Manchester United u21s continued their EFL Trophy campaign with a heavy defeat against title holders Bolton Wanderers yesterday. Here are our player ratings for the match.
Read the detailed match report from a goal packed night here.
(A score of 6 is around average)
Radek Vitek – 5 – Despite conceding eight goals, the keeper can’t be too hard on himself for any of them apart from a weak punched clearance for Bolton’s third. When he wasn’t picking the ball out of the back of his net, he made a couple of very good saves and was good with the ball at his feet.
Willy Kambwala – 5 – Kept it simple and maintained possession well which was vital at times to withstand Bolton’s onslaught. Also made a number of clearances and interceptions but was dragged out of position at times.
Rhys Bennett – 4.5 – Looked solid early on with a good interception and passing out from the back but left too much space in the box for Bolton to attack before being subbed at half.
Sonny Aljofree – 3 – A night to forget for the young defender, his passing was wayward and resorted to kicking it long in desperation on more than one occasion. Couldn’t really get near the opposition and looked scared to put in a challenge when he did.
Omari Forson – 5.5 – The left back experiment in the first half fell flat on its face with him seemingly unaware where he was supposed to be and not eager to perform the defensive side of the role. Pushed forward in the second half, he looked more at ease and created and scored a well taken goal with a quick bit of thinking.
Maxi Oyedele – 6.5 – United’s stand out performer, he often looked the only one with any bite and willingness to fight alongside Scanlon. Won possession in midfield a number of times and used the ball well to start quick attacks including a delicately threaded through ball to Ethan Williams.
Shola Shoretire – 4.5 – Showed bits of quality with a good range of passing but it wasn’t often enough as he drifted through too much of the match for a central midfielder.
Mateo Mejia – 3.5 – He was played in a few times down the right wing but he failed to produce anything before being subbed off at the break.
James Scanlon – 6 – Despite being the youngest on the pitch he was often the most daring, going shoulder to shoulder with some opposition almost twice his age. Won five out of six of his ground duels due to his determination and opened up space with some very nice touches but couldn’t find the finishing piece.
Ethan Williams – 4 – A disappointing performance after a strong start to the season. Was incredibly poor defensively as he allowed Bolton players to skip and shrug past him with ease. Offensively he was always eager to shoot, taking eight shots on the night but truthfully none of them ever troubled the Bolton keeper.
Joe Hugill – 4.5 – An ever willing runner but he was starved of supply and the majority of his touches came in the centre circle.
Substitutes
Sam Murray – 4.5 – Held the left back position better and was tidy on the ball but ultimately did little to stop Bolton’s constant attacks.
James Nolan – 5.5 – Offered some energy and right back and more importantly ventured into the opposition half which relieved pressure at times and created some openings.
Ethan Wheatley – 5 – Made a couple of nice runs but fluffed his lines at the end and looked to be low on confidence but added a bit of danger on the right wing.
Finley McAllister – N/A – Wasn’t on for long but moved the ball well and looked eager to impress.