Reply With Quote10 game review from Down Under......They are sh1thouse full stop.
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Anyone who's actually attended a game this season is better qualified than me to start this thread, since I'm following from afar and all of my views are informed by this board, highlights and the radio commentaries.
What I can say with certainty is that we're 3 points below what we achieved in the equivalent fixtures against the same 10 opponents last season - and given that we finished way behind the top two, that's a big concern. Eight points is currently the same gap from the top of the league to the relegation positions, and the other worry is that we can't say the points total of 15 isn't a fair reflection of the games - in fact, it may actually flatter us.
Clearly, we've been unlucky with injuries over the past 3 games, but that can happen and you need to be able to adapt. We've been found wanting there.
We were also unlucky in that some of the new signings have been overcoming injuries, but we knew that when we signed them so can't use that as an excuse. As for the quality of the new signings, it seems fair to say that no one has proved an instant success.
Palmer seems the pick of the bunch, but for a progressive footballer his stats don't seem very impressive (no goals, a couple of assists). Taylor is in and out of the side - recently for reasons unknown - and seems to split opinion. Francis is being asked to learn on the job in a completely new position, which was always going to be a huge gamble. It does seem, though, that if you're giving someone that responsibility, you may need to give them the game time to learn - otherwise how will he improve and become the asset the owners want him to be?
Mitchell appears to be the biggest concern. Bigged up as the forward we were after all summer, there appears to be a bit of a Tony Agana vibe about him - except Tony actually got into positions to miss chances. Mitchell appears to be on the periphery and struggling to show he's the answer to our problems.
Alongside the unimpressive additions, the return of the Geordie Messi hasn't panned out as planned, Kyle Wootton has disappeared from view after a promising start, Richard Brindley struggles to complete 90 minutes (why?) and DKE has repeatedly shown his limitations. Ruben is clearly our main player, but he's also blown hot and cold.
On the management side, despite his supposed experience in Sweden, IB feels like a very naive manager (the word he used for his side last night). He needs to wise up about the time to be offensive and the time to be defensive - bringing on Sam and Mitchell last night was foolhardy, instead of thinking how he could take the sting out of the game.
His assistant, Doyle, seems to be enjoying himself far too much whenever I see him in training. Who's calling the players out when they underperform? Giving them the "hair dryer" treatment? Then again, he's also a rookie at this level and is learning his trade - one of many at Notts, it seems, which appears to be a big part of the problem.
Anyway, I've prattled on for long enough - over to the experts...
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10 game review from Down Under......They are sh1thouse full stop.
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10 game review from someone who has seen it live:
Keeping - shaky, probably due to the whole sweeper keeper idea
Defence - too much playing around with it that causes us to give up easy goals. The players at this level are not good enough to play it around in defence, we need to keep it simple, a high press immediately causes us problems. When we keep it simple, we look a lot stronger
Midfield - far too light weight. We do not have an aggressive ball winner. We have a cracking player in Palmer but he needs a Bishop/Ravenhill/Yates beside him
Forwards - lack any kind of movement, one thing I noticed was when Roberts was out, our movement improved immensely. We don't have a natural goalscorer and if Wootton gets injured, we don't actually have anyone to replace him. We've gone from having the options of Wootton, Dennis and Thomas to just having Wootton and we expect to get promoted?
Overall, we have an OK first eleven but any injuries and we are massively exposed, strength in depth is a real concern and our striking options are just poor, we only have one out and out striker and that is just madness
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On this occasion I wish all the reviews had been after 6 or 7 games it would have been very very different but I've always stuck to the traditional 10 games.
I predicted a points tally of 17 from the first 10 games and I stated that I believed that points return would be a little disappointing.
So at 15 it's been upgraded to plain disappointing especially when considering the teams we've played on paper.
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Official 10 game review from down under - Their not doing very well.Originally Posted by ForeignLegion
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They’re.
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Thank you but that was the redneck official review. We don’t mince words.
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Great post, and nicely written. I’ve attended all but one of the home games up to now so I’ll try and add my two penneth worth to the pretty accurate observations you have already made!
I think it was after the pre-season game against York that I, and some others, came on here and voiced (maybe prematurely - maybe not) our concerns about the style of play, the vulnerability at the back, and the perennial lack of presence in midfield. Any opposing manager that saw that game would have immediately identified how to play against us.
The York number 9 caused havoc all game and won every ariel battle and the resulting knock downs and second balls resulted in numerous panicked defensive patterns and play and, eventually, three goals conceded. Our midfield was too easy to play through and large areas of space would open up for them to play passes out wide or even run into to make up ground. Our slow build up play would allow them to get back into position and set up a solid defensive base which they would happily sit in whilst we had the ball and unfortunately this is the kind of plan we have taken into our first ten games.
I my hasn’t all been negative but I’d go as far as saying that the 15 points we have accumulated so far may even flatter us a little bit because before the sending of for Torquay they too were having joy with a direct approach against us. We have been muddling through games, shining in spells for 15-20 minutes but on the whole we have allowed the opposition too much respect and not enforced ourselves on them when we are in the ascendency. When we score we gift teams possession and territorial advantage and forget how to play or continue how we were playing. We are often the architects of our own downfall most of the time, not because we are torn open by slick passing or clever attacks.
Our approach to winning games is naive, and the manager must take a lot of the responsibility for that. I do like IB, and his post match interviews do reflect what has been both good and bad about the performances, but the goodwill and understanding about his methods is rapidly wearing thin because very little changes from game to game. We do have talent in the squad but how it is being deployed or managed isn’t conducive to winning football matches at this level, there is a serious problem with the balance in which IB wants us to play and how we have to play to get results.
I’ve seen some posts criticising our recruitment policy and that IB is a passenger in those decisions but I don’t fully believe that is the case. The owners went all out to get their man so I don’t believe they would force players on him. He is probably given a list of players within their budget that fits the style of play he/they want to use but it looks at the minute that they’ve got it badly wrong. It is a big test for them all now to see how stringently they hold on to their ideals about plying football this way. We can consistently win football matches playing good football, but not without winning the right to do so first, and this will be true until the day that football no longer exists.
Winning the right to boss football matches comes from a mental, and more often than not, physical domination. You need to win your individual battles early and keep your foot on the throat of the opposition until they either tire or succumb to your will. At the minute I don’t see that in us. There isn’t a winning mentality through the squad and I don’t see it in either our captain or vice captain. We are a joy to play against because all of our players want to get on the ball but not do the hard yards and physical work to win the right to do so. We are just too nice…probably like IB at the minute. Training is a joy, full of good lads who get along, great facilities etc etc but who is keeping them grounded…driven and shouted at to do better?
Our recruitment has been poor in finding ‘that’ midfielder who will hold firm in the proverbial stormy weather but also in instilling the same mentality amongst the squad. Where is the character needed to win these games we are letting slip us by? There is a lot of good stuff going on at the club at the minute, better than at any time I have followed the club I think, but they need to find a bit of ‘nastiness’ amongst them….even the owners come over as just really nice guys! I was actually glad IB got into a fight last night, and also that the players responded to it, we need that to a certain degree, and even more so in the coming weeks now the fans are turning with the weather. We have most of the ingredients in place, but a change of mentality in how we go about things wouldn’t go amiss….I bet James Rowe and Paul Hurst don’t give two hoots about who he or the clubs upsets, we’re in a business where winning is pretty much everything.
In terms of style of play I think we need to rope it in a little. I’ve been critical of 4-4-2 before but in our case going back to basics, and getting it right, would be our best way forward instead of trying to be too clever. We almost have all the players to play the system that they’d all be comfortable with and it would still allow for good football.
Our back five of Slocombe, Brindley, Rawlo, Lacey and Chicksen aren’t a problem..that should be easily as good as anything in the division. Midfield is slightly harder and where our problems stem from in my opinion. Nemane on the right, Roberts on the left interchanging with Nemane throughout the game and Wootton and Rodrigues up front in a two. Obviously there is one space left to fill…the centre mid place amongst Palmer. Here is where the owners really need to look at themselves. One semi decent physical domineering CM to sit alongside Palmer in a 4-4-2…will they be willing to spend on such a player? It’s all trivial though I guess, talking now of a change of system, as the owners and IB appear absolute on their position regarding this issue, but at what cost?
Finally a little bombshell, and I imagine this will get a hostile response, but I think we play better as a team without Roberts in the line up….there, I’ve said it!
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The majority of players signed this and last season are worse than those released.
We have no physical presence in midfield. The players signed are too small and lightweight. Francis is just a waste of a shirt, and it doesn't look good for Vincent when Sam gets on before him
We have not signed any decent forwards. Nemane is all right footed and is just a one trick pony.
Mitchell was signed as a central striker, but has been deployed on the wing. He never gets into any scoring positions, hence Chesterfield having a laugh at our expense.
Sam is just a novelty factor, whoever recommended him needs to collect their P45
In the 10 games played, we have performed well in spells, but otherwise we have been outfought, outwitted by a bunch of part time players who have put our Fancy Dan's to shame..
The manger will soon be gone (Hopefully). He talks a brilliant story, but otherwise he is useless..
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Keeper: OK, but could do with a decent back-up option.
Defence: Not enough serious back-up options.
Midfield: Lightweight.
Forwards: Lightweight, not enough serious options.
Year on year we're gettings progressively worse. It seems we are happy settling into being a decent Non-League team that wil more often than not flirt with the P/O's.
Simply not good enough: From the players, the manager or the owners.
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