Rate The Players v Crewe Alexandra | Vital Football

Rate The Players v Crewe Alexandra

Scotimp

Scotimp

Vital Football Legend
"Reports of my death are greatly exaggerated." - Mark Twain

Whether or not Twain actually said that is open to debate, but there is no doubt that today's win - and the manner of it - has done much to lift the mood of the usual depressing suspects on Vital Lincoln City. The harakiri has been postponed until at least 10pm on Tuesday, the temptation to self-flagellate has subsided a little, and the family cat remains unbooted into the atmosphere.

OK, that's enough about my pastimes, so let's get on with the ratings instead.

6.0 is the par score, use half-marks and give us your comments too.

Deadline is 5pm on Monday.

Oh, and may I politely ask you not to change the order of the player list below - it doesn't half make it more difficult to collate the results. Copy and paste would be good in this context. Ta ever so.

I suspect I know what is going to happen now.

Palmer
Poole
Jackson
Montsma
Bramall
Edun
McGrandles
Jones
Rogers
Johnson
Morton

Hopper
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Palmer 7
Poole 7
Jackson 7
Montsma 7.5
Bramall 7
Edun 8
McGrandles 7.5
Jones 7
Rogers 7
Johnson 7.5
Morton 7

Hopper 7
 
Palmer 7 A couple of early dodgy moments aside very assured and an exceptional save at 2-0

Poole 7.5 Very good match both in an attacking and defending aspect. The amount of headed clearances he does at the far post is incredible
Jackson 7 Solid as a rock
Montsma 7 Bar the early nonsense with Palmer very good
Bramall 7.5 Best game in a City shirt. Even atoned himself for one error. Showed today why MA brought him to the club

Edun 7.5 Terrific in the holding role. A very controlled performance
McGrandles 7.5 Covered so much ground again and a fantastic finish
Jones 7 Back to his early season performances today

Rogers 7.5 Once he had scored he settled into his game and had an excellent game
Johnson 7.5 Dangerous throughout and an excellent goal
Morton 7 Worked very hard and would have scored bar that fine stop by their keeper

Hopper 7 What a pass for the third goal. If that had been at Premier level it would be on repeat on Sky
 
Palmer 7
Poole 7
Jackson 7
Montsma 8.5
Bramall 6.5
Edun 9
McGrandles 8
Jones 7.5
Rogers 7.5
Johnson 8.5
Morton 7.5

Hopper 7
 
Palmer 6.5
Poole 7
Jackson 6.5
Montsma 7.5
Bramall 7
Edun 7
McGrandles 7.5
Jones 6.5
Rogers 6.5
Johnson 8
Morton 7

Hopper 7
 
Palmer 7
Poole 6
Jackson 7
Montsma 7
Bramall 7
Edun 7.5
McGrandles 8
Jones 7
Rogers 6
Johnson 6.5
Morton 6

Hopper 7
 
Humble pie time for few on here, me included. Great team performance, not a trace of fatigue.
Palmer 7.5 - one pass back calamity aside, back to his best, one great save, assured keeping and good distribution.
Poole 7.5 - good getting forward, not afraid to get deep into the box, good defensively.
Jackson 7.5 - solid and dependable.
Montsma 7.5 - back to pre covid best.
Bramall 7.5 - humble pie slice (1) - showed why he's been signed, MA's game plan relies on full backs getting forward and he did it terrifically well and some of those low crosses will get turned in. Ok defensively, atoned for one error. Not needing a preseason to get on method after all.
Edun 8 - made all the other pieces fall into place. Grew into the DM role, support and ball winning excellent and his passing -fast, accurate and incisive- was at it's best. MotM.
McGrandles 8 - continued recent excellent form and goalscoring.
Jones 7.5 - humble pie slice (2) - looked way off fitness Tuesday, surprised started today - but against old club, energy levels and performance back up to early season levels. Happier knowing a secure '4' allows him to get forward more?
Rogers 7.5 - humble pie slice (3) - not knackered! Nicely taken goal, while still 'languid' was more involved, better decision making and worked well with Bramall.
Johnson 8 - back in a forward role, better use of his skills and terrorised Crewe's defence. Great goal, helped by great control of Hopper's great but challenging pass.
Morton 7.5 - not as energetic off the ball as Hopper, but a goalscorer's instinct allied with teamwork MA expects. Unlucky not to score again.

Hopper 7.5 - usual workrate plus great take, turn run and That Pass to Johnson for 3rd.
 
Palmer 7
Poole 7
Jackson 7
Montsma 7
Bramall 7
Edun 7
McGrandles 8
Jones 7
Rogers 7
Johnson 7
Morton 7

Hopper 7
 
Palmer 7.5
Poole 7.5
Jackson 7.5
Montsma 7.5
Bramall 7.5
Edun 8
McGrandles 9.5
Jones 8.5
Rogers 8.5
Johnson 9
Morton 8

Hopper 8
 
Palmer - 7 - A couple of dodgy moments but some commanding stuff from set pieces and one top save.
Poole - 7.5 - Big improvement from previous games, solid defensively and in the air and some great attacking play and crosses.
Jackson - 7 - Generally untroubled
Montsma - 6 - Thought he was a little rash and his decision to try and win a ball he could never reach led to Beckles’ chance that could easily have gone in.
Bramall - 7 - Seems like they were targeting him in the air which meant Jackson was going over that side to win headers often leaving him a bit redundant in those situations. Otherwise really good, buccaneering attacking play and generally alert at the back. One poor decision near his corner flag.
Edun - 8 - Dicey first 20 but after the goal was class.
McGrandles - 8.5 - What a finish! All over the pitch today and had a real influence on the game in Jorge’s absence.
Jones - 8 - Clearly took MA’s criticism on board! A far more involved display and made a telling contribution.
Rogers - 7.5 - Real talent and seems to be adjusting to the physical side of men’s football well now. Maybe he’ll come back next year if we go up!
Johnson - 9 - Terrific display, exactly what I want from him. Ran at them time and again and could easily have had more goals. Fantastic touch and finish at the end.
Morton - 7 - Unlucky not to score, I watched the offside back and it was closer than it initially looked! Was then denied by a fantastic save. Other than that his linkup up was really good and surprisingly effective holdup play.

Hopper - 7.5 - Such a good assist, winning the 50-50, keeping it in, spotting the pass, executing it perfectly. Did his usual dirty work, winning important fouls.
 
Palmer - 7
Poole - 7
Jackson - 7
Montsma - 7
Bramall - 7
Edun - 7.5
McGrandles - 8
Jones - 7
Rogers - 7
Johnson - 8
Morton - 7

Hopper - 7
 
Although I understand why MA wants the team to play deep, to allow the strikers room to run at the opposition, for me we started just a bit too deep & loose and we could have been punished by a more aggressive opponent (which has happened recently) but getting the first goal was vital and we gradually took control of the game. In the end it seemed relatively easy. Well done Imps - great performance after the last two or three games 👏👏.

Palmer - 6.5 - not really pressured and had one uncomfortable moment with Brammall’s firm back-pass, but countered that with a superb save after Crewe hit the post.
Poole - 7 - developing into a solid player. Popped up in the box early and will score soon. Some good support-play with Johnson.
Jackson - 7.5 - solid and dependable. Reads the game well & covers Bramall’s forward runs when he needs to.
Montsma - 7 - Better performance. Is he getting over Covid? Just needs to score again 🤞
Bramall - 6.5 - starting to settle well. Lightening pace & starting to develop a relationship with Rogers.
Edun - 7.5 - a little bit slow & loose at the start but grew into the role and had a really good game the more it went on.
McGrandles - 8 - covered a lot of ground, tracked back well and great going forward. Another superbly taken goal. Very marginal second for MoM.
Jones - 7- much better contribution (like Montsma - over Covid?). Love the way he gets into positions in and around the box.
Rogers - 6.5 - enigma. Still seems a bit lazy (perhaps unfair) but some superb interplay and a great goal.
Johnson - 8.5 - MoM. Absolutely terrorised the Crewe defence. Took his goal superbly and tracked back well a number of times.
Morton - 6.5 - showed some great touches and unlucky not score when denied by tremendous save from the Crewe keeper.

Hopper - 7 - saw the game out for the Imps, but more than that with the superb take-down and cross-field pass to Johnson for his goal.
 
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Palmer - 6.5 - one great save and one back pass scare. Not quite back to his best, but getting there.

Poole - 7 - best game for us so far. Not entirely sure he is superior to TJ, but they are now at least at the same level.
Jackson - 7.5 - Been holding the defence together while Montsma has benn getting back to full match fitness. Another solid game.
Montsma - 7 - Much better performance. As he said in his interview, he has been below par since he recovered from covid/injury
Bramall - 6.5 - Great pace going forward, and looked a bit more in tune with the others. I still worry about his defending though.

Edun - 8 - best game I have seen Tayo have in midfield. The occasional poor pass mixed in with some very inventive ones.
McGrandles - 8.5 - Great goal and is in his best form of the season.
Jones - 7.5 - full of energy. Takes a decent corner and free kick, and his runs forward are excellent. He was the other player in the box (running from our box) for Johnson's goal, and made a nice little run to give Johnson the space he needed to score.

Rogers - 6.5 - Fine goal, but needs more composure on the ball and lift his head when he is dribbling so he is aware of teammates.
Johnson - 8.5 - The game which just emphasises that he should not play in midfield for us.
Morton - 6.5 - plenty of effort, but lack of games meant his first touch was not great. Unlucky not to score.

Hopper - 7 - Invaluable to the way we play. Totally unselfish, and that tackle and cross field ball is one of my favourite moments of the season.

Interesting to hear MA mention the pitch in his interview, saying that occasionally the players don't trust the bounce etc. If we do get promotion, that must be a priority.
 
Palmer: 6 Two horrendous moments in the first half: caught in possession (again) and a sliced kick that went for a corner; had that been between the posts, it could have been a very different game. Redeemed himself to a point with the save from Daniel Powell's volley, but still unconvincing.
Poole: 6.5 Perfectly fine at the back, but not quite the same attacking threat as TJ. Good right-back for League One, should get better as the method evolves.
Jackson: 7 Did well in his first game as captain, leads by example anyway. Rarely has a poor game.
Montsma: 6 I'm breaking ranks here, he is not back to his best at all. Does not surge forward with the ball, does not try those audacious passes, does not offer a goal threat any more; has he been told not to do those things, or is he still under the weather? A couple of dodgy moments when pressured.
Bramall: 6.5 Good game, his pace could be a valuable weapon once we work out the best way to use it.
Edun: 7.5 Caught in possession twice and gave the ball away three times in the first twenty minutes - I know, because I kept a tally while watching the game. Was very good after that, perhaps it took him a while to reacclimatise to a midfield role. Much prefer him in midfield to left-back.
McGrandles: 8.5 Has become such a valuable player since his return from injury, now stepping up to fill Grant's shoes. Yet another excellent goal, was at the heart of everything.
Jones: 7 Much better than in recent weeks, possibly still recovering from Covid. The whole midfield played well as a unit, connecting with the energetic forward line and also protecting the defence.
Rogers: 7 Easy to forget he is only 18, part of an impressive young strike force. The pace and skill the three of them have must be frightening for defenders.
Johnson: 8 So much better than in midfield, he can use his pace more effectively and he really can finish when the opportunity arises.
Morton: 7.5 What a great return he has made so far, like having a new signing in the building. Looks so fresh compared with the majority, quick and intelligent. Will score lots of goals in League One, and possibly above.

Hopper: 7 A whole bonus mark for that pass alone, beautifully flighted.
 
Scotimp said:
Poole: 6.5 Perfectly fine at the back, but not quite the same attacking threat as TJ.
Click to expand...
I think that's an arguable point: exhibit A, the ball in for Morton's chance; exhibit B, the frequent Branfoot-esque appearances deep in the oppostion box, with headers or ball at feet. I'm sure he'll clock up an assist or two and a goal or two before the season's end.

TJ has been great but can get a bit panicky when he finds himself with the ball in the opposition box - though his leaving the defender for dead and cross leading to winner at Pompey a highlight of the season.
 
Palmer 7
Poole 7
Bramall 7
Jackson 7
Montsma 7
Edun 8
Jones 7
McGrandles 9
Johnson 8
Rogers 7
Morton 7

Hopper 7
 
Palmer 6. One good save, a couple of dodgy brain dead moments.
Poole. 6.5 Opposite scale to most views I think he’s better going forward than TJ but can lose concentration defensively and wanders out of position. Combined well with Johnson.
Jackson. 6.5. Pretty solid, won most challenges he went for.
Montsma. 6.5. Looked a bit more assured than of late, looks as though his confidence is a bit low so concentrating more on basic defending. Happy with that, the x factor he showed early season will return slowly.
Bramall. 6.5. Given licence to attack as their right was so powder puff he wasn’t penned back having to defend.
Edun 7.Shaky start and gave up possession with sloppy passes but grew into the role and played with confidence so dictating our play
McGrandles. 8. Sublime goal, part of a commanding midfield trio. At the top of his game.
Jones 7. Best display since December, combined well with Edun.
Rogers. 7. Quality finish and excellent flashes of what’s in his locker. Consistency needed but you don’t really get that at 18 do you?
Johnson. 8 Looked happy playing out wide and worked so hard tracking back on Pickering the Crewe left back outlet ( signed by Blackburn and loaned back, for Micky Hortins reference) he still was a real threat and grabbed a real good goal.
Morton 7.5. Deserved a goal and played well. Happy to see him play the next few games on this showing, he has great energy and will get better.

Hopper. 7. Typically win a few cheap free kicks, won his duels and a quality assist. Morton’s presence should keep him fresh and focussed.
 
Palmer 7
Poole 7
Jackson 7
Montsma 8
Bramall 7
Edun 8.5 MotM :clap:
McGrandles 7.5
Jones 7
Rogers 7.5
Johnson 8
Morton 8

Hopper 7.5
 
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