Ratings v West Ham

[spurious1]

I don't understand the slagging off of Charlie at CB today. He's been dodgy this season in his usual RB place, but I have to say that today at CB he did alright. Maybe I didn't see the same game?

Also, that was the best game Cudicini ever played for us, he was fantastic, must be an 8.

But we lost...so can't be all positive....

Cudicini - 8

Hutton - 6 - on and off

Corluka - 7 - rather good actually

Bassong - 7 - also did his job

Bale - 6 - an awesome winger right now, and a mediocre defender, lost his edge at LB

Hudd - 4 -was awful. Every time with that same little chipped pass which never came off, should have been wearing his pajama suit today, looked like he was about to nod off

Jenas - 6 - looked good off and on, then disappeared

Modric - 6 - some good stuff, but not his top stuff

VdV - 7 - I'm afraid he's going to get sick of this lot, because they're not up to his level, must be frustrating to put on all that clever stuff, for you teamates not to get it

Crouch - 4 - pretty awful, he usually has more about him..

subs, can't be bothered, nothing much to say

 

[fortworthspur]

Cudicini - 8

Hutton - 7
Corluka - 6
Bassong - 6
Bale - 5.5

Lennon - 3
Jenas - 5
Hudd - 5.5
Modric - 6.5

VDV - 7 (poor guy.....he really tries to link up with his team maets and no one is there....or understands what he tries to do)

Crouch - 3 (how is it possible to be so weak and still play 80 mins?)

Keane - 6 ( at least he tried and finally our midfield and attacking players connected when he came on)
Pav - no time
Gio - no time

:up: same with Modric, to a lesser extent. The rest of them are playing with finger paints.

 

[walworthyid]

:up: same with Modric, to a lesser extent. The rest of them are playing with finger paints.

I don't think it is quite that simple. Yes mods and vdv are different class, but, they are different class at what they do. Our team is falling down because we don't have a decent striker.

They look to feed the ball into strikers around the edge of the box and to pick clever little passes and angles from there. At the moment, once they get the ball and turn to face the opposition's goal, there is either some gangly, bamby-on-rollerblades looking twit, a pointy-shoutey bloke running around like a headless chicken, or a sullen, 6 ft russian who gets blown off the ball by a gentle breeze. There simply is nothing for them to do.

All the opposition have to do is camp around the edge of their box and watch us huff and puff in front of them.

We should have kept Obika, at least the lad can run.

Please come back soon jermaine!

 

[fortworthspur]

no argument from me regarding our strikers.

 

[spurs_viola]

Crouch was blunt, just further illustrates how badly we lack a top class striker.

We really did drop the ball not moving Pav and or keane on to bring in an upgrade over the summer (we probably should have accepted the losses in terms of fees for these two just to create space to bring someone in)

Crouch has been blunt against many if not most of EPL defenders. Yet, predictably, your conclusion is that it was Pav and/or Keane who should have been moved out? Bizarre (yet, sadly, quite popular) logic...

 

[spurs_viola]

....

Bassong 5.5 - exposed as slow minded couple of times... has good physical attributes but doesn't fill me wtih confidence

Bale 5.5 - we all know boy has some serious ability, but he has to learn a teamplay

Huddlestone 5 - static and predictable

Jenas 5.5 - we are failing to utilize his undeniable ability and talent. with proper guidance he would be twice a player. otherwise he will be average with occassional glimpses of talent as today

Modric 6.5 - tried, hustled, looked, passed, moved as always, but was surronded by static underperformers most of the time

VdV 6.5 - generally same as modric

Lennon 5 - mostly plain bad and predictable

Crouch 5 - uninspired and helpless

subs - not worth mentioning

Agree in general, especially with parts highlighted by me.
For all the deserved praise that Bale has had, I noted even last season that he has a tendency to go for individual effort even when other players get themselves in better positions in space, ready for a pass/cutback. Last season I noticed that with Pav and Modric pulling into space in the box, only for Bale to go for a shot from a tight angle; this season it has been mainly VDV who makes nice little runs into space around pen area but is ignored/not noticed by Bale and other teammates through lack of vision.

Several times today VDV made himself available near the opposition pen area but was ignored by a teammate in favour of a safer, indifferent ball sideways or backwards. At this rate he may get frustrated sooner rather than later. Modric and him should be given opportunities to link up as much as possible, but other players really need to provide more movement off the ball too.

 

[stevenqoz]

Against West Ham we did not need Jenas. Bale should have stayed wide left rather than going back to full back. Huddlestone, VDV and Modric as a 3 man central midfield was the way to go....a blend of run and passing. In theory Bale and Lennon ought to have been able to give the spammers problems. In the unbalanced side we put out we tried to go through the middle too much and once in front West Ham brought almost everyone back and we never got momentum enough to trouble them. As well as all that our forwards don't seem to be up to the job.

 

[southlondonyiddo]

Oh how I enjoyed my walk from Canning Town to Upton Park today!

I thought Modric was our best player today. JJ/VDV/SEB all did pretty well. Thudd was very quiet for the most part. Crouch was poor. Corluka and Lennon are struggling for form and Bale was quiet & poor old Keano came on and had a very good chance towards the end. He played a very weak curly shot/back pass stright to Green from 8 yards when totally unmarked (they didnt show that on the highlights) & Pav tried and looked livelyish when he came on

A serious lack of quality up top today

 

[3Dnata]

Just a brief question to the Bale shoulds not have payed LB people. Who else did we have to put there today?

 

[garyhopkins]

Cudicini 6.5
Hutton 5.5
Bassong 5.5
Corluka 6
Bale 5.5
Huddlestone 5
Lennon 5
VDV 6
Modric 6.5
Jenas 5
Crouch 5
subs
Keano 5
Gio 5
Pav 5

 

[jonnyp]

VDV the best of a bad bunch. Looking at the quality of the football in the City vs Chelsea game made us and West Ham look like 3rd division teams. Pathetic.

 

[Bill_Oddie]

Just a brief question to the Bale shoulds not have payed LB people. Who else did we have to put there today?

Bassong, apparently.

Yes, I know.


BILL_ODDIE'S "UNIQUELY POSITIVE AND OPTIMISTIC" RATINGS:

Cuddles - He can make saves.

Hutton - He can defend.

Corluka - He isn't injured anymore.

Bassong - He didn't cost us a goal.

Bale - He wasn't beaten all day.

Lennon - He put in one very good ball.

Modric - Good, quick and will be better once he's fully match fit.

Jenas - Was better than Huddlestone.

Huddlestone - May have had all the hallmarks of a big smelly shit but at least didn't actually stink of one. I guess.

Van der Vaart - Has worked out that Gareth Bale and Luka Modric do deserve to be passed to, which suggests he might feel the same way about more players given time.

Crouch - Very, very tall.


Subs:

Keane - Good flapping.
Gio - Sexy hair.
Pav - Excellent blond-ness.

Harry Redknapp - At least now knows what it's like to be serenaded by 25,000 heavily aroused men.

 

[fortworthspur]

Bassong, apparently.

Yes, I know.


BILL_ODDIE'S "UNIQUELY POSITIVE AND OPTIMISTIC" RATINGS:

Cuddles - He can make saves.

Hutton - He can defend.

Corluka - He isn't injured anymore.

Bassong - He didn't cost us a goal.

Bale - He wasn't beaten all day.

Lennon - He put in one very good ball.

Modric - Good, quick and will be better once he's fully match fit.

Jenas - Was better than Huddlestone.

Huddlestone - May have had all the hallmarks of a big smelly shit but at least didn't actually stink of one. I guess.

Van der Vaart - Has worked out that Gareth Bale and Luka Modric do deserve to be passed to, which suggests he might feel the same way about more players given time.

Crouch - Very, very tall.


Subs:

Keane - Good flapping.
Gio - Sexy hair.
Pav - Excellent blond-ness.

Harry Redknapp - At least now knows what it's like to be serenaded by 25,000 heavily aroused men.

:rofl: genius. the whole thing, but the Crouch line was the clincher.

 

[stemark44]

Just for the record -
Huddlestone -total passes 74 accuracy 81%
VDV -total passes 49 accuracy 86%
Modric -total passes 75 accuracy 88%
Jenas -total passes 75 accuracy 88%.

 

[EastLondonYid]

Cudicini 7 Kept us in the game for much of it.

Hutton 5.5 Pick of the bunch defensively.
Corluka 5 Did better than I expected him too. Poor for their goal.
Bassong 4.5 Looked absolutely desperate at times. Really off last seasons excellence.
Bale 3 At fault for their goal, because he wasn't on the post. Poor offensively, average defensively.


Lennon 3 Why has he stopped running at people?
Jenas 5Put in a good shift, nothing spectacular, just kept it simple.
Modric 7 - MOM How we have missed him, superb movement, superb interplay, superb effort. Just let down by those surrounding him unfortunately.
Hudd 3 Oh Tommy, Tommy, Tommy. Today you were fucking awful. Running on empty?

VDV 6 Did okay, but really looks sometimes like he is out for himself rather than the team. Missed a chance to put Modric clean through early on.

Crouch 3 Absolutely horrendous once again. He literally offers nothing other than height. I want to like him so fucking badly, but I can't when time after time after time he loses the fucking ball when it would have been simpler to keep hold of it.

SUBS 5 None of them really had much time or service to make any impact, or any real mistakes, so they all get a 5.

:clap::clap::clap::clap::clap:

thank fuck someone with a bit of football sense.....agree with every comment you made fella!!

I can't beleive how some can't fucking see that luka was playing at another level to everyone else on the pitch....he is a little gem, and i felt so sorry for him.

those who wrote he offered little...:duh: ......
i will note and stay well clear of in the future...very scary lack of football knowledge...

tommy..slowing the game down far too much.

Bale.. kept stopping and passing it backwards.

Crouch played almost the worse front man performance , terrible.

azza..i said last week he is going to get the chop if he doesn't start
performing soon...now is the time i'm afraid, i'm a big fan, but he is out of sorts right now,big time.

to be honest, the players i feared would fuck up, didn't...

Carlo.. did all he could really, made 2 excellent saves.

Charlie...the goal apart, played well.

Hutton..after a dodgy start..did ok




Look, i don't think we were really poor, but we started slowly again, it was their cup final, they got off to a flyer, and we were off the early pace.

i'm a bit worried that we started so slowly, surely we knew west ham would come out like they did.

I felt we had good possesion for parts of the game,but were far too slow, and never really opened them up.

another day to forget and move on...only the scum result sort of cheered me up a little....but not alot.

 

[Alfieconnman]

Cudicini 7 - Better than he has previously been given credit for. Saved us from ignominy.

Hutton 7 - Worked hard and showed that, contrary to opinion of many, he can defend as well as providing a fast attacking option.

Corluka 6 - Did a decent job but is very exposed by his lack of pace.

Bassong 6 - Short of his earlier quality and missed an experienced CB next to him.

Bale 6 - Demonstrated why BAE is first choice LB. Attacking value limited by playing in this position.

Lennon 3 - Lazy, gutless and totally ineffective. The guy is starting to look as though he is no longer interested.

Jenas 5 - Largely anonymous and lacks the constant commitment that this position requires.

Hudd 4 - Ineffective against any opposition that presses and plays at pace. Never at the races.

Modric 6 - Never often able to be a major threat as forced to play deep to help out the rest of our woeful midfield.

VDV 6 - Great player but would be more effective if he was a little less selfish. I'm sure this will resolve itself in time.

Crouch 3 - The novelty value has worn off and he is no longer any threat in the EPL as he has been completely "sussed". Opposing teams just mark him closely and he either gives away a free kick or fluffs his lay off. He simply does not have the positional sense or technical ability to be a major threat.

GDS - Not strong enough.

Pav - Did not make an impact. However I still rate him as the best of our currently available strikers and feel that with a decent run of starts (which he has never been given) his confidence would improve and he could deliver the goods. This of course will never happen.

Summary - Crouch cannot operate as a lone striker. All credit to the Spammers for a spirited performance and a fine display by Green but, notwithstanding, a hopeless midfield and an ineffective forward cost us a match which we should have won. Very, very disappointing.

 

[lifeof...]

That's pretty much 5 prem games in a row, we have played well below our ability..(man c the exception) For most of the match, it was like we were in second gear, with only a few playing in 3rd (they couldn't play in top gear with out the other going up a notch or 2)And this is true of the other 4 prem games. If your happy to make excuses, or try to put a positive slant on things, or single out individual players, fair enough its your choice, For me, im sorry, but we have been very disapointing, displaying on the whole, a real lack of desire and will. It must be exstremly frustrating for the few players who are actually trying. a lot of the "small" teams, will not be beaten by a "2nd gear Spurs" The sooner the players and coaches / manager wake up to that, the better will we do.

Edited: actually surprised Jordon hasn't beaten the shit out of a few

 

[There's always next year]

The failure to buy a strong, athletic and pacy striker, compounded with Defoe's injury has left us with a front line more toothless than Everton. We're left with three donkeys, one very tall and awkward one, one very slow with flappy arms and one who doesn't want to be here.

This will be a massive short coming this year.

 

[Gilzeanking]

The failure to buy a strong, athletic and pacy striker, compounded with Defoe's injury has left us with a front line more toothless than Everton. We're left with three donkeys, one very tall and awkward one, one very slow with flappy arms and one who doesn't want to be here.

This will be a massive short coming this year.

I said the same after the Hutton inspired Wolves win , not much agreement at the time . DM ,f'rinstance said he was content with the forwards .
False economy drawing in our financial horns re a striker . I also found it hard to concur that there were only 2-3 possible to purchase forwards in the world better than what we have .

 

[Legend10]

I can't believe anybody would blame Bale for the goal by saying he wasn't on the post, do you seriously think that the players don't have instructions on where they should be facing corners?

The fact that we don't have a player on the back post from corners is a management decision, not Bale's!