Top scorers in title winning seasons

[jackal2]

4-2-3-1 worked great for a couple of games but opposing teams soon sussed that one out. We are still creating enough chances to score the required goals, just need to be a bit more clinical.

The thing most annoying me at present is Ardley's constant formation changes. Many managers, probably including him, will tell you it's players who win games, not formations. I'll throw that argument right back and say maybe that's right, but if so, then Notts have arguably the best squad of players in this league, so why not settle on a formation and stick with it? Give the lads a consistent identity and formation they can believe in.

I try to put myself in the mindset of a Notts player and what I repeatedly hear from my manager is how strong this league is, how good the (even lowly) opposition are, and that we often pick our formation and style to counter what he has seen the opposition do on various video tapes. We're giving the initiative away before the game even starts. How about concentrating on what WE want to do, and how WE'RE going to impose the way WE want to play on the opposition irrespective of what they do, because if our players are confident in what they're going, they're man for man better than virtually every team in this league?

I'm pretty sure that was the essence of the message Steve Cotterill gave his players when he took over at Notts in 2009/10, and it was impressive how readily they accepted it and believed it, because the confidence and expectation level of the manager was infectious. He's having much the same effect with comparatively far fewer resources at Shrewsbury.

I don't necessarily agree with those who say Ardley's tactics are negative. They vary too much to be categorised under one label. But I think his mindset and messaging to the players is not positive enough, hence why we seem to begin on a good run and then stumble. We should be able to reel off strings of wins in this league, and he needs to tell them that's what he expects from them, irrespective of who the opposition are or how they play.