fbm
Blue tinted optimist⭐
As in keeping with all the TV live games, I won't bother with the report as such but just a general overview with my player ratings.
This is being written without the benefit of seeing any posts on the game, or watching any of it again on the box. Purely my view as I saw it.
Thanks to the wonderful new turnstile system in the West I was stranded down Shakespeare Drive for the first 5 minutes of the match. To be honest, I was lucky to be there as I didn't know until early afternoon whether I would actually make the match or not. My father in law fell down some stairs at Stratford station on Monday evening fracturing his skull and only really came out of his coma yesterday afternoon. He is on the mend but whether he will make a full recovery, well, who knows? It has been a bit of a week therefore. Fortunately my wife's sister and brother were up there today (we did yesterday). The brain is bruised and swollen but today he started saying a little bit more and he was more coherent than he was yesterday. Sorry to start the report with morbid news but having got the word that he had made a big improvement today I thought there was only one way todays result could go. And I was right.
I have to say that for me it was our best display of the season. Forest have obvious class and we dominated the game. 3 or 4 nil would not have flattered us. It is always a good sign when the opposition fans are quiet and there were plenty of them just sitting on their hands. Their team gave them little to shout about... no, let me rephrase that. We didn't allow their team to give them anything to shout about. For my money there were 7 or 8 Blues on the top of their game today, and we set a new club record, went top of the table, and all watched by a few million on the box. How good is that? Quality.
Ratings:
Flahavan - 9 - Confident, supreme performance. Handling good, distribution good, made 2 good saves and communicated well.
Hunt - 9.5 - MOM. It is difficult to see how Lewis Hunts performance today could be improved upon. He won tackle after tackle, header after header, made some great interceptions and the crowning moment was when he tracked back on Commons when he was clear in teh second half and made a goal saving tackle. Superb.
Edwards - 9 - Again, another player in complete control today. Difficult to fault and barring injury I can't see how Spinner is going to get his place back.
Barrett - 7 - Not quite at his best and got caught in possession a couple of times but his committment cannot be faulted.
Wilson - 8 - Made one poor challenge in the first half but was very, very solid and di extremely well.
Bentley - 8.5 - Fantastic stamina, a couple of really good crosses and won numerous challenges. Got booked though.
Maher - 7.5 - Steady but unspectacular. Allowed Bents and Gutts to run the show today.
Guttridge - 8.5 - Phenomenal work today and nearly scored with a great shot from 25 yards that hit the post.
Cole - 6 - Was ok - but ok for him means he gives the side nothing. Went on one great run in the first half but otherwise didn't really contribute much.
Gray - 8.5 - Great work rate and his pace worried them at time. Unlucky to be subbed really.
Goater - 7 - Linked play up well but really should have scored 2 goals today.
Subs -
Freddy - 7 - Missed two good chances and took his goal well.
Campbell-Ryce - 6 - Looked decent but found it difficult to get into the game really.
This is being written without the benefit of seeing any posts on the game, or watching any of it again on the box. Purely my view as I saw it.
Thanks to the wonderful new turnstile system in the West I was stranded down Shakespeare Drive for the first 5 minutes of the match. To be honest, I was lucky to be there as I didn't know until early afternoon whether I would actually make the match or not. My father in law fell down some stairs at Stratford station on Monday evening fracturing his skull and only really came out of his coma yesterday afternoon. He is on the mend but whether he will make a full recovery, well, who knows? It has been a bit of a week therefore. Fortunately my wife's sister and brother were up there today (we did yesterday). The brain is bruised and swollen but today he started saying a little bit more and he was more coherent than he was yesterday. Sorry to start the report with morbid news but having got the word that he had made a big improvement today I thought there was only one way todays result could go. And I was right.
I have to say that for me it was our best display of the season. Forest have obvious class and we dominated the game. 3 or 4 nil would not have flattered us. It is always a good sign when the opposition fans are quiet and there were plenty of them just sitting on their hands. Their team gave them little to shout about... no, let me rephrase that. We didn't allow their team to give them anything to shout about. For my money there were 7 or 8 Blues on the top of their game today, and we set a new club record, went top of the table, and all watched by a few million on the box. How good is that? Quality.
Ratings:
Flahavan - 9 - Confident, supreme performance. Handling good, distribution good, made 2 good saves and communicated well.
Hunt - 9.5 - MOM. It is difficult to see how Lewis Hunts performance today could be improved upon. He won tackle after tackle, header after header, made some great interceptions and the crowning moment was when he tracked back on Commons when he was clear in teh second half and made a goal saving tackle. Superb.
Edwards - 9 - Again, another player in complete control today. Difficult to fault and barring injury I can't see how Spinner is going to get his place back.
Barrett - 7 - Not quite at his best and got caught in possession a couple of times but his committment cannot be faulted.
Wilson - 8 - Made one poor challenge in the first half but was very, very solid and di extremely well.
Bentley - 8.5 - Fantastic stamina, a couple of really good crosses and won numerous challenges. Got booked though.
Maher - 7.5 - Steady but unspectacular. Allowed Bents and Gutts to run the show today.
Guttridge - 8.5 - Phenomenal work today and nearly scored with a great shot from 25 yards that hit the post.
Cole - 6 - Was ok - but ok for him means he gives the side nothing. Went on one great run in the first half but otherwise didn't really contribute much.
Gray - 8.5 - Great work rate and his pace worried them at time. Unlucky to be subbed really.
Goater - 7 - Linked play up well but really should have scored 2 goals today.
Subs -
Freddy - 7 - Missed two good chances and took his goal well.
Campbell-Ryce - 6 - Looked decent but found it difficult to get into the game really.
