Playing against this Notts team

[Mark_Ross]

As Ardley has said many times, we're pretty good between the boxes. It's just the scoring and defending of goals that's the problem.

So we excel at those parts of the game that have no influence on the result whatsoever. Mr A. you are a genius!

[Amber SUFC]

In the vast majority of Ardley’s pre-game press conferences this season he’s often talked about his squad’s ability to adapt to play against any system/playing style and themselves tweak the style and gameplan to negate the strengths and exploit the weaknesses of the opposition.

Problem is - that’s just not true, is it?

Even playing against teams with limited scouting resources, the opposition knows EXACTLY how we’ll play and exactly how they can combat it, as the Barrow manager referenced directly recently. Has there ever been a Notts manager whose line ups and subs are easier to predict? That’s fine if things are going well, but we’ve conceded at least two in the past six games.

Sutton will know both Doyle and Rose can be pressed into giving the ball away and don’t generally track runners going the other way, they know to get tight to Enzio and that he will stay on the right where he’s less threatening and not be given license to swap wings which would make him harder to pick up. They know the centre of our defence is slow and struggling against any sort of pace or movement, they know both of our full backs are playing poorly in both an attacking and defensive sense. They know that, despite having 4 senior strikers most of this league would kill for, Thomas and Wooton will start and Dennis will replace Thomas with 10/15 to go (not long after he’s swapped the left winger in the other change. If you could bet on our substitutions I’d be a millionaire).

In short, despite lauding the competition in the squad having signing 14 new players, they know 10 of the 11 that will start. And they know the two subs (Booty/Shields and Dennis/Thomas) that will be made. Given the number of players and amount of resources at our disposal, we really shouldn’t be the easiest team in the league to prepare to play against.

You’re giving me hope, I will be disappointed if we lose now

[LaxtonLad]

58% of possession simply means that of the total number of passes, we made 58% of them.

Are you sure that's right, nw6pie? What about passes that go astray? I though the possession per cent figures meant the time one team were actually holding on to the ball. You may be right though. Having just trawled through Wikipedia and Quora I cannot find a definite answer, they neither agree or disagree. I imagine there isn't much in it either way.

[durhampie]

This is what concerns me, Ardley said after the game we are a good team inbetween the boxes, I'm not sure many would agree. Then he said more worryingly that sometimes we're too attack minded! If by attack minded he means slow sideways passes then yes Neal we are you're right.

We are good when we are un-marked in our own 18yd box passing to each other. Once it goes beyond there we are clueless..

[LaxtonLad]

We are good when we are un-marked in our own 18yd box passing to each other. Once it goes beyond there we are clueless..

We are even marked man-to-man when we walk out onto the pitch before kick-off. But we get our own back before the second half.

[magpie_mania]

We are good when we are un-marked in our own 18yd box passing to each other. Once it goes beyond there we are clueless..

Don't be daft! We aren't brilliant but yours is a massive exaggeration.

I was talking today to a Northampton supporter to get his view on the game. He said that we looked OK and had plenty of chances. How do you manage that if you're clueless?

[Kelton]

We are good when we are un-marked in our own 18yd box passing to each other. Once it goes beyond there we are clueless..

Crazytalk ...... grow up man

[Notts78]

58% of possession simply means that of the total number of passes, we made 58% of them.

Please tell me this is a joke?

[laddo]

All Notts teams who played under managers with poor records were surely easy to play against?.

They lost more than they won hence easy to scout and work out the weaknesses.

Lets be honest there are lots of examples to choose from, sadly.

This is nothing new

[BigFatPie]

All Notts teams who played under managers with poor records were surely easy to play against?.

They lost more than they won hence easy to scout and work out the weaknesses.

Lets be honest there are lots of examples to choose from, sadly.

This is nothing new

That’s alright then.