An Assessment of Player Performance v Wigan

[tonyoz]

 

 

An Assessment of Player Performance v Wigan

 

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₍₇₇₎           ***************                                 

Mulgrew               ****************                

Rodwell                *****************             

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

Evans                    *************                                                      

Reed₍₄₅₎                 ******                                                      

Smallwood₍₆₁₎        *********                                               

Armstrong           ********                                                                

Dack                     ********                                                                

Graham₍₄₅₎                  ****

                                                                                                                  

Williams₍₄₅₎           *************                                                                                 

Brereton₍₆₁₎          ***                                                                            

Conway₍₇₇₎           ***                                                                                                        

 

Highlights and Lowlights

(A justification for the main ratings above)

 

12.      Absolutely nothing of any value from any Rovers player so far! Some nasty fouls by Wigan. Two booked already!

            The second over-egged kick by Raya out to Armstrong on the wing. Looks like a pretty dumb tactic.

 

18.      Rovers are being given no time on the ball and they can’t handle it. Wigan’s bully tactics are working.

 

19.      The first bit of danger. Bell is beaten to the ball far too easily and the cross is just a little too far in front of Powell.

 

21.      Morsy doing a wonderful job of winding up the Rovers players. Windass on for Powell.

 

22.      Rodwell is turned by his man and Mulgrew has to make a crucial last gasp challenge to prevent a clear run in on goal!

 

23.      At last! A good ball into the box by Nyambe. Reed swings and misses it….but it continues to Graham who scoops it over. Reed maybe put him off…. he had to snatch at it.

 

26.      Just noted the first positive contribution by Reed!

 

29.      Now that’s Evans first decent ball!

 

30.      Evans wins the ball in midfield and has a clear run. He holds back to let Armstrong catch up but his ball into the box is underhit and telegraphed and the best Armstrong can do is win a corner. That’s Adams first positive contribution! A bit of “ping-pong from the corner and the ball somehow bobbles into the keeper’s hands.

 

32.      Bell totally miskicks the incoming, long ball but it touches him and goes for a soft corner. Nyambe is beaten in the air by Vaughan and Evans stops the header on the line. It falls to the feet of Burn but somehow Raya manages to palm his shot on to the bar!

            It’s not over yet! Naismith goes past Smallwood as if he’s not there and his cross into the box ……well I’ve gotta say……is undefended! Mulgrew is stood behind 2 completely unmarked attackers. One of them manages to head the ball wide. It was easier to score! Rodwell was nowhere.

 

36.      Smallwood’s first positive contribution!

            Wigan are targeting Bell and it’s working. He has 2 men on him as the long high ball comes in. Armstrong and Evans are back to help but now there’s 4 Wigan men. Bell is in “no man’s land” as Wigan interchange passes and that leaves Roberts the space to drive forward and unleash a great shot, in off the post, past Raya. Too easy……

 

41.      The dangerous sub Windass does Nyambe easily but Raya saves his shot comfortably.

 

42.      Bell, as last man, tries a risky dribble and is dispossessed. He is fortunate to get the free kick I think.

 

43.      Bizarre! Vaughan beats Mulgrew and Evans to the corner and it’s going in but Windass totally unmarked, standing on the line, heads it out. Great stuff……………..he should give our centre backs some lessons!

 

45.      Everyone is running back and a lovely ball is lobbed into our box. Mulgrew is waving his hand claiming offside…..allowing Windass to pull clear and shoot unchallenged. It hits the post and he was offside. BUT Mulgrew was badly at fault there.

 

            HALF-TIME………………That was garbage! Wigan should be 5 up!

 

46.      Mulgrew sells himself near halfway by throwing his body into an unnecessary challenge and Windass is off again. He crosses to Vaughan but Raya saves.

 

51       Nice ball from Williams reaches Armstrong, who takes it into the box but his shot is weak. Nevertheless, that’s the first save the keeper has had to make. He clears upfield and Rodwell misjudges the flight and bounce and there’s that man Windass to take advantage. He runs into the box, Rodwell stumbles and brings him down. Penalty! Vaughan scores.

 

57.      A high ball comes into our crowded box. Burn rises to a free header as Mulgrew and Rodwell fail to get off the ground. It’s wide! Our key defenders don’t seem to know what they’re supposed to be doing!

 

64.      The third time Brereton has been near the ball since he came on and each time his touch has been suspect.

 

66.      Nice run forward by Dack but…..this is weird…..he slips the ball into the box but it’s behind Armstrong….who gives up completely! Brereton chases, runs into the defender and falls over claiming a penalty.

 

68.      Commentators are praying for floodlight failure. One suggests Reed as man of the match! He has been totally anonymous but then again……….so has everyone else!!

 

            Wigan throw in. James and Windass make fools of Reed, Bell and Williams as Windass drives into the box. His shot is defected by Mulgrew on to the bar……………..again! Nyambe blocks the follow-up.

 

70.      Wigan attack again from their right wing. You can clearly see the line of Rovers defenders falling back but AGAIN Rodwell is retreating and marking no one. The cross comes in to Vaughan (behind Rodwell) and Nyambe manages to get enough of a challenge in to put him off and he heads wide and high.

 

74.      This is poor fare. There’s no impetus, no spark, no one capable of opening the Wigan defence. Armstrong and Dack are coming back into our own half to see the ball!

 

76.      Stupid push in the back from Williams gives Wigan a free kick in a dangerous area just outside our box. Good grief! The lobbed effort bounces on the crossbar! Raya didn’t seem to know what was happening!

 

79.      Evans miscontrols and we lose momentum…..so frustrating! Then Mulgrew and Williams miscontrol and it’s a Wigan throw in. Rovers fans are booing.

 

80.      Brereton miscontrols (again) and it’s another Wigan throw!

 

82.      Conway’s free kick from deep is met by Williams in the box………….it’s deflected into the net by a Wigan man for an own goal! Soft!

 

85.      Mulgrew, near half way, has his hand up for another offside claim. It’s not given and now Windass is miles away…….onside! He does Williams far too easily and squares perfectly for McManaman to tap in. Maybe Raya could have cut out that cross?

 

86.      Conway on the wing pulls the ball back for an on-rushing Dack but his shot is deflected off target. Hmm, that makes Conway man of the match for me! The corner comes back to Conway and his deflected cross/shot is palmed away by the keeper for another corner.

 

            FULL-TIME. WORSE THAN PRESTON!

 

Reflections (i.e. humble opinions!)

            Bell needs dropping.

            We need 2 proper centre halves; give Downing a run and get Lenihan back.

            Evans, Reed, Smallwood……..not a spark of imagination from any of them! Evans kills the momentum time after time.

            Dack did nothing………again and Armstrong was lost.

Edited November 30, 2018 by tonyoz

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Thanks for that Tony, reading it was bad enough, it makes me feel sorry for the poor fans actually went !

[tonyoz]

1 hour ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

Thanks for that Tony, reading it was bad enough, it makes me feel sorry for the poor fans actually went !

I was thinking that myself! The away fans have been living the dream for quite some time.......the tide’s turned!

[Bigdoggsteel]

Wouldn't have begrudged you a break this week instead of having to look at that shit show again in detail 

[SBlue]

Don't think you've articulated how incredibly, unbelievably despicable that third goal was from Williams.

Apart from that - surprised to see so much blue!

[bazza]

Thank you again, Tony.  Keep 'em coming.