Burnley v Bristol City - Player Ratings

[Lancasterclaret]

Another training game, though Bristol at least gave it a go unlike Sunderland. We gave them one chance, and they missed a header in the last minute that might have made it interesting but thats it.

Pope 8 - Handling good, kicking good and saved what he had to save. Punch led to the decisive second goal
Darwika 6 - crossing appalling but everything else ok.
Keane 7 - struggled first half with their big lad, but better 2nd
Mee 8 - mistake free performance, including possibly pass of the season
Flanagan 5 - caught out more than once, but he is clearly a right back helping us out at left back
Arfield 8 - Scottys best game for a while
Barton 7 - did what he does, lets hope the ban isn't too long
Defour 9* - scored a worldie, created one, worked his ass off. Brilliant
Tarkowski 7 - he's a centre half being asked to do a job as a DM, and doing ok, but no more than ok
Gudmundsson 7 - quiet first half, excellent second
Vokes 7 - scored and led the line well

Subs
Barnes 7
Hendrick 8 - looked to be twice as big, twice as fast and twice as skilful as the whole Bristol City team
Kightly 6 - needs a move

Anyone who isn't Arsenal, Man City, Man United, Chelsea at home please, and I'd like to avoid Rovers as it would be a distraction that we don't need.

[Enola Gay]

Pope (6) - pretty much untroubled.
Darwika (5) - there surely can't still be people who'd play him ahead of Lowton?
Keane (6) - again, not troubled by poor opposition
Mee (6) - see Keane. Dealt with their 'threat' with a minimum of fuss.
Flanagan (5) - struggling to recall a recent Burnley fullback I've seen get done as often and as easily.
Arfield (7) - saw him described as a very neat and tidy footballer once, and that's as good a description of his performance today as any.
Barton (6) - Did OK.
Defour (8) - an assist and a worldie to top of a sumptuous performance.
Tarkowski (7) - the 'quality' of the opposition is a fairly hefty caveat, but looked a lot better in an unfamiliar role than Flanagan did.
Gudmundsson (6) - similar to Barton, did OK on a day when OK was plenty good enough
Vokes (7) - nice finish, could have done with someone alongside at times.

Barnes (6) - didn't seem to get himself as involved as he usually does.
Hendrick (7) - like a senior kid interrupting a junior game, daring them to get the ball off him.
Kightly - didn't really get involved in a game that (to be fair) was already won before he came on.

It didn't have to be great to beat horribly limited opposition and it wasn't, but it was plenty good enough to ensure the result was never really in doubt, and Defour's goal will live long in the memory. The cherry on top of a performance that reeked of quality.

[Quickenthetempo]

Keane (6) - again, not troubled by poor opposition

If you watch the short highlights it shows Keane lose his man twice for decent goalscoring oppurtunities.

A 6 is about right for him but he was troubled and switched off.

[Beagleheart]

Pope 8
Darikwa 6
Keane 6
Mee 7
Flanagan 5
Arfield 7
Barton 7
JBG 7
Defour 9
Tarkowski 7
Vokes 7

Barnes 6
Hendrick 7

[Dom]

I don't think a 4 for Darikwa is harsh. Lost count of the number of times he lost possession. He couldn't find Gudmundsson's feet from 5 yards away. Im **** at football but I could still do the basics.
He got himself booked for a stupid tackle because he got sucked in then had to try and make the ground back but mistimed it.
His crossing was absolutely shite but so was everyone elses.
For the last 10-15 mins of the first half his teammates had stopped passing to him unless they had to, it was pretty obvious when watching the game. There would be an easy ball to him but the play would go the other way.

[BabylonClaret]

Got to agree with Dom on Darikwa who had a dreadful game (his worst so far I'd say) against a side we would have comfortably beaten last year before improving the squad. We lacked any width at all first half largely because we had a right sided player on the left who could only give short passes straight back and a right back who had a poor game.

Comfortably through without really breaking much of a sweat. Scores are therefore decent but take account of the fact that bristol could well be 3rd tier next season

Pope 7 - not troubled much but looks safe and made a couple of good stops
Darikwa 4 - struggled to find a claret shirt all afternoon, didn't get forward, couldn't cross, got booked for diving in without really a need to.
keane 6 - should have been more comfortable but struggled a couple of times
Mee 7 - pick of our back line
Flanagan 5 - torrid first half. improved second but he's not a left back - never uses his left foot for starter
Gudmundson 6 - struggled first half. much better second. Great ball for Defour for the 2nd.
Barton 7 - industious and did what he does
Defour 8 (mom) - slow start but grew into the game. great assist and a sublime goal
Tarkowski 6 - bit up and down for me. looked great one second then really awkward the next - Bikey-esqu!!!
Arfield 7 - decent game - tidy and looked to create stuff but didn't give Flanagan much of an out
Vokes 7 - won a lot of ball - too good for the Bristol defence.

Hendrick 8 - not on long but looked head and shoulders over the opposition
Barnes 6 - did ok.
Kights - not on long enough.

[BabylonClaret]

Fair enough, I guess Flanagan is a right back so should cut him a bit of slack because of that. However, I thought he got beaten so easily on many occasions and looked like a liability. Did not see that happen to Darikwa who also offered much more going forward. Flanagan just looks so slow to me and therefore tries to jump in when he should not because he is worried about people doing him for pace. Don't see him being able to offer much in the PL especially not at left back.

That's because mostly they'd identified Flanagan as struggling on the left and pushed a lot down that side. they really didn't get into our final third very much at all because ultimately they were pretty poor and despite us being a little off the pace they didn't have the balls to go for it without breaking their framework.

Neither full back pushed on much, but at least Flanagan has the excuse that he's out of position. Darikwa was wasteful on the ball and left the midfield to tidy up for him on a number of occasions. He also picked up a stupid yellow in the 2nd half so you weren't watching properly when you say he wasn't done.

I like Darikwa and against sunderland he played a lot better but some of us have got pelters on here for criticising him. It seems because he runs with the ball sometimes and sometimes beats people he's the best ting since sliced bread - well he has to deliver in the end which usually he doesn't - hence his marks a tempered downwards. And yesterday he didn't even do the beating bit.