Where will we finish?

[upthemaggies]

5th with a strong finish to instill hope that Notts can win at Wembley.

Results haven't been top 3 worthy since September.

[crazyfists]

3rd with a ten game unbeaten run in to clinch it.

[SwalePie]

Champions by 7 points. Mark my worms.

Nurse!!

[keldsyke]

2nd - Duffy x 2, Hewitt and Alessandro own goals (Stead x 3 for us) on the last day of the season against Luton condemn us to second place in 4-3 defeat

[the_anticlough]

AH says he expects Luton to be champs, so the question is how far will we slip, if at all.
My feeling is relying on 'goals from all over the team', late late goals and a top scorer going slowly off the boil will see us fall below the line unless we recruit well in January. I think we are OK in all positions (including cover) except attack so I hope that if we bring in two, both are strikers (one straight into the team and an extra option as well) because we're just not getting the output we need to go up.

And then we need to have players where they belong, Collin in goal, Noble in midfield, Grant in the centre more often,
Jones in defence and Stead in America

[tarquinbeech]

The question for me is, when we start hitting the ball long, is that really Nolans intention? Or are the players not following what they are asked to do.

No doubt the instruction to the back line is to not take any chances, but that does not equate to long ball every time.

We seem to play worst when constantly hitting Stead with long balls. That simply cannot be Nolan's instruction. Nothing wrong with it as an "out ball".

Where we will finish for me depends more on injuries and style of play than who we bring in.

Grant is a waste of a shirt unless we play the ball on the ground as is Stead.

We need to give grant room by playing the more agile (if less hoof it) Jones.

We need Ameobi fit. And we need a pacey impact sub (forte is still ok for me).

But most importantly, we need to work hard at not hitting the ball long to Stead. Time and time again.

We are good enough to finish top three. And I see no reason to doubt it. Have we seen 3 teams in this division far better than us?

There is a lot here that I agree with......we started the season playing the long~ball to Stead and Shola together, it wasnt very pretty but it worked.....then we chopped and changed a few things, and Nolo realised, particularly away v Exeter that we looked pretty good on the carpet as well.

Teams have sussed us out in the air, so they double~mark the 2 strikers.....so now Nolo is trying the single hitman with more balls played through the midfield, sometimes it works ie Morecambe....yesterday it made us look weak as Swindon gobbled up all the high balls yet we still ignored the midfield most of the game from what I saw, this was the mistake......also the front 2 are too old to play every game anyway.

Simply put, Shola is stronger under the high ball than Stead, Stead is better IMO with balls to his feet.....together they work better than the sum of the parts.....individually we need to alter the game plan slightly to bring the midfield into the action.....or just buy a more mobile centre~forward....I only know that if we play the same tactics v Vale tomorrow as we did yesterday, then we are going to get mullered, to use a technical expression

[durhampie]

There is a lot here that I agree with......we started the season playing the long~ball to Stead and Shola together, it wasnt very pretty but it worked.....then we chopped and changed a few things, and Nolo realised, particularly away v Exeter that we looked pretty good on the carpet as well.

Teams have sussed us out in the air, so they double~mark the 2 strikers.....so now Nolo is trying the single hitman with more balls played through the midfield, sometimes it works ie Morecambe....yesterday it made us look weak as Swindon gobbled up all the high balls yet we still ignored the midfield most of the game from what I saw, this was the mistake......also the front 2 are too old to play every game anyway.

Simply put, Shola is stronger under the high ball than Stead, Stead is better IMO with balls to his feet.....together they work better than the sum of the parts.....individually we need to alter the game plan slightly to bring the midfield into the action.....or just buy a more mobile centre~forward....I only know that if we play the same tactics v Vale tomorrow as we did yesterday, then we are going to get mullered, to use a technical expression

Stead would be better off on the bench. But we know that AH thinks he is the best striker in the world, so that wont happen....

[keldsyke]

Stead would be better off on the bench. But we know that AH thinks he is the best striker in the world, so that wont happen....

Wow You’re saying AH picks the team?

[SwalePie]

AH says he expects Luton to be champs

Pure mind games

[SwalePie]

I know it isn't likely to happen any time soon but I'm sure a midfield diamond with Grant at the top end of it would work well, provided they could work in overlaps from Toots and Jones, for example

..............Fitzsimons
Toots ...Duffy ...Brisley ...Jones
...................Dicko
..........Hewitt .....Yates
..................Grant
...........Stead ....Ameobi