Player Ratings: Sheffield United 3-1 Oxford
Riley’s back with the scores on the doors for another 3-1 home win
Riley Roberts
Michael Cooper - 3
Just when we all start to think the real Michael Cooper is back, he goes and drops that. Not one he would like to see back.
Femi Seriki - 6
Gave away possession cheaply at times in the first half, but recovered to play a big part in our attacking play which was focused on that side, while also sticking to his defensive tasks.
Japhet Tanganga - 5
Another who had some sloppy moments early in the game as United looked half asleep but was fairly assured for the rest of the day, as Oxford created little.
Tyler Bindon - 6
Possibly a little harsh, considering the stats say he won every duel he contested, other than the one I’m about to pull him up for. Bindon was solid overall, and made 2 big tackles to kill attacks, but he also gifted Oxford a first half chance when he was pushed over far too easily while attacking a high ball. Still, it was a net positive performance.
Harrison Burrows - 6
Another who had a good day, picking up an assist, and also playing some nice passes down the line, especially after Tyrese Campbell was introduced.
Oliver Arblaster - 4
Didn’t really impact the game all that much considering how much of the ball United had, and was involved in a mixup with Sydie Peck early on, before getting booked. It wasn’t necessarily a bad performance mind you.
Sydie Peck - 6
Hardly a great performance as the Blades dominated possession in the first half, but were extremely wasteful, often taking too long to play the correct pass, or the completely wrong one, but saves himself with a delightfully taken goal.
Andre Brooks - 7
What a goal! It was said a few times on the pod last season that Andre Brooks, should he work on his shooting/finishing/killer instinct, had another level to go to, and we’re seeing that in full force right now. Playing with more belief in himself than ever before.
Callum O’Hare - 5
Couldn’t really get much going, but did find one nice pass in behind to Cannon, who was tackled in the penalty area.
Gustavo Hamer - 6
Looked likely to make something happen throughout, but for a lot of the game it just wasn’t quite coming off. That changed when his excellent ball to Ogbene helped seal the deal.
Tom Cannon - 5
Earns credit by assisting the goal that put us in front, but it was a day where he seemed to show a lot of holes in his game; being caught offside regularly, struggling to hold up the ball, and running into a couple of blind alleys.
Average rating - 5.36
Ratings system:
0 – Reserved for anyone who has a wayward effort at goal smash me in the face, unlikely to ever happen.
1 – Worst of the worst. Saved for disastrous performances, with result-altering mistakes.
2 – A terrible performance. Performances where a player offers very little and has many unsuccessful actions, ultimately proving to be a major detriment to the team’s overall performance.
3 – A bad performance. Negative contribution. Like a 2, just a bit less rubbish.
4 – A below-average performance. Not necessarily having a negative impact on the game; it could just be a player who struggled to impact the game at all.
5 – The baseline rating. All players go into a game starting on a 5 — it’s bang average, given out for an unremarkable yet solid performance, for a postman delivering the post.
6 – A decent performance. A player who gets a 6 has positively contributed to the game, and at the very least has had some impressive moments while being generally solid outside of them.
7 – A good performance. Awarded for players who had a noticeable positive impact on the game.
8 – A very good performance. A player who made significant contributions to the outcome of the game with their performance and consistently displayed a high level throughout.
9 – An outstanding performance. To score as high as a 9, a player needs to be dominant throughout the match, performing at a level well above the standard and/or making multiple game-changing contributions.
10 – A perfect 10, unlikely to ever see the light of day as nobody has a flawless game. For me to even think about giving out a 10 it would probably have to be a player doing something historic or unheard of.
I thought Arblaster was sloppy at times, but his pass to Burrows for the first goal was an excellent example of his skillset. Other than Hamer, I’m not sure anyone else in the side would have executed that as well. A lot of groans around me when he was on the ball, but we need to be patient with him as he rebuilds.