Match Ratings vs Swindon

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Originally Posted by kill_the_drum

I think we?ve got 5-6 excellent players, when all are fit a very good starting 11 and a decent squad.
I think the quality of football we are playing is excellent and had it not been for an horrendous run of injuries to key players, it would be a two horse race between us and Walsall.
For where we are in the league right now, with the injuries we?ve had and the quality of football we?re playing, I would say Maynard has done a very good job.
The likes of Austin, Macari, Jatta and even Martin are all clearly improving under SM.
Where I think we need to improve is putting teams to the sword when we?re so dominant. Walsall should have been over at half time, as should Doncaster away. Swindon almost felt like a training exercise it was so easy but at 2-0 you?re only a deflected goal away from the game turning on its head.
So, what?s your opinion Durham?

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I agree slightly with your first line having 5 or 6 decent. Although I think we have more.
The football at times is a joy to watch, but we tend to struggle to maintain those standards for 90 minutes. Which has cost us points. Our substitutions in some of games have not helped to retain the balance of play , Why ??
I like both Austin and Macari has they always give 110%.
Martin is turning out to be quite a useful player, although like most on here i had written him off.
The rest of the squad are just not good enough to mount a serious promotion if asked to do so..

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Originally Posted by durhampie

Apart from Ness, the others , Edwards, Hinchey, McDonald, Grant and Cundy have all looked very average players. Some rant on about Edwards being our missing link in MF. The only decent game he has had was against lower opposition. Against better sides he has looked poor... So i dont think any of those would have increased our chances if played.

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You?re just making stuff up with Edwards. The only ?better side? he has played against is Grimsby when we won 4-1 and he was one of the outstanding players on the pitch. Otherwise he?s only played against Tranmere, Accrington and Swindon.

I don?t think we?ve seen enough of him yet to make a proper judgment either way, but he did absolutely nothing to suggest he wouldn?t be a useful asset.

From my viewing

Bass
Bedeau
Platt
Jatta
Abbott
Jones (if he returns even close to his pre injury levels)

Are all excellent.

Palmer
Crowley
McGoldrick

Are all decent.

Obviously both terms of subjective to a degree as are my choices and I could on another day interchange them. Regardless we have 9 more than capable players to get us promoted. The majority of those have either come back from long term injury, coming back now or had periods out due to injury. Seems rare that we?ve had them all starting.

Our main issues are depth in just a few specific areas, a distinct lack of aggression and physicality in midfield and our style of play against the top teams

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Originally Posted by jacobncfc

You?re just making stuff up with Edwards. The only ?better side? he has played against is Grimsby when we won 4-1 and he was one of the outstanding players on the pitch. Otherwise he?s only played against Tranmere, Accrington and Swindon.

I don?t think we?ve seen enough of him yet to make a proper judgment either way, but he did absolutely nothing to suggest he wouldn?t be a useful asset.

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Well lets see what he can do when fit to play.. I dont make things up as you say. I merely say it as i see it. When i go to the game I view it as a neutral, and not a biased Notts Fan. Sometimes it helps not to see things thru tinted glasses.

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Originally Posted by durhampie

Well lets see what he can do when fit to play.. I dont make things up as you say. I merely say it as i see it. When i go to the game I view it as a neutral, and not a biased Notts Fan. Sometimes it helps not to see things thru tinted glasses.

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So as a ?neutral? you dont agree Edwards best game was against Grimsby? If you cant see that i think you are wearing an eye mask nevermind rose tinted glasses.

I'm also pretty sceptical about Edwards. We will have endless 6-pointers in a bunched up promotion pack in the run-in. If he ever makes a winning, difference-making contribution in any of those games, I'd be very (pleasantly) surprised.

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Originally Posted by the_anticlough

I'm also pretty sceptical about Edwards. We will have endless 6-pointers in a bunched up promotion pack in the run-in. If he ever makes a winning, difference-making contribution in any of those games, I'd be very (pleasantly) surprised.

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Is that his role? I?d say our issue in those big games is more that we aren?t getting difference-making contributions often enough from Crowley, Jones, McGoldrick and Jatta in them, as good as they regularly are against the weaker sides.

Edwards looks to me more like a consistent and hard-working midfielder who can try and create a platform for the others, which we don?t have a lot of in the squad. I think he could?ve been really useful in that second half against Walsall when Crowley and Didzy went awol, in particular.

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Originally Posted by jacobncfc

Is that his role? I?d say our issue in those big games is more that we aren?t getting difference-making contributions often enough from Crowley, Jones, McGoldrick and Jatta in them, as good as they regularly are against the weaker sides.

Edwards looks to me more like a consistent and hard-working midfielder who can try and create a platform for the others, which we don?t have a lot of in the squad. I think he could?ve been really useful in that second half against Walsall when Crowley and Didzy went awol, in particular.

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I can't see it, especially coming back from injury.
Not quite assertive enough to do much in the inside-forward roles, not quite physical enough to thrive in CM.
My impression is that he'll struggle to cope with the rigours of the FL, something he's never played in really.
We saw some skill, but speed and strength? Mental strength, probably, will determine whether or not he can contribute to a L2 promotion campaign IMO.

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Originally Posted by durhampie

I agree slightly with your first line having 5 or 6 decent. Although I think we have more.
The football at times is a joy to watch, but we tend to struggle to maintain those standards for 90 minutes. Which has cost us points. Our substitutions in some of games have not helped to retain the balance of play , Why ??
I like both Austin and Macari has they always give 110%.
Martin is turning out to be quite a useful player, although like most on here i had written him off.
The rest of the squad are just not good enough to mount a serious promotion if asked to do so..

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That is so funny. Having just admitted that it was wrong to write off Martin, you write off "the rest of the squad".

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Originally Posted by the_anticlough

I can't see it, especially coming back from injury.
Not quite assertive enough to do much in the inside-forward roles, not quite physical enough to thrive in CM.
My impression is that he'll struggle to cope with the rigours of the FL, something he's never played in really.
We saw some skill, but speed and strength? Mental strength, probably, will determine whether or not he can contribute to a L2 promotion campaign IMO.

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I really liked the look of Edwards, in what we got to see of him before his injury anyway, and felt he was just starting to claim an important role in the side. His vision and eye for a pass was a level above where we are at currently and we were just starting to see his effectiveness in the press and breaking up play before his lay off.

Initially he started playing in the deeper role, in the absence of Palmer I suppose, but moved further forward I thought he looked real quality?.He?s played in the CL and won championships, he?s definitely good enough for us!

When is he back anyway? Aside from Jones, he was the player I was most excited to see back in the team.