PLAYER WATCH v Barnsley

[tonyoz]

PLAYER WATCH v Barnsley

Each incident in the match was rated on the following scale: 

+5 GOAL 

+4 Excellent play 

+3 Very good play 

+2 Pleasing/good play 

+1 Decent play 

  0 Routine stuff 

 -1 Sloppy play 

 -2 Disappointing/poor play 

 -3 Very poor play 

 -4 Terrible play 

 -5 Own goal 

The ratings for each player were then combined to produce a measure of the players overall contribution to the match. 

 
Ratings       

Key incidents per player = coloured stars              Overall contribution = numbers

Kaminski                       ****  **     5                                 

Nyambe                        *************  *     17 

Lenihan                         *****************************   ***     45

Wharton                       ******************  *****     17 

van Hecke                     **************  ***     20 

Pickering                       *****************  *****     19  

Travis                            ****************  **********    5 

Buckley (84)                 **********************  ********    21     

Rothwell (84)               ********  *******    6   

Khadra (63)                  ***** *     11

Diaz                               ************  **********    4 

  

Gallagher (63)              *** ***     1 

Edun (84)                      **  *     2    

Dolan (84)               *   **      -2

                                                                        

Highlights and Lowlights 

(A justification for the main ratings given above)

02 Oh dear! Two Barnsley men clash heads in Rovers half and the ref blows up immediately. Buckley fires a great ball into the right channel for Khadra to chase and he hasn’t heard the whistle, neither has the defender. Khadra outpaces him impressively to run clear and from just inside the box he puts it past the goalie on his near post. Painful for Khadra to swallow….and the Rovers fans but I left the ratings in there.

Somebody turned the volume up!

09 Nice long ball from Wharton to Diaz on the left wing but he’s offside.

12 Not a lot happening. Barnsley are a bit sloppy in their own half but they have some good players. Travis has been ineffective so far. Rothwell has hardly touched the ball!

14 A nice Barnsley move sees Styles take a shot from just outside the box. Kaminski dives to his right to parry the ball away. It comes back to Palmer but his shot from 20+m is well over the bar.

17 A nice clearance pass from Lenihan to Buckley who spins delightfully away from his close marker and squares to Pickering who takes it on. Eventually the previously anonymous Rothwell gathers on the left wing halfway in the Barnsley half. He does a wide 360 degree turn and passes back to Pickering….but keeps running. Pickering returns the ball and Rothwell is away from 2 defenders and he storms into the box. He’s only got the goalie to beat but his shot from 10m goes across the goal, hits the right post and bounces back almost along the goaline. Barnsley clear.

20 Some nice intricate play around our box by Barnsley sets up a chance for Palmer again, Rothwell’s challenge is poor but the shot is blocked by Wharton and Pickering clears.

Barnsley don’t look like a bottom of the table side here.

22 A nice long ball from Lenihan finds Diaz on the left wing. He drives inside but his attempted shot was a Brereton special…..row Z.

Van Hecke robs a Barnsley man midway in their half and Buckley picks it up and glides past the startled defenders. He’s into the D and with only the keeper to beat he puts it narrowly past the right post. Bad miss after the hard work had been done! Is it going to be one of “those days”?

23 That’s a terrible pass by the defender straight to Buckley. He releases a perfect pass for Rothwell to run on to 30m out. He takes it to the edge of the box and this time there’s no mistake, he plants the ball low into the right side of the net!

27 Another neat pass from Buckley finds Nyambe in a bit of space and he manoeuvres into the box and tries a left footed curler but it’s Ryan and his shot curls comfortably past the far post.

35 Khadra receives the ball midway in Rovers’ half and he sends Buckley free and clear with a wonderful through ball beating the offside trap. He slows down at the edge of the box waiting for Diaz to arrive but, when he tries to set Ben up, his pass is too weak and a Barnsley man gets a foot in. Bad, bad miss…..Buckley should have kept going and shot himself or, at least, put decent weight on his pass. Ben deserves credit for his run! Chances are going begging and Barnsley aren’t out of this yet! To make matters worse, the resulting corner is hit straight into touch by Rothwell.

36 Diaz does really well to keep Pickering’s long pass in play and he’s off into the box. His shot from just to the left of the 6 yard box is parried away. Good play from Ben. Eventually Khadra gets the ball on the wing 30m out and his cross into the box almost reaches Pickering who had made a good run. The keeper gathers.

41 Lenihan fires a great long ball from the right wing to the edge of the box where Diaz is lurking. Although Ben brings it down well with his chest, his shot is saved by the keeper. He was offside anyway! We need that second goal!

44 Some good approach play by Barnsley and the right winger goes past Travis too easily and crosses from the byline but Wharton is in position to clear.

Then Lenihan jumps in on halfway to make an interception. He has the perfect chance to send Diaz clear but his pass is blocked and the moment has gone. Barnsley come again! Pickering has 2 men to mark on his own and one of them manages to get in a cross from the byline. Lenihan has managed to get back and blocks it in the 6 yard box but it hits Wharton and deflects back towards goal. It’s panic stations as Van Hecke, Wharton and Rothwell fail to clear. After more bobbling about, the ball comes to Morris just inside the box. His shot is deflected by Nyambe on to the right post…….the ball runs agonisingly back along the line and a baffled Kaminski can’t stop it rolling over the line just inside the left post! Let’s hope we don’t rue those missed chances…..as so often in the past!

 

47 Some all-round good play by Lenihan since the re-start. This time his crossfield pass into the box reaches the on-coming Rothwell just outside the 6 yard box, but his attempted left-footed volley is best forgotten.

49 A dangerous moment there. Everyone seemed happy to let Diaz deal with Brittain on his own to the left of our box. The result was Diaz was all at sea and a cross came in, headed away by Wharton at the near post. Diaz gets a chance to send Khadra away but his pass is poor.

51 Buckley collects a Wharton pass and, with 3 defenders around him, he launches a beautiful ball over the top of the defence for Diaz to chase. Ben turns into the box but his shot is blocked by a defender. Buckley gets it back from Pickering and shoots from 25m but it’s weak and the keeper gathers easily.

55 Some good possession by Barnsley since the break.

59 Another long crossfield ball from Lenihan straight to Diaz who heads it on into the box for Pickering to chase. His shot is blocked but he wins a corner. It’s taken short and, between them, Rothwell and Pickering stuff it up completely!

61 Khadra takes a shot from distance but it comes down with snow on it. He’s done nothing this half!

63 Khadra off, Gallagher on.

64 Lenihan dispossesses a Barnsley man in the centre-circle and Buckley manages to slide the ball for Diaz to chase on the left wing. He takes it to the edge of the box but his touch is awkward but never mind he still lashes it low across goal and into the bottom right corner of the net. 20 goals for Ben and party time for fans who had the big bet. All the subs mob Ben, then the rest of the players join in. Great stuff.

66 Unnecessary, crude yellow card challenge by Lenihan.

74 Buckley starting to look tired now.

80 More Rovers looking a bit lethargic now as Barnsley have some nice possession.

82 Yellow card for Gallagher being careless with his elbow!

84 Buckley and Rothwell off, Edun and Dolan on.

85 Edun gives a soft free kick away midway in our half. Wharton heads clear.

87 Kaminski booked for time-wasting. All the centre-backs are playing well!

90 A Barnsley man passes back straight to Gallagher 35m out. He takes it to the edge of the box and unleashes a powerful shot but it’s too near the keeper and he parries away. He’s hurt himself in the process! Corner.

91 Another short one and another embarrassment. This time it’s Dolan passing 1m to Gallagher and then it’s back to Dolan who’s offside!!!

Lenihan wins another towering header on halfway and it goes over the entire defence setting Diaz free. He heads into the box and with the goal at his mercy, he blasts the ball wide from 12m with his left foot. That was a sitter! 

93 That’s 3 dominant headers by Lenihan in as many minutes!

Styles goes past Pickering too easily then squares to Morris on the edge of our box. His shot hits Wharton. Travis makes a weak attempt to clear but it falls perfectly for Styles 22 m out and his shot rockets just over the bar! Wow! Lenihan gives Travis a rollocking!

The final whistle goes.

Edited December 31, 2021 by tonyoz

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Excellent Tony. Lenihan must be way in front of the players league table by now.

[tonyoz]

21 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

Excellent Tony. Lenihan must be way in front of the players league table by now.

Maybe…..but not so far as you’d think I reckon. I’ll post an updated chart later. No one has ever scored more than 40 before. I think he’s really come of age this season………helped by the experience of partnering and watching Ayala.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

1 minute ago, tonyoz said:

Maybe…..but not so far as you’d think I reckon. I’ll post an updated chart later. No one has ever scored more than 40 before. I think he’s really come of age this season………helped by the experience of partnering and watching Ayala.

It’s been his best season so far. Maybe playing in a back 3 suits him.

[tonyoz]

13 hours ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

It’s been his best season so far. Maybe playing in a back 3 suits him.

It’s the leadership he’s showing that impresses me most. Those blood and thunder aerial challenges at the end of this game were inspirational.

[tonyoz]

Here is the latest “average scores” chart. Most players have so many scores now that the odd exceptional (or atrocious) performance makes hardly a dint in his average.