⚽Match Thread vs. AFC Wimbledon 09.03.24 [EFL L2]

[matt_magpie]

I really feel for Maynard, I thought we were decent enough today. It’s up to players to sort themselves on set plays, was Rawlinson just unlucky? The second ones more unforgivable.
I would have taken Chicksen off earlier, as they were just sat back in a back 5 for most of the game.
I did take the positive that 2 of our younger players (Robertson and Macari) were very good.

[Glad2BeAPie]

That was another wasted afternoon. 1 shot ( a weak one) on target! No urgency or attempts to try a shot from outside the box. Usual failures in defending crosses and almost walking football. JJ seems to have stopped attacking the defence and wtf was Chicksen doing on the pitch?

SM cannot get a tune out of these players, he has to go. He cannot be head coach next season.

He'll be for the full season, get used to it

[The_Don_ORiordan]

It actually reminds me of the Russell shade time. We played nice football, had decent quality in the midfield and forward line, but just kept conceding silly goals and you didn’t know when the next points would come from.

We were just too soft, that team was relegated bottom of the heap.

Nice guy, nice football, but far too early to manage us.

[Davy500]

It actually reminds me of the Russell shade time. We played nice football, had decent quality in the midfield and forward line, but just kept conceding silly goals and you didn’t know when the next points would come from.

We were just too soft, that team was relegated bottom of the heap.

Nice guy, nice football, but far too early to manage us.

Feel abit for SM - came at a difficult time. He was always going to struggle to fill the shoes of the popular and successful LW - and to do so he would have to have hit the ground running and be very good - especially after the good start had artificially upgraded many supporters views that we were promotion contenders. SM also came when form was dropping and the suspect defense was getting worse . Even so most people myself included think LW would have done much better than SM so far

Notts are a team with ambition that expect to be pushing for promotion from L2 , whether the team are capable or not - and with a manager like SM with limited experience, and the circumstances mentioned above , it was always going to be a struggle for him

It was a strange appointment with SM,s only experience keeping a small team in the bottom half or midway in the NL, which appears right now to be the wrong one

For me i doubt SM can turn this around,he doesnt have the experience or natural talent - we will probably drop lower this season, and escape relegation because of our good start. Next season the best we can hope for with SM is mid table most likely lower . I hope i am wrong - but there is nothing to suggest otherwise right now

But hey perhaps that what the brothers want - solidifying low to mid table- solidfying over several seasons- eventually pushing more to the play offs and automatic ??

[SinceSept1959]

A decent start from Notts but didn't create a goalscoring opportunity.
I predicted a 0-1 defeat at HT
Confidence ebbs away and the same frailties leave us vulnerable to defensive errors and no points on the board.
The three stand out players again were Robbo, Macari and JOB.
Plenty of crosses into Macca but isolated, no height and he's trying to feed off scraps !
Two set pieces conceded and I agree Rawlinson was unlucky .
Why do fans have scapegoats ? Chicksen did ok returning from injury.
Sorry , but Maynard and Co are not up to the task. Players continually changing position have been less effective especially Jones & Crowley and chances for Macca are at a premium.

Substitutions made too late and basically like for like changes.
It was obvious Macca needed a partner in the box and Jatta was unused ??
0-1 down at 80 minutes and we have subs "warming up " for 6 minutes and concede again after 86 minutes.
Tactics and man - management deficiencies seem apparent !

The fact that Jatta didn't get on the pitch raises questions about him and/or Maynard.
Which or both are not ready for the task ?
A good manager would have put an arm round Jatta after about 70 minuted and said go on , enjoy yourself and win me the game ?

[Chicken Balti Pie]

Feel abit for SM - came at a difficult time. He was always going to struggle to fill the shoes of the popular and successful LW - and to do so he would have to have hit the ground running and be very good - especially after the good start had artificially upgraded many supporters views that we were promotion contenders. SM also came when form was dropping and the suspect defense was getting worse . Even so most people myself included think LW would have done much better than SM so far

Notts are a team with ambition that expect to be pushing for promotion from L2 , whether the team are capable or not - and with a manager like SM with limited experience, and the circumstances mentioned above , it was always going to be a struggle for him

It was a strange appointment with SM,s only experience keeping a small team in the bottom half or midway in the NL, which appears right now to be the wrong one

For me i doubt SM can turn this around,he doesnt have the experience or natural talent - we will probably drop lower this season, and escape relegation because of our good start. Next season the best we can hope for with SM is mid table most likely lower . I hope i am wrong - but there is nothing to suggest otherwise right now

But hey perhaps that what the brothers want - solidifying low to mid table- solidfying over several seasons- eventually pushing more to the play offs and automatic ??

Well when LW left, the board said the aim was to push for automatic so something has gone incredibly wrong. My hope is that they see next years season ticket sales are going to be nowhere near what they was this season and head that off by upping the budget and getting in very good signings early doors. They will also need to ship a fair few out so that will also cost a bunch because giving people 2 year contracts was a really good idea... The move for SM will have cost a fair whack more than the initial compensation we paid wealdstone for his "services"

[Davy500]

Well when LW left, the board said the aim was to push for automatic so something has gone incredibly wrong. My hope is that they see next years season ticket sales are going to be nowhere near what they was this season and head that off by upping the budget and getting in very good signings early doors. They will also need to ship a fair few out so that will also cost a bunch because giving people 2 year contracts was a really good idea... The move for SM will have cost a fair whack more than the initial compensation we paid wealdstone for his "services"

I forgot about the compensation we paid to Wealdstone - makes it even worse - if we were paying we surely want somebody with EFL experience ?? surely there was better head coaches on the open market . It did not come out of the blue LW leaving - the Bro,s had some time to think of a decent replacement.

[Elite_Pie]

That game had 0-0 written all over it, neither side did anything worth winning it. Wimbledon created very little, but that's where the problem lies. Teams only have to be strong defensively (and Wimbledon were) to beat us. If you keep us out, it's guaranteed we will gift you a goal or two. I thought the effort was there today, but there is no longer any belief. Worrying times.

[Davy500]

Also as others have mentioned i dont think we can under estimate the loss of Jason Turner

[Davy500]

I forgot about the compensation we paid to Wealdstone - makes it even worse - if we were paying we surely want somebody with EFL experience ?? surely there was better head coaches on the open market . It did not come out of the blue LW leaving - the Bro,s had some time to think of a decent replacement.

It reminds me of what Hardy did paying compensation for Harry Kewell, even tho Hardy did it himself by sacking Nolan, where LW left and it was forced on the brothers to make a replacement