Enough is enough

[optipez]

Nolan is giving his critics plenty of ammunition and unless Hall and Tootle get fit soon it's hard to see the defence improving. Persisting with Vaughan and Hussin seems reckless to me also and propping up the league, you can't really argue too hard against sacking him.
But, four games in I'd still rather give him a couple of loans and more time than sack him. Whoever comes in will inherit an imbalanced squad with the budget spent and no guarantee of a long term improvement.
It's getting harder to justify, but for me I'd persist a little longer.

[jacobncfc]

This season is another matter entirely.
Something very strange seems to have happened in the defence.
13 goals in 4 games - and against Yeovil and Newport.

I actually feel sorry for the defence, they’ve been hung out to dry. They proved last season that they were more than capable when keeping it simple and given some protection.

Suddenly they seem to have been asked to pass the ball out from the back, which they aren’t very good at, leading to stuff like Newport’s second goal tonight.

We also released an experienced goalkeeper who, whilst far from infallible, was pretty reliable at coming for crosses in his zone and either claiming them or getting something on them. This to blood a young keeper who makes flashy saves and can kick it cleanly, but refuses to leave his line even to claim a looped corner dropping about four yards away from him (the first goal tonight).

Probably most fatally, though, they’re being asked to play behind a midfield of four attacking midfielders. I actually think you can trace this malaise back not necessarily to Ryan Yates leaving, but our attempts to replace him with Noor Husin, a flashy but ultimately ineffective footballer who offers absolutely nothing without the ball. That and the mysterious disappearance of Terry Hawkridge, who is intelligent defensively, incredibly hard working and made us a much more balanced team.

This summer was supposed to be about taking the small steps needed to turn last season’s good team into a promotion winning one. Boldewijn, Dennis and Hemmings have, in among the chaos, looked like the players we needed (and I think that Crawford is impressive for an 18 year old, to be fair) - it’s just that we have for some reason ripped up everything we had that was good elsewhere in the team.

The only explanation I have is that the criticism Nolan received from Coventry and a vocal minority of Notts fans for his style of player has caused him to completely lose it.

[McCullochisGod]

Not a knee jerk poster, this has been coming for a very long time, we are now rock bottom. How many more cracks can your false positivity paper over Hardy? The club is a shambles.

[slack_pie]

I hope Bird does start, if he was worth signing at all. I'd like to see Nolan explain why Duffy is still a better option. His "experience" hasn't helped so far.

I'm fairly sure he's not going to be good enough. He's there as a last resort.

[slack_pie]

I actually feel sorry for the defence, they’ve been hung out to dry. They proved last season that they were more than capable when keeping it simple and given some protection.

Suddenly they seem to have been asked to pass the ball out from the back, which they aren’t very good at, leading to stuff like Newport’s second goal tonight.

We also released an experienced goalkeeper who, whilst far from infallible, was pretty reliable at coming for crosses in his zone and either claiming them or getting something on them. This to blood a young keeper who makes flashy saves and can kick it cleanly, but refuses to leave his line even to claim a looped corner dropping about four yards away from him (the first goal tonight).

Probably most fatally, though, they’re being asked to play behind a midfield of four attacking midfielders. I actually think you can trace this malaise back not necessarily to Ryan Yates leaving, but our attempts to replace him with Noor Husin, a flashy but ultimately ineffective footballer who offers absolutely nothing without the ball. That and the mysterious disappearance of Terry Hawkridge, who is intelligent defensively, incredibly hard working and made us a much more balanced team.

This summer was supposed to be about taking the small steps needed to turn last season’s good team into a promotion winning one. Boldewijn, Dennis and Hemmings have, in among the chaos, looked like the players we needed (and I think that Crawford is impressive for an 18 year old, to be fair) - it’s just that we have for some reason ripped up everything we had that was good elsewhere in the team.

The only explanation I have is that the criticism Nolan received from Coventry and a vocal minority of Notts fans for his style of player has caused him to completely lose it.

Agreed. All we needed was a few additions to build on what we had, just to get us over the line this year. Instead, we're a completely different side. All the comments from the Cov fans after the playoff first leg were about how we're a horrible team, hard to beat, professional, nasty, competitive, etc. What happened to that? Now we're lightweight, naive, lazy and ineffective.

A few points that people have probably already made:

Fitz is a downgrade on Collin.
Vaughan and Husin are luxury players in L2. We just needed a Ravenhill instead. It would have been better to just keep O'Connor.
No point in having expensive strikers if you concede three every game.
And anyway, I'd wager that Forte will score more than either Dennis or Hemmings this season.
Jones and Hewitt put in the worst full-back performances I have ever seen last night. I'd rather have Hunt and Dickinson playing, and that's saying something.
Our centre backs are too slow and simply don't seem able to concentrate. Every team we play has better options at the back than us.
Lincoln will absolutely hammer us. And so we'll be rooted to the bottom. Are we really in trouble?

[i961pie]

Agreed. All we needed was a few additions to build on what we had, just to get us over the line this year. Instead, we're a completely different side. All the comments from the Cov fans after the playoff first leg were about how we're a horrible team, hard to beat, professional, nasty, competitive, etc. What happened to that? Now we're lightweight, naive, lazy and ineffective.

A few points that people have probably already made:

Fitz is a downgrade on Collin.
Vaughan and Husin are luxury players in L2. We just needed a Ravenhill instead. It would have been better to just keep O'Connor.
No point in having expensive strikers if you concede three every game.
And anyway, I'd wager that Forte will score more than either Dennis or Hemmings this season.
Jones and Hewitt put in the worst full-back performances I have ever seen last night. I'd rather have Hunt and Dickinson playing, and that's saying something.
Our centre backs are too slow and simply don't seem able to concentrate. Every team we play has better options at the back than us.
Lincoln will absolutely hammer us. And so we'll be rooted to the bottom. Are we really in trouble?

It's frightening that Hewitt and Jones were even worse last night than they were against Yeovil.

[wossie]

I know it was a few years ago. I remember Notts being top of the league in August. Come May a 2-2 draw against Bury kept us up. Keep faith with KN and AH.

[forwardmagpie]

The only explanation I have is that the criticism Nolan received from Coventry and a vocal minority of Notts fans for his style of player has caused him to completely lose it.

If that is the case Jacob it is probably the best reason so far to get rid

[McCullochisGod]

I don't think Bird will be anywhere near it, he lacks pace and struggled in non-league.

[cjpieman]

Nolan, in his post Yeovil interview, went the route of 'unacceptable performance' 'day off cancelled' 'hard work to put things right'.

All good, unless the team then go out and repeat the miserable performance. Which they have.

The logical conclusion for me; He can't change it.

If ANY of the other 23 managers in this league had been given the funds Nolan has this summer we would be near the top of this league.