I don't know how easy it is to rate the players in this game. Not just because there's the disappointment of the loss, but mostly because it felt like every player was negatively impacting each others' performance.
I was frustrated by Greer's lack of any attacking intent whenever he had the ball, but is it fair to blame him when there's no movement up front providing options for him?
I was frustrated by Kayal and Bruno running into blind alleys, but what choice did they have when Murphy refused to make the overlapping run they kept begging him to make?
Generally, I thought we put in a very poor performance pretty much all over the pitch. I remember a minority of fans criticising the football under Gus and to a lesser extent under Oscar, 'sure, we've had lots of possession, but it's all in our own half and we have no attacking threat'. Under Gus and Oscar I felt that patient possession had purpose. Today it felt like we were completely lost. No attacking intent, no movement, no creativity. It felt like it was the sort of football all those critics were claiming we played under Poyet.
Our defence need to learn from their mistakes. Too often at set pieces they are so interested in grappling opponents, they leave a massive gap - something Austin took advantage of on Tuesday, and Boro took advantage of today.
Today, I didn't feel like our players were playing for each other. It feels harsh to be criticising the players, given we're missing our first and second choice left backs, our first and second choice wingers, one at the start, now two of our first chocie centre backs, and a first choice striker, but aren't these the circumstances when the remaining players should be coming together?
While we could dream of an invincible season of undefeated football, most of us expected the run to end. I thought it would either be against a poor side thanks to an individual error or refereeing mistake, or would be in a tight affair against a top side where we just run out of time to get that equaliser and save our streak. I didn't really see us capitulating the way we did today.
Stockdale - 6.5 He has made some great saves this season, and has generally had good distribution, but today seemed to be another example where goals are being conceded and it feels like he isn't commanding his area enough.
Bruno - 6
Greer - 5.5
Huenemeier - 5.5 I felt more comfortable in his general play, shame about his injury
Calderon - 6 So often was available on the wing and ignored. I'm used to Greer refusing to pass to him, but it seemed everyone else was reluctant to use him, too.
Stephens - 6.5
Kayal - 6.5
Murphy - 4.5 Ignored instructions from team mates, more interested in doing his own thing, gave up the chase on too many balls though he did have our only shot that looked like it might trouble their keeper
Van La Parra - 4.5 Terrible first touch, not very strong in defence, exposed for the first goal, delivery found the first man too often
Hemed - 5.5
Wilson - 5.5
Goldson - 5
Zamora - 4
Crofts - 4
I was frustrated by Greer's lack of any attacking intent whenever he had the ball, but is it fair to blame him when there's no movement up front providing options for him?
I was frustrated by Kayal and Bruno running into blind alleys, but what choice did they have when Murphy refused to make the overlapping run they kept begging him to make?
Generally, I thought we put in a very poor performance pretty much all over the pitch. I remember a minority of fans criticising the football under Gus and to a lesser extent under Oscar, 'sure, we've had lots of possession, but it's all in our own half and we have no attacking threat'. Under Gus and Oscar I felt that patient possession had purpose. Today it felt like we were completely lost. No attacking intent, no movement, no creativity. It felt like it was the sort of football all those critics were claiming we played under Poyet.
Our defence need to learn from their mistakes. Too often at set pieces they are so interested in grappling opponents, they leave a massive gap - something Austin took advantage of on Tuesday, and Boro took advantage of today.
Today, I didn't feel like our players were playing for each other. It feels harsh to be criticising the players, given we're missing our first and second choice left backs, our first and second choice wingers, one at the start, now two of our first chocie centre backs, and a first choice striker, but aren't these the circumstances when the remaining players should be coming together?
While we could dream of an invincible season of undefeated football, most of us expected the run to end. I thought it would either be against a poor side thanks to an individual error or refereeing mistake, or would be in a tight affair against a top side where we just run out of time to get that equaliser and save our streak. I didn't really see us capitulating the way we did today.
Stockdale - 6.5 He has made some great saves this season, and has generally had good distribution, but today seemed to be another example where goals are being conceded and it feels like he isn't commanding his area enough.
Bruno - 6
Greer - 5.5
Huenemeier - 5.5 I felt more comfortable in his general play, shame about his injury
Calderon - 6 So often was available on the wing and ignored. I'm used to Greer refusing to pass to him, but it seemed everyone else was reluctant to use him, too.
Stephens - 6.5
Kayal - 6.5
Murphy - 4.5 Ignored instructions from team mates, more interested in doing his own thing, gave up the chase on too many balls though he did have our only shot that looked like it might trouble their keeper
Van La Parra - 4.5 Terrible first touch, not very strong in defence, exposed for the first goal, delivery found the first man too often
Hemed - 5.5
Wilson - 5.5
Goldson - 5
Zamora - 4
Crofts - 4
