On Player Ratings

After we destroyed Everton 7-0 in 2005, Moyes and most other managers around the country decided that trying to play against us is suicide. It’s best to defend, try to “nick” a goal, and then hold out for the remainder of the 90 minutes. Or just play as doggedly as possible and hope for a draw - survival tactics.

Put ten men behind the ball against Arsenal, “get in amongst them”, and play it high and long into their box are the common approaches used against us. Is that entertainment? No, it is not.

It is different vs. Spurs. Although deep down inside every Scum supporter knows that they cannot match us on any level, it is absolutely imperative that they try. It is mandatory to have a go when they face us. A very, very reluctant part of me wants to give them credit for that but…

So when we went down to ten men at their ground last Sunday, you could have expected Spurs to end The Streak. I certainly didn’t expect them to play the counter-attacking football that Liverpool so embarrassingly resorted to at The Grove after Togo was sent off back in December. The fact that Alex Song has not received the proper acclaim for playing such a large part in destroying anything Spurs attempted is a travesty. Typical but still a travesty. Yes, Keane the messiah and Modric missed chances but Song was all over the park. He more than made up for Eboue’s dismissal.

In a match that we could not afford to lose, plus being down a man, Song was quality. I’ve learned not to pay attention to others’ player ratings. A great man posted this week on their inaccuracies. I’ve found it worthwhile nonetheless to list my season ratings to date. A minimum of ten league matches are required:

Almunia – 6/10
Sagna – 6.5/10
Gallas – 7/10
Toure – 5.5/10
Clichy – 6/10
Silvestre – 6/10
Djourou – 6.5/10
Eboue – 5/10
Walcott – 7/10
Cesc – 6.5/10
Denilson – 6.5/10
Diaby – 6/10
Song – 6.5/10
Nasri – 6.5/10
RvP – 7.5/10
Togo – 5.5/10
Bendtner – 6/10

Verdict: There's much more to come from this team.