Tonight’s Performance | Vital Football

Tonight’s Performance

T

Therealwaldo

Vital Squad Member
That was one of the best 2:2 draws I’ve seen at Priestfield for a number of years. Of course the 2 goals conceded were disappointing but you can’t praise the quality of our first goal without acknowledging they did the same thing to us for their first. By far the most impressive part of our performance was the sheer will and determination with which we wrestled control of the game away from Blackpool towards the end. Some of it was skill, some was strength but mostly it was straightforward desire. A winning goal would have been fitting but it just wouldn’t come mostly because of some excellent defensive headers under pressure by the Blackpool defenders.

Bonham 7 no major errors. Couldn’t do much about either goal. Made one full length save in the second half.

Hodson 7 much improved performance. Suggestion he was at fault for their first goal but was mostly solid in defence and useful getting forward.

Ehmer 7 generally his usual solid self but yielded possession with a weak header leading to their first goal.

Ogilvie 7.5 very assured against a difficult opponent in Gnanduillet. Ehmer and Ogilvie had a plan recognising that they might lose headers, one would drop off looking to pick up the second ball. Worked well most of the time.

Fuller 7.5 just gets better with age. Not only tenacious defensively but got forward to good effect throughout the game.

Byrne 7.5 really looked the part today and was buzzing around with purpose for the whole 90 minutes.

O’Keefe 7 much improved display. Played a pressing game that disrupted a lot of Blackpool’s play particularly in the first half.

Jones 7.5 very composed as the holding midfielder. Helps that we have someone who can win headers playing in that position.

List 7 this was a more mature performance. Some good close control and passing and not just looking to make runs.

Jakubiak 8 showed a lot of skill finished off with a couple of well taken goals.

Hanlan 7.5 caused Blackpool defenders problems throughout. As they tired he seemed to get stronger. Just couldn’t round off a good performance with a goal.

Subs

Mandron 7 added to the general sense of panic in the Blackpool defence with his strength and some good runs.

Marshall 7 much better performance with a couple of decent crosses that Blackpool struggled to defend.

At this stage of the season I’m looking for evidence that we can do better as a team than last season. After tonight I think I’ve seen it. UTG
 
List almost totally ineffective - not his fault if told to play in no mans land. He should've been on the left with MOTM Fuller to support him and the much improved Byrne in the middle. He made one run down the left at the end of the first half and another down the right in the second and that was it; he got subbed. He could be so devastating in the right position

Jakubiak did very well [close MOTM runner up] with his goals and will get a lot more. Good to see Ogilvie back next to Ehmer.
 
Hanlan 6 - ineffective

Fuller 6 - at fault for second

Hodgson 6 - at fault for first

Disagree with Wayne. List was excellent. Worth his 7.
 
This thread just goes to show that people can watch a game and get totally different impressions from it, for me:

Bonham: (6) No chance with either goal but looked shaky under crosses in the second half.

Hodson: (7) I don't blame him for their first, just a well worked goal. It happens.

Ehmer (6.5) As ever, OK.

Ogilvie (7) Better with the ball than Ehmer, gives him an extra half-point.

Fuller (8) Worked his socks off. Was his slip why their second goal was scored? I'd argue it would have happened regardless. Outside of that superb.

Jones: (7) One of our two problems with the diamond last season as I see it, was that we had no-one to play at the bottom of it, and no-one at the top. He solved one part of it.

O'Keefe (7) Good. Solid. Couldn't fault anything he did. Corners were better than we had last year, too.

Byrne (7) A right footed player playing on the left. Tried hard, not everything he did worked (including two outlandish shots) but a composed display.

List (6) Playing at the top of a diamond really doesn't suit him. He is a good player but doesn't have the range of passing/vision that this role demands.

Hanlan (6) Played as a target man but this negates his pace. Struggled to stay on his feet at at times. With the ball at his feet running in behind a defence he's a player who could be an asset, with his back to goal he's ordinary.

Jakubiak (8.5) Always prepared to take people on. If he plays like that that going forward he'll create a lot of chances for himself or others.

Subs: Marshall (6) seems a few games short of match fitness, and Mandron (6) seemed to fall victim to the idea that says that if a big player comes on up front it will automatically limit that teams approach to looking for him despite better passing options. His big chance came with his first touch of the ball from a corner.

Overall I thought we were OK. The desire was there, the intent was there but we are a few players short. We could use some balance on the left-side and goalscorer would help but overall, encouraging.
 
Max.Headroom said:
WOW..Glad you dont do the player ratings. Not a clue.
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Look at the replay. Hodgson and Fuller definitely at fault for the goals - the replay will confirm. Hence why they don’t deserve more than 6 each.

Hodgson was A spectator whilst the spare man walked through the defence for the first. He was poorly positioned.

Fuller was tempted to the ball rather than following the runner. He stumbled and left the crosser in acres of space to put an unchallenged cross in to the box. Granted that we worked his socks off all night and he, again, put in some crunching tackles but he was at fault for the second conceded - hence his score of 6.

I don’t recall Hamlin doing much all night apart from an early effort at the beginning from distance that went straight down the keeper’s throat. He didn’t win anything in the air all night, but he did put in the miles.

List was the provider for the second goal we scored. He had a decent shot as part of the same passage of play for the second goal we scored. Positionally he was good defending from the front. A few nice runs with his pace and won a number of free kicks in advanced positions.
 
Cheers Waldo ?

I love how different people can watch exactly the same game and have completely different opinions on how they/we played.

Long may it continue, just keep it civil ?
 
Trashbat said:
Look at the replay. Hodgson and Fuller definitely at fault for the goals - the replay will confirm. Hence why they don’t deserve more than 6 each.

Hodgson was A spectator whilst the spare man walked through the defence for the first. He was poorly positioned.

Fuller was tempted to the ball rather than following the runner. He stumbled and left the crosser in acres of space to put an unchallenged cross in to the box. Granted that we worked his socks off all night and he, again, put in some crunching tackles but he was at fault for the second conceded - hence his score of 6.

I don’t recall Hamlin doing much all night apart from an early effort at the beginning from distance that went straight down the keeper’s throat. He didn’t win anything in the air all night, but he did put in the miles.

List was the provider for the second goal we scored. He had a decent shot as part of the same passage of play for the second goal we scored. Positionally he was good defending from the front. A few nice runs with his pace and won a number of free kicks in advanced positions.
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And it seems SE shares my assessment:

“We had them on the ropes but gave a sloppy goal away,” said the Gills boss.

“We are disappointed with the second one, our defending is poor and they took good advantage. Iit was a good passage of play from them but we have to defend that better, other than that we have dominated possession.
 
I am very much in the ‘Hanlon low marks’ camp. My eyesight isn’t great (unlike Bromley’s) so first half I couldn’t really comment on him as I’m in the RE. Yet second half I felt his control was abysmal. He ran about a bit yet I thought he was as uneffective as list and thought they should’ve both been replaced at the hour mark.
Marshall seemed a little reluctant to shoot and wanted to tee up the perfect cross or shot for a teammate every time. I thought Mandron sparked us back into life when he came on and looked a real handful. I thought Byrne played well, as did Jones. Just shows what a coherent midfield should look like.
My first game this season as a season ticket holder again, and to be honest, I thoroughly enjoyed it!
 
Hanlon has got two or three major weaknesses. He can't jump and head the ball, he rarely beats a defender, and he doesn't know what to do when he gets free, as per last week when he cocked up a one on one with the keeper, and last night when he got close to goal, he just got it aimlessly across the six yard box. He has got strength, power and pace though, but imo that's not enough. I thought he should have been replaced by Mandron and not AJ
 
I thought it was a good performance by all, trying to apportion blame for their goals is always subjective. You could argue that Ehmer lost his man for both of them, but what good does it do. We are getting better and will pick up some well deserved points soon.
 
OneSirKeefy said:
Cheers Waldo ?

I love how different people can watch exactly the same game and have completely different opinions on how they/we played.

Long may it continue, just keep it civil ?
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I didn't disagree with Waldo to any real extent other than regarding List's contribution; he's fast and furious not a playmaker
 
vinney said:
Hanlon has got two or three major weaknesses. He can't jump and head the ball, he rarely beats a defender, and he doesn't know what to do when he gets free, as per last week when he cocked up a one on one with the keeper, and last night when he got close to goal, he just got it aimlessly across the six yard box. He has got strength, power and pace though, but imo that's not enough. I thought he should have been replaced by Mandron and not AJ
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I agree with that completely. We need to find a way to play to he strengths of pace. A target man he is not.
 
I think some of the comments on Hanlan are a bit unfair. I think we can agree that last night was a more attacking home performance than we’ve seen for a long time. I think Hanlan played a big part in that. When Blackpool were getting pushed back in the second half on a number of occasions the play developed with a ball down the line to Hanlan. In those instances he did very well and twice down the left and once down the right he got into their box with speed and power past a defender. My slight issue is that when he did, he didn’t have much to pick out. It’s sometimes a problem with quick players that others can’t get up in support quickly enough. The one down the right, Marshall was the only player in the box and on countless TV commentaries they make the point that if you beat the defender and the goalkeeper with a cross, as a forward it’s the most you can do. Elsewhere I think there was a suggestion that there might have been a deflection on the cross anyway that took it away from Marshall. I thought Blackpool struggled to contain Hanlan more as the game wore on. Again we’re talking about a young player that I think needs encouragement. Last season people were saying we should get him signed on a longer contract to avoid the Eaves situation. Some seemed to have changed their mind based on a couple of games this season. Fickle or what.
 
Yesterday felt like a cup game, and it was refreshing to stay behind at the fulltime whistle and clap them off properly. Having Saturday off was a big help.
 
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