Feeling a lot better than at 94 mins on Friday
But, there's still work to do. Let's not get above ourselves.
Hendo 7/10: A lot better but for fuck's sake Deano. Dominate. The laws f the game favour you in the area so exploit them. Climb, punch effectively and please, be positive with shots to your body.
Baldock 7/10: Grafted, like George does. Shame he's injured.
Egan 8/10. Much better than Friday late on and seems to have some confidence back. Positionally made a lot of difference in snuffing out any attacking ambitions
Cranie 7/10: I know people are being a bit excited by him, but he's 'developing', and not as good as say, Basham in that role. Played well and got down the flank, but has more to do to secure a start every week over Bash or Jack
Stevens 7/10: Had a good game overall, some passes a bit wonky at times and not as penetrating as he has been
Norwood 6/10: Bit weak in midfield and wasteful with passes he thinks he can make. He links okay, and does the 'in front of the back three' role to his credit, but needs to think before he launches it at 200mph at the fans over in the JSS
Fleck 7/10: Grafted in midfield quite well but he sill … still isn't at the standard he was last season for some reason. If this is because he is missing Coutts and Duffy in that triangle then maybe Wilder needs to address that. Clumsy yellow card which wasn't unlike the one he went for last season
Dowell 5/10: Sorry guys, but he's another I am struggling to see the light about. Everton mate of mine said he has an abundance of skill and pace but I have yet to see this deployed effectively. Against Villa he was beaten over 30m by Hutton and Hourigane, tonight he was easily predictable and seemed still not to be able to adapt to the Championship game where it is far more pressing and close-set which means less speed and PL style space to play into. I haven't seen anything outstanding about him yet that say
Duffy 7.5/10: Offers. When he is on the pitch, the opposition instantly goes on the back foot because he has that ability to have them worried and isn't predictable. Shame he's only had 45 mins, but I think this might be more and more his output these days as he gets older.
McGoldrick 9/10: ran his fucking socks off in all formations tonight. Back defending, getting his foot in, harrying, worrying the defence and causing the opposition no end of problems. Great game.
Sharp 6/10: Again with my marking of Billy, for sheer effort and leading the line he gets 11/10, but tonight he got nowt much to feed off even when they went down to ten men. Always gives 100% and is a reyt legend for us.
Stearman 9/10: Great performance off the bench and a well taken goal
Madine 6/10: Yeah … um … why? He's okay is Madine, but its obvious why NW doesn't want him. Some okay transactions with McGoldrick and Sharp, but fuck me stay on your feet and keep some fucking composure. You're not fucking Dwight Gayle. There was one possible pen appeal tonight and after one isn't given for that, it's quite obvious how the ref's POV is set toward incidents like that
Coutts 6/10: Nice to see him on
Wilder 8/10. Vastly better performance against a typical Pulis setup of boring, one dimensional football. Middlesbrough are pretty shit to be honest - not as shit as Villa were for 80 minutes but they lack what it takes to go up even in the playoffs. Once we'd calmed down and got organised - 55 minutes onwards -it seemed the points were there for the taking and so it was.
pommpey
