An Assessment of Player Performance v Swansea

[tonyoz]

An assessment of player performance v Swansea

 

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                                                                                                                               Whoscored.com ratings

Raya                      *******                                                                                                                4.9

Bennett                 ************************                                                                                   6.2

Lenihan₍₉₎            *                                                                                                                            6.3!

Mulgrew               **************                                                                                                     6.6

Bell                        **********                                                                                                             6.1

Reed                      ****************                                                                                                  6.4

Smallwood               ****************                                                                                                   6.2

Evans₍₇₁₎               *****************                                                                                                  7.0

Armstrong           ***********                                                                                                            5.8     

Dack                     ************                                                                                                           6.1

Graham₍₅₈₎                ****                                                                                                                         6.5

 

Rodwell₍₉₎            ***********                                                                                                             6.6

Brereton₍₅₈₎         *******                                                                                                                     6.1

Rothwell₍₇₁₎         ****                                                                                                                          5.9       

 

Highlights and Lowlights

(A justification for the main ratings above)

6.        So far, so good. Rovers pressing well and Reed has had more than twice as many good touches as any other player!

 

9.        Bennett has to sprint back having been caught out of position but Celina waltzes round him effortlessly. Fortunately his shot is over the bar.

            Bad news; Lenihan injured!

 

16.      Rovers knocking the ball about nicely all over the park but then Evans’ pass is intercepted and it’s all for naught! Here come Swansea and Olsson beats Rodwell and fires over a dangerous cross. Mulgrew blocks the final shot. Amazing……we were passing the ball about nicely – looking good, but in truth, didn’t look like posing any threat – then one mistake and they almost score! Bennett had been left upfield again! Raya catches the corner.

 

24.      Nice long pass by Evans in midfield to Armstrong on the wing. He drives forward and feeds Bell on the overlap in the box. He beats his man but is brought down. Penalty! Mulgrew  stutters his run and expertly sends the keeper the wrong way. Beautiful!

 

32.      The only time we’re getting into the box is when Bennett launches one of his long diagonal balls. This one is underhit. Bennett and Reed are both caught deep in the Swansea half as Olsson attacks. Evans does well to hold him up but he is beaten by a 1-2 and the dangerous cross is headed straight up in the air by McBurnie. Raya lets it bounce!!!!! We get lucky and Raya collects!

 

33.      Celina beats Bennett, Reed and Smallwood but Mulgrew steps in decisively to intercept his pass.

 

41.      Bennett is haring back again after mis-adventuring upfield but, in desperation, he fells the Swansea guy and is booked. He redeems himself somewhat by heading away the free-kick; Grimes is there to volley the ball just wide.

 

48.      James leaves Smallwood trailing and eases past Bennett as he drives into the box. Rodwell blocks his shot! Impressive run! It’s not clear yet though and Celina and James combine again but James shot is mishit and over the stand!

 

50.      James does Bennett again but his cross is collected easily by Raya.

 

54.      Swansea playing with some style at the moment. Reed fluffs his challenge, the ball is crossed square along the edge of the box but Celina hits it over the bar. Phew!

 

62.      Bennett wins the ball well and feeds Armstrong who plays a neat 1-2 with Dack but the final cross from Armstrong is disappointing.

 

63.      Nice turn into the box by Brereton but his final ball to Dack is just too far.

 

64.      A good long ball cuts straight through our midfield. Fulton gathers, moves forward to just outside the D and his powerful shot hits the post and bounces in off Raya. Here’s what I think! Rodwell, stood 2 yards in front of Fulton, flinched. Lenihan doesn’t do that! Commentators think no one is at fault though.

 

66.      Nice pass from Evans to Dack in the centre circle. He drives towards the edge of the box and lays the ball to Reed but his cross is poor. Brereton was in a good position.

 

67.      James doing what Armstrong can’t. Using his pace to gallop through midfield, no one lays a glove on him, Bennett can’t match him for speed and he slips a lovely pass to Roberts, who avoids Bell’s weak attempt at a challenge and smoothly puts the ball past Raya. Again no one is taking charge in the centre of our half.

 

70.      Poor pass by Brereton leaves Evans short and Swansea attack from their own D. James does Mulgrew for pace and his shot touches the outside of the post!

 

75.      Good grief! Again, no one tracking James as he chases a square ball into the box. It’s deflected by Rodwell on to the bar for a corner. Smallwood didn’t seem to notice James sliding behind him.

 

76.      A few poor kicks from Raya today. This free-kick goes straight into touch!

 

80.      Swansea are giving Rovers a bit of a lesson here! This time Celina and James combine together again. We just can’t handle them. James crosses square to McBurnie one yard out but Mulgrew is there to save us again. Bennett was done for pace again and Rodwell seemed lost.

 

81.      Nice sets of passes, Reed to Dack to Rothwell to Armstrong who crosses long to Bennett (where did he come from?) who does well to get in a half-volley from the corner of the 6 yard box but it’s saved.

 

83.      An accurate long ball from Rodwell reaches Brereton in the box. He controls well, holding off the defender but his attempted shot is deflected for a corner. Dack wasn’t far from reaching it!

 

84.      Reed lashes a loose ball into the box. Dack leaps on to the rebound and his first time shot from just inside the box is well saved low down by the keeper.

            Oh dear! While the camera concentrates on a tearful Dack, Swansea put the ball in the net at the other end! Bennett and Smallwood haven’t got the pace and we are carved open down the middle again.

 

89.      Another positive drive down the wing from Brereton but there’s no support again and he has to lay it back.

 

91.      Rothwell loses the ball too easily again!

 

94.      Full time. Bristol City re-visited?

 

I think it was hard to apportion blame for a lot of our mistakes but I did my best.

 

Edited October 25, 2018 by tonyoz

[Bigdoggsteel]

I remember the one Raya kicked over the touchline. A real momentum killer. He clearly suffers from nerves or confidence issues at times. Your keeper should not be kicking frees or goal kicks out of play too often. It's basic stuff. 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Thanks as usual Tony.

[tonyoz]

39 minutes ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

I remember the one Raya kicked over the touchline. A real momentum killer. He clearly suffers from nerves or confidence issues at times. Your keeper should not be kicking frees or goal kicks out of play too often. It's basic stuff. 

Yes. The time he let the ball bounce dangerously before gathering.........he immediately kicked the ball, from hand, straight into touch!

 

[Bigdoggsteel]

Just now, tonyoz said:

Yes. The time he let the ball bounce dangerously before gathering.........he immediately kicked the ball, from hand, straight into touch!

 

Ya, that too.

The free where he kicked it out really rankled me. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think we were 2-1 down at this point. He tried to steal a few yards and the ref caught him, so he brought it back. Next thing his kick went straight out. It was a monumental momentum killer and you could just see the players around going flat after it. His face told a story too.  

[tonyoz]

27 minutes ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

Ya, that too.

The free where he kicked it out really rankled me. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think we were 2-1 down at this point. He tried to steal a few yards and the ref caught him, so he brought it back. Next thing his kick went straight out. It was a monumental momentum killer and you could just see the players around going flat after it. His face told a story too.  

“Momentum killer” .......I like it. Sometimes it happens when a player tries to do too much and ends up losing the ball cheaply, sometimes it’s the lazy pass but what I hate most is the unnecessary backwards pass when half your teammates are streaming forward in anticipation. Reed and Smallwood are sometimes guilty. 

[Bigdoggsteel]

Just now, tonyoz said:

“Momentum killer” .......I like it. Sometimes it happens when a player tries to do too much and ends up losing the ball cheaply, sometimes it’s the lazy pass but what I hate most is the unnecessary backwards pass when half your teammates are streaming forward in anticipation. Reed and Smallwood are sometimes guilty. 

Ya, it's a confidence thing, although we do it a lot. Turn back in, when players are in good forward positions. I wonder is it an instruction from Mowbray? 

[Oldgregg86]

8 hours ago, tonyoz said:

“Momentum killer” .......I like it. Sometimes it happens when a player tries to do too much and ends up losing the ball cheaply, sometimes it’s the lazy pass but what I hate most is the unnecessary backwards pass when half your teammates are streaming forward in anticipation. Reed and Smallwood are sometimes guilty. 

Smallwood and Evans drive me mental with that

[JacknOry]

On 25/10/2018 at 17:38, Bigdoggsteel said:

Ya, that too.

The free where he kicked it out really rankled me. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think we were 2-1 down at this point. He tried to steal a few yards and the ref caught him, so he brought it back. Next thing his kick went straight out. It was a monumental momentum killer and you could just see the players around going flat after it. His face told a story too.  

Try saying that 10 times really quickly.