Notts are still 2nd in the table

[Wedgie_pie]

In fact. What is the point of a creative midfielder in a team that is direct? With current tactics we need midfielders that go beyond our strikers... pick up scraps... I personally feel we have this midfielder ALREADY. But, he plays on the wing. Jorge Grant anyone??

^^^^This, we should play to the strengths we have and sticking Grant on the wing (when he starts) is not it..IMO

[durhampie]

^^^^This, we should play to the strengths we have and sticking Grant on the wing (when he starts) is not it..IMO

Brian Clough once said that "if football was meant to be played in the sky then there would be grass up there"... I really dont know why we bothered spending all that money on a new pitch when the ball hardly touches it.....

[tarquinbeech]

Brian Clough once said that "if football was meant to be played in the sky then there would be grass up there"... I really dont know why we bothered spending all that money on a new pitch when the ball hardly touches it.....

I think I've come full-circle on this one......when I first got iFollow, I was a bit concerned at all the up-n-unders, but after getting told "this is L2, not Barcelona" and getting a good kicking for my "dreadful dreadful" thread, PLUS we were marching up the table....I settled back, got one of those neck-support pillows that you see being used on planes....and watched the aerial bombardment with interest

Now I'm starting to mumble and grumble again....grrr....honestly not sure anymore.....it was working up until Mansfield, not pretty at times but bagging the points

[ancientpie]

With the disappointments we have suffered over the last few season I'm not surprised at the reluctance of many Notts fans to get "carried away" however reading through many posts on here lately it would be easy to think that we are occupying a relegation rather than a promotion spot. Some of this I think can be put down to Nolan who came very close to taking the piss out of fans singing & chanting about promotion a couple of weeks back, although I agree with his feet firmly on the ground stance I would be very surprised if Exeter & Luton fans haven't already chanted about promotion & even more surprised if their management has had a pop at them for doing so. IMO you make the most of it while you can, I am enjoying our spell at the top & hope we can stay there, but I still have one eye on that magic 50 points & safety but if you cannot enjoy sitting top or 2nd as a Notts fan I would advise you to give up now because it doesn't get much better.

[nw6pie]

^^^^This, we should play to the strengths we have and sticking Grant on the wing (when he starts) is not it..IMO

^^^^This, we should play to the strengths we have and sticking Grant on the wing (when he starts) is not it..IMO

Two questions:

1. Does anyone know what position Grant played when he scored against us for the F-word in the reserve fixture last season? He has become increasingly marginal in recent weeks and not having any impact on the games.

2. Does anyone know when Dan Jones is likely to be fit again? We're missing his pace on the left hand side and his set-pieces, even if Dickinson has done better than last season.

Last night was a very winnable game (at a place where we had a great record), yet we were comfortably beaten. Now, suddenly, I'm not sure which Notts side is a true reflection - the one that won six in a row in workmanlike fashion, or the one that's struggling to create chances, is short of pace and giving soft goals away.

Compounding the issue are memories of the Derry season where we were third at the end of October before imploding, and last season's meltdown, when we went on our 10-game losing streak in November-December. The games come thick and fast now (plus Mansfield and Lincoln in the Mickey Mouse Trophy in the next two midweeks, I think), so let's hope we get back to the earlier form - which may not have been pretty, but was pretty effective.

[Elite_Pie]

I'm not sure which Notts side is a true reflection - the one that won six in a row in workmanlike fashion, or the one that's struggling to create chances, is short of pace and giving soft goals away.

Good question. I suspect that 'somewhere in between' is the correct answer. While I've loved every minute of our brilliant start to the season (better than I dared hope), I've honestly not seen anything to suggest we can think in terms of of a top 3 finish. We are certainly more organised and competitive, but we are still lacking in terms of quality. The season can still go two ways - the fact we aren't so easy to beat could see us challenging for the play off places, or we could be found out and eventually drop into the bottom half. At least it would take a spectacular collapse to see us flirt with the relegation places again, which would mean improvement on a small scale if nothing else. Before anyone accuses me of being negative and tells me to keep the faith, don't bother. I have kept the faith for 47 years, and hope to keep it as long as I am physically capable, this is just my realistic appraisal of where we are.

[LaxtonLad]

I've said it before, when Notts are on top form we take some beating and can compete with any top L2 team, but that's the problem, we have to be on top form, anything less and we struggle and on an off day, we lose. Our players need to play out of their skins to get anything from the game and at least half of them can't keep the momentum going. Hard work and effort are no substitute for class and class will out. It doesn't take class to welly the ball upfield but it does to not panic but look up and find a player running into space (as if THAT'S likely to happen) more likely it's belted in the general direction of away, again.

[BigFatPie]

Is it possible to be ecstatically happy with our fantastic, if at times lucky, start to the season, but still be concerned about the last 4 games?

I’m pretty confident Luton are going to win this league by 10-15 points, it’s all up for grabs though after that. Promotion should definitely be on the agenda for this season.

[tarquinbeech]

Is it possible to be ecstatically happy with our fantastic, if at times lucky, start to the season, but still be concerned about the last 4 games?

I’m pretty confident Luton are going to win this league by 10-15 points, it’s all up for grabs though after that. Promotion should definitely be on the agenda for this season.

Agreed, and if we get to January, and still in the top3, then I fully expect AH to give Nolo the keys to the petty-cash drawer .......and let him loose in the January Sales.

This might be our first solid chance in a while to get out of the up-n-under league.

[jackal2]

Brian Clough once said that "if football was meant to be played in the sky then there would be grass up there"... I really dont know why we bothered spending all that money on a new pitch when the ball hardly touches it.....

Ricardo Moniz tried to get the team playing plenty of expansive football, with the opportunity for gifted players like Stanley Aborah to express themselves, but unfortunately it didn't produce enough good results in this league.

I wouldn't say Kevin Nolan is a total long ball merchant, because there have been spells in most games where we have knocked the ball around quite nicely, and we are playing with some width after all, but certainly we are happy to play a direct style and the team generally looks disciplined and well organised. The evidence so far is that this is coming closer to producing the results we need to challenge for promotion, so it's a case of 'if it works, go with it'. The performances at Crewe and Mansfield weren't good enough, but generally we seem to be better at winning games by the odd goal even when we've not played particularly well. Under Moniz, we often seemed to have the reverse case of playing quite well and losing heavily.