McShane Quinn Stockdale Could easily replace these with Bruce, Brady and Elmo but I won't. Lots of excellent performances tonight.
Macca Meyler Evans Just a mention to all our defenders last night, think they deserve it they were brilliant. And that shows when you see we are the first team in 20 games to not concede against Palace, once again Macca gives Brucey another reason for him to stay in the team, no one in the championship shows as much heart as that lad and he's been great this season very commanding.
Also Meyler did a good job, not great on the ball but a lot of fight in him and winning the ball in midfield is something we've missed, Stockdale does look good I think and it was a great save from Zahahaha at the end.
Stockdale's distribution and organisation is a massive factor for me. Along with Brady & Meyler, Stockdale will only improve with more game time
1) Meyler - his performance last night now relegates Oli to that of squad player. despite falling over a few times and looking knackered, he was up-and-down the pitch all game 2) Stockdale - very assured throughout and a great save at the death to save our 'strikers'' blushes. (no real surprise that we ended as a 'nil' last night. indeed did we actually have a forward on the pitch last night at the start?) 3) Evans - undaunted by his relegation to the bench in the last few weeks, he carried on his good work as a team 'engine'
I couldn't possibly choose a 1,2,3. I thought as a team we were excellent. On another day we would have won 4-0, but the Gods were not with us last night, hence a 0-0 against a very over rated, but dogged Palace side with a few decent individuals.
A few good performances last night. Thought Brady did really well and think we should persist with him as left wingback. He has definitely learned how to cross the ball. Stockdale had absolutely nothing to do for 85 minutes and when made a top class save. Quinn put in a great shift after a poor performance against Burnleh. Bruce and Chester shackled Zaha and Bolassi all night and deserve credit. But for me the standout players were Meyler and McShane so I'll go for: 1. Meyler 2. McShane 3. Elmohamady
Elmohammady, great balls in all game long and could have had 10 assists had the poachers been more composed. Every time we got the ball I was looking to Elmo to do something with it and supply the service. Quinn, up and down all game, making thins happen, protecting the defence, getting stuck in and bossing the midfield. Great performance all round. McShane, absolutely solid, put in some fantastic challenges and won some aerial balls that were very difficult to say the least. Starting to warm to him a lot more, he's been a different player this season and far better than what we've ever seen him in the past. Still worries me though, that fear of his trademark mcshamble is always only ever a minute away. Very hard to pick 3 out of a great team performance, never mind an order of best 3. Half the team deserved the number 1 spot. Not happy with a point with all the chances we had but was a great game to watch, had everything but goals. Wish Ian Holloway could manage every team coming to the KC, it's nice to play a footballing side at home once in awhile that actually come here to win. Suits us to the ground too.
Judging by the post match interview, I think Bruce will be asking to sign a PROPER big lone striker in the window. Somebody like Jerome or Jones on loan or maybe Davies or Wood. With Brady and Elmohamady now both firing in excellent crosses into the danger area and nobody with the talent to be in the right place at the right time, it is a ludicrous situation and very frustrating.
I think Proschwitz can do to job, both his goals against Ipswich were from crosses and he got into great area for both, for the first he saw Elmo had go right to the byline and knew it was going across the ground so he got to the front post for a tap in, the second he saw it was coming from deep so he got in between the two centre halves and nodded home. I would start him in the next home game.
Elmo Meyler Brady. Hard choice, but to be honest as much of a Macca hater I am, even I thought he had a terrific game last night. However the crosses Elmo put into their box were simply world class. Had Zaha beat every time and was just a class above the rest. Aluko was surprisingly quiet. Koren... as good as his touches were that miss makes him miss out on 3rd place. Is it just me or is Evans getting better with every game too?
I agree when he came one last night you could see he was moving into those areas the crosses were pinging into and he would have had a very good scoring header opportunity had he not been forced to give their centre half a piggy back and pushed over just before the ball met his noggin. He looked a lot better than I've seen from him before, more up to the pace and physicality, aware of what was going on around him, involved alot more and well scrubbed with a Brillo pad. Think he may be finally starting to adapt and I'd definitely play him up top alongside Aluko at forest.
