Burnley v Manchester United - Player Ratings

[ClaretTony]

Please leave ratings for all players who have played 20 mins or more.


Scoring is from 3 to 10 as follows:

10 - Out of this World
9 - Excellent
8 - Very Good
7 -Good
6 - Average
5 - Below Par
4 - Poor
3 - Abysmal

[fidelcastro]

Trafford 7
Roberts 7
Al-Dakhil 9
Beyer 8
Taylor 7
Cullen 7
Brownhill 6
Ramsey 7
Gudmundsson n/a
Koleosho 8
Amdouni 6

Tresor 7
Brun Larsen 6
Rodriguez 6
Berge 6

[CoolClaret]

Tough one to score - one of them where we need half points..

Trafford 6
Roberts 7
Al-Dakhil 8 - Thought Al-Dakhil was superb. Pocketed Rashford
Beyer 6
Taylor 7
Cullen 7
Brownhill 7
Guddy 7
Ramsey 7
Koleosho 7 - brilliant in the left and should have stayed there
Amdouni 7 - unlucky to not score.. looking mustard though this lad

Trésor 6 - right ideas and some clever interceptions, just missed on execution
Brunn Larsen 7 - looks a really clever player
JayRod 6
Berge 6

[RVclaret]

Trafford 7 - some good saves and confident on the ball
Roberts 7 - plenty of running, lovely ball for Amdouni chance
Al-Dakhil 8 - best of the season from him
Beyer 7 - competed but chose the wrong option several times
Taylor 6 - did okay, I find his one footed-ness a bit annoying
Cullen 7 - tidy performance and decent defensive work
Ramsey 8* - deserved to have an assist, very promising
Brownhill 7 - adds that energy and bite to the middle
JBG 6 - was doing quite well until the injury
Koleosho 7 - lively again
Amdouni 6 - got to take such big chances like that against these teams

Tresor 6 - performance from someone not up to speed yet but positive signs
Berge 6 - wanted more urgency at times
Larsen 7 - really bright cameo

Frustrating game / result. Thought the first 45 was superb and by some freak we find ourselves 1 down. Had some nearly moments second half but when you have Fernandes doing that, then Bruun Larsen taking a heavy touch and it coming to nothing (from a similar situation) in the second half, it kinda sums up what can happen against these teams.

We’ve got to stay positive as that performance comfortably beats a Brentford/Palace etc at home today. We’ve had the hardest start to the season, fixture wise, in the league. Look at the teams we’ve played then look at, say, Everton’s start (Fulham and Wolves at home, Sheffield and (a very poor) Brentford away). It’s definitely coming together for us but let’s hope Vinny can keep morale high.

[HahaYeah]

Trafford 6
Roberts 8
Al Dakhil 8
Beyer 7
Taylor 7
Ramsey 7
Cullen 7
Brownhill 6
Gudmundsson 7
Amdouni 7
Koleosho 7

Subs:
Tresor 6
Rodriguez 6
Berge 7
Bruun Larsen 7
Benson na

[FCBurnley]

Trafford 5 cannot play in this league if you don’t command the area
Roberts 6
Beyer 6
AD 7
Taylor 7
Cullen 7 mom
Brownhill 6
JBG 6
Ramsey 6. Eight for first half but faded
Koleosho 6
Amdouni 6

[Claret1900]

Trafford 6
Roberts 7
Al-Dakhil 7
Beyer 8
Taylor 7
Cullen 7
Brownhill 6
Ramsey 7
Koleosho 8
Amdouni 6

Tresor 6
Brun Larsen 6
Rodriguez 7
Berge 7

[DycheAlmighty]

Trafford 7
Roberts 5 (absolutely disastrous on the ball)
Al Dakhil 8*
Beyer 7
Taylor 7
Cullen 6
Brownhill 7
Ramsey 8 (very very impressive, protects the ball well, got zero service in the second)
Gudmundson 6
Zeki 6
Koleosho 7
Tresor 6

[Roosterbooster]

Trafford 7
Roberts 6
Al-Dakhil 9 Pretty much flawless as far as I remember
Beyer 8
Taylor 7
Cullen 7
Brownhill 6
Ramsey 7
Gudmundsson n/a
Koleosho 7
Amdouni 6

Tresor 6
Brun Larsen 7
Rodriguez 7
Berge 7

[Taffy on the wing]

Teams have figured out that they can pin Trafford on his goal-line from set pieces.........i really hope we see Muric back soon, he helps the flow.

[ClaretTony]

Trafford 7
Roberts 6
Al-Dakhil 8
Beyer 6
Taylor 7
Ramsey 8
Cullen 6
Brownhill 7
Guðmundsson 6
Amdouni 6
Koleosho 7

Trésor 6

[Nori1958]

Teams have figured out that they can pin Trafford on his goal-line from set pieces.........i really hope we see Muric back soon, he helps the flow.

You need to accept that Trafford is the No 1 keeper, and you won't see Muric other than cup games

[BigGaz]

Trafford - 6. Not at fault for their goal, but I don’t think he commands his area very well in general. Yet to convince me he is any better than Muric as a shot stopper and most definitely isn’t as good with distribution.

Roberts - 6 Poor game

Al Dakhil - 8 Solid, enjoyed his performance

Beyer - 7 decent enough but can’t help but feel he allowed the space for the ball to be played in for the goal. Again tonight he held on to the ball too long after one of his runs out of the back. We’re going to get caught out with that at some point.

Taylor - 7 did I see him In Maatsens AM spot at one point in the first half? We look much more solid with him back.

Brownhill - 7 again, makes the side more balanced with him as a box to box midfielder.

Cullen - 7 Did his job well, but I think what is a good player at championship level is a little bit one paced at this level.

Ramsey -7. Some nice flashes of skill but faded badly in the second.

Koleosho -7. He’s a very exciting player to watch and I’m happy with his work rate, but his lack of end product means good opportunities are being squandered

Amdouni -7. Lovely player, has a fantastic touch and a little drop of the shoulder in him. Like many others faded in the second half.

JBG - N/A.

Bruun Larsen - 7. Looked lively when he came on and flashed that wonderful ball across. He was raging afterwards, correctly pointing out there was no one in about 5 yards of it and to get some bodies in the box.

J-Rod -5. I think his time at this level has been and gone.

Berge 7. In the time that he had, he was good. Shielded the ball well and wanted to progress us up the pitch. He looks much better more advanced. I don’t think he’s ver going to be that sitter.

Benson - 6. Not really enough time to make an impact. Looked like the Utd lads were well briefed on his party trick which I think he will unfortunately find a lot this season.

There you have it. Really is a game of two halves ey? Even going in to the break at 1-0 down I felt that there was something there for us and that they could be got at. No idea what got said at half time but we needed a bang and we got a wet fart. I was shocked by the lack of movement, the pedestrian style of play and a refusal to get men into the box. Hard fixture on paper are Man Utd, and they’re still a good team but there was absolutely something to be had from them tonight and we let them bigger off down the road without a whimper.

[Boss Hogg]

Trafford 6
Roberts 7
Al Dakhil 7
Beyer 7
Taylor 6
Cullen 7
Brownhill 7
JBG 6
Ramsey 6
Koleosho 9 mom
Amdouni 6

Subs:
Tresor 6
Larsen 7 looked good again
Berge 6
JRod 5 past it really

Played some good stuff first half and very unlucky to go in 1-0 down. Reminds me of Norwich team that won the Championship playing great football but finished rock bottom of the PL. Don’t see how we get points off Newcastle and Chelsea but here’s hoping.

[KlyBfc]

Take the name Man Utd out if it, we just lost at home to an absolutely bang average verging on awful premier league side. Defeats at home to sides like that are going to have us deep in trouble imo. We were decent enough first half but poor second.

Trafford 6
Roberts 6
AlDhakil 7
Beyer 7
Taylor 6
Cullen 6
Brownhill 6
Jbg 6
Koleosho 6
Ramsey 7
Amdouni 6

Tresor 6

[SalisburyClaret]

Trafford 7 2 excellent saves
Roberts 6
Al Dakhil 8 very good
Beyer 7
Taylor 7
Ramsey 8* great movement
Cullen 6
Brownhill 7
Gudmundsson 7
Amdouni 7
Koleosho 7

Subs:
Tresor 6
Rodriguez 6
Berge 7
Bruun Larsen 7

[Pickles]

Trafford 7 - saves and distribution good
Roberts 8 - consistent and particularly excellent tonight, plays on the edge and does a bit of everything for us
Al-Dakhil 8 - looked every bit a Premier League player, elegant, strong, quick
Beyer 7 - solid, caught on some of his bursts out of the middle
Taylor 6 - gives us some balance but isn't the right left back for how we want to play
Cullen 8 - best performance of the season, much like his form last season, won a lot, pinged it about in a lovely way
Ramsey 8 - sexy player
Brownhill 8 - thought he was close to man of the match tonight, was everywhere but shouldn't be anywhere near set pieces
Gudmundsson 6 - not for me
Koleosho 8* - lit the Turf up, deserved to be on the winning side
Amdouni 6 - sounds harsh but that's an easy chance at this level, got to bag those

Tresor 6 - not there yet but can tell he's a bit silky
Berge 6 - decent but didn't have the oomph needed and needed to make better of his headed chance
Bruun Larsen 7 - some lovely touches from a player who's had a bit of a slow start to life at BFC

Some excellent performances, some of them possibly at the best they can be at this level. But nothing to show for it against a very bad side in Man United.

A little bit worrying.

[AGENT_CLARET]

Trafford 6
Roberts 6
AlDhakil 8
Beyer 6
Taylor 7
Cullen 7
Brownhill 6
Jbg 6
Koleosho 7
Ramsey 7
Amdouni 6

Tresor 5 just walked around the pitch

[CrosspoolClarets]

Trafford 6 - no dominance of his area and weaker distribution than Muric, good but feels like he has been bought just because a sale as an England player will bring a premium price in a few years
Roberts 6 - stuck to it well
Al-Dakhil 8 - back in his proper position, first rule of management, never play young players out of position
Beyer 6 - gave Bruno too much space for the goal and his surges out from the box are too rash, has to pass it sooner before being mugged
Taylor 7 - not much threat from that side
Ramsey 8 - very promising, great close touches and super potential
Cullen 7 - outnumbered in there but stuck to it well
Brownhill 7 - his energy made a difference
Gudmundsson 6 - too little to judge
Andouni 7 - unlucky with the header and hitting the post, looks a natural goalscorer
Koleosho 7 - massive mistake by Kompany to switch him when he had the FB on a yellow

Tresor 6 - getting used to the speed and quality at this level, which is top end of the PL, some good touches and promising but not quite at the pace of it yet

Other substitutes - too low minutes to rate, and therein is the other massive mistake, we were crying out for fresh legs for at least 15 minutes, Vinny is a very young guy who is making errors but of course he is learning, as our young players are. The subs changed the game back in our favour, we had chances from Benson and others. The first three should have been on 60-65 not 73 and Benson should have been on 80. It was obvious too, the game was being well managed by them at the time.

But despite the temporary naivety, the main thing is we were the better team, were unlucky, ok need to sharpen up, but signs are good that we will get plenty of wins. 4 home games who may all finish in the top 6 and an away game we were robbed in (costing us 5 points, because if Foster plays today, we win I reckon).

[Granny WeatherWax]

Got to find a way of getting Larsen in the side, he looked mustard.

[IanMcL]

Trafford 6
Roberts 6
Al Dakhil 7
Beyer 7
Taylor 7
Ramsey 6
Cullen 6
Brownhill 6
Gudmundsson 6
Amdouni 6
Koleosho 7

Subs:
Tresor 6
Rodriguez 6
Berge 7
Bruun Larsen 7
Benson na

[Jakubs Tash]

Trafford 7

Roberts 7
Taylor 7
Beyer 7
Al Dakhil 8

Cullen 7
Brownhill 6
Ramsey 7

JBG 6
Koleosho 6
Amdouni 7

Tresor 6

[BabylonClaret]

Take the name Man Utd out if it, we just lost at home to an absolutely bang average verging on awful premier league side.

Aye that goal from Hernandez was just utter shite. Apart from that the minimum we get here is a draw.

Utd will be top 8. We look better, more solid, more like last seaaon in the way we dominated the ball, more balanced and unlucky not to get on the scoresheet.

Trafford 7 - 2 great saves, decent distribution - no idea why he gets pelters
Roberts 7 - played well
Beyer 7 - solid enough and getting more confident every game
Al Dakhil 9 - really good performance
Taylor 7 - looks good
Cullen 7 - finding his feet and looking good
Brownhill 7 - busy and broke up play well
Ramsay 7 - faded 2nd half but was outstanding ding 1st half. He looked every inch a Premier league player
Koleosho 7 - decision making needs to improve (it will) but getting better each game
Tresor 6 - some good touches but didn't really penetrate
Amdouni 7 - left everything on the pitch and showed real skill if he put that ch ace away he'd have had more

Jay 6 - some decent touches but has lost a lot of his pace and so probably won't really make the impact we need this season
Berge 7 - I thought he got involved and drive forward well
Brun Larsen 7 - some great touches

[Vino blanco]

From tv
Trafford 6 still not convinced he is better than Muric
Roberts 6 not a great game defensively tonight
AlAkdhil 8 best game so far in the prem
Beyer 7 good reading of the game
Taylor 7 we are better defensively with him
JBG 6 not certain if was on long enough for a mark
Cullen 6 United put the long haired guy on him and Cullen did little to shake him off. He needs some physicality round him
Brownhill 6 thought he had a quiet game tonight
Ramsey 7 cracking first half but faded in the second
Koleosho 7 great start to the game and then for some reason he was taken off the left wing when JBG went off. Inexplicable to me
Amdouni 7 unlucky not to score in the first half but faded in the second. He's not a centre forward

Tresor 5 VK needs to tell him you have to work bleeding hard in the PL.
A good first half performance where we could have scored a couple of goals, but we faded in the second half and never looked like equalising against the worst Manu team I have seen in many years.

[Colburn_Claret]

Trafford 6
Roberts 6
Al Dakhil 9
Beyer 8
Taylor 6
Ramsey 7
Cullen 6
Brownhill 7
Gudmundsson 5
Amdouni 7
Koleosho 8

Subs:
Tresor 6
Rodriguez 6
Berge 7
Bruun Larsen 7


We defended well, especially through the middle, but our big problem is the backlines poor use of the ball. We play it too safe with the passing it sideways, even when we have willing runners down both wings, and through the channels, crying out to be released.
It's a learning process, but we have lots of players capable of playing that pass that Evans did, they just lack the vision or the confidence to play it.

I think we missed Foster who would have bullied that back line of united.
Special mention for Ramsey who didn't see a lot of the ball, but looked really good when he got it.

[Cirrus_Minor]

Trafford 7
Roberts 7
Al-Dakhil 7
Beyer 7
Taylor 6
Cullen 7
Brownhill 6
Ramsey 5
Koleosho 7 - Why on earth was he swapped wings?
Amdouni 6 - Not really leading the line tonight.

Tresor 5
Brun Larsen 6
Rodriguez 6
Berge 6

[jdrobbo]

Trafford 6
Roberts 7
Al Dakhil 8
Beyer 6
Taylor 7
Ramsey 8
Cullen 7
Brownhill 6
Gudmundsson 5
Amdouni 6
Koleosho 7

Subs:
Tresor 5
Rodriguez 5
Berge 6
Bruun Larsen 6
Benson na

[Cirrus_Minor]

Trafford 7
Roberts 7
Al-Dakhil 7
Beyer 7
Taylor 6
Cullen 7
Brownhill 6
Ramsey 5
Koleosho 7 - Why on earth was he swapped wings?
Amdouni 6 - Not really leading the line tonight.

Tresor 5
Brun Larsen 6
Rodriguez 6
Berge 6

Forgot Gudmundsson. 5

[claretgimmer]

Trafford 5 slow to see different opportunities when distributing the ball, poor command of the area especially from crosses, good keeper with a lot to learn
Roberts 5 sorry but he is our weak link, poor distribution, underhit passes and lacks pace and concentration, did have a better second half
Al-Dakhil 7 we need to move the ball quicker at the back when pushing forward and needs to improve his vision and passing ability, defended brilliantly which is paramount but VK demands more of his defenders
Beyer 8 See Al- Dakhil
Taylor 7 defended well but seemed reluctant to push too far forward
Cullen 5 seemed to be a bit bereft of ideas when in possesion, needs to contribute more, could the lad from Bristol City be a possible option
Brownhill 5 spent periods of the game AWOL and shouldn`t be anywhere near set piece kicks
Ramsey 8 Showed some good touches but needs to be more involved
Koleosho 8 Great feet, great pace, poor end product and needs to learn when to release
Amdouni 5 Not a lone striker, Foster usually does the donkey work, seemed a bit half hearted in his attempts to close down, without Foster we seem a little impotent in front of goal

Tresor 6 yet to impress but only had a couple of cameos
Brun Larsen 7 Like the look of this lad, would like to see him start
Rodriguez 5 slow and more bothered about his hair, get it cut !!
Berge 7 Steady away worth his place

We seemed to start with a back four then Roberts pushed into midfield leaving us with three at the back then we conceded the goal, it appears these lads aren`t up to playing three at the back at this time as it was our undoing in previous matches

[arise_sir_charge]

Trafford 7
Roberts 7
Al-Dakhil 7
Beyer 7
Taylor 6
Cullen 7
Brownhill 6
Ramsey 5
Koleosho 7 - Why on earth was he swapped wings?
Amdouni 6 - Not really leading the line tonight.

Tresor 5
Brun Larsen 6
Rodriguez 6
Berge 6

Ramsey 5, aye ok.

[Taffy on the wing]

You need to accept that Trafford is the No 1 keeper, and you won't see Muric other than cup games

Oh no i don't!

[quoonbeatz]

Foster was a huge miss tonight, he'd have given Evans and pal a torrid time. This was largely a better performance than the win that was stolen from us on Monday and we were on top for most of the game against a Utd team that had a wonder goal in them and very little else. Results will come, you can see the improvement game by game and some of our football is a joy to watch. The naivety remains but it will do given how young these players are.

Trafford - 6 good but routine save from Fernandes, no chance with the goal but he's still unconvincing.

Roberts - 6 decent enough against Rashford

Al-Dakhil - 8 superb tonight

Beyer - 7

Taylor - 7

Cullen - 7 looking a lot better these last 2 games

Brownhill - 7 high energy and bugged them all night

Ramsey - 6 showed some really good touches but understandably faded

Koleosho - 7 got into the game, got their man booked straight away and got switched wing soon after, where he was far less effective

Gudmundsson - 6 not sure why he was taken off, game had hardly got going

Amdouni - 5 really not his position as he doesn't work hard enough. Unlucky with his header but really has to be putting the one one that hit the post away.

Tresor - 6 alright. Worse corners than Brownhill which is a feat in itself.

Mark of how bad United are that the likes of Hannibal are getting a start and that new striker looks like he won a competition to play for them. Not convinced either of them two are footballers. They have unfortunately got some players who can produce that bit of magic and that did for us tonight. Fantastic goal from Fernandes.

[Ric_C]

Frustrating that we lost that. We should have 4 points from our last two games. We are getting better and our shape looked vastly improved tonight.

Trafford 6 Just ok, he still doesn't convince me though.
Roberts 7 Did ok, not sure why all the criticism?
Al-Dakhil 8 Class act
Beyer 8 Class act
Taylor 7 Solid as per
Cullen 7 His bes performance so far, looking more settled now after a shakey start, setup the big chance in the first half
Brownhill 6 Drifted in and out, workrate was good.
Ramsey 8 Still needs fitness, but looks a quality addition.
Koleosho 7 Raw, he's got pace to burn but he also lost the ball a lot in key areas.
Amdouni 6 Did ok, should have scored. Looked shattered after 60 mins

Tresor 6 Not sure what to make of him yet, looks like he needs games.
Bruun Larsen 7 His off the ball runs are so clever
Rodriguez 5 On his heels for most of his time on the pitch, should have got on the end of the Larsen cross
Berge 7 Looked better further forward.

Do not panic, we are constantly tweaking our system and bedding in new signings. We've had a tough start, keep the faith.

[fungus_the_bogeyman]

Trafford 7
Roberts 7
Taylor 7
Beyer 7
Al Dakhil 8
Cullen 7
Brownhill 7
Ramsey 8*
Gudmundsson 6
Koleosho 7
Amdouni 6
Tresor 6
Rodriguez 6
Berge 6
Larsen 7

[CardiffClaret]

Trafford - 7
Roberts - 7
Beyer - 7
Al Dakhil - 8
Taylor - 7
Cullen - 7
Brownhill - 7
Ramsey - 8
Gundmundsson - 7
Koloesho - 8
Amdouni - 7

Tresor - 5

[Nori1958]

Oh no i don't!

Going to be a long hard winter for you then

[Dark Cloud]

Trafford 6
Roberts 7
Al Dakhil 8
Beyer 7
Taylor 7
Cullen 8
Brownhill 8
Ramsey 8
Koleosho 7 (as everyone else has said, why on earth did he switch wings when it was going so well??)
JBG 6
Amdouni 7

Tresor 6
Jay 6
Berge 7
Larson 6

As others have said, we played very well and look a very good side, especially against an extremely average (being kind) Man U team. Their goal aside which was a great finish, they were there for the taking and we didn't capitalise. I did find us knocking 10 yard passes between Trafford and the two CBs for ages and ages during the second half somewhat frustrating as it wastes loads of time when actually we were supposedly chasing the game, but that aside there was lots to enjoy and be positive about and we're good to watch, even If we really do have to start turning our undoubted ability into rather more points very soon or we're going to be in a lot of trouble.

[Im_not_Robbie_Blake]

Trafford 7
Roberts 6
Al Dakhill 9 Outstanding
Beyer 7
Taylor 6
JBG 7
Brownhill 7
Ramsey 7
Cullen 7
Koleosho 7
Amdouni 6

Tresor 7
Brun Larsen 7
Jay 6
Berge 7

[warksclaret]

Trafford 6-little wrong but his distribution consisted of short passing only
Roberts 7. He looked very disappointed in Beyer/Taylor for our defending of their goalb
Al Dakhill 8
Beyer 7-needs to stop the dribbling out whilst we are so vulnerable. Backfired twice
Taylor 6-his defending good, but wow Maatsen would have bombed down that left and exposed them
Cullen 6, qietish game
Brownhill 6
Ramsey 7-very good debut, and very stylish
Koleosho 8
JBG-6, fail to see how he can get into this team when you look at the quality of our other wide men
Amdouini 7-nearly scored twice but played too deep in the absence of Foster

Tresor 6, never got into the game
Berge 7-thought he should have come on earlier, as he is showing some good possession and quality
Larsen7-impressed with his running and ability to find space, and his crossing
Rodriguez 5-played far too deep when we needed to score an equaliser

Thought VK can be criticised for some of his decisions ie Koleosho moving to the right, Amdouini playing too deep, Berge, Larsen should have come on sooner,as should Benson, when Jay came on he was never looking to get into the 6 yard box.Also we leave Trafford totally unprotected at corners-it happened at Forest. Every PL team will be savvy to this now. Hopefully another learning curve for VK and our coaches

[taio]

Trafford 7
Roberts 7
Al-Dakhil 8
Beyer 7
Taylor 7
Ramsey 7
Cullen 7
Brownhill 7
Gudmundsson 6
Amdouni 6
Koleosho 7

Tresor 5

[Stayingup]

Nor rating them all but I would say there were some fine performances from our boys but Al Dakhil was my mom. We're getting there. Have we started with consecutive games with the same yet?

[ksrclaret]

Trafford 6 - he was fine
Roberts 7 - dynamic performance and dealt with the threat of Rashford. Did nearly cost us a goal after a minute though with a sloppy pass.
Al Dakhil 8 - his best game in his best position. Pace is invaluable at this level.
Beyer 7 - some sloppy moments again but generally defended well.
Taylor 7 - not the smoothest of showings but we can't afford to not play him. A solid LB at this level, and that's 10x better than anything else we have.
Ramsey 8 - a great debut. He was dynamic going forwards and disciplined when defending. Unfortunate not to have as assist.
Cullen 7 - neat and tidy, kept us ticking, and looks much better sitting rather than joining in with the high press.
Brownhill 7 - we look a much better side with his energy
JBG 6 - not really on long enough before he began signalling to the bench
Amdouni 5 - should have scored one of those two golden chances, and too often attacking moves broke down when the ball went to him. MUST work harder in this league off the ball.
Koleosho 7 - should not have swapped sides, but still carried a threat all night with his willingness to drive at the defence.

Tresor 5 - twice he had the opportunity to put a delivery in from the right, and twice it ended up in Onana's hands. Contrast that to Larsen's wicked delivery when he came on. Will take time to adjust to the level, clearly.

We really should be talking about having 4 points on the board rather than 1 after the last two games. We played well last night against a woeful Utd side.

The improvement in the last two games is there for all to see, I just hope we're able to beat those around us or it could be a very painful season.

[Buxtonclaret]

Trafford 7
Roberts 6
Al-Dakhil 8 ***
Beyer 7
Taylor 7

Ramsey 8
Cullen 6
Brownhill 7
Guðmundsson 7

Amdouni 7
Koleosho 7

Trésor 6

Undone with a 'worldy' & and our own failure upfront. We've still time to start clicking.

[claretspice]

An intermittently promising, but ultimately frustrating, night.

Trafford- 6 - couple of decent saves but his lack of command at times is obvious (even if allowing opponents to surround him without protection exacerbates it notably) and whilst his distribution was generally good, he needs to look for the quick, direct release when it is on, which was quite a lot last night.

Roberts- 7 - one early misplaced passes aside, pretty good and got forward to decent effect.

Taylor - 7 - not the prime culprit but a touch slow to react for the goal. Otherwise steady away.

Al Dakhil - 9 - the best player on the pitch from either side. Showed his pace to match Rashford, defended strongly, and used the ball adeptedly.

Beyer - 6 - can't fault him for taking command in possession, but he was caught dwelling a couple of times and for me, it is him who gets caught napping for the goal - he gets drawn towards the other attacker, and is not aware of Fernandes' blind side run.

Cullen - 6 - Hamnibal clearly had a brief to stop him playing and for spells it worked, although he was still involved in many of our best moves.

Brownhill- 7 - a dominant influence in the first half when he was full of energy and intelligence and kept the ball moving. Not bad after the break.

Ramsey - 7 - a really positive first half in which he stamped himself on the game from that number 10 role. Glimpses after the break but understandably tired and should probably have been removed earlier.

Koleosho- 6 - his potential and threat were obvious but on this occasion it didn't lead to much apart from a yellow card for Dalot on the first time he ran at him. The decision shortly afterwards to move him to the right was an odd one and diminished his effectiveness given his preference to shift the ball from right to left which meant coming into traffic on the right. Needs to look to use his pace to exploit space more.

JBG - 6 - influential in the 20 minutes he was on and held the ball well under pressure.

Amdouni- 6 - really hard to mark- a little unlucky not to score with 2 terrific and different chances, but should have taken at least one. Show cased good feet at times and worked hard in spurts but not sble to hold the bsll consistently, slow to close Evans down for the goal and too often that was the case.

Tresor - 6 - a few nice passes and drops of the shoulder but very much the performance of someone adapting to a new league.

Other subs not on long enough, but Brunn Larsen and Berge were tidy and offered something whilst Rodriguez showed glimpses without really convincing.


Overall a game we dominated for 45 minutes before being punished for not taking presentable chances and being too soft centred, and a further 45 in which we did fine without ever really suggesting an equaliser was coming.

A few conclusions:

- this was a significant improvement on the opening home games, and the team looks better balanced and more solid without losing much in terms of fluency in possession.

- increasingly it looks like our fate may be linked to whether Foster can remain fit and effective throughout the season, as he is our one forward who gives us a real focal point. We missed him badly last night.

- the squad is proving lopsided. We have too many wide players vying for too few positions and too many of them prefer the left side. Tresor and Koleosho clearly prefer that side, as do Redmond and Zaroury, and the option of playing Foster off the left may yet prove the best way to integrate him and Amdouni. It isn't obvious how we get best value out of all those options and last night we confusingly compromised Koleosho to allow Tresor that side, which ended with both being ineffective at times.

- the pleasing football is super, but to be effective at this level it has to be allied to doing the basics well and that was, again, a weakness. Leave Trafford that exposed at set plays against Luton - blocked in by 3 players without a teammate in shot - and they will have a field day. Equally, allowing technically limited centre backs the time to measure that sort of pass whilst allowing space in behind for good players to exploit is unsustainable.

- we have to look mix it up more intelligently. L
Koleosho running at players is great, but seeing him run into the space away from players (as Tella had an instinct to do) would be better. Repeatedly last night Trafford had the ball and United's full backs were high and the option was there to stick the ball in there an let Koleosho chase it against Evans or Lindelof. United used that tactic against us, and so did City, Villa and Spurs, so if its good enough for them, it should be for us.

[strayclaret]

Trafford 6
Roberts 6
Al-Dakhil 8
Beyer 7
Taylor 7

Ramsey 8
Cullen 6
Brownhill 7
Guðmundsson 6?

Amdouni 7
Koleosho 6

Trésor 6
Yet another disappointing night apart from a worldly following a hesitation we did ok but missed Foster

[cblantfanclub]

Spice "Repeatedly last night Trafford had the ball and United's full backs were high and the option was there to stick the ball in there an let Koleosho chase it against Evans or Lindelof. United used that tactic against us, and so did City, Villa and Spurs, so if its good enough for them, it should be for us."

Couldn't agree more

[ksrclaret]

Spice "Repeatedly last night Trafford had the ball and United's full backs were high and the option was there to stick the ball in there an let Koleosho chase it against Evans or Lindelof. United used that tactic against us, and so did City, Villa and Spurs, so if its good enough for them, it should be for us."

Couldn't agree more

Me too.

And that is where Muric would improve us further. He has the ability to find those passes.

[bf2k]

Trafford 7
Roberts 7
Al-Dakhil 8
Beyer 8
Taylor 7
Cullen 7
Brownhill 7
Ramsey 8
Koleosho 8
Amdouni 6

Tresor 6
Brun Larsen 6
Rodriguez 6
Berge 6

[dandeclaret]

Trafford 6 - needs protection on set pieces
Roberts 5 - wasteful in possession
Al-Dakhil 8 - Solid
Beyer 7 - sometimes fails to get tight enough
Taylor 6 - solid
Cullen 6 - marginalised
Brownhill 7 - Good energy
Ramsey 8 - intricate, creative
Gudmundsson n/a
Koleosho 8 - not just pace, but balance and good feet too
Amdouni 7 - half turn magic…. Could replace Robbie Blake as the most creative Burnley player ever.

Tresor 7
Brun Larsen 6
Rodriguez 6
Berge 6

[helmclaret]

Trafford 7 - looking more composed by the game
Roberts 7 - decent enough
Al-Dakhil 8 - keep him at centre half
Beyer 7 - looks like he’s on his way back to fitness
Taylor 7 - solid
Cullen 7 - his best game this season for me
Brownhill 7 - gives us energy if not guile
Ramsey 8 - a class act
Koleosho 7 - a threat, final ball not always there
Amdouni 6 - I’d like us to find him a bit quicker down the middle