Player Ratings - Forest at home

[Varndean VI Form College]

Thought Greer was immense last night: does get me down how many NSCers allowed his Scottish nationality to cloud their judgement: probably don't even realise that they're doing it as their anti Scottish feelings run some deep. Greer is our captain (good Scotsman) and gives his all for the team: RESPECT TO GORDON GREER

 

[JCL666]

Made the best tackle of the game on edge of our box when Antonio was about to pull the trigger. Your so wrong!

Completely agree. That tackle was amazing, if Ince or Dunk had made it everyone would be raving.
I thought Bruno was very good generally and was still throwing in big tackles 10 minutes from the end.

 

[bhawoddy]

Thought Greer was immense last night: does get me down how many NSCers allowed his Scottish nationality to cloud their judgement: probably don't even realise that they're doing it as their anti Scottish feelings run some deep. Greer is our captain (good Scotsman) and gives his all for the team: RESPECT TO GORDON GREER

Morning Gordon.......

 

[KZNSeagull]

Best bits for me was how much higher up the pitch we were (until we scored), how much faster we attacked and how Kayal and Stephens absolutely bossed midfield (until we scored).
In all I thought the performance was very good until we scored, reasonable after that and it was a very pleasant surprise.

Is Solly going to be this years' JFC amongst the fans? I bloody hope not. The kid is good and will get significantly better. Fabulous little dink into the box for Hemed's header, for example.

 

[kevo]

Stockdale 7.5
Bruno 7
Bong 7
Dunk 8
Greer 7
Kayal 8
Stephens 8
Lua Lua 8.5
March 7
Hemed 7
Baldock 6

Ince 7
Rosenior 6
O'Grady 6

 

[severnside gull]

Stockdale 7 - good saves and good positioning. Excellent distribution. Only blot on his copybook was misreading of the long throw that so nearly cost us but if he plays all season to this level Maenpaa will struggle to get game time.
Bruno 7 - Antonio will be sold soon and whoever gets him are very lucky indeed. Bruno held him (sometimes literally) and still had time to show his class. Very good performance indeed.
Greer 6 - not his best performance but held his own
Dunk 8 - gets a mark for that run! Exceptional performance on the ground and in the air. If I wanted to be picky could say he escaped his routine yellow when he fouled their player running through but offside already given. Is that enough to that deter suitors?
Bong 7 - a left back who can defend and going forward he linked up well with Kaz, Big pluses a in a problem position
Stephens 7 - good solid display and works so well with BK
Kayal 8 - my man of the match. Our most influential midfielder and most consistent attacking threat. Lovely passer of the ball
March -6 harsh maybe but slow into the game and wasted two very passable chances. Still learning
KLL - 7 great goal topped one of his best all round performances.
Baldock - 6 worked hard but needs a break to give him confidence
Hemed - 7 shows promise. Good movement and so unlucky with that header

Subs:
Ince 6 love the studied way he passes a ball (and the accuracy). Missed a tackle though! Most uncharacteristic
O'Grady 6 really impressed with his pace and hold up play
Rosenior 7 good pace. Excellent decision making and passing. Will surely start more away games than not.

The crowd 9 - best vocal support at the Amex in a long time. Pissed on a Friday night is clearly the way to go

 

[BensGrandad]

Cant be bothered with individual marks as it is a team game the stand out performances was how Kayal and Stephens shut out Lansbury and Bruno and Greer dealt with Antonio. I dont see what made Dunk Sky MOM as yes he had a solid game but then so did many other. MOM for me was Kayal.

 

[Sheebo]

I stayed but was still home by 10-50, even with a diversion as the pevensey bypass was closed, thanks to everybody staying until the end and the falmer to Lewes train running perfectly. Gave me an hour to skim through the match on fast forward.

Yeh I meant Dunky walked off with the bottle so could see he was MoM

 

[Sheebo]

Calderon - 0. He was awful and just the fact he was named as a sub has ruined my night.

Bit harsh that

 

[crasher]

I thought Bong did look strong and confident - very promising start although there was one moment when he seemed to get his positioning all wrong. Small criticism of a good display.

Hemed's touch looked variable; one or two heavy touches as well as some good stuff. Can't judge anyone on one game but early signs promising.

Solly needs more confidence (which credit to CH, he tried to build up in the post-match interview)

 

[JBizzle]

Stockdale - 7 - Looked fitter and more composed, made a couple of decent saves and must be happy with a clean sheet

Bruno - 8 - Very good. Maybe the pressure from Rosenior is making him up his game?
Greer - 8 - Solid as a rock. I have no idea how some are giving him 6's
Dunk - 8.5 - One superb recovery tackle, composed as always. If he goes, we should be looking at Mings-range prices
Bong - 8 - Very good full debut. Gave Lua Lua the freedom to attack because he stayed in position well

Kayal - 8 - Superb. Bossed the midfield
Stephens - 6 - One of his weaker games
March - 7.5 - Really lively, made a lot of mischief but ruins it all but being a wretched crosser and finisher
Lua Lua - 8.5 - Back to the livewire we knew and loved. I really think having a LB that does his job properly benefited Kaz hugely

Hemed - 7 - Lively and bustling, wuld have scored but for a wonder save
Baldock - 6.5 - Lively also but had a bit less impact however, partnership with Hemed looks promising

Subs:
O'Grady - 7 - Did exactly what was needed. Held the ball up well, ran down the clock and went for the corners
Ince - 6.5 - Shored up the midfield
Rosenior - 7.5 - Intelligent, pacy and versatile. Did a great job coming on and using his experience to run down the clock

Overall:
A good solid performance. We looked fitter, hungrier and more organised than last season and the players clearly know their jobs and stick to them. Hughton was always going to drill them hard in the summer and it looks to have had a good effect. One game, one win. Can't ask for more. Well done lads!

 

[madinthehead]

Stockdale - 7 - Looked fitter and more composed, made a couple of decent saves and must be happy with a clean sheet

Bruno - 8 - Very good. Maybe the pressure from Rosenior is making him up his game?
Greer - 8 - Solid as a rock. I have no idea how some are giving him 6's
Dunk - 8.5 - One superb recovery tackle, composed as always. If he goes, we should be looking at Mings-range prices
Bong - 8 - Very good full debut. Gave Lua Lua the freedom to attack because he stayed in position well

Kayal - 8 - Superb. Bossed the midfield
Stephens - 6 - One of his weaker games
March - 7.5 - Really lively, made a lot of mischief but ruins it all but being a wretched crosser and finisher
Lua Lua - 8.5 - Back to the livewire we knew and loved. I really think having a LB that does his job properly benefited Kaz hugely

Hemed - 7 - Lively and bustling, wuld have scored but for a wonder save
Baldock - 6.5 - Lively also but had a bit less impact however, partnership with Hemed looks promising

Subs:
O'Grady - 7 - Did exactly what was needed. Held the ball up well, ran down the clock and went for the corners
Ince - 6.5 - Shored up the midfield
Rosenior - 7.5 - Intelligent, pacy and versatile. Did a great job coming on and using his experience to run down the clock

Pretty much how I saw it on telly. But I thought Stephens was not that bad, so 6.5 and a 7 for Marsh as I thought he struggled a bit, early on..

 

[Ninja Elephant]

Stockdale 7 Looked trim and did everything well, other than the one gaffe which nearly led to the goal.
Bruno 7 Did everything right, Antonio is a handful but he handled him well and got forward too.
Greer 6 Easy night really, standard performance but didn't put a foot wrong.
Dunk 7 Quality player and would be a big loss.
Bong 7 Defensively sound, put in a good cross or two as well and linked well with LuaLua.
March 7 Good set pieces in the main, good industry and a quality young player. O
Kayal 9 What a player, absolutely top notch and our best by a distance. Leader too, with some bite.
Stephens 8 I'm a big fan of his, he's mobile, reads the game well and is technically very sound.
LuaLua 7 Good goal and put in a shift, his inconsistency always frustrates me.
Baldock 6 Anonymous and fluffed a really good chance.
Hemed 7 Solid start, should have done better with the header.

Subs

O'Grady 1 He was on the pitch, and put his shirt on - probably on his own, so that's worthy of a point.
Ince 7 Did EXACTLY what he was tasked with doing. Will be a big player away, but needs to impose himself more physically.
Rosenior 7 Looked very good and composed.

 

[durrington gull]

Stockdale 8 looked very solid
Greer 7 good a few mistakes
Bruno 7 good going forward
Dunk 8 got stronger through the game and looks a dominant force now
Bong 8 very exciting debut - should link well with Kaz
Stephens 8 good performance but may get sent off if not careful
Kayal 9 man of the match for me
March 7 good in parts and will have a big role this season
Lualua 8 great performance and goal celebration
Hemed 6.5 showed promise and should improve
Baldock 6 not strong enough for me

Subs ok but not on for long enough

About right - I think we need another striker to give Baldock more competition - not convinced by him at all - very ordinary and lightweight

 

[nevergoagain]

Really like the look of Baldock & Hemed together, that will only get better and better with games and to have Bobby as a sub will be a cracking option when needed. Rosenior looked very composed when he came on, can see him displacing Bruno fairly soon as he got a bit of a roasting from Antonio 2nd half. Kayal looked awesome, think he'll be clear player of the season if he stays fit.

Only thing that is of concern is a lack of any attacking alternative from the bench at the moment but we all know that so need these signings quickly or an injury/suspension will really upset the balance of the team.

 

[Brighton Mod]

Not many changes on the pitch from last season, Forest were poor and should have punished us. On reflection we had some really good opportunities, but the performance left me not sure about where we are a the moment. Three points which is a good start, but we should have done better.

 

[Hugo Rune]

Line up comparison with last season Vs Wednesday

2014 2015
13 Stockdale - Stockdale: Looks more at home in goal.
03 Greer - Greer: Still solid.
02 Bruno - Bruno: Had a good game and needed to with Rosenior pushing for a starting place.
14 Calderon - Bong: Looked class. Big upgrade.
04 Hughes - Dunk: Dunk had a game that would have turned Premier League heads. Hopefully he is with us in September.
24 Ince - Kayal: Another player who had a good game. Kayal simply has more to his game than Rohan.
18 Forster-Caskey - March: I'm not sure where JFC fits in a 4-4-2. March showed promise on the wing and will improve. Very pleased to see him getting in goal scoring situations.
08 Crofts - Stephens: Crofts equal in terms of box to box energy, goals scoring and tackling but maybe a better passer of the long ball.
23 Fenelon - Baldock: Can't compare these two players. Baldock was good and will get more opportunities this season.
11 O'Grady - Hemed: Hemed was unlucky the Forest keeper made a great save. Much more of an aerial threat than O'Grady.
25 Lua Lua - Lua Lua: If he can score regularly he can stay in the team!

Substitutes used
(Mackail-Smith - 76' ) - (O'Grady - 81' ): O'Grady is better from the bench when you are hanging on. Can actually control the ball and look after it as well as bully defenders.
(Agustien - 61' ) - (Ince - 78' ): Ince was solid and made no mistakes. He is developing into a great DM but unless we play a diamond he'll be on the bench when Kayal & Stephens are fit.
(Buckley - 61' ) - (Rosenior - 88' ): Rosenior looked good but he was playing left wing. We have still not replaced Buckley a year later.

Substitutes not used
05 Dunk - 26 Rea: The new Dunk?
15 Chicksen - 14 Calderon: His versatility & commitment will see him a regular on the bench
28 Toko - 18 Forster-Caskey: Preferred to Holla on the bench, but will he still be there when Crofts returns?
31 Walton - 01 Mäenpää: No more howlers from Stockdale or else this fella will be given a go. Walton will be our number 1, it's when rather than if but bench warming is wrong for him at this stage of his career.

I feel a lot happier about this season compared to last already!

 

[Stat Brother]

Dale Stephens - 5 (although 6 only because we won)

I'm just not seeing the love for Stephens.

As I said on the match thread, for me he's one touch too many, making him that much slower than the team.
If anyone is going to be just out of position it's Stephens, he's a yellow card waiting to happen.
Plus I can only remember 1 Gardeneresque punt from distance that was never ever going in - Stephens.

Obviously anyone next to Kayal is going to look ropey, and I'm not expecting DS to be Zidane, but I do think he needs to be better.

I see that place in the team still being up for grabs, with plenty of players in the squad that can take it from him.

 

[Black Dalek]

Stockdale - 6 - apart from showing uncertainty with the long throw he performed well.
Bruno - 8 - MOTM for me, good display
Bong - 7 impressive debut
Greer - 6.5 weakest of the back 4 but a decent performance
Dunk 8 - almost cost us with a sloppy header first half but a strong match
Stephens 7 - industrious as always
Kayal - 7.5 - odds on our player of the season
March - 7 - hit & miss, tired second half
Lua Lua - 7.5 - gave their full back problems all night
Baldock - 7 - unlucky with first half effort
Hemed - 7 another good debut, denied by a world class save

Subs - all done the job required - 6.5 a piece.

This one for me

 

[Grombleton]

Stockdale - 7. Not tested too much but did well when he was.
Bruno - 7.5. Tired out near the end but kept Antonio well shackled - brilliant tackle to deny Antonio too when poised to shoot.
Greer - 7. Didn't have a bad game but lost out a few times to Blackstock. Still, a composed performance.
Dunk - 9. Looks like the first name on the teamsheet at the moment, hope that he decides to stay with us as he looks a class above
Bong - 7.5. Thought he did really well and linked up promisingly with KLL. Was caught out of position once or twice but he'll improve as he plays more. Promising.
March - 7. Flashes of brilliance but being a left-sided right winger is always going to be slightly unbalanced. Would prefer him to be like KLL last season - an impact player from the bench to scare defenders late on.
Stephens - 7. The one player I'm not 100% convinced by yet - I like him and I think he's going to be great with Kayal, but I just worry that he'll give away one too many fouls.
Kayal - 8.5. Makes everything look easy - always hassling and doesn't often misplace a pass. Key player
Lua Lua - 7.5. I think Lichaj's early booking helped him as KLL could attack him knowing he couldn't lunge in again - did well with the ball and a good finish.
Baldock - 6. Fairly quiet but was always looking to make runs and it could be a fruitful partnership with Hemed. Went close in the first half which was inches wide.
Hemed - 7. Promising start - would have scored if not for a quality save from De Vries, but looked to settle into the game well. High hopes for him.

Subs: all 7's, came on, did their jobs and kept it tight.

I think we still need some depth and i'd guess 3 more signings - a centre back, a creative midfielder and a right winger as whilst I like March, I think he needs to progress this season to realise his potential.

All in all, a good start to the season. A long way to go but the foundations are there.