Ratings @ Wealdstone

[the_anticlough]

Slocombe 7 - Very solid, a good all round game including a few good saves
Richardson 5 - Off it tonight, ineffective and error prone
Brindley 7 - Did his usual thing. Very good distribution, one or two errors with tackles and positioning though.
Lacey 6 - We need more from him, can he drive us from the back in games like this? Little sign of it. We got crappy long balls instead
Cameron 7 - Tried to drive us on. Good game. Did the most to contain their physical forwards
Chicksen 6 - Did OK. But you won't win promotion trusting your attack down one flank to a limited full-back.
Palmer 8 - Felt sorry for him. Does his job so well, why can't others do theirs?
Vincent 5 - In that midfield role, we need the ball to stick when it's played to him. It didn't
Roberts 6 - He could've been subbed at HT just as easily as Vincent, but did a lot better in the 2nd half
Rodrigues 5 - Off night for sure, I still wouldn't have taken him off though, when you need a bit of magic to win the game.
Wootton 5 - Very poor, didn't pose their defenders any problems at all

Subs
Brunt 5 - Ouch, doesn't look like he cares yet. just stands around mainly
Parsons 5 - Tried hard, but it's awful to see a player with almost no left foot at LWB
Sam 6 - Not on for too long, was in a great position but Woots didn't play him in for the winner.

Overall, a poor and frustrating performance. We don't have the personality, assertiveness and consistency to impose ourselves on inferior opposition like Wealdstone. I fear it's already cost us a shot at 1st place

[laddo]

I'd agree overall with those ratings. Bar 3 or 4 players the rest of the starting XI were below or well below par.

I'd push Slocombe up to 7.5 didn't have a huge amount to do but the much maligned shot stopper did everything right and made a couple of good saves.

Palmer was our best player composed and unlike the majority of the side not wasteful in possession.

[maddogslater]

That's very disappointing, but we've heard it so many times before

[BanjoPie]

Sometimes you have have too many good players and when they are not always in the starting 11 they can become disillusioned - hope IB hasn’t gone too far with bringing in even more players!

[laddo]

Where do you get that impression from? How big is our squad compared to others?

[Notts78]

We don’t have a big squad. What we have is a largely young squad, which has pros and cons. Oh for a JoB type last night.
The game had a feeling of first game of the season where the teams cohesion wasn’t where it needed to be. Players weren’t as good as they have been. When you are a passing team things can go wrong so easily against the ‘low block’. It’s the last point we have struggled with most. We need a genuine target man - which IMO Wootton is not. Someone we can throw own when plan A isn’t working. No, not Denton, but of the ilk.

[ThaiPie]

We don’t have a big squad. What we have is a largely young squad, which has pros and cons. Oh for a JoB type last night.
The game had a feeling of first game of the season where the teams cohesion wasn’t where it needed to be. Players weren’t as good as they have been. When you are a passing team things can go wrong so easily against the ‘low block’. It’s the last point we have struggled with most. We need a genuine target man - which IMO Wootton is not. Someone we can throw own when plan A isn’t working. No, not Denton, but of the ilk.


Wouldn't a genuine target man require a complete redesign of the style of play?

[macstop]

Goalkeeper was man of the match for me.

[BigFatPie]

Can anyone suggest why Kyle Wootton seems to be so ineffective in away games?

[Notts78]

Wouldn't a genuine target man require a complete redesign of the style of play?

It’s called plan B. If we can’t pass through or around them, then bombard them.
We can be very predictable and rely on moments of magic.

[laddo]

A Plan B option sounds great. If we can get in a player who has the desired bulk and quality for a far more direct approach and who's happy to basically only play for 20-30 mins max and only when Plan A isn't working then I'm all for it.

Last night a big target man may have worked a charm for those last 20 mins.

[the_anticlough]

We've had a Plan B that has worked very well this season - go to back 4, still get the full-backs forward but have an extra creator/attacker on. We've grabbed a lot of extra points by doing this.

IB seemed to forget this last night, was he nervous about the sucker punch? I hope not 'cos fortune will favour the brave when it comes to winning promotion.

[drillerpie]

Said it before and I'll say it again - nothing wrong with sticking a centre half up front for the last 10 mins.

[kill_the_drum]

Said it before and I'll say it again - nothing wrong with sticking a centre half up front for the last 10 mins.

Nothing much right with it either.

[drillerpie]

Nothing much right with it either.

Apart from when it works!

[upthemaggies]

Apart from when it works!

The last 45 minutes Craig Short ever played for us was up front, and he scored too.

[laddo]

Very occasionally I've seen it work at Notts but the vast majority of the time it has about the same success rate as putting a keeper up for a corner at the death.

As long as IB doesn't take a leaf out of Stuart Pearce's book when he brought Nicky Weaver on so David James could play up top for Man City. The results are comical but entertaining.

[Elite_Pie]

Nothing much right with it either.

If the scores are level, it's a gamble worth taking. If it works half the time and backfires half the time, you're in profit.

No sense in 'respecting the point' if you're disrespecting a possible two!

[drillerpie]

The last 45 minutes Craig Short ever played for us was up front, and he scored too.

I didn't know that, but yeah it often works, despite being quite unfashionable.

[drillerpie]

If the scores are level, it's a gamble worth taking. If it works half the time and backfires half the time, you're in profit.

No sense in 'respecting the point' if you're disrespecting a possible two!

As we know IB is not really a respect the point kind of guy, and does genuinely try to score goals and win games.

However, if like last night we're not playing well, nothing is really coming off for us and after 80 mins we have barely worked the keeper, then I don't think it's a bad idea. It just takes the defence out of their comfort zone - they have probably figured out who is marking who and who is picking up which runs, an extra body in there just makes makes it less predictable, not to mention increasing your chances of winning first contact on crosses.

[jacobncfc]

Can anyone suggest why Kyle Wootton seems to be so ineffective in away games?

Pretty much following the pattern of the team, this season anyway. The opening day mauling of Barnet aside (and Roberts going beserk in the second half at Lynn), we’ve not played great away from home all season. Even our best result, the win at Grimsby, was really something of a burglary.

I don’t know why it’s the case, but we seem able to do things at home that you would actually expect to happen more away? Like you would naturally think teams sit deeper at ML and for us to have more possession but struggle to get in behind. What actually seems to be happening is we have even more possession away but struggle to have any threat on the break, while at home we are a constant menace on the counter and get in behind teams all the time. Just because our pitch is that much bigger? It’s weird.

[laddo]

As we know IB is not really a respect the point kind of guy, and does genuinely try to score goals and win games.

However, if like last night we're not playing well, nothing is really coming off for us and after 80 mins we have barely worked the keeper, then I don't think it's a bad idea. It just takes the defence out of their comfort zone - they have probably figured out who is marking who and who is picking up which runs, an extra body in there just makes makes it less predictable, not to mention increasing your chances of winning first contact on crosses.

For me it's a minor point. Some managers try it others don't believe in it, similar to the question of how many you leave you when defending corners.

Last night if our delivery from out wide and/or from set pieces had even been average we win the game. We continued to get into great crossing positions throughout the second half including the final 10 mins. That part of the plan/approach was working but the crossing and cutbacks etc were poor even when at the byline or unchallenged.

[PedroTheFisherman66]

Omg..laddo you went,good in depth analysis thanks...

[laddo]

Sure did helps when it's not a 6 hour round trip to see my beloved Notts. From what I've read everyone has pretty much been in agreement including our always honest head coach.

You can put your hat back on now :) Superb numbers supporting the Pies in far more than I thought would travel.

[ALPIECINO]

Every cloud has a silver lining..As IB said in his post match interview, " There have been no more enquiries regarding transfers " so keep performing like they did last night and at least we'll hang on to all our better players.

[laddo]

Every cloud has a silver lining..As IB said in his post match interview, " There have been no more enquiries regarding transfers " so keep performing like they did last night and at least we'll hang on to all our better players.

XD

[BanjoPie]

Where do you get that impression from? How big is our squad compared to others?

Not saying we have a large squad only that many of them are very good players for this league and probably think they should be starting every game. Probably wrong, just crossed my mind as to why some of the players don’t seem as motivated as they should be when they come on as a sub.

[nw6pie]

Pretty much following the pattern of the team, this season anyway. The opening day mauling of Barnet aside (and Roberts going beserk in the second half at Lynn), we’ve not played great away from home all season. Even our best result, the win at Grimsby, was really something of a burglary.

I don’t know why it’s the case, but we seem able to do things at home that you would actually expect to happen more away? Like you would naturally think teams sit deeper at ML and for us to have more possession but struggle to get in behind. What actually seems to be happening is we have even more possession away but struggle to have any threat on the break, while at home we are a constant menace on the counter and get in behind teams all the time. Just because our pitch is that much bigger? It’s weird.

The fact we’ve only played two away games in two months has helped gloss over the fact that our away results and performances this season haven’t been good enough or that convincing (based on commentaries and comments). We ground out results at Wrexham, Boreham Wood and Grimsby, had a great 45 minutes at Barnet and King’s Lynn - but otherwise last night sounds pretty typical fare: not creating many clear-cut chances and not being positive enough.

It doesn’t sound like Ruben is any more effective in the away games than Wootton, and we’re struggling to impose ourselves on the opposition in the middle of the park without a physical presence. Again, though, why this should be a problem away but not at home is an odd one. May be time for IB to recognise that there’s a problem there and rethink, before Stockport disappear into the distance.

[the_anticlough]

We tend to overlook something very basic...IB, like so many others, picks a formation without having the players for it.

There should be more talk on here and in the media about why Joel Taylor is missing. Taylor can play wing-back, Chicksen can't. We went into yesterday's game toothless down one whole side of the pitch. This throws out our entire balance. We actually did better with Roberts filling in there (although in no way am I calling for that :) )

The first third of the season we suffered with DKE at RWB until Richardson showed us what the position is all about. Now we have Chicksen. Managers say they're playing wing-backs then pick full-backs to play there. Extra defenders are good for draws and fighting relegation, not so good when you're playing for promotion and have to attack games.

[BigFatPie]

The fact we’ve only played two away games in two months has helped gloss over the fact that our away results and performances this season haven’t been good enough or that convincing (based on commentaries and comments). We ground out results at Wrexham, Boreham Wood and Grimsby, had a great 45 minutes at Barnet and King’s Lynn - but otherwise last night sounds pretty typical fare: not creating many clear-cut chances and not being positive enough.

It doesn’t sound like Ruben is any more effective in the away games than Wootton, and we’re struggling to impose ourselves on the opposition in the middle of the park without a physical presence. Again, though, why this should be a problem away but not at home is an odd one. May be time for IB to recognise that there’s a problem there and rethink, before Stockport disappear into the distance.

I dunno, Ruben was our main man away from home earlier in the season, and he has a history of doing his best work away, but I think it’s fair to say he’s been out of form home and away for a while now, and he hasn’t scored since Borehamwood at the end of November. No idea whether he’s been unsettled by bigger clubs sniffing around.

Wootton of course is the complete opposite, he hasn’t scored away since I think Wrexham in August! It was a similar story last season. I thought IBs interview was a bit of a worry last night. He didn’t seem to know why we start games so slowly, and it appears he’s equally struggling with why we’re so average playing away. As I said in the match thread, we could have probably done with the kick up the arse of them scoring.

[durhampie]

I dunno, Ruben was our main man away from home earlier in the season, and he has a history of doing his best work away, but I think it’s fair to say he’s been out of form home and away for a while now, and he hasn’t scored since Borehamwood at the end of November. No idea whether he’s been unsettled by bigger clubs sniffing around.

Wootton of course is the complete opposite, he hasn’t scored away since I think Wrexham in August! It was a similar story last season. I thought IBs interview was a bit of a worry last night. He didn’t seem to know why we start games so slowly, and it appears he’s equally struggling with why we’re so average playing away. As I said in the match thread, we could have probably done with the kick up the arse of them scoring.

Both Wootton and Rodrigues were very poor and offered absolutely nothing. in fact they may as well not have been on the pitch. It wasn't until Sam came on that we started to show a bit of intensity..

[jacobncfc]

We tend to overlook something very basic...IB, like so many others, picks a formation without having the players for it.

There should be more talk on here and in the media about why Joel Taylor is missing. Taylor can play wing-back, Chicksen can't. We went into yesterday's game toothless down one whole side of the pitch. This throws out our entire balance. We actually did better with Roberts filling in there (although in no way am I calling for that :) )

The first third of the season we suffered with DKE at RWB until Richardson showed us what the position is all about. Now we have Chicksen. Managers say they're playing wing-backs then pick full-backs to play there. Extra defenders are good for draws and fighting relegation, not so good when you're playing for promotion and have to attack games.

To be fair to Chicksen and IB, his last appearance as left wing-back was Wrexham, when he was probably our best attacking outlet, got himself two assists and was generally excellent. Richardson has been really good and clearly improves us, but I'd say his Notts career so far basically mirrors the team - he's been superb in every home game he's played, but basically anonymous at both Wealdstone and King's Lynn.

I don't claim to be clever enough to have the answers, but I would say we have two big problems that are keeping us (just) as a play-off team rather than title winning one, and they are:

1) We start games far too slowly. Having scored fewer goals than Dover in the opening half an hour of games is ridiculous.

2) We're neither getting the results or the performances away from home. I think we're defensively okay, we don't generally concede lots on the road, but for some reason a team with Wootton, Roberts, Rodrigues, Vincent etc. that scores goals for fun at Meadow Lane doesn't actually create much away.

I don't think it's personnel, both of these themes have been pretty consistent across all formations and line-ups this season.

[laddo]

I do like myself a good Jacob summary. Nothing earth shatteringly revealing in there but both points valid and correct IMO.

Can IB find the answers.

[Warnocks Legends]

Both Wootton and Rodrigues were very poor and offered absolutely nothing. in fact they may as well not have been on the pitch. It wasn't until Sam came on that we started to show a bit of intensity..

Absolutely agree Durham, yet the minute I suggested Sam should of started ahead of Rodriguez who is way off form I got shot down. Sam has been the best striker recently and should be in on merit but I'm a little worried that burchnall is getting too rigid with his team to selection , to fit into his way of playing rather than combatting the opposition in front of us.