Squad problems

[TheBlackHorse]

The subject is 'Squad Problems'....

Go.

... apologies if this has been mentioned earlier in the topic ... think it's overdue for IB to have a word with Roberts and Rodrigues. They are not as good as they think they are. Their tendency this season has been to keep the ball for too long and lose possession when a simple pass would enable the team to make progress. Perhaps their ego's are getting in the way of their football brain (such as that may be).

[crazyfists]

... apologies if this has been mentioned earlier in the topic ... think it's overdue for IB to have a word with Roberts and Rodrigues. They are not as good as they think they are. Their tendency this season has been to keep the ball for too long and lose possession when a simple pass would enable the team to make progress. Perhaps their ego's are getting in the way of their football brain (such as that may be).

Also agreed, they've been underwhelming and this might be because they have let it go to their heads. We were all worried about keeping hold of them but at the moment they're a long way off what they could be so need to get back to being the players they were. I think with Roberts he's just trying too hard plus teams know more about him now, I still believe he'll come good this season. With Ruben he needs to be further up the pitch, he's wasted further back and became such a good player at the end of last season due to his threat going forward. With these two playing as well as they could be then we will always be a threat but they're off the boil at the moment.

[PedroTheFisherman66]

Maybe this enforced ban is a blessing in disguise forcing IB to use a new forward line up...

[LaxtonLad]

Also agreed, they've been underwhelming and this might be because they have let it go to their heads. We were all worried about keeping hold of them but at the moment they're a long way off what they could be so need to get back to being the players they were. I think with Roberts he's just trying too hard plus teams know more about him now, I still believe he'll come good this season. With Ruben he needs to be further up the pitch, he's wasted further back and became such a good player at the end of last season due to his threat going forward. With these two playing as well as they could be then we will always be a threat but they're off the boil at the moment.

Yes cf, they try doing too much and it isn't team play. It's strange to see one who should be further upfield waiting for the telling pass coming back into one's own half to find it, Harry Kane does it all the time - but that's Harry Kane. Pulling back to help defend a corner is one thing but leaving no receiver for a hefty clearance but a lonesome Wooton just leads to the ball coming back at one.

[the_anticlough]

Maybe this enforced ban is a blessing in disguise forcing IB to use a new forward line up...

Agreed

There will be a formula to get the best out of R and R playing together, but IB hasn't hit on it yet.
It has to involve off-the-ball runners to combine with or they'll be dribbling into a brick wall a lot of the time...

And it won't be with 5-2-3 either, with the wide play coming from DKE (and has Taylor been as good as Miller was?)
We only started 2 games with 4-3-3, 2 wins.
6 games with a back 3 / 5...W2 D3 L1

Finally, the relationship between the 2 is very important. Hope they realise that they really aren't in competition with one another (why the hell did Cal take the pens away from him?)...one's success can only help the other.
Following the NBA, I think of a player like Carmelo Anthony who always seemed to want to be the top dog on his team rather than being focussed on the team's needs as a whole. That's a recipe for failure and it sure was. No idea if there's anything like this going on, but IB and team have to make sure it's the very opposite of that...

As for Saturday. We could have Ruben behind Woots with one or both of Mitchell and Nemane to hit with passes as well.

[Davy500]

I must say I do approve of your new approach to quoting my posts, splitting it up. Far better than your old method of cherry picking just one sentence/paragraph to mislead or blatantly misquoting my posts. Another example of the new and improved NCM this season

Of course you haven't got the dictionary definition wrong looks like a copy n paste job to me.

My point being is once again you take it too seriously. The bandwagon created back in March is naturally a bit of fun, premature support of the new man based on interviews only before a ball was kicked. Of course it's more sensible to see what happens and then comment as Notts win, draw or lose games and how they perform. Well done you

It's just a bit of fun old boy, don't take it all too seriously.

I wasn't patronising anyone and I am glad you agree regarding the odds, I was just highlighting to all the fact that statements like yours (and by others) aren't quite as grand as they first appear. It's not a 50:50 flip of the coin scenario far from it as you know.

In very simple terms 2 go up, and 21 don't. Whether you go by that or the bookmakers odds at the start of every season , or the club's history pages it's always the case that Notts are very likely not too go up. Therefore anyone predicting failure is the safe bet and unlikely you will be proven wrong, but you ain't going become rich.

Now what are we going to do about this midfield? And does a change in preferred formation help or hinder our chances of getting the bandwagon back on track#choochoo

You are correct laddo, on the basis of only 2 teams going up, this is unlikely, unless Notts show us evidence to the contrary, which so far they have clearly not

After the the very poor performance at Altringham, it has now convinced me Notts are just not champions material ( unless of course they show evidense to the contrary)
I hear a lot of people saying its only one match, which is correct, and in itself means little, its more the cumulative effect of these defeats over a season that causes the damage, say if they lose again to a poor outfit in 4 or 5 weeks time, then again later, over a season you have 5 or 6 losses, which equates to between 10 or 15 points ie the damage, unless going forward notts can show us otherwise, we will be

In the play offs again, with ultimately the poor officials deciding the outcome of the matches, a complete lottery, where Notts chances will at least be increased by finishing 2nd or 3rd

[i961pie]

You are correct laddo, on the basis of only 2 teams going up, this is unlikely, unless Notts show us evidence to the contrary, which so far they have clearly not

After the the very poor performance at Altringham, it has now convinced me Notts are just not champions material ( unless of course they show evidense to the contrary)
I hear a lot of people saying its only one match, which is correct, and in itself means little, its more the cumulative effect of these defeats over a season that causes the damage, say if they lose again to a poor outfit in 4 or 5 weeks time, then again later, over a season you have 5 or 6 losses, which equates to between 10 or 15 points ie the damage, unless going forward notts can show us otherwise, we will be

In the play offs again, with ultimately the poor officials deciding the outcome of the matches, a complete lottery, where Notts chances will at least be increased by finishing 2nd or 3rd

Everyone is catching on that Roberts is all left foot and when on the right he always cuts inside. Why not try him on the left where Wooton might benefit from some decent crosses?

[Bushwacka]

Agreed

(and has Taylor been as good as Miller was?)

Nowhere near, for me. Against Coalville, he was rapid and ran at both the full back and right midfielder constantly and caused them problems. I realise that Coalville are part-time and 2 leagues below us, but I have hardly seen him run at anyone so far in the league, he always seems to check back or inside.

I don't know whether this is a confidence thing or if Burchnall has a risk averse approach with his wingers, but Miller's pace and running at full backs was one of the main assets in our run at the end of the season.

[KPie]

Everyone is catching on that Roberts is all left foot and when on the right he always cuts inside. Why not try him on the left where Wooton might benefit from some decent crosses?

i think Roberts would benefit massively from having a Winger on the other side and interchanging and swapping wings during the game. in Nemane we have the opposite of Roberts, Nemane is all about Pace, Roberts all about close control and skill. you won't find many full backs in this league who can deal competently with both.

I also think that by playing a winger in front of Taylor we would see the best of him, he has all the pace and a decent cross, let him overlap and use his pace.

Can someone ask tonight when Knight will be fit again?

[Stan Marshall]

Some very good posts. Here are my thoughts:
- Like most of us, I believe our biggest problem is our lack of intensity and passing the ball around at the back at snails pace. This is what confuses me. After all, wasn’t it IB who changed all that last season?!!

- Personally, I felt a lot of that pace and energy came from Miller and IB soon spotted that when he came in. Miller’s been a big miss and I was gutted when we lost him.

- Our pedestrian style of play is also very frustrating for our attacking players. You see them coming short for the ball but it’s never delivered. Eventually, they stop showing for the ball.

- Ruben and Roberts are good players but I suspect both are frustrated with our playing style and Roberts, in particular, is guilty of trying too hard when he does eventually get the ball. Hence the bookings too.

- I also believe IB is still striving to get the best out of R&R playing together. It’s partly down to our pedestrian style but it’s also about where you play them. I believe IB will find a solution to this. It may not even take too much for something to click - fingers crossed.

- I do agree with the view that we’re lacking some steel in midfield. Frankly, I’ve been saying that for most of the time since Bishop left. I just hope our Head Coach’s philosophy allows it!

I know it’s still early days but I want IB to get us back to playing with high intensity and flair. If we do that, we can compete with the best in this league.