THE ADOLESCENT ANALYST
MIDDLESBROUGH v SHEFFIELD UNITED
Jonathan Barber; 11 Aug 2009
Player Ratings (Formation 4-4-2)
Danny Coyne 8/10
Made a few smart saves and never looked like conceding. Looks like a very good signing. Brings much needed experience to the team.
Tony McMahon 6/10
Did not do much and was notably caught out by Stephen Quinn, which nearly resulted in a goal.
Jonny Grounds 6/10
Also did not have his most impressive game and could be replaced by fellow youngster Andrew Taylor in the next match. Made a few errors that resulted in the loss of possession.
Robert Huth 8/10
Looked very solid and up to the challenge of the physical battle at this level. Was caught out rarely and dealt with the aerial threat admirably.
David Wheater 7/10
Looked assured alongside Huth. Boro's 'own' dealt with the awkward presence of Darius Henderson comfortably. Hopefully not his last appearance at the Riverside.
Mark Yeates 7/10
Confident start for the new boy. Had Boro's best opportunity and should excel with Boro. Looked lively in possession, making a few penetrating runs.
Adam Johnson 7/10
Showed flashes of brilliance and caused problems but had no real end product. Looked a class above many of the opposition's players. Will be disappointed not to have won a penalty under the challenge of Kyle Reid.
Rhys Williams 9/10
Comfortably Boro's best player. Where has this boy been? Composed on the ball and never shied from a tackle. An excellent performance.
Didier Digard 5/10
Injured early on but gave Boro bite in midfield. He could be crucial against physical teams this season as he does not mind going in for a crunching tackle.
Jeremie Aliadiere 5/10
Wasn't up to a physical battle and was guilty of being weak in possession. With no end product, he made it an easy day in the office for Chris Morgan and co.
Marvin Emnes 5/10
An overall weak performance from the Dutchman. It looks like he won't enjoy coming up against physical teams this season.
Subs
Gary O'Neil 6/10
Looked assured despite playing through the pain barrier. Has the ability to form an excellent midfield pairing with Didier Digard/Rhys Williams if he stays at the Riverside.
Leroy Lita 5/10
Did not really have time to impress and didn't look fully fit. Should start next match if fit.
Column Continues Below...
Overall Analysis
Boro looked more than capable in defence and we have arguably the strongest defence in the league. Danny Coyne looked solid in goal with Huth and Wheater providing a strong backbone. Boro shouldn't concede many this season.
The midfield still looked lacking in ideas, although Yeates and Johnson did make promising starts. However, their lack of end product showed. There is still a need for a creative influence in the middle of the park.
The need for a target man was evident as Chris Morgan and Matty Kilgallon dominated proceedings. Boro's lightweight strike-force was no match for the physical presence of the Sheffield United defence. Boro desperately need a target man up front.
Horatio Horrace-Smith, August 25, 2009 at 11:48 am Wonderfully described - I feel like I was at the game.
Bring on the next installment. William Washington, September 2, 2009 at 10:40 pm Very sound analysis a good read patrick b, December 30, 2009 at 8:55 am This is awsome
