FNF Ratings

Just a quick review of Friday Night Football (FNF) since I was forced to the sidelines and wasn’t able to play. It was very competitive game and remained close throughout, even though on paper I would say the better team lost.

(16) Amer, Manzar, Khawer, Tariq, Asad

v

(19) Majid, Irfan, Amjad, Mohsin, Raheem

Amer – 9 - another solid performance, was made to do lots of running, scored the kind of goals from distance only he can, rolled back the years with some sublime skill, the highlight of the game was the turn that sent Irfan completely the wrong way (I think he ended up in Thornton!!) and a trademark finish.

Manzar – 8.5 - obviously the most technically and physically competent player on the pitch, almost all of his goals were self-made, communicated well and tried to instill discipline and an element of calm to the team. Did miss a few relatively easy chances and I think slightly intimidated his team-mates.

Khawer – 5 - usually accustomed to having the ‘Most Willing Runner’ tag, however, i think because Manzar was also playing, this week Khawer’s performance was off-key. Seemed to be in a bad mood from the off, making silly runs and asking far too much from others, had it not been for the others keeping the team-spirit alive, his attitude would have clearly poisoned his own team-mates.

Tariq – 5 - ordinarily five out of ten would be a poor performance, but you have to remember his physical condition, to get the same rating as Khawer and to go the whole game without too many glaring mistakes due to lacking fitness, is actually an achievement.

Asad – 5 - it is always difficult for youngster to play with players who are significantly bigger and stronger than they are, but it is not helped when every mistake is scrutinized. Having said that, he did miss a lot of easy chances and even marking Raheem, he struggled to get into the right positions.

Majid – 8 – you could say he is the luckiest player ever, but he has been doing it for so long that you have to give him credit, the ball just sticks to his feet and he was always willing to keep possession when others weren’t able to offer an option. He was the only player that wasn’t phased by Manzar’s presence and would have a go, his only down-side is his wayward shooting.

Irfan – 7 - another good performance from Irfan, linked up well with former school-mate Amjad, always looked capable of scoring with either foot, did start to get snuffed out as the game heated up.

Amjad – 6 - kept things ticking over with lots of simple passes and the occasional burst, but does not do enough positive running, mainly due to fitness. Relied too much on others to make space and runs, a bit like a quarter-back, which is a luxury you can’t afford in a 5-a-side match.

Mohsin – 7 - similar to Amjad, in that he was always looking for others to do the things he is not prepared to do himself, but when he defended well and looked a threat from distance, got a rating boost by some truly exceptional goal-keeping in the last 10 minutes, that ultimately led his team to victory.

Raheem – 6.5 – as the youngest player on the pitch you would think he would have been their weak link, but he was full of running, looked completely unfazed. Has very good control of the ball and his first touch was better than a lot of senior players, however, this single-minded confidence that he has often leads him to overlook or delay the simple pass.