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| Blackpool - H |
Nigel Gigg -2046
De Vries 7- Quiet game and little or no chance with the goal.
Tate 7 Decent game but strangely seems to do better at left back these days.
Williams 7 Solid enough and comfortable in possession.
Serran 6 Not fully established himself as an able deputy for either of the first choice centre halves.
Bessone 6 Fine going forward but was suspect a few times defending.
Orlandi 6- Remains a total enigma. Blessed with all the skills but rarely proves his worth.
MacDonald 6 A real chance to prove himself playing a central role. Didnt do himself too many favours in winning over the doubters.
Britton 6 His mistake led to the goal and he seemed strangely subdued.
Gomez 7 All Swans fans must be hoping beyond hope that this wasnt his Swans swansong.
Butler 6 Todays game mirrored his season, lots of expectation but with little end product.
Scotland 5 Really poor game but has been outstanding this season.
Subs
Allen 7 Bizarre that he sat on the bench for 45 minutes Did make a big difference.
Pintado 6 A poor first touch let him down a couple of times.
Gower 6 Didnt really change much.
|
| Bristol City - A |
Nigel Gigg -2045
De Vries 7 Quiet game but one excellent save and very good distribution all afternoon.
Rangel 7 Solid but looked to be suffering from a recurrence of his injury late on.
Monk 9 Superb display capped by a rare goal.
Williams 8 Back at his best.
Tate 7 Surprise choice for stadium MOM but had a good game.
Orlandi 7 Does some brilliant things but can also be frustrating at times.
Britton 7 Not his best game but never gives anything less than 100%.
Allen 7 Didnt hit the heights he has been hitting but kicked out of this one.
Gomez 7 Lets hope we can keep him at the club. The thought that he could have just two more games for us is all too depressing.
Dyer 7 Gave his all but got little change out of Izzy Iriekepen.
Scotland 7 Did a lot of hard work but for once his finishing let him down.
Subs-
Pratley 6 Didnt have too much influence on the game.
MacDonald 5 Never picked up the pace of the game.
Serran 6 Defended well enough for the last 10 minutes.
|
| Norwich H |
Nigel Gigg -2044
De Vries 7 Pulled off a couple of good saves and punched well.
Tate 7 Moved across to the right but equally effective.
Williams 5 Given a torrid time.
Monk 7 Did well and almost scored.
Bessone 7 Solid game and a few excellent runs down the wing.
Orlandi 7 Looks so comfortable on the ball. Always left wondering why he cant do it week in week out.
Britton 7 Lost possession more than we are used to seeing but his work rate is incredible.
Allen 9 Just what is this boy worth.? Outstanding.
Gomez 7 Decent game but spurned a few decent chances.
Dyer 7 Looked back approaching his best.
Scotland 8 Only denied MOM by the superb Allen.
Subs-
MacDonald 7 Did equally well defending and attacking.
Pintado 6 Gave the Norwich defence something different to worry about.
|
| Cardiff - A |
Western Mail -2043
DORUS DE VRIES: A clutch of very good saves from the Dutch shot-stopper. His denial of efforts from Bothroyd and Ledley in particular caught the eye.
ANGEL RANGEL: The Spaniard did not look himself here and was obviously carrying a knock. Defensively coped, but the signature forays forward were missing.
GARRY MONK: The skipper is an important presence in the Swans defence. There was nothing too flashy here, but he worked hard and was totally committed.
ASHLEY WILLIAMS: Probably a harsh decision to concede the penalty. The Welsh international had looked reasonably solid ahead of that on a very busy afternoon.
ALAN TATE: A performance which showed incredible character. Jeered and vilified by the Cardiff fans, Tate stood firm and never hid from responsibilities.
NATHAN DYER: He started like an express train and got the reward of a well-taken early goal. As the game wore on though he became quieter as Cardiff closed him down.
DARREN PRATLEY: The midfielder never really seemed to get a grip on things. A rather quiet showing from a player who usually likes to dictate things.
LEON BRITTON: We got the usual hustle and bustle from Britton and not a little class too. Was another player who seemed to go off the boil slightly as the game wore on.
JORDI GOMEZ: He looked like a Premiership player. Quick of thought, quick with his feet. A truly inspirational figure who ran the midfield for long periods.
MARK GOWER: Seemed a little bit isolated out on the flank as his side tried to win the midfield battle, He has had much better games this season as he struggled to get involved.
JASON SCOTLAND: The striker started as if he was going to do great things. But as the Cardiff defence tightened things up so Scotland started to drift off things just a little.
Subs: Joe Allen (for Gower 66), Albert Serran (for Rangel 78), Gorka Pintado (for Dyer 86)
Not used: Bessone, Butler
|
| Sheffield Wednesday - A |
Mike Thomas - Hereford -2042
Doris 9 - handling and distribution faultless, but also brought off two or three outstanding saves to keep us level.
Rangel 7 - getting back to his old self, worked hard in defence and a real thorn in their side down the right flank in attack.
Williams 8 - had to work hard all game against their Route One style and did it superbly
Monk 8 - as above
Bessone 7 - looked comfortable in the left back berth and supported attack when he could, although the main thing for him after our recent games was to be steady in defence, which he was.
Gower 6 - worked very hard all game and got into some dangerous positions in the box only for his final ball to let him down.
Allen 8 - Duracell Bunny performance in which he showed strength, determination and lots of skill on the ball. Excellent.
Leon 8 - typical gutsy and skilful Leon showing, everywhere in midfield and helping out at the back.
Pratley 5 - still not back to anything like pre-injury form, on the deck more often than the Queen Mary's mop. Looked weak in the challenge, needs to eat some Shredded Wheat or something.
Gomez 7 - could watch him playing all day long just for his easy skill on the ball. One great 25yd free kick which had the keeper scrambling to save at the foot of his post. Would have liked him to make more effort to get in the danger area and have a pot or two at goal, since no-one else was.
Scotland 5 - bad day at the office, looked sluggish and leaden-footed against some determined marking. Had one or two chances to beat defenders one on one but got the ball trapped under his feet or was firmly dispossessed. A frustrating day for Jason.
Subs:
The Bull 6 - Put himself about, but never got into any really good scoring situations.
|
| Queens Park Rangers - A |
Stephen Ramsden Heath -2040
A team is the sum of its parts, a good team is greater than the sum of its parts. Well tonight we had the parts but none of them fitted.
Serran/Butler - no understanding
Pratley/Allen - ditto.
Bauza/anyone - ditto
Gomez/anyone - ditto
Monk/Williams - good at passing the ball sideways, passing forward no understanding with anyone.
Pintado - never received any decent ball.
Britton- on for 5 minutes & the team started to play.
|
| Crystal Palace - H |
Nigel Gigg -2039
De Vries 6 His reluctance to come off his line doesnt help a hesitant back line.
Rangel 7 The only defender comfortable on the ball today.
Williams 5 Distribution was woeful today and he must want Garry Monk back as soon as possible.
Serran 5 Can look great on the ball but struggles against anything or anybody physical.
Tate 6 His substitution certainly didnt help our course.
Dyer 5 Seems to have lost his sparkle. Had a few tongue lashings off Roberto during the game.
Britton 7- Not at his very best but the pick of the midfield again.
Pratley 5 Way, way off his best. Looks like hes been away six months.
Gomez 6 Not at his best.
Gower 5 Very poor. Looked almost relieved to come off.
Scotland 5 Got nowhere on his own up front but for some reason didnt get near to Gorka Pintado when he had support.
Subs-
Collins 6 Started really well with a shot against the post and a few good runs but never looked comfortable defending.
Pintado 7 Took his goal well and one of only a handful of players who could look back at this game with any sense of pride.
Orlandi 6 Did Ok for his ten minutes.
|
| Plymouth - H |
Nigel Gigg -2038
De Vries 7 Not much to do but did all that was needed.
Rangel 7- Way off his best.
Williams 7 Poor start but settled into the game.
Serran 6 A few hairy moments in the first half.
Tate 7 Probably the pick of the back four again.
Dyer 6 Not involved enough.
Britton 8 Typical Leon performance.
Pratley 6 Great to see him back and getting 90 minutes under his belt.
Gomez 8 Classy display.
Butler 7 Had the beating of his full back. It was his shot led to the penalty.
Scotland 7 Not an easy night for him against a team of hackers but kept his faith and rewarded with his penalty and, incredibly in such a short space of team, his 50th Swans goal.
Subs-
Pintado 7 Did well both in attack and defence.
Allen 7- A few minutes to help out an overworked midfield late on.
|
| Charlton - H |
Mike Thomas -2037
This was a slightly below par performance from the Swans today compared to some of the heights we hit a month or two ago, but it still should have been more than enough to earn all three points but for some disappointing finishing. We engineered three gilt-edged chances to win it in the last fifteen minutes but spurned them all (all over the bar from less than fifteen yards, and in one case from five yards). I guess when it's not your day, it's not your day.
There were still positives to take from the game, but a few negatives too, mainly the way we went flakey in midfield for a 20 minute spell after half-time. Thank God Pratters is back, we need him big time.
My player ratings:
Doris 8 - no chance with their deflected goal, but made a couple of brilliant saves to keep us in the game when we hit our bad patch.
Rangel 6 - didn't have as much joy as usual rampaging forward and found teir winger a handful on more than one occasion, earning himself a booking for bringing him down in what was nearly a penalty.
Monk 6.5 - was doing well until he got a shove in the back about 20 minutes in which brought him to the floor; soon he was signaling that he was in too much pain to carry on, and was subbed by Serran.
Williams 7.5 - solid, no nonsense defending and brought the ball out well from the back.
Tate 7 - had his hands full in defence but still made some good bursts forward, especially in the last twenty when we had them back on their heels.
Dyer 7.5 - someone had had a word, because the boy worked his socks off today; as well as scoring a fine goal, he tracked back tirelessly to cover runners and out in his fair share of tackles. Pity he couldn't convert the best chance of the game when Scotland played a low hard ball across the six yard box onto his toe, but he skyed it over.
Britton 7.5 - got through a tremendous amount of harrying, chasing and tackling.
Bauza 5.5 - seemed a bit at sea in such a withdrawn central role and often got beaten to the ball or disposessed. He tried hard but little came off for him.
Gomez 7 - as cultured as ever on the ball, but looked a bit leggy and in need of a rest. Made one superb break forward late on to surge into the area and make room for the shot, but then lent back and put the ball over the bar from fifteen yards. He, and we, were gutted.
Gower 6.5 - couldn't seem to go up a gear today; did nothing wrong but not really a threat either. Eventually subbed.
Scotland 7 - Scottie cast himself in the role of the provider today and set up two great chances late on, one of which should have been put away. I felt he should have been more selfish once or twice, going for a shot himself on the edge of the area. Always heavily marked
though.
Subs:
Serran 6.5 - battled hard, but occasionally found their physicality hard to cope with; they had some big lads up front.
Butler 5 - found it hard to get into the pace of the game, and made one or two dreadful decisions which got the crowd's goat, like duffing a low shot from 35 yards out to end a promising attack in the dying minutes whn he had men better placed forward.
Pratley - not on long enough to earn a points score, but my goodness was it good to see him. Bauza, thank you and step aside......
To be honest, we didn't really deserve all three points today. We allowed Charlton back into the game after half time when we had been cruising it, because in my opinion we were not quite up to scratch in midfield and dropped the pace and accuracy of our passing - Bauza, Gomez, Gower were not at their best.
We need to get it back together on Tuesday night on what is a good pitch, exactly the same size as the Liberty. Being the away side as well, we should get a bit of space to exploit going forward, so let's hope everyone is on top of their game. I'll be there; come on you Swans!
|
| Doncaster - H |
Mike Thomas -2036
Listening to Roberto on Radio Wales on the way back tonight, he said this was our best performance of the season. Whilst purists wouldn't agree (that has to be the Reading game, hasn't it?), I know what he meant. We were coming off the back of a poor performance and by all accounts a deserved defeat on Tuesday; we were up against a form team undefeated in eight, and we had to come back from a 1-0 deficit against a surprisingly cynical Donny who were content to waste time, kick us and wind us up after going in front.
My ratings:
Doris 6 - had little to do and couldn't be blamed for their goal when he actually made a good initial save, but he was in shakey mode today, including one heart-stopping moment when he contrived to catch his studs in the turf and fall over when fielding an innocuous throw-in back to him. He just managed to get up and scramble the ball away in time. Sorry, but he needs a 'Dimi Mark 2' to put pressure on him.
Tate 9 - maturing like a fine old wine. Not only was he a rock in defence, he showed previously unknown pace and dribbling skill up the wing which Ronaldo wouldn't be ashamed of, including a brilliant surge into the area which earned us the equalising penalty.
Serran 7 - a little dodgy at the start but grew into his unaccustomed centre back role very well. This guy has a serious leap on him, too - ever higher than the legendary Forbsey.
Ash 8 - he's like an intelligent and mobile brick wall; awesome.
Rangel 8 - literally ran his socks off in defence and attack, especially the last quarter when he seemed determined to dribble the ball into the net.
Gower 9 - he was the constant outlet that the team looked for today when breaking forward, and he didn't disappoint. His appetite for the ball was impressive and his skill on it was even more impressive. He very rarely loses possession. Had his obligatory one-two with Scotland to take him into the area where the keeper put his shot round the post. Keep going, son, it'll come.
Britton 8 - as Jeremy Clarkson said tonight in a different context, he's like an old age pensioners' terrier, straight at you when the old man opens the door, snapping at your ankles. Great skill, too, though!
Allen 8 - another who worked his socks off, getting stronger with every game. His tackles had more bite today.
Gomez 6 - two goals, he must have been brilliant, you say, so why only six? Well, he took his goals well, but for the hour spell either side of half time he was very casual and sloppy, losing possession frequently and putting us on the back foot. Wouldn't be without him, though!
Dyer 7 - Donny had been studying the video highlights; they immediately had two or more defenders on him whenever he got a sniff of the ball. He still managed to cause them problems, though. Tired visibly in last 20 minutes.
Scotland 8 - typical Jason display, full of strength when holding the ball up and bringing others into play; he's forging a brilliant understanding with Gower in and around the area. Some get frustrated when he tries too hard to work the perfect opening before shooting, but that's just his way and it's brought him 17 (?) goals.
Subs:
Bauza 8 - really made a difference when he came on for the tiring Allen. Injected life, pace and a bit of muscle into the midfield and was probably the last straw that broke Donny's resistance.
OTJ - not on long enough to comment.
So, the boys deserve plenty of praise for coming through this latest stern test with flying colours. Have we got enough to outgun Fulham on Tuesday? Probably not, but I think we'll give a better account of ourselves than we did at Vicarage Road. COME ON THE SWANS!
|
| Fulham - A |
Nigel Gigg -2035
De Vries - 7 Did all he could
Rangel - 7 Another great performance from the Marathon Man
Williams - 7 Looked a class act again
Serran - 7 Able deputy for our captain
Tate - 7 Gave 100% again
Dyer - 4 Awful game. Once Konchesky had hit him a couple of times he really didnt look interested
Britton - 8 Superb display once more
Gomez - 8 Fantastic when we were going forward but couldnt prevent Fulham gaining control
Bauza - 7 Did really well for fifty minutes but not suited to defensive role in midfield
Gower - 6 Did OK and was a surprise choice for substitution but may have had a knock
Scotland -8 Great goal and good all round performance
Subs
Jones 5 Didnt manage to quell the Fulham threat
Butler 6 Starved of the ball and did most of his work in defence
Bessone - Only on for a few minutes
|
| Fulham - H |
Dai Smith -2034
De Vries 6- Fulham never looked like scoring but his mistake gifted them a goal.
Rangel 9 Outstanding. I wonder how many Premiership Managers are thumbing through their PFA Footballers guide tonight.
Monk 8 Very unlucky to concede own goal.
Williams 8 A couple of poor clearances but excellent otherwise.
Tate 8- Not as comfortable as many with passing game but let nobody down.
Dyer 8- Quiet first half but superb after the break.
Britton 9.5 What can you say about him. Made Danny Murphy look second rate.
Allen 9 Another who will have drawn considerable attention to himself. Outstanding.
Gomez 8 A few passes went astray early on, but quality shone through.
Gower 8 If he could finish he would have pushed Leon for M.O.M.
Scotland 9 No, hes not for sale. Get used to saying it Roberto.
Subs-
Orlandi 7 Didnt have the impact you would have hoped.
Bauza 8 Did well in his ten minutes with some good tackles and tidy passing.
|
| Ipswich |
Wales On Sunday -2033
DORUS de VRIES
7
Dealt with the early high-balls and stood tall when called upon later. Lack of action possibly illustrated by his quickness to get involved in a war of words with visiting players at the final whistle.
ALBERT SERRAN
8
What a start to your Football League career! One assist and plenty of strength in shepherding away the danger from Jon Walters. Ready to challenge for regular starts.
GARRY MONK(Cpt)
7
Kept nerve under initial pressure and atoned for last weeks error with getting in late block on Kevin Lisbie to show clean sheets are important as the goalscorer in earning victories.
ASHLEY WILLIAMS
8
Another sound outing from the international and one advancing run that beggared belief, curling a shot that even most strikers would have been proud of.
ALAN TATE
7
Doing himself plenty of justice at left-back and passing in first half was a great help to keeping momentum. Silly booking in second-half. Lucky not to get in further trouble.
LEON BRITTON
7
Better after last weeks showing although struggled at times as the midfield looked overrun for once. Recovered to control things . Some fantastic touches to keep his halo in position.
JOE ALLEN
6
Finding it hard to impose his talent at the moment and passing was off too many times. Still doing a fine job in the middle given his inexperience and will only get better.
JORDI GOMEZ
7
Was looking as though it was going to be a quiet afternoon for the Catalan before he whipped in yet another set-piece. Flashes of his gift to inspire own team and frustrate opponents.
NATHAN DYER
8
Hot and cold in this one, but that was more to do with Swansea struggling to find him often enough in the second half. Still some breathtaking runs.
MARK GOWER
7
Justifies his place in the side with his experience and on several occasions did the right things to make sure Swansea kept hold of possession.
Substitutes: Tom Butler (for Gower 76), Gorka Pintado (for Allen 83), Guillem Bauza (for Dyer 90)
Subs Not Used: Orlandi, Bessone.
SCORERS: Swansea: Scotland 3, 73; Gomez 85
BOOKINGS: Swansea: Tate, Ipswich: Norris
REF: Kevin Wright (Cambs)ATT: 14,020IPSWICH: R Wright; A Bruce, P Blakenstein, G McAuley(Cpt), D Wright; J Walters (P Counago 46), T Miller, A Quinn, O Garvan (D Haynes 66), D Norris (Stead 75); K Lisbie.Subs Not Used: S Shupple(gk), B Thatcher.ATT: 14,020
IPSWICH: R Wright; A Bruce, P Blakenstein, G McAuley(Cpt), D Wright; J Walters (P Counago 46), T Miller, A Quinn, O Garvan (D Haynes 66), D Norris (Stead 75); K Lisbie.
Subs Not Used: S Shupple(gk), B Thatcher.
|
| Preston North End - H |
Nigel Gigg -2032
De Vries 8 Solid, reliable and even started the move leading to the second goal.
Rangel 8 Looks every inch Premiership quality.
Monk 8 Will be disappointed to let Parkin get the pass away for Prestons goal but his work had been done.
Williams 8 Assured.
Tate 8- You cant speak too highly of his contribution over the last few weeks and theyll be no shutting him up after his wonder goal.
Dyer 9 Looks a real diamond.
Britton 8 Came in for some awful challenges but rose above it all.
Pratley Only managed 8 minutes and we can only hope hes back soon.
Gomez 9 Back at his best. Strolled through the game like Nijinski.
Gower 8 Decent game but just wish he could get on the score sheet.
Scotland 9 Excellent control, vision and yet another goal.
Subs-
Bauza 8 Asked to play deep off Jason Scotland and did a decent job of it capping his performance with a well taken goal.
Pintado 8 Another who it would be great to see get a goal. Ran at defenders and created space for others.
Jones 7 Only had a few minutes but hit a couple of excellent long passes.
|
| Reading - H |
Robert -2031
My ratings for the player's today.
De Vires 7/10: Had absolutely nothing to do apart from punch out a cross.
Rangel 9/10: Caused nothing but trouble for Reading while going forward and not bad defending. He is the best right back in the history of Swansea City FC and in the championship.
Williams and Monk 8/10: Knocked what ever Reading threw at them, were never really caught out and were absolutely solid at the back. We finally have a strong defence.
Tate 8/10: He was only meant to be covering our left back curse but now he is in great form in that position and at least he can defend better than Bessone.
Dyer 8/10: Not bad control of the ball, has pace, skill and great experiece at this level. Caused real problems for Reading which is what we have been looking for since Paul Anderson chose w***ers Forest over great football week in week out which I'am sure he regrets.:lol: But anyway great first start for the club and I know there is more to come from this lad.
Prately 8/10: Usual performance that you would expect from this guy. As my dad quoted at the game he is a duracell battery like those adverts with the bunnies.:lol: He falls to the ground but he either gets up straight away or manages to win back the ball while still sitting on the floor. This is one good signing that Kenny Jackett did make for a bargain 100k and is full of energy.
Allen 9/10(Man of the match): Did an awful lot of tracking back and great passing. I think he will be better than Aaron Ramsey in about three years because after all Joe became better than his brother eventually. ;-) He has a year and a half left on his contract so Martinez better sit down with him sooner rather than later but I'am sure Martinez will sort that out.
Gomez 8/10: Can sometimes hold the ball just a bit too long and an awful free kick in second half. But to the positives he has great link up play in our style of football and he did actually win a few balls today from Reading players.
Gower 7/10: A bit of stick from some fans today but a good performance nonetheless. Not quite his day but now we got Dyer for pace lets hope Gower can find some form now and finally get a goal for us. Great long range effort in first half forcing Reading keeper to save.
Scotland 8/10: Fantastic goal and not bad performance. He doing what he loves best and that is score goals making him only 5 goals behind top championship Kevin Doyle.
Substitutes:
Orlandi 8/10: Great goal and a breath of fresh air to help seal the win. Few nice runs and will give Gower competition now hopefully.
Pintado 6/10: Won a few headers but shouldn't he have his operation soon so he doesn't do any damage and comes back stronger?
|
| Reading - H |
dafydd y garreg wen -2030
De vries.6.5 but had little to do
Angel.7.5
Williams. 7
Monk. 7.5
Tate.7.5
Dyer 8
Allen 8
Pratley 8
Gomez 6.5
Gower. 6.5
Scotland. 8
Orlandi. 7.
Overall. 9
The stats will hopefully confirm our domination.Dyer looked really good a great debut in terms of his contribution and tormented his marker. Reading players looked vanquished at end.
Our crowd were poor until around 20th minute but then noisy
|
| Reading - H |
dafydd y garreg wen -2029
De vries.6.5 but had little to do
Angel.7.5
Williams. 7
Monk. 7.5
Tate.7.5
Dyer 8
Allen 8
Pratley 8
Gomez 6.5
Gower. 6.5
Scotland. 8
Orlandi. 7.
Overall. 9
The stats will hopefully confirm our domination.Dyer looked really good a great debut in terms of his contribution and tormented his marker. Reading players looked vanquished at end.
Our crowd were poor until around 20th minute but then noisy
|
| Histon - A |
Mike Thomas -2028
Doris 8 - saved our bacon early on with some good low saves and was generally a match for their 'bomb it into the area at every opportunity' tactic.
Tatey 8 - looked the most solid of our defenders and won his fair share in the air. Kept his cool under some iffy tackles, too.
Monk 7 - was surprisingly out-done in the air for most of the night, but very solid on the ground and made some good last-ditch challenges.
Williams 7 - very competent, but also found it rough going against the East Anglian Air Force.
Serran 6.5 - did alright considering we hardly ever see him in a Swans shirt and Histon last night was a million miles from the sun-kissed shores of Catalonia.
Got flustered once or twice and even lost his boot, but kept going.
Butler 5 - twisted and turned but hardly ever got away from his man, never delivered an even half-dangerous ball or shot and fluffed one golden opportunity to volley in unmarked at the far post from about five yards when his technique let him down. Plain disappointing.
OTJ 6 - worse than useless for the first twenty minutes, then got a knock on the head which seemed to galvanise him. He started to get stuck in, winning tackles and spraying good passes around. Came out for the second half wearing a turban and continued to put it about until the bleeding got too bad and he was subbed. Joined the 'put the ball out of the ground' club with the worst shot of the night. They're still looking for that ball in Huntingdon.
Leon 8.5 - oh, are we going to miss him on Saturday! He was everywhere last night, always available for the pass out of defence, winning lost causes with ferocious tackles and orchestrating virtually everything we did that went through the middle third of the pitch. Outstanding.
Orlandi 8 - tremendous cameo appearance, he ran their full-back ragged, showing tremendous pace and skill. The Histon fans were raving about him as we all trudged back to the cars after the match.
Pintado 7 - great goal, put himself about and worked hard but some of his decision making was very iffy.
Bauza 7.5 - very lively, worked his socks off, he just seems to revel in getting the chance to play and gives his all. The defender who brought him down should have been red carded as the last man, but the ref bottled it.
Subs: KOL 6 - good to see the Port Talbot boy getting a run out, but he didn't seem to be involved much, although we couldn't pick out individuals in the melees at the far end in the last ten minutes - it was like the Alamo.
Macca 4 - couldn't seem to get up with the pace of the game or adjust to the dreadful pitch. Lost possession too easily.
Dyer 7 - very useful weapon to bring on in the last twenty minutes; his pace was frightening and earned us the penalty which should have sealed it. He is going to do some good stuff for us.
There we go then, a nice trip to the South Coast and I think a reasonable chance of turning over the Cup holders, who are looking a bit shakey at present. Bring it on!
|
| Histon (A) |
SEALS ratings (poor view at pitchlevel b -2027
De vries 7
Serran. 6
Monk. 7
Williams 7
Tate. 7
Orlandi. 8
OTJ. 5.5
Leon. 7
Butler. 6
Bussy. 7
Gorka 5.5
Kol. 6
McDonald. 5.5
Dyer. 6
Away support 438
Pitch got worse and worse. We should have buried a poor histon team.
But a scratch team got through, which is better than last season. Bring on pompey!
|
| Burnley - A |
Mike Thomas -2026
Leon Britton - he was everywhere, prompting the attacks and tracking back like a madman to cover the defence. It was this latter role which saw him booked, foolishly in my opinion because he should have got a sliding tackle in but held back and clipped the guy's heels instead almost by accident. The ref was right to book him. Boy, are we going to miss him against Reading. The caption when it came up on the screen saying that sent a chill through me.
Scotland - no, not the goals, but his lone striker performance, which was immense. He held the ball up and made the link play when he needed to, holding off the defenders with tremendous strength. Brilliant.
Gower - looked a lot more confident last night. Great run and pass for the second goal.
Gomez - did the simple things well; he is just too quick for a lot of the defenders in this division and often gets clipped late. He makes the most of it with his dives, but the free kicks are deserved. Tried a lot of long range shots, which were on target but lacked power. One of these days he's going to catch one right.
Back four - solid as a rock, and great to see all four coming forward with the ball when neccessary, including Tatey.
Dyer - OK, I said I wasn't happy with us signing him but he's here now, so let's get on with it. It'll take him a game or two to adjust to our style - he lost possession a lot when he got the ball, but I think he was under orders to have a go at them, not just stroke it around. Looks like he's got pace to burn, let's hope he can be productive too.
|
| Coventry - H |
Nigel Gigg -2025
De Vries 7 hardly anything to do.
Rangel 7 Easy day defending, not quite as effective as normal going forward.
Monk 7 Another to have had an easy day.
Williams 8 Excellent and assured display.
Tate 7 Good in defence and attack but final ball let him down.
Gomez 6 Still way off the player he was a month or so back.
Britton 7 Up against a cardboard cut out of himself in the excellent Michael Mifsud. Just about came out on top.
Pratley 7 A few excellent tackles.
Allen 6 Didnt look out of place.
Butler 6 Disappointing when despite having his full back beaten he produced so little.
Scotland 6 A day to forget. Poorly supported from midfield.
Subs-
Pintado 6 Took some pressure off Scotland and a shame his best chance came within 15 seconds of him coming on.
Gower 6 Some nice touches but didnt come close to breaking the deadlock.
|
| Blackpool - A |
Jez Welch -2024
De Vries was bob on today, very little to do.
Rangel - I fear his Swansea days may be numbered. This boy is quality. Looked very lively first hlf no so affective second but still played very well.
Tate - Very impressed by our new left back today. Had a very assurred game looked calm and cool. My mate the Blackpool fan had a beer with Tatie's dad in the Swift Hound after the game....says he's a really nice bloke!
Monk - Solid, no nonsense and the building block for the passing game we have....Liverpool of the 80's not yet but getting there.
Williams - A giant - no nonsense centre half who may not have won the first ball all the time but by heck (been living up north far too long!) won the second ball.
Leon - What a star, never stopped and passed the ball really well.
Pratley - That guy must be knackered! He ran his knackers off today a great performance and nearly created a winner for Jase with a powerful run and pullback from the inside right position.
Jordi - Will we be able to keep this guy? I do hope so he's brilliant. Was one opportunity to play Butler in but decided to shoot. I suppose if you are that good you are entitled to shoot!
Allen - Well played Joe another mature performance...Ferrie who? ;-)
Butler - Seemed to get in a lot of good positions and had a couple of half chances to score - worked hard - thing is we had no left foot down the left today - not such a problem at left back but further up the field it limited our options.
Scotland - The man! Is that 3 in 4 for him now? What a lot of our support don't seems to realise is that he's up on his own with usually 2 maybe 3 players trying to get the ball off him. This is something they rarely do. How many times does the ball get to Scotland and we keep possession....quite a lot I can tell you. Today he did his job really well and scored another great goal.
Pintado - I like this guy too. Came on for Allen and we went 4-4-2. Gave Scotland space and will certainly put himself about. Was very unlucky not to score when one on one with the keeper - he held off 2 pool defenders and was only denied by the keepers elbow (I think).
Brandy - Not on long (for Butler) and i think I've probably seen my last Brandy in a Swansea shirt - hard lines and good luck.
|
| Sheffield United - H |
Nigel Gigg -2023
De Vries 6 Hardly called upon to make a save.
Rangel 8 Another excellent game.
Monk 7 Another with a relative easy afternoon.
Williams 6 Im afraid his lapse cost us two points but he no doubt would point the finger at those missed chances at the other end.
OHalloran 5- Only played 34 minutes and struck down by the left back curse.
Gomez 5- A game that should have been made for him but he rarely got into second gear.
Britton 6 Another to have a quieter game than usual.
Pratley 8 Excellent 90 minutes apart from poor finishing.
Allen 7 Did loads of good work but tired late on and quite a few passes went astray in the last 20 minutes.
Butler 9 Comfortably his best performance in the CCC.
Scotland 6 Will have a few bruises from his afternoon against two tough centre backs.
Subs
Tate 8 A revelation at left back. That said United offered no threat whatsoever down the Swans left in the second half.
Pintado 6 None of the wasted chances were down to him.
Brandy Only on 2 minutes or so.
|
| Barnsley - H |
Nigel Gigg -2022
De Vries 7 A couple of top class saves.
Rangel 6- Out of sorts for an hour.
Williams 7 Played like Beckenbaur for the last 30 minutes.
Monk 7 Yellow card remains a mystery.
OHalloran 6 For an hour I thought hed be better off going back to Villa but was excellent in the last 30 minutes.
Gower 5- Looked jaded and almost glad to have picked up a twinge.
Britton 6 Sat much deeper than usual and didnt have as much influence as usual.
Jones 4 May well find himself back on the bench now.
Gomez 5 Far too many passes went astray tonight.
Butler 6 Awful in the first hour. Came to life after our first goal.
Scotland 7 Showed what hes capable of in the last half hour.
Subs
Pintado 5 Spurned several chances but his introduction at least created more space for Jason Scotland.
Allen 8 Inspired. First to just about every loose ball.
Brandy Only on 3 or 4 minutes.
|
| Cardiff - H |
Nigel Gigg -2021
De Vries 7 One poor clearance but commanding otherwise.
Rangel 8 Usual dependable performance.
Monk 8 Lost Chopra once but gave nothing away after that.
Williams 7 Solid as ever.
Bessone 6 Stupid booking and foolishly stuck his leg out to gift Cardiff a penalty.
Butler 6 Quiet game and never really got out of first gear.
Britton 9 He is a total inspiration to those around him.
Jones 5 Really poor first half. Did better second half but you just know hes capable of so much more.
Pratley 7 Did loads of work and capped a decent mornings work with a goal.
Gower 6 Does loads of good work but reluctant to take his full back on.
Scotland 6 Not his best day but really doesnt deserve the barracking he gets from the some of the idiots.
Subs
McDonald 7 Looked as if he was going to have a big influence on the game but ran out of ideas.
Pintado 8 Scored with a wonderful volley. Now all he needs to build his confidence is a couple of tap ins.
|
| Birmingham H |
Nigel Gigg -2020
Konstatopolous 6 No chance with two of the goals. Didnt dominate his box at all.
Rangel 7 Terrific run for goal but allowed James McFadden to cross for Kevin Phillips first goal.
Monk 7 Did well despite opponents scoring three goals.
Williams 6 Not his best game and dreadful error for Birminghams third.
Bessone 7 Great going forward and punished hard for one defence slip.
Gomez 6 Great early goal but anonymous second half.
Britton 9 What can you say about the guy. Made Lee Carsley look an idiot at times. Bodde 8 Was running the game until his unfortunate departure.
Pratley 7 tried his heart out and fighting the midfield battle on his own for the last 20 minutes.
Gower 6 Great first half but another who drifted out of the game.
Pintado 6 Did some terrific work but as a striker you will always be judged on your goal scoring and his changes to goals ratio is poor at the moment.
Subs-
Bauza 5 Certainly not the answer in midfield. Gave the ball away far too easily. S
cotland 6 Starved of the ball.
Brandy 6 As above.
|
| Watford - H |
Nigel Gigg -2019
Konstantopoulos 7 Looks good on crosses but will need to work on understanding with his defenders.
Rangel 8 Another great performance.
Monk 8 Another great display.
Williams 7 Not at his best today.
Besssone 7 Seems to be finding his feet.
Gomez 7- A cultured ball player with the sweetest of sweet left feet and being asked to play wide right. Did a fine job.
Britton 8 Class act.
Bodde 9 If Ledley is worth £6m, what the hell must Ferrie be worth.
Pratley 8 Very good game but seemed really upset by his substitution.
Gower 7- Great control but final ball often a let down.
Scotland 7- Some way off his best but still great to see him back on the score sheet.
Subs-
Bauza 7 Saw plenty of the ball and a goal will do his confidence the world of good.
Pintado 7 Surprise to seem him operate as a left winger but did a fine job.
Brandy - Only on 4 minutes but involved in build up for the third goal.
|
| Doncaster - A |
Peter and Bethan Charles -2018
Konstantopolous 8 dominant under the high ball (apart from one) and a smart penalty save; otherwise, not greatly tested.
Rangel 7 some great surges forward and always looking to play the ball.
Bessone 6 As above, but didnt get forward as well as he could
Williams 6 Generally sound but a couple of misjudgements which could have cost us.
Monk 7 Generally commanding in leading the defence against a relatively weak attack.
Britton 6 Energetic and lively on the ball without really having a cutting edge
Gower 6 Some lovely touches, and some mazy running, but the end product was missing.
Gomez 6 Went missing a bit second half, but creative enough in the first; dead balls poor today.
Pratley 7 the pick of the midfielders, playing the holding role and surging forward with energy and pace.
Bodde 5 Apart from a couple of decent cross-field balls, he looked tired and off the pace, surrendering possession continuously. Has his head been turned again?
Scotland 6 Spending most of the game with his back to goal, he worked hard, but was too often isolated. When he did get a couple of shots away they never really threatened Sullivan.
Bauza 7 Two good strikes on goal in his 20 minutes and some impressive link play.
|
| Wolves - A |
Ryan Smith -2017
Kravic 6: his youth was shown , very poor kicking , and some poor communications with his defence
Bassone 9 : Mom , fantastic display at the back and also going forward, brilliant chip for the goal, kept knightly quiet
Monk 6 : some nice tackles, but sloppy play for the first goal
Williams 6 : same as above
Rangel 6: very average game , created chances for us going forward
Gower 6: very average game , was kept quiet by foley. Got through once from which he hit the bar
Pratley 8 : took his goal well , could have had a second, nice movement going forward
Bodde 7 : at the centre of everything we created, but some lacklustre and poor passes which cost us possession
Gomez 7:dominated the right hand side of the pitch with some good runs, sometimes lacking in his crosses.
Scotland 5: poor game from Scotland, found it very difficult to create anything but didnt work hard enough in large parts of the game
|
| Southampton - H |
Nigel Gigg -2016
Krysiak 7 Couldnt have asked for an easier debut. Looked comfortable and distributed the ball well.
Rangel 6 Given a hard time early on by Wright- Phillips.
Monk 8 Excellent game from our captain.
Williams 9 One blemish on a superb performance. A miss at the other end.
Painter 7 Lacked understanding with Tom Butler at times but defended well. Everyones hoping to see him make a speedy recovery.
Butler 6 It says a lot about his character that after a poor first half he comes back to score an important goal.
Pratley 7 Usual all action display.
Bodde 8 Again totally controlled the game.
Britton 8 Tremendous engine, never stopped chasing and harrying.
Gomez 7 Poor first half very good second half capped with yet another goal.
Scotland 7 Lacked support first half.
Subs-
Tate 7 Often looks more agricultural than cultured but effective and gave 100%.
Pintado 6 Seems to have lost his zip from a month or so back.
Brandy 6 As with Pintado probably needs to play more to see his best.
|
| QPR - H |
Robert -2015
I don't mean to be negative but why is Tate even making the subs bench ahead of a better defender like Albert Serran.
Sorry but that is the truth.
I did mention how pathetic it was to carry on with Tate as substitute goalkeeper even though we have a good challenging goalkeeper like Arthur Krysiak.
QPR were a terrible side so Tate didn't have to worry in the end.
De Vires out for at least six weeks so hopefully we can see polish boy make his debut and not clumsy Tate costing us three points.
Referee and linesmen ruined the game.
It was 11 against 14 tonight.
QPR should only have had 9 men at half time.
Why do billionares want to invest in w***er clubs like QPR and Charlton who have absolute rubbish support.
Why do these w***er clubs get more media coverage when QPR look more like a league two side tonight.
My Player Ratings tonight:
De Vires 7/10: Did quite well until some p**** put his knee in De Vires face.
Rangel 7/10: Did well defensivly and always a threat going forward.
Monk 7/10: Still think his leadership is in question but nonetheless did a good job keeping QPR strikers out.
Williams 7/10: He did well made some great sliding tackles.
Painter 6/10: Not too bad.
Gomez 7/10: I know its early to say but he is class and gave QPR players the s***s tonight and hope he is fit for saturday.
Prately 7/10: Worked hard as usual but frustrated me at times I have to say.
Bodde 9/10: Wasted a first half free kick because it was more suited for Gomez but apart from that definately man of the match because he had skill, smart passes and tackled QPR players all game.
Britton 8/10: Worked extremly hard as usual, made alot of runs but sadly he isn't one of them who usually gets on the scoresheet and that held us back.
Gower 9/10: Caused absolute trouble for QPR full back and lovely power shot at thier keeper which should shut up the people who think Robinson is better.
Scotland 7/10: Some bad touches but some good. How people can say he is lazy is beyond me because he got in good positions but sadly he always had at least two players on him and its wasn't quite his night.
I'am absolutely fed up of some of those thick fans who blame Scotland for everything and I wish they would just f*** off to be honest.
Subs:
Butler: Didn't have enough time to make an impression.
|
| Ipswich - A |
Wales on Sunday -2014
Dorus De Vries: Smart save early on from Volz and a crucial stop late on to prevent Lisbie snatching a winner.
Punched well. too, No chance with either goal. 7
Angel Rangel: Not as effective going forward in the first half, but his quick-thinking and persistence created the equaliser.
Tireless. 7
Ashley Williams: Looked set for a torrid afternoon but soon settled. Quietly effective at the end of a busy week for the Wales international. 7
Garry Monk (capt): Marshalled his troops well and made some vital blocks. Mr Dependable. 7
Marcos Painter: Not the full-back's finest 90 minutes. Allowed Counago to shrug him off for the opener minutes after almost gifting the same player a goal with a weak back-header. 6
Ferrie Bodde: Looked slightly off the pace on his return from suspension, but by the end was much more effective. By his recent standards, his well-taken goal was a tap-in. 7
Leon Britton: Another totally committed showing, the midfielder chased and tackled right across the park. And if his shooting had been even halfway decent, could have drawn first blood for the Swans. 7
Mark Gower: Quiet first half, but showed some neat touches and trickery after the break, especially in winning the corner which led to the second goal. Clearly happier playing on the left wing. 7
Jordi Gomez: Had little impact until he turned Naylor inside out for the second goal. But it's such moments which make the Spaniard so hard to contain for a full 90 minutes. 7
Gorka Pintado: An ultimately disappointing display, though he started brightly enough. A willing runner. 6
Pratley: The Swans' biggest threat in the first half, the big man seemed to be everywhere. Relished his dual with Campo,
and looked to have the veteran in his pocket at times. His incisive runs caused problems for the Ipswich defence
all afternoon. 8
|
| Wolves - H |
Mike Thomas -2013
What a fantastic game of football today, what a fantastic Swans performance and, having given the lads plenty of stick after the Reading performance (which I still think was abysmal and no one will convince me otherwise), I'd like to be one of the first to say a big "congratulations and well done". Bouncebackability was the word doing the rounds today, and we've certainly show that over the last two games. I would have been happy with three points from this run of three very tough games agsint the top sides, to get six is absolutely brilliant.
Player ratings today:
Doris 8 - is the arrival of the new keeper just a coincidence, or does it explain Doris's sudden surge in form? He was lively and alert in dreadful conditions today, handled the ball with assurance against some big ugly forwards and brought off a wonder save with his legs from a point blank range Volkes header which was the turning point of the game.
Painter 7 - solid in defence, supportive in attack.
Monkey 6.5 - won a lot of headers but still prone to the odd reckless loss of possession and missed tackles which put us under pressure, including one for their goal.
Williams 8 - growing into a man mountain of a defender for us, step up the new Kevin Austin.
Rangel 8 - sound in defence most of the time, got involved in the attack endlessly to great effect.
Orlandi 7 - much better than his previous outing, worked very hard to keep possession and win it back, tricky and troublesome for Wolves on the ball and surprisingly good in the air when high balls came his way.
Britton 9 - keeps getting better and better, his ball control is worth the entrance fee on its own, and his energy levels are amazing. Was everywhere today to superb effect.
Pratley 8 - worked his guts out for 94 minutes, a real Duracell bunny game where he harried and tackled tirelessly and linked play neatly when we were in possession.
Gomez 7.5 - looks to be running at half pace because he has so much time on the ball, very confident and self assured, epitomised by the way he calmly beat the defender and slotted his goal in after 27 seconds, just occasionally a bit sloppy in possession, needs to take a leaf out of Leon's book in terms of never giving the ball away.
Gower 8.5 - very impressive today, always used the ball intelligently and desperately unlucky not to get on the scoresheet when his unstoppable shot into the corner of the net was disallowed because of a dubious 'off-side and interfering' decision against another player.
Scotland 8.5 - his lay-off was a master stroke by RM, he looked sharp and up for it today, immensely strong on the ball, tricky in the penalty area, and his second goal was sublime. Turned and made the space then unleashed a rifled left foot daisy cutter into the botmom corner from the edge of the area.
Subs:
Pintado 6 - chased and harried, did his job well.
OTJ 7 - has the same appearance of strolling as Gomez, but was like a rock in front of the back four, using the ball simply and well, dispossessed one guy in the tackle with such bone juddering force that I felt it in row S.
Bauza - not really on long enough to comment.
referee - a bit dodgy. I was prepared to accept that Gower's goal shouldn't have stood, but he clearly got the bookings wrong, so much so that, after booking Swans players unjustly when Wolves guys had got away with far worse, he decided to even up the score with the next foul, and booked a Wolves forward for the most innocuous challenge of the game when Rangel took a dive near the corner flag after the slightest nudge.
So, ten games gone, 15 points in the bag and we're holding our own. A long way to go yet, but what we've seen so far has been very encouraging. Keep it up, boys!
|
| Reading - A |
Mike Thomas - Hereford -2012
RoW, I think you are way too generous in your appraisal, that was a WOEFUL performance by the Swans with almost all our team playing below their best and making a very good Reading look like world-beaters, which they aren't.
I expected us to lose this game after the hype of Tuesday, but I was embarrassed by the ease with which we capitulated, and I hope RM was too. The game was over by half-time, and although we played our usual pretty possession football in midfield in the second half, we had no cutting edge, again as usual, and Reading were just coasting and containing us. This was demonstrated by the ease with which they cut us apart and scored a fourth at the death.
I have to say I was baffled by Roberto's boldness in going for 4-4-2 against the strongest home side in the division, leaving us desperately under strength in midfield, and so it proved. I know Pratley's injury might have encouraged him to give it a try, but I think a 4-5-1 with OTJ doing some ugly work in midfield instead of Pintado up front would have been a better option.
My player ratings:
Doris 6 - not much he could do about any of the goals except maybe the first, when I felt he could have challenged for the ball, but again he was left exposed by our terrible defending of set pieces. A bit slow and hesitant to clear back passes on occasions.
Rangel 5 - got down the wing in the second half but his defending was questionable on occasions.
Monk 5 - starting to look like a division too far for Gary. Is Serran ready in the wings?
Williams 7 - the only defender to come away with any credit, battled hard and always looked strong and assured in the tackle. When he goes in for a challenge, you feel he's going to win it, with the others, your heart is in your mouth.
Bessone 4 - a steep learning curve, I know, but in the second successive league game he got a real run around by a winger who had him in his pocket. Looks nervous and off the pace, come back quickly Painter.
Butler 5 - couldn't beat an egg today, won a corner or two, that was his sole contribution in 45 minutes.
Gomez 5 - a mixture of good and bad; on the positive side, he's getting stronger with every game and looks like he will score goals from all sorts of situations, on the negative side, showing an increasing tendency to fall over when breathed upon, which didn't endear him to the Reading crowd today. It wastes possession for us, too, because most refs aren't impressed.
Britton 6.5 - worked his socks off in usual all-action style, but there was just too much for him to do in the depleted midfield.
Bodde 3 - seemed to have come out with two left boots on; couldn't do a thing right, from passing to tackling to holding the ball to shooting, and ended up looking uninterested, or frustrated, or both.
Scotland 5 - this jet lag's lasting a long time, isn't it? Never had a sniff of a chance and seems to have no understanding with Pintado whatsoever.
Pintado 4 - worked hard but we need more than that; too easily shoved off the ball by Reading's streetwise centre backs. I've seen him several times in this league now and apart from his cameo against Forest, he's looked more and more out of his depth. I can't remember a single occasion today when he managed a shot or header of any description, even a crap one, in 90 minutes. If I was a striker, that would worry me.
Subs:
Gower 7 - looked lively, skilful and tried to get us back in the game by delivering many good balls in from the left, only to see our toothless attack fail to connect.
Brandy 6 - more aggression and positive running than Scotland but given very little time or space by Reading's tough defence and precious little support by his team mates.
Like I said, I was expecting us to lose this one, but I was hoping to get three points from this run of three tough games. If we don't, alarm bells will start ringing. There are too many good teams in this division who will take us to the cleaners if we collectively fall ten or twenty percent below our best like we did today. RM needs to think of ways to sort it out if we are to survive, and be a bit more defensive away from home at the top teams, I'd suggest. Let's build from a solid platform, not get overrun and beaten in the first 20 minutes. Rant over.
|
| Cardiff - H |
Western Mail -2011
Swansea City v Cardiff City - Swansea Ratings
Sep 24 2008 by Blair Wood, Western Mail
DORUS DE VRIES: Relatively quiet first half, but made one superb save from Bothroyd. Rarely tested after the break but looked solid.
ANGEL RANGEL: Consistently impressed in both attack and defence down the right. Another good performance from the Spaniard.
ASHLEY WILLIAMS: Given a stern test of aerial capabilities and passed with merit. Looked composed throughout and gave Swansea a solid platform at the back.
GARRY MONK (Cpt): Led by example at the back, reducing Cardiffs attack to a hatful of chances. Imperious in the air and made some vital tackles on the deck.
FEDE BESSONE: Much better performance from the Argentine. Looked much more assured in defence and did his bit going forward as well.
FERRIE BODDE: Was once again the master in midfield. Beautiful cross-field passing, important tackles and, surprisingly, one of the coolest heads on the pitch.
LEON BRITTON: Superb energy ensured the combative midfielder was at the heart of everything that impressed from Swansea. As always there were plenty of tackles as well.
JORDI GOMEZ: What a performance from the talented Spaniard. Survived a barrage of fouls to show the sort of skill and attacking flair that Martinez promised when he signed in the summer.
MARK GOWER: Always looking for work on the right and caused Cardiff all sorts of problems when linking up with Rangel. Forced off by injury after 65 minutes.
TOM BUTLER: Kept Kevin McNaughton on the back foot for the majority of the game and looked dangerous whenever he got the ball. Looked far more confident than in recent games.
JASON SCOTLAND: Slow start, but the striker looked sharp and caused Cardiff numerous problems. Continued to threaten in the second half, but couldnt really get a sight of goal.
SUBSTITUTES Gorka Pintado (for Gower 65), Febian Brandy (for Scotland 85) Subs not used: Alan Tate, Andrea Orlandi, Owain Tudur Jones, Albert Serran, Artur Krysiak
|
| Burnley - H |
Mike Thomas -2010
My player ratings:
Doris 6 - didn't have a lot to do, but still isn't commanding his area against cross balls, high or low; likes to remain rooted to his line and let defenders deal with it, which is causing a lot of uncertainty in the back four. Can't blame him for the goal, he had to cover the front post in the first instance and was beaten by a perfect chip to the back stick.
Rangel 7 - occasionally looked uncomfortable doing the ugly stuff in defence, but was a lot sharper than Tuesday night. He was also our best attacker, which says something about the rest of the team.
Monk 6 - ominously, is not looking strong when challenging in the air these days, but he did well enoguh with the ball at his feet, coming out of defence.
Williams 7 - starting to show why we forked out £400k for him. Very strong, and growing in confidence on the ball, just liable to the odd stray pass out of defence which puts us under pressure.
Bessone 5 - got a bit of a run around from their winger and needs to sharpen up his act if he is to challenge Painter in the long term.
Macca 7 - the most successful of the debutants, looked lively and full of endeavour, often caused Burnley problems with his tricky and forceful runs. Must have been told to roam behind Pintado and not stick out wide, because he was all over the pitch in the first 30 mins.
Britton 7 - got through a lot of donkey work in midfield and, as usual, his first touch and passing was impressive.
Pratters 5 - spent most of the game falling over and appealing unsuccessfully to the officials; not as forceful or direct as he can be at his best. As a result, offered very little real attacking threat.
Bodde 6.5 - is definitely looking more and more classy as the season progresses. He does an enormous amount of work in front of the back four but is also not afraid to sprint forward and arrive in the box to create the extra man, as he did for the goal.
Orlandi 4 - an enigma; he looked to have bulked up and got his act together on the pre-season tour, but yesterday he looked weak and uncommited again. A very ineffectual showing, found it virtually impossible to make space for himself and often got dispossessed.
Pintado 6 - demonstrated how difficult it is to play lone striker. The effort was there all though the game, but only managed to carve one real opening for himself in 90 minutes, when he scuffed a shot which the keeper easily gathered.
Subs -
Gower 7 - although he doesn't possess enough pace to beat a full back down the wing, he never gave the ball away cheaply and often used it intelligently to set up dangerous situations. An impressive 45 minutes when he injected some attacking verve into our left side.
Scotland 6.5 - also looked a threat when he came on and took some of the burden off Pintado's shoulders.
Gomez 7 - always looks the classiest of the stiffs and was more solid in possession than of late, not giving the ball away and keeping the passing simple. On yesterday's performances, perhaps desrves a start before Pratters next time.
|
| Derby - H |
Nigel Gigg -2009
de Vries 7 Left exposed for goal.
Rangel 7 Another solid game.
Monk 7 Coped easily with Derbys frontline.
Williams 8 Just about the pick of a decent defensive display.
Painter 7 Did quite well but must be under threat from Fede Bessone for the left back spot.
Butler 6 Another whose place is going to be under threat.
Britton 8 Did a huge amount of work.
Bodde 8 Showed Derby what theyve missed out on with a tremendous performance.
Pratley 6 Poor game by his high standards.
Scotland 6 Thankless task again but struggled all night.
Subs-
Pintado 6 One half chance and one relatively easy one.
Gomez 8 His introduction probably saved our skins tonight.
Brandy Only on four minutes or so and barely had a kick.
|
| Crystal Palace - A |
Peter Charles -2008
DeVries 6 A poor effort for the second goal
Rangel 7 Pick of our defenders, particularly supporting the attack
Williams 5 Looked awkward with poor distribution
Monk 6 Exposed for pace a few times though relatively strong in the tackle
Painter 6 Tidy but not greatly effective moving forward
Gower 6 A reasonably sound first half and one good effort on goal
Butler 6 Quite dangerous in the first half but faded badly after the break
Pratley 7 Our best player on the day, consistently energetic and positive although limited in its effect
Bodde 6 Started really well but sometimes wayward
Britton 6 As ever, had his moments, but not really enough over the 90 minutes
Scotland 5 Failed to hold the ball up and never looked mobile enough
Subs
Pintado 6 looked aggressive but was frustrated by lack of opportunity
Bessone Replaced Painter late on and had little time to prove himself, but may be pressing for a place soon
Brandy Replaced Scotland late on and hopefully will soon be pressing for a place on the bus back to Manchester as he seems relentlessly ineffective for us and we might as well save the wages.
|
| Sheffield Wednesday - H |
Nigel Gigg -2007
De Vries 7 Little chance for the goal.
Rangel 8 Another solid game.
Monk 8 Commanding performance.
Williams 8 Probably the best game Ive seen him have in a Swans shirt.
Painter 7 Another decent game.
Butler 7 Involved throughout.
Britton 8 All action as usual.
Bodde 8 His best of the season to date.
Pratley 8 His departure proved to be a turning point.
Gower 7 Looking classy on the ball but needs to support lone striker more.
Scotland 6 Just not his day.
Subs
Pintado 6 After a terrific start got little change for a solid defence.
Gomez 5 Tried hard to get into the game but struggled.
Brandy 6 Only had six or seven minutes. Got himself in a great position and didnt take his chance.
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| Hull - H |
Nigel Gigg -2006
De Vries 7 A couple of hairy moments early on but grew in confidence as the game wore on.
Collins 6 Did OK but with Angel Rangel back at his best his chances will be limited.
Monk 8 Masterstroke by Roberto to play his captain tonight.
Serran 6 Looks so accomplished for 90 % of the game but prone to some stupid errors.
Painter 7 Looked to be hobbling late in the first half but battled through and still supporting down the left wing in the 120th minute.
McDonald 8 Looked like a ginger version of Darren Pratley he did that much running. Is starting to look like the real deal.
Allen 6 Never really got into the game.
Jones 6 Battled all the way through but some way off pressuring Prats, Britton and Bodde for a midfield berth at the moment.
Orlandi 8 Got better and better as the game went on and was tormenting the Hull full back by the end.
Gomez 8 Must wonder what he has to do to get a League start, but who do you drop?
Bauza 7 Does so much hard work but lacked composure when he needed it.
Subs-
Rangel 8 Bringing on a full back as substitute rarely changes a game but he made a huge difference to us as an attacking and defending unit.
Pintado 9 Had everything tonight. Is he the next Swans City legend?
Brandy 7 Earned a penalty and worked hard.
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| Plymouth - A |
Wales on Sunday -2005
DORUS DE VRIES: Not doing himself any favours with these set pieces, but showed his ability with one superb punch off Fallons head. 6
ANGEL RANGEL: First start and quickly added another dimension to the side. Was both calm and cutting in possession. 8
GARRY MONK (capt): Dug in when his side needed him and key role in seeing off aerial threat. Took the bruises from pal Fallon, but came out on top. 7
ASHLEY WILLIAMS: Sound enough, but really does need to get stronger if he wants to get the better of Championship strikers. 6
MARCOS PAINTER: Had to cope with Plymouths most potent player, but limited Jason Puncheon so much he had to swap wings. Neat and tidy. 7
FERRIE BODDE: Again was in there making things tick and even avoided the customary booking. Some of his passing is a joy to behold. 7
DARREN PRATLEY: Super-human stamina at times and relishing finding himself in a more advanced role. Sets the benchmark for his team-mates with his efforts. 8
LEON BRITTON: Took his time to get involved, but was soon at the heart of things and was key to keeping on top in a gritty second half. 7
MARK GOWER: Quietly effective and obviously stung Stacks palms with one first-half strike. Couldve been more involved, though. 6
TOM BUTLER: Still finding plenty of space and is getting in just the right positions but then not exploiting them as he can. Perhaps should be more direct and back his own ability. 6
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| Plymouth - A |
Nigel Gigg -2004
De Vries 6 His nervousness at set pieces continues to causes problems.
Rangel 8 Excellent in both attack and defence.
Monk 7 Given a thorough examination by a pumped up Rory Fallon.
Williams 7 Asleep for the Plymouth goal but good game otherwise.
Painter 8 As with Angel, good in attack and defence.
Butler 8 Saw plenty of the ball and did really well but lacked a little composure with his final ball.
Britton 7 Quieter game than normal.
Bodde 7 Tidied up well and bossed the midfield.
Pratley 9 Absolutely brilliant. Did the work of two men.
Gower 7 Lacked a cutting edge but provided an outlet all afternoon.
Scotland 8 Great goal capped a typically hard working performance.
Subs-
Gomez 7 Once more looked a class act.
Pintado 7 Didnt get much of a chance to shine today.
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| Forest - H |
Mike Thomas -2003
My player ratings:
Doris 6 - a mixed bag of a performance, with two or three flaps which led to their goal and caused total confusion in defence, but one sublime save which kept us ahead 2-1 at a crucial time. Seems to be low on confidence, which is strange when he has no-one pressing him for his place.
Collins 6.5 - a very solid first half defensively against red-hot Man Utd winger Martin, looked uncomfortable when supporting the attack and began to get the run-around in the second half which neccessitated replacement by Rangel, but the boy shouldn't be too downhearted, he's coming on nicely.
Williams 7 - impressed with his strength and pace, snuffing out Lightbulb Head very well on the couple of occasions when he was played through, but blotted his copybook with one dreadful pass in second-half, gifting Forest a chance which Doris saved brilliantly.
Monk 6.5 - generally sound, but there's no doubt this league is testing Monkey to the limit. He sometimes looks a little slow under pressure, hopefully his experience will continue to see him through.
Painter 7 - back to something like his best yesterday, usually stuck to the back of his winger's shorts like glue, giving him no time to settle, and supported the attack well, delivering one low ball right across the six yard line in the second half which was just begging to be side-footed in. As usual, no-one there.
Gower 7 - he doesn't have the yard of pace to take him past full backs, nor the trickery of Andy Robinson with the ball at his feet. He does, however, seem to have football intelligence and can deliver good cross balls as well as holding the ball up and laying it off well. I think he will grow into a useful squad member but needs a few more games to reach his peak.
Pratters 7.5 - another all action performance, working his socks off in midfield when we didn't have possession and also getting into dangerous positions in the box to support Scotland when we did. Unlucky not to score in first half.
Bodde 7 - that's more like it! Did a lot of unspectacular work in both defence and attack, often picking out the right pass to get us moving forward in all parts of the field. Sometimes his bookings are well deserved, yesterday it was the harshest of harsh, the ref was conned by a dive.
Britton 8.5 - I suggested dropping Leon for Gomez after Charlton because he wasn't posing enough of an attacking threat, yesterday he seemed to have got the message. He has the dribbling skills and he at last had the confidence to use them to devastating effect to open the scoring. Brilliant all-round game, always shows a lovely first touch to bring the ball under control, always availabl for the pass in midfield and harried tirelessly to win it back when neccessary.
Butler 6.5 - another mixed bag, couldn't beat his man for toffee in the first half but stuck to his task, rather fortunate with the penalty but made his own luck with his aggressive run into the box.
Scotland 7 - ploughed the lone furrow up front very well, holding it up and laying it off superbly. He really suits our style of bringing the midfield into play to support the attack, anyone who critises him for being lazy or not chasing down doesn't understand our 4-5-1 system. Just a bit disappointed he didn't convert his second half chance after turning his defender brilliantly, but shooting tamely at Smith from 15 yards.
Subs:
Rangel 8 - no disrespect to Collins, but what a difference when he came on, got a grip defensively and got the attck moving down the right flank. Still looks as athletic as ever.
Gomez 5.5 - struggled to get to grips with the pace of the game initially and lost possession in dangerous positions more than once as a result, putting us under unneccessary pressure, then amazingly started to showboat, with backheels and fifty yard shots! Gradually got into the swing and started to move the ball around intelligently. It'll take a while for him to adjust to the pace of the British game.
Pintado 8 - no such problmes for the bull, he put himself about from the off, closing down defenders and woking hard to win high balls, his goal was just an astonishing class finish. Can he do it for ninety minutes? Perhaps a role as super sub beckons, to replace a tiring Scotland.
A thoroughly enjoyable day despite the unseasonal weather. And a word of thanks to the brilliant matador troupe in the South Stand, the funniest thing I've seen for years at a football match. Sheer comic brilliance. Attention all Swansea fancy dress shops, I feel a trend developing, get some more stock in...........
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| Brentford - H |
Nigel Gigg -2002
De Vries 7 A couple of decent saves but a quiet night.
Tate 7 Hardly tested at all defensively.
Serran 7 Looked composed and assured but didnt look too keen to get into heading duals with giant striker Nathan Elder.
Lawrence 7 No mishaps.
Bessone 8- Really looked the business and may well have done enough to get ahead of Marcus Painter before his untimely injury.
McDonald 8 Has come on in leaps and bounds and took both goals really well.
Gomez 9 Blessed with the sweetest of sweet left feet.
Jones 7 Did OK but looks well down the pecking order in midfield.
Orlandi 7 Some great touches but didnt impose himself on the game enough.
Brandy 6- Stupid, pointless yellow card. Got little change out of Division Two defenders.
Scotland 7 Looked sharp and ready for 90 minutes on Saturday.
Subs-
Rangel 7 Looked fit and eager.
Pratley 7 Ran his socks off in final 10 minutes.
Bauza 6 Kept getting in the right place and producing the wrong result.
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| Charlton A |
Charlie -2001
Am still in London but have enjoyed the game today.
didnt see the first goal as was late coming in but the 2nd was a simple header from a free kick
We passed the ball very well today and looked a very good side. We need to hurt teams more in the final 3rd of the pitch but the 2 goals apart we did not look that threatened. We looked like the home team for much of the game
my ratings were
Dorus 7 made 1 excellent save and was not at fault for 2nd goal, didnt see first
Collins 7 looked tidy
Monk 6 first booking was crap but was stupid to dive in
Williams 7 looked solid enough
Painter 6 gives the ball away too easily
Gower 6 didnt think he offered a lot today
Bodde 6 not his best game
Britton 7.5 full of energy and my mom
Pratley 7 worked really hard
Butler 6.5 looked lively, just need him to beat his man
Bauza 7 worked hard
Brandy 6.5 looked lively when he came on
Scotland 7 looked unfit but a handful for them
no doubt the experts will come on here and say stuff but if charlton are mid table then i would say we more than matched them
keep believing, we are a good side and will worry a lot of teams this year
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| Charlton A |
Mike Thomas -2000
Doris 7 - see above, but did very well for most of the game, saved a certain third goal in the dying moments.
Collins 7 - made a couple of basic errors but got away with them, but was generally sound, did well considering my doubts beforehand. Offered nothing going forward, but neither did Painter, both probably under orders to keep it tight and let the midfield support the attack.
Williams 6 - generally strong but flapped a couple of times to put us in trouble.
Monk 6.5 - strong and determined in defence but a couple of errors of judgement which cost us big time.
Painter 7 - solid but unspectacular game, kept a close eye on his winger.
Gower 6 - worked hard and looked lively, did a lot of cutting inside and running across the face of their defence without any really dangerous end product.
Britton 7 - more involved than in the pre-season games, did a lot of ball-winning in midfield but not incisive enough when close to their box.
Bodde 5 - disappointing effort, not involved enough, caught in possession several times, nasty streak to the fore, poor free kics.
Pratley 8 - non stop effort, easily the best player on the pitch, covered miles of ground, tireless in midfield and tried his best to support Bauza in and around the box, got into some dangerous positions.
Butler 6.5 - held his own against some over-aggressive defending, got some reasonable shots away, would have liked to see him getting to the goal line rather than cutting in all the time.
Bauza 5.5 - clearly doesn't have the strength to play lone targetman at Championship level and will be at his best supporting Scotland. Pushed off the ball a lot when challenging aerially, but showed his usuual classy touches on the ground. Tendency, like most of the team, to want to walk the ball into the net. I agree with the sage of Cwmdare, he needs to get some shots in!
Subs:
Brandy 5 - hardly involved, took up the innefectual lone striker role where Bauza left off.
Scotland 7.5 - we need this man fit and playing, forget Pintado, he's our real bull. Caused more panic in the Charlton defence in ten minutes than in the previous 60.
Gomez 6 - wasn't on long enough to make a big impact, but one useful free kick from 20 yards which their keeper spilled and almost led to a consolation goal.
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August 07 Ratings
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