Howard – 5 – can’t remember him making a save and really needs to be commanding and come off his line more.
Clarke – 6 – decent, will only get better with game time.
Onariase – 7 – defended well but too many aimless hoofs to nobody.
McGahey – 6 – not his best game, only really did the basics.
O’Malley – 7 – first time he’s made me think we have a prospect here!
Gilliead – 9 – class above.
Spence – 9 – must have broken up play around 20 times and led by example in our high tempo press which was great to see the whole team doing well!
Beestin – 8 – looked classy tonight.
Eisa – 9 – a constant threat when he’s on song as he was tonight (let’s ignore the shocking corners).
McAtee – 8 – looked the McAtee we know he can be, great pass for Eisa’s first.
Loft – 6.5 – decent enough and actually managed 1 or 2 passes that found a teammate.
Jarvis – 7 – thought he did really well after coming on, the ball definitely sticks with him a lot more than it does Loft.
Taylor – 6.5 – definitely better being further up the pitch.
Rowe – N/A – not really involved in the game enough to give a rating.
Cox – 9 – please let this be the proof that 442 is our best formation and anything else is garbage. Each player knew their role, the team played with the most tempo I’ve seen this season and pressed really well. Harrogate are very much a kick and rush team but I think our press forced them into this much more than they would have liked. I don’t think the scoreline would have flattered us if we’d have scored 8 tonight…more of the same please!
Pathetic, pathetic, pathetic. Cox the main problem tonight in dropping a formation that has seen our only decent performances this season. At least we now know it’s his shite formations and tactics that are more to blame rather than no experience or Watson in goal.
Used to be really good for Reading against us but that was way back in the Championship days. Whatever he’s like nowadays I think we could do with central midfield reinforcements with Vincent being out. If Beestin or Spence join him on the treatment table we’ve only really got Hornshaw and Pugh, neither of whom are ready IMHO.
Can’t really argue with the ratings above. Loft is so frustrating, he holds up the ball well but then either hangs onto it too long and gets dispossessed, plays the wrong pass or just hoofs the ball to nobody. I’d rather still have Wootton going by what I’ve seen from him so far.
Morecambe changed the game when they brought Stockton on and he bullied our centre backs. Would have been daylight robbery if we won the game but still sucks conceding so late!
Definitely sounded like a transfer rather than a loan. I would like to see him given a chance, especially ahead of the likes of Jarvis and Turan. But if Cox doesn’t rate him and he isn’t going to play it’s probably better to get whatever we can for him now rather than him leave for free at the end of the season.
I’d have Hallam over McAtee. If Hallam can stay fit I think he can be a big player for us. What’s McAtee actually done…score what, 2 league goals for us?
Pele’s got it pretty much spot on apart from I’d only give Loft a 6. He put himself about well but gave the ball away loads (again) and definitely should have passed to McAtee for a tap in!
Apart from the Eisa wonder goal this is pretty horrendous. We can’t put more than one pass together and just hoof it back to Vale at every opportunity.
Disregarding fitness/injuries, same starting 11 to keep the shirt. We didn’t do too badly against them at the start of the season so with our squad looking much healthier now than it was back then I’m hoping for a positive result.
Pretty much the same as BS but a 6 for Clarke and 8 for Bedeau, who for a centre half showed better control for his goal than Loft has the entire season!
Such a massive difference having a bit of experience in the team and playing a simple 4-4-2 where everyone knew what there job was. Bedeau & Onariase fantastic, Beestin fantastic, big Kev fantastic. Definitely has the makings of a decent spine!
And there’s me thinking apart from the Exeter game all the other games that were severely impacted by Covid were postponed. So what about the other 12 games this season where we were in pretty much the exact same position as every other club in the football league?
Beestin is our most experienced central midfielder (in terms of English Football League anyway)…he’s made over 50 professional appearances, the majority being for Donny in League 1! He deserves a chance after his recent performances.
Well said that man, agree with almost everything he said, especially with being frustrated by Swann blaming Covid (which all clubs are in the same position with!). This started in January when we started getting rid of experienced players like Novak and Lund, with Swann already coming out with his groundbreaking “go with youth (i.e. cheap non-league cast-offs)” model.
