Make Notts Great Again!

[charlespalmer]

Let's face it, the summer transfer window was a total disaster!

What we needed was to retain the direct, physical style that had led us to the brink of promotion last season, to replace the goal threat offered by Grant, to find a new Yates, and maybe add a bit more pace.

What we got instead was a wholesale shift in philosophy ("Let's pass our way out of L2!") and a heap of lightweight signings (Vaughan, Crawford, Patching, Kellet...).

This is why we are struggling.

There is nothing ostensibly wrong with our defence: Tootle, Jones, Duffy, Brisley and Fitz are perfectly adequate players for this level. However, they are being asked to play a style of football that is beyond them. For example, watch the lo-lights from the first few games and you will see Duffy get himself into trouble time and time again by continually trying to "play out from the back" when it would be better to simply clear it. Likewise, Fitz has clearly been told to distribute the ball early...but he just doesn't have the ability to do it, so he usually ends up either putting a defender under pressure with a silly throw or simply blasting the ball the length of the pitch instead. The frustrating thing is that these problems can be easily corrected by simply returning to the simpler, cruder "if in doubt, kick it out" tactics of last season. We know these players can be effective; they did it last season.

In midfield, we have to stop dreaming. L2 is a brutal, unforgiving league and you have to fight for your right to party/play. Hardy, Fletch and Nolan seem to be under the illusion that we can pass our way into L1, but anyone who watched Notts under Munto/McParland (and later Moniz) will know that this just won't work. The spine of your midfield has to be solid. Bishop and Ravenhill worked; Bishop and Jackson/Ritchie did not. Jackson and Ritchie were infinitely better footballers than Ravenhill (and Bishop)...but it makes zero difference when your opponents turn most games into a playground scrap.

Hardy, Fletch and Nolan should have learnt their lessons from replacing Yates with Virtue and Husin last term and watching us slip from 2nd to 4th as a result. But they didn't. This year, they brought in Vaughan and co - none of whom are fit for a twice-weekly battle on a bobbly pitch. The answer here is to go back to basics. Replace Vaughan, Husin etc. with hard-working, unglamourous pros like Hawkridge and Alessandra (and stick Hewitt in there too)...at least until we can loan better options. If we don't, Lincoln will steam-roller us.

The positive spin on all of this is that we are actually in reasonably good shape - we have better strikers than last term and a gem in Enzio; and, as noted above, most, if not all, of our current problems are easy to fix. The key question is as follows: Is our management team too stubborn to do what is necessary (and do it right away)?

[Old_pie]

Sorry I've forgotten, remind me when Notts were last great?

[drillerpie]

Let's face it, the summer transfer window was a total disaster!

What we needed was to retain the direct, physical style that had led us to the brink of promotion last season, to replace the goal threat offered by Grant, to find a new Yates, and maybe add a bit more pace.

What we got instead was a wholesale shift in philosophy ("Let's pass our way out of L2!") and a heap of lightweight signings (Vaughan, Crawford, Patching, Kellet...).

This is why we are struggling.

There is nothing ostensibly wrong with our defence: Tootle, Jones, Duffy, Brisley and Fitz are perfectly adequate players for this level. However, they are being asked to play a style of football that is beyond them. For example, watch the lo-lights from the first few games and you will see Duffy get himself into trouble time and time again by continually trying to "play out from the back" when it would be better to simply clear it. Likewise, Fitz has clearly been told to distribute the ball early...but he just doesn't have the ability to do it, so he usually ends up either putting a defender under pressure with a silly throw or simply blasting the ball the length of the pitch instead. The frustrating thing is that these problems can be easily corrected by simply returning to the simpler, cruder "if in doubt, kick it out" tactics of last season. We know these players can be effective; they did it last season.

In midfield, we have to stop dreaming. L2 is a brutal, unforgiving league and you have to fight for your right to party/play. Hardy, Fletch and Nolan seem to be under the illusion that we can pass our way into L1, but anyone who watched Notts under Munto/McParland (and later Moniz) will know that this just won't work. The spine of your midfield has to be solid. Bishop and Ravenhill worked; Bishop and Jackson/Ritchie did not. Jackson and Ritchie were infinitely better footballers than Ravenhill (and Bishop)...but it makes zero difference when your opponents turn most games into a playground scrap.

Hardy, Fletch and Nolan should have learnt their lessons from replacing Yates with Virtue and Husin last term and watching us slip from 2nd to 4th as a result. But they didn't. This year, they brought in Vaughan and co - none of whom are fit for a twice-weekly battle on a bobbly pitch. The answer here is to go back to basics. Replace Vaughan, Husin etc. with hard-working, unglamourous pros like Hawkridge and Alessandra (and stick Hewitt in there too)...at least until we can loan better options. If we don't, Lincoln will steam-roller us.

The positive spin on all of this is that we are actually in reasonably good shape - we have better strikers than last term and a gem in Enzio; and, as noted above, most, if not all, of our current problems are easy to fix. The key question is as follows: Is our management team too stubborn to do what is necessary (and do it right away)?

I actually agree with all of that, I'd add that Crawford looks a promising option as he's got a bit of physicality and was able to cut it in the rough and tumble non league.

Saturday isn't the right time to throw Bird in, a local derby against a rampant Lincoln side with Rhead, Akinde and Matt Green, that could ruin him. We'll probably get battered anyway so let the ones who have underperformed so far take the hit.

But yeah one or two new signings to beef us up physically and a bonfire of the vanities regarding new signings and style of play are needed. We might have to have Vaughan, Husin, Kellet and so on playing for one spot in a three man midfield, with the offensive wingers playing for a place on one flank with a defensive winger playing on the other.

Hardy probably hasn't backed Nolan because he's not remotely contemplating sacking him, but it's time for Nolan to show his mettle and think of a plan B quickly. Giving them a *******ing and picking the same players and formation will not suffice this time.

[BigFatPie]

Let's face it, the summer transfer window was a total disaster!

What we needed was to retain the direct, physical style that had led us to the brink of promotion last season, to replace the goal threat offered by Grant, to find a new Yates, and maybe add a bit more pace.

What we got instead was a wholesale shift in philosophy ("Let's pass our way out of L2!") and a heap of lightweight signings (Vaughan, Crawford, Patching, Kellet...).

This is why we are struggling.

There is nothing ostensibly wrong with our defence: Tootle, Jones, Duffy, Brisley and Fitz are perfectly adequate players for this level. However, they are being asked to play a style of football that is beyond them. For example, watch the lo-lights from the first few games and you will see Duffy get himself into trouble time and time again by continually trying to "play out from the back" when it would be better to simply clear it. Likewise, Fitz has clearly been told to distribute the ball early...but he just doesn't have the ability to do it, so he usually ends up either putting a defender under pressure with a silly throw or simply blasting the ball the length of the pitch instead. The frustrating thing is that these problems can be easily corrected by simply returning to the simpler, cruder "if in doubt, kick it out" tactics of last season. We know these players can be effective; they did it last season.

In midfield, we have to stop dreaming. L2 is a brutal, unforgiving league and you have to fight for your right to party/play. Hardy, Fletch and Nolan seem to be under the illusion that we can pass our way into L1, but anyone who watched Notts under Munto/McParland (and later Moniz) will know that this just won't work. The spine of your midfield has to be solid. Bishop and Ravenhill worked; Bishop and Jackson/Ritchie did not. Jackson and Ritchie were infinitely better footballers than Ravenhill (and Bishop)...but it makes zero difference when your opponents turn most games into a playground scrap.

Hardy, Fletch and Nolan should have learnt their lessons from replacing Yates with Virtue and Husin last term and watching us slip from 2nd to 4th as a result. But they didn't. This year, they brought in Vaughan and co - none of whom are fit for a twice-weekly battle on a bobbly pitch. The answer here is to go back to basics. Replace Vaughan, Husin etc. with hard-working, unglamourous pros like Hawkridge and Alessandra (and stick Hewitt in there too)...at least until we can loan better options. If we don't, Lincoln will steam-roller us.

The positive spin on all of this is that we are actually in reasonably good shape - we have better strikers than last term and a gem in Enzio; and, as noted above, most, if not all, of our current problems are easy to fix. The key question is as follows: Is our management team too stubborn to do what is necessary (and do it right away)?

Good post, although the final paragraph does somewhat contradict the first one.

[jacobncfc]

Basically agree with that, but for me it’s almost even more obvious - we’ve approached the last two games with six (arguably seven with Jones) of the starting ten outfield players basically being players who do all of their work with the ball. That’s completely suicidal.

Having brought Vaughan in we may as well try and get something out of him, and that means protecting him with Hewitt and Hawkridge either side, and Boldewijn keeping his place on the right. Vaughan and Hewitt played as a two against Colchester and Cambridge which worked fine basically, they certainly weren’t overwhelmed in the way that Vaughan and Husin have been.

[BigFatPie]

Basically agree with that, but for me it’s almost even more obvious - we’ve approached the last two games with six (arguably seven with Jones) of the starting ten outfield players basically being players who do all of their work with the ball. That’s completely suicidal.

Having brought Vaughan in we may as well try and get something out of him, and that means protecting him with Hewitt and Hawkridge either side, and Boldewijn keeping his place on the right. Vaughan and Hewitt played as a two against Colchester and Cambridge which worked fine basically, they certainly weren’t overwhelmed in the way that Vaughan and Husin have been.

If we were playing Colchester this Saturday, I’m pretty sure their approach would be a lot different to the one they had 3 games ago. They were happy with a point then, maybe not so much now.

I can’t see any version of 4-4-2 which works with the current personnel, assuming Tootle and Hall are both out for a bit.