Ratings thread

[EliotNes]

Clay gave a very polished performance today. He is quite a silky footballer.

This

[Ronnie Hotdogs]

Clay gave a very polished performance today. He is quite a silky footballer.

This

[Chief crazy horse]

I thought Gorman put in a shift too. Maybe a point higher. But pretty much right

I have to say Gorman has improved a lot since last season. I thought he played well today and agree he put I a good shift.

Agree, he had a decent game.

And Wilkinson, i'm afraid, needs a good talking to.

[Disoriented]

Brill - 5 - given they dominated possession (just under 60%) he didn't have to make a save. Have to mark him down for the goal but, as my son pointed out, how often this season have we seen a goal area packed with O's players not dealing with this sort of thing.

Your son needs to join the coaching setup - he is spot on with his observation.

[O my gawd]

These are mine for yesterday. Always a bit more rational to do them a day after & seeing them again on highlights.

Brill 4.5 - Had a shocker for their goal, should have reacted quicker after initial error.
Judd 6 - steady
Widdowson - 8 defensively solid, started the fightback with a great goal
Coulson 6 - solid
Happe 7 - is our best CB & it showed yesterday
Clay 6.5 - better than some people think. Was alert sniffing out Walsall uncertainty to win ball, unselfish & did the sensible thing squaring to Harrold for the 2nd goal.
Wright 6 - important in a midfield 3, a luxury in a 2.
Gorman 6. 5 - Getting better everytime I see him. Brophy 7 - Had them worried with his pace when running at them
Harrold 7.5 - Great physical presence, holds ball up better than Alabi can ever dream of, was unlucky with offside goal & took his goal well.
Wilkinson 7 - again better with every game, would have been an 8, but docked a point getting involved. Like to see fire in belly, but when 3-1 up & 19 minutes left he didn't néed to get involved

[Ronnie Hotdogs]

Brill - 5 - given they dominated possession (just under 60%) he didn't have to make a save. Have to mark him down for the goal but, as my son pointed out, how often this season have we seen a goal area packed with O's players not dealing with this sort of thing.

Your son needs to join the coaching setup - he is spot on with his observation.

It does happen a fair amount. Brill needs to stop spilling balls.

[Chief crazy horse]

Yes, Clay did well with that second goal. And the pass wasn't quite as easy as it looked. Yes, it was a normal square pass, but the pace and accuracy was perfect. Harrold didn't have to break stride at all.

[Jman]

Really cracking game yesterday, so good to follow up on last week with a home win.

First half we weren't at it at all. But you could see that Walsall, despite having loads of the ball, were there for the taking and credit Joe Widdowson, what a finish. It came at a perfect time and completely changed the game. Everything the Walsall manager would have said at the break, straight out the window, which then in turn gave us the impetus to go on and win it. Walsall were poor second half and honestly you didn't get the sense you were watching two team that'll be near the top end this season yesterday. My MOTM was Joe Widdowson who, time and time again puts in such a decent shift and he barely let anything past him yesterday, with a cracking finish for the goal as well. I think mentions too for Josh Wright who was easily our best midfielder out there and Brophy, a constant pace outlet and threat. I think Wright comes in for really unfair criticism at times. He's not blessed with great pace but he's a better player than he was before when he was here, a cog in the middle that keeps things ticking and he rarely gives the ball away with intelligent, accurate passing.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, we're all the makings of a steady middtable side and that's really no bad thing considering where we've come from and the summer we've had. Hopefully can take this year to consolidate and establish ourselves in the league and try and push on over the next two seasons or so.

[Ronnie Hotdogs]

Wright’s criticism thus far has been deserved.

He was a lot better in his new role yesterday, no question.

Also fair to say that him and everyone got proper stuck in when Walsall turned into a bunch of arseholes in the latter part of the game.