Last night - Ratings
#11
Bang on ratings although I’d up Heggy to an 8. Other than that good scores and assessments.

I also agree with Delmonte’s point about MOL. Whilst o wouldn’t dock him, because he made some very good saves and his around game was excellent. He is vulnerable on crosses. The new Tony Godden? Which wouldn’t be a bad thing after what’s gone before.

Dike needs to start Saturday as Masons misuse has left him needing some yards in his legs. If he gets 1 crucial goal between now and May, then that may be the difference.
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#12
MOL missed far too many crosses and looks very vulnerable to them. Had he caught or punched the cross from he left then Taylor would not have had to clear off the line.
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#13
A good team effort and a good watch in the Lower Merrick - cheers Baggiebloke.
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#14
(02-11-2026, 08:34 AM)Bob Fossil Wrote: Bang on ratings although I’d up Heggy to an 8. Other than that good scores and assessments.

I also agree with Delmonte’s point about MOL. Whilst o wouldn’t dock him, because he made some very good saves and his around game was excellent. He is vulnerable on crosses. The new Tony Godden? Which wouldn’t be a bad thing after what’s gone before.

Dike needs to start Saturday as Masons misuse has left him needing some yards in his legs. If he gets 1 crucial goal between now and May, then that may be the difference.

Yep it's absolutely essential we get Dike back to some sort of form, desperately need an alternative to Hegg
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#15
Decent marks, and although MOL flapped here and there his saves alone merit that 8. Some of those crosses were tough, from decent wide players, in sometimes swirly conditions.

Real shame about Dike but having suffered his injury it takes a long time to get that confidence back in the joint. Which, as Birdy astutely says above, Mingeson denied him sufficient pitch time to do that while burning out Hedgehog at the same time. Start him in the cup, for sure, hopefully alongside Maja, and say whoever performs is back in contention.

Ramsay’s start here has been indifferent to say the least but he’s expected to solve a series of problems created by multiple managers here. Although it’s a luxury we don’t have, it’s gonna take a little time at least. It’s boggy pitch time as well, so I’d definitely ignore Pink Floyd’s advice for the cup game. Happy to write that off in favour of survival, and - you never know - some may actually be, like, up to it?
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#16
(02-11-2026, 07:27 AM)Man from delmonte Wrote: Fair summary and I agree with most of that but I think you're being very generous to O'Leary. He made a couple of good saves but his inadequacy on crosses can't inspire any confidence in the defence. If I were an opposing manager I'd be focusing on getting lots of high balls into our box as he looks terrified by that.

I think you're forgetting Diakite's suicide backpass which could easily have been Swansea all over again. He's a player who serves a purpose but I wouldn't be taking up our option on him in the summer.

As for Dike, I think even a 5 is generous. Across the last two matches he really has achieved nothing. He looks slow, ponderous and the ball never sticks to him. It's sad to see but I think Ryan Mason was right on this one unfortunately. I think Maja is going to be a better option in the run-in even is he's not exactly Mr Commitment.

O’Leary was superb last night and he only flapped at one cross, the reason he gets on with the defence is that he communicates with them he’s like Palmer in that sense doesn’t stop talking. 2 clean sheets running we haven’t done that since November 24. I’m still uncertain about Diakate looks so good but then prone to an almighty mistake.
As for Dike glad he’s getting minutes but seems to have lost all his pace and power hope he can recover but I think his days as a top striker are over.
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#17
Surely it's been a while since we've had a keeper who's been good with crosses, so I'm not sure why people are singling out O'Leary for this criticism?
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#18
(02-11-2026, 11:26 AM)WorcsWBA Wrote: Surely it's been a while since we've had a keeper who's been good with crosses, so I'm not sure why people are singling out O'Leary for this criticism?

Because O'Leary was in goal last night?
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#19
(02-11-2026, 10:46 AM)wba13 Wrote:
(02-11-2026, 07:27 AM)Man from delmonte Wrote: Fair summary and I agree with most of that but I think you're being very generous to O'Leary. He made a couple of good saves but his inadequacy on crosses can't inspire any confidence in the defence. If I were an opposing manager I'd be focusing on getting lots of high balls into our box as he looks terrified by that.

I think you're forgetting Diakite's suicide backpass which could easily have been Swansea all over again. He's a player who serves a purpose but I wouldn't be taking up our option on him in the summer.

As for Dike, I think even a 5 is generous. Across the last two matches he really has achieved nothing. He looks slow, ponderous and the ball never sticks to him. It's sad to see but I think Ryan Mason was right on this one unfortunately. I think Maja is going to be a better option in the run-in even is he's not exactly Mr Commitment.

O’Leary was superb last night and he only flapped at one cross, the reason he gets on with the defence is that he communicates with them he’s like Palmer in that sense doesn’t stop talking. 2 clean sheets running we haven’t done that since November 24. I’m still uncertain about Diakate looks so good but then prone to an almighty mistake.
As for Dike glad he’s getting minutes but seems to have lost all his pace and power hope he can recover but I think his days as a top striker are over.
By my reckoning he missed at least 3, he certainly was not superb.

One of our better keepers in recent years was Kuczkak (The Pole in Goal) because he used to come for everything and the defenders he played with knew this.
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#20
(02-11-2026, 11:39 AM)Ted Maul Wrote:
(02-11-2026, 11:26 AM)WorcsWBA Wrote: Surely it's been a while since we've had a keeper who's been good with crosses, so I'm not sure why people are singling out O'Leary for this criticism?

Because O'Leary was in goal last night?

It was obvious my point was a general one. Griffiths doesn't command his area, but people don't keep stressing that when he plays.
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