Difficult night.
We started well and roughed them up. Made it a fight and took the lead. The problem is we couldn't keep it up and it became a level game but they had more of the ball. The turning points were Wilder bringing on Choudhury at RB (when we needed that pace and bite in midfield) and an unfit Hamer. Our best player, but what we needed was energy (and I thought Cannon had his best game for us) and Hamer wasn't the choice. Not only did he get himself stupidly booked he was a bit lucky to stay on then defensively half asleep. Poor management from a manager who set us up right. Gilchrist sat watching the game in his cage in Wilder's dungeon. Clarke has now been poor most games so why our only other RB (I know, loan numbers, but that's bad fucking planning) is locked up in his cellar I do not know.
We lost to the better team though, so fair play to them. Farke changed things after a poor start and we couldn't cope with them at the end.
Cooper - 7.5 - Oozes control and confidence. Made a couple of saves you'd expect him to make before a great tip over.
Burrows - 6 - Did ok going forward but a bit defensively not the best game. Played Piroe on and far too easily beaten.
Robbo - 6 - Did ok but his lack of pace and acceleration shows against the better teams.
Anel - 7.5 - I thought he was easily our best defender. He's picked up the last few games and looks like a top Championship defender once again.
Clarke - 5 - He had little help from JRS but he gets beaten far too easy but also doesn't block crosses/passes out. Looks like a poor signing considering.
Souza - 8 - I thought he was our best player tonight. Seemed to be everywhere at times. Covered up for a lot of other players.
Peck - 6.5 - Put a shift in and made some good challenges and blocks but I thought he looked a bit ragged and slow to react sometimes.
JRS - 5.5 - Did a couple of good things going forward but largely didn't do a job tracking back. Oddly, I thought he was getting better when he was subbed off and our biggest threat.
O'Hare - 6 - Great header for the goal and gets in some really good positions/makes some good runs. I thought he was far too weak defensively at times.
BBD - 6 - Great cross in for the goal but he doesn't track his man for their first. I want to see a lot more from him to be honest.
Campbell - 6 - In the right place for the goal and always making good runs, whether for the ball or to take players away.
Subs:
Choudhury - 5.5 - Not a right back and showed in with his positioning. Tried really hard but often chasing shadows.
Hamer - 4 - He didn't look fit and hadn't trained. Should never have come on. Did a few good things going forward but lost his man for the second and could easily have been sent off for poor attempts at tackles.
Cannon - 7 - I thought he had his best game for us. Made good runs, pressurised and put himself around. He had no support though.
Davies - 6 - Did ok when he came on but I'd like to see him have more of an impact on games.
Moore - good to see him back.
Wilder - 6 - Set us up well after dropping the ball at Elland Rd. I thought it was obvious before half-time that they were getting more and more into the game. I think Choudhury and Hamer were wrong subs. Given the bench, I'd have wanted to put McCallum on at RB and brought Choudhury on for JRS. They ran through us far too easily from 65 onwards.
