[Archived] Half-Term Report

[Bobby G]

We have played 19 games so fittingly right on the half-way point of the season, it may be good to assess things right now, point by point. Overall, we are more solid than last season's Ince form, but on paper, only just. However, one has to keep in mind that the league is very tight this season and everyone is beating each other (virtually). But that is no excuse for the poor return in front of goal. I believe I heard the commentator say that we have the worse goal-scoring record in the league. Coupled to that our atrocious away record and that is a recipe for disaster. But all is definitely not lost, as I feel just a little tweaking is needed, in midfield to find that creative spark that is missing when Dunn is out.

Robinson 6.5 - He has been decent. I dont agree with some who have been bigging him up over the top. He makes good saves, but his judgment is still off in many circumstances. The reason he doesnt get a 7 in my book is I cant recall too many games where you could say he has won us the game or saved us a point. I believe he was going through a golden patch of form earlier in the season but he is currently at an "average" phases.

Jacobsen 7 - Very solid right back, both defensively and surprisingly going forward. However, we have conceded (relatively) our most goals when he has been playing and considering that he has missed quite a few games, something might be in that.

Chimbonda 7 - Again like Jacobsen he has been solid, except for his sometimes suicidal wayward passing in defence. I somehow prefer him playing at left back for some reason.

Givet 6.5 - He has been decent this season, but again I have to stress he isnt a left back. That means that a number of wingers use their pace to go past him. And that is no fault of his. His reading of the game is incredible.

Nelsen 6.5 - I thought he was finished, but he recovered some rocky early season form. However, I have seen a few instances when he has been powered off the ball or beaten in the air, when the legs seem heavy, like yesterday. I still personally believe Givet and Samba in the center would improve our team, but as club captain he gets extra protection.

Samba 7.5 - Possibly one of our best performers of the first half of the season. Solid, doesnt get pushed off the ball, and he has eradicated the mistakes which he would be making last season, especially in the first half. Possibly our last sell-able asset.

Salgado 5 - Has barely been on the pitch but is a disappointment largely due to the big expectations. Has been a defensive winger during the last couple of games, and he hasnt done too badly when you compare him to the performances of Diouf and MGP this season.

Nzonzi 7.5 - Surprise revelation. I had my reservations about him early in the season when I thought he was just a side-ways and back-wards midfield passer. But he has improved game by game, gets stuck in all the time, and comes away with the ball more often than not lately. Still has a long way to go but for someone who is 20, the sky is the limit.

Grella 6.5 - He has been excellent when he has played this season, but that is less than half of our games, and that's why I wouldnt give him a higher rating. We look a different side with him in it, alongside Nzonzi. Shame that he is always crocked.

Andrews 5 - Rubbish all season long. Possibly worse than last season. His wayward passing drives me mad. Thank God he isnt an automatic starter anymore.

Dunn 8 - Best player this season. Not put a foot wrong although he has been out all month long and it has showed. We have no creativity without him in the side, and lets hope when he is back he is fit for a long period. I have to say no one expected his injury to keep him out this long and that makes you wonder.

Emerton 7 - Mr. Consistent. I didnt rate him as a right winger before, as he is more a right sided midfielder cause he doesnt take on his man, but this season he has made that position his own. We could do better there for sure, but Id always find a place for Emo in the line-up, wherever it may be.

MGP 5.5 - Poor poor poor. So disappointing and surely on his way out. However, he has looked decent when coming off the bench. At least his set pieces look better when he comes off the bench. I had grown sick of him hitting the first man all the time.

Diouf 5.5 - His legs are gone. He cant be 29 can he? I remember him in 2002 and the way he was skinning opponents all the time. He is a shadow of his former self. He was much better last season.

Junior 6.5 - Has made an impact but he gets pushed off the ball too easily and his selection of passes is usually not right but he has the potential to be a good player for us and lets hope we can keep him at the club for a long time. He is a getting a run right now and deservedly so.

Roberts 6 - He doesnt look as driven as he has been in the past and he failed to take advantage of the early season run he was given in the side. In his defence, which of our strikers has really taken their opportunity?

Benni 7 - Has made an impact. He looks like he wants to play, to win, and to prove a point. Something he failed to do in the whole of last season. We havent really appreciated what a talent this guy is. I do hope he stays at all costs.

Di Santo 7 - For his overall contribution to the front line he gets this mark but only just. If only someone was next to him to take advantage of it. I dont think his partnership with Benni works cause they are not all that close to each other, unlike Dunn who had a great understanding with him. His form has dipped at the same time Dunn has gotten injured and I think its related.

Kalinic 6.5 - Ive seen enough of him in the little time he has played to think that its a 50-50 whether he will be a big success or failure. It will depend on luck, the bounce of the ball, and his confidence. He is a poacher, and can be a pest to the opposition. If he had gotten the minutes on the pitch which Roberts, or Di Santo have had then I am very very confident that he would have had more goals than either this season.

Allardyce 6.5 - He has done well with the resources but I think this season was a wide open league and we could have done better if we look closely at where and how some of the points were lost. I project about 42-44 points for us and that should be enough to stay up.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Just a reply to your remarks concerning Dunny. At the start of the season I would have put my house on him being missing for a long time after what seems an innocuous injury. How many times has it happened in the past? I'll have a bet with anybody now that if and when he gets back he'll have another similar spell out before the end of this season. What amazes me is we thought it was smart to into the season with three crocks Dunn, Reid, Grella and a potential crock in Emerton. All midfielders, that's after already getting rid of two more midfielders in Tugay and Carlos. Crazy. All the time we were stocking up on right backs. Suicidal.

[roversmum]

Well, Tyrone, let's hope Sam has learned from the experience. Apparently, he's the Expert...

[JAL]

A pretty good accurate account of the key personnel at Rovers Bobby G - well done!

Half way stage a lot more positives than this time last year, yet still a lot of hard work to be done.

[Plastic Head]

Half way stage a lot more positives than this time last year, yet still a lot of hard work to be done.

Not so sure about that.

This team looks less likely to score a goal than any I have seen.

The entire midfield is a disaster zone.

It won't get any better in the transfer window.

We are in big trouble, but it's not a lost cause yet by any means.

[JAL]

Not so sure about that.

This team looks less likely to score a goal than any I have seen.

The entire midfield is a disaster zone.

It won't get any better in the transfer window.

We are in big trouble, but it's not a lost cause yet by any means.

We arent in big trouble, though agree about the lack of goals.

Lets get through January, see who comes and goes then assess the situation. Theres enough about us to stumble to the forty point mark, but that isnt enough is it for the future of the club.

[FourLaneBlue]

JAL and Plastic Head show just how our situation can be judged half-full or half-empty.

On the one hand we are 3 points off the drop zone.

On the other hand if we beat Sunderland (who have an even worse away record than us!) and Stoke don't beat Birmingham (quite likely) then we will be in the top half of the table.

The debacle that was left by Ince will take time to be fully got over if we are not going to give the manager any real money to spend.

However...the midfield needs to be addressed. Maybe Sam thought the addition of Hoilett and N'Zonzi (as well as the lesser spotted Elrio) would be enough but it blatantly hasn't been. The midfield must be addressed in January.

If it does then we do have some cause for optimism.

[Mr. E]

Robinson 7 - Makes some poor choices but also some excellent saves. Not really the match-winner that Friedel was.

Jacobsen 6.5 - Average at best.

Chimbonda 7.5 - Better than Warnock IMO. Can both attack and defend.

Givet 6.5 - Average, which is disappointing because he looked very good last season.

Nelsen 6 - Has recovered to a certain extent from the abysmal form he was earlier, but still too slow.

Samba 7 - Good, but not as good as he can be I feel. He should be winning a lot more balls with his height.

Salgado 5.5 - Has made some nice touches and passes, but don't expect him to defend - or run.

Nzonzi 7.5 - Fantastic so far for his age, considering he can only get better.

Grella 6.5 - Played good in the one-two games he showed up, but we can't rely on him.

Andrews 6 - He does what he can, which isn't a lot. I really don't understand why people keep ragging on him. He's not Ronaldhinio who simply can't be bothered to play like he can. These are his talents, and if anyone is at fault for playing him, it's the manager.

Dunn 8 - When he's actually on the field. But he's not a football player. He's a temporary bonus we can make use of once in a while before he's back on the injury table. Very sad that his career turned out this way.

Emerton 7 - Started getting back in good form after his long-term injury, (set-pieces aside), but got injured again. We have no luck.

MGP 4 - Has made one or two good runs and three or four good crosses all season. Besides that - a complete waste of space.

Diouf 3 - The same as MGP minus the good crosses.

Junior 7 - Has great potential and we've been missing a player with pace like him, but for now he isn't really making full use of it. He lacks in dribbling and finishing skills.

Roberts 5.5 - Man can run non-stop all game, but has hooves instead of feet really. A lesser version of Paul Dickov.

Benni 7.5 - Besides Dunn and Emerton, the only player at our club that can actually organize an attack. The only one who can actually finish too.

Di Santo 6 - Slightly better than Roberts. The hope is he is still young and will find his shooting boots.

Kalinic 5.5 - Lacks the workrate of Di Santo but misses just as bad. Would really need to see a major improvement to justify the price tag.

Allardyce 6 - Good that he abandoned the 4-5-1, and we have too many injuries to really expect better, but he has failed to install that physical and mental discipline he talked about when he joined us.

[JAL]

Mr E.how you can give a massive 6, for Keith out of his depth Andrews, would be my only criticism, of yet another good assessment on the ratings of the personnel at Ewood Park this season.

[Mr. E]

Mr E.how you can give a massive 6, for Keith out of his depth Andrews, would be my only criticism, of yet another good assessment on the ratings of the personnel at Ewood Park this season.

Again, I actually think he's giving us his best, and it's not his fault that even his best is nowhere near Premiership quality. MGP and Diouf, on the other hand, we know can play better, but lack the motivation/desire to get back into form, which is more frustrating.

[Stuart]

Hopefully people can be bothered to read all this...!

Without going into each individual player, I'll have a go at taking stock of our position at the end of 2009, as I see it.

Finances / Owners

We have NO money in the coffers. We have to sell before we can buy and, by the sounds of it, deduct wages and loan repayments from any income before we can spend. Buying a Samba or an NZonzi, even an untried one languishing in Ligue 2 is getting harder and harder. A new owner is a double-edged sword in that there are so many bad examples being set around the league that we are often happy to have The Trust holding the deeds than some abdul-come-lately or American asset stripper. However, the longer The Trust continue to own us but not maintain us, the more likely we are to get dry rot in the walls and holes in the roof. So its either suicide or death-by-a-thousand-cuts. Surely there has to be another way...? Answers on a postcard to J. Williams, C/O Ewood Park, Blackburn.

Competition

A long time ago (about 15 years) we were competing with Manchester United for the title and the one Champions League place. We didn't capitalise on our position and now this is increased to 4 we aren't even close so we can rule out United, Chelsea, Arsenal, and even Liverpool. More recently, up to 4 years ago, we were competing for a Uefa Cup spot - no mean feat considering but alas those halcyon days of punching above our weight are starting to look even more distant so we can strike Villa, Spurs, City and, every other year, Everton from the list. This season, we can probably add Sunderland as pulling away from us and although they are going about their businesses quietly, Im not convinced about Fulham or Birmingham. They could easily be where Everton and Wigan are respectively.

Lets face facts then, we are competing to get as high up the lower half of the PL as possible - 10th place, this season, would be an enormous success (and no, I don't like saying it).

Our competitors are therefore, at the top end, Sunderland, Fulham and (I cant believe Im saying this) Stoke and Birmingham; and, at the bottom end, Burnley, Wolves, Wigan and Bolton. Hull are in this league by their fingernails and West Ham and Pompey are ticking time-bombs awaiting implosion.

On the positive side, lately we have been playing nothing like we know we can, yet we are still 12th in the League. I realise it's a tight league again this year and this could change quickly, but on the form side of things, we can only really improve.

Signings / Players

Adding together the finances and the fact that our richer competitors (Sunderland, Fulham and even Stoke) are still shopping in our markets and being linked with our level of player, I'd say that they are making our lives more difficult than any of the so-called big players by hiking up the prices or even muscling in on our potential loan signings. This is making it harder and harder for us to improve our playing squad, which means we have to persevere with existing players, living on their reputations from years back, and players who simply arent good enough. Coping with suspensions or injuries is becoming even more difficult.

To get players in we have to be more and more creative, e.g. sell-on fees, pay-as-you-play and half-season-loans. The paradox is that this cycle wont be broken unless we can finish higher up the league but by reducing the quality of the playing staff, we greatly reduce the chances of this happening. This means continuingly having to sell our crown jewels at a high price and thats if were lucky. It's really no surprise that the manager is having to do what he thinks is best with what he has available.

Manager

Like it or not, in my opinion at least, Sam is the BEST man for the current job of steering Blackburn Rovers clear of relegation. His style of football is never going to endear him to the fans, since he is not much of a gambler and seems to play the percentages and rely on statistics when choosing his sides. Only when his back is against the wall, e.g. half time against Pompey, will he change from this.

He signed a three year contract just over a year ago and my gut feeling is that he will be retiring at the end of that period. He always said he'd retire at around 55 (according to a Bolton mate of mine) and his recent health issues may cement that. Whilst Sam may not be a scout of the Mark Hughes proportions, he is still very astute and it may just have been that Hughes got very lucky. However, Hughes brought in some allies of his own (Bellamy, Savage) plus he was a former player which helped him create a good dressing room unit. Even P*** I*** brought in Andrews and Fowler as his own men. With the exception of Diouf, Im not sure Sam been able to do that and things are beginning to show signs of fracturing although hopefully this is just frustration at results and nothing more. What division Sam leaves us in and who succeeds him are the two big questions going forward.

Fans

Ive said it a number of times sometimes more subtle than others but this club needs its fans. The current mutterings are growing louder every time we see Andrews on the team sheet, or coming on for a forward when we feel we should be going for a result. Every daisy-cutter which defeats Robbo is another mark against P*** I*** and a nail in his England ambitions. Every misplaced pass by Andrews (and there are many) is another. If there is one thing that is beginning to unite the fans more than anything else, it is an agreed view that Andrews is not good enough for a Premier League midfield.

The one thing you couldnt level against a Rovers fan is not being passionate about their club. Every defeat is a wound to the soul, and every victory savoured as a chance to look up the table and on to Europe. Well, perhaps not the latter but the former always feels true. You only have to come on to this messageboard after a defeat to see how much it hurts. Sack the manager! Sack the board! Sack Andrews! Sack of sh*t! If only there was some way to turn this energy into singing and chanting at the matches preferably before weve scored we could actually give the players that extra 5-10% that they need to chase that lost cause or win that challenge, or finish that one-on-one.

The club knows the value of the fans to Rovers particularly in the current political and footballing climate. Otherwise, how else do you explain away the unbelievable season ticket and matchday prices? Charity? I dont think so. We need bums on seats and a waiting list for season tickets that the owners can show to a potential serious investor as a reason to invest in this club. We already have the history. Even fairly recent history but there is not much kudos to an outsider owning Rovers. So unless we can convince Dave Whelan to go with his heart and turn his attentions across Lancashire, or get a consortium of reasonably wealthy (millionaire) Rovers fans to band together and form a consortium to buy the club, we need to give an investor a reason to buy us. So lets start bigging up OUR club a bit more and telling people how great we have it. Premier League football for 200 quid for 19 games. It sounds daft but how about celebrating the defeats as well as the wins and talk about how hard we shouted, how mental we went over that decision, how we sang our hearts out, how it felt when we scored, how it felt when they scored, how we cant wait to start all over again at the next match, rather than turning on the manager, the team and each other. We all think it because we all keep going back but lets start to do something about it and convince other people that the investment, financially and emotionally, is worth it - even if angioplasties rather than balti pies need to be the next thing the club offers free with a pint!

Nobody gave us a prayer against Chelsea in the quarter final but I was there in extra time singing (on my own it was the Jack Walker Upper), shouting (like a lunatic), banging the hoarding (like a kid with special needs), abusing the linesman (who deserved it) and believing that we could do it.

Call me overly-utopian, over-optimistic, a dreamer, naive or just a rambling idiot but Im looking forward to 2010 as a better year for our club. For starters we have a League Cup Semi Final but whether it be a relegation-battle, mid-table mediocrity, or dreaming of that final Europa League spot Im going to be a part of it.

With respect to the honourable posters, sod the "Signings That Never Worked" or "Season Tickets - will you renew next year?" or "When will we score?" threads. If we aren't happy, let's start to do something about it.

There are fans far more committed to Rovers than me so lets help them to get Ewood rocking again. Imagine we are playing Burnley every game and support the team with the same emotion, anticipation, fear and excitement and maybe, just maybe, the players will do the same.

One Rovers fan can make a difference...

[Mr. E]

One Rovers fan can make a difference...

That's the thing though - our success in previous seasons was mostly down to one or two exceptional players, who more or less carried the entire team on their backs. In the Souness era it was Friedel and Duff. For Hughes, it was Bellamy, then McCarthy, then Bentley and Santa Cruz. This season it very well is/could have been Dunn, but the trouble is we can't keep him fit and suffer greatly without him.

[Stuart]

Dunny is just a metaphor for any Rovers fan. Whilst he makes more of a difference than most, each person can play their part.

[Tom]

Right may as well throw my tuppence in as I've enjoyed reading others, I'm marking based on the half season not just the games they've featured in:

Robinson 6.5 - Neither here nor there for me, he will never be Brad in his peak but he is about as good a replacement for ageing brad we could have got. Has made some great saves but let in some sloppy goals. For me he's nothing to get excited about nor worry about.

Jacobsen 7 - Rarely put a foot wrong and I'd say has surpassed any low expectations most of us had for him, he is solid without being flamboyant. A good squad man to have around and an improvement over Ooijer and a huge leap from Simpson.

Chimbonda 7 - A real star for me so far, made a few mistakes but at times bizarelly he looks like our most likely chance of creating something with his runs, strangely for such a one footed player he excels when playing on his weaker side. In my opinion he should be starting at left back as when he has he has made us not miss Warnock at all.

Nelsen 6 - He seems to have lost another yard of pace and as a result is making more mistakes, still reads the game well and has chipped in with a couple at the other end as well. Great squad man to have around but for me should be behind Givet and Samba

Samba 7.5 - The big man looks solid at all times bar one or two off games. Constant threat going forward and very rarely makes mistakes. Must be one of the first names on the team sheet

Givet 6.5 - Not hit the heights of his last seasons form but imo thats due to him playing on the left at times. I don't like him at LB but he has been solid when in the middle with Samba.

Salgado 6 - Only been seen in cameo's mainly until the last 2 games where he has played in an unusual position for him, he has still offered more than Diouf whilst rarely threatening the opposition. Brilliant against Chelsea in the cup though. I think he could do a job in the centre of midfiled for us.

Grella 5 - Grella has looked good when he's played, however the amount of time he has spent unavailable makes it impossible to rate him higher. He could be a player but will probably never stay injury free

N'Zonzi 7.5 - A lifesaver for us this season. Without him its scary to think where we would be, he has been given a massive task and has stepped up to it admirably. He still makes some sloppy passes now and then but I think this guy is our next route to a windfall in time.

Andrews 5 - To be honest I just feel sorry for him now, I can't bring myself to dislike a man for not being up to the task as he obviously tries his best but it just isn't good enough. He needs to step down a league or two.

Emerton 6.5 - Would have been higher had he been injury free, if fit he is integral to our squad, can fill in various positions and will run till the death.

Diouf 5 - Get rid, he looks lazy and uninterested and offers zero attacking threat, his only plus side is he rarely loses the ball although thats because he just normally passes backwards

Pedersen 6 - some great crosses and set pieces usually followed by absolute dross moments later, he could still be an asset for us but I think he needs a new start himself. I wouldn't mind him staying and coming off the bench late into games.

Hoilett 6.5 - Shows real promise but at the moment often flatters to decieve, first player since Bellers with real pace he just needs to make some better decisions. He will really benefit from this run in the team. He would be in my starting team every game

Dunn 7 - He was superb a month or two back, the best I've seen him since his early days with Duff and Jansen, however the amount of time he's been unavailable could be a real killer to us and sadly will be something that will have always haunted his career. We need him back to that form ASAP

Di Santo 6.5 - Workrate can't be faulted but missing a few one on ones seems to have dented his confidence badly and now seems reluctant to have a pop, hasn't done enough recently to warrant a starting place

McCarthy 7 - Probably our only player who possesses genuine class, the guy needs to stay for me. His fitness is always in question but when he plays he looks like he can create something.

Kalinic 6 - Has looked equally brilliant and crap at times, badly needs a goal and a run in the team. I still think he could be a good un

Roberts 5.5 - We really need to get rid of this guy, he offers us next to nothing other than as a battering ram at the end of games. He does nothing that any central defender put up front couldn't do, or Jason Brown for that matter

Allardyce 6 - Some great signings in Chimbonda, Jacobsen and most definitely N'Zonzi however his tactics are suspect and dated and his team selections at times baffling. However until a certain Welshman came on the market and ignoring a former moustached Scottish legend I think he has been the best man for the job. Still don't like his interviews though.

Williams 10 - Brilliant as ever in bringing the ticket prices down again, shows more class than most in football.

Sorry if I bored you all.

[1864roverite]

The hakf term report is simple.

MUST and CAN do BETTER.

Rovers should be at the very least 10 points better off than we are, its as simple as that.

Poor performers - MGP, Diouf, Andrews and Roberts.

Must improve/stop being lazy - McCarthy and Nelsen.

Must get fitter - Dunny and Grella.

Must have a striking coach - Kalinic and di Santo.

Must be released/sold or given away - Roberts, Andrews, Treacy, Zurab, Pederson, Diouf, Brown.

Must be purchased - CENTRAL MIDFIELDER and LEFT BACK.

Must be loaned - experienced striker and attacking midfielder, di Santo deal finalised.The midfielder options from Wilshere, Ramsey and Tosic. All would be a welcomed "free" addition to our team.

[47er]

Again, I actually think he's giving us his best, and it's not his fault that even his best is nowhere near Premiership quality. MGP and Diouf, on the other hand, we know can play better, but lack the motivation/desire to get back into form, which is more frustrating.

I would do my best if selected. Unfortunately it wouldn't be good enough.

[47er]

Hopefully people can be bothered to read all this.

Nobody gave us a prayer against Chelsea in the quarter final but I was there in extra time singing (on my own – it was the Jack Walker Upper), shouting (like a lunatic), banging the hoarding (like a kid with special needs), abusing the linesman (who deserved it) and believing that we could do it.

Call me overly-utopian, over-optimistic, a dreamer, naive or just a rambling idiot but I’m looking forward to 2010 as a better year for our club. For starters we have a League Cup Semi Final but whether it be a relegation-battle, mid-table mediocrity, or dreaming of that final Europa League spot I’m going to be a part of it.

With respect to the honourable posters, sod the "Signings That Never Worked" or "Season Tickets - will you renew next year?" or "When will we score?" threads. If we aren't happy, let's start to do something about it.

There are fans far more committed to Rovers than me so let’s help them to get Ewood rocking again. Imagine we are playing Burnley every game and support the team with the same emotion, anticipation, fear and excitement and maybe, just maybe, the players will do the same.

One Rovers fan can make a difference...

Great post--really enjoyed it.

[RIML]

Player Games Played Average Rating

Robinson 19 6.7

Jacobsen 10 6.5

Samba 16 7.1

Givet 16 6.1

Nelsen 14 6.8

Chimbonda 16 6.3

Pedersen 10 6.7

Andrews 12 6.0

Nzonzi 16 6.3

Diouf 15 6.2

Grella 8 5.5

Dunn 11 7.3

Emerton 9 5.9

McCarthy 5 6.4

Roberts 9 6.3

Di Santo 13 6.2

I'll not say how I've worked this out, do you agree or disagree and why.

Givet's rating seems a bit harsh but has he ever been man of the match so far this season?

As too is Di Santo's you cannot fault his work rate and effort but he's only scored one and won a penalty.

Salgado, Hoilett and Kalinic not really worth mentioning as they've not started many league games this season.

[RibbleValleyRover]

Pedersen is way too high...

[Steve Moss]

MGP, EHD, and Roberts are too high. Grella and Emerton too low.

[Tom]

Nelsen way too high compared to NZonzi, Jacobsen, Givet and Chimbonda as well

[Stuart]

Judging by some of the scores Rimmel, I'd say it's an average score of how 'fit' they looked on each given matchday or which one you'd most like to be the father of your children!

In all seriousness though, there are some flaws such as missing persons, e.g. Salgado and Hoillet

Your list sorted in order is:

Player Games Played Average Rating

Dunn 11 7.3

Samba 16 7.1

Nelsen 14 6.8

Robinson 19 6.7

Pedersen 10 6.7

Jacobsen 10 6.5

McCarthy 5 6.4

Chimbonda 16 6.3

Nzonzi 16 6.3

Roberts 9 6.3

Diouf 15 6.2

Di Santo 13 6.2

Givet 16 6.1

Andrews 12 6

Emerton 9 5.9

Grella 8 5.5

Few would disagree with Dunn as our best player (or Samba and Nelsen second and third) but I find it very difficult to place Emerton below Andrews.

If anything though, it shows that the individuals are all much of a muchness when it comes to "score".

[RIML]

Pedersen is way too high...

Yeah thought so too I'll look into it and find the games he was rated highly in, I know Man City on the opening day of the season was one of them.

[RIML]

Few would disagree with Dunn as our best player (or Samba and Nelsen second and third) but I find it very difficult to place Emerton below Andrews.

I know, Andrews hasn't had great games but other than the cup game Emerton hasn't been great either, missed half the games through injury, however, he's won 2 MOTM awards at home, was one in the Carling Cup against Chelsea? I can't remember him having a good game in the league. He was involved in the second goal against Arsenal but other than that much else.

Baring in mind he has come back from a serious injury if he plays 3 more games level with Andrews he'd be back above him.

Grella had low ratings because of his sending off and injuries.

[LeftWinger]

Junior 7 - Has great potential and we've been missing a player with pace like him, but for now he isn't really making full use of it. He lacks in dribbling and finishing skills.

I think he’s got the dribbling skills – it’s the end product that is lacking at the moment. A couple of misses against Chelsea and two air shots with his left foot in the last game spring to mind. There is no doubt he can beat a man – just gives the ball away too much. He reminds me a bit of a young Wright-Phillips or Lennon – there is definitely potential, but needs time on the pitch. Hope he stays.