That was a bizarre match

[apieandpint]

This teams been together for what, 3 weeks? They've just come off the back of an unbeaten 3 match run against 3 teams going for promotion, which will have undoubtedly taken its toll on them. A hiccup against Newport isn't the end of the world and deserving of the "sort it out Ardley" type of posts.

Before the Lincoln game, who would've taken 7 points from the last 4 games and to be within touching distance of 22nd? I reckon almost everyone.

[countygump]

This teams been together for what, 3 weeks? They've just come off the back of an unbeaten 3 match run against 3 teams going for promotion, which will have undoubtedly taken its toll on them. A hiccup against Newport isn't the end of the world and deserving of the "sort it out Ardley" type of posts.

Before the Lincoln game, who would've taken 7 points from the last 4 games and to be within touching distance of 22nd? I reckon almost everyone.

This^ Fortunately, barring the fact that we have one less game to play, the poor result last night hasn't affected us too much. They bullied us simple as, and we let them. Everything Newport did came off, everything we tried, failed. I doubt that they will play as well again all season and I hope that we don't play as poorly, though there was no lack of effort on our part. Not playing Stead was a boo-boo IMO, not only did it mean that there was no-one to hold the ball up front, It also affected our defending as Steady with his height, is useful in that department. Also we missed CMS and him running at defenders, (which is something we really failed to do last night). We're still only 2pts adrift and still 13 games to go, onto the next. Sometimes a wake up call can be useful, let's hope this one is.

[The_Don_ORiordan]

Are there any “sort it out Ardley” posts?

If there are folk need to take a good look at themselves and the squad he has and tell us exactly how you’d change it that much.

He did good business in January and quite incredibly it was nearly cost neutral (according to him).

He’s done a great job, and if he keeps us up, a miraculous one. That’s all I care about.

Matches like that will happen along the way. And his hands to a certain extent are tied to change them very much at this point.

Luckily for us, there are not all that many teams as good at that type of game to play for the rest of the season.

Chalk it up to experience and move on.

[Simon the Pieman]

Yes agree with most of this. A horror show though. Thought the Newport manager should have been yellow carded, at least, for swearing at the crowd. I wonder what the fourth officials actually do, sometimes. Moving on to Tranmere.

[sidders]

I don't think a 1-4 tonking at home can be described as a hiccup. It was a massive disappointment and could well be regarded in retrospect as a seminal game that led to our demise. Apart from the damage to the goal difference, many of our young on loan players will have been traumatised by such an ineffective night.

[Elite_Pie]

I don't think a 1-4 tonking at home can be described as a hiccup. It was a massive disappointment and could well be regarded in retrospect as a seminal game that led to our demise. Apart from the damage to the goal difference, many of our young on loan players will have been traumatised by such an ineffective night.

Who knows? For me it shows that anybody can beat anybody in this division if they approach the game in the right manner. Mansfield looked useless on Saturday but the table says they aren't, Yeovil looked a really good team when they won 0-4 here but again the table says they aren't. You can't draw conclusions from one game, because our last two have been complete opposites.

[The_Don_ORiordan]

I don't think a 1-4 tonking at home can be described as a hiccup. It was a massive disappointment and could well be regarded in retrospect as a seminal game that led to our demise. Apart from the damage to the goal difference, many of our young on loan players will have been traumatised by such an ineffective night.

If you just looked at the result you might think that.

And the goal difference has long been a point lost.

Go do one with the melodrama.

[i961pie]

Are there any “sort it out Ardley” posts?

If there are folk need to take a good look at themselves and the squad he has and tell us exactly how you’d change it that much.

He did good business in January and quite incredibly it was nearly cost neutral (according to him).

He’s done a great job, and if he keeps us up, a miraculous one. That’s all I care about.

Matches like that will happen along the way. And his hands to a certain extent are tied to change them very much at this point.

Luckily for us, there are not all that many teams as good at that type of game to play for the rest of the season.

Chalk it up to experience and move on.

Read Eastcoastultra 1977 posts on the match thread, he was in meltdown.

[MAD_MAGPIE]

Are there any “sort it out Ardley” posts?

If there are folk need to take a good look at themselves and the squad he has and tell us exactly how you’d change it that much.

He did good business in January and quite incredibly it was nearly cost neutral (according to him).

He’s done a great job, and if he keeps us up, a miraculous one. That’s all I care about.

Matches like that will happen along the way. And his hands to a certain extent are tied to change them very much at this point.

Luckily for us, there are not all that many teams as good at that type of game to play for the rest of the season.

Chalk it up to experience and move on.

^^This is correct. Let’s be right we were dead and buried before these new 8 players were brought in, and we’re going out of the football league without a whimper. This new team have had a tough four games and last night was just a step too far.

We also need to remember that they have actually hit the ground running. The fact is we have improved our situation from being 8 points adrift of safety to within 2 points in the space of a couple of weeks is as a good as we’ve been at any other time this season (apart from the week we won three in a row)

Last night it was not a 4-1 defeat or performance by the squad that caused hurt or anger because we rolled over like so many times previously. The reason was the players tried their best and they put the effort and commitment in. But we were just not able to cope with the aerial threat Newport possessed. They won the game in both boxes and scored with almost every attempt on target.

7 points from 4 games is 1.75 points a game which on this basis we would finish on 51 points would mean enough for survival.

We have to rally and go again Saturday and not get downbeat. There is still plenty of time and games to get out of the relegation places. Our destiny is still in our own hands. Loosing one game 4-1 to Newport (who would have probably been higher in the table without their cup run) is not a new crisis.

Besides it won’t be losing to Newport that relegates us if we go down. It’s the games to come next month against Port Vale (H), Cheltenham (A) and Morecambe (H) that are far more important and ones we need to get points from to get survival and drag them into the mix. I’d take last nights defeat if it means we get wins against those sides mentioned.

[MancMagpie]

It's ok people saying Neil shouldn't tinker with the team but we can't play the season out with just eleven player.
We know that Aless is no CMS but if Neil felt he needs a rest because he hasn't had much game time, then someone has to play there.
A lot of people on this board thought it a good idea to play Hemmings in place of Stead, me included, but it showed just how important JS is to the team. Hemmings and Gomis were both trying to play in the same position in the first half and it showed tonight they are not the partnership we require.
For Doyle it was a game too far and maybe that was where the tinkering was needed.
Credit to Newport though, I thought they were excellent and just allowed us to play in front of them, then closed us down. Their delivery into the box caused us problems all night and, contrary to what a lot of us thought, they had energy in bucket loads.
Neil said there would be highs and lows, and I suspect the players will be hurting.
I looked at Stubbsy after the match and he looked totally deflated. That is what I expect and want of a Notts player after a defeat like that.
I am not worried by this defeat because I think this is a squad of players that will take it on board and try and put it right. We shall see.
Still believing.

Agree with all of that