*Sigh* Player Ratings - BHAFC v Nottingham Forest

[Greg Bobkin]

Tom 7 Important saves in first half. Forest goals weren't his fault.
Calderon 5 Defended reasonably well. Had a great chance with a header, but his technique was shocking
Ward 5 I reckon ward is happier when he's in the shadows. He doesn't really want the ball.
Greer 5 Not as bad as some have been saying but he cost us a goal with a wayward pass
Upson 7. The odd fumble but he has great pedigree which shines through
Jfc. 4. The game passed him by. I've noticed defenders almost encourage him to shoot because they know its not going in
Crofts. 6. Limited player but always tries hard
Andrews. 6. Acted as the spare defender when they attacked. Good organiser. Not his best game but deserves a 6
Lua lua. 8. Ok, the final ball is rarely there, but I love it when he runs at defenders. He was the one forest were worried about
Buckley 4. Either didn't get a cross in when he should have, or did a great cross in , and hit it too long
Barnes. 4. totally owned by their centre backs. Didn't get great service but didn't make anything happen for himself either


Barker. 4. Can only have touched it twice.
Lopez. 4. Oh dear. Wild passing and delivery
Conway. 5. Time for Conway to deliver. Expect better from someone with his cv

Garcia. 7. I liked the first eleven - only criticism was taking off our main striker when we needed two goals

These two elements are possibly linked...

 

[DumLum]

Great assist from Barnes. Wonderful run to the far post, then he did well to centre for Crofts. He had f. all service all night and was very isolated. I'd like to see Dickinson alongside him. I'm perplexed as to what Barker offers?

The assist from Barnes was actually a shot, if you think he meant to cross that you are a typical deluded Barnes supporter.

 

[nwgull]

Lualua 5 - wasted so much possession. Shots into the crowd, his crosses were so close to the keeper they may have been off-target shots, the one time he looked up he lost the ball, he seemed to want to do everything himself rather than use his team mates.

Read this and ignored everything else you wrote. Wasted possession? KLL's running down the left had them on the back foot every time he picked the ball up and was responsible for 4 bookings and the red card in the 2nd half. He was unlucky not to win a penalty. We were just missing some presence in the box for him to aim at.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Kusczack 8
Calderon 6
Greer 4
Upson 6
Ward 6
Andrews 5 Ince looks a better option to me
Crofts 6
Forster-Caskey 6
Buckley 6
LuaLua 8
Barnes 6

We weren't terrible but we need some new players

But an above average performance judging by your scores?

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

Kuszczak 7 MOM

Calderon 1 Defended ok but that header lost almost all his points, a plank of wood has better technique, truly shocking and not the first time.
Greer 2 Awful and not a captain
Upson 4 First half passing was soooo bad
Ward 5 OK

Crofts 6 OK
Forster Caskey 4 Not effective but perhaps not his fault
Buckley 3 Powder puff. Why does he make a bee line for the corner flag every time what's happened to him cutting in, far too light weight for a big chap.
Lualua 7 Thank goodness we've got someone to watch
Andrews 4 Not good

Barnes 1 terrible made a goal with just about his only meaningful touch in the game and that was a complete miss-hit shot. Gets tackled in the first few minutes of the game, moans, then that's it, just moans all game. Play the plank of wood in two weeks time, better technique.



Lopez 5
Conway 5
Barker 5

 

[sparkie]

Kuszczak 7

Ward 5
Greer 3
Upson 5
Calderon 5

Andrews 5
Crofts 7
Forster-Caskey 5

Buckley 5
Lua Lua 8
Barnes 5

Subs:
Lopez 5
Barker 3
Conway 3

 

[Acker79]

Read this and ignored everything else you wrote. Wasted possession? KLL's running down the left had them on the back foot every time he picked the ball up and was responsible for 4 bookings and the red card in the 2nd half. He was unlucky not to win a penalty. We were just missing some presence in the box for him to aim at.

He was unlucky not win a free kick on the edge of the box. It wasn't a penalty. How exactly did we benefit from those bookings and the red card? Did it turn the game and get us back in it? No.

If the bookings meant the defenders had stood off when we later ran at them allowing us in to score maybe I'd accept that it was a benefit, but that didn't happen. So as it is, the bookings didn't really mean anything.

It didn't have them on the back foot that often, they mostly handled him well, as evidence by him trying his "exciting" trickery as he ran toward the touch line then away from it then back toward it then crossed it, hitting a defender and it bounced back to him and he ran toward the touch line, then away from it, then back toward it then crossed it and it hit the defender and they cleared it.

 

[bhawoddy]

He was unlucky not win a free kick on the edge of the box. It wasn't a penalty. How exactly did we benefit from those bookings and the red card? Did it turn the game and get us back in it? No.

If the bookings meant the defenders had stood off when we later ran at them allowing us in to score maybe I'd accept that it was a benefit, but that didn't happen. So as it is, the bookings didn't really mean anything.

It didn't have them on the back foot that often, they mostly handled him well, as evidence by him trying his "exciting" trickery as he ran toward the touch line then away from it then back toward it then crossed it, hitting a defender and it bounced back to him and he ran toward the touch line, then away from it, then back toward it then crossed it and it hit the defender and they cleared it.

So you don't agree that kll was a threat then?

Personally that's the best I've seen him play.

 

[BUTTERBALL]

So you don't agree that kll was a threat then?

Personally that's the best I've seen him play.

Would certainly agree, more than effective. It is not his fault that some of the stuff he creates is not put away. The fact that ALL their bookings and sending off came as a result of fouls on him speaks volumes.

 

[nwgull]

So you don't agree that kll was a threat then?

Personally that's the best I've seen him play.

This. Maybe it was because his best work was in front if me at the north end of WSL, but to say he wasn't a threat is ridiculous. The only answer they had down their left was to foul him. It's not KLL's fault that we didn't take advantage of the resulting free kicks and 1 man advantage. As for the penalty shout, he may well have been outside the box when tripped, but it was a very dangerous run and the defender would have seen a 2nd yellow if the ref had given it as a foul.

 

[Acker79]

So you don't agree that kll was a threat then?

Personally that's the best I've seen him play.

I don't think anyone in our team was a threat yesterday. With Buckley always running towards the corner flag, Barnes being more interested in being the victim of a miscarriage of justice trying to convince us he deserved a free kick every time the ball was played to him (well, two yards behind or ten yards ahead), and KLL keeping his head down and blasting the ball over the goal or at a defender.

KLL can be a threat, but he can also be wasteful, insular, and selfish. When he is in those moods defenders will get a handle on him. Yesterday I never felt we would get anything when he was on the ball because he would try to take on too many people, never look up, he completely ignored calls from team mates for passes and would then blast the ball no where near any of our players in the box, usually out of play.

Like I said after the Wednesday game, and earlier in this thread, I think people bring their own excitement to him. People see him on the ball and think 'yes, kaz is on the ball, something is gonna happen' so they convince themselves he has put in an exciting performance.

I tend to think 'Kaz is on the ball, he's gonna slow down and wait for a couple of defenders to cover him, then try to run past them and eventually blast it out of play, like he does 19 times out of 20'. But that is my opinion. Perhaps I am being more harsh than I normally would, but that is mostly in response to what I see as everyone else being too generous. I don't consciously change my opinion because I feel there needs to be a bit of balance to the analyses of his performances, but I would probably be naive to suggest there isn't something like that at work subconsciously.


He has most definitely played better than that. Millwall would be an immediate example without having to put much effort into remembering his games over the last three and a bit seasons.

 

[Urchin]

Kuszczak 7 - Made good saves and couldn't do anything about any of the goals.

Calderon 5

Greer 0 - Abysmal performance once again. Shocking as a captain.

Upson 5 - Thought he was relatively solid

Ward - 7 Defended and got forward very well. Very impressed.

Crofts 7 - Engine in midfield today. Seems to have gained some more pace and energy. Had quick feet and played very well overall.

JFC 3 - Anonymous most of the time. Made a few good passes and tackles, though.

Andrews 2 - Very disappointing. Wouldn't jump for headers, looked very slow and not interested whatsoever.

Buckley 5 - Did okay. Put some good balls in sometimes but seems to have lost his pace.

Barnes 3 - Contributed nothing exempt for a mis hit shot which turned out to be an assist.

LuaLua 9 - I haven't seen somebody be able to simply glide past their opponents with ease and outpace everyone on the other team in a very very long time. Phenomenal performance and different class. Distribution stopped him from getting a 10.

 

[Acker79]

This. Maybe it was because his best work was in front if me at the north end of WSL, but to say he wasn't a threat is ridiculous. The only answer they had down their left was to foul him. It's not KLL's fault that we didn't take advantage of the resulting free kicks and 1 man advantage. As for the penalty shout, he may well have been outside the box when tripped, but it was a very dangerous run and the defender would have seen a 2nd yellow if the ref had given it as a foul.

I'm north end wsl, and when he was announced as man of the match there were people around me surprised by it, saying it wasn't deserved.

 

[goldstone]

KLL can be a threat, but he can also be wasteful, insular, and selfish. When he is in those moods defenders will get a handle on him. Yesterday I never felt we would get anything when he was on the ball because he would try to take on too many people, never look up, he completely ignored calls from team mates for passes and would then blast the ball no where near any of our players in the box, usually out of play.

Maybe he got fed up with passing to team mates who proceeded to waste the ball by then passing to the opposition. Possibly he figured he was better trying to do it all himself. A reflection, I fear, of the abysmal standard of our second half game.

Frankly he was the only guy on the pitch yesterday (in the Albion team) who looked like he could make anything happen offensively.

 

[Acker79]

Maybe he got fed up with passing to team mates who proceeded to waste the ball by then passing to the opposition. Possibly he figured he was better trying to do it all himself. A reflection, I fear, of the abysmal standard of our second half game.

Frankly he was the only guy on the pitch yesterday (in the Albion team) who looked like he could make anything happen offensively.

I doubt that, he started with that insular game in the first half before anyone had a chance to waste his supply.

 

[R. Slicker]

I doubt that, he started with that insular game in the first half before anyone had a chance to waste his supply.

You're going to have to explain this to me. You generally come across as knowledgable on here but appear to me, to have 1 or 2 blind spots.
I seem to remember that you are a fan of Barnesy, and like a few other Barnes fans, seem extremely anti Kaz.
The way I see it, kazenga is very much an entertainer, when he gets the ball, things happen, whether they be good or bad.
Do you people not like to be entertained?

 

[Acker79]

You're going to have to explain this to me. You generally come across as knowledgable on here but appear to me, to have 1 or 2 blind spots.
I seem to remember that you are a fan of Barnesy, and like a few other Barnes fans, seem extremely anti Kaz.
The way I see it, kazenga is very much an entertainer, when he gets the ball, things happen, whether they be good or bad.
Do you people not like to be entertained?

My feelings on Barnes are unrelated to my feelings on KLL. I have been critical of Barnes within this thread. Any link between the two for me is more about fan reaction to Barnes in comparison to fan reaction to KLL.

I'm not sure what needs to be explained. From the start of the game KLL would play with his head down, try to take on too many people and eventually blast it off target, or at a defender. So the argument that he got fed up with team mates not doing enough with what he provided for them doesn't hold water for me, because he wasn't really providing for them.

Yes, I like to be entertained, but I don't find someone waiting for three defenders to cover him so he can run a bit and blast the ball at one of them or into the crowd entertaining. I find players passing to each other, moving around, providing options for other passes entertaining. I find teams working as a cohesive unit entertaining. I find genuine goal threats entertaining. When KLL uses his team mates, or manages to actually get a cross into a dangerous area I find him entertaining. He didn't do that yesterday.

 

[Lifelong Supporter]

Kuszczak 7

Ward 6
Greer 5
Upson 6
Calderon 5

Andrews 5
Crofts 7
Forster-Caskey 5

Buckley 6
Lua Lua 8
Barnes 5

Subs:
Lopez 5

 

[Ninja Elephant]

Kuszczak 7 - Made a few comfortable saves look difficult, but made them. And his kicking wasn't noticeably rubbish.
Calderon 6 - Not a bad performance, not a strong one either.
Greer 6 - Only fault was for the third goal, admittedly two separate errors but the criticism of him is out of proportion.
Upson 4 - Rubbish. Doesn't trust Kuszczak, as proven on Tuesday as well, and distribution was terrible. Time to drop him.
Ward 6 - Very ordinary player. A few nice balls down the line to LuaLua, but really nothing special.
Andrews 5 - Not overly effective, but not being played in his strongest position.
Crofts 6 - Good run for the goal, and playing much better than we'd previously seen him.
Forster-Caskey 5 - Needs a run in the team to get his feet under the table and to be more effective.
Buckley 6 - Flashes of class, but that's it. Playing him more centrally is a poor decision.
LuaLua 7 - Caused a real threat with his direct running, but he is a large part of why we're unbalanced. Not for me.
Barnes 4 - Given no real chance by really poor service, but did manage to slice a couple of efforts.

Subs
Dave 7 - Very busy, good passing over all and showed a little taster of his best form.
Conway 1 - Pathetic. Send him back and use the wages we're wasting on him for the striker we OBVIOUSLY need.
George N/A - What chance did our little fella have up front alone?

Oscar Garcia 4 - Appears to be clueless. But impossible to tell at the moment, considering the injury nightmare he's faced.

 

[DarrenFreemansPerm]

Conway 1 - Pathetic. Send him back and use the wages we're wasting on him for the striker we OBVIOUSLY need.

This doesn't happen very often, by I'm in total agreement with you. If we wanted a winger with no pace we could have just carried on playing Spanish Dave out wide. The money needs to be used for a striker.