HAKUNA HATATE – 6.5/10 – Again, a night of nearly for Reo; nearly right at it, nearly making the connections, the timed runs. Some lovely involvements, but too few; you can see he’s got it but just needs to maximise it when those moments appear. Sloppiness failed him as he found himself open or with time to pick a pass. Frusttrating, as we know he’s got a faultless match-winning game in him at this level. Maybe soon.
THE TERMINATOR – 6/10 – See Reo; young Arne definitely has it, the O’Riley quality. Similarly to Matty, though, being of raw vintage means volatility in form. Some flashes of quality here but just off it on the big moments. But he did not shy from the hard graft of keeping them out; antithetical to his attacking ethos yet he pulled his weight for the team.
LORD KATSUMOTO – 6/10 – Criminally underused; our closing-down machine barely got to terrorise them and his attacking pace was hardly exploited, bar one scintillating burst that resulted in their keeper at full low stretch to prevent a sensational opener. Perhaps credit Atlantis for making sure he was starved and isolated, but I was still dismayed when he was hooked with 15 or so fraught minutes remaining and many collapsing exhausted Bhoys all over the place (and that was just in the pub). Our finest pressure-release valve takes the long walk to be replaced by the laziest Honduran since Daniel Zacapa played the role of Detective Taylor in the film Seven, who was a sarcastic dick to Brad Pitt’s Detective Mills in the opening scene which resulted in Mills being assigned to Morgan Freeman and thus ending up deid. Just a theory…
DUNCAN IDAHO – 5.5/10 – Big disappointment. Given the start for his physical presence but failed to compete effectively against their two central defensive beasts, who had far too comfortable a night, able to even stroll forward at will. So we didn’t get high enough often enough, the ball was bouncing back off him when we needed it held up and, though he rumbled around fully committed to the cause, he never once initiated a right good ruck to let them know he was here on business.
TAKINTE – 7/10 – Socks worked off. A shift on the back foot, dropping in to aid AJ, collecting deep, but always looking to be released. His time almost came on a couple of occasions, but for the break of the ball or a better-weighted pass he may have done some damage. Always in the mix for action, giving them pause for thought.
Yer a stingy bassa at the best of times, but go watch the game again. Idah was way better than a 5.5.