Match Thread vs. Alfreton Town 12.07.22 [PSF]

[Chicken Balti Pie]

Blimey the bloke is condemned after 2 friendlies? Give him time to settle in before we make judgement.

I'm not condemning him, but he was playing a side that are to the same standard he was playing last year and did not stand out. I felt that a player just out of the youth team playing in a position that he's not used to played the role better. Signing players from a lower league is always a risk, as it stands, I think Nemane will be first choice anyway I'm the right with how we've been playing. I also think Bajrami will be playing as defensive midfielder as well

[SwalePie]

[BanjoPie]

Wonder why Vincent was wearing RR’s shirt!

[matt_magpie]

You can’t judge a player after 2 games in pre season, Rubens start to his league career was nothing too impressive and now we see him as a player that could easily play L1. Baldwin looks a great bit of business and if LW plays a 3 which I think he will it gives us option of playing Bajrami DCM if required which really ticks the box of a physical player in there. Really impressed by Nemane, he came initially with quite a bit of hype and good reports from Torquay fans and hasn’t lived up to it yet. If no one does leave now, big IF then LW definetly has a lot of options, I think at the moment we are stronger than last season but only time will tell.

[nottscol]

Loved the quaint way the game ended without floodlights. It reminded me of when I was a kid and we'd go to the local rec for a kick around and stay there till it got dark!

[Magpies1959]

nottscol, lol yes it's a good job Sam had his fluorescent kit on.

[crazyfists]

Roberts has looked great in pre season. On form he's still our best game changer around the opposition area.

[ncfcog]

Roberts has looked great in pre season. On form he's still our best game changer around the opposition area.

Great to see him back on it. Still think losing him early on in the Grimsby play-off game had a big impact on how that turned out. While he was on they were nowhere near us. Hopefully he sees next season out with us injury free and helps fires us to promotion.

[BadPie]

I haven’t seen anyone getting carried away with wins over Basford, Leicester u23s (with the odd first teamer) and Alfreton. They have been games that have served a purpose in getting minutes in to the legs and players used to playing with each other.
We have some tougher games that will test the defensive shape of the side coming up as well as the clinical side of our attacking play.
Talk of shape and how the team is looking is a mute point as I don’t think LW knows his strongest 11, and if we were guessing at it, I’m sure there would be many permutations.
All in all, the friendlies are going to plan in terms of fitness and not picking up injuries IMO. Touch wood that continues.

To be fair, there were more than the "odd first teamer" - Not going overboard, but that was a more impressive showing than we should have expected..

[jackal2]

Baldwin looks a great bit of business and if LW plays a 3 which I think he will it gives us option of playing Bajrami DCM if required which really ticks the box of a physical player in there.

I still strongly believe we need to sign another dominant DCM to have enough depth in that position, but you make a fair point that Bajrami could provide cover for that role, given that we already have options at centre-half.