Burnley v Fulham - Player Ratings

[MDWat]

That was…wow, that was bad.

Trafford 4 - little boy lost
Assignon 6 - decent start
O’Shea 4 - grim performance
Ekdal 3 - woeful
Vitinho 5 - at least he could be arsed trying to get us up the pitch.
Brownhill 3 - laughable performance. Captain? I do not think so.
Berge 4 - not good
Ramsey 3 -
Amdouni 3 -
Odobert 6
Foster 6

Estève 6
Fofana 8*
Gudmundsson 6

[Cirrus_Minor]

Trafford 6 - Lack of experience shows, but saved us from a pasting with good saves.
Assignor 6 - Looked decent in a poor defence
O'Shea 4 - Poor
Ekdal 4 - Poor
Vitinho 5
Ramsey 3 - its all been said above
Berge 5 - Far too deep, was he centre half?
Brownhill 5 - Poor distribution but gets stuck in
Odebert 7 - Looked decent at times
Foster 6 - Struggled a bit but was positive
Amdouni 3 - Complete cheat again

Gudmundsson 6 - What we needed
Esteve 7 - Maybe a good centreback at last
Fofana 8 - Class forward. Why was he a sub?

[Swizzlestick]

Trafford 4 - nope. Sorry, regulation shot stopping cannot cover up another completely overawed performance. Awful on the second and he sucks the life out of any tempo
Assignon 6 - did ok
O’Shea 5 - a Championship defender trying his best
Ekdal 4 - leaden footed and pretty poor
Vitinho 5 - he lacks quality but leaves everything out there and does all he can which is a lot more than can be said for a good few of his team mates
Brownhill 3 - I thought he was shocking. Gets a pass from some because he’s from Warrington. No idea why he’s captain because he’s displaying zero of the qualities required in
Berge 5 - tried but was dealt a bad hand for a lot of it be inexplicably seemingly being played at centre back
Ramsey 4 - absolutely not
Amdouni 4 - no, time for somebody else
Odobert 6 - showed a bit of drive if hit and miss
Foster 6 - did what he could but had no real support

Fofana 8* - livewire, raw, but at least put himself about and got his rewards. Criminal if he doesn’t start
Gudmundsson 6 - showed a bit

Poor performance, managed to get a point due to a frenetic end and Fofana at least showing a bit of willing. Answers on a postcard for the first half tactics. In what realm is dropping your most dynamic and effective CM back to CB a good thing? Another game we needed to win and didn’t, Christ knows what the celebratory music was about at the end. Probably best to start preparing for the Championship now.

[Aclaret]

I’ve suggested this before Tony, I honestly don’t think you should start this thread until Sunday. There’s too many emotions about an hour after the games finished for objective scores

I don't think the ratings from that 1st half would change, no matter how much you slept on it Roper.

[Vino blanco]

From tv
Trafford 5 his first half performance was a 3, but he did improve in the second with a couple of regulation safe saves.
Assignon 7 good debut performance, solid with pace.
O’Shea 5 decent Championship player
Hekdal 5 looked lost today
Vitinho 4 Vinny knows he’s poor at right back so he wisely moved him to the left, where he was worse.
Ramsey 3 can someone please explain why we signed him. Oh I forgot...he’s going to be a world beater in the future.
Brown hill 4 looked like a player who knows we’re relegated and was playing for a move away.
Berge 5 another weak performance in a powder puff midfield.
Amdouni 4 so frustrating.
Odobert 6 dangerous in bits.
Foster 6 no service whatsoever

Fofona 8 mom, power, strength, desire, all of which the rest of the team didn’t have. Changed to game totally.
Esteve 7 it was good to see a natural left sided cb playing in the right position.

That first half team selection and performance was bloody awful with surrender and relegation written all over it. Thank God for Esteve who steadied the defence and Fofoma who changed the game totally. We’re halfway through the season and it’s obvious VK doesn’t know his best eleven or their best positions. I thought our best three players were they new signings, what does that say about the others?

[claretgimmer]

Trafford 7 Distribution still to slow and unpredictable, 1 lucky escape today but looked a bit better on crosses
Assignon 6 Looked like a proper defender until he shyed away from a header
O'Shea 6 Has had worse games but has had better
Ekdal 4 Struggled today, maybe too soon for back to back games close together
Vitinho 4 found out again defensively hopefully CT not to far off returning
Ramsey 4 Just not PL standard yet
Berge 5 Looked knackered early doors, poor defensively, and only average going forward
Brownhill 3 Worse than Wednesday against lesser opposition won little of the ball and created zilch
Odobert 6 Looked our only source of creativity but could have done better at times
Amdouni 3 Enough is enough Fofana showed enough in Wednesdays cameo to warrant a start
Foster 7 Always puts a shift in, living off scraps, best defender we had first half in set pieces and continued to try and close them down in the second but had no support

Esteve 7 Defence looked more solid with his introduction
Fofana 8 Definitely has to start with Foster now if VK gets his head from up his arse
Gudmundsson 6 Better than Ramsey but unfortunately still not good enough any more

VK 3 twenty odd games in and he still doesn`t know his best line up, other than continual possession passing can`t see a effective game plan, looks more like 11 blokes who have got together for a kickabout. Will be interested to see what happens in summer because some of these players aren`t up to the physicality of the championship.

[Burnleyareback2]

Trafford 5 - based on a few good saves
Assignon 8
O'Shea 7
Ekdal 6
Vitinho 8 MOM
Brownhill 5 we desperately need a skipper
Berge 6
Ramsey 4
Odebert 7
Amdouni 4
Foster 7
Gudmundsson 6
Fofana 8
Estève 7

5 changes tells you the selection was wrong from the start. Why play 1 in front of the back 4 and 1 upfront at home to Fulham? Away at Liverpool yes

I can’t celebrate that draw and I’m pretty frustrated that the players did.

Positive note that the 3 new signing start the next game, certain improvement based on today.

[Swizzlestick]

Forgot Esteve - 7 - looked solid and composed

[Gordaleman]

Trafford 7 (I'm not actually a fan, but he was no way at fault for either goal and he made some excellent saves second half to keep us in with a sniff. Agreed about one utterly stupid roll out straight to a Fulham player, but crikey, passing to their players was virtually an epidemic tbf!)
Vitihno 8 (in the opposition half, 4 in ours. The guy has flair and trickery and is dangerous, but keep him away from our defence!)
O'Shea 7
Ekdal 4 (I'm a fan, but I can only say it as I saw it!)
Assignon 7 (very promising debut)
Berge 4 (dross)
Ramsey 4 (more dross)
Brownhill 4 (and yet more dross today!)
Oderbert 7
Amdouni 4 (file with the dross group)
Foster 6 (meh)

Esteve 8 (looks a player)
JBG 6
Fofana 8 (a class above the others and suddenly we looked a little bit threatening!)

Fulham are well drilled and competent, but nothing more and yet (once again!) we are the better team for 20 minutes and then concede an utterly awful goal (actually 2!) to a team we are literally dominating! Then we suddenly start playing absolutely crap!! It's ridiculously frustrating and it happens virtually every game. How we pulled it back to 2-2 says as much about how average Fulham really are as about how good we were. They should have been out of sight, but we clung on and dug in, the substitutions definitely helped just for once and we got something I genuinely didn't think we deserved. At 80 minutes I'd have actually sacked VK for the first time in the entire season because we weren't just losing, we were bloody awful. I love the guy, but hell fire, if we carry on playing like that how on earth can we defend him?

Trafford no way at fault.? Really? Were you at the game? I wonder why the Cricket Field stand were singing 'Muric' to Kompany as they went off at HT then?

[ClaretTony]

Trafford 5
Assignon 7
O’Shea 5
Ekdal 4
Vitinho 4
Amdouni 3
Berge 5
Brownhill 3
Odobert 6
Ramsey 3
Foster 6

Estève 6
Guðmundsson 6
Fofana 7

[CrosspoolClarets]

Not entirely sure where to start.

Trafford 7 - some good saves, the only one to show urgency throughout, loses a point for not telling Assignon to clear it before the first goal
Assignon 8 MOM - a bit of fire, skill, pace and power. Already looks a big improvement. Has now exceeded Vitinho’s assists in 1 game and that was on his wrong foot playing in Viti’s position.
O'Shea 5 - lost some headers, unlike him, exposed for the runners in the first half
Ekdal 5 - the runners ran him ragged and Esteve showed more in the 2nd half
Vitinho 4 - Vincent the Tinkerman can always be predicted to pull one from nowhere, putting Viti on this side where Decova Reid then tore him to shreds 1st half was an act of gross folly. Played the guy onside for goal 2. Exposed many other times. Better in 2nd half.
Brownhill 5 - the only one with more than 2 years Premier experience yet shows little leadership and little end product
Berge 4 - odd tactics exposed him dropping into the back four, was dreadful at times and really good at others, but that won’t work
Ramsey 4 - anonymous throughout and hasn’t the experience to be put in a new position each time he plays
Odobert 6 - some good moments with dribbles but very wasteful with the end product
Amdouni 4 - I’ve defended him but looked bereft today, not helped by being shifted out of position, one of 5 out of position by my reckoning
Foster 5 - great energy and desire but his passes were over or under-hit and he gave the ball away a lot

Gudmundsson 7 - improved us a lot and inexplicable he was left out for such a big game
Fofana 8 - really wants it, a cocky sod, which is what we need, very direct which is also what we need
Estève 7 - good composure, pace and strength. Looks a fine addition

Kompany 2 (on the basis that 3 is the minimum score).

I’ve defended Vinny a lot, but for this crucial must win game the Tinkerman reverted to past errors, strangely leaving out Esteve, despite the injured left footers meaning he was the only one available. Moving Vitinho out there another huge error. Moving Berge into central defence when in possession to try to go back to last season’s inverted full backs, another error. Playing Ramsey who has shown little, another error. Moving Amdouni out wide despite a tough time adapting in his normal position, another error.

I’ve said many times over the season, he shows traits of clever but not genius level people, he overthinks, gets over confident with his own opinions, and fiddles. I like him, want him to stay, but that was a shocking performance today by both him and the team.

The other matter needing comment is leadership. Or, a total lack of it. Good first 15 then BANG, heads drop, dramatically. Goal 2 was then easy, BANG. Heads stayed down until deep into the 2nd half. Why oh why did they not recruit leaders? We look scared, shell shocked, no voices on the pitch. The mentality lost us that game. Good leadership avoids the first goal when Assignon, who didn’t realise we touched it, should be yelled at to clear it before steering it out for a corner (he expected goal kick). Good leadership avoids the shell the players went into for 45 minutes. It is naive, stupid, self defeating and very expensive not to have it on the pitch at all times.

[Dark Cloud]

Trafford no way at fault.? Really? Were you at the game? I wonder why the Cricket Field stand were singing 'Muric' to Kompany as they went off at HT then?

I genuinely didn't think he was at fault. Both goals are **** poor defending. I'm not a Trafford bum boy, but I didn't believe he was culpable today tbf.

[CrosspoolClarets]

I’ve suggested this before Tony, I honestly don’t think you should start this thread until Sunday. There’s too many emotions about an hour after the games finished for objective scores

Disagree.

Ultimately, this is an entertainment platform, a social discussion (or argument ). No point doing it the day after when we all move on. It is a scientific process doing season average scoring but it doesn’t really matter in the scheme of things who wins, lets have our rant after a game and get things off our chest, then move on before Sunday.

[northeastclaret]

Are Ramsey and Amdouni heading for the worst ever Player Ratings average marks ?

It will depend on how many more games Tresor plays

[fungus_the_bogeyman]

We were absolutely awful and got away with murder escaping with a point.

Trafford 5 - awful for both goals. Decent saves second half, but the same issues continue to haunt him: no command of his area and distribution isn’t good enough for a team that plays the way we do.
Assignon 7 - gave us some energy and dynamism down the right. Great debut to say he’s only had one training session.
Vitinho 4 - utterly horrendous performance but +1 for at least putting in a bit of effort unlike some of the others on show.
Ekdal 4 - turns like an oil tanker.
O’Shea 4 - back to his old tricks.
Berge 6 - not at his best in a strange position.
Brownhill 4 - schooled by Palhinha.
Ramsey 3 - should be nowhere near the first eleven. Ponderous in possession, can’t be arsed off the ball. A complete and utter liability.
Amdouni 3 - ambles around the pitch like he doesn’t care and offers absolutely nothing.
Odobert 6 - really exciting at times going forward but not frequently enough. Also a liability defensively and pairing him up with Vitinho was a recipe for disaster.
Foster 6 - started like a house on fire and you can never fault his effort and his energy.

Esteve 7 - quick, powerful, strong and tall. Looks like everything we’ve been lacking at the back. Very exciting.
Gudmundsson 6 - added some much needed stability to midfield.
Fofana 8* - Outstanding. Looks a real prospect. Unbelievably poor decision not to start him after his impact at City.

[claptrappers_union]

Two late goals don't even paper over the cracks for me

Trafford 5
Assignon 5
O'Shea 6
Ekdal 5
Vitinho 5
Ramsey 4
Berge 6
Brownhill 5
Odobert 5
Amdouni 4
Foster 5

Esteve 7
Fofana 8
Gudmundsson 7

[Buckshaw_Claret]

That was an inept performance and how we got a point baffles me. For everything that VK achieved last season, watching this team now baffles me further. A flawed transfer policy and a team that is dysfunctional, bloated with wingers and yet we don't start with one the right opting to shoehorn Amdouni and Ramsay into a bizarre looking midfield.The mystery of Benson and Zaroury will never make sense. Today is on VK totally and the unexpected point does not gloss over that.

Trafford 5
Assignon 6
O’Shea 5
Ekdal 4
Vitinho 3
Amdouni 3
Berge 5
Brownhill 3
Odobert 6
Ramsey 3
Foster 6

Estève 7
Guðmundsson 6
Fofana 8

[Newchurch Claret]

Trafford 3 I feel sorry for him. He’s nowhere near up to it and his manager is too stubborn to admit he’s got it completely wrong.
Assignon 7 At last an athlete in our back 4. Fantastic assist.
O’Shea 4 He’s a terrible defender.
Ekdal 4 Not fast enough for the Prem, particularly when playing alongside a complete donkey.
Vitinho 4 Has pace to recover but his final pass and decision making were both terrible today.
Ramsey 3 Should never pull on the shirt again. Weak. Lazy.
Berge 5 Too slow. Not at all capable of playing in the role Kompany’s trying to force him in to. Hampered by a complete lack of movement in front of him and…
Brownhill 5 Useless at this level. He’s a ratter that isn’t quick enough to get near the opposition so it’s pointless. First touch always a tackle. At least he tries but zero leadership.
Odobert 6 Bright spark. Doesn’t get given the ball early or often enough.
Amdouni 3 Woeful.
Foster 6 worked hard. No service. No end product.

JBG 7 Changed the game. Composure and actually passed the ball forwards. I know. A Burnley midfielder passing the ball forwards. Crazy, isn’t it.
Esteve 7 Another athlete. Raw but left sided, which is a huge benefit.
Fofana 8 How the hell he didn’t start, I’ll never know. Exactly what we’ve needed all season. A shame it’s too late. Also raw but he looks sharp and hungry.

Kompany 3 He got it all wrong, again. Looks a hopeless manager at this level.

[Buckshaw_Claret]

That was an inept performance and how we got a point baffles me. For everything that VK achieved last season, watching this team now baffles me further. A flawed transfer policy and a team that is dysfunctional, bloated with wingers and yet we don't start with one on the right opting to shoehorn Amdouni and Ramsay into a bizarre looking midfield.The mystery of Benson and Zaroury will never make sense. Today is on VK totally and the unexpected point does not gloss over that.

Trafford 5
Assignon 6
O’Shea 5
Ekdal 4
Vitinho 3
Amdouni 3
Berge 5
Brownhill 3
Odobert 6
Ramsey 3
Foster 6

Estève 7
Guðmundsson 6
Fofana 8

[Stalbansclaret]

I genuinely didn't think he was at fault. Both goals are **** poor defending. I'm not a Trafford bum boy, but I didn't believe he was culpable today tbf.

First goal …. Not his fault in a million years. Odobert loses his man after a half-hearted attempt at tracking and two defenders (one was Berge) get out jumped ahead of the near post. Virtually impossible to save and anyone who thinks Trafford should have claimed the cross before it was headed is delusional.
Second goal …..Ekdal beaten for pace straight from a clearance , having positioned himself badly , leaving the attacker clean through on goal. Trafford can’t stay on his line in that situation but the ball sits up to make lobbing him easy. Not Trafford’s fault.

[Murger]

First goal …. Not his fault in a million years. Odobert loses his man after a half-hearted attempt at tracking and two defenders (one was Berge) get out jumped ahead of the near post. Virtually impossible to save and anyone who thinks Trafford should have claimed the cross before it was headed is delusional.
Second goal …..Ekdal beaten for pace straight from a clearance , having positioned himself badly , leaving the attacker clean through on goal. Trafford can’t stay on his line in that situation but the ball sits up to make lobbing him easy. Not Trafford’s fault.

The constant excuse making for Trafford is laughable.

[BurnleyFC]

First goal …. Not his fault in a million years. Odobert loses his man after a half-hearted attempt at tracking and two defenders (one was Berge) get out jumped ahead of the near post. Virtually impossible to save and anyone who thinks Trafford should have claimed the cross before it was headed is delusional.
Second goal …..Ekdal beaten for pace straight from a clearance , having positioned himself badly , leaving the attacker clean through on goal. Trafford can’t stay on his line in that situation but the ball sits up to make lobbing him easy. Not Trafford’s fault.

I wouldn’t blame him for the first (apart from not attempting to stop the ball going out in the first place), but he has to take a share of the blame for the second.

He was indecisive and ended up in no man’s land, which he’s done previously.

[ksrclaret]

Trafford 5 - difficult one to mark, awful on the goals and some laughable moments (throw out from his hands straight to their player was U10 stuff) but did pull off some good saves in the second half
Assignon 6 - decent debut and a good assist
O'Shea 4 - he's been improving but today was awful both defensively and with his distribution
Ekdal 3 - atrocious first half before being hooked
Vitinho 5 - gave his all as ever (unlike others) but lacks quality as ever
Brownhill 3 - rancid. His throw in the second half straight to a player in our box summed up the season
Berge 5 - clearly our best midfielder by some margin, but even his passing today was poor
Ramsey 3 - I feel for him because he's clearly the victim of some terrible coaching and instructions, but he could at least put some effort in
Odobert 6 - Castange ran off him at will of course, but our only starter who offered anything going forwards
Amdouni 3 - words fail me. He is one lazy boy.
Foster 6 - full of effort but not much quality there, although his ball to Assignon was good for our first.

Esteve 6 - did well on debut
Fofana 7 - it's noticeable now when a player comes on and actually puts a shift in because it's not the norm anymore. Great goals but needs to work on his passing.
Gudmundsson 6 - fine

At half time I'd have happily seen VK hop on an X43 to Manchester and clear off. That was absolutely appalling and the second half wasn't much better in truth - how Fulham have only come away with a point is a mystery. They were nothing special at all, but we were hopeless.

The manager is clearly out of his depth at this level and his selections and tactics today were just unfathomable. Berge dropping into a centre half role was laughable. Massengo coming on at RB and then immediately giving away a foul throw was laughable. The organisation of our defensive line is laughable.

But worse than him being out of his depth though, VK has set a culture of excuses and a lack of effort, and that I can't get over. There are always at least two players in every line-up who can't be arsed to do the hard yards. It's completely unacceptable.

[claretgilly]

Trafford 5
Assignon 7
O’Shea 5
Ekdal 4
Vitinho 4
Brownhill 4
Berge 5
Ramsey 3
Amdouni 3
Odobert 6
Foster 6

Estève 6
Fofana 8
Gudmundsson 6

We nicked a point from behind which is novel, and Assignon & Fofana were positives, but let’s be honest that first 70 minutes was unspeakably bad, just totally naive (again) and rudderless. It’s a proverbial “feels like a win” draw but I fail to see who we’re going to actually beat playing at least half of a game the way we did. I’ll just be glad when this dreary season is over with to be honest. Hopefully we see some sensible decision making in the summer and come back up with a better approach.

[Stalbansclaret]

The constant excuse making for Trafford is laughable.

I have no agenda re Trafford whatsoever and certainly don’t feel to make “excuses”!. Rather than just state my post to be “laughable” maybe you could tell me what I have said that is incorrect ?

What is “laughable” is the opinion of people who see Trafford as responsible for every goal we let in irrespective of what is in front of their eyes.

[Claret]

Trafford 5
Assignon 7
O Shea 7
Ekdal 6
Vitinho 7
Ramsey 5
Berge 7
Brownhill 6
Odobert 7
Foster 7
Amdouni 5
'
Esteve 6
Gudmundsson 6
Fofana 8

[ClaretLoup]

Trafford - 6 looked like he was going to the Post Office to collect his pension for the second goal but kept us in the game second half

Assignon- 7 looked good for the most part and terrific assist for the opener.
O’Shea - 4 useless
Ekdal - 4 a lump
Vitinho - 6 actually thought he made a decent fist out of being played out of position and in front of yet another winger who thinks defending is optional. Was on the ball on more than one occasion with nobody interested in receiving it. Shameful.
Berger - 5 ponderous
Brownhill - 5 fairly anonymous, I wonder if his contract situation is affecting his commitment ?
Ramsey - 3 a strong contender for VK’s most pointless signing
Amdouni - 4 seems to be in a world of his own
Foster - 6 seems to concede possession a lot but I think it was him who set up goal no 2
Odebert -6 isolated a lot of the time yet looked our most threatening forward until………

Fofana - 9 in the right place at the right time and unsettled a previously untroubled Fulham defence. Might benefit from Benson crosses.
Esteve - 7 looked pretty decent
JBG - 6 not the force he was but better than a couple who started ahead of him

Somebody made the point above about Foster pressing early then giving up, maybe I think because it looks to be largely a voluntary activity. I don’t see a lot of all for one and one for all out there at times.

[KlyBfc]

Gob smacked that anyone other than Fofana has got a 7. That was disgusting for 70 odd minutes. Really really bad imo. Spineless, pathetic, tepid, abysmal whatever you want to Chuck at it, it was. I feel for Fulham they deserved the win we were gutlessly bad.

Trafford 4
Assignon 6
Vitinhio 3
OShea 5
Ekdal 3
Brownhill 4
Berge 4
Odobert 4
Amdouni 3
Foster 5
Ramsey 3

Fofana 8
Esteve 6

Anyone else 6

[Murger]

I have no agenda re Trafford whatsoever and certainly don’t feel to make “excuses”!. Rather than just state my post to be “laughable” maybe you could tell me what I have said that is incorrect ?

What is “laughable” is the opinion of people who see Trafford as responsible for every goal we let in irrespective of what is in front of their eyes.

The corner they scored from came from a cross he should’ve claimed.

[Bordeauxclaret]

Trafford 5
Assignon 7
O’Shea 5
Ekdal 3
Vitinho 4
Amdouni 3
Berge 5
Brownhill 3
Odobert 6
Ramsey 3
Foster 5

Estève 6
Guðmundsson 6
Fofana 7

We’ve absolutely robbed a point. That was an awful performance.

[BabylonClaret]

Truly awful bar the brief moments that rescued the points. It's the least entertained I've been since the winless run under Cotterill.

People are banging on about how we are learning, Vincent is learning and the step up is enormous but Luton will finish well above us and have scored 8 goals this week - 4 against a side that strolled past us when we played them. Let that sink in. This side will not be anywhere near promotion next season.

Trafford 5 - kept us in it but a but poor for the second and should he have managed the cross that led to the corner for theor first?
Assignon 7 - looked decent enough and an assist
O'Shea 7 - our best defender by far
Ekdal 3 - we've been wondering why he's not been playing - he was roasted today
Vitinho 6 - tries hard
Ramsey 3 - tried but ineffectual
Berge 6 - spent most of the first half helping out for Ekdal
Brownhill 5 - effort without end product
Odobert 5 - looks better with someone who might actually pit some effort to get on the box
Amdouni 3 - the enigma continues - utter garbage as usual - continually gives away the ball and picks the wrong options whilst offering nothing off the ball
Foster 5 - started brightly but then struggled

Esteve 7 - looks decent and should have started
Fofana 8 - ditto
Gudmundsson 6 - should start to give us a platform to then push on rather than come on once we are behind.

[RHansburyEsq]

I wouldn’t blame him for the first (apart from not attempting to stop the ball going out in the first place), but he has to take a share of the blame for the second.

He was indecisive and ended up in no man’s land, which he’s done previously.

I agree imo the corner for the first goal came from his indecision. Little things like that add up.

[Ric_C]

We are two thirds through the season and we are still playing a schoolboy in goal and players out of position.

Vitinho isn't a left back
Ekdal isn't a left sided CB
Brownhill isn't a deeper lying midfielder
Neither is Berge
Not sure what Ramsey or Amdouni even are

We basically played 4-3-3 with no wingers which is a far cry from last season. Where has the tactical plan gone from last season? Out of the window?

Positives were the 3 debutants, especially Esteve who gave us some much needed physicality, and Fofana who looked a real threat. Not since Tella played have we looked genuinely dangerous. We eventually showed a bit of fight and balls to get back into the game. Why he wasn't brought on at half time is anybody's guess.


Trafford 5 - Pinned for yet another corner, which was an initial result of his indecision. Some decent saves, but still flapping and zero commanding of his box. Blatantly not good enough
Assignon 7 - For a debut, I liked him. Peach of a cross on his weaker foot
O’Shea 6 -Did ok with a few lapses
Ekdal 4 - Not a left sided CB, struggled
Vitinho 5 - Tried hard, not getting the vitriol towards him
Ramsey 3 - Hid for most of the game, weak as a fairy and offered NOTHING going forward
Brownhill 4 - Love Josh to bits but he's just not good enough for the prem.
Berge 6 - Did ok, wish he'd show a bit more urgency on occasion
Odobert 6 - Was in and out of the game, but he's got undoubted talent
Amdouni 3 - Zero effort and no threat, should be nowhere near the team in current form. Should have been hooked at half time.
Foster 5 - Didn't really come off for him. Should have done better with that early opening

JBG 7 - Looked busy, and put the others to shame who went off
Fofana 8 - Looked a real threat, and had passion and pace
Esteve 7 - Looked really good and moved the ball quickly. If only we'd have signed him at the start of the season

I said a while ago that I could accept going down as long as we showed signs of improvement and a bit of fight. Well we got glimpses today, but VK really needs to make some easy decisions thst he should have made months ago for all our sakes moving forward.

[helmclaret]

Baffled by the team selection again. Square pegs in round holes. It’s incredible the amount of money we have spent, and the turnover of players, that we have ended up with a squad that is so unbalanced.

Trafford 5 - indecisive and simply can’t get us playing with any urgency. Struggles to reach the half way line with longer kicks. 3 or 4 regulation saves, one good save to tip over the bar.

Assignon 7 - liked the look of him. Seemed composed in tight areas and athletic. Great desire with run and cross for the goal.

O’Shea 4 - simply not up to it. Constantly out of position and passing was woeful.

Ekdal 4 - absolutely lost.

Vitinho 4 - doesn’t have the ability to play at this level.

Amdouni 3 - showed nothing yesterday. I’ve liked what I’ve seen in glimpses this season but it’s not enough.

Berge 4 - really disappointed in him so far this season. Being out jumped for headers by someone nearly a foot shorter than you tells too all you need to know about his desire. Played too deep causing chaos at the back in the first half.

Brownhill 3 - not up to it. Felt a bit sorry for him as he’s massively out of his depth against middle of the road PL midfielders

Odobert 6 - some decent runs but we don’t have midfielders who can find him consistently with forward passes.

Ramsey 3 - played out of position. Needs to play a lot higher up the pitch.

Foster 6 - very bright first 10 mins but pretty isolated until Fofana came on.

Estève 7 - looks promising.

Guðmundsson 6 - he’s been a great servant but Jesus, how is he still in the mix given the investment in the squad

Fofana 7 - another bright showing and needs to start

[Im_not_Robbie_Blake]

Trafford 7
Assignon 8
O'Shea 8
Ekdal 5
Vitinhol 8
Ramsey 4
Berge 6
Brownhill 6
Odobert 8
Amdouni 5
Foster 7

Esteve 7
Fofana 8
Gudmundsson 7

[burnleymik]

I am almost certainly a lone voice here, but I think there are signs there that we can turn this round. It might be too late for the Prem, but I think we are going to start picking up points.

Trafford 6 - Those second half saves were incredibly important and kept it at just two, had a third gone it it would have been game over. However I still don't think he is quite ready for this step up. I don't know if Muric is either, but think he should be given a chance.
Assignon 8 - Looks an asset going forward and defensively. That cross with his left foot picked out Fofane with perfection. Has pace and a lot to like about him.
O'Shea 7 - Struggled first half, but thought he looked a different player once Esteve came on. Very strong in the air, think he won everything thrown at him that second half.
Ekdal 5 - They definitely exploited his speed and he really struggled today. Was the correct move replacing him at HT.
Vitinho 6- You can never ever doubt his passion and his effort and he really tried to drive us forward yesterday, but his end product is terrible and feel is is our weakness defensively.
Ramsey 3 - I just couldn't work out what he was trying or supposed to be doing. He ended up offering almost nothing to the team and never looked like he could get into the game.
Berge 7 That role of dropping him into a CB position when we lose possesion was bonkers against Fulham, it cost us any hope of controlling midfield, but he did well defensively, better than our CB's that first half. Second half he did move forward, but feel he could have influenced the game more than he did tbh.
Brownhill 6 - Stop letting him take set pieces!!! Does work hard, but he was left exposed alone in the middle. Ramsewt, Amoudni didn't help him at all and Berge was basically a CB. Not much he can do in that scenario.
Odobert 7 - Our main creative outlet, brilliant going at them, but too lazy and weak out of possession for me. Find him frustrating to watch and crying out for him to get a foot in too often.
Amdouni 4 It's time to call it a day of trying to show-horn him into the starting 11. As much talent as he might have he offers very little to the team. Leaves both the striker and the midfield exposed with his lack of effort.
Foster 7 - By the time Fofana came on Foster was absolutely knackered. He was one of the few showing fight and passion in that first half. he was winning defensive headers out our corners, breaking up pay and chasing everything down. His passing however let him down on the whole, apart from his through ball to Assignon, which was a beauty.

Esteve 7 - It was only 45 minutes, but we looked completely different when he came on. Seemed to bring calm and composure to the back line and mopped up very nicely when required. Looks like he can run with the ball too when he sees the space. Really like the look of him so ar.
Fofana 8 - Raw fight and energy, exactly what we needed. Never gave up on a ball when he was tackled or under pressure and his perseverance paid off with two goals. We really needed someone like that and I believe him and foster together will cause nightmares to defences.
Gudmundsson 7 - I thought he did well and he was a big part of what turned us around. He just had the sense of urgency and fight we needed at that point.

We play like we did that last 20 mins going forwards and we are going to be a totally different team. I just hope some belief has returned to some of the players who look like they lost it.

[IanMcL]

None of the Trafford saves were difficult. All expected from any keeper. The low one, with a striker in on him, was the most accomplished and worthy of applause.

Sadly, his positioning is not the best and should be learnt before entering the prem.

The big downside is his slowness with the ball. Sucks all momentum out if the ball and his eventual long pass never succeeds.

[Jakubs Tash]

Trafford 6
Assignon 6
O’Shea 5
Ekdal 4
Vitinho 4
Ramsey 3
Brownhill 4
Berge 6
Odobert 7
Amdouni 3
Foster 4

Fofana 7
Esteve 7
JBG 6

Dreadful, passive first 70 minutes.

[Claret Toni]

Well that wasn't very good was it.

Trafford 6 - hesitant for the 2nd, perhaps should nave done better, and did later in the 1st half when he headed clear another through ball clear. Some decent saves

Assignon 7 - looks a proper full back, and another potential left winger
O’Shea 5 - not helped by his central defensive partner having a mare in the 1st half - better in the 2nd
Ekdal 3 - oh dear, didn't take them long to exploit his lack of pace, and didn't they just.
Vitinho 6 - playing out of position, blocking their best header at corners, we ask a lot of this lad and he gives his all
Amdouni 3 - flicks and tricks, no end product, and the number of times he gives possession away is anyone's guess
Berge 6 - had a lot of possession, usually tidy, no end product, but he does retain possession usually
Brownhill 4 - poor
Odobert 6 - looks exciting and had their fullback on toast, towards the end they triple covered him! An effective creative talent for us.
Ramsey 3 - weak
Foster 7 - worked his nuts off, never gave up and set in motion the assist for the goal that got us back in the game, and an undeserved point

Estève 7 - improved the defence
Guðmundsson 6 - neat and tidy
Fofana 8 - I know he was only on the pitch for 30 minutes, but 2 goals to gain a point - that's end product.

[Claret Toni]

Well that wasn't very good was it.

Trafford 6 - hesitant for the 2nd, perhaps should nave done better, and did later in the 1st half when he headed clear another through ball clear. Some decent saves

Assignon 7 - looks a proper full back, and another potential left winger
O’Shea 5 - not helped by his central defensive partner having a mare in the 1st half - better in the 2nd
Ekdal 3 - oh dear, didn't take them long to exploit his lack of pace, and didn't they just.
Vitinho 6 - playing out of position, blocking their best header at corners, we ask a lot of this lad and he gives his all
Amdouni 3 - flicks and tricks, no end product, and the number of times he gives possession away is anyone's guess
Berge 6 - had a lot of possession, usually tidy, no end product, but he does retain possession usually
Brownhill 4 - poor
Odobert 6 - looks exciting and had their fullback on toast, towards the end they triple covered him! An effective creative talent for us.
Ramsey 3 - weak
Foster 7 - worked his nuts off, never gave up and set in motion the assist for the goal that got us back in the game, and an undeserved point

Estève 7 - improved the defence
Guðmundsson 6 - neat and tidy
Fofana 8 - I know he was only on the pitch for 30 minutes, but 2 goals to gain a point - that's end product.

Oh forgot about Tresor - one of his better performances today. Think Vinny has found his best position.

[Pickles]

Slept on it.

Trafford - 4

Assignon - 6

O'Shea - 4

Ekdal - 4

Vitinho - 3 - would be lower if I could. He's gone from Championship bit part, back up to Premier League starter but I'm not convinced he's even League One.

Brownhill - 3 - if I wanted to watch someone just run around on a Saturday, I'd go down the Parkrun. And "run around" is generous. No leadership, no tackling, no passing, no shots on target. If it's true that Wolves wanted him for 7m, we should've snapped their hand off. Seems a great lad but probably time for a change. To be fair though, he is hung out to dry by tactics and players around him.

Berge - 5

Odobert - 6

Amdouni - 3 - Pathetic, pointless. Amdou-no.

Ramsey - 3 - Rabbit. Headlights.

Foster - 6

Fofana - 8

Gudmundsson - 6 - that he improves us says so much about where we are currently.

Estéve - 7

First half was possibly the worst I've seen us play. Relatively speaking. Yes we've played at a lower level, with worse players. But with things considered - the incomings, outgoings, money spent, and magnitude of the game... It was diabolical. Second to every ball, no patterns of play, no structure of when and where to press, no identity, no gameplan, no bo!!ocks.

Genuinely wonder if some of these players have spoken more than a couple of words to each other. Not so sure if Gawthorpe is a training ground anymore or a hostel for people passing through.

I like Kompany. But what he's saying in interviews and what we're seeing on the pitch are totally opposite.

[RVclaret]

First half was possibly the worst I've seen us play.

We actually started the game well and were marginally the better team until their first goal. After that it was atrocious I agree. But it does seem that first 16 minutes is forgotten about. Then by the end, we obviously played well enough to score 2 goals. Interesting the xG for this one was 1.75 v 1.2.

[Jamesy]

Oh forgot about Tresor - one of his better performances today. Think Vinny has found his best position.

This made me chuckle!

[Jamesy]

Slept on it.

Trafford - 4

Assignon - 6

O'Shea - 4

Ekdal - 4

Vitinho - 3 - would be lower if I could. He's gone from Championship bit part, back up to Premier League starter but I'm not convinced he's even League One.

Brownhill - 3 - if I wanted to watch someone just run around on a Saturday, I'd go down the Parkrun. And "run around" is generous. No leadership, no tackling, no passing, no shots on target. If it's true that Wolves wanted him for 7m, we should've snapped their hand off. Seems a great lad but probably time for a change. To be fair though, he is hung out to dry by tactics and players around him.

Berge - 5

Odobert - 6

Amdouni - 3 - Pathetic, pointless. Amdou-no.

Ramsey - 3 - Rabbit. Headlights.

Foster - 6

Fofana - 8

Gudmundsson - 6 - that he improves us says so much about where we are currently.

Estéve - 7

First half was possibly the worst I've seen us play. Relatively speaking. Yes we've played at a lower level, with worse players. But with things considered - the incomings, outgoings, money spent, and magnitude of the game... It was diabolical. Second to every ball, no patterns of play, no structure of when and where to press, no identity, no gameplan, no bo!!ocks.

Genuinely wonder if some of these players have spoken more than a couple of words to each other. Not so sure if Gawthorpe is a training ground anymore or a hostel for people passing through.

I like Kompany. But what he's saying in interviews and what we're seeing on the pitch are totally opposite.

I think you are being harsh on Vitinho as he is never a LB or RB as long as I have a hole in my backside.
It is Kompany who deserves the mark of 3 for playing him in this position.

[Pickles]

I think you are being harsh on Vitinho as he is never a LB or RB as long as I have a hole in my backside.
It is Kompany who deserves the mark of 3 for playing him in this position.

What is he then? Because he's not a winger or a wingback.

[Enola Gay]

Trafford (5) - A young keeper who isn't yet good enough to be a PL first-choice. First goal looked to go through him, least said about the second the better.
Assignon (6) - A rare outbreak of competence at full-back this season and a cracking cross for the first, especially his his probable wrong foot.
O'Shea (5) - Not good in the first half, improved in the second.
Ekdal (4) - Hard to believe this is the player so many were demanding a first-team place for. All over the place in general and slower than a week in jail for their second.
Vitinho (5) - We knew he wasn't a right-back, we now know (if we couldn't guess before) that he isn't a left-back either. Played everyone onside for the second, offered acres of space all first half. Better attacking in the second-half, mind.
Brownhill (4) - The game just went on around him and the closest he came to influencing the game was a throw-in straight to one of their players in the final third.
Berge (5) - Actually looked better at centre-back in the latest strange pick from Kompany's Big Bag Of Formations and Line-Ups. Ineffective in his regular position.
Ramsey (3) - I don't think I've ever seen a Burnley player have so negative an effect on our play from so few minutes. Yes he's young, yes he's been shifted around, but when it comes to the basics like passing, moving and finding space he didn't even look like a footballer's cousin.
Odebert (6) - In and out, more out than in, but at least he came to a bit in the second-half and assisted the equaliser.
Amdouni (3) - At least Ramsey has youth and inexperience as excuses. This guy gave a masterclass in invisibility and hiding from the game to the extent I was amazed he was still on the pitch when he was subbed off. Long overdue for a spell out of the team.
Foster (6) - Probably wishes he'd gone to AFCON. Effort in abundance but he was a one-man-team for far too long with neither service nor support.

Estève (6) - Again, outshone most of his teammates just by looking like he knew what was doing.
Gudmundsson (6) - Managed more of a midfield contribution on his own in half-an-hour than Amdouni, Brownhill and Ramsey combined.
Fofana (7) - Almost single-handedly rescued Burnley's least deserved point since Heath's first game at Ashton Gate. Has to start from here on in and after today, no-one bar maybe Foster could complain about being benched for him.

Seen this before too many times this season; OK start, concede soft goal(s), fold like deckchairs. What was worrying about yesterday though was just how complete the capitulation was, and after that second goal we looked like a poor team on PES6 playing at amateur level with a dodgy controller. Passing? Movement? Showing for the ball? Tackles? All missing, probably in the same hole the midfield fell into/was hiding in until JBG belatedly came on.

Pretty telling that the new loanees looked levels above just about all of their teammates just by looking like they knew what they were out there for. Pretty damning too that we ended up with Brownhill at left-back, highlighting the borderline negligence in our attempts to solve the left-back problem.

Too many players have been in the team for far too long for any good they've been doing and aren't even nearly repaying the loyalty Kompany has shown them. Trafford is at least as culpable for our League position as anyone else but is seemingly undroppable, Ramsey looks utterly lost, and my patience has entirely run out with Amdouni. Strange hills for Kompany to die on, but he will until the penny drops.

[Jamesy]

What is he then? Because he's not a winger or a wingback.

He’s certainly not a full back, that’s for sure!

[claretspice]

A huge missed opportunity against and ordinary Fulham team, and there have to be major questions over the tactical game plan, defensive organisation and discipline - even if the come back was ultimately creditable.

Trafford- 7 - a string of good saves at 2-0 and actually dealt pretty well with the pressure imposed on him at set plays. Clearly culpable for making the second goal far easier for the forward than it should have been, but he was not the main culprit. The first goal though is not his fault at all and I find the criticism of him for the first goal odd.

Assignon - 7 - perhaps guilty of allowing a soft corner for the opener but deserves huge credit for our first goal and generally showed an attitude and physicality that suggests he'll add to the squad.

Vitinho - 5 - thought he did OK in attack at times but he struggled defensively and when put under pressure in possession. Partly that was a feature of being out of position at left back but the way he played Fulham onside for the second goal was indicative of a lack of focus on the basics of defending as a unit.

O'Shea - 6 - part of, and arguably supposed to be the leader of, an alarmingly chaotic back line at times, but individually he was fine and scrambled better than anyone else in that unit.

Ekdal - 4 - a bit of a horror show - allowed Munoz to run off him far too easily for the second goal (even if Vitinho is the real culprit) but he was shaky throughout and his lack of pace was an issue in the high line he tried to play.

Berge - 7 - the experiment with using him as an auxiliary centre back in the first half was as unsuccessful as it was inexplicable, but he used the ball nicely at times and along with O'Shea takes some credit for some last ditch defending.

Brownhill- 5 - unlike some colleagues did not lack for fight, but what he did lack was composure. Looked like a player really struggling for confidence all of a sudden, which was worrying.

Ramsey - 5 - hung out to dry to some extent by the disastrous tactical set up in the first half, but showed a lack of defensive awareness and when shifted to the right side after half time and was never a feature on the game as an attacking force.

Odobert - 7 - brushed aside far too easily for the opening goal but the real question is why a player of his ilk is dealing with Paulinha in the first place. Occasionally wanting in his defensive duties but for all that he was our most enterprising attacker throughout and he deserves credit for his assist at the death.

Amdouni- 4 - another to be left high and dry by the bizarre tactical set up that left him betwixt filling the right wing channel in the first and playing as a centre forward, but his lack of appetite to compete for a defensive punt ultimately allowed Robinson to punt it back over our defence for the second goal, and that was I'm afraid indicative of another insipid, anonymous performance.

Foster - 6 - not his tidiest 90 minutes but showed more fight than many, put himself about and helped create our first goal with a really good pass to spring the counter.

Esteve - 6 - a big improvement on Ekdal and added some aggression to out defending, although there is a concern on first viewing that he's going to have similar strengths and weaknesses to Al Dakhil and Beyer and so it's not obvious he's going to transform our defence on first viewing.

JBG - 7 - showed the value of experience and game intelligence. Understood what a narrow wide right role entails and executed it.

Fofana - 8 - put himself about showed more oomph and dynamism than the man he'd replaced (Amdouni) and showed the sort of infectious personality the team clearly need right now. Second goal had a touch of fortune about it but he showed the commitment to get in amongst the boots and he took his first smartly.


Kompany has to own the first half fiasco in particular I'm afraid. I couldn't tell you what the formation was but it appeared to involve Berge playing as some form of centre back at times, and Ramsay and Amdouni having vague but defined free roles. It was an odd formation at the best of times but to trial it in such a do or die game was bizarre. It didn't work even during what was a fairly positive first 15 minutes (the absence of a runner down our right wing was a problem more than once, but it fell apart once we'd fallen apart in such dreadful style and should have been canned well before half time.

But as bad as it was tactically, the defensive shortcomings for both goals were really our season in a nutshell. The first is a simple near post header after failure to block or track runners, partly because of a physical mismatch. The second is atrocious all round. Trafford will get the headlines for his hesitancy and he was at fault, but the real culprits are elsewhere because tge real crime is allowing a 1v1 chance in such an inoccuous play. Amdouni has to compete better with Robinson for the 50/50 ball, Ekdal loses Munez far too easily and the biggest culprit of all is Vitinho, miles behind an already crooked defensive line as a result of a simple lack of of discipline. Powderpuff, and lacking a premium on the basic nuts and bolts of organised defending - and again that is owned by Kompany.

The second half was more coherent but Fulham had the chances to kill the game before we finally recovered a sense of pride having not only reverted to 442, but also introduced players with the know how and intelligence (JBG) and physicality (Fofana) to make it work. Credit for the fight back when it came, but it can't mask the shortcomings and now is a time for serious acknowledgement of our shortcomings -and reflection.

[Nori1958]

A huge missed opportunity against and ordinary Fulham team, and there have to be major questions over the tactical game plan, defensive organisation and discipline - even if the come back was ultimately creditable.

Trafford- 7 - a string of good saves at 2-0 and actually dealt pretty well with the pressure imposed on him at set plays. Clearly culpable for making the second goal far easier for the forward than it should have been, but he was not the main culprit. The first goal though is not his fault at all and I find the criticism of him for the first goal odd.

Assignon - 7 - perhaps guilty of allowing a soft corner for the opener but deserves huge credit for our first goal and generally showed an attitude and physicality that suggests he'll add to the squad.

Vitinho - 5 - thought he did OK in attack at times but he struggled defensively and when put under pressure in possession. Partly that was a feature of being out of position at left back but the way he played Fulham onside for the second goal was indicative of a lack of focus on the basics of defending as a unit.

O'Shea - 6 - part of, and arguably supposed to be the leader of, an alarmingly chaotic back line at times, but individually he was fine and scrambled better than anyone else in that unit.

Ekdal - 4 - a bit of a horror show - allowed Munoz to run off him far too easily for the second goal (even if Vitinho is the real culprit) but he was shaky throughout and his lack of pa e was an issue in the high line he tried to play.

Berge - 7 - the experiment with using him as an auxiliary centre back in the first half was as unsuccessful as it was inexplicable, but he used the ball nicely at times and along with O'Shea takes some credit for some last ditch defending.

Brownhill- 5 - unlike some colleagues did not lack for fight, but what he did lack was composure. Looked like a player really struggling for confidence all of a sudden, which was worrying.

Ramsey - 5 - hung out to dry to some extent by the disastrous tactical set up in the first half, but showed a lack of defensive awareness and when shifted to the right side after half time and was never a feature on the game as an attacking force.

Odobert - 7 - brushed aside far too easily for the opening goal but the real question is why a player of his ilk is dealing with Paulinha in the first place. Occasionally wanting in his defensive duties but for all that he was our most enterprising attacker throughout and he deserves credit for his assist at the death.

Amdouni- 4 - another to be left high and dry by the bizarre tactical set up that left him betwixt filling the right wing channel in the first and playing as a centre forward, but his lack of appetite to compete for a defensive punt ultimately allowed Robinson to punt it back overnour defence for the second goal, and that was I'm afraid indicative of another insipid, anonymous performance.

Foster - 6 - not his tidiest 90 minutes but showed more fight than many, put himself about and helped create our first goal with a really good pass to spring the counter.

Esteve - 6 - a big improvement on Ekdal and added some aggression to out defending, although there is a concern on first viewing that he's going to have similar strengths and weaknesses to Al Dakhil and Beyer and so it's not obvious he's going to transform our defence on first viewing.

JBG - 7 - showed the value of experience and game intelligence. Understood what a narrow wide right role entails and executed it.

Fofana - 8 - put himself about showed more oomph and dynamism than the man he'd replaced (Amdouni) and showed the sort of infectious personality the team clearly need right now. Second goal had a touch of fortune about it but he showed the commitment to get in amongst the boots and he took his first smartly.


Kompany has to own the first half fiasco in particular I'm afraid. I couldn't tell you what the formation was but it appeared to involve Berge playing as some form of centre back at times, and Ramsay and Amdouni having vague our defined free roles. It was an odd formation at the best of times but to trial it in such a do or die game was bizarre. It didn't work even during what was a fairly positive first 15 minutes (the absence of a runner down our right wing was a problem more than once, but it fell apart once we'd fallen apart in such dreadful style and should have been canned well before half time.

But as bad as it was tactically, the defensive shortcomings for both goals were really our season in a nutshell. The first is a simple near post header after failure to block or track runners, partly because of a physical mismatch. The second is atrocious all round. Trafford will get the headlines for his hesitancy and he was at fault, but the real culprits are elsewhere because tge real crime is allowing a 1v1 chance in such an inoccuous play. Amdouni has to compete better with Robinson for the 50/50 ball, Ekdal loses Munez far too easily and the biggest culprit of all is Vitinho, miles behind an already crooked defensive line as a result of a simple lack of of discipline. Powderpuff, and lacking a premium on the basic nuts and bolts of organised defending - and again that is owned by Kompany.

The second half was more coherent but Fulham had the chances to kill the game before we finally recovered a sense of pride having not only reverted to 442, but also introduced players with the know how and intelligence (JBG) and physicality (Fofana) to make it woru. Credit for the fight back when it came, but it can't mask thr shortcomings and now is a time for serious shortcomings and reflection.

Probably the only poster I take any real notice of on these threads, and again gets it spot on

[Goody1975]

Trafford 6 - Some decent saves, some regulation ones. Not good enough on the ball when we need him to be and still doesn't command his box enough.
Assignon 7 - Looks a good addition on first viewing.
O’Shea 5 - Not helped by the change in tactics again.
Ekdal 3 - As poor as he has been for us, we know he lacks pace but barely won a header all half (his strong point?)
Vitinho 5 - Some poor but some decent stuff, we do need Charlie back asap, if for no other reason than to give us balance with now having an attacking full back on the other side. Also please take the ball off him at throw ins.
Brownhill 4 - Just cannot play in a two man midfield, he isn't quick enough to cover the ground and not good enough on the ball to dictate things. He wasn't suited to it in our previous Premier League season. The number ten role is more suited to him as he can make runs to create space for others but add support to the other central midfielders.
Berge 5 - Why take your only dominant midfielder out of his natural position? It basically gifted the midfield battle to Fulham
Ramsey 3 - Looks lost, he is a good player but is completely devoid of confidence.
Amdouni 3 - Doesn't press with any intensity and is seriously beginning to hide in games, he is another very young player with ability who is completely devoid of confidence and needs a spell out.
Odobert 6 - Poor on the first goal but always looks a threat when he gets the ball around the box.
Foster 6 - Isolated. The midfield losing the battle leaves him starved of service.

Estève - 7 Looks a good player, one right footed past to Trafford aside he was more or less faultless on his debut.
Fofana 8* - Adds the pace to stretch teams and create space for others, has added goals to the front line. My word, we need them to have any chance of a miracle escape.
Gudmundsson 6 - Made a difference.