Red Bill
Active member
- Joined
- Dec 9, 2011
- Messages
- 2,882
Exactly as I saw the game to the last detail.Well if nothing nothing else that game proved don't believe the hyperbollocks based on hearsay spouted on here.
Given that we had six debutants, two if not three players who if they weren't starting would certainly have been in contention for a start missing, we were far from the doomongers pre match assessment. And if Bradford are title contenders, with the return of three missing and a couple or three astute signings by Taylor in the next three weeks we won't be too far off ourselves.
Dawson looks like a very solid goalkeeper playing well below his level. The double save in the first half was unbelievable and was, quite rightly, celebrated as if we'd scored on The Bank. He shouldn't have stood a chance with the first effort and God only knows how he recovered for the second. The fact it wouldn't have mattered because the Bradford player was offside is neither here nor there.
Sweenz today was the Sweenz we know he can be and we need to see that out of him consistantly. Defensively was everywhere he needed to be and his distribution with the ball was of good standard throughout.
George Ray was rock solid all day long and barely lost a challenge either on the floor or in the air. Certainly one that my first line is about.
Grounds grew into the game. He was a little unsure at first and you can see he probably a couple of weeks behind in training. He probably wouldn't have started if Hartridge was available. Give him until the end of the month and you'll see what he is all about, nothing flash just solid and consistant.
Key flattered to deceive for me today. Looked exciting when he got the ball but didn't beat his man often enough and when he did get a cross in there was little or no quality with it.
Sparkes didn't get forward enough for me on the other side until late in the game. A lot of his crosses came from deep and this also showed up when the ball was on the other side where he was too deep to mop up Key's overhit crosses. There was plenty of space for him to exploit but he didn't put himself far enough into those positions.
Dieng looked like a more muscular version of last seasons Archie Collins. Got about well, did his job quietly and effectively but with the added physicality on Collins was able to win his battles more effectively.
Big Nige.......... oh Big Nige if only you could have capped off a MoM performance for me with a winning goal. He was a one man demolition show in the middle of the park. If there was a tackle to be made, Nige was there. If there was a block to be made, Nige was there. If there was a header to be won, Nige was there. And then having won the ball back, he very rarely wasted it. All you ever want from Nige in that role.
Jay wasn't his usual agile, mobile self today. Whether he was still effected by the knock or not, I don't know, but he clearly didn't game into the game today and was very quiet.
Brown, him and Jay as number 10's together doesn't work for me. As I said at half time, Jay needs to be around Nombe to be able to feed the sort of service Nombe needs. He looks tidy enough on the ball but didn't effect the game enough for me today.
Nombe got manhandled and bustled in every situation because Bradford defence was sh!t scared of him getting a march on them. As I mentioned above, he very rarely got the service he needs today but when he does.......... I anticipate good thngs. I wonder how he'd benefit from a Steve Basham type player along side him???
I wonder how Collins being fit would have effected the dynamic of the side today. Would he have come in as a straight swap for Dieng or would he have played in front of Dieng and Nige instead of Brown and allowed Jay to play more as I'd like to see him and how we are used to seeing him play.
I was concerned about our defence before the match but although there wasn't the understanding that game time will bring initially, I thought every one of them looked assured and didn't really put a foot wrong. And Nige oh Nige oh Nige! My man of the match too, but how ever did he not score!!!
And a word of praise for the "collective" on the bank, great effort lads, the atmosphere was great!