Players Ratings

[And Its Smith]

I rarely go to away games and always find it useful when people put players ratings down and then others debate from there, so here goes.

First of all just to say how incredible the defensive display was tonight. I've seen a couple of posts about the formation but for me it was a clear 5-3-2 (or 3-5-2) until the sending off and then it became a 4-4-1 with JET up top on his own.

Fielding - 9 - just loses a point for his kicking. I lost count of the number of saves he made with the top one being a reactionary tip over the bar after a shot got deflected. I think that save gave the whole team an added lift

Maloney - 8 - kept at his winger and although he let a few too many crosses come over he fought hard and tried to provide an outlet second half

Cunningham - 8 - his winger gave him a few problems and he was helped when Bryan came on to give him protection. Got forward well in the first half

Osbourne - 10 - I can't see how I can mark him down from a ten. Maybe people might have spotted something I didn't but thought he was a rock at the back. Header after header second half. Although he didn't make a mistake when playing in a back three, it was clear to see that he wasn't very comfortable with it and had a few discussions with Maloney early on.

Williams - 9 - big fan of Derek. Again won lots of headers and plenty of blocks

Gillett - 9 - worked tirelessly closing down their midfielders and tried to play when he could. Looked tidy first half when we had more of the ball.

W.Elliott - 9 - what energy for an 'old' man. Fantastic block from a shot second half (think it was him)

Wagstaff - 8 - never stopped running and working hard, few misplaced passes but overall did what he does best

JET - 5 - just couldn't get in the game. Nothing stuck to him when he was on his own albeit he was being fouled a lot. Didn't seem up for it. Wasn't helped by a shocking surface

Baldock - 10 - two well taken goals, especially the first and worked very hard for the team both as a left midfielder and a striker

I won't mark El Abd as I didn't see what he did and nobody around me did either. I do know the

Posh player made a meal of it though.

It is amazing that we held on but it's also very frustrating that we couldn't play the whole game with eleven men. We were so comfortable until the sending off and the Posh defence was so bad that it could have been three or four nil I reckon.

[MarcusX]

Not often I read a report and agree so much with it. Think we watched the same game!

Only thing id say is baldock got turned far too much until SC brought Bryan on for JET and pushed Sammy up top. That gave Greg some protection. The fact Baldock scored and ran his socks off means id still agree with your rating score.

[cityexile]

Was just off to bed, but had to quickly post on the JET mark of 5.

Yes, clearly the least effective player. Up to the sending off I thought he was well involved, and after the sending off had to take one for the team, playing in a position up front alone when the other team are camped in your half. Having said that, saw him track back more than once and get in some important tackles. Due to the job he was being asked to do, really hard to give him a mark at all, but played his part in a great win. Kind of give him a 7.5.

Again with Sammy had to drop back, and showed why he plays up front! Would give him a 8.5.

Both of those scores even then are a little harsh, and both dug in to roles that are simply not their strengths.

Really enjoyed reading all your comments on others which get a big thumbs up. Difficult for me to split Fielding, Gillett, Osbourne, and Elliot who were all immense.

[And Its Smith]

Was just off to bed, but had to quickly post on the JET mark of 5.

Yes, clearly the least effective player. Up to the sending off I thought he was well involved, and after the sending off had to take one for the team, playing in a position up front alone when the other team are camped in your half. Having said that, saw him track back more than once and get in some important tackles. Due to the job he was being asked to do, really hard to give him a mark at all, but played his part in a great win. Kind of give him a 7.5.

Again with Sammy had to drop back, and showed why he plays up front! Would give him a 8.5.

Both of those scores even then are a little harsh, and both dug in to roles that are simply not their strengths.

Really enjoyed reading all your comments on others which get a big thumbs up. Difficult for me to split Fielding, Gillett, Osbourne, and Elliot who were all immense.

Perhaps JET mark was a bit harsh. Did run around more than normal and win a few flick ons.

Was funny watching him warm up when they come out first. The most half hearted attempt at warming up I've seen. Normally walk into games five minutes before kick off but was there at 6:45 tonight.

[bearded_red]

I can't believe JET has been given a 5.

 

He was heavily involved in our dominance before El-Abd got sent off, won an excellent flick on in the build up the second goal, and after that did the best he probably could in a thankless and unfamiliar role. 

 

I'll be honest even as one of JET's biggest fans I would have taken him off as soon as the sending off happened and had we had a big target man type centre forward on the bench I think Cotterill would have. Personally I thought it would have been better to bring on another midfielder and push Baldock upfront as that could have given us some sort of outlet by playing it in behind their defenders and asking Baldock to run after it which would lead to winning free kicks/throw-ins/corners in their third and could release some pressure. Sammy's work rate would also have put pressure on their defenders, made it difficult for them to start off attacks and forced them into mistakes. As it was Cotterill clearly went for playing JET up there and hoping he would be able to challenge them physically and be able to hold the ball up. To be fair he didn't do a fantastic job of it and if he was an out and out centre forward you may have been a tad disappointed, but JET isn't and as it was gave it a good go and certainly wasn't wanting for any lack of effort. The fact their two centre halves were seemingly able to foul him every time the ball went near him also made his job a tad more difficult.

 

May not have quite been as heroic as Osbourne, Moloney, Fielding or Baldock, but as I said, was a key player in our early dominance and then to be honest did more than I expected from him in a role that he isn't used to and doesn't play into his strengths. But sacrificed himself for the team. Which as Taylor10 hints at on another thread, should be a lesson to any of his critics who revel in accusations of laziness and/or selfishness. 

[Garland-sweden]

Thanks for the ratings. Great evening for every City fan.