The Good, The Bad and The Ugly...

Last updated : 12 August 2005 By Will Holyoak
Ben Williams 7: Ben once again looked assured and made some fine saves and appeared to have more of a presence although it could be argued that he should have done better for the goal.
Darren Moss 6: Not as good as on Saturday but Mossy was solid once again and may have been under instruction not to bomb forward excessively as Huckerby was staying upfield on their left hand side meaning Moss was left to mark him.
Richard "The Doorman" Walker 7: Walker's excellent first half display contrasted with a dodgy second half performance. However, Walker was marking Dean Ashton who gave many a Premiership defender a torrid time and therefore the value of the performance cannot be underestimated such is Ashton's quality. Walker kept Ashton quiet for much of the game and made two superb last ditch tackles in the first half although he was turned by his man Ashton near the corner twice in the second half.
Adie "Captain Marvel" Moses (captain) 8: Another seriously impressive display from Adie Moses who got my vote, once again, for man of the match. Adie continued his superb form to add some stability to the Crewe defence and his only error was being slightly static for the Norwich equalizer.
Tony "Tiger" Tonkin 7: Tonkin impressed me again and whilst he allowed his man to get goalside once, Tonkin gave us another dimensioni going forward and assisted Vaughany superbly offering an Arsenal-esque overlap down the left. Tonks was close to getting an 8 but I thought a 7 would act as a severe reprimand for last season's dire performances.
Billy "The Next Roy Keane" Jones 7: Billy's ability to read the game once again benefited the side as he filled in many holes (on the pitch) making us a better unit. It is unlikely Billy's defensive work will get the same praise this season as it is not as obvious but Billy's positioning is a vital reason for why we look a better unit so far this season. In short, Billy is doing what Sorvel didn't.
Gary "I'm Billy's Mate" Roberts 6: Struggled as the game went on and wasted possession on a few occasions which is unlike him. He helped Billy out on the odd occasion defensively but didn't shine as he did against West Ham, for example, last season.
David "Velcro-Boots" Vaughan 8: Vaughan once again constantly provided a link between midfield and attack and managed to bring others into the play on numerous occasions. Vaughan is being asked the same questions in the media as Deano was last season and it is likely that Vaughany will follow a similar path and be the next big star to leave the Alex.
Steve Jones 6: Jonah was probably the Alex's least effective player on the pitch from the start. Jonah gave away possession on too many occasions and despite his efforts in tracking back to win the ball back, Jonah looked a bit lost for me. Jonah did, however, do some good things, such as putting Varney through for hte goal although it is unlikely that Jonah will keep his place in the side once Ugarte reaches full fitness.
Eddie "Hard-man" Johnson 7: Eddie should have scored at the end of the first half after a good team move but his contribution to the team performance cannot be underestimated. Johnson held up the ball brilliantly on occasions and is looking to be an astute signing by Gradi.
Luke "Reggie" Varney 7: Luke has come on leaps and bounds since last year when he promised so much but rarely delivered. His off the ball movement was clever and his pace caused problems for Louis-Jean, the Norwich right-back. With his added bulk, Luke was able to hold his own against defender's bigger than himself and it is looking likely that Varney will win the most-improved player award come the end of the season.
Subs: Didn't do much.