Written by : Jonathan Lee

 

Marks from the game at Burnley, which now sees us with 2 points from the last 18 available, troubling times.

 

Roberto – 3.5; despite a couple of good saves (and registering ten in total) culpable yet again, for his part in the second goal, and the least said about the third the better, surely time to give Alvin’s boy a run out as he can’t be allowed to carry on making such high profile bloopers;

 

Fredericks – 6.5; a fairly solid game in the main, struggled to get forward to support in attack but used his pace well to cover on a couple of occasions;

 

Diop – 6; the choice of the centre halves (although not difficult) must be wondering what is going on around him lately, actually did little wrong;

 

Balbuena – 3; simply awful, surely time for an Ogbonna recall, culpable for ball watching and allowing Barnes space for the first goal, the second goal was just embarrassing and careless so close to half time, and his overall play looked nervy – one awful header out for a corner second half when under no pressure and could have simply knocked it down to the keeper;

 

Cresswell – 6; tried his best and was solid defensively but barely got forward down the flank;

 

Rice – 5; lost his man for the head back on the opening goal and passing was at times wayward, regularly over run in midfield, but at least he looked hacked off with the scoreline unlike some;

 

Noble – 4; up until his injury and early substitution never really got going in midfield;

 

Snodgrass – 6.5; usual effort and spirit but in truth very little impact in the opposition half;

 

Fornals – 4; was pushed up to support Haller early on but for all his running around was largely anonymous;

 

Anderson – 4; surely time for a rest, first half he ran down blind alleys time and again getting easily pushed off the ball, never found a telling pass;

 

Haller – 4; never showed today, the service is getting weaker with each match seemingly, for some balls up to him late on he didn’t even bother challenging, just the one weak shot on target – no excuses for not acknowledging fans at beginning or end of game (ditto Anderson);

 

Subs:

 

Yarmolenko (on for Noble in 20th minute) – 3.5; contributed next to nothing climaxed by a quite awful effort wide second half when put clean through by Lanzini – lacking in pace and ideas;

 

Ajeti (on for Fornals in the 64th minute) – 4; apart from one spritely chase down into the corner second half showed precious little again;

 

Lanzini (on for Anderson in the 56th minute) – 6; had actually looked half decent after coming on, never gave the ball away, set up Yarmo, but then hacked down late on when on a good run out of his own half and now likely to be out for some time when a recall was probably beckoning;