[Albion] Sheff Utd player ratings

[Milano]

I was in the north today, clearly watching a different game to a lot posting here. We absolutely bossed that, even against 11 we were by far the better side but couldn’t finish. I posted multiple times in pre-season that if we didn’t invest in a proven EPL striker we’d struggle, I stand by that.

Average is 6

Sanchez - 8. Home debut, outstanding, breath of fresh air.
White - 6. Classy player, strange game for the defenders as they didn’t actually have to defend much.
Dunk - 6. Defender, why people are marking home down for what he does with the ball 30 yards from the oppo goal is strange.
Webster - 6.5. Our best defender today.
Veltman - 5.5. Appalling challenge on him. Not a RWB. We missed Lamptey big time today.
March - 6.5. Positive. Not sure why he was switched to RB. Decent delivery today.
Bissouma - 7. Best midfielder on the pitch, no chance we’re keeping him beyond the summer, if we lose him in January then we’re down.
Lallana - 6. Good first half, not so great second
Trossard - 7. Positive, the only one who was prepared to run at them, that led to the free kick we scored from.
Maupay - 3. Second touch a tackle. I was amazed Potter left it so long to hook him.
Connolly - 4. Missed a sitter, contributed very little. I’d loan him out in January.

Ali J - 1. Woeful in every single aspect of his play today. If any team would be insane enough to give us anything for him then take their arm off. I never want to see him in the stripes again, complete shite.
Welbeck - 6.5. Scored, thank god. Gave us more presence and should have come on earlier. We need to find a striker version of Sanchez in terms impact.
Zeqiri - 6. Lively, I think he might be left footed!

Potter - 5. Should have replaced Maupay earlier. Should have brought Zeqiri on for Connolly and left March at LWB. Needs to find a way of instilling more urgency in the final third. Needs to tell the board to invest in a striker in January or be prepared for a promotion campaign next season.

Shef Utd - rubbish, going down and good riddance. How did we not win that?

 

[FF1]

Can’t believe AJ has scored as high as 5 for some. I’m usually one to avoid the unnecessary bashing he gets but he was atrocious at times today. All over the shop. Positioning was sloppy, he didn’t track back, got in the way of his teammates, missed an absolute sitter and generally looked well below par bar one pass that I can recall.

Not judging AJ's performance, but have a question regarding positioning. I know Sanchez was in goal, so goal keeper, fine. I guess Webster and Dunk were defense and Bissouma was defensive mid. My question is didn't March, Lallana, Trossard, AJ, Connolly, Wellbeck and Zeqiri all playing on the forward line Seven players... I saw March, Trossard, AJ and Lallana on the left, center and right... Even Connolly was playing as a left winger for a while. All I saw was our players running into each other and then away from each other as they tried to find space...

Surely, 2-1-7 has not been rehearsed in practice.... I really don't blame the players for the last 20 minutes of second half. All on Potter in my opinion.

 

[midnight_rendezvous]

Not judging AJ's performance, but have a question regarding positioning. I know Sanchez was in goal, so goal keeper, fine. I guess Webster and Dunk were defense and Bissouma was defensive mid. My question is didn't March, Lallana, Trossard, AJ, Connolly, Wellbeck and Zeqiri all playing on the forward line Seven players... I saw March, Trossard, AJ and Lallana on the left, center and right... Even Connolly was playing as a left winger for a while. All I saw was our players running into each other and then away from each other as they tried to find space...

Surely, 2-1-7 has not been rehearsed in practice.... I really don't blame the players for the last 20 minutes of second half. All on Potter in my opinion.

Which is a fair enough criticism to make, but AJ came on at half-time when our shape still resembled something vaguely normal. Again, he was told plenty of times by Potter to stay wide, whilst March operates on the left and Trossard centrally, with Lallana in increasing support. Toward the end I grant you it was an utter shit show positionally whilst we search for the equaliser but that doesn’t excuse Ali J’a poor positioning for the 25 minutes or so preceding it.