Post Match Vids:

[countygump]

True enough!!!

[crazyfists]

True enough!!!

You pies.

[countygump]

Goals from a different angle:


https://twitter.com/Official_NCFC/st...80537241870336

[jackal2]

Alan Hardy is actually correct, but the negative narrative about the goalkeeper is so strong at present that people are blaming him for virtually every goal that goes in. The script is pre-written in their head even before the game starts and I noticed it yesterday with some of the comments from fans around me.

In reality, the biggest problem we have with our defence is a complete inability to stop crosses, too many missed headers and a tendency to back off and shadow play (a Nolan legacy) rather than engage the opponent's attacking players early, all of which leads to far too much of the ball coming into our penalty area and too many shots and headers on goal from close range, which are always going to be difficult for a goalkeeper to stop.

Yes, Ross Fitzsimons does look low on confidence, and without doubt he was at fault for one of the goals against Lincoln (flapping at a ball in the air) and the third goal against Forest Green (went softly under his arm), but even if we'd had Adam Collin or even Steve Cherry or Kasper Schmeichel in goal, they wouldn't have been able to do much about many of the goals we're conceding. Anybody who thinks that a new goalkeeper is the answer to all of our problems is basing that view on a basic pre-conceived narrative that the goalkeeper must be to blame if a team concedes lots of goals, rather than objectively analysing the goals themselves.

As I said last week, my biggest criticism of Fitzsimons is actually that (probably due to lack of confidence) he doesn't impose himself enough on his defence as a personality. He stupidly kicked an opposition player up the backside last season, but metaphorically speaking he should try doing that a bit more with our own full-backs, central defenders and midfielders, because they bloody deserve it. Some of their "defensive" efforts are so poor and lazy as to be comical - they literally just go through the motions to "look" as if they're trying to affect play, without actually doing much at all. In that regard, I think a Cherry or a Schmeichel would have been handing out a few more b*llockings, pushing more players around and generally demanding much more. Ross in comparison looks meek, perhaps because he hasn't got the experience or maybe that type of personality. He's actually entitled to be very angry, and to show it, because he's copping a lot of the flack individually for what is very clearly a collective failure.

[cjpieman]

A goalkeeper that won’t come for crosses invites pressure. You can’t stop every cross coming in.
He was dreadful for first 2 goals yesterday- first one he rolls into side netting and their blokes mis hit scuff roles down the centre of the goal - a traffic cone would have stopped it going in. The second he could have come for the cross but then to get lobbed in your line is woeful.
We will stay in the relegation fight until he’s replaced

[jackal2]

A goalkeeper that won’t come for crosses invites pressure. You can’t stop every cross coming in.

Steve Cherry didn't tend to come for many crosses, sensibly because he wasn't the tallest, but he was a superb shot stopper and organiser and one of the best goalkeepers we've ever had. He also had Craig Short and Dean Yates in front of him, central defenders who actually did their job of winning the ball in the box, knowing that their keeper would generally leave them to do it. For all of those that think that "commanding your area" means coming for every cross, just remember Steve Mildenhall, who did just that and often missed, despite his physical attributes, causing absolute chaos.

I'm realistic about the football fan mentality. I've watched Notts nigh on 30 years and (especially during bad times, of which there have been many) there will always be one player who tends to be earmarked as the scapegoat for most of the team's ills. It happens with fans at most clubs to be fair. Either the player overcomes it or it starts to affect them, in which case they get dropped and the fans simply move on to their next scapegoat. It's easier than looking deep into a problem.

[navypie]

Husin was 10 yards from the player who has time to pick his cross for the 3rd goal. He made no attempt to close the player down. All 3 goals were gifts. All 3 were avoidable. None were Fitzsimons fault.
Still we are now undefeated in one game. Start of a run, hopefully.

I don't know what game you were watching, Fitz was responsible for all 3 goals and my half time cuppa being cold. I can forgive the goals.

[jackal2]

I don't know what game you were watching, Fitz was responsible for all 3 goals and my half time cuppa being cold. I can forgive the goals.

Yeah I noticed the half-time cuppa error on the replay. Shocking wasn't it!

He was also responsible for not intercepting those Russian agents on the way to Salisbury.

[them0uf]

A goalkeeper that won’t come for crosses invites pressure. You can’t stop every cross coming in.
He was dreadful for first 2 goals yesterday- first one he rolls into side netting and their blokes mis hit scuff roles down the centre of the goal - a traffic cone would have stopped it going in. The second he could have come for the cross but then to get lobbed in your line is woeful.
We will stay in the relegation fight until he’s replaced

He was partially to blame for the first - went too fast along his line to close the angle so couldn't change direction when he had to. I thought Ward could have done a bit better in getting back to cover both the striker in the middle but also the goal line.
My initial thought was he was at fault for the second but he isn't. Nothing wrong with his positioning, would have been suicidal to come for the cross, and he could only have stopped that if his positioning was wrong (I know that sounds daft but i think we all know what I mean).
Couldn't do anything about the third.

[navypie]

Yeah I noticed the half-time cuppa error on the replay. Shocking wasn't it!

He was also responsible for not intercepting those Russian agents on the way to Salisbury.

Russian agents !! I thought they were Jezza's guests.