An Assessment of Player Performance v Forest

[tonyoz]

OAn assessment of player performance v Forest

Each player was judged on the following criteria:

Instance of excellent play                                  *

Instance of decent/good play                             *

Instance of disappointing/poor play                   *

Instance of terrible play                                      *                                                       E&OE

 

 

Ratings

 

Raya                   ***

Nyambe₍₅₈₎       **************

Lenihan             ************************

Downing₍₅₈₎      ******************

Bell                    ***********************               

Reed                  ***********************

Smallwood           ******************

Evans₍₇₄₎            *********                    

Bennett               **********************

Dack                  **********************    

Graham                  **********************                  

 

 

Rodwell₍₅₈₎         ********

Armstrong₍₅₈₎     *********                       

Rothwell₍₇₄₎        *****                                             

 

 

Highlights and Lowlights

 

(A justification for the main ratings above)

 

4.                A bit of Forest pressure and Nyambe runs it away from the box but he is dispossessed. Here they come again. Good pressing all round relieves the pressure.

 

6.                Again Nyambe loses possession on the wing and we lose momentum.

7.                Forest corner. Lenihan and Hefele go up at the far post. Lenihan was pulling his shirt and the ref gives a penalty. MISS! We get lucky……. Flipping heck Darragh, I love your commitment but this is ridiculous!

12.            Dowling dithers on the halfway line and is robbed. Grabban has a straight run into the box but there’s good old Lenihan with a successful challenge but it’s a corner.

14.            Good hold up play by Graham, Dack sweeps the ball to Nyambe on the wing……but he is dispossessed again by Lolley. The nice move breaks down.

19.            Bennett chases back as always and wins the ball. Evans dithers and is dispossessed but it goes for a Rovers throw.

20.            AGAIN a Rovers player dithers on the ball and is dispossessed. This time it’s Bell on the wing and we’re lucky that the Forest ball into the box is too far from Grabban! Sloppy work all over the pitch!

23.            I’ve just realised……I’ve read a lot of praise for Reed on the forums. He hasn’t touched the ball yet! (well once!)

25.            Well, well. The first decent move of the game. Graham chests down a long ball expertly to Dack……then it’s good quick passing between Reed, Evans, Nyambe and Dack launches the ball into the box for Graham who does really well, under pressure, to volley the ball coming over his shoulder on target. Goalie saves.

28.            This is more like it! Nice ball into the box by Bennett, met by Dack 10m out but his header is straight at the keeper. Dack ghosted in there but the finish wasn’t up to his usual standards.

29.            Beautiful head on by Graham into the box but the goalie gets there just before Reed.

30.            Great chance. Reed showing his worth here. Robs the defender and the ball is picked up by Smallwood who lays a beautiful ball into the box for Graham…..he only has the goalie to beat….he waits for him to commit and then pushes the ball past him. But that hesitation allows Colback to appear from nowhere and somehow head the ball off the line for a corner! The commentators are giving Danny advice here but that’s harsh. Unbelievable clearance.

39.            Nice throw in from Bell into the box to Bennett who controls with his chest then does an overhead kick, Reed gets a foot in and the ball comes to Dack near the penalty spot. He hits the bar! Rovers well on top here but they need to score!

45+1   One more simple, sloppy pass again nearly proves disastrous! Nyambe and Smallwood are involved.  Forest attack but VERY luckily the final cross is over Grabban’s head. The goal kick comes back; Downing beats Grabban to the header but it’s not far and Grabban pulls away from Downing as the ball loops back. Grabban puts it in the net but he’s offside. Just!

45+2 One of those satisfying, crunching tackles by Lenihan breaks up another dangerous attack after Downing had slipped. Bell pumps the ball forward and (while everyone else is thinking about their cup of tea) there’s Bennett charging down the field making the goalie miskick for a throw.

46      Terrible pass by Smallwood in his own half…..straight to the Forest man but Forest can’t capitalise. The sort of pass that can lose a game! Why is no one challenging for that Forest throw? A dangerous ball comes into the box but it’s well cleared by Downing. Another special moment by Graham, holding up the ball under pressure. The only way they’re going to get that ball is by fouling him. So it’s a free kick!

49.     A blocked clearance from Lenihan finds Cash who drives forward and pumps the ball towards an unmarked Lolley in the box, Bell isn’t close enough. Fortunately the cross isn’t perfect and Raya is well-positioned to dive and collect.

51.     A Rovers free kick is headed clear and Forest stream forward. Nyambe is done by Lolley, the cross comes in, it’s headed back across goal and Grabban nets! Excellent, counter-attacking goal.

54.     Smallwood misjudges his header when the Forest goalkick is fired forward. It skids off his head and, all of a sudden it’s danger time as Lolley turns Nyambe inside out (he’s got to know that Lolley is all left foot so he has to be more aware). Downing is perfectly positioned in the box to head the cross for a throw in.

55.     Again, that one moment of sloppiness courting disaster! Downing clears up nicely in the box to Nyambe who tries to be too clever, slips and is dispossessed. Eventually the ball comes to Lolley, who beats Nyambe again but there’s Downing again, in the box to clear up. Hmm, Downing’s not as bad as people suggested now that he’s warmed up a bit. Oh wait! Smallwood just passed straight to a Forest man outside the box but his shot whistles past the post!

56.     For crying out loud! Now Bell has just done a Nyambe; trying to play too much football near the box. There’s Lenihan again, last man standing! It’s Downing off, Armstrong on. But Nyambe is distressed and doesn’t make it clear that he too needs to come off! TM has to send Rodwell on. No choice!

60.     Rodwell’s first action. He goes up for a header, it looks simple but he fluffs it. He chases back though and wins the ball but then slices into touch. A bit rusty?

61.     Forest knocking it about nicely. The ball comes into the box, Rodwell can only deflect it but Smallwood clears up.

63.     Commentators both moaning. Bell throws in field directly to a Forest man! It’s Lolley driving forward through an empty midfield but there’s that man Lenihan on the edge of the box with an effective challenge. Eventually Rodwell clears. Armstrong, daydreaming is dispossessed in midfield but the Forest man’s shot from distance is weak and straight at Raya.

           Great long, crossfield ball by Bennett to Dack who controls well and lays off to Armstrong in the corner of the box, who first time curls the ball over one of the tallest goalies in the league and into the top corner of the net. “Goal of the season” says the commentator. What do you mean he didn’t mean it? He gets * anyway! Ewood is awake!

66.     Another fantastic, forward, crossfield ball by Bennett to Dack in the box. He controls superbly and turns 2 defenders inside out. Colback runs in to help and Dack’s shot is blocked but Colback has taken Dack thigh-high. It sure looked like a penalty to me!

68.     Good free kick from Dack from 25m. Goalie helps it round the post. Reed takes the corner and Lenihan’s header has power but it’s directly above the goalie’s head and he saves. Graham flicks on the next corner but it hits a defender and bounces clear.

70.     More great football from Rovers. Bennett, Graham, Smallwood and Armstrong do well and finally a bobbling ball in the box is headed towards goal by Dack but there’s no power and it’s into the goalie’s arms.

72.     Fantastic, long, through ball by Armstrong to Graham in the box. He goes for goal, it’s past the goalie but there’s no power and the defender easily gets back to collect. Dack was available square!

73.     It’s still on! Bell through to Graham again in the box but this time he does cut it square perfectly and Dack nets from 1m.

           Commentator: “No reason why we can’t get double promotion this year. No team in this league scares me” The place is rocking!

76.     Lenihan wins yet another header and Dack is on the ball on the halfway line. He turns the defenders inside out and lays a gorgeous through ball into the box for Armstrong. The goalie comes and Armstrong bottles it, he pulls out of the challenge. What a chance!

78.     Forest throw in and Dack looks knackered; he doesn’t challenge or chase. Nice ball into the box for Lolley; Rodway rushes in but Lolley is past him. Rodway leaves a foot trailing…….. just enough for the Forest man to dive over it. PENALTY.  Raya dives the right way but it’s a goal!

83.     Free kick across field but it’s a loose pass by Bennett near their box and it’s enough! Forest punt forward and Lolley drives into the box and unleashes a powerful shot from a tight angle. Raya has to make a good save. Lenihan had been tempted upfield for the free kick so our reliable “last man standing” was missing. No one else does that job quite like him! He’s giving somebody a rollocking!

84.     Bell is exposed as Dias runs at him. Reed doesn’t see the danger of an unmarked Lolley and doesn’t move to cover him. Lolley then dribbles past Reed easily but Rodwell gets his foot to the very dangerous cross. It’s fired in again…..over Rodwell’s head but Grabban heads wide. Free header for goodness sake!

86.     Reed dispossessed in our own half but Rothwell comes in with a tackle.

88.     Dack too tired to reach Smallwood’s pass. Defending very deep now. Forest corner. Crowd quiet. The ball falls near the penalty spot. Rodwell blocks the shot but it’s driven back in. Hefele deflects the ball inches past the post. Very very lucky!

91.     Unnecessarily risky throw by Bennett right across the edge of our box! Rodwell scoops clear.

92.     Lolley given the freedom of Ewood again. He lobs in the ball into the box. The usual extra-time panic ping pong ensues. Goal saving challenge by Bennett. I honestly thought he’d scored! Corner headed away by Graham, another corner though.

93.     Well, that should have been Goodnight Irene! From the Forest left, the corner comes in. There are ZERO defensive players on this side of the box, except Bennett on the post! Guedioura comes strolling into the middle of the box and has a totally free header. How he put it past the post I’ll never know. He bursts into tears. We definitely don’t deserve to win this! Graham was nearest to him but it seems harsh to blame only him!

Edited October 2, 2018 by tonyoz

[Dreams of 1995]

It was one of Nyambe's worst performances in a while. I hope he bounces back from this and the injury. I'd imagine Reed would be a direct replacement for him unless Mowbray trusts Travis out there.

These stats from you really highlight how important Bennett, Graham and Dack are. They rarely have a piece of terrible play attributed to them. Fantastic players.

[tonyoz]

This time I’ve done separate ratings for each half

(That’s the best I can do tom!)

Ratings

 

Raya                   |***

Nyambe₍₅₈₎       ***********|***

Lenihan             ***************|********

Downing₍₅₈₎      ***********|*******

Bell                    ***************|********

Reed                  ************|**********

Smallwood          *********|*********

Evans₍₇₄₎            ******|***

Bennett              ***********|***********

Dack                  ************|**********

Graham                 ************|**********

 

 

Rodwell₍₅₈₎        |********

Armstrong₍₅₈₎    |*********                     

Rothwell₍₇₄₎       |*****                                           

 

 

 

Edited October 3, 2018 by tonyoz

[philipl]

Again, great stuff!

[bazza]

I always look forward to these, Tony.  Well done and keep them coming.

[Auburn Rover]

Thanks as well Tony. These make for great reading for us overseas supporters.