Decent introduction to the big time for AvB. It was always going to be hard at Stoke and they showed just why. They started off brightly and pushed us back into our half without ever really threatening a goal. The ball was up in the air for most of the first half and the niggly little fouls and stoppages made for a frustrating 45 mins. I thought we dealt with their aerial threat very well indeed. Set pieces were the only way they could hurt us and it was obvious we were well prepared, our organisation in dead ball situations was efficient. Going forward, we were a tad disappointing, especially down the channels where we lost the ball often and Torres was made to plough alone. Second half was much, much better. Urgency in passing, terrific ball retention and intelligent movement and link up play in the second and third sectors. Only one team played and the other merely committed fouls and hoofed hopeful long balls forward. Such a shame the ref ignored two blatant penalty shouts. How Shawcross completed the game is beyond me, he is a very lucky boy indeed. I thought the second half showed us what AvB and his style is all about. Relentless pursuit of the lost ball, crisp and purposeful circulation to the front men and sturdy defensive work throughout. Ratings: Cech - 6.5 - Didn't have much to do but reliable when dealing with set pieces and crosses. Liked his forays into the sweeper role. Bosingwa - 5.5 - A let down. Was obviously given freedom to attack, but rarely made it count. Ran fast in a straight line like we know he can, and put in half-hearted crosses, like we know he does. Alex - 7.5 - Very assured, composed, mature performance. Shepherded the defence very well and dealt with Jones without many hassles. Terry - 6 - Steady without being spectacular. Walters got the better of him a couple of times but luckily Alex had his back. Cole - 6 - Lapses in concentration in the first half, but wasn't made to pay for it. More forward thinking after the break but his positional discipline left something to be desired today. Ramires - 7.5 - Great start to the season for Rambo. High energy as always and head and shoulders above every midfielder on the pitch. Lampard - 6.5 - Shades of his former self. Some intelligent passes and passages of play, but nowhere near the Lamps we know. Should have had a peno. Mikel - 7 - Aside from that botched clearance that might have put us in trouble in the first half, hardly put a foot wrong. The majestic volley deserved a goal. Tackled well and was confident while going forward in the second half. Kalou - 2 - Shambles. No other word for him. Malouda - 5 - Another poor outing. Disappeared for large parts of the game and wasn't worth watching when he had the ball. Torres - 8 - MOTM for us. This is the Nando we thought we'd bought back in Jan. Did all the dirty work alone upfront without any complaints. Was let down by the two others alongside him but not once did he sulk or let his shoulders droop. Fantastic energy and commitment to the cause. Set others up as well, unlucky not to get on the sheet. Should have had a peno as well. Led the line admirably. Anelka - 4.5 - Waste of space. Had that one moment when he chipped it and Begovic turned it onto the bar but apart from that, difficult to know whether he was on the pitch at all. Drogba - 5 - Didn't do much. His freekicks should have been better. Banayoun - N.A Overall, can't quite complain too much. Unlucky to only draw when the 3 points would have been ensured by a more competent ref. Still, more positives than negatives and AvB will walk away knowing he got most things right today. A hard fought draw is also a handy reminder that there is a lot to be set right with this team, something a big win would have papered over. And oh, nice report as usual, BL.
