Ratings versus Coventry

[Thracian]

Weale 7.5 (One spectacular tip-over save and another sound all-round performance).

Morrison 6.5 (Steady performance).

Hobbs 6 (So frustrating. His aerial dominance was so often neutralised by his abysmal distribution. He must have made five or six passes before any one of them found their intended mark without putting the recipient in trouble. It really is time that Hobbs started to play the simple ball)

Brown 6 (Survived well enough against some challenging opponents).

Berner 5.75 (A bit of a victim today. Whoever faced Best and friends on the Coventry right would have been up against it and Berner was no different. Even so he never hid and, in the end battled his way to a satisfactory outcome).

Oakley 5 (Disappointing. His passing was too haywire, his dead ball kicks uninspired and sometimes misdirected and offered little in terms of real threat. May have felt the strain of successive 90 minutes like King but there was never any question of him disappearing and that was a plus)

King 6 (At least three vital blocks and clearances, interlinked well with Dyer on occasions, was one of the few to keep trying to play the ball to feet but looked a bit weary in the last 15 minutes and was restricted almost exclusively to defensive duties).

Dyer 7.25 (As good as I've seen from him over 90 minutes for a long time. Might have scored with a rising drive in the first half, so nearly created a goal for DJ with his persistence and perfect pull-back and also showed the energy to keep driving himself forward even from deeper positiions - a quality which may yet prove valuable).

Fryatt 5 (Unsurprisingly substituted. It just looked like his batteries had finally faded under the burden of so much responsibility over recent weeks. Never a threat).

Gallagher 6 (That may seem a solid average mark but, while Gallagher, once again, worked himself a bit of space and delivered a steady stream of crosses and the odd shot (one of which hit the bar) it all seemed lightweight and eventually inconsequential in the scheme of things. His crosses and chips were accurate but delicately flighted rather than driven and dangerous. I don't think he has nearly enough impact and today was no different. And I'd prefer Gradel on the right anytime. Unless he can get in the box and prove himself a striker I fail to see where he will benefit us to any great extent. Gave away the free-kick which led to their goal when being struck on the hand by a cross he was leaping to block.).

Kergormant 5.5 (Okay in patches but in no way did he look like a replacement for Howard).

Subs:

Howard 7.25 (Vital flick-on which created the equaliser and was generally an all-round threat to the Coventry defenders' comfort. At this stage of his career it might suit him to have shorter spells in the side but to greater effect).

DJ 6.5 (Missed a close range chance from Dyer's pull-back after he'd pinched the ball of an unsuspecting defender. Just ran out of space with another opportunity moments after his arrival and generally looked a menace in and around the box and long may it continue).

Waghorn 7.5 (Goals win points and Waghorn's was superb. Worked his socks off too in putting defenders under pressure and contesting every cause).

Pearson 8 (A big plus for bringing DJ back and for doing everything he could to help us chase the equaliser. His substitutions worked a dream and a match-familiar DJ might well have stolen the equaliser from an instant close-range chance presented to him by Dyer. But DJ was in or around the six-yard box to try for the chance and it's something we've missed as was his pace which, added to that of Dyer and Waghorn, suddenly made us quite a handful for a short while).

[Fez of Mahrez]

Weale 7

Morrison 6

Hobbs 7

Brown 6

Berner 6

Dyer 7

Oakley 6

King 6

Gallagher 5

Fryatt 6

Kermorgant 6

Waghorn 8

Howard 8

Campbell 6

[Salieri]

Weale 7.5 (One spectacular tip-over save and another sound all-round performance).

Morrison 6.5 (Steady performance).

Hobbs 6 (So frustrating. His aerial dominance was so often neutralised by his abysmal distribution. He must have made five or six passes before any one of them found their intended mark without putting the recipient in trouble. It really is time that Hobbs started to play the simple ball)

Brown 6 (Survived well enough against some challenging opponents).

Berner 5.75 (A bit of a victim today. Whoever faced Best and friends on the Coventry right would have been up against it and Berner was no different. Even so he never hid and, in the end battled his way to a satisfactory outcome).

Oakley 5 (Disappointing. His passing was too haywire, his dead ball kicks uninspired and sometimes misdirected and offered little in terms of real threat. May have felt the strain of successive 90 minutes like King but there was never any question of him disappearing and that was a plus)

King 6 (At least three vital blocks and clearances, interlinked well with Dyer on occasions, was one of the few to keep trying to play the ball to feet but looked a bit weary in the last 15 minutes and was restricted almost exclusively to defensive duties).

Dyer 7.25 (As good as I've seen from him over 90 minutes for a long time. Might have scored with a rising drive in the first half, so nearly created a goal for DJ with his persistence and perfect pull-back and also showed the energy to keep driving himself forward even from deeper positiions - a quality which may yet prove valuable).

Fryatt 5 (Unsurprisingly substituted. It just looked like his batteries had finally faded under the burden of so much responsibility over recent weeks. Never a threat).

Gallagher 6 (That may seem a solid average mark but, while Gallagher, once again, worked himself a bit of space and delivered a steady stream of crosses and the odd shot (one of which hit the bar) it all seemed lightweight and eventually inconsequential in the scheme of things. His crosses and chips were accurate but delicately flighted rather than driven and dangerous. I don't think he has nearly enough impact and today was no different. And I'd prefer Gradel on the right anytime. Unless he can get in the box and prove himself a striker I fail to see where he will benefit us to any great extent. Gave away the free-kick which led to their goal when being struck on the hand by a cross he was leaping to block.).

Kergormant 5.5 (Okay in patches but in no way did he look like a replacement for Howard).

Subs:

Howard 7.25 (Vital flick-on which created the equaliser and was generally an all-round threat to the Coventry defenders' comfort. At this stage of his career it might suit him to have shorter spells in the side but to greater effect).

DJ 6.5 (Missed a close range chance from Dyer's pull-back after he'd pinched the ball of an unsuspecting defender. Just ran out of space with another opportunity moments after his arrival and generally looked a menace in and around the box and long may it continue).

Waghorn 7.5 (Goals win points and Waghorn's was superb. Worked his socks off too in putting defenders under pressure and contesting every cause).

Pearson 8 (A big plus for bringing DJ back and for doing everything he could to help us chase the equaliser. His substitutions worked a dream and a match-familiar DJ might well have stolen the equaliser from an instant close-range chance presented to him by Dyer. But DJ was in or around the six-yard box to try for the chance and it's something we've missed as was his pace which, added to that of Dyer and Waghorn, suddenly made us quite a handful for a short while).

You forgot Kermo.

EDIT : He's there now!

[davieG]

Weale 7

Morrison 7

Hobbs 6

Brown 6

Berner 6

Dyer 7

Oakley 6

King 6

Gallagher 6

Fryatt 6

Kermorgant 6

Waghorn 8

Howard 8

Campbell 6

[maddog]

Wheale 7- Good keeper.

Morrison 6- Was joining the 'we are Brazil' Oakley, Gally party too much, but better than Neilson for me.

Hobbs 7- Cov fans in pub afterwards said he was good, and he is, and he was.

Brown 7- Much improved in the last few games.

Berner 6- A poor performance by his very high standards.

Gallagher 5- This guy just annoys me really, Pearson did sub him off today, i would like to see him subbed off before we start against Derby.

King 5- I never notice him when he's playing.

Oakley 5- Why does he give the ball away sloppily at least 8 times a game, and wastes a least 3 crucial corners/free kicks a game, sort it out CAPTAIN.

Dyer 7- Only real attacking danger in the Midfield today.

Fryatt 6- Not great, could still be slightly injured after Boro.

Yann 7- Hustled in the first half, but his 15 minutes in the 2nd half was very very good, won headers better than Howard for me.

Subs:

Dj 6- Needs a chance and more time on the field.

Waghorn 8- Star man, changed the game, and scored the goal.

Howard 7- Definitely did something to the game but i would say overall Yann edges him as first choice, with his better footballing technique/ability and more pace.

Pearson 8- Really went for it today, we didn't play great but he showed he's not a weak Kelly/Levein/Megson manager, and threw 3 strikers on ALL AT ONCE.

It was a shock for everyone, but it almost earned us our second away win.

[Heart-Shaped Fox]

Weale 7 - Some good saves thought he could have done better with the fre kick but need tp see it again.

Morrison 7 - Nothing wrong. Looked steady throughout.

Hobbs 6 - Doesnt seem to be able to hit the ball long to either Howard or Kermo. Looked solid.

Brown 6 - Thought he was much better. Disappointed that he kept hoofing the ball everytime he had it.

Berner 7 - Usual Bruno performance, did nothing wrong.

Dyer 7.5 - Thought this was the best I have seen him play this season. Looked threatening without a finish, but looked up for it.

Oakley 6 - Poor for me. Set pieces were shite as usual and passing looked generally off.

King 6 - Average performance but nothing whcih stood out.

Gallagher 6 - Still dont like him at right mid.

Fryatt 6 - Quiet. Maybe needs more time with Kermo.

Kermorgant 6 - Put himself around a bit but lacked any real threat.

Waghorn 8 - Looked like the same bloke against Swansea. Played off Howard well.

Howard 8- Won every header and changed the game.

Campbell 6 - Looked up for it but could have scored and didnt look threatening.

[lou]

Weale 7 - Some good saves thought he could have done better with the fre kick but need tp see it again.

Morrison 7 - Nothing wrong. Looked steady throughout.

Hobbs 6 - Doesnt seem to be able to hit the ball long to either Howard or Kermo. Looked solid.

Brown 6 - Thought he was much better. Disappointed that he kept hoofing the ball everytime he had it.

Berner 7 - Usual Bruno performance, did nothing wrong.

Dyer 7.5 - Thought this was the best I have seen him play this season. Looked threatening without a finish, but looked up for it.

Oakley 6 - Poor for me. Set pieces were shite as usual and passing looked generally off.

King 6 - Average performance but nothing whcih stood out.

Gallagher 6 - Still dont like him at right mid.

Fryatt 6 - Quiet. Maybe needs more time with Kermo.

Kermorgant 6 - Put himself around a bit but lacked any real threat.

Waghorn 8 - Looked like the same bloke against Swansea. Played off Howard well.

Howard 8- Won every header and changed the game.

Campbell 6 - Looked up for it but could have scored and didnt look threatening.

Well thats half the battle won IMO. I dont mind so much players not scoring as long as theyre trying. Lets hope it continues. How was he on offsides?

[Soar Fox]

Well thats half the battle won IMO. I dont mind so much players not scoring as long as theyre trying. Lets hope it continues. How was he on offsides?

Given offside once, Good to see having a bit more pace up there aswell.

[Heart-Shaped Fox]

Well thats half the battle won IMO. I dont mind so much players not scoring as long as theyre trying. Lets hope it continues. How was he on offsides?

He made some threatening runs and looked promising but looks like he needs a run in the team, but I cant see that happening.

I say he looked up for it as he dived in a few tackles and always wanted the ball, but it could have started better when he received the ball on the edge of the box and just kicks it straight into the side netting with a sidefoot!

Could be a use to us, but will he get in front of the others? Perhaps not.

[C-man]

Weale 7

Morrison 7

Brown 6

Hobbs 7

Berner 6

Gallagher 6

Oakley 5

King 6

Dyer 7

Fryatt 5

Kermorgant 6

Howard 7

Waghorn 8

Campbell 6

[Guest ttfn]

Weale 7 - Did ok, seemed to command his box well - could do nothing with free kick

Morrison 6 - Looked steady

Hobbs 6 - Better than Brown, but Best gave him a hard time

Brown 4 - ATTENTION WAYNE BROWN! PUTTING BACKSPIN ON A LONG BALL DOES NOT SOMEHOW MAKE IT A CULTURED PASS! Stop hoofing it and start giving it to people who can play

Berner 6 - Not his best game, got exposed a couple of times

Gallagher 7 - Was unlucky with a couple of decisions (not the handball, that was clear as day). Looked to be our most threatening player (along with Dyer) until he was subbed.

Oakley 5 - Some shocking, shocking passing - I felt we were often overrun in midfield, but Oakley was hardly helped by...

King n/a - I refuse to rate a player I barely noticed. When I did notice him, he was weak in the tackle, sloppy on the ball and seemed to be barely capable at this level.

Dyer 7 - A constant threat - looks to be back to his old self.

Fryatt 4 - I'm a big fan of Fryatt's but this is the second successive game that he didn't get into

Kermorgant 6 - Won a lot in the air and good feet. Did ok.

subs:

DJ 5 - His pace seemed to scare Cov but he barely touched the ball

Waghorn 7 - Cracking finish, worked hard.

Howard 8 - Great physical presence, won numerous flick ons. Changed the game

[SamL]

Weale 7

Morrison 7

Hobbs 6

Brown 6

Berner 6

Gallagher 5

Oakley 6

King 6

Dyer 7

Fryatt 5

Kermogant 5

Subs: -

Waghorn 8

Howard 8

DJ 6

[Bert]

Weale 7 - Made some vital saves, and something that we've had a problem with in past seasons, his kicking is good.

Morrison 6 - Tightly marked his man and stuck to it well, better than Neilson.

Berner 6 - Was always going to be in for a tough ride. His worst game for us this season, but till never gave up.

Brown 5 - Hoof, beating a lot in the air, always seemed to stand back today which was bizarre.

Hobbs 7 - Collossol in the air and dealt with everything thrown at him.

Gallagher 5 - He worked hard and technically is very good, but he gave away the foul with a silly handball that lead to their goal, rightly subbed off.

Dyer 6 - One of his better performances to date, just shows what a goal can do for you.

Oakley 5 - Gave the ball away far too often and offered little today.

King 6 - Didn't waste a single pass today.

Kermorgant 6 - Won everything in the air, in a few games he'll be a danger for us.

Fryatt 5 - Lots of effort, little product.

Howard 7 - Gave the Cov backline a real hard time and got an assist, maybe this could be his new role as it was probably the most ffective he's een this season.

Waghorn 7 - Fantastic finish that saved us a point, bundles of energy and enthusiasm, would like to see him start next game.

DJ 6 - With a bit more match sharpness I think he could chip in with some goals, he seemed to want to play today. Even applauded the fans!

In a game where we were bound to get over-ran by Coventry's midfield I thought we did ok, we just missed that extra bit of bite that Wellens gives us.

Pearson made some refreshing positive changes that shook Coventry up, who in all honesty looked fairly comfortable before the changes were made and that was a big help in earning ourselves a point.

[Guest]

Weale - 7

Morro - 6.5 - Seems to have taken his opportunity well so far, solid.

Hobbs - 7

Brown - 6

Berner - 6

Dyer - 6

Oakley - 6 - Gave away possession alot again, was really annoyed when he chipped that ball to Waghorn possibly in the second half, when a slight touch would've teed him up perfectly for a shot. For from perfect but I do think there's some over-reactions on here and at the ground once again.

King - 6 - Steady

Gallagher - 6

Fryatt - 6

Kermo - 5.5 - Won a few nice long balls and there is obviously some skill there but occasionally that work was undone by silly mistakes

Howard - 7

Waghorn - 7.5 - Quality goal, really strong and pacy as usual

DJ - 6 - I'm loathe to say he did well but he did

Nige - 8 - Gave the original line up an opportunity to change it for a period after half time, and made the right decision to sub the people he did

[lildave3]

Weale - 7

Morrison - 7

Hobbs - 8

Brown - 5

Berner - 6

Gallagher - 5

Oakley - 6

King - 7

Dyer - 7

Yann - 7

Fryatt - 6

Howard - 8

Waghorn - 8

Campbell - 6

[TrickyTrev]

Gallagher is a willing but not particularly able defender, he puts in the work load but he can't really tackle and he doesn't seem to know when to press and when to sit. Than hand ball was pretty stupid but there were a couple of other free kicks he conceded in dangerous areas that we could have done without. One of the problems of putting a forward on the wing.

Thought that Brown and Hobbs were good defensively but a little hoofish under pressure. Morrison put in a decent enough shift but is really no better than Nielson, still need a new right back.

[Wasyls Pec Deck]

Weale 7

Morrison 6

Hobbs 6

Brown 6

Berner 7

Dyer 7

Oakley 6.5

King 6

Gallagher 6

Fryatt 6

Kermorgant 6

Waghorn 8

Howard 8

Campbell 6

[Thracian]

Gallagher is a willing but not particularly able defender, he puts in the work load but he can't really tackle and he doesn't seem to know when to press and when to sit. Than hand ball was pretty stupid but there were a couple of other free kicks he conceded in dangerous areas that we could have done without. One of the problems of putting a forward on the wing.

Thought that Brown and Hobbs were good defensively but a little hoofish under pressure. Morrison put in a decent enough shift but is really no better than Nielson, still need a new right back.

Convincing solutions are not apparent.

It has surprised me that our improving manager has not given more experience and involvement to the former Academy right-back Luke O'Neill who certainly looked promising enough at Macclesfield in the Cup recently and at Hartlepool in the Cup last season.

I don't suggest that he's the final or the lasting solution but he might represent an attack-capable alternative to what we've got, something it is imperative we find soon.

Otherwise, and presuming McGivern is a left-back rather than a right back, it seems that close scrutiny of the loan options might be the best option.

[dandannieldanok]

Convincing solutions are not apparent.

It has surprised me that our improving manager has not given more experience and involvement to the former Academy right-back Luke O'Neill who certainly looked promising enough at Macclesfield in the Cup recently and at Hartlepool in the Cup last season.

I don't suggest that he's the final or the lasting solution but he might represent an attack-capable alternative to what we've got, something it is imperative we find soon.

Otherwise, and presuming McGivern is a left-back rather than a right back, it seems that close scrutiny of the loan options might be the best option.

Experience counts for a lot and I know that the only way to get experience is to play games, but I think it'd be a huge risk to throw in O'Neill. He's yet to face a real defensive test in his couple of appearances to date.

[Guest]

BREAKING NEWS

Thracian prefers Academy Graduate to current selection

[Father Ted]

Anybody saying Morrison is not good enough at right-back is wrong.

He is solid, does not get caught out of possesion, has pace, a decent-throw, a threat from set-pieces, good distribution and good cover.

He can be easily moulded into a right-back and a quality one at that.

[davieG]

Well thats half the battle won IMO. I dont mind so much players not scoring as long as theyre trying. Lets hope it continues. How was he on offsides?

Not as bad as Fryatt

[Guest Bilo]

Weale 8 Solid as a rock, very impressive keeping from him again.

Morrison 7 Done for pace on several occasions but rectified it with some excellent saving tackles. Composed for a young lad.

Hobbs 6 Inaccurate hoofing was frustrating beyond belief and caused unnecessary problems for the midfield. Still a strong defender though and made some important interventions.

Brown 7 Much more solid than in recent games, used his strength to great effect and never looked like struggling.

Berner 6 Struggled today against the pacey Best but didn't make any silly mistakes. Any shortcomings in his game were not of his own making so strong criticism seems harsh.

Oakley 5 Probably the worst performance from him this season, all the more disappointing given the gravity of the game and his performances up to now. Poor set-pieces and passing all afternoon are hopefully just a one-off bad day.

King 7 Defended and passed the ball well, used his brain and generally had a good game. Certainly his best performance to date this season and showed that he hasn't gone away.

Dyer 8 Excellent performance that showed his statement about forcing a first team place was more than just words. Ran them ragged with his pace and crossing was much improved. Unlucky not to score.

Fryatt 5 Huffed and puffed but was never going to blow anyone's house down. Let's hope the old Fryatt isn't about to come back.

Gallagher 5 Stupid free-kick to give away the goal for them and didn't threaten them too much. An off day for a player who has been so much better.

Kermorgant 6 Looked decent and the most likely of the front two to score by far in the first half. Still getting used to the pace and physicality of the Championship but will be good for us in time.

Subs:

Howard 7 Good impact substitution from him and created Waghorn's cracking goal. Say what you like about him, defenders hate playing against him.

Campbell 7 Unfortunate not to score and would have gone a long way to repairing damaged relationships if he had. Gone up in my estimation with a determined performance and a much improved attitude, showing pace and an overdue understanding of the offside rule.

Waghorn 8 Even without his gorgeous strike to level the score, Waghorn was excellent today. Pace, strength, technique and footballing intelligence all exhibited to great effect and Coventry will be glad to see the back of him.

Pearson 9 We've struggled in the second half away from home this season and I have to say I feared the worst when he changed the entire strikeforce. It turned out to be inspired and changed the game. A bold decision that paid off brilliantly, Pearson outwitted Coleman to great effect in the second 45 minutes and would not have been fortunate to have been rewarded with three points.

[Vlad The Impaler]

Weale 7 - Made Some evry good saves, best keeper since Ian Walker.

Morrison 6.5 - Had a steady game, would like to see him get forward a bit more though, still ,start him next match.

Hobbs 6.5 - Distribution was awful at times, but you could blame it on King and Oakley not coming back for a short pass, therefore resulting in having to go long ball, won everything in the air though.

Brown 6.5 - Looks back to his old self, was solid. Distribution needs to be worked on though.

Berner 6 - Didn't do anything bad, nor good. Having a very good season.

Gallagher 6 - Think he is quality, made some nice passes/crosses but he isn't a winger. If we are going to play him then it should be upfront, start Adams or Gradel next game.

Oakley 6 - Made some poor decisions and was a bit too casual on the ball at times, still thought he had a decent game and worked hard for the team once again.

King 6.5 - Alot of his work goes unnoticed and i thought he had a good game today, Wellens edges it for me though. No reason why he can't prove me wrong though.

Dyer 7 - Caused problems all game, nearly set up a goal.

Fryatt 6 - Did okay, not his best game, we had to take him off to score again i notice..

Kermo 6.5 - He excites me, looks really good no the ball, had a shot saved in the first half and I can see good progress in this partnership with fryatt.

SUBS:

Waggy 7.5 - Superb goal, didn't stop running. Extend his loan till the end of the season Nige!

Howard 7 - Set up the goal and won everything, hard choice for Nige picking the strikers for Derby me thinks.

Campbell 6.5 - Am very pleased to see him back, looks to have had a chat with Nige in the recent weeks. He looked right up for it, clapped the fans and was celebrating like all other players when the goal went in. Didn't get into it as much as he would of liked but people have to remember he's been playing reserve football which is very different. He will get us goals.

I'd also like to say Nigel Pearson you were superb today, it takes some balls to bring 3 strikers on as early as you did and it worked like a charm.

[clazkel]

Weale - 7

Morrison - 7

Hobbs - 6.5

Brown - 6.5

Berner - 7

Gallagher - 6.5

Oakley - 6.5

King - 7

Dyer - 7

Fryatt - 6

Kergamont - 6

Howard - 8.5 won everything in the air.

Waghorn - 8

Dj - 6