Niall McDonald brings you his ratings from tonight’s game
Hart: Will be happy with a very quiet game. Sharpest save from a stray return by a ball-boy 6
Zabaleta: Got the crowd going with some early biting tackles. But caught out of possession a bit too often 6
Reid: Lost Vardy for the goal. Helped keep him very quiet thereafter 6
Ogbonna: Showed decent composure on the ball when encouraged to get involved 7
Cresswell: Few problems defensively. Looked more comfortable with the energy of Masuaku ahead of him 6.5
Obiang: Far fewer misplaced passes tonight. Won several free kicks as the game progressed 7
Kouyate: Bundled in the first goal of the Moyes era. Focussed 7
Lanzini: Superb for 75 mins, driving forward at every opportunity 8
Arnautovic: Further improvement before being withdrawn with injury 7
Masuaku: Excellent stuff, even allowing for some poor crosses 8 Carroll: Controlled commitment tonight. Broke his 60-yard sprint record for a brilliant covering tackle 7
Subs
Ayew: Denied what looked a penalty to me. Booked in frustration shortly after. Was in position for the winner before Masuaku overran the ball 6
Sakho: Late replacement for Masuaku. Little opportunity to make an impact 5
For once Niall I am in complete agreement with the ratings COYI !!!
Ogbonna. Let the ball through his legs for their goal. Collins on Wednesday please.
Now if every game could be played on a Friday night please, makes viewing a damn sight easier in Australia.
Great to see the team playing for each other, tracking back and the like. Much improved levels of energy and commitment and they will need to do that in every game until the confidence returns as our defence still worries me. Overall I’m far more positive than I was two weeks ago COYI ⚒⚒⚒
i must have watched a different game. Lanzini’s distribution was horrible. Matsuaki all huff and puff. Watched Albrighton sprint towards the ball for first goal with no inclination to follow him. Pass intechange between him and Cresswell was schoolboy. Obiang had control issues. Arny by far the most willing runner and contributor.
I tend to agree. Not one of Lanzini’s better games, although it was good to see him holding the ball and trying to drive forward with it, his passing was a little off when it mattered and I thought he got caught in possession a few times too many. Obiang was quiet and, apart from the goal, Kouyate had another pretty anonymous game following on from his disappointing Watford performance.
Cresswell continues to disappoint given we know how good he can be and he and Masuaku don’t seem to be able to pass the ball between them.
I can’t believe the high rating Masuaku got, I thought he was a 6 at best, if not a 5.
Arnautovic was certainly our best player on the pitch.
Broadly agree with your ratings, but Ogbonna’s miskick alowed the goal to be scored. I wonder if he will ever eradicate these mistakes from his game. If not he will go by next season. Whatever good stuff he does in a game is completely nullified by one schoolboy error.
Obiang was not totally at the races in the first half, but must have got the hairdryer at halftime, because he was a man possesed in the second half. For me he is still jurys out.
Good to see Masuaku starting at left-sided attacking midfield, where he belongs. Perhaps we can now bury this silliness about him being a left-back.
An improvement overall. Workman like and more running, but we keep making basic individual errors and still struggle to string passes together. Ogbonna cannot get a 7 however. Unbelievable defending for their goal. No right foot. Arnie was best player by some way.
Ogbonna – bad mistake for the goal conceded, OK otherwise
Reid – stood 2 yards away from vardy rather than close him down, cross lead to the goal. Thinks he’s a ball playing centre back, he is not. Needs to get rid of the ball much quicker.
Carroll – can’t jump from a standing start any longer. Doesnt have the pace to move into the box or make near post runs. Hangs about at the back post or edge of box far too much.
Obiang – rubbish in terms of strength and tackling in the first half. Second half he improved. He is not the answer to the defensive midfielder problem, too weak.
Kouyate – when he ran about closing down for about 2 minutes striaght at full pelt, he got my MOTM. Played in a position he’s familiar with, should stay there and stop being shifted about constantly.
Arnie – decent. Needs to do one less stepover for me. Kind of easily read. One touch, out of the feet and cross it. Doesnt have pace, much like Beckham realised, he needs to do the above to be effective.
Everyone else – yup decent. More quality will come with more confidence.
Oh just one more thing (Colombo!)
Lanzini – not very good unfortunately. Seems to me he isn’t buying into the ‘get it wide and cross it’ mantra. Kept coming inside and ignoring the wide placed player. Refused to cross it when he was on the wing. Seems to think he can step over his way past 5 players. Imho, he needs to play it simple; play it out wide, make late runs into the box, much like a old school Scholes move.
Agree with Arnie & seen it in other games he gets in shooting positions or crossing & just holds on to it too long doing step overs. When he could take the shout but overall the performance was much better Kouyate is always a threat from set Pieces w Pace & height.
Lanzini doesn’t seem is best at #10 with AC up front w the hoof ball
Just watched the first goal ? Fekin awfull from zabba ? Yes zabba ! What was he doing chasing a player into midfield when 3 more were chasing it ! Left the right back position where he should have been making for where vardy was waiting for a bus !!! Reid gets dragged right thing to half cover him and watching the player who passed the ball to see if maybe if he didn’t he could cover and make a tackle ! The ball should never have been allowed to be crossed ! Vardy and albrighton got instructions to exploit those areas and vardy
Did just that ! Ogbonna gets the blame for a mistake that anyone could do ! Its a off balance attempt but where was cresswell ? Albrighton sprints into the box and he’s not even moved to get close to because he ball watches to much ! He can’t defend to save his life !
Last week Watford’s first goal ! Zabba easily beaten , cresswell half hearted header to clear and goal ! Everton will do the same and city and arsenal will exploit it also ! 2 liability we can’t afford !! The penalty could have been given he got clipped around the knee by Maguires knee
But the theatrics got the adverse decision from the ref ! Seen them given , remember schlupp and Carroll ? That’s how I see it anyway 😉