Eli Sam gone!

[the_anticlough]

Home was great until the requirement for mental strength kicked in.

I remember ringing the alarm bell on here about us not being clutch...bringing up the late exits in the cup comps, I was at both games when we conceded very late deciding goals in FA Cup (Rochdale) and Trophy (Wrexham)...

The league home defeat by Grimsby was another warning, as was not being able to beat 10-men Halifax and Torquay. My guess is that IB focussed on technical aspects on how to play against 10, rather than the mental shift to be sharks smelling blood in the water.

The writing was on the wall for us to allow Grimsby to win in the clutch both at the end of FT and ET, with most of the evidence you need being from home games this season.

Playing style's a red herring, we're just not good enough at it and had some real structural weaknesses in the team (wide players, midfielder short) as well as the mental fragility when it mattered the most.

[laddo]

Agree with all of that. The away form was the issue clearly, so trying to find fault and moan about Meadow Lane perfomances and results is misplaced even if it's seen by the vast majority.

Not sure what our average away following was compared to at home support but I'd guess less than a 10th.

I certainly wish I'd seen more home games than away games last season lol.

[MAD_MAGPIE]

Agree with all of that. The away form was the issue clearly, so trying to find fault and moan about Meadow Lane perfomances and results is misplaced even if it's seen by the vast majority.

Not sure what our average away following was compared to at home support but I'd guess less than a 10th.

I certainly wish I'd seen more home games than away games last season lol.

I’m probably going to start sounding like a broken record but 15 wins and 2 defeats at home all season with 50 points is title winning form. It’s 2.27 ppg. In a results based industry it’s hard to be critical of those facts.

Obviously this does not tell us about how we played or the style or that the two defeats were to Woking and Grimsby, both games which were winnable. Notts in the national league are expected to win every game hence why there has been so much analysis and scrutiny on here.

We can only hope to emulate our home form next season and not have a situation where away from improves but home form dips. Otherwise there will be no difference apart from more scrutiny by more people who see home games.

I would have liked to have seen more away games so I could understand and see more where we were falling short away from home. Were we playing the same as at home, or did the opposition set up differently to what they would at Meadow Lane and we couldn’t counter act that? Or as it seems was it a physical and mental strength shortfall? If the club knows the answer to those questions and can recruit accordingly then we put ourselves in a good position to be right up there next season.

[kill_the_drum]

Ive seen every goal this season, and there were some very good worked ones. I've also seen us continually play it around the back because there as been no one from midfield making space to receive the ball...
I dont want to see us hoof the ball forward, just move it much quicker, instead of the laborious me to you stuff. .But most people have different views on how the see games , which you have to respect instead of slagging people off..

I do respect opposing opinions, particularly a fellow fan that attends the vast majority of games.
It’s your exaggeration to make a point that I respond to and also just making stuff up, like IB being angry when we scored from a long ball and him brainwashing Arter into a bad player.
I agree that certain games we didn’t move the ball quick enough and other games we struggled when pressed. But the fact that we were one of the top scorers in the league and the majority of teams finished below us, doesn’t suggest that 50 passes around defence and players not moving forward was the norm.

[laddo]

I’m probably going to start sounding like a broken record but 15 wins and 2 defeats at home all season with 50 points is title winning form. It’s 2.27 ppg. In a results based industry it’s hard to be critical of those facts.

It really shouldn't be a broken record M_M but it's obviously it's needed on here as it's continually ignored. You are quite correct it doesn't accurately tell you the level of performance or style adopted but it does tell you the level of success that was achieved at Meadow Lane under IBs approach. You can't get away from the fact the style worked, the record at home was very impressive. It's simply ignored by those who don't like the style of play, slow, possession based , passing football on the deck, regardless of the obvious success. Like I've said before you don't have to like the style, not everyone will like any one style but don't pretend Plan A didn't work at Meadow Lane , you just look foolish at best or clueless at worst if you do.

The home record clearly wasn't an issue last season, scoring goals clearly wasn't an issue all season. The issues were the number of goals conceded, and the very average away form. At headline level it really is that simple.

Can we emulate that home record next season? Probably not it's certainly going to be tough to. Can we improve on our bang average away record , we better or we ain't getting promoted that's for certain.

[durhampie]

I do respect opposing opinions, particularly a fellow fan that attends the vast majority of games.
It’s your exaggeration to make a point that I respond to and also just making stuff up, like IB being angry when we scored from a long ball and him brainwashing Arter into a bad player.
I agree that certain games we didn’t move the ball quick enough and other games we struggled when pressed. But the fact that we were one of the top scorers in the league and the majority of teams finished below us, doesn’t suggest that 50 passes around defence and players not moving forward was the norm.

Why did you bring the Burchnall thing up again ? that had nothing to do with what i have just posted, . I was on about the lack of movement and the playing around the back and not getting the forward quick enough.. As regards Burchnall not being very happy at the way we scored a goal, then why dont you ask him....I'm sure he will oblige..

[queenslandpie]

Why did you bring the Burchnall thing up again ? that had nothing to do with what i have just posted, . I was on about the lack of movement and the playing around the back and not getting the forward quick enough.. As regards Burchnall not being very happy at the way we scored a goal, then why dont you ask him....I'm sure he will oblige..

Is our "Danish friend" still joining us Durham?

[durhampie]

I suppose you didn't believe the rumours and the fact that he was odds on favourites.
But perhaps the person that was earmarked was the Derry manager 🤔

[laddo]

I suppose you didn't believe the rumours and the fact that he was odds on favourites.
But perhaps the person that was earmarked was the Derry manager 🤔

I didn't. I was and still am awaiting an announcement rather than taking a guess based on the bookmakers.

As said before fair play it was a good hoax and caught out plenty who seemed convinced.