Player ratings - Coventry v Norwich

[allways travelling 0]

   gallagher 4 colin 5 shackell 3 docherty 4 drury 5 etuhi 4 safri 4 robinson 4 croft 6 earnshaw 4 huckerby 4    cant be asked with the subs apart from hendo tried his heart out when he came on made us look a bit more urgent       

[Alex Harvey-Jones 0]

Here are my player ratings for what was a pretty poor performance from everyone!

Gallagher - 6 - Didn''t have a massive amount to do apart from pick the ball out of the net 3 times. Took a couple of crosses well and didn''t really have much chance with the shots that beat him. I wonder if his communication with defenders is suspect though. I couldn''t really hear him but that might be because I was sitting too far away!

Drury - 7 - pretty solid game from Drury but nothing spectacular. Got forward well at the end but his crosses didn''t really lead to much. One of the more respectable performances though.

Shackell - 6 - Horrendous tackle in the first few minutes and was lucky to stay on the pitch. After that generally played well and made some good interceptions. I think he was at fault for the first goal as he should have closed Birchall down more quickly and he gave the ball away to John later on which almost cost us another goal. Not a great day for the defenders.

Doherty - 6 - Can''t really remember much from the Doc. No howlers and nothing spectacular. Was probably partly at fault along with several others for the third goal. Both centre backs given a really hard time by the size and physical presence of John and Kyle. We need a striker in this mould!

Colin - 5 - A reasonable game but why does he hesitate so much going forward?? He is good when he does attack but always seems to want to pass the ball and stay near his own half. Sometimes looks like he hasn''t a clue what to do with the ball when he has it in defence and gave it away a fair bit too in the first half!

Huckerby - 6 - One of the best performers in the first half and it was a big blow when he had to go off. Let''s hope it''s not serious.

Robinson - 5 - Pretty ordinary game really. Poor in the first half, a bit better in the second but not up to previous standards this season. Dreadful shooting!

Etuhu - 5 - Seemed like he was back to the Etuhu of last season. Struggled to get into the game and it wasn''t a surprise when he was taken off.

Safri - 6 - For me the best of the three central midfielders but still didn''t do too much of note. Tried to pass the ball about but not much came off. One good shot which Ward almost headed into his own top corner. Possible hangover from international matches?

Croft - 7 - The one player who did well in the first half. Continues to look a quality signing. Takes on players and gets crosses in. Faded in the second half but I think he can take some credit for his performance.

Earnshaw - 6 - Tried hard but nothing came off for Earnie today. In my opinion he often tried to do too much on his own and never really looked like scoring. Needs to discover his scoring touch away from home or we''re going to be in trouble. Not helped at all by the service from midfield and he was marked out of the game in the air by the Coventry centre backs.

Subs:

McVeigh - 7 - I think he did well when he came on. It would be good to see McVeigh put in some quality performances. Probably should have scored but apart from that passed the ball reasonably well and added some creativity.

Henderson - 6 - Didn''t do too badly but I don''t think he''s good enough at this level simple as that. Put in lots of effort but should have scored and gave the ball away too much!

Let''s hope this was just a bad day at the office and that normal service will be resumed for the next game!!

[Northern Canary 0]

Gallager - 6
Drury - 8
Doherty - 5
Shackell - 4
Colin - 6
Robinson - 5
Safri - 9
Etuhu - 2
Croft - 5
Huckerby - 5
Earnie - 6

McVeigh - 8
Hendo - 7

Fans - 10

I thought that Coventry sussed us out and stopped us from playing, we lost because we had no plan B so once they knew how to stop us playing then we had no alternative and no chance.

[Dicky 0]

Gallagher - never looked comfortable and maybe could have been better placed for a couple of the goals -4

Drury - looked solid - 7

The Doc - good in air, but looked a bit slow - 6

Shackell - should have been sent off in first minute - apart from that looked solid - 6

Colin - looked poor at back and hopeless going forward - too many obviously passes to Crofty, no initiative - 3

Robinson - kind of OK - 6

Safri - out of sorts - passing awful - too many high tackles - maybe trying too hard against old team - 5

Etuhu - truly awful game today - 3

Croft - lacked support but OK game - 6

Earnie - seen Biggins have a better game - 2

Hucks - dreadful - 3

Subs: Hendo - tried hard, but not much in terms of results - 6 - McVeigh - achieved very little and could not find the goal - 4

Fans - blinding today a big fat 10 out of 10 - Stadium- half empty and soul less.

[ZLF 271]

Aah - Bertie - found memories.  Reminds me of Leon in many ways;  always tried hard and I loved him for it but never really quite good enough.  And if I remember rightly like Earnie this year he had a habit of starting a seaons well (as did Ross Jack I think). 

[JJ 0]

Got in the ground at 15.15 (!) so my ratings are from then on.

Gallacher 6 - Couldn''t do much with the goals

Colin 6 - Got forward a bit - average

Drury 6 - Got better but had other things on his mind

Doherty 5 - Poor

Shackell 5 - Ditto

Etuhu 5 - Went missing

Robinson 6 - Worked hard, average

Safri 6 - Ok, not as good as usual

Croft 7 - MOTM - Had a decent game but spoiled it with a reckless booking

Huckerby 6 - Not his best and had to go off anyway

Earnshaw 5 - A different player away from home - badly needs help up front.

 

subs

Mcveigh 6 - Looked lively without creating much

Henderson 6 - Ditto Mcveigh

 

Fans 7 - Felt really flat - it was the same last season.  I reckon its the acoustics in what is a really soulless ground.  Southend will be much better.

Team 5 - A really bad day.  Lots of possession without ever looking like scoring.  Gave up after the second goal went in.  Horrible shades of last season. Is it a blip or is there more to come?  Tuesday may help answer that.

 

[Oso Butch 0]

Gallacher 2/3 – He’s just not the man to be in goal for us, although maybe OK to be the Scottish goalie. Too short by about 3 inches (he can’t exactly help that, I know) and too weak/anxious in the air in many set pieces. Also froze like a rabbit in bright headlights when John nearly scored the fourth. … Get Camp in goal quickly and let’s see what he can do. Gallacher''s only saving grace is that he throws the ball out 90% of the time.

Colin 6 – Not bad – but could have gone forward more often

Drury 5 – Some good tackling, as always – but I thought he was also meant to be captain as well?  He’s no idea about leadership and raising the team’s spirit when their heads go down…

Doherty 6 – So-so by his standards

Shackell 5 – Not bad – but got wrong side of Kyle for second goal

Etuhu 5 – Mostly invisible – but popped up occasionally

Robinson 5 – the usual mixed bag

Safri 6 - So-so by his standards

Croft 7 – Did his best – but why didn’t he and Hucks stay much wider? They’ll never play on a wider pitch all season…Both could have been so much more effective then…

Huckerby 6 – See Croft comments

Earnshaw 3 - A waste of space (as per my comments on an earlier thread). All show and absolutely no delivery. This is not about support – it’s about his so-called abilities. He hardly even flatters to deceive… Get a couple of loans in pdq Worthless!!!

Subs:

Henderson 2 – as bad as ever – why have we not got shot of him? Missed a sitter from a great Croft cross. Loan him to Peterborough or somewhere… now!

McVeigh – 4 – carrying more weight than ever by the looks of him. Makes him all huff and puff, at best. Nothing like the man we once knew and admired.  Game over?

 Fans - 10. I was in the stand above Worthless''s head (and was sorely tempted to drop something heavy or nasty on him at the end....) and the sound coming from the NCFC fans was absolutely superb. They kept trying to raise spirits but to no avail. I was really proud to be associated with them.