Player Ratings - Exeter Home

[Piglet_Phoenix]

What an absolute shambles.

We have some liabilities in our back four. How long can we persist with Webster? He’s so far behind the pace of the game it’s almost cruel and his lack of any form of anticipation is almost chronic. Eliiott is a defensive disaster area also – and it makes it easy pickings against the right-hand side of our defence.

I’m not sure of the tactical thinking in playing Sagaf on the wing today, fair enough flood the midfield – but playing Sagaf as a winger when you have McKirdy on the bench is 100% looney tunes. Also, Carroll was abysmal last week – so poor he was subbed at half time. He was handed the shirt today and was predictably just as bad. Why on Earth didn’t we sart the game with McKirdy on the wing and Sagaf in midfield when it was how we finished the game last week?

Also, you have to have a screw loose to take the midfielder off who’s been holding the team together and throw a forward on. Bridge was having a shocker, but you substitute Jones? And what of the Elliott substitution – it wasn’t a gamble, more like utter insanity.

The only decision Pressley got right all afternoon was taking Carroll off at half time for McKirdy and bringing Sagaf back into midfield, for the rest of the day he (Pressley) looked completely out of his depth.

Collin – 6 – Some unbelievable saves, in fairness. Could he have come off his line for the corner which they scored from? Who knows, but he made five or six great saves although his distribution in the first half was shocking. As captain, shouldn’t he be responsible for organising our defence?

Eliiott – 1 – Principally he’s there to defend. His positioning for the first goal was poor and he completely lost his man for the second. Ok on the ball, but I’m not sure he’s a capable defender at this level.

Webster – 1 – You could show his performance today as masterclass in how not to defend. Like a baby giraffe trying to walk up an escalator. Asleep for the first goal, standing flat-footed not even bothering to defend. And when he does bother to try and defend almost completely ineffective. Can’t read the game, is slow, weak in the air, indecisive. We can’t keep playing him hoping he’s going to suddenly become a defender – Branthwaite needs to start he certainly couldn’t do any worse.

Knight-Percival – 6 – Steady, used the ball well, and got Webster out of jail on numerous occasions. We’d been even more screwed defensively without him then we already are. Needs a competent footballer alongside him.

Iredale – 5 – Another torrid afternoon, but wasn’t as much of a disaster area than some of our other defenders. Battled forward quite well but his positioning at times looks dubious.

Jones – 6 – Outnumbered at times and had his pocket picked by Law ahead of the goal, but the energy and tempo of his tacking and simple passing held us together again. We looked unable to play any football when he left the pitch.

Carroll – 1 – Deary me, a second horrible performance on the bounce from the Irish invisible man. How can he be a midfielder when he seems incapable of passing the ball? His touch is horrendous, he can’t tackle, what does he bring to side? I think he made two successful passes in forty five minutes, one backwards, one forwards. He also baled Webster out with a defensive header at one point – but seems like a waste of a loan space at the minute. Imagine if we’d cancelled Carroll’s loan and signed Jamie Devitt back...

Bridge – 2 – Some dribbling and a few half-arsed shots. Powder-puff.

Thomas – 6 – Some lovely crosses and balls into the box – aimed at nobody. Was involved in our goal but he needs the players behind him (Bridge and Elliott) to give him more support and opportunity.

Olomola – 6 – Took his goal well in fairness and some of his play with his back to goal was creditable. Settling in quite nicely to his job as our lone striker and, at the minute, has made the position his own.

Sagaf – 7* - Asked to play three positions today and must’ve covered a ton of ground. Started the day on the left wing and was probably our most effective player, even playing out of position. Moved into midfield and tore it up with McKirdy, his effervescence, energy and vision bringing us back into the game. Then when Pressley imploded tactically, ended up covering right-back. The pass of the match, for either side, was his forty yard cross field ball to Thomas late on – and he began the move which led to our goal by feeding McKirdy. Needs to start, but needs to start in midfield.

Subs:

McKirdy – 6 – Fantastic dribbling breathed life into our performance but needs to stay on his feet more.

Loft – Committed a few fouls, had precious little service

Sorenson – Won a corner out of nothing, was swallowed up into nothingness by our chaotic tactics at the end of the game.

[sandpit]

At `home`and our goal keeper is man of the the match for Carlisle says it all,where is the striker that was promised a few weeks back that the manager was going to get?