Wednesday – Hard to say it/type it but credit to them. They never really looked lik scoring much again but they worked hard, pressed us, stopped the flanks and were solid. They played like an away side at home for long spells but they still look a different side to the sorry negative bunch we saw at the Lane. Still not sure they are a top 6 side really and have some holes in the side but are on a good run and sadly we missed our opportunity when they were at their lowest in terms of style/confidence earlier in the season. Today they were much better than at the Lane but still not great. They only had the one good chance and did not really threaten but defended well and pressed us high up and stopped the overlaps and they made us go long as we could not get the likes of Fleck and Dowell on the ball. Madine did not cause them too many problems and Sharp was not really in the game as was feeding off scraps.
They did not play much football I felt- a few moments I suppose - but a lot of long stuff also. They were also feeding off Fletcher’s knock downs as we tried to do with Madine. Some of their better players actually did not really play that well – like ours – I felt Bannan did not get on the ball and Reach was not really in the game but did the job defensively. Not sure any of their players were more than 6’s and 7’s if I had to rate them. Hector was the best of the lot but he just headed and blocked things really. No one showed much quality on the ball. They may get excited about the playoffs and say on that evidence they are as good as us but we know that derbies are different and over the course of the season so far we have proven to be far superior. I think they will probably finish about where they are – they have to go Derby on Saturday (who are desperate and due a win) and go to Norwich and Leeds back to back. Not sure they will get much from any of those three and that would mean they would have to run the board in most of the other 8 games which is very unlikely really. Be interesting summer as due to FFP they wont have much to spend and will lose half their squad (loans/out of contract). The likes of Fletcher, Bannan, Hutchinson, Lees are steady eddys but none of these are top 6 players sadly and Forestieri cannot stay fit. Reach is a decent player but is a bit wasted if they punt long diagonals to him. They also have a lot of ordinary players and still lack real quality to beat the better teams. Tonight they did a job but they did not really attack much or look like stretching us but defended well. They are more organised and a lot more solid but need to go a bit to be a top 6 side this season or even next.
Opponent man of the match – Fletcher was a handful. Forestieri fell over a lot but did not do much else. The two wing backs played ok and stopped our wide men getting forward but Hector was very good as he was at the Lane, winning lots of headers and blocks. He just got his body in the way. Westwood made one good save in the first half but like with Henderson’s it was straight at him. Aarons had a few tricks and runs but no real end product apart from the cross that should have been cleared really.
Weak link – Not sure there was anyone that was awful. I do feel Palmer is a poor player that could be get at but we did not take advantage. Similarly, Lees has the turning circle of an oil tanker but we had two slow players up against him. Nuhiu coming on at the end shows what they were relying on really for a late undeserved winner as they pumped it even longer.
Henderson 7/10 – Made one ***** save but was straight at him. Other than this he had little to do but coped with what he had to which was just fielding a few back passes. Flicked one cross away from Aarons
Freeman 6.5/10 – Did not really get forward much at all. Got skinned by Aarons once but his cross shot was saved. He was a bit sloppy in possession at times and not sure he really got deep into their territory.
Stevens 6.5/10 – Steady enough but like with Freeman not sure we saw much of him attacking wide. Defended competently and did not take any chances but needed more going the other way but they pressed on him.
Egan 7/10 – Solid performance. Lost a few early headers to Fletcher but gradually got on top of him and won the key ones that mattered. A real calming figure in the heart of the defence.
O’Connell 7/10 – As above – steady performance. He was sound defensively and made no real mistakes but could not get forward like he normally does as they blocked off the flanks,
Basham 7/10 – Good to have him back. Thought he was one of few who actually looked really determined to get forward at times and burst through a few times. Played one good ball back but then a few poor decisions in another attack. Ended up in midfield at the end.
Fleck 6.5/10 – Not sure we saw enough of him. He got on the ball in the closing stages and started to drive but a bit too little, too late. We seemed to bypass midfield and it was frustrating for him and Dowell really. No idea what he was doing on the chance for them. Appalling play to just leave it and could have cost us dearly.
Norwood 7/10 – Thought he was our best player and looked class on the ball. A few passes did not come off but he put some good set plays in and actually at least got on the ball. He maybe went too long a few times but they sat off him as they knew he did not carry it. Needed Stevens, Freeman and Fleck/Dowell to link more but it was all too stretched so he was forced to go long.
Dowell 6/10 – Not really in it due to the way we played Had a few runs early on but then got hustled out of it. After this he was ineffectual. When he did have it; I felt he was a bit slow to make decisions and we needed more from him in terms of carrying it or committing players. Not surprised he went off.
Sharp 6/10 – Worked hard but did not really get in the game to be honest. I felt he came off second best in a few challenges but won a few free kicks also. Had one half chance when the ball came across from Norwood but not sure he had any other real openings and no service at all. A lot of our chances came from set plays/crosses from deep rather than link up/intricate play.
Madine 5.5/10 – Poorest he has been really after doing well in other games. Not his fault that we lumped it to him too much and he had a decent chance he should have done better. Of course, could have had a penalty but spent too much time looking for free kicks (like Forestieri for them also). We needed him to hold it up better or win more headers but he was not even a nuisance factor. We were much better when he went off.