Norwich v Leeds - Player Ratings & joyous babbling

[Mister Chops 7]

It wasn''t a good game, let''s get that out of the way first.  We were nervy, didn''t want to settle, lacked a leader to put their foot on the ball and calm the whole side down.  The first half was played at 100 miles an hour, if any Norwich player had more than three consecutive touches then I must have missed it.  Too much lumping it long towards Elliott or hopefully towards Holt, who got little change out of the Leeds centre back.  It was 60% Leeds until about 35 minutes when we started to get into the game.  2nd half was better, more even, and Hughes''s cross onto Martin''s head shows Lambert has the midas touch with substitutions (though you could argue Martin was unlucky not to start).Anyway.... we are going up as Champions, and I''m having a celebratory Cadburys Creme Egg.Forster - 7Drury - 8 - almost MoM - composed and covered for a mediocre Lappin on more than one occasionNelson - 7 - nervy with the ball at his feet, got in Doc''s way on occasion but in the air he''s awesomeDoc - 9 - MOM - Doc owns Jermaine Beckford.  Beckford got nothing out of Doc, and people think Doc is slow and clumsy - it looked like Darren Beckford playing for Leeds, not Jermaine.R Martin - 6 - very average, I thought, did little positive and indecisiveLappin - 6 - see R Martin, he was constantly giving the ball awayRussell - 7 - battled and got stuck inSmith - 7 - as above, unlucky to be bookedHoolahan - 6 - tried hard but ineffectiveHolt - 6 - didn''t get much joy and very very very lucky not to get a straight red for a horrible tackle on the Jarrold Stand touchlineElliott - 6 - looks lively but poor service gave him little to doSubsMartin (Elliott) - 7 - took his goal really wellMcNamee (Hoolahan) - 6 - yet to really impress me in a home game but obviously has something about himHughes (don''t remember) - 7 - great break and cross for the goalGreat cameo from Tresor Kandol, who was probably on the touchline waiting to come on for longer than he was on the pitch.It''s beer o''clock here at Fortress Chops.

[Herman 11,136]

Cheers Mr C. Enjoy your evening[Y]

[Longy 1]

Nice report sir. Korey came off for Hughes.

[sgncfc 1,330]

[quote user="Mister Chops"]It wasn''t a good game, let''s get that out of the way first.  We were nervy, didn''t want to settle, lacked a leader to put their foot on the ball and calm the whole side down.  The first half was played at 100 miles an hour, if any Norwich player had more than three consecutive touches then I must have missed it.  Too much lumping it long towards Elliott or hopefully towards Holt, who got little change out of the Leeds centre back.  It was 60% Leeds until about 35 minutes when we started to get into the game.  2nd half was better, more even, and Hughes''s cross onto Martin''s head shows Lambert has the midas touch with substitutions (though you could argue Martin was unlucky not to start).

Anyway.... we are going up as Champions, and I''m having a celebratory Cadburys Creme Egg.

Forster - 7
Drury - 8 - almost MoM - composed and covered for a mediocre Lappin on more than one occasion
Nelson - 7 - nervy with the ball at his feet, got in Doc''s way on occasion but in the air he''s awesome
Doc - 9 - MOM - Doc owns Jermaine Beckford.  Beckford got nothing out of Doc, and people think Doc is slow and clumsy - it looked like Darren Beckford playing for Leeds, not Jermaine.
R Martin - 6 - very average, I thought, did little positive and indecisive
Lappin - 6 - see R Martin, he was constantly giving the ball away
Russell - 7 - battled and got stuck in
Smith - 7 - as above, unlucky to be booked
Hoolahan - 6 - tried hard but ineffective
Holt - 6 - didn''t get much joy and very very very lucky not to get a straight red for a horrible tackle on the Jarrold Stand touchline
Elliott - 6 - looks lively but poor service gave him little to do

Subs
Martin (Elliott) - 7 - took his goal really well
McNamee (Hoolahan) - 6 - yet to really impress me in a home game but obviously has something about him
Hughes (don''t remember) - 7 - great break and cross for the goal

Great cameo from Tresor Kandol, who was probably on the touchline waiting to come on for longer than he was on the pitch.

It''s beer o''clock here at Fortress Chops.

[/quote]

Doc was indeed excellent and I would agree his 9 but so was Nelson and to give him only a 7 is very harsh - in particular he made 2 or 3 essential blocks as well as winning EVERY header. I had him as my MOM with comfortably his best game for us - 9 and a half. On the other hand Hoolahan was truly dreadful and I would struggle to justify more than a 4 for him today - so bad we were playing with 10 men until he went off. Drury was also a 9 and what does Martin have to do to score highly? When he came on we were immediately more mobile, he was holding the ball and bringing others in when Eliot wasn''t. And his goal was a fantastic finish - he wasn''t favourite for it when the cross was in the air - again, a 9 for me, thought he was excellent.

I also thought Holt was on his way for the tackle and I suspect the reason he wasn''t sent off is the very fact that Leeds player were moaning to the ref about him all game.

Oh, and you missed the 10 for the crowd - the best rocking atmosphere after we scored!

[can u sit down please 0]

2 outstanding performers for me....the Doc and Nelson.

It''s time to

give both of them a BIG pat in the back.

[AndyCanary 0]

Agree with most. Thought Lappin worked really hard today, and I think Mcnamee is supreme.Corey got a little lost at times and picked up Dohertys man instead of doing what I think he was meant to be and that was covering the left wing.

[Rudolph Hucker 0]

I cannot remember Korey being booked before. He is a very clean player.

Nelson was very strong and dominant in the air. Great stopper.

Doc treated Beckford like a snotty nosed kid and even gave him a cuff around the ear.

As for Holt.....I thought he was off. What a lucky yellow, that said, he didn''t get a penalty and was hugged all afternoon by Leeds defenders.

[king canary 8,757]

Forster- 7 didnt really have much to do but did it well.R Martin- 6 Defensivly solid but didnt get forward enoughNelson- 8 Superb, won everything in the airDoc- 9 same as Nelson but dealt amazingly with BeckfordDrury- 8 Superb, distributed well and is twice the player of RoseRusty- 7 Game passed him by in the 1st half, much better in the second and at the heart of all our best movesSmith-5 Hassled well but was caught in possession so much. Needed to just get rid sometimes against stronger playersLappin- 6 Fairly unremarkableHoolahan- Tried but like Smith lost the ball alot. Right decision to take him off as it gave us the chance to have more width.Elliot- Tried hard but seemed quite limited.Holt- Ran himself into the ground, didnt win much in the air and I thought was lucky to stay on the pitch.

Martin- 7 Simply showed the quality he has that Elliot lacks- the footballing brain. One cross came his way and he got in the perfect position to head it in.Hughes- 7 Just for the cross for the goalMcNamee- 7 Gave us a different option and his final ball is superb.

[Stranger44 0]

[quote user="sgncfc"]Doc was indeed excellent and I would agree his 9 but so was Nelson and to give him only a 7 is very harsh - in particular he made 2 or 3 essential blocks as well as winning EVERY header. I had him as my MOM with comfortably his best game for us - 9 and a half. On the other hand Hoolahan was truly dreadful and I would struggle to justify more than a 4 for him today - so bad we were playing with 10 men until he went off. Drury was also a 9 and what does Martin have to do to score highly? When he came on we were immediately more mobile, he was holding the ball and bringing others in when Eliot wasn''t. And his goal was a fantastic finish - he wasn''t favourite for it when the cross was in the air - again, a 9 for me, thought he was excellent.

I also thought Holt was on his way for the tackle and I suspect the reason he wasn''t sent off is the very fact that Leeds player were moaning to the ref about him all game.

Oh, and you missed the 10 for the crowd - the best rocking atmosphere after we scored!

[/quote]

You''re giving a 9.5 to someone whose distribution was awful? Fine Nelson won nearly everything in the air but 9 times out of 10 the ball went back to Leeds and he got in Doc''s way a few times. Other than the Doc and perhaps Drury, the standard of the game doesn''t warrant anyone being that high scoring. Until the last part of the game it was a fairly woeful match. I think 6 for Hoolahan and Holt is rather generous personally. Of course all that matters was the result but the ratings need to be a little bit more reflective of the performance.......

[G 0]

Korey Smith is only clean because he picks his tackles so well. Thought the back four were solid but the rest of the team didn''t perform to there high standards. Have you not seen much of MacNamee?

[Rudolph Hucker 0]

I agree and I was sorry to see the lad pick up a yellow. That said, I doubt he''s worrying much about it tonight.

[Mello Yello 2,572]

Nelson was man of the match by a Country Mile....Drury and Doherty played well, but Nelson didn''t put a foot (or head) wrong.