Match Ratings

[i961pie]

Neal Ardley said in his post match interliew that the "...the boys gave it everything they had." Really? Everything? How come they gave much more against Carlisle? Ardley's idea of "everything" seems very arbitrary and not to everyone's standard. Everything would seem to mean they can't give or do better than that - goalless at home against cannon fodder.

Seven times this season they have given everything and won, nine**** times they haven't and lost by what seemed to be a regular three goals against. Too many times this season we have obviously not given anything anywhere near everything. If the players who gave everything yesterday think they gave their all then they must admit to themselves they are not good enough for League 2 football.

Just because things don't come off or players have off days doesn't mean they aren't trying.
Morecambe are on a decent run to them we were the Cannon fodder.

[Ben the Pie]

It's really useful to me having you people that were there give ratings and opinions so thanks for taking the time and effort. I'm in the 'believe we can do this' camp so forgive the blind optimism...but Duff man coming back in and playing 3 in midfield seems to have shored things up defensively, the only goal we've conceded with Duff back was the cheesy theft goal at Carlisle. Stubbs sounded pretty commanding on the radio yesterday - won a lot/all his headers - if we don't concede we won't lose.
However the goals is the next issue to sort!
Had Enzio taken his chance we'd have ground out a 1-0 against a side on a good run and been happy but we have to create more...I think we all agree.
But with Jim out - a big loss imo - I'll take the point, the closing of the gap and we go again next week against Exeter.

[jackal2]

I pretty much agree with the OP's ratings. I called Rob Milsom as MOTM before the announcer made it official, because he had a very hard-working and solid game at left-back, but I agree that there wasn't very much separating him from Duffy and Stubbs.

The game was a very poor spectacle and a missed opportunity to reduce the gap to safety to one point, but on a positive note we've still moved a point closer to Yeovil (albeit 4 points with the goal difference) and we're looking much more solid defensively. In fact, the team as it is set up now looks far more capable of going away from home and getting a win, where our attacking players might have more space to work in. Morecambe came for a draw yesterday and they got it, because Enzio fluffed his big chance, but at least we took something from the game.

[LaxtonLad]

Just because things don't come off or players have off days doesn't mean they aren't trying.
Morecambe are on a decent run to them we were the Cannon fodder.

Too many off days, i961pie. My point about them not being good enough was about their ability to play League 2 football compared with other average players. Notts players aren't all cr@p nor the worst in our league, but if they are trying, they aren't good enough, if they aren't trying then they aren't giving everything. You're right about us being the cannon fodder though, there are no teams easier to beat than Notts County.

[optipez]

Schofield 6. He did nothing wrong in all fairness to him but he doesn't inspire confidence because he doesn't command the box.

Tootle 6.5 Good solid return to the team.

Milsom 8. Joint MOTM. Attacked down the line, defended well, gave it his all.

Duffy 7. I'm no big fan of Duffy but he played well yesterday and clearly helped the defence as a unit and Stubbs in particular.

Stubbs 8. Joint MOTM. Won everything in the air, as good a centre half performance as I've seen from any of our centre halves all season.

Boudwijn. 5.5 No doubt he worked, tracking back and he had our best chance but overall it was a bit part performance.

Vaughan 4.5 Played on the right for some bizarre reason, had to turn inside every time to get his angles right for his left foot. Backwards, sideways and quite a few misplaced passes. He did set Enzio up but not enough from him.

Doyle 5. Moderate set pieces, clearly a man at the fag end of his career , like Vaughan not enough dynamism to influence the game.

Rose 5.5 Right footed played on the left. No idea why he and Vaughan weren't swapped for both their benefits. He got through the work without looking very good.

Allessandra 5.5 Like the rest of the midfield bit of a nothing game.

Hemmings 7. Led the line well, looked lively but being more of less the lone striker with a non supporting geriatric midfield behind him he was up against it.

Subs.
Not on long, like for like nothing changed.

Two points dropped. Massive six pointer where we managed one effort on goal worth the name. Morecambe might be in some form but they, like us were no great shakes.
Not enough from a game I think we had to win, I left the ground feeling that was another nail in the coffin rather than a point on the way to survival. A real shame after Carlisle.

[jackal2]

Vaughan 4.5 Played on the right for some bizarre reason, had to turn inside every time to get his angles right for his left foot. Backwards, sideways and quite a few misplaced passes. He did set Enzio up but not enough from him.

If reports are true that Vaughan is on £5,000 a week, or anything close, then he's making mugs of us.

As you say, he played lots of safe passes which no doubt make his OPTA stats looks OK, but for that money you're looking for your midfielder to take some risks and play the incisive balls that can create chances. The only incisive ball he played was the obvious one to Boldewijn for our best chance, but it came from a Morecambe mistake and anyone in Vaughan's position could have played the same ball.

Vaughan reminds me of Gary Owers, Mark Fotheringham and Ian Hamilton in past years, by which I mean experienced pros who effectively cheat their way through the game by getting a fair few touches in non-threatening positions and then playing a five yard pass, transferring the responsibility to show any ingenuity or take any risks to someone else.

[maddogslater]

Too many off days, i961pie. My point about them not being good enough was about their ability to play League 2 football compared with other average players. Notts players aren't all cr@p nor the worst in our league, but if they are trying, they aren't good enough, if they aren't trying then they aren't giving everything. You're right about us being the cannon fodder though, there are no teams easier to beat than Notts County.

I would say Yeovil are. Enzio steams onto the pass and has to decelerate fast in order to get a shot off so really has little control over his shot, a whisker away from a win over a dogged side.

[nw6pie]

Given that Ardley didn’t make a change until the 71st minute and only used two subs, you’d have to assume he was relatively happy with the way the game was going - more concerned about not losing than actually winning. Given that Macclesfield were 2-0 up at Yeovil at half-time, I’d hoped this would spur the team on - but sadly not. We got worse as the game went on.

I’m trying to think of how many goals anyone other than an attacker has scored for us this season - and I’m struggling. O’Brien against FGR; Jones against Colchester; Ward against Port Vale; Hewitt against Carlisle; Milsom and Hewitt against Crewe; Kellett against Lincoln; Duffy against Cambridge. Eight goals - is that really it? And from just a handful from defenders? Shows how we pose zero threat from set-pieces (unless we have a gale blowing in our favor, like at Carlisle).

It also shows how much we’ve missed Jorge Grant’s goals in these “nothing games” where one chance or decent set-piece can win you the three points.

[LaxtonLad]

Given that Ardley didn’t make a change until the 71st minute and only used two subs, you’d have to assume he was relatively happy with the way the game was going - more concerned about not losing than actually winning. Given that Macclesfield were 2-0 up at Yeovil at half-time, I’d hoped this would spur the team on - but sadly not. We got worse as the game went on.

I’m trying to think of how many goals anyone other than an attacker has scored for us this season - and I’m struggling. O’Brien against FGR; Jones against Colchester; Ward against Port Vale; Hewitt against Carlisle; Milsom and Hewitt against Crewe; Kellett against Lincoln; Duffy against Cambridge. Eight goals - is that really it? And from just a handful from defenders? Shows how we pose zero threat from set-pieces (unless we have a gale blowing in our favor, like at Carlisle).

It also shows how much we’ve missed Jorge Grant’s goals in these “nothing games” where one chance or decent set-piece can win you the three points.

Ardley's post match comments appear to show he was happy with the one point but disappointed we didn't get three. Seeing as how we only had one shot on goal, and that was from an error by a Morecambe player, he's more easily pleased than I am.

You're right about non-scoring midfielders, eight goals is just not good enough and to me it shows they are not getting forward enough to either score or interrupt play or supply the incisive short pass to someone who can, and if they miss the shot, be there to boot in the rebound.

Jorge Grant did supply us with some very valuable points but to be fair, some games you wouldn't know he was playing. Still, I would have him back.

[Pies4u]

Arguably, given the toothless and disjointed display, some of the ratings so far are a tad high in a few cases.

Hemmings, despite being isolated most of the game, showed good control, plenty of energy and distributed the ball accurately. Milsom was composed and neat on the ball, made some robust tackles and looked comfortable all game. The central defenders were solid enough and did their job effectively. The rest were very poor to mediocre at best. Overall, it was desperately poor stuff.

As for Boldewijn - that is 11 times I've seen him now. In that time I've seen him have about 6 efforts on goal, scoring once & rarely use his pace or actually beat a man. I may just have been unlucky but he has done nothing to justify all the hype and praise he seems to receive. On the evidence that I've seen: He doesn't drive into the box, he doesn't create mayhem among defenders very often, he is easy to mark because he is too static and furthermore he provides little or no defensive cover - often he is the last man (or last but one) beaten before opponents get a shot in on goal. It is only a handful of people on this board who seem to rate him at all. Virtually everybody I talk to and those who sit around me share the same view - he may be talented & have a turn of pace but he doesn't utilise either his skill or his pace often enough, so he is ineffective & unproductive most of the time. Vaughan and Doyle kept encouraging him to go wide & make himself available for the ball on Sat but he wandered around aimlessly for the most part.

He seems to have the odd moment in a game - but only once in 5 or 6 games! Several people on here seemed to think that his return from injury would signal some dramatic improvement in our fortunes, I (like Navy) was not among them. Also, rather like Navy, I would say this bloke is probably the most over rated player in the team. I'd also the question the definition used by those who have said that he "worked hard". He did not "work hard" on Saturday, he was completely anonymous bar missing the best opportunity of the game! Hemmings "worked hard", CMS "worked hard" when he came on too.

The reality is, as Elite says, we don't have anyone better so he is a fixture - although starting with a fit CMS would have been an improvement on Saturday without a doubt. Boldewijn need to deliver far more in the last 8 games if we are to have nay chance of surviving.