Ratings:
Cooper 6/10 – Made a few saves and no chance with goal. Badly exposed again and another day they could have scored a few more. His play was ok but not be surprised if a team comes for him looking at our decline – West Ham on reflection might have made a poor choice looking at the lad from Leicester’s form.
Godfrey 6/10 – Did ok. Steady debut and might have been our best outfield player – just by doing his job! Nothing amazing but defensively thought he was competent enough. Offered little going forward though not helped by the stationery Cannon of course. All the excitement of him and the Swedish lad seemed to mask the bigger issues to me. Not sure he moved the needle but today he looked savvier than Seriki. Looked bewildered a the lack of movement in front.
Burrows 4/10 – Continued his poor start to the season. Really good effort that hit the post of course but outside of this, he was sloppy in possession, and got caught out a few times. The goal he fails to react to the danger. They had a number of efforts down his side. Barry never even gets back into his own half sadly so that causes him more issues. His play on the ball has been careless but he looks slow and is getting overpowered in challenges when defending. Showing that as a left back he has real weaknesses that are being further exploited with the shape of the rest of the team,
Robinson 5/10 – He was ok. He had a few moments where he misplaced it and lost headers too much but against two bigger lads but overall thought he at least attacked the ball and won a few challenges. Not sure many others did. He may move on and may be someone we can do better from longer term but there are far bigger issues than him currently.
Bindon 3/10 – Thought he was poor and looks well below the standard required. Saw a lot defending him after the first few games but he does not win header/challenges and is weak physically. He also does not react or read things. The goal was a header he did not win and was slow again. He lost another header that nearly led to a second and ball watching on another when the lad Ivanovic should have scored. On the ball he is not great either and takes too long to do things. Just looks physically not at the level. A centre half without physicality or pace is no good at this level especially when he no anticipation. Sure, some will say others have been poor around him but I think he has been a major disappointment and just symbolises our side – passive and no character – which is harsh but he has to be able to impose himself if he wants to play this level or higher. When he went off and Godfrey came inside, we improved. Unless Tanganga signs, we may have to play Robinson and Godfrey in the middle and Seriki out wide to at least give us some size/pace in the middle that counters sides dominating us physically.
Peck 4.5/10 – Another disappointing performance but this system does not help him at all. Seems we just leave him on an island against 2-3 opponents and ask him to get on with it. He took Soumare out but then we ended up with him in the midfield and O’Hare and Hamer just showing no discipline to come back. The shape is horrible but the number of times he ran into trouble/or played a careless pass meant we never kept the ball either. Seems to have believed his own hype. If he is playing though we need a two in there as he is not good enough or disciplined to play as a lone holding midfielder. The formation is not helping but he still must be better at the work he does.
Hamer 3.5/10 – I think he has been way off it this season. One good shot saved but outside of that? A few passes across the field but he roved around and did not help the defensive side, picked up another stupid booking and sulked when the ball did not get to him. Maybe he wants to leave but his first three league performances have been not good enough. The shape and formation does not help – maybe Wilder was right to hide him on the wing – in this free role he is just roaming around but not in a way that helps us. Also, he is careless with the ball and not doing enough in games to impose his quality. If he leaves unless another Champ club signs him (maybe Brum or Ipswich might take him?) then not sure where he goes without going abroad. He is miles off Premier League standard as simply does not show the discipline (on the ball and with his conditioning)
O’Hare 5/10 – Started well and got on the ball and tried to find moments. He worked hard and always tried to get his foot in and try and make it hard for Millwall but as the game went on, he became decreasingly effective and not sure we saw much of him. I thought he would be ideal for the so-called press but we are not playing this way and teams have the ball without any pressure. He does try but when they go past him, no one else bothers a Hamer waddles into the play or Peck saunters around. Feel sorry for him at the moment but a system with him and O’Hare as free players and no midfield – poor wing options and a weak defence – means his energy is wasted.
Cannon 1/10 – Absolutely dreadful. Yes, he may not be a right winger and might have been put in a position that is not his but he is a professional footballer who should be able to do the basics of control, passing, running around, pressing when not on the ball. He has no idea where to run, has no football brain and when he has it, he just loses it as his touch is terrible or he gets outmuscled. I am amazed he even scored any goals for Preston or Stoke before or was seen as a prospect at Everton. Looks a dreadful footballer and even makes Brewster look competent. Wilder has to think what a huge mistake (forget all the bollocks about the new owners wanting him – Wilder wanted him last summer too long before they came in) he made and how it probably cost him his job (a competent centre back signed instead that does not back off like Robinson and we probably go up at Wembley). We need to just take him out of the side but with 4 years left of his contract will be stuck with him. I see nothing to suggest this guy will ever make a footballer at any kind of top level. He has no redeeming features whatsoever. The only defence is he is not winger – sadly he has been no better as a forward.
Campbell 2/10 – I have gone in on Cannon but Campbell was not much better and for the most part a total passenger. Had one headed effort but nothing outside of that. He scored opening day but the last two games he has looked lazy, immobile, and not interested. The service has been poor but look the lad Coburn for them – he threw himself around, made himself a nuisance and did not stop. Campbell’s work rate has been pathetic this season. I like the lad and showed last season he could be effective and with so many stand outs not playing well, maybe there is more to it but maybe you can see why for 3 or 4 seasons at Stoke, a number of managers did not pick him. Seems to be barely even getting out of a jog and again as much as the focus has been tactics/formation etc, if your centre forward (we often played one last year too remember) does not break sweat, you are going to struggle. He needs to wake up and fast. I know people will go in on Robinson, Cannon and the usuals but the so called big players have been awful this season. As much as the discussion maybe about how we play, if players do no run around or at least win their battles, then we are going to not win many games.
Barry 4.5/10 – Thought he showed what he has most of the season – decent to start with and got on the ball and tried to run at his men but then faded and was out of the game for long periods. He lacks strength and I feel gets crowded out a fair bit too. He had one shot saved but often I thought they crowded him out. Defensively offers nothing and leaves Burrows badly exposed. I am not sure about him so far even with a few decent runs. Seems another little, weak player who just gets run off it against physical Championship players. Some moments but at the moment for a struggling side we may have to be more pragmatic and sacrifice him and go more bodies in the middle – yes we may not be creating much but if O’Hare and Hamer plays – we cannot play all three – they give us so many issues in terms of winning battles and the midfield. I think he is a significant downgrade on Rak Sakyi who at least had pace and beat his man – Barry lack that acceleration to properly go past men.
Subs -
Brooks 5/10 – Frustrating in that he kept getting it on his left foot and moving inside and so predictable to play against. However, he at least got on it and a few things came from him. However, he takes too long to do things and the lack of a right foot means that defences just force him inside all the time. We did have a few half chances from his runs but not sure he delivered enough but in comparison to others probably did more than most! Cannot be surprised he was dropped as done nowhere near enough with his game time and looked passive. Until he had another tactic will continue to be easy to defend I feel.
One – Barely saw any of the ball really. Another who looks way off the standard we need at this point sadly.
Seriki – Taken out of the side and might be better as an outlet type sub and had a few runs but now you expect him to be in reserve for a while. Would have been better in the wide right role than Cannon who was appalling. Should have been introduced at half time for me. We were better with the back four that finished.
Manager: Selles 1/10 – Cannot give him more than 1 and that is only for the changes which at least gave us some life and we had a few moment/efforts but 0 points from 9 and 4 defeats from 4 (all deserved) means he is already in danger in terms of his position. He seemed quite calm after the game but his lack of emotion worried me as the urgency is now. He made out we played a lot better 2nd half but we did not! We were poor right up to 65-70 minutes and never looked like scoring till then. It was not as if he tore into them and they stepped up. We had a few chances as they sort of sat back but it was more chaos football/get the ball into the box than cohesive/progressive or planned attacks. He seems a bit bewildered by it all. His only other club of this size was Southampton (and that was hard in the top flight but he failed there) and the decent job he did at Reading was followed by an ok job at Hull but he go sacked.
I am not sure what United have seen him other than a few impressive interviews and a lot of talk about his philosophy. So far he has been an absolute disaster and whatever talk there is of getting rid of Wilder, irrespective of this, his appointment alongside the ousting and in isolation, is looking a dreadful decision. If we had been unlucky in games or had a plan but I cannot see anything suggests he has an idea how to get us dominating possession, controlling games, or scoring more than the opponents? This pressing football and vertical play is nowhere to be seen. He played this odd formation v Bristol with essentially Peck and we got outmatched badly in there – so went more solid v Swansea but we did not create so went back to the first home game approach which was a disaster. Once again we had none of the ball with Peck left exposed and Hamer, O’Hare and Barry just sort of floating about aimlessly and Cannon completely out of his depth. Millwall controlled the game and play and got the deserved lead. However, we have no midfield at all and teams just run through us. When we had the ball we had players miles off each other and no one was connected. The confidence of this side is shot but due to us having no athletes of note or pace, when we turn it over, our set of small players amble back but teams just break and put pressure on a defence that lacks the same pace/physicality. We looked a soft touch as we lost all the battles but the manager needs to give us a chance where we see more of the ball. He will be frustrated so called good technical players have been so careless with the ball. As I say, the chances at the end just came through getting it forward and percentage stuff really.
I worry that even this early, he is running out of time. Sacking him now seems as daft as appointing him but then good management realises mistakes and changes it quickly but I wonder where they go next if they do? Going to a Dyche/Wilder type seems to just see us doing the Slav/Hecky thing again. Many may argue it worked but I think we have seen the club want to take a different approach so they have to conviction to change the direction but if the coach/leader is not getting the best out of the players then at some point you have to acknowledge that. I think he will remain but I expect us to lose the next two as negative as that sounds and then feel they will make the change. There is an argument they may as well do it now. I really wanted it to work but seen nothing to suggest this guy has any idea – even with all the recruitment issues and lack of help. Also, giving him money to spend and bring in player a replacement may not want – seems an odd decision. He has had the worst start ever of any new United manager and in the current football climate will know if he does not get a result in the next few games – he will be gone and probably so will his career in English football in the top two divisions. He was very lucky to get the job here with a very decent squad despite the departures but he is making as big a mess of it as he could. I believe a coach that just threw them out and said enjoy it and do whatever you want might be better than this confused approach which seems to have them almost over thinking what to do.
Millwall – As last season, they came here and did what they had to but deservedly won the game. For an hour-65 minutes easily the better chances – had all the play when it mattered, more shots on and off goal and were rarely threatened. Just as easy this season as it was when they beat us under Wilder! Will not have believe how easily it was and the two front lads were a handful but the midfield also picked up all the loose bits and they won the physical stuff. They did miss a few chances that should have put the game away and then sat back a bit and would have been disappointed to concede but needed the keeper and the post to help them out. In the end despite the 3 or 4 chances we had, they will say they were value for the win for the rest of the game. The centre back who is supposedly being linked with us might leave them but surely will do whatever he can to find an alternate option after watching that and hearing the boos at the end!
Opponent Man of the Match – Benda was solid at the end making a couple of big saves. Up to that point not sure he did much. The Barry one was decent and the Hamer one very good. Cundle scored and could have had a few others. I thought Coburn was excellent and won lots of the high balls but never stopped. Showed Campbell up with his efforts in comparison.
Opponent Weak link – Ryan Leonard played right back but we did not exploit this. Barry had him one on one a few times but they did get back to help him. Millwall had a few players missing and still won the game deservedly. Sums up how bad we were.
Referee / Officials – Fine. I would have booked Hamer and Barry for petulance and dissent – maybe the Hamer foul was harsh but he is constantly gobbing off. The rest of the game – like most of ours this season – not sure we put a tackle in to allow us to discuss any controversial decisions. The other bookings were standard – Peck with a cynical pull back and Luongo with a late one from then. The game just sort of drifted to a conclusion but nothing the officials did decided the game. Some around us thought it was offside for the goal but clearly replays showed he timed his run well.
Crowd/Day Out – Atmosphere is getting bad in terms of the unrest. Not in terms of divisions or infighting (I know there is a lot of Wilder chat online etc of course) but just real frustration at the team, players, manager, and board. I felt the crowd tried to get behind the team but the boos were justified at half time and even though they tried to rouse them, the team barely got going even with that late rally. At the end, it was an unpleasant ground in terms of the boos and displeasure showed. I did not hang around to see what the team/manager did but at the end of the game I walked down to the director’s box (that is where I exit the South Stand) and there were some comment shouted towards Bettis and Shieber (finance director) but no sign of any of the owners. The reaction of the two board members was frightening as they seemed shocked at the boos and comments (nothing offensive – just asked what the hell was going on) and were quickly ushered out. The stewards seemed surprised but there were a number who made their feelings clear. It might get worse before it gets better sadly.
At the moment, those things that went against us at the key times at Wembley seems to have changed our future (maybe for a long time) in such a debilitating way that maybe none of us could have imagined. The fact our local rivals are absolutely fighting harder than our players should be damning on them and the club. We are rock bottom and lacking any kind of plan – on and off the pitch- how to turn this around and do not see any leadership from the board, manager or the side which worries me that it is going to get worse before it gets better. I thought we might not be as strong as last year and thought edge of the playoffs might be as good as we hoped but now we are genuinely not even thinking about promotion but just where the next result is coming from. Since Wembley – it is now 5 defeats and our longest losing run for a long time and so many questions but no real clarity on what we do next – even if we sack this manager, then who do we bring in – if it’s an old school type – that goes back to the same approach they seemed to go away from. They appoint another coach type then without the players and no time to implement changes, then would be in the same position. What a mess.
