The back five - player ratings

[Brede Butter Pudding]

Schwarzer - 6 - In my eyes didn't do a lot wrong but then didn't have tonnes to do apart from the goals. Made a good save against Luke Young early on but I can't help but wonder whether the Schwarzer of last season may have kept out Agbonlahor's first? Anyway, neither goal his fault and he didn't have a too bad a game.

Hughes - 4 - HE IS NOT A RIGHT-BACK - We have Stoor on the bench yet Roy insists on paying hughes right back. This means that we have even less attacking power. Hughes can not pass, cross or attack to save his life, and I don't blame him. He is a cenntre back by trade and he should not be used at RB. I do not understand that with Kelly and Stoor in the squad why Roy insists on playing Hughes at RB. With him there we have no form of attack on our right and are missing out because of it. Hughes and Hangers back in the middle please.

Hangeland - 4 Yes he won some headers and made some tackles but was IMO at fault for both the goals. I sit at the top of the Hammersmith and didn't get the best view but certainly his defending for the 2nd goal was abysmal. Ever since his injury he has not been the same and I think he is costing us because of this. Smalling outplayed him today and Hangers needs toget his head together because right now he is not god enough.

Smalling - 7 - I know people have been saying that they feel uncomfortable with Smalling playing for us now that he is a United player but he was by far and away our best defender today. Unlike Hangers he was not bullied by Agbonlahor, he was composed on the ball, was physical and is so athletic at such a yooung age that £12 mil feels like a bargain. He outplayed Hangeland today and although £12 is a great piece of business for the club, I think we may miss him quite a bit.

Kelly - 4 - Have neve rbeen his biggest fan but have given him a number of chances - he was terrible today, hence the subbing off. He gave the ball away cheaply, lacked ideas, I accept he's on his weak side but even so he was more of a liability than anything else in my eyes. I think that two of our weakestpositions are at full back without Pants and Konch and if Woy does not address this then it's going to cost us.

[finnster01]

Smalling 7, please?

He does not know how to mark anybody. Just like last week against Spurs. Take the money and run.

[Brede Butter Pudding]

Smalling doesn't know how to mark anyone? Did you see Hangeland today? At fault for both goals, was bullied by Agbonlahor, Smalling was physical, fast, determined, strong, outplayed the rest of the defence for me. But that's just my opinion, will be interesting to see what others say

[finnster01]

Smalling responsible for the first goal. He can't mark a fart. Good luck to United. And Hangeland was not any better if that makes your day, but don't give Smalling a 7 when Roy should have taken him behind the shed. Utter Rubbish the lot of them

[FatFreddysCat]

I cant remember who was reporting on the game but they said Smalling was at fault for the first. Haven't seen it and wont watch it tonight either so cant add my own view.

[YankeeJim]

In my view Hangers was at fault for both goals. I would ask, why is a CB out defending at the left touch line? Where the hell was Kelly?

We are not the same team w/o Pants & Konch. I think them being out is worse than when we lost BZ & now Demps.

[leonffc]

Schwartzer 6 - cant be bothered to type much but he was OK

Hughes 4 - Looked OK against spurs but was poor today. He did used to play RB when he started out but looked out of sorts today. Cant really have a go as he was out of position but no excuse for some of his woeful passing

Hangeland 4 - Terrible. At fault for both goals. Should have dealt with the ball out wide for the first and made to look a mug for the second

Kelly 1 - CRAP!!!! yeah he was out of position but he has no left foot at all. Every attack he is involved in has to stop and go backwards. Now we know why Brum reserves didnt want him

[finnster01]

Forget about Hangers, he was awful, but who the feck was Smalling marking on the first goal? He was completely at fault for that goal. He is supposed to provide cover if Hangeland moves. Total rubbish and no communication between the defenders. Schoolboy errors. Smalling is a girl and doesn't wan't to lay down the timber. Send him north ASAP.No point playing him. H&H were fine in the middle. Put someone else on the side

[YankeeJim]

We would be better sticking with Aaron and that clumsy Norseman in the middle & put someone out right: at least we'd have out best partnership in the middle. Today we have one regular in position & it showed.

[os5889]

I hate to say this, but I thought Smalling was leaps and bounds better than Hangeland today, Hughes uncomfortable on the wing, Kelly is still a mercenary even though there were flashes of effort

[mattiesafer]

forgive me if I'm wrong but on the first goal wasn't 6'4" chris smalling
out leaped to a header by 5'11" agbonlahor? Smalling to my eye made quite a few little mistakes like that, not to get on him, but it seems like everybody wants to crucify the team and smalling is gettig off easy because selling him to united is just another thing to complain about!

I know that we have lost a lot lately, but our team is really up against it with all these injuries and we are not a big enough club to have THAT MUCH strength in depth. Sad but true. This is a period we will jar to endure. Any which way, the team is definitely givig it their all, and beyond that is still WORLDS better than any team we put out under Coleman or Sanchez.

We lost to a bigger club that has spent a lot more money on their team and is pushing for a top 4 finish. Of course everybody wants to win, but take it easy. Take a breath. We will get through this and come out stronger... 

[clintclintdeuce]

-10 for the entire team im afraid.

[Dugliss]

I thought Hangeland was at fault for both goals too. The first should have been cleared out of danger long before it became a problem. Only just arrived before the first goal due to Nth London traffic chaos!! The one thing we`ve learnt today is that poor old Hughesie must never be played at right back again. How crap must Stoor be if he couldn`t even get in that back 4. I`d rather play the 3 big lads across the back until we get some decnt full backs playing again

[LRCN]

Schwarzer - 6
Hughes - 5
Hangeland - 4
Smalling - 6
Kelly - 5

Should stoor be given a shot... hmmm... well it's a tricky one, against kettering and leicester in the cup he's looked poor but in the premier league he's never disappointed us, alright he's not played much but remember he played 45 minutes against arsenal (away) and we kept a clean sheet and he looked quite handy. Surely he would be more suited to right back than hughes who can play there in the same way Baird does, he looks okay but there are some things he's not comfortable with which takes back from his game.

[scotty]

-10 for the entire team im afraid.

ditto.

[Ag]

From what little we've seen of him recently, I'd take Kallio on the left over Kelly and Hughes' performances on either side. 

Konchesky has long been a favorite target of mine for his mental lapses, but man, I miss that guy (and JP, obviously) right about now.

[finnster01]

Mr Ag,

I was thinking exactly that myself today. I never thought I would have to write that I missed Konch. Well, I was wrong!

[clintclintdeuce]

Mr Ag,

I was thinking exactly that myself today. I never thought I would have to write that I missed Konch. Well, I was wrong!

I second that.

[Burt]

Just goes to show how much Konch and JP contribute to the success of the team.

[Steve_orino]

Recorded the game and with the ability to review it...

1st goal:
Cuellar put a pass up into a 'difficult area' - in retrospect, Hangers should have played it or cleared it.  As it was, there was the potential for it to go into the box for Schwarzer to play but it lingered just outside the box and Hangers was indecisive; Heskey kept at it and forced an error by Hanger who played it out-of-bounds.  Really, it shouldn't have been that big of a deal but...
This is where I think the biggest screw-up occured -
39:18 AV player goest to throw it in; Heskey is marked by Kelley, and Young (I think) is covered by Duff, and there is a third AV player not picked up by anyone.  Hangers has no one & Smalling is on Agbon.  Baird in the middle of box and Nevland has not come down. 
39:22 - AV player throws it in; both Kelly & Duff are now covering Young (I think), Heskey is near the outside of the box, Nevland is in the process of making his way down.  Petrov receives the throw-in...COMPLETELY UNMARKED and swings in a beautiful cross.  I am under the impression that Duff should have been marking Petrov and Kelly should have been marking Young.
39:23 - Agbon outjumps or outmaneuvers Smalling.  I don't think Smalling's positioning was all that bad but he is 6'4" and Aggie is 5'11" and we all know the result.