Match Ratings vs Halifax

[Stan Marshall]

I’d agree with most of that. Makes you wonder what the point of substitutes is if you don’t use them for a performance like that. It was also interesting how we stopped attacking after the equaliser!

[queenslandpie]

Where to start with that? Thought it’d be impossible to be as bad as last Tuesday. Somehow, we managed to be much, much worse.

Slocombe - 5.5 - One of the few to do his job to an acceptable standard for around 80 minutes, with a couple of decent saves first half and good handling. But then arguably should’ve done better with the winner.

Richardson - 4 - Oh dear. An absolute horror show of a debut. Why - with all the talk of our outstanding recruitment model - are we back to loaning untried youngsters to plug gaps for the sake of a 3 week injury? That’s the 2014-16 model where we ended up with a squad of 40+. If DKE really can’t play every game (unlike the golden duo in midfield), JOB or Rawlinson can fill-in there. Nowhere near ready on this evidence.

Rawlinson - 6 - One of the few to maintain something like his usual standards the past few weeks. Make him captain.

Lacey - 5 - Unlike his defensive partner, hasn’t looked the same player for the past month. Struggled.

Barnett - 3 - Arguably the worst of the lot, yet somehow completed the 90 despite us having two full backs on the bench. Awful set-pieces and distribution throughout, ‘defending’ was even worse. Car crash of a performance.

Enzio - 7 - Somehow conjured a goal out of absolutely nothing, imagine what he could do if he received a pass in-front of him occasionally. Should be given the freedom to express himself, particularly while Roberts is out.

Reeves - 3 - Horrendous. Could go on all day but probably the moment that summed him up was passing backwards to Lacey rather than putting it in the box, when there was 3 seconds left on the clock. Dreadful game on and off the ball. On balance has been a poor signing, think I actually preferred Mitch Rose.

Doyle - 4 - A 39 y/o defensive midfielder who offers next to no protection for the defence and, contrary to the song, always gives the ball away. The midfield duo is clearly the problem but both know they will always get the 90 minutes under this manager so are far too comfortable, and nothing will change. A shame as he could genuinely be a brilliant asset to us but rolling him out for the 90 minutes every single game just because he wants to play benefits absolutely no-one.

Rodrigues - 5 - Won the penalty and at least looks to play forward but the current set-up definitely does not suit an attack-minded player. Stationing him out on the left does him no favours either. No coincidence that our best performance in 2021 came when the centre mids had to be changed, and him and Enzio played either side of one holding man with license to carry the ball forward. Why not try that again?

Knowles - 4.5 - Anonymous, just not a game/system for our attacking players as had nothing to work with.

Wootton - 6 - Feel for him. Effectively has to do it all. Didn’t do a lot wrong but battling with three centre halves on his own all night.

Sam - 5 - Started brightly then spoilt it with a poor penalty. That said it would help if the manager designated a taker, rather than saying whoever’s ‘confident’ can take it. A sign of the lack of leadership on that front....

Ardley - Last night was the tipping point for me. Teams know that if they press us we will fold but after over two years we always look like it’s the first time we’ve come up against it and still can’t handle it. Press Doyle and his midfield partner (now Reeves) into mistakes and we will fold. It was the issue in the playoff final and nearly a year on nothing has been done to address it.

Two managers of part-time teams who can only dream of the resources Ardley has have come to Meadow Lane in successive games and played us off our own pitch. The players are over coached, yet our only goals are coming through individual moments of quality.

The majority of the 11 know they will start and finish every match regardless, and the subs can be easily predicted before the match.

One sub made in what was the worst performance of the season by a mile. Both CMs left on for the 90 yet again. The two full backs playing the full game despite there being better alternatives available to bring on. His stubbornness and ridiculous loyalty to the midfield duo in particular is costing us time and time again. I’m by no means a fan of chopping and changing managers, but Ardley has been given time and unquestionable level of backing, and the team is much worse than it was a year ago.

The table and amount of games left suggests it could be possible to turn it around, but the reality is we’re going backwards so this is only possible if changes are made where they need to be - which history suggests they won’t be. I’d take our chances on someone new as there’s a good enough squad and enough of this season left to salvage it, and we need to get out of this league.

Great post enjoyed the read ( sort of!).

[durhampie]

I've often wondered why managers don't sit high up and communicate with their assistant in the dugout more often. They'd see the patterns much better from up there.

Jimmy often went up onto the scaffolding.

[Elite_Pie]

As they usually are, freemuzzy's ratings would be very close to mine. In this case however I would drop every player by one or two points because I think that's how bad we were. I always try and be objective on topics like these and very rarely give a mark lower than 4, but last night giving some players a 3 wouldn't be a knee jerk reaction.

[crazyfists]

Where to start with that? Thought it’d be impossible to be as bad as last Tuesday. Somehow, we managed to be much, much worse.

Slocombe - 5.5 - One of the few to do his job to an acceptable standard for around 80 minutes, with a couple of decent saves first half and good handling. But then arguably should’ve done better with the winner.

Richardson - 4 - Oh dear. An absolute horror show of a debut. Why - with all the talk of our outstanding recruitment model - are we back to loaning untried youngsters to plug gaps for the sake of a 3 week injury? That’s the 2014-16 model where we ended up with a squad of 40+. If DKE really can’t play every game (unlike the golden duo in midfield), JOB or Rawlinson can fill-in there. Nowhere near ready on this evidence.

Rawlinson - 6 - One of the few to maintain something like his usual standards the past few weeks. Make him captain.

Lacey - 5 - Unlike his defensive partner, hasn’t looked the same player for the past month. Struggled.

Barnett - 3 - Arguably the worst of the lot, yet somehow completed the 90 despite us having two full backs on the bench. Awful set-pieces and distribution throughout, ‘defending’ was even worse. Car crash of a performance.

Enzio - 7 - Somehow conjured a goal out of absolutely nothing, imagine what he could do if he received a pass in-front of him occasionally. Should be given the freedom to express himself, particularly while Roberts is out.

Reeves - 3 - Horrendous. Could go on all day but probably the moment that summed him up was passing backwards to Lacey rather than putting it in the box, when there was 3 seconds left on the clock. Dreadful game on and off the ball. On balance has been a poor signing, think I actually preferred Mitch Rose.

Doyle - 4 - A 39 y/o defensive midfielder who offers next to no protection for the defence and, contrary to the song, always gives the ball away. The midfield duo is clearly the problem but both know they will always get the 90 minutes under this manager so are far too comfortable, and nothing will change. A shame as he could genuinely be a brilliant asset to us but rolling him out for the 90 minutes every single game just because he wants to play benefits absolutely no-one.

Rodrigues - 5 - Won the penalty and at least looks to play forward but the current set-up definitely does not suit an attack-minded player. Stationing him out on the left does him no favours either. No coincidence that our best performance in 2021 came when the centre mids had to be changed, and him and Enzio played either side of one holding man with license to carry the ball forward. Why not try that again?

Knowles - 4.5 - Anonymous, just not a game/system for our attacking players as had nothing to work with.

Wootton - 6 - Feel for him. Effectively has to do it all. Didn’t do a lot wrong but battling with three centre halves on his own all night.

Sam - 5 - Started brightly then spoilt it with a poor penalty. That said it would help if the manager designated a taker, rather than saying whoever’s ‘confident’ can take it. A sign of the lack of leadership on that front....

Ardley - Last night was the tipping point for me. Teams know that if they press us we will fold but after over two years we always look like it’s the first time we’ve come up against it and still can’t handle it. Press Doyle and his midfield partner (now Reeves) into mistakes and we will fold. It was the issue in the playoff final and nearly a year on nothing has been done to address it.

Two managers of part-time teams who can only dream of the resources Ardley has have come to Meadow Lane in successive games and played us off our own pitch. The players are over coached, yet our only goals are coming through individual moments of quality.

The majority of the 11 know they will start and finish every match regardless, and the subs can be easily predicted before the match.

One sub made in what was the worst performance of the season by a mile. Both CMs left on for the 90 yet again. The two full backs playing the full game despite there being better alternatives available to bring on. His stubbornness and ridiculous loyalty to the midfield duo in particular is costing us time and time again. I’m by no means a fan of chopping and changing managers, but Ardley has been given time and unquestionable level of backing, and the team is much worse than it was a year ago.

The table and amount of games left suggests it could be possible to turn it around, but the reality is we’re going backwards so this is only possible if changes are made where they need to be - which history suggests they won’t be. I’d take our chances on someone new as there’s a good enough squad and enough of this season left to salvage it, and we need to get out of this league.

This, great post.

[Biker9999]

The posts on match/player performance focus on either the players themselves or the set up/tactics. What I don't seem to have seen much if any is criticism or comment of Ardley's motivational abilities, surely perhaps the most important aspect of any managers job. Everyone agrees that he is a nice respected person but is that the problem? How many times has he sat in the dressing room after an unacceptable performance given the team an absolute rocket and told one or two players “another performance like that and you are on your bike” and told they were dropped for the next game or two. My guess is virtually never.

On the other hand has he said to players I know x seems to be a permanent fixture in the team but you show me that you can play in a certain way and I will put you in because I need to change tactics and style of play for certain opponents and mean it. Again never happens?

My guess is that poor performances by the newcomers are due in part to the doubts about current tactics and style rubbing off from existing players and confusion over what they are trying to achieve on the pitch. My guess is you have a manager and squad who do not have the right relationship and I would guess do not see eye to eye tactically with a manager not strong enough to impart his own will on the squad.

Finally did anyone else notice in his interview after going in goal Doyle said “ I didn’t even realise we didn’t have a goalkeeper on the bench” That does not sound like an engaged captain on board with the managers tactics and game plan.

I think there is ample evidence the manager has lost the confidence of the players

I think our owners are forgetting, like so many other club owners, that although they “own” the club its long term future is really in the hand of the fans and when things go wrong as they surely have at Notts they need to set their ideals and perhaps misplaced loyalties aside and respond to the real owners of the club.

7th in the National League is not good enough we need a change. New managers are always a risk but if they are honest with themselves it is a move the owners know they need to make.

[SwalePie]

The posts on match/player performance focus on either the players themselves or the set up/tactics. What I don't seem to have seen much if any is criticism or comment of Ardley's motivational abilities, surely perhaps the most important aspect of any managers job. Everyone agrees that he is a nice respected person but is that the problem? How many times has he sat in the dressing room after an unacceptable performance given the team an absolute rocket and told one or two players “another performance like that and you are on your bike” and told they were dropped for the next game or two. My guess is virtually never.

On the other hand has he said to players I know x seems to be a permanent fixture in the team but you show me that you can play in a certain way and I will put you in because I need to change tactics and style of play for certain opponents and mean it. Again never happens?

My guess is that poor performances by the newcomers are due in part to the doubts about current tactics and style rubbing off from existing players and confusion over what they are trying to achieve on the pitch. My guess is you have a manager and squad who do not have the right relationship and I would guess do not see eye to eye tactically with a manager not strong enough to impart his own will on the squad.

Finally did anyone else notice in his interview after going in goal Doyle said “ I didn’t even realise we didn’t have a goalkeeper on the bench” That does not sound like an engaged captain on board with the managers tactics and game plan.

I think there is ample evidence the manager has lost the confidence of the players

I think our owners are forgetting, like so many other club owners, that although they “own” the club its long term future is really in the hand of the fans and when things go wrong as they surely have at Notts they need to set their ideals and perhaps misplaced loyalties aside and respond to the real owners of the club.

7th in the National League is not good enough we need a change. New managers are always a risk but if they are honest with themselves it is a move the owners know they need to make.

Only my opinion but as I've not heard any evidence (or even mention, except on here) that there's a problem between the management and the players at all, I think it's all guesswork. 2+2 = 5, so to speak.

[queenslandpie]

Only my opinion but as I've not heard any evidence (or even mention, except on here) that there's a problem between the management and the players at all, I think it's all guesswork. 2+2 = 5, so to speak.

The problem with management and players is there isn't a lot of management of the players in terms of geeing them up so it appears and he's pretty much said that. I think at this level that's really important and I have said so for a long time. League 2 players going up against bob the postman from Eastleigh. League 2 man thinks its easy. Bob the post man wants to kick his ass. League 2 man isn't geed up. Bob the post man is. Go figure. Well that and the bad formation and tactics anyway.

[Stan Marshall]

The problem with management and players is there isn't a lot of management of the players in terms of geeing them up so it appears and he's pretty much said that. I think at this level that's really important and I have said so for a long time. League 2 players going up against bob the postman from Eastleigh. League 2 man thinks its easy. Bob the post man wants to kick his ass. League 2 man isn't geed up. Bob the post man is. Go figure. Well that and the bad formation and tactics anyway.

I agree. It’s crucial that the players are as committed as the opposition. They’ve got to match them for effort and only then can you make your superiority tell.

[ncfcog]

Just checked the xG data for the Halifax game. Remove the *penalty* (which has a value of 0.76) and Notts' expected goals was very low again at just 0.54. Halifax's was three times that amount.

Also, after Enzio's goal we were in a position to go on and win the game but we didn't have another attempt on the Halifax goal, mind you they only had two more attempts including the winner which annoyingly had a rating of just 0.03 so you would expect someone to score from that situation just 3 out of 100 times.

*Regarding xG and penalties. They have a xG rating of 0.76 but are not included in match data because it is impossible to determine if there was a scoring opportunity. Take the one against Halifax, there was no attempt at goal and more likely that Ruben would have run it behind for a goal kick but got lucky with a soft decision. However penalty xG data is used when calculating expected points.