed a defender or even Donaldson. He at least can create things.
Donaldson 3/10 – Thought he was abysmal. He looked slow, off the pace and did not hold it up at all. Faced with a big chance against his former club who released him, he had a point to prove but today showed why he will be released in the summer in all likelihood. He looked disinterested and it was strange when you think he would be busting a gut. He did nothing and lost every header/ball up to him. Did not get much service but he has to work harder than that. Got a round of applause from his former club. My mate said no wonder; he has been one of their best players on the day!
Subs:
Sharp 6/10 – Given half an hour but he never was in it at all as we were defending for the most part. Had one half chance when he got a toe on a Brooks ball but it tamely went back to the keeper. Other than that, was just chasing loose balls.
Brooks – Came on and got a knock straight away and it seemed bad but after a long period of treatment, he got up eventually (stretchers were out at one point and lots of medical staff) and played on. All seemed a bit off. Maybe it was a dead leg or he was winded but seemed to be a knock to his calf. He did not really have an influence at all and barely had a kick really.
Wilson – Nearly got his shirt dirty in 9 (+6) minutes of stoppage time. He has been a poor signing and done nothing really in his spell (one goal at Norwich, a shot at Ipswich that hit the bar and an overhead wide v Villa is the sum of his efforts). Looks lazy and languid. Thinks he is better than he is. Like messrs Cofie and Twiss I am not even sure he will find a club much higher than League Two when he is released this summer. Nobody is going to be impressed with him what they have seen with his appalling lack of effort let alone no real ability on the ball when he has it. Maybe his Man Utd reserve record will get someone like Stevenage or Crawley to take a punt on him for a year.
Manager: Wilder 5/10 – With Clarke missing, he went with Donaldson which you could kind of understand against his former club but it did not work. The midfield combo did not work and not including Brooks was a mistake. He made changes but it did not improve things. To me he took off the wrong players and should have put on Holmes for me. He deserves a chance. He seemed honest enough post game and admitted that we deserved to lose. He seemed someone that knows the season is done now and it was interesting what he said about chances. I think we may see a few different players in next week as we do look a tired group. He may as well give likes of Holmes, Lafferty and Leonard a go. Seemed frustrated at the end and it was more an interview of resignation to our fate than anger. Glad he pointed out that the fans deserved more – you sensed when they came up to us at the end, you felt they knew they had badly let us down.
Officials – The referee was appalling. An utter disgrace. Maybe the worst we have had this season and we have had some bad ones. To say he was a homer was an understatement. He gave them pretty much everything and even when he gave us stuff, he kept stopping it and bringing it back. 6 times he stopped the game when we tried to take it and pulled it back. He did not book any of them when he wanted to stop it. It was all about him. He gave numerous 50-50 challenges to them and must have given them about 4 or 5 rights on the edge of the box. He did everything but nod one in for them. O’Connell seemed to get the ball on the one he was booked. Duffy’s celebration saw him booked. How often do you see that and players do not get booked? He was so fussy and wanted it all to be about him. I am not wasting my time on him anymore. Surely the assessor will mark him very lowly as the key too good refereeing is good game management, let it flow and try and make sure the game is not about him. He failed in every regard.
Originally Posted by mahatmafoot
