Player ratings vs Brentford

[1234andcounting]

Seems to me everyone is blaming the workers, rather than the management (and please don't come up with the hoary old - once they are out on the pitch they are responsible nonsense).

Firstly, any manager at this level should keep it simple 4-4-2. The players are neither intelligent enough or have enough ability to play any other way.

Secondly - MaCleod, Cox and Wright (M) all starting. WTF. I'd start with an apprentice rather than play three essentially similar players who just didn't know what was going on.

Thirdly - already we don't look fit enough to play any sort of tactics effectively. No excuse.

So, Slade and the coaching staff = 0.5

 

[bright1064]

Kuipers 6

Whing 6
Elphick 8 MOM
Virgo 7
J Wright 6

M Wright 6
Navarro 6
Croft 6
Cox 6
McLeod 5

Dickinson 5

 

[clippedgull]

Kuipers 6 -

Whing 5 -
Elphick 7 -
Virgo 7 -
Wright 6 -
M Wright - 6
Crofts 6 -
Navarro 6 -
McLeod 5 -

Cox 5 -


Dickinson 6 -

Subs:

El Abd 6 -
Thornhill 5 -
Murray 5 -

 

[HP Seagull]

I must confess I can't see where people have got their Crofts and Navarro marks on this thread (except for Complete Badger who clearly wants Crofts to be the new Fraser so will give him a 4 at most even if he scored a hattrick). I thought they were solid and provided a very good platform for the four attacking players, none of whom did very well although Cox improved in the second half. All our best play came from central midfield rather than wide.

Defensively, Elphick and Virgo were probably battling for man of the match (probably Elphick just winning) and Kuipers did all he had to do well. The full backs started off shakily but Jake Wright improved as the game went on and it was a shame he got injured although Whing improved at left back and El Abd did well when he came on.

Overall, a solid display and thoroughly deserved point but the question is where is a goal going to come from?

I completely agree. Crofts and Navarro both played well and improved as the game went on. I was actually quite impressed with Crofts in the second half and I'm not sure why people are slagging him off so much.

Navarro did well in the first half. One of our best moves ended with him having a decent shot. As you say Virgo and Elphick were excellent, and the full-backs did OK.

Attacking-wise we were OK in patches but Dickinson too often seemed isolated. I could see the sense in playing McLeod as it gives us a natural balance, but again he flattered to deceive apart from a couple of decent crosses. He has absolutely no pace.

Mark Wright didn't have his best game and neither did Cox although we looked at our most dangerous when he got on the ball. Murray when he came on showed a couple of nice touches, as he always does, but his attitude was pathetic and I hope he never plays for us again. Why the hell didn't he hit that shot first time when he had the goal at his mercy?

 

[Finchley Seagull]

Idiot. Why wouldn't I want our new players to be good? I just don't think they all are. We haven't scored a goal yet, but more to the point we haven't created a CHANCE yet. Whose fault is that? The midfield's.

But from what I saw of Slade's tactics yesterday the job of Navarro and Crofts was to supply the front four. We got into some pretty good positions yesterday but the final ball from wide positions was not great. I thought Navarro and Crofts did okay supplying the front two and most of Brentford's play came from out wide because those two and Virgo and Elphick nulified them in the centre.

That comment about you was slightly tongue in cheek but you do come across sometimes as being happier when we are struggling so you can moan (although I am sure that isn't true).

 

[goldstone]

Forget Brentford - their style is to get the ball forward as quickly as possible and for the strikers to make something happen. Russell said that in the week, and it was obvious yesterday. That's not meant to be our style, so let's ignore what they did to us as I don't think we'll play many teams so intent on that style this season.

What's clear to me already is that Navarro and Crofts offer nothing going forward or on the ball. Navarro's 'strength' seems to be winning the ball and keeping it simple, and Crofts I haven't worked out if he even has a strength yet. There is no way you cal say those two supplied the front two with ANYTHING yesterday - how many chances did we miss? How many shots did we have? Barely any at all.

I'm not "happy" to moan, but on the evidence of this season so far I think we've got big problems and will continue to fire blanks all the while these two are the midfield and we're playing 4-5-1. We need Dicker in and given freedom to play, and a maximum of ONE of Crofts and Navarro to be the ball winner. I may not be a fan of Crofts, but I'm even less of a fan of Russell's tactics so far.

That man talks a lot of sense.

What I found most frustrating yesterday was that we seemed to have not moved forward at all from last season.

The defence is solid and will be more so when McNulty is fit. Meanwhile we should continue with ElAbd at RB and Whing at LB.

Midfield is a problem. Dicker should for sure be playing. With whom? That's for the manager to sort out, but yesterday's midfield was not working.

Up front? First we need to play 4-4-2 home AND away. Murray should be starting. He is our best striker at present and should be playing not warming the bench. Whether he goes or stays is not relevant. I would choose Murray and Forster, or Murray and Hart (when he is fit) with Forster coming off the bench.

I'm a fan of Slade's for how he kept us up. But this season?
- Why 4-5-1?
- Why isn't Dicker starting?
- Why stick with non-performing midfielders?
- Why didn't he bring on Forster on Sat?

 

[Alan Duffys sideburns]

I didnt go yesterday but I did listen to it on the radio. From what Im hearing on here Im of the opinion that Jake Wright was a panic buy because we had no LB with just over a week to go. Dont even think he was on our radar until he played against us at Crawley so not sure we did our sums.
Im not sure Crofts is the answer in midfield and thought this when we signed him TBH. Seemed to me like his career had gone backwards having been loaned out to a Conference team. I really hope he is giving his all, now he has been given this chance, but does he have talent? Time will tell.
As for Dickenson up front, alone. Im bemused as to why RS chose to put on GM when Im certain Fozzie would have been a much better choice even based solely on attitude. Come on RS lets go 4-4-2, Dicker in, JW out for now, and Foz up front with Dickinson.

 

[RM-Taylor]

Kuipers - 7

Whing - 6
Elphick - 6
Virgo - 7
J. Wright - 6

M. Wright - 3 - didn't even realise he was playing until the 40th minute
Crofts - 7
Navarro - 7
McLeod - 5

Cox - 6
Dickinson - 2

El-Abd - 6
Murray - 7
Thonrhill - N/A

 

[withdeanwombat]

Hmmm.My first game is the Stockport match - which we will win 3-1 -but I'm glad I couldn't penetrate the new computer booking system to get a ticket for this game.I did,however,predict the dull 0-0 on that other thread.

Thing is,the type of player we can attract is league one/championship reserve,so the standard of player is unlikely to change from year to year.What we have to hope for is that by some magic, eleven (or14) of this ability of player can be transformed into a whole that is more than the sum of its parts.And that is Mr Slade's task.

Unlike me,the season is young.

 

[Socky]

Hmmm.My first game is the Stockport match - which we will win 3-1 -but I'm glad I couldn't penetrate the new computer booking system to get a ticket for this game.I did,however,predict the dull 0-0 on that other thread.

Thing is,the type of player we can attract is league one/championship reserve,so the standard of player is unlikely to change from year to year.What we have to hope for is that by some magic, eleven (or14) of this ability of player can be transformed into a whole that is more than the sum of its parts.And that is Mr Slade's task.

Unlike me,the season is young.

Precisely. I agree. You are not young. I mean the season is young! Come on everyone we have played two league games! Can't we at least wait 10 or 15 games before we all start condemning new players and getting on Slade's back about tactics. I am confident that we will settle down into a more than decent team. Just give it a bit of time and GET BEHIND THE TEAM.

 

[NMH]

And as usual I will tell you that I do not listen to the opinions of or debate with people who spend every match with their back to it instead of watching it.

Fraser or Loft would not get into any other league one team, as has been PROVED by the fact the best offer either got was from a poor league two club. For me, Crofts is absolutely no better than Fraser, so we may as well have stuck with what we had. Navarro I have more hope for once he gets match fit.

Like you have a record of balanced view on the games or the players!

As for my position at our matches, I only occasionally need to face the crowd. Take a look at how many of the stewards have their back to the field - it's only in front of the South Stand, a those at gates.

It would actually be quite difficult for anyone with any interest or powers of observation to not know about our players, as well as know the 'performance' of some recognized members of the crowd.

Usual uneducated fantasy garbling from you - as always. :mendoza:

 

[Silent Bob]

I thought Crofts was ok. He worked hard and won the ball a fair bit, he also did a lot of covering for Jake Wright (who looked out of his depth). I'm still not totally convinced, with him or Navarro, but I think they both improved slightly from Walsall. Still think Dicker should be playing though.

Kuipers - 6 Everything he had to do was regulation.

Whing - 5 Got caught out once or twice and they got a lot of crosses in from both flanks.
Virgo - 8
Elphick - 8 - The two of them mostly dealt with a fairly lively front two, repelled most of the crosses Brentford put in the box.
Wright - 4 Struggled badly, looked quite slow in pace and mentally, Elphick, Crofts, even Mark Wright had to cover for him.

Wright - 6 Showed the odd flash of danger but not enough.
Navarro - 5 OKish but the fact we couldn't maintain possession for most of the game doesn't say much for the whole midfield.
Crofts - 6 Solid, hard working performance.
McLeod - 3 Useless, he put in maybe one good cross and spent the rest of the game looking like a lazy waste of space.

Cox - 6 A few nice moments and probably our best creative player but not in the game as much as you'd like.

Dickinson - 4 Not a target man, he's lightweight and wins nothing in the air. But looks hesitant on the ground despite some good touches. Lacking confidence perhaps, using him in this way won't help with that.


El-Abd - 5 Not terrible, not great. Like the other fullbacks, allowed too many crosses.
Murray - 6 Put himself about a bit, didn't have much of a sniff of goal but looked ok.
Thornhill -