Overall it was poor game and a poor performance. We started well and knocked it about for the first 20 mins which was fine even if we did not create anything as I felt we were moving them about but sadly it just continued with the defence playing it across, the same for the midfield and then in the last third, totally clueless. We never looked like creating much at all never mind scoring. The keeper made maybe a couple of saves all night and these were weak efforts from Porter. McDonald’s passing was off and the front men were totally ineffective.
Sadly the team selection did not work. He was right to rotate some but Flynn and McFadzean did not convince and the defence were shaky (under very little pressure to be fair) all night. The football was pretty and neat but we were ponderous and as soon as we got to the final third never looked like scoring really. It was very slow and almost too patient. We had no penetration and often it just went side to side, to back, to side and I barely recall us getting wide or getting beyond them. They soaked up the pressure and then had as many chances as us. The goal they scored was a simple cross that Howard spilled and they tapped it. Porter went off and Taylor at least looked a threat before Doyle scored a cracker. I thought we may push on after this and whilst we were the better side we again huffed and puffed rather than really showing any quality. It looked destined for extra time when they broke, the winger got away from Williams and then crosses where the same man, Hussey, headed home unopposed as neither Collins nor Westlake reacted. That was it. Game over. Right on full time.
Overall, United were poor. They passed it around well but at such a slow pace and were utterly clueless in the last third. They missed the running of Brandy and Murphy and Porter was poor again. The midfield did ok but again just passed it sideways or back and no one in the team ran at players or committed people. So many players came back inside or played safe but we just went nowhere. Sadly it looked like some of poorer displays under Wilson last year when at times we did the same; kept the ball but teams just sat back and allowed us to knock it about knowing we lacked pace/genuine quality to create.
As bad as we were in the last third it is worrying that the defence were so poor when facing little in the Burton attack but whenever they attacked they properly looked like scoring. The full backs were not good enough defensively and when the ball came into the box the keeper and centre backs did not command. They had maybe 4 or 5 attacks all night and nearly scored from all of them.
It was worrying that a League Two side dealt with us so easily and just sat deep and waited for the inevitable error and then came away with it. We were good Friday but tonight was really disappointing and it seemed Burton had looked at our formation and worked out without Brandy that they could see us off quite comfortably and so it proved. Better teams than Burton will play the same way, crowding the midfield and just waiting to pick us off then it moves into the final third (if it ever does – often it never did tonight).
Howard 5/10 – Badly at fault for the first goal where he came for a cross that was gettable and failed to catch or get a proper punch and sort of flapped at it. The ball fell to their man who knocked it into the empty net. He had little chance on the second although the header again came from right on the 6 yard box but would be tough to blame him as the cross came back. Had little else to do but sadly fluffed it when it mattered and Long will remain as the undoubted number one.
Westlake 5.5/10 – I d some felt he did ok going forward and had some good runs and one effort on goal but his defending was really poor. At times he was too slow to react and did not seem to sense danger. He let his man get in a number of times and then seemed to let the man come straight across him to head home unopposed.
Williams 4/10 – Like Westlake felt he played well Friday but tonight he was quite poor and reminded me more of the Williams we remembered sadly. He got forward but often just came back inside and never seemed to want to go at the full back. Defensively he too was not close enough to his man and dallied unnecessarily in possession. Both goals came from crosses down his side. He was sadly back to the player I never felt was good enough.
Maguire 6/10 – Knocked it about across the defence back and forth but he too was clumsy in possession and got caught in possession a few times. He at least tried to take some responsibility but I felt he then tried to rush things and was guilty of going either sideways or then way too long
Collins 6/10 – Like Maguire he too was knocking it around but often sideways and backward and they just sat off and allowed them to play it across the defence where we could not hurt them. On the first goal he lost a key header in the build up and a few other occasions he lost his man when often he only had one to play against.
Doyle 7/10 – One of our better players if not our most effective. He won the ball and moved it on. There was nothing remarkable about his play but he did at least have a few efforts on goal and scored an absolute scorcher from lost distance that bent and curved past the keeper. He was one of few that actually came away with some credit.
Coady 6.5/10 – Started well and used it and always tried to get on the ball. He never stops moving and is comfortable in possession. He looked energetic and full of running in the first half but then faded quite badly and I barely remember him second half. He tried to move it forwards but often it was too predictable. I expected to see a better range of passing but mostly it was just short stuff and he did not really get in the last third being more withdrawn. Hopefully there is more to come and he can start to become more influential.
Flynn 3/10 – Thought he was pretty dire from start to finish. His first touch was poor, he continually shirked responsibility and never went at his man all night Looked disinterested to me and sadly he will be nowhere near the first team in league action on tonight’s show. Had a chance to put down a marker but showed nothing
McFadzean 5/10 – Thought he started well and showed some decent link up and had a few efforts and crosses on goal. However as United faded then so did he. His touch started to go and he was never really in the game in the second half. Another that did not really show enough to warrant a first team start for forthcoming games.
McDonald 5.5/10 – Player one lovely ball to Porter and had a few other decent moments but often his passing was off and he overplayed too much or tried to play balls that were never on. Worrying that he had one of his poorest games but still looked one of our main threats to unlock the defence.
Porter 3/10 – Another poor performance. People will say he works hard for the team and leads the line but I watched him carefully. He barely held the ball up, did not really link with others (ball flew off him 2 or 3 times) and then missed a simple header off a scramble. He had one decent shot first half and then another second but missed a simple rebound off the second one. Overall he missed 3 or 4 more chances and as our main striker does not look like scoring or creating for others. Sadly we need far better in such a formation if he is seen as the focal point of the attack.
Subs
Taylor – Probably did more in his first 5 minutes on the pitch than Porter in the whole game he was one. Had a few shots from range and then a decent effort after a turn and run. He looked lively but went through the wars a bit as he was down injured twice. Had a few appeals for penalties but I did not think they were.
Brady – Hard for him to get in the game as it was so poor/scrappy. He showed a few tricks but often he got crowded out as we struggled to create much.