❔Score, scorers and attendance predictions v Walsall [H] 09.12.2023 [EFL L2]

It was a terrible performance yesterday, to a man we were too slow most times, too fast others ,zipping passes that couldnt be controlled, 2nd to most wayward balls,there was a lot of them.
Seems that we have landed at our level after a great purple patch start. Im not so sure that any additions in the January will ignite us again it seems like there is something underlying that has kicked the stuffing out of the team. If these performances continue we will be in the mire, but lets just hope that whatever has bought this on goes as quick as it came.

Didn't see the game yesterday as away but after reading this thread, it's worrying. I agree with Davy in that going up is way too soon, all this talk of we could have gone second doesn't matter. If we go up we'd need to get what, 7/8 new good players (first and squad) which we won't spend the amount of money needed on (which is fine, I don't have a problem with the bros ethos) We'd get absolutely dicked in league one which could set the club back in terms of personnel and confidence.

Crowley, unsurprisingly, hasn't been as good since people got on at him about thanking jesus in his interview so well done Notts fans who did that. Bostock doesn't look like he's concentrating but he's still the most reliable centre mid we've got without Palmer. Jones is always going to a threat as he's a good player at this level. There's no service to Macca at the moment, why not play him into one of these forward runs now and again, he made his living on that at Gateshead.

As for the defence all I'll say is we might as well play Macari, Tipton and Chicksen next week and see what happens.

All this talk of promotion is way too premature. We need to get the team right in this division first.

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Originally Posted by irishpete

That was dire. Conditions should have played into our hands playing the ball on the ground, but we played like 11 strangers. What has happened to the Crowley/ Nemane partnership. Caused a lot of threat down that right side. Is LW playing tinkerman with the side?

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Originally Posted by irishpete

That was dire. Conditions should have played into our hands playing the ball on the ground, but we played like 11 strangers. What has happened to the Crowley/ Nemane partnership. Caused a lot of threat down that right side. Is LW playing tinkerman with the side?

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It looked to me that Crowley was playing a more central role yesterday which meant that he wasn’t as close to Nemane as he would normally be. This maybe to compensate for the loss of Matty Palmer and to assist Austin in midfield and force Walsall out wide.

I’ve seen some criticism of Nemane in this thread but to be fair there were times when he had two or three Walsall players around him and he didn’t have the support options he normally gets from Crowley with those one twos and balls Crowley puts behind for Nemane to run onto. Likewise Matty Palmer would also be there buzzing around meaning that Crowley would have more time and space.

It was Crowleys most quietest game in a Notts shirt but I don’t put that down to him. He is a great player and has been one of our most successful signings of the summer. It’s the the loss of Palmer affect for me.

Someone mentioned Gosling is like Arter on the thread and I fear the same and thought the same after yesterday. I’ve seen nothing as yet to convince me he’s the answer and I hope there is time and that sharpness and fitness comes. Players that may have played in the top two tiers all their careers may get a shock when they drop to L1 or L2 because the fitness and quality is a lot better than years gone by. It’s not going to be easy when you’ve not played competitively for a year.

For Notts, LW the recruitment team and our owners when we don’t win it will be a case of we learn. As Jackal said it’s evolution rather than revolution at Notts. LW alluded to it in the post match interview that we have nearly played everyone so after Harrogate and Stockport the club will know exactly what this league is about.

As I said before if we can follow Stockport and be like they were last season in their first season back and then strengthen accordingly over the next two transfer windows then go again, and again like we did in the National League until we have a side that could hold their own in league one.

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Originally Posted by crazyfists

Didn't see the game yesterday as away but after reading this thread, it's worrying. I agree with Davy in that going up is way too soon, all this talk of we could have gone second doesn't matter. If we go up we'd need to get what, 7/8 new good players (first and squad) which we won't spend the amount of money needed on (which is fine, I don't have a problem with the bros ethos) We'd get absolutely dicked in league one which could set the club back in terms of personnel and confidence.

Crowley, unsurprisingly, hasn't been as good since people got on at him about thanking jesus in his interview so well done Notts fans who did that. Bostock doesn't look like he's concentrating but he's still the most reliable centre mid we've got without Palmer. Jones is always going to a threat as he's a good player at this level. There's no service to Macca at the moment, why not play him into one of these forward runs now and again, he made his living on that at Gateshead.

As for the defence all I'll say is we might as well play Macari, Tipton and Chicksen next week and see what happens.

All this talk of promotion is way too premature. We need to get the team right in this division first.

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Rubbish, who's to say the bros won't spend the money required if we go up, you got a personal hot line to them🤔
Strike while the irons hot 🔥

Other people have mentioned it but Palmer took a lot of work away from JB and the whole middle has suffered because of that. JB hasn't got the legs and is too one-footed to carry the middle on his own (or as good as).

I wonder if Didzy, when he was scoring 25 for Derby in L1 last season, ever thought...

''what I need to be doing is getting under long punts from Port Vale's keeper with big L2 defenders up my *** and see if the ball deflects off a corner of my head''

he wasn't good yesterday, but how we use him has become laughable and it's stopping us solving the problem of how we can still play our football when teams press and mark up.

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Originally Posted by SmiffyPie

Other people have mentioned it but Palmer took a lot of work away from JB and the whole middle has suffered because of that. JB hasn't got the legs and is too one-footed to carry the middle on his own (or as good as).

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This is exactly the problem we have and Austin isn't the player to drop into Palmers roll. Austin is a good player in the right position but he's playing out of position. As for Gosling he couldn't give a stuff, he's here purely to get fitter and to prove to himself he's fit enough to play higher and will be gone in January.

If we can hang on to a play off spot up until January and that's a big IF maybe the Radar will bring in someone that can fill the roll. If we're not then no panic buys please.

Midfield is bigger problem then defence, at least we have defence since bostock injury we went from top of league to relegation form and now look really poor, we haven’t had him or palmer on the pitch at the same time and it has cost us, whoever decided not to bring in midfield cover needs sacking and we will continue to be poor until bostock has a capable partner who is fit enough to play, any chance of title was gone just from the period bostock was injured but now we’ve been in this form for ages we are in the danger zone of falling too far behind top 3 to recover after January and the squad would have been more then good enough to get automatics if we just signed a midfielder need 2 in January can’t have JOB as only cover and gosling will leave before he’s fit enough to play

While Palmer’s loss was always going to be difficult, it really shouldn’t have the effect of blowing up our season and cause performances like yesterday’s.

In the age of the transfer window we have to have a playing style that can withstand the loss of important players and also have alternatives when plan a isn’t working.

Days like yesterday happen, the big worry for me was those strange substitutions and the complete absence of anyone on the bench who could change things up. It's almost as if Williams was trying to send a message about the lack of options he currently has, because I’m struggling with why Brindley, JOB and Gosling were brought on, or what they were expected to achieve.

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Originally Posted by Elite_Pie

I'm struggling to explain why we were so bad today, but I wouldn't really blame Luke Williams. His subs didn't work, we didn't seem to have a plan B, but the real problem was that the players didn't come close to executing plan A. Our style is that we play it around at the back, then a few quick passes beat the press and we create a chance. We played very few quick passes, it was all very laboured and half-hearted. A lot of simple passes were too short, too long, or straight out of play. More worrying than that was the lack of passion and desire, it's unusual for us to be outfought.

A big improvement is needed at Harrogate, because we seem to be at a bit of a crossroads. We need to get to the January transfer window still in touch, and trust the radar to fill the gaps. If we don't, at least we've started well in our relegation battle!

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I think yesterday was a collective brain fart by the players and manager, and perhaps the crowd too, picking up on TSANHO's point about the atmosphere sounding a bit like the 'toxic' Meadow Lane of years gone by. Nobody emerged with any real credit, and it's clear we're going through the first definably 'tough' spell since Williams became Head Coach, but there's absolutely no reason to panic. We've got plenty of points in the bank, in fact we're still very much in a promotion race none of us had a right to "expect", so it's a case of clearing our heads, re-setting for the Harrogate game and just working through the current difficulties. Unlike the situation 10 or 15 years ago, we know we've got plenty of very talented players in our squad, so it's a case now of gradually addressing the weak areas. Injuries are definitely playing a part too, with good players like Palmer, Scott and Bajrami all unavailable.