Player ratings v Chelsea

[a1canary 0]

First game i''ve managed to get too in a while and as others have said, being there and watching the players perform gives you a very different perspective from just listening. I think it gives you a greater appreciation of the type of performance the team produces. Anyway, here goes, from the way i saw it:Gallacher - 6 - reminds me just too much of Andy Marshall. Always makes a good save in a game, always concedes a goal you think he could have done better with (their 2nd and maybe even their 3rd). Just wonder what D Marshall would have done with them. Either way, we need DM back asap. Not AM!Hooze - 8 - surprised to see him start but vindicated himself with a performance of energy and commitment, doing a great job of frustrating Robben who was reduced to childish tantrums most of the game. And proved that he CAN cross. Is this going to become his positon? Should Colin be worried? Doesn''t yet have the same understanding with Croft but yes, i think he should be. At least it will spur them both on.Shackell and DD - 8 (ignoring the fact that DD went up front at the end when we conceded the late goals) - immense games, the pair of them, got on the end of most chelsea attacks and, on the whole defended corners well and distributed well. Very encourgaged by the way we set up from corners to break on them which worked well a few times. Only Croft was the one at the top of the d waiting to break and he didn''t manage to do much. Maybe should have been Huckerby.Drury - 7 - like the rest of the back line performed excellently defensively but didn''t really get the chances going forward. Really had his hands full with Wright P and Diarra who seemed to like attacking down our left. Has yet to build a real understanding with Lappin but this will come.Croft - 6 - Had plenty of possession but didn''t do enough with it. A a good effort saved by Cech but missed a sitter that he can claim was cleared off the line but on seeing it on telly it looks like it would have missed even if it wasn''t cleared. Is going off the boil from early season form for me. Needs the competition that Chadwick will provide.Safri - 8 - The central cog through which nearly all our moves develop. Seeing him play you realise just how important he is to the team. Will Fozzy be able to play this - the Carrick role - if he leaves? Poor free kicks and some poor corners from our right prevent a 9.Dickson - 8 - A man mountain whose committment, for once, matched his presence. Really got stuck in and delighted to see him muscling fellow man mountain Drogba off the ball when he threatened to break on one occassion. Must have been hard deciding whether to bring Saf or Dickson off for Fozzy. I think i''d have left them on myself.Lappin - 7 - Got stuck in and looks a really valuable defensive addition to our midfield but didn''t get to see anything of him going forward. Like Drury, this was down to the number and quality of their players that attacked down our left. I think this is why Grant held off for some while before putting Huckerby out there.Huckerby - 6 - Marked out of the game and, as mentioned above, not risked on the left until late on for the defensive downsides.Brown - 7 - Well i think this guy is going to divide opinion among us for some time to come. On the downside, i''ll say that he doesn''t yet really look like scoring, which, for a striker, i agree is a big downside. BUT, his hold up play IS the best we''ve had at the club since Iwan. It is because of him that we are able to string together long periods of possession and hold on to the ball. Without him we''d be back to how we were last year and this year before he signed, losing the ball every single time we play a long or lofted ball forwad. That doesn''t happen any more and we''re a far better team for it that now look comfortable mixing up long and short balls. You can see right away how well he and Earnie (and possibly Martin) could play together. And given his age, hopefully the attacking side of his game will develop.Subs:Fotheringham and Martin didn''t get much of an opportunity and to be honest i thought our midfield lost some steel when Dickson went off. Martin was game and has the energy and fearlessness of youth that gives us another attacking dimension that we really need. All we need now to add to that mix is Earnie - we''re missing him real bad.

[Delias Buns 0]

Thanks a1Canary, an interesting view on the game.

[Kolin Kob 0]

marshall 6, gallacher 7, hughes 8, shackell 7, dublin 8, drury 8, croft 7, huckerby 6, etuhu 8, safri 9, brown 8, lappin 6, fotheringham 6, martin 6.

[Quang Nai 0]

Marshall -7, done well whilst on,

Gallagher- 6.5, started well, madea couple of good saves, still does not give me confidence.

Hughes-8 best ive seen him play,good  and solid.

Dublin- 7, not up to his usual high standards

Shacks-8, thought Shacks had a great game.

Drury- 7.5 solid even tho he had a bust afternoon.

Croft -7, got into some good positions, had a couple of good chances and should have put at least one away, cannot critise effort, but end product often lacking.

Etuhu-7.5 started game very well, faded slightly, but better than usual.

Saf- 8, great game hard working skill with hard graft.

Lappin- 6.5 solid,  but gave a few balls away,  still seems very promising.

Hux-6, very disapointing for me, played in central role, i think he is far more effective on the left.and should have been switched earlier.

Brown-8, played well, held ball up, was strong and gave 100%, however i do find it hard to see him scoring on a regular basis.

Fozzy-7 looked good and impressed  me.

Martin-7, always looks likely to make something happen.

 

[Evil Monkey 52]

Sounds about to me, A1, particularly your comments on Brown.  He really does allow us to keep posession up front, which is something we''ve lacked since, you could argue, Svensson.... Ashton was a better goalscorer than he was a "centre forward"...Martin looked good though, but didn''t get to see enough of Fozzy.This was all from t''interweb telly, though, so my view could have been skewed, as it was on occasions!