not sure why everyone is reacting to the game as though this was a one off bad display. We've played like this away from home a lot this season and to be honest the side has not played well since Christmas. In recent weeks we have been ugly away from home. Leeds tore us apart, Watford were terrible but we were only just better and Millwall we stunk the place out. Gone are the days where we passed it out from the back, showed real bravery on the ball and dominated games. We hoof it much more, but we also don't seem to show the levels of ball control in midfield to ensure we keep possession.
The fact remains we have won games playing badly and plenty have told me the performance doesn't matter its the result (********), but today we got what we deserved, poor performance AND a defeat.
Davis 7 solid display, can't fault him
Butterfield 0 absolute total waste of a shirt. Liability in defence and crap with the ball. Crossing woeful. Worst game I have ever seen him play for us.
Jos 6 had a decent first half, won a lot early on, but he didn't win the header that led to their second and lost his man for their third. Hard to ignore the third goal, but you'd be surprised how often players get miles fro their markers only for defenders to to get lucky as the ball doesn't find them. it did today. But if you can try to ignore those two key moments his all round game wasn't bad.
Fonte 7 casual (or too slow, not sure which) and not strong enough for their second. Chucked himself at everything else. Bit slow on the ball, perhaps the options weren't there.
Fox 6 too casual at times and went missing a few times in first half. He lacks pace, so I guess he did quite well to stick with Ince who was a real livewire in that first half. Quiet game for him.
Chaplow 5 needs players around him to work the ball so he can make runs. He's seeing too much ball. He is needs to be working more off the ball. Not back to his best, but then again he had a long spell in the latter half of his first season when he was terrible too. Need him firing otherwise we are a man short in midfield. The Reading game worries me as they are so quick in midfield. We need them chasing Chappers not the other way round.
Morgan 6 I can see why some fans don't like his simple ball stuff. Too much if that today. Diamond doesn't help him and Cork IMO. When we are struggling he needs to step up, but if his job is to sit can he?
Cork battled hard in first half, but disappeared in second in which his touch wasn't good enough. Needs a little space to work in and he didn't have it. Nigel ****s around with the diamond and he is very often the loser.
Lallana 7 I thought he had a decent game, especially in the first half, an improvement on Millwall that's for sure, but he still gave the ball away too much towards the latter part of the game, but he's always going for the killer ball and that's much harder to complete than a square pass 5 yards.
Sharp 4 missed his pen, OK, it happens, but he had a great chance in the second but he was just not sharp enough and defender made a last gasp tackle. If he was sharper he wouldn't have had a chance to make that tackle though. Hold up play and lay offs were woeful. Luxury player that has not taken enough chances since he came for a bloke that does nothing other than score goals.
Guly 6 should perhaps have scored and just didn't do anything else in the first half. better in the second with some neat play in midfield, but if he's dropping in then we are playing one up front. Little wonder why we have a lot of possession in the match but not threat.
de Ridder thought he tried too hard and by and large he was rubbish.
Barnard not on long enough, perhaps someone stretching their defenders would have helped, but he doesn't have pace either
