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| Orient - H |
Nigel Gigg -1533
De Vries 7- Decent game, very popular with my Dutch friends for some reason.
Rangel 8 – Great to see him back.
Monk 9 – Outstanding, made such a difference.
Lawrence 7 – Monk’s return no doubt helped him.
Painter 7 – Offers us so much more at left back.
Anderson 9 – Just hope this isn’t the last time we see him at the Liberty. Huw Jenkins may need deep pockets to tempt the youngster away form Anfield but few would argue he’s not worth it.
Britton 8 – Another great display.
Jones 8 – Did the simple things going forward and a physical presence when defending. Great to see him get through 90 minutes.
Robinson 6 – Very quiet game.
Bauza 9 – Three fabulous goals, all from following up and getting in the right place.
Scotland 7 – Numerous chances but failed to find the net.
Subs –
Way 7 – Did Ok for his 30 minute run out.
Brandy 6 – Started his loan spell like a whirling dervish but ending it with a whimper.
Butler 7- Great shot late on.
|
| Yeovil - H |
Nigel Gigg -1532
De Vries 6 - Little chance with the goals.
Tate 5 - Head dropped early on and anything but a captain's performance.
Williams 6 - Difficult to apportion blame but part of a porous defence today.
Lawrence 6 - as above.
Austin 6 - With his Swans career probably close to an end not a day to be too critcal.
Butler 5 - Offered very little.
Britton 7 - MOM for his tenacity.
Pratley 5 - Seems to play much better with Ferrie Bodde in the starting line up.
Robinson 6 - Ran into defenders looking for free kicks too often.
Brandy 5- Very disappointing.
Scotland 6 - Worked hard but little came off for him.
Subs-
Anderson 6 - Never afraid to run at defenders.
Bauza 5 - Lucky not to receive a red card for an ugly lunge.
|
| Gillingham - A |
Guto Llewelyn -1531
Ratings:
De Vries-6- Crosses are a problem for him. He never knows quite when to come out, and stays on his line. He was never going to get to the ball for Gillingham's goal. That aside he didn't have many shots to deal with, and was never going to get the chance to show his spectacular side. His second half was better than his first.
Tate-7- Defended well on the right, a position that I think suits him better than the middle. He had a no-nonsense approach, coupled with one or two nice passes. Sometimes he had to move into the centre to help out, but his tackling never worsened. Crossing was dreadful, but that's not his strong-point.
Lawrence-7- The whole defence had troubles with Gillingham's balls into the box, but he was ready to put his weight about today when needed. I haven't seen the Gillingham goal again, but if memory serves me correctly, he was at fault for not showing enough authority over the player he was marking. His heading was good, and his height was essential in all areas of play. Passing was as good as any of the defenders.
Williams-7- He looked like our safest defender, and did everything quietly and correctly. Heading was good, and unlike Lawrence he seems to have a bit of muscle on his bones, so he put it to good use. Not afraid to boot it out of play when needs must, but also able to pass it calmly. His defending reminded me a lot of Lewin Nyatanga when he first burst onto the scene, and hopefully he can progress to be as good as, or better than Nyatanga.
Painter-6- First game back, and a few times it looked like it. Defended sternly throughout, and wasn't ever afraid to put in the tackles. He was slow to react once or twice. Going forward he wasn't very involved. His yellow card for diving looked, from my angle, riddiculous! In the last games of the season he can get back into the groove of 1st team football.
Anderson-6- Wasn't in the game enough. He was the one I always thought could create something, but he was always being marked. His speed cause Gillingham problems, but it was controlled well by the team in blue. His restricted space made life hard for him on his return, and he couldn't do much. Still, I hope we can hold onto him. His pace will be so vital for us in the Championship!
Britton-7- A contender for man of the match for his effort and composure when passing was getting poor. He managed to get the ball on the floor, and pass it. I'd like to see him dribbling a bit more just so that he doesn't loose his one natural footballing gift! He does it less and less. His passing was excellent, but he didn't have the drive to take the game by the scruff of the neck, and do the attacking. Tackling was gutsy and ferocious as usual.
Pratley-7- He conceded the free-kick for Gillingham's goal, but did anybody else here think it was the wrong decision? It looked to me as if Pratley had won the ball cleanly! I think it was just the picky ref. His tackling was generally strong and full-blooded, his best asset. His passing was unadveturous and far too conservative for this kind of game. Plenty of effort, but lacked the spark which would have given the game more excitement.
Robinson-5- Ignoring a few nice touches it wasn't a great game for Robbo. For most of the game he was isolated, so when he actually got the ball, he held onto it until he lost it. His passing was nonexistant once again, and though he tried to tackle, he just couldn't. He didn't have a stand-out shot either. Not his best game ever, and was taken off because of it.
Scotland-5- Like Robinson, a few nice moments can't hide a dissappointing performance. The difference is that he saw more of the ball. His running was a bit selfish. His first touch was heavy as usual. One very good effort in the first half where he turned a few defenders then shot just wide. He didn't work as hard today either. In truth, he wasn't very good! Also, the slowest walk off the pitch ever when he was taken off; I don't like that kind of thing!
Bauza-8- His first goal was lucky, but he did well to see the chance! His second was a very good finish. He worked really hard all game, running, and trying to get the game to flow. He was probably man of the match because of his goals. His touches were tidy and stylish. Bauza also showed that he can use his strength when he needs to, and is an option! He never stopped, and his picture in the papers will be deserved!
Subs:
Butler-5- He never got into the game, and became part of the plan to keep the lead. Never counter-attacked, and had absolutely no impact on the match whatsoever. Not his fault, it was an awful time for an attacker to come on.
Brandy-5- Didn't have much time on the ball. He, like Butler, didn't come on at the best time. Didn't get into the game, and had no effect.
Tudur-Jones-5- Came on right at the death, and his substitution was just to waste time.
|
| Carlisle - A |
Dafydd y Garreg Wen -1530
De vries 8
Tate 8
Williams 8
Lawrence 8
Austin 8
Butler 7
Pratley 9
8ritton 9
Robinson 8 - point off for being naughty before half time
Scotland 7.5
8randy 8
Bauza. 6
Anderson. 7
Support 10!
Carlisle worked hard but were outclased by the chapions elect. We had dog, skill and teamwork and on a different night might have scored a few.
Proud of all concerned!
|
| Bournemouth - H |
Nigel Gigg -1529
De Vries 7 – Hardly anything to do for 89 minutes.
Rangel 5 – Cut to ribbons several times in the second half.
Tate 6 – Couldn’t say he did a lot wrong but would have to take collective responsibility for the equaliser.
Lawrence 6 – As above.
Austin 6- Although he’s done quite well, the quicker Marcos Painter is back the better.
Butler 5 – Very poor today, looks in need of a rest.
Britton 8 – Inspirational.
Pratley 6 – Ran and passed sideways most of the day.
Robinson 6 – Goal apart offered little.
Duffy 6 – Looked to have been recapturing some sort of form, but disappointed today.
Scotland 6 – Nothing went his way.
Subs-
Brandy 6 – Lacked composure and control at times.
Jones 5 – Came into a midfield that never looked comfortable with the new formation.
Bauza 5- Only on a few minutes but could have won the game for us.
|
| Hartlepool - A |
Western Mail -1528
How Swansea City Rated
Mar 30 2008 Wales On Sunday
DORUS DE VRIES
7
MUST have had a horrible sense of deja vu after the Hartlepool opener, but there was little he could do about it. Made some vital second-half saves when the Swans were under considerable pressure.
ANGEL RANGEL
6
HAD a torrid first half, with Matty Robson’s pace causing him all sorts of problems on the right flank. Much more solid after the break.
ALAN TATE (Cpt)
7
MUCH-IMPROVED performance from the skipper in difficult conditions. Coped admirably with a lively Hartlepool attack and, aside from the first minute, marshalled his defence well.
DENNIS LAWRENCE
6
LOOKED vulnerable throughout the first half, losing far too many balls in the air. To his credit, Lawrence looked far more comfortable in the second half.
KEVIN AUSTIN
6
STRUGGLED with the wind early on and was under constant pressure in the first half, but played his part in a much more secure back four after the break.
TOM BUTLER
6
LOOKED lively against his former club and was a constant threat down the right flank. Replaced by Owain Tudur-Jones as the Swans looked to protect their increasingly fragile lead.
LEON BRITTON
7
HARDLY much of a surprise that Britton was one of the hardest working players on the pitch. Tackled his heart out and always offered an option when the Swans pushed forwards.
DARREN PRATLEY
8
SCORED two vital goals and his second, a brilliant breakaway, capped an impressive display in which he constantly did a good job tracking back for the team.
ANDY ROBINSON
6
SPENT more time than usual on the back foot but still always looked lively on the break. Tracked back well to help out Austin whenever it was needed.
DARRYL DUFFY
7
LOOKED sharp as his endless and intelligent running easily made him one of the Swans’ best performers. Provided the perfect pass for Pratley’s second.
JASON SCOTLAND
6
ANOTHER game, another goal for the Swans’ top scorer. Not his best performance, but held the ball up well and even opened his increasingly-notorious tricks locker once or twice.
SUBSTITUTES
Tudur-Jones (for Butler 67), Way (for Britton 90) Subs not used: Bauza, Williams, Knight
HARTLEPOOL
Lee-Barrett, Sweeney, Clark, Nelson, Humphreys (cpt) (Foley 76), Monkhouse Sweeney, Liddle (Boland 76), Robson, Porter, Brown (Mackay 56) Subs not used: Budtz, Antwi
Scorers
Hartlepool: Monkhouse 1Swansea: Pratley 23, 73, Scotland (pen) 45
Bookings
Hartlepool: Rangel 45Swansea: Pratley 62
Referee and Attendance
Referee: Lee Probert (Wiltshire) Attendance: 4,484
Man of the Match
Darren Pratley
SCORED two superb goals, the second of which killed off Hartlepool’s fightback. A typically hard-working performance from the midfielder who always provides a good shield for the back four.
|
| Bristol R - H |
Guto -1527
De Vries: 6 - he didn't stand a chance with either goal really and had nothing to do second half.
Austin 7 - I admit to worrying when he plays left back but he was impressive last night. He even got forward and made runs with the ball at his feet. Amazing! Didn't let us down at the back altough he [u]might [/u]have done more to stop their second (if he'd been looking up the line instead of the assistant ref).
Angel: 5 - For me, he could and should have stopped two goals. The first he should have attempted to block the shot and the second he played their striker onside. I enjoyed his forward runs and thought he did ok otherwise. Maybe he's tired....maybe not.
Lawrence: 7 - I thought big Den did his job quite well last night and even got forward more than I would have expected him to. Could have also done better for the first goal but seemed calm, reliable and in control for the rest of the game.
Tate: 6 - Poor Tatey! He was a bit mad to dive in with two feet like that BUT at least he was trying. Angel should have tried as hard as he did. He seems unhappy at the moment....his body language is so easy to read. I'm not going to slaughter him but I will say that we are missing Monk very much.
Robinson : 9 - he twisted, turned, shot, passed, crossed, covered back and did everything but score. I really enjoyed watching him and his entertainment value was great. If only he played like that every week....but then he wouldn't be playing for us then! Great peformance.
Britton: 7 - a quiet first half as he saw less of the ball but woke up second half and really threatened a tiring Rovers team. Wish he could shoot properly though.
Pratley: 5 - Some games we need his height and physical presence and some games we don't. He really didn't seem to do much accept run around a lot and SHOULD have been in front of the midfielder who was last in the "head tennis" competition which lead to their first goal. He was jogging behind him which didn't make sense. He was awsome last time I saw him play - this was a different player.
Bodde: 5 - In the first half, he either wasted the ball in dangerous positions (where he shouldn't have lost the ball), tried the 90 pass onto Robbo's head (why? Robbo needs it at his feet!) and was generally off the pace of the game. The second half saw us more in control further up the pitch and Bodde was used less as a result. He HAS to be more consistent with his passing and more accurate as it does cause problems. His booking for mouthing was just stupid and a point deducted for that.
Butler: 8 - if the first half was all about Lambert, the second was all about Butler (sorry, had to get that in). In the first, Butler was trying but seeming to get nowhere. In the second, he showed what he could do and was exciting to watch. His marker won't want to face him too often but also I was impresses with his work-rate...he really ran his cajones off.
Scotland: 8 - He's have got a 9/10 if he'd managed to win more than the one challenge in the first half. His hold up play was awful but it wasn't just that - he didn't win a header or a challenge all the half. The result was posesssion for Rovers over and over again which forced us on the back foot all the time. In the second half, he was a joy to watch and he took both goals really well. The 2nd reminded me so much of Trundle. He was actually unlucky not to get a third with an amazing turn and shot on his left 5 minutes from time.
Subs:
Duffy: 7 - I thought that he tormented their back four and remember one of their defenders so knackered from marking him that he swapped with another. He was unlucky not to score and generally looked very dangerous.
OTJ: I won't award any points as he was only on for 5 minutes. I see what people are saying about him looking taller...he's massive. He shouldn't have tried that 30 yard shot 2 mins from time but it would have been one for the record books if it had gone in.
Overall, I think we adapated to 4-5-1 very well in the past but when Scotland's having an off day, it just plays into the opposition's hands.
442 seemed so comfortable for the players to play last night and expect RM will stick with that for a while.
Finally, I hope that this is the point where we start believing in ourselves again and keep playing like we did in the second half. I was clapping and laughing...as were people around me who didn't have a clue who were were (but they do now!).
We're going to win the league!
|
| Southend - A |
Peter Charles -1526
DeVries – 7 Some important interventions alongside the odd flap.
Rangel – 7 More solid than last week.
Austin – 8 Heroic and robust effort at left back
Tate – 7 Generally very sound with some good interceptions; one or two dodgy moments
Lawrence – 8 Everywhere in defence
Butler – 8 Dangerous throughout
Robinson – 6 A couple of dangerous moments but generally off the pace
Bodde – 7 Alternately brilliant and wobbly, but stuck to his task in the midfield battle
Pratley – 7 Also took on a midfield warrior role and never let up
Britton – 7 Tenacious in the midfield melee
Scotland – 7 Battled hard and held the ball up well, if limited scoring chances today
Duffy – 7 A neat and effective 25 minutes
Tudor-Jones – a couple of good moments in his ten minutes cameo
We are grinding our way, rather than surging, to the winning post; but with 78 points in the bag and eight games to go, we seem to be getting there. Well done to the boys for digging this one out – many teams would have crumbled.
|
| Tranmere - H |
Mork -1525
The first team players looked really tired tonight and a touch of fatigue set in just as the linesman lost sight of his principal task.
Dorus - 7
Pulled off some very good, text book saves early on, but steady over 90 mins.
Rangel - 6
Beaten in the air too often (he has a weekness) but linked up well going forward.
Austin - 7
Solid and dependable. A real battler, especially in the second half. He wanted the ball.
Tate - 8
A born leader and the hardest worker on the night. Thoroughly deserved his stunning goal.
Lawrence - 7
A composed commanding performance. Worked the ball well.
Britton - 7
Gave 100% as usual but hid his tiredness well.
Butler - 6
Ineffective for large parts of the game, but was always positive going forward.
Robinson - 6
Looked more tired than most at times but I feel his skills as an individual were shining brighter than they were earlier in the season.
Bodde - 6
I fear that he is the most tired player. His vision is second to none, but he held his ground too religiously and could have looked for the loose ball.
Pratts - 7
Also a very tired looking bunny but showed the fight in the second half that was missing from others.
Scotland - 7
Never ending battler. He was just lacking that telling ball from his midfield colleagues.
Bauza and Brandy always raised my hopes but rarely get the rub of the ball.
To have two points stolen at the last like that, feels like a defeat, but it wasn't that long ago that we accepted defeats as an occupational hazard.
Now that we are six points clear with a game in hand, ask yourselves which one of the clubs below us would swap our position for theirs... all of them because 'WE ARE TOP OF THE LEAGUE'.
I am not flapping. I am very confident and very happy.
About a dozen of us will be taking in the delights of Morton v Partick Thistle this Saturday, so please cheer on the Swans for us at Northampton.
|
| Millwall - H |
Guto Llewelyn -1524
We didn’t deserve to win tonight. Millwall came, scored a deadly first goal, and we never recovered! Millwall defended brilliantly in my opinion, and took their chances when presented to them.
Martinez 0-1 Jacket ?
Ratings:
De Vries-6- Had no chance for either goal. Firstly he, like everybody, expected the marking to be a bit better. For the second the deflection took it past him. De Vries made a few good saves, though nothing spectacular. His kicking wasn’t great, but quick distribution from him helped us build some sort of momentum as the game wore on.
Rangel-6- Defending wasn’t excellent, but he was always there to clean up. On the break he tried but most of the time wasn’t able to have an influence. His attacking play was slowed by good Millwall defending. He wasn’t allowed to get forward.
Tate-6- I’m sorry, but he’s not a captain. He collapses under pressure. For the first goal it seemed to me as though everybody had fallen asleep. But for the second he messed up! His defending was good for the rest of the game. Distribution will always be a problem with Tate, and tonight it was highlighted. A few nice ventures forward.
O’leary-5- Didn’t move all night. I don’t think he’s capable of being a centre-back at this level. He’s too slow to react, and hasn’t got the basic instinct of a centre-back. I hope Monk comes back soon as O’leary was out of his depth completely. O’leary looked at fault for their first goal as that was the area he was meant to be patrolling.
Austin-6- Speed is his problem. Once or twice he was caught out because of it. He was very unlucky with the second goal. These things happen! Got forward and even produced a good cross or two.
Butler-7- He tried really hard, but when you lack real pace it’s not much help! His twists and turns opened up the right-wing. If only there was somebody in the middle to get a cross. As it was Butler was left to waste time until anybody arrived in the box. By that time it was usually too late. He was left frustrated by other players’ faults.
Britton-7- Another who tried very hard but couldn’t do anything. I think he, along with Robinson were the ones Jacket told his men to look out for! He did brilliantly considering how much room he was given, running and winning an extra few metres every time. Nothing clicked for him.
Praltey-5- What was wrong with him? He looked dozy, and lazy! He didn’t concentrate on the game, and many passes went astray. His first touch isn’t the best anyway, and tonight it was chronic! His tackling was most of the time good, but sometimes he took risks. The most notable one was a lunging tackle in the first half which could have injured the Millwall player easily. Shooting was dreadful, and culminated in an open-goal miss (It was difficult, but he should have scored).
Bodde-7- Those brilliant ADO Den Haag fans gave him a song at the end, and I think he deserved it. But he received more room than any other member of that midfield, so I was slightly disappointed that he didn’t use it to better effect. His passing was 100% perfect. But why didn’t he direct his attention to attacking down the middle more often, instead of continuously sending it down the wings? His shots were troublesome for the keeper, who looked shaky. I would have liked seeing more long-range efforts from Bodde. I think one of them would have gone in. His tackling was OK as well.
Robinson-7- At the start of the game I thought he was the one that was going to pull us level, but too often he over-ran the ball. He needs to pass it when he has an opportunity. His runs teased the Millwall defenders, but for the most part they kept him exactly where they wanted him; on the wing. As much as he tried he could never find that shooting position he craved. A few crosses that caused some trouble.
Scotland-6- Off the pace. I don’t know if it was his injury at Huddersfield but he looked like himself earlier in the season where he didn’t try very hard. Tonight I think he tried but failed due to strict defending and a lack of purpose. He gets an extra mark for the cool penalty, but he wasn’t strong enough, and he wasn’t there when you wanted him to be there. When the other strikers were added he drifted to the wing where he’s useless to us. He couldn’t get into the game at all.
Subs:
Brandy-6- I see him as a bit of a headless chicken. He’s never staying still, just running into random positions, and not helping us much. He gets an extra point for winning the penalty thanks to his speed. Didn’t have any chance of scoring, and the penalty was the only thing of note he did all night.
Bauza-5- He came on very late, and had no time to do anything. A few nice touches, but didn’t get anywhere near the goal.
It was disappointing tonight. The magnificent ADO Den Haag fans should stay for the rest of the season because their enthusiasm may be needed if we have any more matches like these.
Jacket had drilled his players on who to mark and how to attack. We were slow, directionless and unwilling to penetrate.
It’s too early to start ringing alarm bells, and criticism o Martinez is unfair based solely on tonight’s game. But major flaws were highlighted by Millwall. Tranmere just became a very big match.
PS What happened over by the buses afterwards? I was on the other side of the river, and couldn’t see what was going on. I don’t like seeing violence at matches, but I think a clash between Den Haag and Millwall fans is something the whole of Europe would pay to see.
Were there any arrests?
|
| Huddersfield |
Dai, Paul and Brian -1523
De Vries 7 – Good display, couple of nice stops
Rangel 7 – Solid enough - got forward quite well in the first half
O’Leary 7 – Solid enough - difficult windy day.
Tate 6 – As KoL.
Austin 6 - Didn't let us down
Butler 7 – Good display - Unlucky to have a goal ruled out.
Britton 7 – Never stop running.
Bodde 7 – Nice strong display.
Pratley 7 – Starting to get back to his best.
Robinson 8 – Did well, testing the keeper a few time before going off at half time.
Scotland 9 – Outstanding display worked his socks off - and capped it with a goal - hope his injury is not too serious.
Brandy 6 – His pace got him into some great positions, including a one on one - but did not finish.
Duffy - Not on long enough
|
| MK Dons - A |
Guto Llewelyn -1522
Oh well! We're not going to Wembley. Who really cares? After missing out on Anfield I was seriously miserable, but with this we've been there and done that!
Ratings:
De Vries-6- During normal time he pulled off a very good reaction save from a deflected shot. His handling was completely faultless for the whole match. He didn't have too much to do despite all of the Dons' pressure. Kicking was good for the most part (especially compared to Willy's). The problem came in the shoot-out. De Vries continuously fails to adapt his penalty-taking routine. Last night again we saw him jump on his line and look big, before collapsing like a falling tree to one side of his goal. I felt like shouting "Timber!" How was that meant to save anything? Work really needs to be done.
Rangel-7- Firstly, a brilliant penalty under pressure. He defender well on the whole, putting in some good tackles. At times he was unwilling to just boot it out, and tried to play it out of harm. That didn't work and put us under more pressure. His passing wasn't bad, but there were one or two that were over-ambitious. He didn't have many opportunities to get forward, but when he did he was unlucky not to score. The one-two with Scotland was followed by a good save from Willy to deny Rangel a goal.
Monk+Tate-8- They're building a bit of a partnership now, and doing well. Last night their tackling was fantastic. Tate's tackle in his own box was brilliantly timed. In the air they were constantly on top. Monk showed good leadership, especially when he scored his penalty. From set-plays they controlled MK. They had to work hard butdid a fantastic job.
Painter-5- Went of early on, after his injury caused him too many problems.
Butler-6- Tried his hardest to influence the game, but often couldn't do much. As the game developed he had less and less say and this frustrated him. His dribbling wasn't free-flowing and whatever he tried it didn't happen. One or two dangerous crosses had nobody on the end of them. One or two risky tackles put him in danger of getting sent off. He was then taken off for his own safety which is very unusual for him.
Pratley-8- He was the only player looking to advance through the middle at times. He always tried to run it when there was an opportunity. Pratley made some good passes which opened up play for us. His tackling too was very good, helping out the defence. He wasn't in the right positions to attack and didn't have chances to score. One of our best players last night.
Way-6- I didn't know most of the time that he was on the pitch. I think he's lacked confidence since coming to the Swans, and last night was further evidence of that. He was afraid to do anything, and drifted with the game, not imposing himself. His passing was very simple, and he spent most of the match too deep. On the positive side, it's another 90 minutes for him, and he isn't struggling to finish games. Hopefully we'll see him at his best again soon.
Robinson-7- The biggest effort of the night from our players. He was everywhere. Robinson likes playing on a stage, and the cameras at the stadium probably increased his hunger. The promise of Wembley also would have appealed to him. His dribbling, when he was given the time, was a lot for the MK Dons' defence to handle. Robinson did brilliantly to set up the penalty in the first half. His effort was without reward unfortunately, as he had limited chances. His penalty will give him some confidence in future from the spot.
Brandy-6- The boy has plenty of energy. He didn't stop running, and wasn't easy to handle by any stretch of the imagination. His trickery nearly let him in once or twice, but this was a strong MK Dons defence. Could be blamed for not making the most of an opportunity when we saw a "Willy Moment." Gueret raced off his line, but couldn't beat speedy Brandy to the ball, but randy just went for goal and hit the first defender. Brandy in my oppinion goes to ground a little too easily as well.
Scotland-7- Dropped deep effectively last night. He was involved in a lot of good passing moves, including a one-two with Robinson to win the penalty, and then another one with Rangel to set up a good chance. From open play he never had much chance of scoring. His first penalty was confident and cool. His second was too confident. He placed it in the same place as the first penalty, and Gueret read his smile correctly. His strength and touch was a worry for the Dons all night long.
Subs:
Austin-7- His most confident display of the season. The back 4 was quite narrow last night and it suited Austin. In the air he was dominant. Nothing managed to get past him as the whole defence kept MK out.
McDonald-5- He tried very hard, but wasn't given any time on the ball. He was closed down by the hungry white-shirts. McDonald was introduced at a tough time in the match, when we were being pushed back into our own box. He was also targeted as a weak spot in our midfield, meaning he had no chance.
Duffy-7- How glad was I to see him score that penalty? Missing it would have broken him! He's had an awful season, but played well for what little time he was on the pitch. One piece of skill set up Robinson, but the ball was a bit behind him, and he couldn't turn it into the goal. Duffy's pace opened up some space for him, but he, like Scotland and Brandy didn't have any clear-cut chances to score. His penalty will give him bags of confidence with Bauza out.
I said earlier in the season that if we were to face a penalty-shoot-out we'd have no hope. As it happened it was a meeting of two very poor penalty-saving keepers, and Gueret came out on top. It's shown us that there are players like Monk and Rangel who can take penalties as well, giving us more options in future. But De Vries needs to work on his penalty technique.
Oh well! Wembley's gone, so all we have left is the apeal of lifting the cup in Brighton on the last day of the season. That's the most important one after all!
|
| Luton - H |
Nigel Gigg -1521
De Vries 7 – One great save but a quiet night otherwise.
Rangel 7 – Another good display. Let’s hope his hamstring is OK.
Monk 8 – Mr Dependable. Did totally miss a free header from a corner. Funny how defenders never do things like that in their own area.
Tate 6 – Very shaky first half.
Painter 7 – Solid in defence and got forward at every opportunity.
Butler 8 – A good performance capped with a great goal.
Britton 7 – Never stop running.
Bodde 6 – A long way off his best.
Pratley 7 – Got stronger and stronger as the game went on.
Robinson 6 – Another who was well short of his best tonight.
Scotland 7 – Worked his socks off.
Subs-
Brandy 7 – Caused panic with his pace.
O’Leary – Only on a few minutes.
|
| Port Vale - A |
Peter and Bethan -1518
Devries - 8 some good saves and solid under the high ball
Rangel - 8 solid and supported the attack well
Painter - 7 tenacious and composed
Monk - 7 commanding although was chasing shadows in the early stages
Tate - 6 some hesitant moments
Britton - 8 strong in the tackle and surged forward creatively. MOM
Pratley - 7 got stronger as the game went on
Bodde - 7 very influential after the break but a little off the pace early on
Robinson - 6 always on good positions but had a poor game in front of goal
Bauza - 6 lively and pleasing to watch but seems to have lost his goal threat
Scotland - 7 a solid front line effort but his shooting was sometimes terrible
Brandy - a brief but lively appearance
So a hard- earned win but certainly not a particularly convincing one. The centre of our defence looked very shaky early on, perhaps providing a salutary reminder that this position is one that needs strengthening if better teams are not going to punish us. And today we once again had lots of possession without creating too many clear cut chances - again a better side might have punished us. But how can we really complain when we are 11 points clear in the league. Winning has become a habit even when we don't play well - which can't be a bad thing. Ssssh - you never know - the media may evem start to notice us soon!
|
| Walsall - H |
Guto Liewelyn -1517
Last night was an important victory in my oppinion. It was an organised attacking game, and the centre-backs played very well to keep the score down.
Ratings:
De Vries-7- One very good save in the second half, but in truth had nothing to do. For all Walsall's promise they didn't look like scoring most of the time. Handled everything well. Distribution was excellent.
Rangel-6- Not his best game. He gave the ball away too many times, but still produced one or two very good passes. His defensive work was shaky. A few tackles were missed, and he generally fond the Walsall Left-winger a handfull when they had the ball. Rangel made one or two testing runs forward, backing up Britton and Butler. The defensive work was a concern at times though.
Monk+Tate-8- Both were solid throughout. In the air they controlled everything with ease; clearing anything that came their way. They worked well as a partnership, doubling up to suffocate the Walsall attackers. Their tackling was brilliant. Monk made one or two very good 50/50 tackles. Passing was on the whole very safe but both were guilty of giving the ball away hurriedly at times. Both were able to run into the Walsall half at different periods in the game. With Lawrence out of the team Tate showed he can fill a gap perfectly.
Painter-6- In the first half he was very poor. His passing was Austin-esque; always booting hopless long-balls forward, and more often than not, losing posession. He also, like Rangel, missed some tackles, and on the whole had a difficult first half. In the second he composed himself a bit more. Painer started making intelligent runs forward. His crossing wasn't great, but his passing improved dramatically. His tackling was more confident, and he looked like the Painter we all know.
Butler-7- Same old, same old. He was a hard worker, running up and down the wing, twisting and turning, trying to find the gap. He rarely found that gap, but kept trying, and once or twice found openings. He might not have the pace of Anserson, but he has the vital experience which lets him beat his man. His biggest contribution to the match came when he won us the penalty. His body-movement drew the tackle from the defender and Butler was brought down. Shame nobody could convert it.
Britton-7- Played a bit down the wing from time to time, but was hard-working in the middle. He wasn't quite as involved yesterday. He had limited chances to run at defenders. I can't remember him needing to tackle anybody. Britton's passing has improved drastically since he was switched to the more central position. Last night there were one or two passes that were short, but brilliantly weighted.
Pratley-7- A super performance. He ran and ran and ran all day long. His tackling was perfect; magnificently timed. Pratley's passing wasn't spectacular, but it was good. Pratley was a leader yesterday. A few skills didn't work for him at vital times, and that was frustrating. A point is taken off as well for missing the penalty. I'm praying we don't get a penalty shoot-out this season. De Vries can't get anywhere near penalties, and only 1 person in the squad can score them!
Bodde-8- Firstly, his goal was amazing. A lovely strike from outside the area. He had another shot in the first half which dipped so quickly, Ince in the Walsall goal only just managed to keep it out with his feet. Bodde's passing wasn't as extravagant as usual, but it was still very good. His tackling was powerful and sent a clear message to Walsall. He was probably man of the match last night.
Robinson-6- Walsall made sure he had as little ball-time as possible. For long periods he was isolated, and didn't get a sniff. In the second half we saw a bit more of him, but his running was always cunder the control of the Walsall defenders. He tried some trickery, but all in all he got nowhere. No chances to cross, so he sticked to short passing which was sensible. His chances were limited all night long.
Scotland-6- Scotland looks far fitter than he did earlier in the season. We saw him chasing long-balls like a greyhound chasina hare. Unfortunately it was all in vain. He had only a few half-chances to score. As a lone-striker he found 2 centre-backs hard to handle, despite using all his speed and strength. Tried linking up with the midfield, but they at times weren't on the scene fast enough. Needed to go off because he ws exhausted.
Sub:
Bauza-6- Came on and tried to get involved as much as possible. A few nice touches, and some good running, but he never had any chances to score. Had the same problem as Scotland; he was being watched by 2 defenders. Space was at a minimum and he couldn't move. most of the time. Uneventful.
That's a good 3 points. At this stage of the season all we can do is keep winning and we'll be up! There's 12 points between us and 3rd place I think. I've never seen a lead like that thrown away, so I hope we won't be the first to do it. Without anabsolute implosion, we're already up.
Last night's loss means Walsall's hopes of catching us are pretty much over. Leeds, unless they can win their court case are probably out! And (touch wood) Notts Forest aren't consistant enough to go up. That leaves Carlisle! If I'm being honest I can't see them finishing above us, but anything can happen; especially if they beat us in the Lake District.
Doncaster are the only team I can see finishing above us at the moment (touch wood again). Everybody else thinks we're already up. The only people that don't think we're up already are Swansea fans! A few more wins in the next few weeks and we can start planning for life in the Championship!
The Jacks are going up!
|
| Walsall - H |
Mike Thomas -1516
Well, that was a close one last night! No, I don't mean the match, that was easy, I mean the Hereford Jacks getting there in time after a certain trainee maths teacher realised, ten miles into the journey, that he'd left his season ticket at home. Quick about turn of a loaded car and a hundred mile an hour dash back home to get it. The boys almost missed their Rossi's fish and chips, we were so late. That WOULD have been a disaster...........
Well, another great three points and, more importantly, another hard working performance, with no sign of a hangover after throwing away two points on Saturday. Yes, OK, we were a bit slow to get into our stride, mainly because, like many of the better teams we play, they start by trying to get in our face and press us back, which meant we had to resort to chipping 30 yard balls forward. This works for 15 minues until they run out of steam, then we start to play our passing game and no teams in this league can live with us after that.
My player ratings:
Doris 7.5 - didn't have a lot to do, but was in top form when called on, brought off the save of the season early in the second half against a 20 yard shot going like an arrow into the top corner. I was already saying 'goal' when he lept like a scalded cat and fingertipped it over the bar.
Rangel 6.5 - skinned more than once by a lively winger and was a bit shakey defensively, but supported the attack brilliantly as usual.
Monk 7.5 - another dominant performance in the air, neat and tidy on the ground, nothign spectacular, just solid.
Tatey 7.5 - as Monk, but also brought the ball forward well once or twice, his 'one per match' blooper was confined to a wild hoof up the middle of the pitch in the last ten minutes which went straight to one of theirs, but no harm done.
Painter 7 - solid return for Marcos, no nonsense defending and supported Robbo all night but never got a pass. Just needs to steady himself when approaching their penalty area centrally, he invariably gets excited and falls over.
Butler 7 - great ball control, twisting and turning all night to torment their defenders, was a bit lacking in end product but earned a dubious penalty when pushing it past their full back and getting clattered - in truth, the ball was going out and it was a bit generous.
Pratley 6.5 - far from rejuvenating Pratters, his mini break seems to have knocked the edge off his game. He seemed half a yard slower than normal last night, and reluctant to make his incisive forward runs, always passing back instead of turning. As for the penalty miss, at least he had the bottle to step up. Hit it well enough, but the goalie guessed right and it was a shade too close to him.
Bodde 7.5 - he should get a hard kick more often, because before he had his 'stretcher' injury, he looked a bit too casual and got caught in possession in dangerous areas once or twice. The injury seemd to galvanise him, and the goal was sublime - a different class.
Robbo 6.5 - what can you say about the baldy scouser? Infuriating and brilliant in equal measure last night. He can't buy a goal at the moment, despite working his socks off. Keeper brought off one brilliant save to deny him as he cut inside and tried to curl a shot past him. Eventually ran himself to a standstill and was a bit of a liability in the last ten minutes, giving possession away and not tracking back, should have been subbed by Brandy.
Britton 8 - my MOTM, worked his socks off, and his balance and touch on the ball was a joy to watch. He'd be a Premiership player if he was a bit more clinical in and around the box.
Scotland 7 - works hard ploughing a lone furrow up front, on to a loser in the iar but kept trying, always available to take a short pass and hold the ball up, unlucky not to score with two attempts after making space for himself.
Subs:
Bauza 6 - less effective than normal, didn't see a lot of the ball, caught offside once or twice and needs to be more aware of his position in relation to the defensive line.
Ref 8 - apart from not cracking down on their time wasting earlier, I thought he had an excellent game, unobtrusive but in command.
Stadium authorities 0 - very cruel to give MC duties on the half time penalty shoot-out to an elderly gentleman plucked from the 'Landore Home for the Senile and Confused'. I will be reporting them to Age Concern.
Some Morons in the Crowd -(minus) 5. When will those idiots stop moaning and booing when we pass the ball around the back line untl a gap opens up? It's called keeping possession, boys, and (to quote a well known phrse) that's why we're top of the league. We don't give the ball away cheaply, we play patient passing football, probing for the right opening, and in the process we wear the opposition out who are vainly chasing our tail. This pays dividends later in the match when they are all knackered. Easy to understand, really.
Bring on Port Vale; a note for all independent travelling Jacks, Roy Wells says the place to go pre-match is the Albion pub in Newcastle under Lyme, managed by his son, and the unofficial Swans pub for the day. No doubt he'll post more about it, including directions. See you there.
|
| Crewe - A |
Western Mail -1515
DORUS DE VRIES: Had nothing to do in the first half, but made a number of good saves in the second as Crewe came back into the game. 6
ANGEL RANGEL: Worked hard in defence and provided a useful outlet going forward. Plays a crucial role in City?s defence and Swansea will want to ensure he stays fit for the remainder of the season. 7
GARRY MONK: Some excellent blocks in the first half, but will have been disappointed to have conceded two from set plays late on. 7
DENNIS LAWRENCE: Did well up until his nasty-looking injury, but could be out for the rest of the season after damaging medial ligaments in his knee. 6
KEVIN AUSTIN: Solid without being spectacular, but should?ve done more to prevent Bopp setting up the late equaliser. 6
TOM BUTLER: Would?ve been disappointed with his display, gave the ball away far too often and was replaced by Pratley after an hour. 5
FERRIE BODDE: Dealt well with some strong tackling from the home side and always looking to bring players around him into the game with some good, incisive passing. 7
ANDY ROBINSON: Excellent performance, won the penalty with a typically driving run into the box and could?ve had a goal of his own. 7
GUILLEM BAUZA: Some excellent touches to dazzle the home defence and held the ball up well when needed for the visiting league leaders . 7
JASON SCOTLAND: Looked a little tired as a result of his midweek international duty, but took his penalty well and always looking for the openings. 6
Subs
Alan Tate (for Lawrence 32)
Darren Pratley (for Butler 58)
Febian Brandy (for Scotland 67)
Subs not used
Kristian O'Leary, Shaun MacDonald
Star man: Leon Britton
Such a performance deserved a victory on his 200th league game for the Swans. Seems to be getting better with age. 8
|
| Oldham - H |
Guto Llewelyn -1513
What a day!
Firstly, Swansea win ugly, but pick up another 3 points. Then Wales beat the English at HQ! Amazing! One of the best Saturdays I've had in a while, and it's not over yet! Celebrating into the night.
Ratings-
De Vries-5- Very lucky on the whole to be on the winning side. He looked like a newborn calf when handling crosses. I've never seen him so poor when handling balls in from the wing, and Oldham will be disappointed not to have taken advantage of one of those chances. I can't recall a shot on target from Oldham, apart from the penalty. As for the penalty. I've criticised De Vries enough over his penalty tactics, but he's obviously improving, he didn't pick up a yellow card today! Still looked like a rag-doll when attempting to save it, and was easily sent the wrong way. Distribution was good at times, poor at others.
Rangel-7- A difficult game. Had a lot to do defensively, but did most of it well. His tackling was quite good, and his heading was without fault. Running forward he had troubles. Without Anderson down the wing, he couldn't go forward. His passing was at times rushed, but compared to others he did well! Runs were limited by Oldham's hard-hitting midfield.
Monk-6- Had his shaky moments. Didn't lead by example sometimes, but when Oldham were pushing he held firm. He was strong in the air, and competed well with the Oldham strikers. His tackling was good also. He needed to think a bit more at times, but didn't. He booted the balls into the stands, when controling and passing the ball was more sensible. After we scored he grew in confidence and stature.
Lawrence-8- My man of the Match. He takes a lot of stick, sometimes unfair, but today he was the dominating defender. In the air he was king, winning almost all his 50/50s. In the tackle we saw a firmer Lawrence. He made one or two slip, but on the whole he was essential. Had he not played the way he did today, Swansea would have had a few more problems. When playing further forward he caused problems as well. Lawrence deserves a lot of credit.
Painter-5- Was given a torrid time by Davies, who was playing wider than your average striker. Missed a few tackles, and another few were miss-timed. He lost his temper during the game as well once or twice. Booked rightly for a riddiculous dive (I took a point off him for that). I can't remember any player giving him such a lesson as Davies did today. Martinez needs to get him cooled down on Monday.
Butler-6- Butler has been hard-working these last few games, and today was the same. He was creative, and industrious, swerving and dodging all day long, but had less effect than he would have liked. Butler isn't as quick as Anderson, and that showed. He found beating his man difficult, and Sheridan's team stuck tight to him, blocking anything he wanted to do. End-product was in short supply, and he was frustrated.
Bodde-5- Not his best game by a long way for the Swans. Without Pratley by his side, he found breaking down Oldham's midfield difficult. He was the one that gave away the penalty, and from where I was sat it looked foolish. His passing was very poor, often too short, and ineffective. His shots on goal too were wayward. He had a tough job because Allen wasn't making an impact, but he didn't have his head screwed on today.
Britton-6- Due to the tight midfield and defence, he was given no room to run. I can't remember him dribbling once. In all honesty he was quiet. He needed to back up Butler on the right at times. His tackling was good, and his work was simple but effective. All in all Britton was far too quiet, and this was the kind of game you wanted him to grab by the scruff of the neck.
Allen-5- Possibly he?s feeling the pressure a bit. Everybody expects a lot from Allen, but we need to remember his age, and ability. He looked like a fish out of water today. His passing was OK, but being the small human being that he is, he was bullied a lot. Everything he did was done with uncertainty. He looked frail and scared. As I watched I waited for him to settle down, but he never did, chasing the ball, when you wanted him to make some runs. He had one shot, which was wide, and one cross, which was too high and early. Showed his inexperience, and was subbed before he crumbled. He looked disappointed, but it was for the best. This was a learning-curve.
Robinson-6- This was typical Robinson, unfortunately. Such a gifted footballer, but such a selfish one at times as well. He tried to do too much, but never looked like he wanted to be part of this team. In the second half especially, he tried taking on 3 at a time, but failed. His passing was inexistent and yet he never had a good shot on goal. His dribbling without result has become less frequent this season, but this was a return to his older displays. Selfishness is the reason he?ll never play at a higher level.
Scotland-7- In the first half he was a target-man, and that?s not his style. He?s not strong enough, and I thought we?d realised that by now; obviously not. His touch was good, and he used his strength well, but in the end Oldham saw him as easy pickings, and outnumbered him with ease. In the second half he improved slightly, but when Bauza came on, he changed completely. He was suddenly given more room, as Bauza distracted defenders. He was now able to do more. His work for the first goal was magnificent, putting in a tricky cross, begging for any touch, and he got it. Unfortunately he went off injured. I hope it?s not serious!
Subs:
Bauza-7- Came on and aided Scotland. He gave us another option up front. His touch was brilliant, and his skills were a breath of fresh air on a day where skill-levels were low. He?s a strong player, and can hold the ball up as well as Scotland. However his finishing was erratic. Every time he wanted to shoot, he blasted it wide. His opportunities though were limited. His simple passing was correct, but when called upon to play the killer pass, he never produced it (though at times, players were unwilling to make the killer runs). Today I saw a player unrecognisable from the player I saw in pre-season, struggling with the pace, physicality and directness of the game.
Brandy-7- An extra point for a well-taken goal. I have a feeling it could be an important goal. His pace was an extra difficulty for the defenders, and it stretched Oldham further. His control was good, and he linked well with Bauza. I?d like to see a bit more from him. He could be the striker that makes 442 work for Swansea. All I?ve seen is little cameo roles at the end of matches, and I think he looks like a young Leon Knight; small, quick, good control, good positioning, eye for goal, direct.
We're still 10 points clear, and have beaten a difficult, organised side. Fantastic.
As for Wales! Nothing gets the nation going like a victory against the English! Absolutely amazing! Just had a curry and a few pints to celebrate, and the euphoria won't end there!
|
| Oldham - H |
James H
- Aberystwyth -1512
Firstly i think Guto has had 1 to many in celebration and may of been watching a different game to me ;) Anyways my ratings quickly has ive had like 2 hours sleep in the last 48hours
Dorus 6 - Flapped a few times but didnt have much to do. A lot of penalties are not saved so you cant blame him for not saving it.
Rangel 6 - Played ok but not upto his high standards.
Monk 6 - Looked shakey. He never seems to lead the team in my opinion. Possibly the one to be replaced when Darren Moore comes in hay Haydn ;) whats that? he isnt, oh right :P
Snoop Dog 8 - Thought he played very well today not only defence but in 1st half probably our best attacking player :P
Painter 8 - Played well, IMO kept davies very quiet and un control and it was Davies who got fraustrated at this leading to his switch to the other side of the pitch.
Butler 6 - Average display but worked hard.
Bodde 6 - Played ok but like so many others not upto his high standards
Britton 7 - seems to be involved in a lot of things we done. Still needs to improve that final ball.
New Frank Lampard 4 - He was poor today. His touch, pass, everything really. Been saying for the last 2/3 months this boy, that is what he is, is not ready for 1st team. Needs to bulk up a bit and get some games somewhere else and then maybe come back to us.
Robbo 6 - Not at his best today but the boy tries his heart out and was involved in a lot of good moves today.
Scotland 6 - Needs a partner to play with or a lot more support from the midfield. As soon as Bussy came on he was a lot better.
Subs
Bussy 7 - IMO should of started in a 442 formation and when he did come on improved our play instantly and is getting better with every game.
Brandy 7 - Looks a very good player and the new daryl Duffy ;)
Good 2nd half performance. Thought Oldham where a very well organised side and should be higher in the league than they are. Good 3 points.
|
| Oldham - H |
Robert -1511
I think we should drop 4-5-1 because its pretty hard to drop Bauza. Should've played 4-4-2 in the first place because Oldham got us pretty good.
My player ratings:-
De Vires 7/10: Didn't have to make a real save. Stopped any crosses coming in well. But again I think you know my concern. Craig Davies knew how easy it was to score the penalty against him. Will De Vires just watch the ball so he can go the right direction at least.
Rangel 6/10: Not his best. Poor touches at times going forward and had lack of space.
Monk 6/10: Solid and put his body on the line but got stretched all game.
Lawrence 9/10: Hate to admit but Snoop Dog was outstanding :lol:. So many great interceptions and strong headers. Commanded the defence all game and in first half was only player who seem to try anything going forward. Had oppitunity cleared off the line after heading from a corner. Shame he wasn't man of the match as this may have been one of his best performances in a Swans shirt.
Painter 8/10: Not been a fan of this guy at times his passing and communiction with Robbo is terrible but their both to blame. But Painter's defending, sliding tackles, putting his body on the line and his determination was superb. Made one great cross and ran 40 yards from his own half and ref had to ruin it by booking him for diving when we should have had a free kick:mad:.
Butler 7/10: Lack of space I think he's a left winger at home and a right winger away. But worked really hard and whenever he lost the ball he made some good tackles to win it back.
Allen 4/10: Stupid decision to start a 17 year old over the hard working Bauza, Allen was Vulnerable, had no control, not decent touch and no strength. He only gets 4/10 because of that cross he made which nearly caused Oldham to score an own goal, other wise he would get 3 or even 2.
Bodde 6/10: Wasted an indirect free kick and a decent shot at goal some nice passing but nothing pulled off for him today and was at fault for the penalty.
Britton 6/10: Wasn't his best as he was another player to have lack at space. But fought as hard as he could.
Robinson 6/10: Terrible first half, Neal Eardley had him taken care of first half. Second half however much better and had more chances at goal well taken. Played his part in the 2nd goal by having to slide on his backside to get ball to Bauza:lol:.
Scotland 7/10: Had no real shot at goal, found it difficult on his own and obviuosly missed Bauza alonside him but on his own he did everyhing he could to get game rolling. Second half Bauza was a big influence and put Scotlands low cross from the right made the breakthrough goal. Had to go off injured, hope he's ok.
Subs:
Bauza 8/10: Deserved man of the match despite Dennis Lawrence playing well as seen above. Why Bauza didn't start the game I don't know but he was the reason we won in the end. Fanstastic control and skill. Made Scotland play better and insted of shooting he used his left foot to put hard ball in the box which lead to Febian Brandy getting the winning goal which I found a smart move.
Brandy 7/10: Whether its 5 minutes or 25 minutes on the pitch he makes the most of his time and is so keen. Hasn't started a game for us or in his senior career and he has two goals in four sub appearences already incredible. Looks like he learned off Ole Gunnar Solskjier :lol:. Took his goal well. I think for now he shall remain our super sub unless Scotland is injured next saturday.
|
| Oldham - H |
Nigel Gigg -1510
De Vries 7 ? Solid and reliable.
Rangel 7 ? Always reliable.
Monk 9 ? Outstanding. Until the penalty Oldham never really looked like scoring and most of that was down to him. Marshalled defence and won just about every aerial challenge.
Lawrence 7 ? Another decent game.
Painter 7 ?Good all round game but picked up a booking for diving and now faces a suspension.
Butler 7 ? Good all round game.
Britton 7 ?Looked tired and jaded first half but excellent second half.
Bodde 7 ?passing game not at usual standard but tackled like a lion.
Allen 5 ? Didn?t impose himself on the game.
Robinson 7 ? Always a threat.
Scotland 8 ? Never stopped trying. Lacked support first half but came into his own when support was forthcoming.
Subs-
Bauza 8 ? Not doubt his arrival turned the game. Great close control.
Brandy 8 ? Superb finish.
|
| Forest - A |
Peter and Bethan -1509
DeVries - 8 Some important stops
Painter - 7 Tidy but perhaps could have done more to stem the flow of crosses
Rangel - 7 Pretty much as above, our full backs understandably did not push forward so much in this game
Lawrence - 7 Battled hard and gave little away, although Forest still managed to get in a few free headers on goal.
Monk - As above, but marshalled the defence well
Anderson - went off after five minutes with a leg injury; hopefully not too serious
Robinson - 7 Terrific first half in which he showed excellent touch and was dangerous cutting inside; faded in last half hour
Bodde - 7 A weaker game by his standards although he still came through the midfield tussle with honours
Britton - 8 (MOM) Was everywhere - strong in the tackle and dangerous going forward; at one point was in our box clearing a corner! Just lacked the killer pass.
Bauza - 7 A great first half but faded - beginning to look like a natural first choice partner for Scotland
Scotland - 8 Not a game in which he looked that dangerous in terms of scoring, but as front man, holding up play and bringing others in he was strong and effective
Butler - 8 Beginning to look the real deal on the flank. Skilful and dangerous.
Brandy - Only on for a few minutes.
Great vocal support also from the travelling jack Army which spurred the team on throughout. I got the impression walking back to the car that the Forest faithful were as pleased with a point as we were - which says an awful lot about how far we have come. This has been a very satisfying week and the table doesn?t lie. A long way to go, but credit to all for the excellent response in the last two weeks.
|
| Doncaster - A |
Jim White -1508
De Vries 7 ? Solid, few good punches. Came out bravely
Rangel 7 ? Not his best, did what he had to do
Monk 8 ? Solid and good in the air.
Lawrence 8 ? Worked well alongside Monk
Painter 6 ? OK but made one bad error
Butler 6 ? Not outstanding, but a couple of tricky runs
Britton 7 ? Industrious
Bodde 9 ? Outstanding, bossed the game, outstanding set pieces.
Anderson 7 ? Looked lively, created lots of space used it well
Scotland 8 ? Really worked hard up front
Bauza 8 ? Worked hard, right place right time ? got their man sent off with a nice piece of skill
Subs-
Robinson 7 ? Did well when he came on.
Allen 7 ? Got involved, nice game
Brandy 7 ? Quite feet, took his goal well.
|
| Crewe - H |
Nigel Gigg -1507
De Vries 7 ? Will be annoyed with his defenders for switching off and denying him a clean sheet.
Rangel 8 ? Superb going forward. Often up against Maynard and usually came out on top.
Monk 7 ? Good in defence but about as composed as Leon in front of goal.
Lawrence 7 ? Looked refreshed from his day off but another who has had goal scoring lessons off Leon.
Painter 6 ? Looked all at sea a couple of times in the first half.
Butler 6 ? Nice goal but not the threat he can be.
Britton 8 ? Superb again.
Pratley 8 ? Ran the game.
Violet Elizabeth Boddde 8 ? Very, very good.
Robinson 7 ? Quiet start but played his part.
Bauza 7 ? Never stopped running.
Subs-
Anderson 8 ? Another great goal.
Scotland 7 ? Showed plenty of strength and commitment.
Brandy 6 ? One lovely touch but I'm sure we're still to see the best of him.
|
| Port Vale - H |
Mike Thomas -1506
Just the tonic we needed today after the dreadful midweek events. I was concerned that the boys would be feeling low on confidence but I needn't have been; they came out and played the flowing football we've come to expect, despite dreadful conditions. Port Vale were not that special, but to be honest we won at a canter. My player ratings:
Doris 8 - didn't put a foot wrong in tricky conditions, good handling, good distribution and one super save for the cameras.
Rangel 7.5 - another tremendous performance, offers us so much going forward, no wonder other clubs are looking.
Tate 8 - very solid in the air and on the ground, also brough the ball out of defence with determination and confidence on two or three occasions, playing for a regular place today.
Monk 7.5 - another skipper's performance, led by example. got stuck in, kept things simple in possession.
Painter 7.5 - bounced back after a midweek mare, did the simple things well, tackled ferociously.
Butler 8 - simply destroyed their full-back today with devastating wing play, didn't always produce the killer ball, but set up the first goal, a constant threat
Pratley 8 - another Duracell demonstration, this guy is a superb athlete and will keep running and using the ball intelligently forever. Unlucky to get booked, we will miss him.
Britton 9 - I think he felt he had something to prove after Wednesday; he was all over the field today, tackling, linking play, chasing lost causes, running at the heart of their defence. If only he could shoot!
Bodde 8 - sheer class, it's like watching the movement of a Swiss watch when he and Pratley play together. Would have liked him to take more shots than he did, but hey, who's complaining?
Anderson 6 - tried TOO hard today and ended up on his arse once or twice as a result, miskicking or falling over, but his enthusiasm is great to see. Just going through a slight dip but he'll be back.
Scotland 7 - held the ball up and linked play well in very tough conditions against some big defenders. Why won't he pull the trigger when he's worked the position? Missed a chance to add to his goal tally today when eight yards out and with half a yard to shoot after a lovely shimmy, but unbelieveably took TWO more touches!
Subs:
Bauza 7 - a handful for tiring defenders to deal with, he's coming on leaps and bounds. Really harried and chased well when he came on.
Robbo 6.5 - didn't really see too much of the ball, but always looked dangerous. Glad Roberto didn;t over-tax him with big games coming up.
Brandy 6 - nice little cameo apperance, he's obviously very quick and keen as mustard.
The only time we weren't in control of this game was when we briefly went 4-4-2 in the second half. The started to over-run us in midfield and Roberto quckly switched Scotland for Robbo, putting him out wide and bringing Butler into midfield.
Results went our way again today, but I'm still not saying the 'p' word. Let's just see how we're looking after the Donny game. If we're still top then, I'll really start to believe. A word of praise for the ref today; after some of the poor officiating we've see recently, I thought he did a good job.
|
| Port Vale - H |
Guto Llewelyn -1505
We couldn't have asked for a better team to play today. Port Vale were pathetic and made Havant and Waterlooville look like Brazil (though in all fairness we did the same on Wednesday night). Nevertheless today's proffesional victory was just what we needed to convince us all again that the league is what matters. And at the moment the league looks good. 5 points clear of Carlisle with a game in hand.
Ratings:
De Vries-7- Didn't have too much to handle today but as is expected these days what he did, he did well. The only notable save he had was a reflex save to deny the Vale number 10 from scoring with a header powered towards the top corner. His handling was assured, and distribution sensible. After his mistake against Havant he'll probably be glad not to be getting much attention today.
Rangel-7- Due to the Port Vale muber 11's insistance on running inside instead of utilising the wings, Rangel didn't have much defending to do. When going forward he was fantastic. His partnership with Anderson is electric, and he's one of the most attacking full-backs I've ever seen at htis level. His running was frightening for Port Vale, and they couldn't handle all the intricate passes. A great attacking contribution.
Monk-7- Along with Painter, had a shocker against Havant and Waterlooville. Therefore he'll be glad nothing went wrong today. Defensively he was sound, strong in the air, and effective in the tackle. His passing was accurate, and he even ventured into the opponent's half once or twice. He led by example and didn't give Port Vale and inch.
Tate-7- Martinez seems to have had enough of Lawrence for the time being. Tate took his place with a lot to prove. There was the odd mess-up, but they ranked very low on the Tate-o-meter as far as seriousness was concerned. His biggest mistake came at the other end; heading a free header wide, when the virtually open goal was right in front of him. Tate's tackling was solid and in the air he was commanding. Due to a lack of things to do in the first half he even went on one or two dribbles. He'll be delighted with this game, his ticket back into the team.
Painter-6- A quiet game, but he won't mind that. He ran up and down the wings a lot, but never received the ball, as usual. Whilst the rest of the team attacked, he stayed deep. Defensively he wasn't troubled for most of the game. When needed he was reliable, tackling well and getting on with the job.
Anderson-7- Ran a lot, but sometimes his final touch wasn't up to scratch. Anderson's a real handful, and he tortured Port Vale in the first half. His speed was too much for them, and he was unlucky not to score. But most of his attempts were from outside the box, and rarely beat the first black shirt. He found dribbling a breeze, tormenting Port Vale. In the second half I thought he tired a bit, and couldn't keep it up. Therefore he was subbed.
Britton-9- My Man of the Match. I thought he was outstanding, and proved how he has develoved as a player. You don't expect somebody so small to be such a good physical midfielder, but he was brilliant yesterday. He ran well with the ball when he had the chance, and was unlucky not to score in the first half with a toe-poke. His passing was simple yet effective. But it was his tackling that really impressed me today. When he played right-wing, he always was a good tackler, but now he's something else. Today he went in for some risky tackles, but was 100% every time. His judgement was immaculate and he got under the skin of Port Vale. Superb.
Bodde-8- What a return! Questions were being asked about his temperment, but we saw nothing today like we saw before his suspention. He was the control-room of the midfield. His passing was extravagant at times, but for most of the game it was simply the accuracy of his simple passes which made the difference. His goal was brilliantly taken, a thundered shot into the corner. He worked hard and earned his reward.
Pratley-8- The midfield maestro was at it again today, pulling all the strings. His link-up play was brilliant, and his energy was put to good use. In the first half he was running well with the ball, and passing well. His tackling was brilliant, as you'd expect, and he was a link in the midfield chain which emprisoned Port Vale in the first half. Extremely unlucky to get booked by half-wit ref. He slid in to bock the ball, was nowhere near the player, but the raf somehow thought that was more dangerous than the continuous fouling from behind by the Port Vale players! His goal killed off Port Vale and the game as a spectacle. Good finish.
Butler-7- In the first half he looked around 25. He dribbled well, cutting inside whenever he could, trying to get his shots away. Most of those shots were nowhere near going in. He sometimes laid the ball off for others, heling shift the ball more centrally. I've taken a point off because he should have scored at least one of his chances. He was a devil on the left-wing until he was subbed for Robinson.
Scotland-6- Quieter game than expected. Because the midfield were ruling the possesion he found it hard getting involved. He had a shot every now and then, ut never a clear scoring opportunity. He used his strength well and imposed himeslf on defenders. He played a valuable role as the distraction. As the game wore on less and less players could be bothered, and he had no chances to get on the scoresheet.
Substitutes:
Bauza-6- He tried very hard, and is clearly getting more to grips with League 1 football. He was hard working and clever. Unfortunately he barely had a sniff on goal, and spent most of the match observing play as it passed him by.
Robinson-7- Came on to play with Port Vale. It was an attempt at livening the game up. Robinson tried to get involved in everyhting, taking on defenders, creating chances, and looking to score. As well as that he displayed some playful touches and wasted a lot of time before the final whistle.
Brandy-6- He obviously wanted to create a big impression, but didn't have much of a chance. Had one good run with the ball, but was never going to score. We'll have to keep an eye on him before we can draw any conclusions. Good to see some more speed up front though, and could offer us something different up front later on in the season.
|
| Luton - A |
Peter and Bethan Charles -1504
DeVries - 8 A couple of terrific punches under pressure; was unlucky with the goal. Enjoyable rapport with the crowd too!
Rangel - 7 Caught out once but otherwise strong; and a great support to the attack
Painter - 7 Competent enough at the back but less effective in supporting Robinson
Monk - 9 Commanding at the back - some great headed clearances
Lawrence - 8 A strong game; excellent in the air today
Anderson - 7 Always dangerous though less effective today with his final ball
Robinson - 8 Tortured the opposition with his close control and mazy running from out wide; often looked our most potent attacker
Pratley - 8 Won the midfield battle, tracked back when he needed to and surged forward for an excellent assist
Britton - 7 Combative and skilful in midfield.
Bauza - 8 Maturing all the time and was a constant threat; sometimes a little slow to react
Scotland - 9 A terrific centre forward performance, holding the ball up brilliantly, bringing others into play and surging past defenders; scored a terrific clincher
Butler - Came on late for a brief cameo
Duffy - on only for a few minutes.
Great travelling support today which supported the team in a positive and vocal manner throughout - no anti-Cardiff songs, just a great following for the team. And some welcome camaderie with the home fans as we applauded them in their support for their team's plight. This was good one today - a great all round effort against disciplined and motivated opposition. There were no weak links in the side, and if we carry on playing like this - heck, we might even have a chance!
|
| Brighton (JPT) |
Nigel Gigg -1502
De Vries 7- A quiet night but did well.
Rangel 7 ? Another tidy game from one of most consistent performers.
Monk 8 ? Solid as a rock and got Big Den out of trouble more than once.
Lawrence 7 ? Won just about every high ball but did get caught out a few times.
Painter 7 ? Solid in defence and helped out down flank in attacks.
Anderson 6 ? Very quiet night with most of the attacking play coming down the left tonight.
Allen 7 ? Given far more freedom and so more of the ball than he did on Saturday.
O?Leary 6 ? Played role of Joe Allen?s minder well but tired noticeably in the last 20 minutes.
Orlandi 8 ? Excellent game with some sublime touches. Picked up knee injury ten minutes from time and hobbled his way through to the end of the game.
Duffy 7 ? Well taken goal and looked far more confident than we?ve seen in months.
Bauza 7 ? Some great work but really should have got on the score sheet tonight.
Subs-
Butler 6 ? Usual Tom Butler cameo.
Britton 7 ? Added much needed experience and fresh legs late on.
Pratley 7 ? As with Leon helped Swans retain possession for long periods late on.
|
| Havant - H |
Nigel Gigg -1501
De Vries 6 - Not sure whether he could have done something about the goal. Never looked fully confident today.
Amankwaah 3 - Not sure if he wasn`t interested, lacked match fitness or was just inept. Probably a combination of the three. Not likely to get many more run outs if this form continues.
Tate 6 - As captain he should have known better than to have charged into a melee.
Austin 6 - Almost gifted H&W a goal.
Painter 7 - Pick of defence.
Butler 6- Good first half. Lacked support form Amankwaah.
Britton 7 - One of the few who could come off with his head held high.
Allen 5 - Couldn`t impose himself on Pratley let alone the game.
Pratley 6 - Way off his recent form. Sometimes wants the ball too much.
Robinson 8 - Did well not to react to the thug marking him. Excellent game.
Scotland 6 - Again some way off his best.
Subs-
Duffy 5 - One chance that he failed to connect with and drifted offside anyway. Confidence in bits.
Bauza 6 - Didn`t impose himself on game.
Orlandi 6 - Lucky not to be in hospital having his leg put back together after the game.
|
| Swindon - A |
Daf and Gargo -1499
De vries. 6
Rangel. 7
Monk. 7
Lawrence 6
Painter 7
Pratley.7
Kol 6
Butler 7.5
Anderson 6
Bussy 6.5
Scotland 6
Robinson 6
Britton 7
All looked a but tired. Not a great performance but Swindon battled hard and organised well. Sending off for stamp on monk right in front of ref
|
| Swindon - A |
Robert -1497
De Vires 7/10: Didn't have to make a serious save I don't think, apart from easily catching the ball three times. But will he ever save a penalty, he goes the wrong way instead of watching the ball.
Rangel 10/10: My man of the match, absolutely brilliant, great defending, great attacking, crossing leads to trouble for opposition, just a world class footballer.
Lawrence 8/10: Can be dodgy at times, but did the job today and saved us many occasions including clearing a shot of the line towards the end.
Monk 8/10: Same old rock at the back performance, strong in air, nothing gets past him and also cleared a shot of the line towards the end.
Painter 8/10: Very impressed with Marcos, Nothing usually got past him and in 2nd half was pretty great going forward.
Anderson 7/10: Worked hard, crossing caused problems. Was taken off early in second half presuming he took a knock.
O'Leary 6/10: Ok as O'Leary will give his all but was kicking ball long, wasn't quick enough at times.
Prately 7/10: Wasn't his best, not the same without Bodde, missed a good chance towards the end. But ran his socks off in second half in our quality football.
Butler 7/10: Too predictable on the left same old cutting inside the right to have a shot at goal, when switched to right he was great and I think thats his position away from home especially.
Bauza 7/10: Lost ball at times but fought for it back is well. His shots were good, one was cleared of line and the other was well saved by swindon keeper.
scotland 7/10: Good holding ball, creative at times but that miss header in second half made it clear it wasn't his day.
subs that came on:
Britton 7/10: Came on and did his running of the midfield, don't know why he didn't start game.
Robinson 6/10; Frustrating again, but unfortunate for his shot to hit the underside of the bar.
|
| Leeds - H |
Nigel Gigg -1496
De Vries 6 – Handling not too assured today.
Rangel 8 - Great all round game.
Monk 9 – Absolutely Captain Fantastic.
Lawrence 7 – A few mistakes but showed terrific character.
Painter 7 – Another solid game.
Anderson 7 – Didn’t see anything like as much of the ball as he has in recent games.
Britton 8 – Here, there and everywhere.
Bodde 4 – Must be close to being in the Last Chance saloon. Will he ever learn?
Pratley 9 – Another brilliant display.
Robinson 8 – Another great goal and a classy display.
Scotland 8 – Showed terrific speed, strength and coolness for his goal.
Subs
Bauza 7- Held the ball up well.
Butler 7- As above.
Tate 7 – Help out and Leeds hardly got a shot in after he came on.
|
| Leeds - H |
Mike Thomas -1495
What a game yesterday, one that will live in the memory for so many reasons - the sheer brilliance of our goals, the magnificent support that drowned out the away end, the controversy, the gutsy fighting spiritwe showed and the superb football we played even when down to ten, it was all there.
My player ratings:
Doris 7 - under more pressure than he's faced in all the other games this season put together, but he coped very well. Just a bit disappointed with their free kick goal. He had it covered but instead of palming it around the post, he pushed it into the net.
Painter 7.5 - excellent defensive display when under the cosh, showed his class.
Monk 9 - tremedous battling perfomance against Beckford and Leeds' Route One football. Sublime goal, and what a time to score.
Lawrence 7 - one dreadfully judged back header which gifted them the first goal, but after that he really got stuck in and showed true grit.
Rangel 7.5 - good all-round display, particularly supporting attack.
Robbo 8 - great goal, great appetite for the fight, didn't always take the right option and lost possession by trying to hard once or twice, but I was impressed by his workrate, even in defence.
Pratley 8.5 - another superb showing from our very own Duracell man, ran the midfield on his own. Can't be long before envious clubs come knocking.
Bodde 1 - I'm going to reserve judgement until I see it on TV. On the face of it, looks as if he's let everyone down again big time. If so, he needs to be told to sort it out, once more and you're down the road, the new Roy Keane or not....
Britton 8 - another one who showed his class on the big stage, excellent control in tight situations, always there to break forward out of defence and put Leeds on the back foot.
Anderson 7.5 - brave, gutsy and always a danger down the flank, sometimes too good for his own team, especially Scotland, who can't seem to anticipate that he'll beat people and put the ball across the six yard line.
Scotland 8.5 - battled well on his own against the big Leeds defence, sometimes a little slow to react but his goal was the best individual effort I've seen from a Swans player for years. Absolutely outstanding strength and skill, beat two giant defenders to the ball and held them off for thirty yards before slotting it past the advancing keeper.
Subs:
Bauza 7.5 - must have been disappointed not to start, but ran his guts out for the team when he came on, put Leeds defenders under pressure at every opportunity.
Butler 6.5 - gave the something else to think about with his mazy runs, got into some good positions and should have scored late on, but also gave possession away twice to put us under big pressure.
Tate 7 - steadied the ship nicely as Leeds turned the screw in the final minutes, made sure Torre Andre Flo was just a spectator.
Management team 10 - what can I say, must have motivated the lads tremendously well, made the right subs at the right time and coped with a supremely difficult situation really well. Sent the poison dwarf away with a flea in his ear.
I'm floating on air at the moment, trying not to get too carried away. We've been here before, after all, and we haven't had our obligatory blip yet. I hope Allen or Way can slot into Bodde's role and keep this devastating attacking football going. Bring on Swindon.
|
| Leeds - H |
Jason Lewis -1494
That was the best I have seen a Swansea team play since....Wednesday.
The atmosphere was excellent and although we were playing another third division side it certainly was an occasion with the opposing side bringing so many fans to give us an indication of what we could see next season.
Mind you I hope the Police are better organised for large crowds if we do get promoted. That was kind of organised, organised chaos.
My ratings for what they are worth:
Dorus 7 (did seem to fumble a few)
Painter 7 very solid
Monk 8 I just want to see him encourage a bit more
Lawrence 7 would have been less but did much better when up against it in the second half
Angel 7 very good did get skinned twice
Robbo 8 fantastic free kick what about his hamstring?
Pratley 8.5 excellent performance
Britton 9 my MOM worried the crap out of them
Bodde well was looking very good util that decision
Anderson 7 fantastic pace maybe too fast
Scotland 8 got an extra mark for the goal
subs
Bauza 8 very clever running and holding trying to slow the attacks down to build up to run out time
Butler 7 effective would be amazing if he had andersons pace
Tate 7.5 Did a very effective job to ease the pressure
|
| Leeds - H |
G.Giles -1493
De Vries 7 Solid game, thought he was unlucky with the free kick.
Angel 7 Dependable and solid with some great runs and passes as usual.
Monk 8 His best game this year & chipped in with a valuable goal. Lets hope he gets a contract extension
Lawrence 6 At fault for the goal, but that didn't stop him trying for the rest of the game. Still our weak spot.
Painter 7 Solid performance. Good runs and passes.
Robbo 9 Superb display, he was a constant threat and is growing in stature with every game. did look tired in second half.
Britton 8 Hardworking and creative as ever. Some great touches.
Pratley 9 Brilliant display of fitness & commitment. This guy was everywhere. Long may it last player of season so far.
Bodde 5 Tried too hard. Ferrie has real talent and his potential is huge felt the sending off was harsh compared to some of the leeds players attitudes.
Anderson 7 His pace kept 2 defenders with their hands full. Good keep for the championship
Scotland 8 In & out of the game but like all good strikers, he was cool when it mattered. His run from 40 yards out holding off 2 defenders to slot in the far corner was a class goal. NO a lone stricker
bussy,tata & butler Ran their guts out for us to hold on. Bussy still fist choice for me.
Whatever mistakes were made by the above, I don't think there's any doubt that they are all willing to give everything for the badge we should all think about that before slagging anyone off. Long live the jax
|
| Leeds - H |
Pontypete -1492
De Vries 7 Solid game, thought he might have done better with the free kick.
Angel 7 Dependable as usual.
Monk 8 His best game this year & chipped in with a valuable goal.
Lawrence 6 At fault for the goal, but that didn't stop him trying for the rest of the game.
Painter 7 Solid performance.
Robbo 9 Superb display, he was a constant threat and is growin in stature with every game.
Britton 8 Hardworking and creative as ever.
Pratley 9 Brilliant display of fitness & commitment. This guy was everywhere.
Bodde 5 Tried too hard. Ferrie has real talent and his potential is huge..but only if he learns to get off the self destruct button.
Anderson 7 His pace kept 2 defenders with their hands full. Off target a bit too often.
Scotland 8 In & out of the game but like all good strikers, he was cool when it mattered. His run from 40 yards out holding off 2 defenders to slot in the far corner was the highlight of the game for me.
Bussy Tate & Butler 7 Ran their guts out for us to hold on.
Whatever mistakes were made by the above, I don't think there's any doubt that they are all willing to give everything for the badge we should all think about that before slagging anyone off.
|
| Cheltenham - H |
Mike Thomas -1484
My player ratings for today:
De Vries 7 - only had one serious moment, an outstanding double save just before they scored, nothing he could do about their marvellous overhead kick a few seconds later.
Rangel 7 - a quiet game in defence since Cheltenham rarely threatened down the left, supported the attack well.
Monk 7.5 - kept the giant Spenser under shackles, didn't put a foot wrong, hope and pray his injury is nothing serious.
Lawrence 7 - a fairly sound display apart from one blot on the copybook late on which led indirectly to their goal, but others went to sleep before that, so not blaming him alone.
Painter 7 - as Guto said, lucky not to be booked for a late challenge, but overall a solid and commited performance.
Anderson 6 - after a very bright start, had a bit of an off day by his standards. Old head Wright kept him fairly well marked; he continually cut inside in the second half and invariably fluffed or lost the ball.
Bodde 7 - usual neat and tidy performance, spraying passes around, occasionally shooting with effect. I didn't think his retribution foul was as bad as Guto said, I had good view right in line, it was only a block and I thought he was unlucky to be booked for it.
Pratley 9 - keeps getting better and better, covers the whole pitch time and again, always wants the ball, some sublime touches today, including taking a lofted pass on edge of area and doing a 'keepy uppy' for five or ten yards without breaking his stride before crossing on the volley for a great goal chance.
Robbo 8 - less selfish, more sensible in his passing and always dangerous around the box, superb goal which I hope wipes away the memory of his penalty misses.
Britton 8 - really has found his true roll just in front of the middle two in this 4-5-1 formation, he links play superbly well going forward and is always there to track back and break up attacks.
Bauza 7.5 - an excellent showing from the young Spaniard, intelligent frontman play, beautiful lay-offs to set others up, just needs an ounce more composure when shooting.
Subs:
Tate 7 - deputised well for Monk, one goal-saving toe poke to clear a wicked cross into the six yard box, nice run forward when no pass opened up, looked like Beckenbauer at his best!
Butler 6 - tried hard but not really comfortable playing Leon's role in the middle, and to coin an old joke, if he'd taken ten shots at John Lennon, the former Beatle would still be alive.
Scotland 6 - well taken goal, but looked a bit clumsy with two or three equally good chances when the ball seemed to get stuck under his feet in the box. If we could cross his shooting with Bauza's finesse, what a player we'd have!
Overall, a superb display of smooth, atacking football. Only one or two niggling worries. One, I hope Monk is OK for Saturday, I wouldn't fancy a pairing of Tate and Lawrence against Beckford and Kangol, or whatever his name is. Two, I think we took our foot off the pedal for ten minutes towards the end and got punished for it - OK, we were coasting at 4-0, but we can't afford to do that against Leeds, the late goal specialists. Three, anyone know a good electrician?
|
| Cheltenham - H |
Guto Llewelyn -1481
A magnificent show of confident football. The players filled me with confidence today ahead of the Leeds match.
Ratings:
De Vries-6- A terrific double save in the second half was his highlight, shame that just after that his clean-sheet dissappeared. He couldn't do much more to stop the ball going in, it was undoubtedly one of the goals of the season in the football league. Appart from that he had very little to do. His kicking was composed, and gave instructions from the back.
Rangel-7- Another great show from Rangel. Going forward he's got many dimentions. His creative passing and running again helped us get forward. Usually players from Spain take time to adjust to the speed of our league, but he's one of the quickest thinkers we've got (that says a lot). His defending was good when called upon. Is there any kind of award for the most attacking full-back in league 1? Because he'll win it all hands down.
Monk-7- Didn't have that much to do, but what he did he did proffesionally and in a confident manner. He was strong with Lawrence, and didn't give the Cheltenham strikers an inch. Though he didn't seem to do that much, we saw his importance when he left, and Cheltenham had a bit more room to work, and they scored their spectacular goal. May be criticised for not passing the ball quite fast enough at times. Hopefully he'll be back for Leeds, or we might be in trouble.
Lawrence-7- Pretty much the same as Monk. Rarely was he troubled by the Cheltenham strikers. In the air he was composed and in control. His passing was safe, without any mistakes.
Painter-7- Straight 7s for the back line. Painter might have been slightly fortunate not to get booked for a carelessly timed tackle in the second half, but that was it as far as mistimed challenges were concerned. His defending was perfect, every tackle and header immaculate. Painter was able again today to get forward a bit more, though not as much as we would have liked. He along with Rangel are tearing opposing wings appart.
Anderson-7- Once again we saw his speed cause trouble for full-backs. Anderson really was superb when he ran with the ball. He liked well with Rangel and set up a few chances. At times he tried a bit too hard, and was tackled, but you can forgive that when you saw him stretch the defenders. His skill's wonderful on the eye, and also creates chances. His second-half performance wasn't as good as the first, I think because he'd tired himself out a bit.
Britton-8- Not just there for pretty dribbling, he's also able these days to track back and make the vital challenges. Britton was quiet on the dribbling front, but his short passing game has improved greatly this season. He's changed into a central midfielder over night. His tackling today was as good as Pratley's or Bodde's. He may be quieter these days but he's more effective.
Bodde-7- The midfield maestro was poor to start, but quickly improved. As the rest of the team grew in confidence, so did he. His passing was creative and adventurous (though not always accurate). he could have scored more than just the one. A free-kick was tipped over the bar in the first half. His goal was brilliantly taken, a nice finish. Bodde had no chance to show off his defensive skill. Anger took over in the first half when he jumped in on a Cheltenham player in revenge; possibly could have received a yellow.
Pratley-9- Man of the match in my oppinion. In recent games he's shone, but today he excelled himself. As a midfield player he has everything. His tackling was determined and forceful, breaking down attacks where and when it matters. Pratley ran with purpose, using his strength to hold off players. He was very unlucky not to score, but he rarely had the chance. One of his criticisms is that he hasa poor touch, but there was no sign of that today. He even showed some beautiful pieces of skill.
Robinson-8- A vast improvement after the last few lazy games. His play was far brighter and less selfish. It seemed to me as if Martinez had kept him off the extra roast potatoes yesterday, because he looked as fit as anybody else on the pitch. Robinson was at his best today, running at defenders, and creaing chances for himself. I'm not sure if he scored the first goal, but the second was certainly one of his. A trademark Robinson strike, beautifully curled into the top corner. RObinson was awake for the whole 90 minutes. His shooting and passing was top-notch.
Bauza-6- Against poorer defenders he was able to play the role of lone-striker. I still though don't see this as his best position. Nevertheless Bauza worked hard and put Cheltenham under a lot of pressure. He never had any good chances to score, but his passing was good, as was his hold-up play. When he dropped deep we saw his clever touches and team-work. I thought he had scored the first goal, but my position wasn't the best. Found it hard in the second half, and was subbed.
Sub:
Butler-6- Replaced the exciting Britton, and didn't have as much impact. Unusually he was played in the middle, where he could only do so much. Not as much room to move as down the wing, and we saw less from him. He was desperate to score, but none of his attempts found the back of the net.
Tate-7- You know you're having a bad day when Alan Tate runs half the pitch, skinning any players that tries to tackle him. But Tate tried very hard to impress after coming on for Monk. Tate isn't as dependable as Monk, and if he plays against Leeds he'll be under far more pressure than today. As it was today turned out to be a rare attacking-opportunity for Tate, and rarely had to defend.
Scotland-7- He knew he had a place to win back, and I think he did it. Instantly after coming on he scored a good goal, running onto a pass, and smashing it past the keeper. He used his strength effectively, battling for the ball, and trying to get involved in everything. His eagerness to get involved might let him regain his place for the big Leeds match. He was more of a threat than Bauza.
|
| Cheltenham - H |
Nigel Gigg -1480
De Vries 7 – Hardly anything to do.
Rangel 7 – Quiet game, virtually redundant in defence.
Monk 8 – Gave Paul Connor nothing.
Lawrence 7 – One slip up late on eventually led to Cheltenham's goal.
Painter 8 – Didn't put a foot wrong.
Anderson 8 – Another left back would have left the Liberty Stadium not knowing if he'd had a s##t or a haircut.
Britton 8 – Another great display.
Pratley 9 – Dominated the midfield.
Bodde 7 – Great game but lucky not to have seen red.
Robinson 8- Did brilliantly for his two goals.
Bauza 8 – Linked with midfield five superbly.
Tate 7 – Able deputy for Garry Monk.
Butler 7 – Slotted in well but finishing was woeful.
Scotland 8 – Who better to come on when the lights go off!
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| Southend |
Wales on Sunday -1379
Peter Shuttleworth marks Martinez's men out of 10
DORUS DE VRIES 6
The Swansea goalkeeper was a virtual spectator and on a bitterly cold afternoon, did not have a single shot to warm his hands.
ANGEL RANGEL 8
The Spaniard had little defending to concern himself with so set about attacking Southend with
menace. One goal and one assist isn't bad for a full-back...
DENNIS LAWRENCE 6
Luckily Lawrence remembered to bring his woolly mittens to keep his hands snug as he didn't have his hands full with Southend's toothless attack.
GARRY MONK (C) 6
Returning after a hip problem, the Swansea captain was able to ease back into match action as Monk could sit back and enjoy the slick attacking play of his forward players.
MARCOS PAINTER 6
Attacked with purpose just to keep himself interested and set-up Swansea's third. Not quite the impact of Rangel but steady and solid to allow the attackers to attack.
LEON BRITTON 6
Typically busy performance from Britton in a much more withdrawn role than usual but was integral in an engine room that was the foundation of this Swansea rout.
FERRIE BODDE 8
The Dutchman was Swansea's lynchpin, their midfield enforcer who dictated play with his angled passes, his high-tempo and his incisive balls. What a buy from Martinez.
DARREN PRATLEY 7
The lanky midfielder's high-octane display ensured Swansea’s tempo never dipped even when 3-0 up. Purposeful runs, tough tackles and good attitude set the tone for the Swans.
ANDY ROBINSON 7
Robinson toyed with Southend like a predator with its prey. Not quite in full breathtaking flow but crucial to victory.
PAUL ANDERSON 7
His blistering pace gave Southend’s defence nightmares. The on-loan Liverpool winger certainly adopts his adopted club’s pass and move Liverpool-style groove.
WARREN FEENEY 6
His day went from delight to despair within 15 minutes as he celebrated his first league goal for two months then stretchered off to a rousing applause. Could be his last action in a Swans shirt?
SUBSTITUTES
Guillem Bauza for Warren Feeney (31), Tom Butler for Paul Anderson (60), Andrea Orlandi for Andy Robinson (79). Subs not used: David Knight, Alan Tate
SOUTHEND UNITED
Steve Collis, Lewis Hunt, Peter Clarke, Garry Richards, Steve Hammell, Alan McCormack (Simon Francis, 46), Nicky Bailey, Kevin Maher (c), Mark Gower, Charlie MacDonald, Dean Morgan (Franck Moussa, 46). SUBS NOT USED: Darryl Flahavan, Tommy Black, Garry Hooper
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| Southend - H |
Nigel Gigg -1378
De Vries 7 – Just for staying warm.
Rangel 9 – Absolutely brilliant today. Man of the match.
Monk 8 – gave nothing away.
Lawrence 8 – It says so much for the big fellow how well he has come back after being on the wrong end of so much criticism from some quarters.
Painter 8 – Gives us so much more balance.
Anderson 8 – Another master class of wing play.
Britton 8 – Super performance.
Bodde 9- Would have run Angel close for MOM.
Pratley 8- Another great game.
Robinson 7- Constant threat but would be such a better player if only he’d not try to do everything himself.
Feeney 8 – Another goal in would prove to be his last game for us.
Subs-
Bauza 7 – A long way from the finished article but does get in some great positions.
Butler 7- Decent showing with a goal to his credit.
Orlandi 8 – Only on 10 minutes but a great cameo performance.
|
| Southend |
Nick - Neath -1377
I've never posted any ratings before, but here they are, especially for Mike S.
De Vries-7
Rangel-8
Monk-7
Lawrence-7
Painter-7
Anderson-7
Britton-8
Bodde-8
Pratley-8
Robinson-6 (Trying too hard, which is much better than not trying. Andy needs to chill and just join in the great passing game we're playing)
Feeney-7
Sub:
Bauza-7
Butler-8
Orlandi-7
Mike S-0 (Are you Haydn in disguise!)
|
| Southend - H |
Guto Llewelyn -1375
What a performance, and what I believe will be a vital result. Southend will be in the top 6 at the end of the season, and beating them will give the team so much confidence.
Unfortunately, the good afternoon was soured a bit by what happened after the match for park and ride users like myself. If anybody else here was in that queue after the match, please do as I shall do, and write to the club. There were around 150 of us, a large proportion children, standing in line by Rossi's after the match, with no busses running. The first bus didn't arrive until around 5:30. The second didn't get there for another 10 minutes. The club let us fans down by not providing us with a vital service. I froze in that line, along with my young cousin who had a nasty cold.
Ratings:
De Vries-6- I'm sorry, was he playing today? Barely involved, and I can't remember him having to stretch once in the game. He should be thankful he was given such an easy ride.
Rangel-8- Another excellent display. He caused trouble for Southend throughout by running up the right-wing, adding to our attacking arsenal. His passing was crisp and quick. At times cought out of position, a bit too far forward, but most of the time his pace let him recover. When in the right position, his defending was efficient. His goal was well taken and well deserved. He's becoming one of my favourite players very quickly.
Monk + Lawrence-7- Both had less and less to do as time went by, but when called uppon they did well. They worked together today, which doesn't happen very often. In doing so they caught the Southend no.10 offside many times, leading to frustration for the away team. They didn't need to put in an amazing defensive show today as there was little effort made after the half by Southend to score. Their passing was simple and careful.
Painter-6- I don't know why but he seemed less confident in his own abilities today. Perhaps against a better team, he found attacking harder. Defended well, but again, didn't need to most of the time. His passing was inconsistant every now and again. When the team was in full-swing he didn't want to go forward, opting to play the conservative role. This left us short of options on the left-wing, as opposed to the right-wing where Rangel was getting involved.
Anderson-7- My one worry about Anderson is that he tires himself out far too quickly by using up all his energy. He was up to his old tricks, running at defenders and making them squeal. His speed, determination and ability created a cross out of nothing for Feeney to score. It was his general energy that impressed me today, giving 100%. In the second half he tried cutting in more frequently. In the end though he tired and was taken off.
Britton-7- He's far quieter in the middle, but he does the same amount of work. He switched from side to side and was instrumental in our passing play through the Southend Midfield and defence. He was close to scoring with a shot squeezed through a cluster of blue shirts that went just wide. Linked up with anybody he could find and played a good mixture of passing and running football. Being moved centraly by Martinez is turning Britton into a better player.
Bodde-7- I can't quite work out why but he doesn't seem as hard working as when I first saw him. His passing's very good and very intelligent. He's stopped the high sweeping passes now, and has chosen instead to pass more on the floor. He didn't tackle much today. His shooting chances were limited, and didn't get much of a chance to score. Helped in the build up of moves, but I get the feeling there's so much more to come from him, and he's in 3rd gear at the moment.
Pratley-7- He wasn't as attacking today, and we missed that aspect of his play from time to time. In defence, where's he's more comfortable, he was working hard and stopping Southend from attacking. He was the hardest worker on the pitch in my oppinion, and he's so important if we're to challenge teams like Carlisle and Leeds in the next few matches. He's overflowing with confidence, like most of the players, and he's using it to good effect.
Robinson-5- The only regular starter lacking confidence. The problem is that he's a naturally confident player, but when he goes through a bad spell he loses all common sense and having him on the team can be like being down to ten and a half men. He tried his hardest, and in the first half some things came off for him, as he showed some very neat touches. But in the second half he didn't acknowledge any of his team-mates. He slowed the game down and cost us when we had good chances. He's not a team player at the moment and needs to be dropped. His penalty miss symbolised his form. He must hand over penalty-taking duties to Britton.
Feeney-5- Scored with a very good header. He played well, not trying to fill in for Scotland, trying to do his own thing. His injury looked painful, and soon it became apparent he'd need to go off. From what I heard one guy say in the queue for the parka and ride afterwards, his leg was bent awkwardly. Worrying signs for Feeney, hope it's not as serious as it seems.
Sub:
Bauza-5- Found the going hard. I still don't think he's ready to play the lone-striker's role, as he's afraid to get too physical. He needs to learn how to channel his obvious natural strength. Bauza had only a hand-full of chances to score, and at times got carried away with himself. He still has a lot to learn before he can start regularly for this club.
Butler-8- He played very well. I keep saying he's improved since last season, and today's performance was proof of that. His hip movements are great, and confuse defenders. His passing's more controlled and more cautious. His goal was brillaintly taken, a very good header. I think he should start against Carlisle instead of Robinson. He wanted to impress, and he did so.
Orlandi-6- Only on for a few minutes and didn't have much of an effect on the game. Held the ball in the corner, and showed some good touches. His time-wasting annoyed me at the end; it doesn't take much just to kick the ball back to your own player for a throw-in!
Well done boys! A very good show against one of the league's big names. We are top of the league with a game in hand!
Today for the first time since pre-season I really thought we're going up automatically. The Christmas period won't make or break our season, but victories against Carlisle and Leeds would go a long way to securing promotion. Come on Swansea!
|
| Southend - H |
Mike Thomas -1372
Outstanding display of flowing, attacking football today, we are playing majestically. There's only one question at the moment - can we keep it up? I'm not going to mention the 'P' word yet, I just want to congratulate the players and staff, especially Mr Martinez, for giving us the kind of football I haven't seen for years following the Swans. Great stuff.
My player ratings:
Doris 6 - literally did not have one attempt to save in the whole game. Did what he had to well enough.
Rangel 8.5 - defended stoutly, attacked like a top winger, took his goal tremendously well after running the length of the pitch. See Rumours below.
Monk 7 - crafty and solid in equal measure, does just enough to win the ball or put his man off with a little nudge.
Lawrence 7.5 - seems to have got over his blip of a few weeks back and is now much more decisive, giving his man no room and winning headers.
Painter 8 - back to his best, sticks to his man like a limpet, and his attacking, though often wasted because of Robbo's selfishness, was tireless and led to the third goal.
Anderson 6 - quiet game for him today, took a couple of hard tackles early on and a few fouls, which took the steam out of him a bit.
Bodde 8 - gave the ball away carelessly once or twice, but overall he was at his peak, spraying passes around from the centre of the pitch with pinpoint accuracy, one lovely shot from 25yds which stung the keepers hands.
Pratley 8 - also well over his dip in form, he blends so well with Bodde and was everywhere again today, his 'engine' is fantastic, covered every blade of grass, used the ball intelligently.
Robbo 5.5 - started very brightly, but soon started running down blind alleys. I knew he would miss the penalty (told my mate before he took it), nothing's going right for him at the moment, Monk should have insisted someone else took it. Tried too hard after that and rightly subbed.
Feeney 7 - took his goal well, looked lively, hope his injury isn't serious.
Subs:
Bauza 6.5 - worked hard but took a few wrong options, will get better the more he plays.
Butler 7 - tricky and eager for the ball, Southend's hearts must have sank wehn they got rid of Anderson, onyl to face him. Lovely deft header for his goal.
Orlandi 6 - looked comfortable on the ball but we were three up by then, still looks a bit lightweight despite some lovely touches.
Just to say that rumours in the pub suggest we will get offers for Rangel in January. Tighten up his contract, Roberto!
|
| Horsham H |
Guto Llewelyn -1347
Following our shocking defensive performance in the first half hour of yesterday's match, I though we played reasonably well, locked out Horsham, and restricted them.
I was dissappointed at the way some of our players didn't seem to take it seriously. Had people like Bodde tried a bit harder, we could have won 10-2.
Ratings:
De Vries-4- Had little to do, but what he did very badly. At fault for both Horsham's goals, coming out too early for their first, and gifting them a second with a dreadful pass, the likes of which we never even aw with Willy! His kicking was shakey all night. I'm just glad he's had this dreadful performance against Horsham, and not against a League 1 club. I never imagined he could have such a bad match.
Rangel-8- The one defender who looked competant throughout. His passing was comfortable, and when he ran he caused quite a few problems for Horsham. In defence he was rarely called upon, but dealt with everything well. His superb cross set up the killer goal for Bodde. When other foreign players were lazy, he rose to the occasion.
Lawrence-6- In the first half an hour of the match he couldn't mark his man. He was so relaxed it was incredible. He along with Tate were to blame for their opener. After that they were rarely needed in defence. When he went forward he caused a few problems, and nearly scored, but his header was tame and straight at the goalie.
Tate-6- Basically the same as Lawrence, he didn't settle for a long time (not until after Horsham had scored their goals). A member of the triangle at fault for the Horsham opener, he didn't inspire much confidence in the first 30 minutes. He was hesetant and at times sloppy in the first half, not what you'd expect from a captain, though his job was not helped by Lawrence's dozy approach to the game. After half time he looked more confident, and able to lead a bit better, confining Horsham to their own half. Not needed defensively in the second.
Austin-4- If you can't play out of position against Horsham, you can't play out of position against anyone. He showed last night why he's not a left-back. He should have been punnished for a clumsy tackle in the area after 8 seconds. He was consistantly caught out by their right-wing's pace. Austin was wound up once or twice by the same winger, at one time, nearly going over the edge. Even when the pressure was off, he looked uncomfortable. Going forward he was as much use as a lifejacket in the Atacama desert. His crossing was poor, and passing wasn't brilliant. Just as in the first match, Austin found Horsham troubling.
Anderson-7- Found it a bit too easy at times to get around Horsham. His speed was teasing the defence and tiring them. However at times he was like others too confident, and tried to go the extra mile, when he was being closed down. His distribution was good but not great, and had far less effort on the match than one would have liked.
Britton-8- This was his kind of night. He ran rights around some of the Horsham defenders, dribbling expertly. His goal was the best of the night in my oppinion. A well timed run, latching onto the lay off from Scotland to smash it home. He showed last night how hard he works for the team, running all over the pitch. Set up one with his stunning control, followed by a good pass. His energetic performance was one of the highlights of last night's game.
Bodde-5- A very lazy performance from a player that usually gives it his all. He was unable to control midfield, and let Horsham pass the ball. His tackling was non-existant, though he didn't have many chances to tackle. Whilst attacking we were let down more than once by some short or inacurate passing. He went close in the first half with a soft curling shot that went just wide. Appart form that his shooting was awful, blasting it high and wide when a pass was the obvious answer.
Pratley-9- Undoubtedly man of the match. He ran his socks off for the team, and did the jobs of around 4 men at times. Where you'd expect Bodde to be controling Horsham, it was Pratley. He didn't let them move an inch. He scored a very well taken goal, and was involved in everything. He was running at yellow and green shirts, making them worry. His intelligent play got us back into the game after going behind twice. Why Martinez doesn't consider him as captain is beyond me!
Robinson-6- He's off form, and isn't thinking straight. Against | |
