Player ratings vs Southampton

[goldstone]

At last a performance worth watching from the Albion. Well done the lads!

Brezovan 8. A flap and a dodgy punch, but some super saves and good distibution. Better the Casper in my opinion. Give him a run and maybe we will not need to sign a goalie.

Cook 8. Excellent game. Polished performance. There is absolutely no way we should sell him.

ElAbd 8. Looked much better at CB. Good game.

Greer 8 for his playing performance - loses three for stupid sending off - score 5.

Tarrico 6. The weak link in the defence. Should hang up his boots as soon as no longer required to help out.

Buckley 8. My MOM. Terrorised Harding. Has the makings of a great player.

Sparrow 8. Very good goal. Two excellent games. Back to his best?

Bridcutt 8. Back to his best.

KLL 7. Some great crosses, but quiet at times.

CMS 7. Did not win one ball in the air. Ran around a lot as usual. Needs help.


Subs:
Hall 8. Very assured. Impressed!
Harley - not on long enough.

 

[Ken Newbury]

No Forster-Caskey then?

 

[The Brighton Buzz]

At last a performance worth watching from the Albion. Well done the lads!

Brezovan 8. A flap and a dodgy punch, but some super saves and good distibution. Better the Casper in my opinion. Give him a run and maybe we will not need to sign a goalie.

Cook 8. Excellent game. Polished performance. There is absolutely no way we should sell him.

ElAbd 8. Looked much better at CB. Good game.

Greer 8 for his playing performance - loses three for stupid sending off - score 5.

Tarrico 6. The weak link in the defence. Should hang up his boots as soon as no longer required to help out.

Buckley 8. My MOM. Terrorised Harding. Has the makings of a great player.

Sparrow 8. Very good goal. Two excellent games. Back to his best?

Bridcutt 8. Back to his best.

KLL 7. Some great crosses, but quiet at times.

CMS 7. Did not win one ball in the air. Ran around a lot as usual. Needs help.


Subs:
Hall 8. Very assured. Impressed!
Harley - not on long enough.

Missed out the real MOM Forster Caskey. Obviously you don't rate him

 

[BUTTERBALL]

Brezovan 7 - couple of great saves, couple of dodgy moments. Handling better than Ankergren
Tano 7 - used his experience well
Greer 6 - would have been an 8 but for the sending off
El Abd 8 - so much better at centre back than full back, strong as an Ox and marked Lambert out of the game
Cook 8 - must stay
Buckley 7 - much improved from Coventry
JFC 9 - deserved MoM, great movement on and off the ball and so pleased he scored
Bridcutt 7 - good to have him back
Sparrow 8 - JFC allowed him to get forward and 2 great goals as well as good performance
Lua Lua 8.5 - picked up where he left off against Coventry. Just need a target man for him to supply ammo to
CMS 7 - well marshalled but ran his socks off as usual

Subs:

Hall 8 (Taricco) - really caught the eye at left back, looks very good in the air and linked up well with Lua Lua
Harley (LuaLua) not long enough to rate but decent corner

Gus 10 - keep the faith with the youngsters please Gus

 

[Ninja Elephant]

Peter Brezovan - 7 Might be a tad harsh, considering he coped well with a couple of crosses and fielded the shots he had to, plus he got the standing ovation for an unbelievable save (Never known a standing ovation for a save before), but flapped a couple of times. Looked confident.
Steve Cook - 7 Not troubled by a winger playing against him, and took advantage to get forward a few times but his final ball and his final delivery served to remind us he's a centre back. Can't knock him, looked good technically and a triumph for our youth system that we've developed him.
Mauricio Taricco - 7 I want to have his time and ease on the ball. And his bravery, taking a cheeky swipe at Do Prado! Shame to see him go off with an injury, but the old boy can't keep playing on and on! For the time being though, the best left back at the club.
Gordon Greer - 8 He stepped into the Southampton half!!! Been waiting to see our defenders take the step over the line with the ball and condense the play in the opposition half. Distribution was fantastic, tackled hard and well. Got sent off, but meh, the man is called the Bear for a reason.
00Adam El-Abd - 8 Wind-up merchant extraordinaire. Lambert fell for his devlish tricks hook line and sinker, and he won us the match in that moment. Played some good passes out aswell, and we look a much stronger and reliable unit with him there. Never thought I'd be so keen to praise him!
Liam Bridcutt - 7 I love the guy, think he's a great player and think he did his usual hard working and disciplined self, but I don't think he was as influential in posession today, but that might be because he was more focused on stopping Southampton coming through. Love him.
Matthew Sparrow - 8 Took his goals magnificently, what a man. He needs to bulk up a bit, got knocked off the ball a few times far too easily but the technical ability is clearly there, he just needs to bulk up a bit to get more involved in the heart of the game. Worked very hard off the ball too.
Jake Forster-Caskey - 8 Took his goal well, looked really good and comfortable on the ball and put in some hard tackles too. We've got a player on our hands here, he's going to be around the first team for quite a while now I think. Oozed class in his interview after the game too.
Kazenga LuaLua - 7 Worked hard back and forward down the left flank, fired in some brilliant crosses and hit a couple of rasping shots aswell. Much more the LuaLua of old, if we can keep him fit and keep him in the team he's going to be an absolute menace in the second half of the season.
Will Buckley - 8 Ran past players for the sheer fun of it, had Harding on toast and forced his substitution. Work rate, commitment, technical class AND flair, deffinitely a million pound player. Like LuaLua, we need to keep him fit and we'll be flying for the rest of the season.
Craig Mackail-Smith - 7 Never threatened to score, but it doesn't stop him working himself into the ground and fighting for our cause from the first to the last. Kelvin Davis is a better keeper than he looked today, and part of his problem was CMS unsettled him early. Not tangible, but I think CMS was key in his bad performance.

Subs
Grant Hall - 7 Looked really assured on the ball when he came on, it's hard to judge him because his whole match was on the opposite side to me, but looked good on the ball, composed and strong. He'll fill the void of Cook's first team place should he leave.
Ryan Harley - 6 Not on long enough to be fair, but he put in one cracking corner which we scored from, and then smacked a left footed throughball straight into the Southampton penalty area for Davis to pick up, otherwise would have got a 7 for the corner!

What a match, very much enjoyed it from the moment Lambert struck out.

 

[Sam Ovett]

What a brilliant result!!

Brezovan - 8
Cook - 8
Greer - 6 (8 before red)
El Abd - 10 (won the match)
Taricco - 7
Bridcutt - 7
Sparrow - 9
Forster-Caskey - 8
Buckley - 9
LuaLua - 7.5
Mackail-Smith - 6.5

Hall - 7.5
Harley - n/a

 

[Flavor Flav]

Peter Brezovan - 7 Might be a tad harsh, considering he coped well with a couple of crosses and fielded the shots he had to, plus he got the standing ovation for an unbelievable save (Never known a standing ovation for a save before), but flapped a couple of times. Looked confident.

Graeme Smith got one at the Withdean a few years ago for a mediocre save after he'd let in about 20 goals in the previous 4 matches. I wasn't sure if it was sarcastic or if people were genuinely pleased to see he had arms!

 

[brightonrock]

Brezovan 7.5 - was confident he would come for more crosses and made a great double save, but flapped a couple of times.
Cook 8 - DO. NOT. SELL. So composed, got forward, won it in the air - him and Dunk would be fantastic to see as a CB partnership one day.
Greer 6.5 - bit quieter than usual and what I suspect will turn out to be a very stupid sending off.
El-Abd 8 - back in his rightful place at CB and was immense. Winds people up and drew the stupid reaction from Lambert for a deserved red.
Taricco 6 - made to look very slow at times today, shame he was injured as he's technically still class - the legs are gone though.
Bridcutt 7 - efficient, able to take a more 'backroom' role sweeping up, with JFC and Sparrow doing the running.
Forster-Caskey 8 - very cool on the ball, has a Harley-esque swagger about him, but clearly works very hard off the ball too.
Sparrow 7 - thought he was absolutely anonymous first half but came to life in the second, what a hit!
Buckley 8.5 MOM - raped Harding again and again and again and again. LOVE that he's back and fit to play, could be very key for us this year.
LuaLua 8 - didn't get on the ball enough in the first half but lit up as the game got stretched late on. Wicked delivery.
Mackail-Smith 7 - worked hard (to state the obvious) but is so dearly in need of help. Looks like he needs a hug.

Hall 7 - naturally a CB so slightly out of position but again looked technically sound, very calm, a good prospect. Boy done well.
Harley n/a - wasn't really on long enough, a lot of it as a makeshift left wing back.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Lua Lua was my MOM. Closely followed by Caskey-Forster. Thought Buckley looked v good as well.

 

[Ninja Elephant]

Graeme Smith got one at the Withdean a few years ago for a mediocre save after he'd let in about 20 goals in the previous 4 matches. I wasn't sure if it was sarcastic or if people were genuinely pleased to see he had arms!

I remember that actually! I'd forgotten that. It was a complete pisstake, or atleast that's why I stood up to applaud. I felt he deserved it. It would have sealed the moment in history if he'd taken a bow to acknowledge the moment!

 

[goldstone]

No Forster-Caskey then?

Apologies. Apologies!!

How could I have left out JFC?

Forster-Caskey 8. Very mature performance and great goal. Very impressed.

 

[Beach Hut]

Brezovan - 6 to be honest flapped and made once terrible punch
Cook - 9
Greer - 4 (due to the 8 red mist)
El Abd - 8
Taricco - 6
Bridcutt - 7
Sparrow - 10
Forster-Caskey - 9
Buckley - 9.5
LuaLua - 7
Mackail-Smith - 6.5

Hall - 8
Harley - n/a

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

Brez - 7 - Looked more capable than Casper has recently. Not the answer though.
Cook - 8 - Great performance, gives more physical presence as well.
Tano - 7 - Shame his hamstring went.
Greer - 6 - Due to the sending off - idiot!
El-Abd - 8 - Class throughout, great communication across the defence.
JFC - 8 - Great full debut.
Sparrow - 9 - MoM for me. Great energy capped with 2 good goals.
Buckley - 7 - Good on the ball, but his movement when off it needs further work.
KLL - 7 - Disappointing first half, excellent second.
CMS - 7 - Quiet, remains starved of service.

Hall - 8 - Great debut, coped very well.
Harley - 7 - I think he took the corner for the third goal......

Ref - 7 - Better performance than previous, should have sent Harding off, but the majority of other decisions correct including both sending off's.

Crowd - 8 - Great backing.

 

[Barnham Seagull]

Brez - 8
Cook - 8
Tano - 7
Greer - 4 would have been 8, with our diciplinary record the captian should set an example
El-Abd - 7.5
JFC - 7.5
Sparrow - 9
Buckley - 8
KLL - 7.5
CMS - 6.5

Hall - 7
Harley - 6

Ref - 8

 

[Fungus]

Peter Brezovan - 7 Might be a tad harsh, considering he coped well with a couple of crosses and fielded the shots he had to, plus he got the standing ovation for an unbelievable save (Never known a standing ovation for a save before), but flapped a couple of times. Looked confident.

Sure Kuipers got a few (genuine) standing ovations. From me, at least!

 

[countryman]

Brezovan - 8 Made some very good saves. Flapped a couple of times but an overall good performance.
Cook - 9 Kept calm and his passing was very good. I hope he stays.
Greer - 3 He passed the ball straight to a Southampton player outside the box and we nearly conceded a goal because of it. And getting sent of with five minutes left was just stupid.
El Abd - 8 His usual good self
Taricco - 8 He was also his usual good self.
Bridcutt - 8 Played very well. I particularly liked his holding of the ball in the corner flags.
Sparrow - 10 The second goal was a real cracker. Scored two. I can't not give him 10.
Forster-Caskey - 9 He was quick and put in his all. Got the winner.
Buckley - 10 Showed real class. They just couldn't get the ball off him.
LuaLua - 10 Very good. He made a real impact on the game. He appeared to be running on an injury in the second half but carried on and gave his all. He would be my Man of the match.
Mackail-Smith - 7 Quick as usual but never showed any chances and never seemed to hold the ball up front.

Hall - 8 Showed real promise.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Brezovan 7 - couple of great saves, couple of dodgy moments. Handling better than Ankergren
Tano 7 - used his experience well
Greer 6 - would have been an 8 but for the sending off
El Abd 8 - so much better at centre back than full back, strong as an Ox and marked Lambert out of the game
Cook 8 - must stay
Buckley 7 - much improved from Coventry
JFC 9 - deserved MoM, great movement on and off the ball and so pleased he scored
Bridcutt 7 - good to have him back
Sparrow 8 - JFC allowed him to get forward and 2 great goals as well as good performance
Lua Lua 8.5 - picked up where he left off against Coventry. Just need a target man for him to supply ammo to
CMS 7 - well marshalled but ran his socks off as usual

Subs:

Hall 8 (Taricco) - really caught the eye at left back, looks very good in the air and linked up well with Lua Lua
Harley (LuaLua) not long enough to rate but decent corner

Gus 10 - keep the faith with the youngsters please Gus

I'm feeling lazy and this saves me typing it all out. This.

 

[JBizzle]

Brez 7 - Did very little wrong and looked pretty comfortable despite a couple of wobbles
Tano 7 - Look pretty solid
Greer 5 - 7 overall but 3 for ANOTHER ridiculous sending off
El-Abd 8 - Solid as a rock and very confident. Greer/Dunk will struggle to dislodge now
Cook 7 - Got forward well, defended well
Bridcutt 7 - Quality as usual
JFC 8 - What a different it makes having an intelligent brain in midfield. Excellent today
Sparrow 8.5 - Quietish first half but played a stormer in the second. My M.o.m.
Buckley 7.5 - Destroyed Harding repeatedly but quieter in second half
Lua Lua 8 - Terrorised them. Seems back to his old self
CMS 7 - Worked his ass off again and still a bit too isolated

Subs:
Harley 7 - FINALLY made a contribution of note sice his debut. Great corner but not on for long
Hall 7 - Calm, composed and didn't look anything like a player making only his first app

Gus 9 - Got it spot on tactically and kept his temper in check
Ref 9 - By FAR the best ref down here this season
Crowd 8 - A little quiet in the 1st half but superb in the 2nd

 

[Acker79]

I think to say brezovan flapped is a bit inaccurate. He came for a couple of crosses he couldn't quite reach, to me a flap needs to include an uncertain or lacking confidence with arms waving as if that might help. He seemed to be more in control of the crosses he came for even if he didn't reach them.

Brez 7.5 not a lot to do, some a couple of great saves, looked more comfortable holding the ball at his feet, though was never really pressured when he had it, seemed to have more purpose when coming for the ball, but wasn't particularly stretched.
Taricco 7.5 a few lose passes, seemed to back off rather than be caught out for pace, generally decent, without being the star player.
Greer 7 loses a mark for the red card,
El Abd 8 Antagonising best, and some good blocks. Looked more comfortable in the centre back role
Cook 8 Thought he played well, got forward confidently and linked well consideringhe ha been at another club for a month or two.
Sparrow 8 two good goals, even if one of them took a massive deflection and the other may have taken a slight deflection or else was a brilliant swerving shot. With such a contribution it's hard to mark him lower for his less than eye-catching contribution for the rest of the game (not in a bad way, just not notable)
Forster-Caskey 8 confident in such a big game. Played really well, linking with short passes with sparrow and buckley and bridcutt. A few wrong choices here and there, but nothing major or costly
Bridcutt 8 helped boss midfield, especially when we had the man advantage, got back and made some key tackles.
Buckley 8.5 Really good, positive, destroyed Harding. How often is someone taken off that early if not for an injury or because a team mate was sent off?
LuaLua 8 really needs to work on his shooting, but otherwise an all round great performance.
CMS 7.5 Poor guy, he looked genuinely disappointed that we won 3-0 and he didn't get a chance to contribute to the goals tally. Works his socks off though, and his harrying of their defenders was a definite plus.

Hall 7 Looked a little nervous, possible the opponents, the debut, or just that he isn't left footed and was playing left back. But he was more than competent, especially in the air
Harley - Not really on long enough.

 

[big nuts]

GK Brezovan - 7 Apart from one flap a good performance.
RB Cook - 7 Solid and adventurous after their sending off.
LB Tarricco - 6 Two games in 48 hours possibly too much for a old man in football terms.
CB El-Abd - 8 Superb performance
CB Greer - 6 Absolute quality again but late dismissal tarnished his performance.
CM - Bridcutt - 7 Disciplined performance
CM Sparrow - 8 Got better and better as the match wore on plus scored two goals.
CM Forster-Caskey - 8 Superb full debut, seems to have so much time on the ball.
LM Lua-Lua - 7 Always threatened but too often makes the wrong decision.
RM Buckley - 8 My MOM terrorised Harding and looks like the Championships answer to Gareth Bale
ST CMS - 7 - As often worked his arse off but rarely got on the ball.