Leicester 2 West Ham 1 Player ratings by Gonzo
Fabianski:5 Stopped a tame effort from Barnes. Most of Leicester’s efforts in the first half were over the bar. Not at fault for Barnes opener. Didn’t really have a busy game and I can’t recall too many saves.
Coufal:7 Reacted quickly to deny Barnes following an awful pass from Cresswell. Defended well on numerous occasions and may well have earned his cup final place. Maybe could have done better for Leicester’s opener but sometimes it’s just a good opposition goal.
Harvey Barnes scores Leicester 2 West Ham 1
Kehrer:6 Made his fair share of tackles and the pass of the match which picked out Benrahma who was 60 yards away.
Aguerd:6 Looked to to be having one of his good days from the start of the game. Should have contested the header better for Leicester’s second. Made a couple of telling blocks.
Cresswell:6 Good block to stop a Maddison shot.
Downes:7 Tackled and intercepted impressively. Definitely some more forward passing on display than usual. Alongside Coufal and Fornals he was a rare example of high work-rate.
Rice:6 Hearts in mouths time as Rice was hacked and studded on a couple of occasions. Played within himself like many of the team.
Paqueta:5 Made his intentions clear early with some sublime touches and passes. Faded as the first half progressed. Almost anonymous in the second half.
Fornals:7 Deployed out of position on the right wing for the rested Bowen. Often hit the first man with his crosses but worked tirelessly. Scored a fine goal in the 78th min with a low curled finish.
Benrahma:6 Some neat touches here and there but lacked real incision. Hit the post in the second half.
Antonio:5 Looked at peak fitness which has to be a good sign ahead of the Conference League final. Played within himself which is understandable.
Ings: 62nd min sub for Antonio. Missed an open goal from closer than the penalty spot following a pull-back from Bowen. Squandered a similar chance later on but did set-up Fornals for his chance.
Bowen: On for Benrahma as part of a double substitution. Created a good chance for Ings.
Cornet: Double sub in the 71st min for Paqueta
Emerson: On for Cresswell
Lanzini: Made his final appearance for West Ham as an 84th min substitute for Flynn Downes.
Gonzo, I strenuously disagree with your score of seven for the completely useless, crab-like Flynn Downes!! C’mon, he’s never going to be a regular Premier League player is he? His record at that level……. Seven starts, seven defeats. Says everything really. The only thing he has in common with Declan Rice is that they were born in the same week!!
When Rice leaves, West Ham will hpefully sign a decent replacement….a quality midfielder who can forage forward with the ball assisting in goals and netting a few himself. Downes doesn’t do those things. His career record – Ipswich 99 games, 3 goals. Luton (on loan) 10 apps, ZERO goals. Swansea 39 games, 1 goal. All in the lower divisions. His West Ham league record – three shots at goal. The last being when he came on as a late sub at Bournemouth when we were winning 4-0. He had a few tidy games against European pub teams in the group stages – his best game against Derby from League One (his level) in the FA Cup.
Downes must be shown the door.
Feel you scores are bit harsh, on a day when there was little to play for against a team who had to win to stay up and with a Cup Final to consider, West Ham really made a game of it.
PS: Kinda agree with Buster, Downes just doesn’t cut it for me.
Have to agree with you. Downes is another of Moyes bad buys, Hugill,and Vlasic, being two more. I’m still of the opinion that win or lose in Prague he has to go!