Post
by uwe » Mon Apr 24, 2017 12:29 pm
Heaton 6 .... poor kicking
Lowton 6 .... not an easy game
Keane 7 ... smooth operator
Mee 7 .... rugged defender
Ward 6 .... will benefit from Brady giving him an option wide
Boyd 4 .... I was there the day George beat a man and got shot in! 1 mark for that. Otherwise, not his game today: playing against aside happy to sit, we need more pace/trickery. Not a criticism, but that's not what he gets picked for.
Barton 4 .... doesn't hide. 1 mark for that. After seeing Chubby Charlie Adam run past him t'other week, i thought his days numbered. Certainly seemed it y'day. Needed Defour not Joey to unlock Utd. Certainly didn't need him to keep dropping to take the ball off Tarks/Keano. Waste of a more forward-looking threat.
Hendrick 7. He's got something, but it is locked away mostly. Thrilling when he glides forward. More please.
Brady 7. What a player for us he'll be when properly settled. Like him a lot.
Barnes 4 Rarely got the better of Fellaini, who should've been booked in first half after 5 fouls. That might've changed things for our warrior. Never managed to link with Andre
Gray 7* Got better and better. Shame about the airshot, and had Bailly not blocked his clever shot after turn, could've been a heroic day. As usual, ran them ragged, hold-up play good, with a couple of daft exceptions when he took wrong option.
Tarkowski 6. Started 4 became 7. Classy, love his positive attitude. There really was no need for Joey to drop deep to take the ball off him & Keano, they can both pass as well as he can
JBG. 6 Great to have him on the pitch again. Didn't do a lot, but we'll need his pace and goal threat.
Agyei. Wrong studs young man. But inches from scoring a lovely goal.
SD. Who am i to criticise the great man (I mean that).... but, once it became clear that the ref was never going to book Fellaini, then Plan A wasn't going to work. And once they were 2 up, it was never going to be Georgie to create something. And I completely understand his reliance on Joey .... but with the gangly Fellaini and Pogba to get past or through, we needed something different, either pace, trickery or invention, and Joey doesn't offer any of those. On another day, Gray would've scored, Barnes head would've met Brady's fabulous cross, Joey would've fouled Martial etc etc .... Next week, I'd go back to 5 across the middle. Don't see Ash getting much out of the Palace backline, and he and Andre didn't link at all, so I'd get Defour in, Westwood for Joey.
) the scores/matches, its still not a sprint so 17th or above is what counts.