Fans' Forum [September 2021]

[Elite_Pie]

Correct, it'd have to be a different squad.
This one's been put together with this possession-based style in mind. Asking for something radically different would mean a very long 'released list' and a short 'retained list' and almost certainly another manager

I don't think it would need to be anywhere near that drastic. It doesn't have to be either tippy-tappy or long ball, there is a middle ground as the likes of Barrow and Sutton have proved. I honestly think that if we got a bit of steel in midfield and moved the ball a bit quicker we wouldn't be far off a good team. It wouldn't need a major overhaul, just a couple of good signings and a bit of a tactical tweak.

[Woodypie]

I don't believe the purpose of this board is to influence the coach's style. It is about fans giving opinions. Of course it isn't of any practical use. My opinion is Tippy tappy is boring, that possession on the edge of your own box for large periods is pointless and that Notts haven't recruited well enough to win promotion. Stattos, cheerleaders and coaches can tell me otherwise but they are wasting their breath.

[LaxtonLad]

Yes, if you have more possession it doesn’t necessarily mean you are the better side. However, bringing it back to Notts, I would suggest that in majority of our games we have been the better side and created more chances than the opposition. The one exception to this would be Wrexham away and I can’t comment on Altrincham as I wasn’t there or watched the highlights.

Anyway, I could go into a long winded response. Ultimately, I’m happy with the football we’re trying to play. It’s by no means perfect, it’s work in progress.

What I would add. Just because you don’t splash the cash doesn’t mean you’re happy to stay in the NL.

I think we have been the better side too but we could have been even better if we had a bit more urgency in getting the ball to players who can do some damage with it instead of passing it for the sake of passing. This would obviously mean getting to grips with the enemy in their half, I know I keep harping on about halves so I'll sto

[the_anticlough]

I don't think it would need to be anywhere near that drastic. It doesn't have to be either tippy-tappy or long ball, there is a middle ground as the likes of Barrow and Sutton have proved. I honestly think that if we got a bit of steel in midfield and moved the ball a bit quicker we wouldn't be far off a good team. It wouldn't need a major overhaul, just a couple of good signings and a bit of a tactical tweak.

Agree it doesn't have to be drastic - but I'm looking at execution, not style of play...

Two phrases you use...
tippy happy - harmless, unnecessary extra passes, right? We need better off the ball support and better quality of passing from the back
a bit of steel - from the little I've seen, we need more presence, confidence and responsibility to get on the ball and dictate play

We do the first without losing possession. We do the second without bringing someone into the team who doesn't fit.

I was thinking of this...Bishop and Ravenhill, which worked great with the 4-4-2 of the Munto team with 6 good attacking contributions apart from the CBs and centre-mids...

Bishop could play in IB's team. Ravenhill couldn't.

Ravenhill is all 'steel' but doesn't really play a strong role in linking up play, playing through the thirds. Bishop would be an improvement on Francis right now, bringing in a Ravenhill-type wouldn't fit. That's why I groan when I read calls for a Maurice Ross style 'animal' or 'beast'. Not going to happen...

[durhampie]

I don't believe the purpose of this board is to influence the coach's style. It is about fans giving opinions. Of course it isn't of any practical use. My opinion is Tippy tappy is boring, that possession on the edge of your own box for large periods is pointless and that Notts haven't recruited well enough to win promotion. Stattos, cheerleaders and coaches can tell me otherwise but they are wasting their breath.

Spot on Woody. Also if we dont get promoted this year then I'm afraid there wont be 5000+ at the lane next season. The football for most parts of the games played to date is boring and tedious to watch. The second half at Altrincham we were in our own half for large periods, and struggled to get the ball forward. Out fought by a bunch of part timers...

[Elite_Pie]

Bishop could play in IB's team. Ravenhill couldn't.

Bishop is a no-brainer, and you could well be right and I find it disappointing that he couldn't accommodate a Ravenhill type. Part of the game is about how many goals you score, the other part is about how many goals you prevent your opponents scoring. We do the first bit pretty well overall, but I think we are lacking in the other part. We are too easy to play against, because in midfield we give our opponents too much time and space on the ball. It's something they often deny us, and even though a clone of Ricky Ravenhill might not fit into our philosophy, and might not be easy on the eye to the purist, I think it would be bloody effective.

[laddo]

People on here were saying on here when we got relegated that we would lose a fair chunk off the gate. Same again when we didn't go up, didn't happen.

I'm not sure if we don't go up this season the crowds will fall dramatically as predicted.

I'm the opposite of Woody and Durhampie I don't find it boring at all. I find it refreshing that we play football predominantly on the deck, pass the ball, see clear patterns of play that have been worked on on the training ground. That's the thing for me seen so many opposition come to meadow lane over the years and pass us off the park. I was jealous seeing teams like Oxford, Yeovil , Swindon etc playing in triangles, making 3rd men runs off the ball. Whilst I watched out static play, hopeful punts up to a big man to then to and win a second ball half of the time. When it doesn't work you are playing off scraps. Dull.

Notts fans have been brought up on direct/long football sometimes very effectively under Warnock and Big Sam but often unsuccessfully under many other managers. It simplifies the game, it guarantees the ball in the opposition half (and often 10 foot in the air), it's reduces risk, it's provides more penalty area action sometimes but I've had my fill of it. We've played that way predominantly for 30 years. So I understand why some fans dislike the new style cos it's not what the norm, what we are used to.

I'm all for a few years of playing on the grass not the clouds. If it fails under the owners then happy to revert to Notts County type and join the old man moaning . I'm just not there yet, nowhere near.

[Elite_Pie]

People on here were saying on here when we got relegated that we would lose a fair chunk off the gate. Same again when we didn't go up, didn't happen.

Some were saying that if we were relegated we would be playing in front of 2,000 crowds. I told them that was nonsense, and that the average Notts fan is made of much sterner stuff than that. I was proved right, but even so the support we've maintained has probably surpassed my expectations.

That's the thing for me seen so many opposition come to meadow lane over the years and pass us off the park.

I wouldn't say I've seen many teams "pass us off the park" with the exception of Barrow in the 0-3 game. I have however seen quite a few teams pass much better and more effectively than we do, Wealdstone being the latest example. Whether they played it long or short, their passes found a team mate far more often than ours did. We just took our chances better than they did.

[upthemaggies]

Our gates are very good for this level but the average dropped by 2,347 after we were relegated.

11 gates above 6k in 2016/17
16 gates above 6k in 2017/18
19 gates above 6k in 2018/19

3 gates above 6k in 2019/20

[laddo]

Whilst in NL as you say you can count on a couple of fingers who have passed us off the park which is to be expected for two obvious main reasons.

I was talking about when we were in L2/L1. My list from the 2000 onwards is a long one, and as illustrated above with the 3 quoted examples I'm not talking about big name teams doing it.

There was such a gulf in passing ability, team play and contrast of styles I used to sit there in my usual seat 3/4 the way up in the Derek Pavis watching teams play football against us, actual football whilst we battled and harried with lots of effort and commitment but little style and a very limited game plan.

I often wondered what they had been doing all week in training other then practising the classic lofted full back ball down the line or the big diagonal towards the big man up top.