Lloris - Nothing to do. Not too much he could have done on the goal in all honesty.
KWP - 7.5 - Very solid and full of energy.
Toby - 7 - Good, maybe could have been more ambitious in the passing.
Sanchez - 5.5 - Had good moments but also a bit at fault on the goal and in a large chunk of Villa's offensive actions.
Rose - 6 - Always an outlet and had so many touches, but very suspect defensively at times today.
Winks - 7 - Solid, but this wasn't the game to go 3 CMs.
Sissoko - 5.5 - Better when he went out wide, feel like we're trying to carve out a role for him right now and haven't found it yet. We know he's capable of more, also a bit of a culprit of the formation today.
Ndombele - 7.5 - Beast. He's a cheat code.
Lamela - 5.5 - See Sissoko...less involvement but probably more important involvements. Like Sissoko, looked a bit lost first half.
Lucas - 4 - Didn't really offer anything, don't think that Poch really defined his role in the 2h, looked a bit lost and not involved at all.
Kane - 8 - Got the job done.
Eriksen - 7 - Changed the game, but I would say it was 1/3 him and 2/3 just switching the formation. Should probably be starting though.N
N'Koudou / Skipp - Not enough time, but deep down I kind of hope both get some regular playing time this year. I still think there is a player in GKN (good preseason too), and Skipp is exciting in regards to having another Winks-esque player come through.
Poch - 4 - Love the fella but the whole "completely set up incorrectly in the 1st half and have to fix it at HT" spiel is just going to cost us so many points this season. Don't get how it happens so often.
Feel a lot of the poor performances today from the players were more culprits of Poch's setup, as I mentioned.
Rose???? You must be having a laugh. He was dreadful. Not only for their goal but he was all over the place. Christ. We’re we watching the same game?
Eriksen MOTM - he changes how we play and dictates where his own teammates go to play our best football..
Rose???? You must be having a laugh. He was dreadful. Not only for their goal but he was all over the place. Christ. We’re we watching the same game?
Eriksen MOTM - he changes how we play and dictates where his own teammates go to play our best football..
Why sissoko 5 mate he was fine.7 - KWP, Rose, Kane Eriksen
6.5 - Ndombele
6 - Lucas, Lamela, Toby, winks, Lloris
5 - Sánchez, Sissoko
This is when the term game changer works having quality players coming off the bench. There are going to be more game changers in games to come whether it be Eriksen, Lo Celso, Ali, Lamela, Son or Ndombele. Last season we would have had an unfit Wanyama or an inexperience Skipp coming on to change the game to no effect. Having a big quality squad results in having a quality bench, resulting in quality game changers coming on.Have to give it to Eriksen. Not for a spectacular performance, but for being the well needed catalyst when it looked hopeless.
I think it's down to the athleticism, strength and stamina that they possess (Ndombele less so on stamina just yet) because Villa were tiring we needed more power and energy. As great as Winks can be, he's not someone who will penetrate their defence with a run or create space. Sissoko can do that with his runs and Ndombele is cuter in tight spaces. We couldn't keep trying to dictate from deep, we needed more directness.Kane MOTM for me. Great to see our best player looking sharp in August. Even the two crosses he swung in from the right were our two best.
A few other thoughts:
1. V interesting to me that Poch took Winks off, rather than Sissoko or Ndombele, even though he (Winks) was playing well. Suggests he maybe sees those as the midfield 2 when we revert to 3 behind HK. Lot of power in that combo.
2. KWP was good, but we know he can be good in games like this. City & Arsenal away will tell us far more about whether he’s up to it.
3. We’re now seeing Jan get same treatment as Eriksen and as Toby has had previously. All 3 with a year to go and clear message from Poch - sign a new contract and you can be fully part of this. (No other explanation for why not on bench - when all of Dier, Skipp and Wanyama are). That’s message until window in Europe closes at least. Don’t be surprised now to see JV transfer rumours either.