Match ratings vs Chesterfield

[ThaiPie]

Apart from odd Cup games, probably 3-1 against Ipswich 1981 ( that wasn't live though)

From my viewpoint in Thailand, Notts looked the best team by a country mile.
It was a poor goal to concede, where was the full back?
After Notts went behind the lack of a cutting edge showed.
Disappointing as the result was, it wasn't season defining.
As an away team at this level, I would have liked us to draw Chesterfield on to us a bit more and then hit them on the counter.

Thaipie,

[MAD_MAGPIE]

Overall a poor performance against a team who offered very little. We looked good until the final third where they defended with ease. Getting nothing from a game like this is something that Ardley needs to address quickly.

This is the key ingredient that was missing for me yesterday the work we did in the final third.

It was interesting that this was the first away game I’ve seen this season and we do play similar to home in the sense of being a possession based passing team. We played much like a home side in that respect and Chesterfield were content to sit in their half and go on the counter attack. It’s no surprise that their goal came from their only shot on target. However if teams are happy to sit back and catch us out against the run of play with a sucker punch then we need to adapt to this.

Overall I think we are fine in two thirds of the pitch and play well, it’s just the final third that lets us down. Yesterday was a good example of this. If it wasn’t simple easy crosses for the keeper to catch it was passes being misplaced or the breaking down of play. We lacked that creativity and quality in the final third to put us into good scoring opportunities.

It is a work in progress side and hopefully we can get better in this department. We miss Jim O’Brien because he is one that will try to create and make things happen in the final third. We could do with players being like a non-league Alan Judge/Ben Davies or a raw youngster like the McGregor or Grealish types to run at the opposing defenders through the middle and frighten them.
.

[Davy500]

Slocombe...6 - Let down by his defence for the goal, nothing to do otherwise.
Brindley.....5.5 - poor game defensively and going forward. He is better than this.
Bakayogo...6 - Average game, unlucky to be taken off.
McCrory.....6 - gave their forward too much space for the cross the led to the winner, otherwise ok.
Turner.......6.5* - basically did his job well, my MOTM award is more down to the lack of opposition.
Rose..........5 - again dithered on the ball and too many poor passes.
Doyle........6.5 - always available for a pass, but offered nothing creatively.
Dennis......5 - far less lively than of late, missed our best chance.
Boldewijn...6 - looked our best chance of creating something.
Wootton....5.5 - a couple of good bits but overall he was disappointing.
Shields.....5 - didn't beat his full back and his crosses were catching practice for their keeper.

Subs

All of them 5 - they did nothing to change the game.

Overall a poor performance against a team who offered very little. We looked good until the final third where they defended with ease. Getting nothing from a game like this is something that Ardley needs to address quickly.

Ardley needs to address the poor away form

At the moment we look a jackal and hyde team, Home form excellent, away form very poor

Away W2 D3 L 4 GD -2

Whilst there is no reason for immediate panic, if we harbour hopes of a series challenge for automatic promotion, we must start picking up more points away
In the last 3 games , we have fell behind.
Why are we good at home, yet poor away? Is it the set up, tactics. Hope Ardley can sort this out as the season progresses

[jackal2]

At the moment we look a jackal and hyde team, Home form excellent, away form very poor

Why am I getting dragged into this?

[Elite_Pie]

Why am I getting dragged into this?

You should feel flattered, as I recall Dr Jackal was the good guy.

[Masson4]

This is the key ingredient that was missing for me yesterday the work we did in the final third[...]Overall I think we are fine in two thirds of the pitch and play well, it’s just the final third that lets us down.

Notts have scored twice in all six previous games.

[Old_pie]

Apart from odd Cup games, probably 3-1 against Ipswich 1981 ( that wasn't live though)

I thought the £2 for Crewe AH promotion 4-1 was live?

[BigFatPie]

I thought the £2 for Crewe AH promotion 4-1 was live?

No it wasn’t.

I think in our last 3 home games we’ve been very much helped by getting an early goal. Knocking it around in the middle of the park is fantastic when you’re winning, not so clever when you’re 1-0 down in a localish derby.

It’s probably instructive that we haven’t won away yet this season when we’ve gone a goal down. I’m not too sure of even how many draws we’ve got. I think a lot of teams will have watched that yesterday and got a decent idea of how to play against us at Meadow Lane.

[kill_the_drum]

That game was how I expected most non league games to be.
Playing against teams that just have two banks of four camped in their own half and us trying to break through.
We just didn’t have the quality on the day to break it down.
Considering we always seem to need a scapegoat, I think Rose is leading a charmed life.
He’s been woeful this season. He can’t do anything with the ball unless he has at least three touches and just slows down our momentum.

[nw6pie]

That game was how I expected most non league games to be.
Playing against teams that just have two banks of four camped in their own half and us trying to break through.
We just didn’t have the quality on the day to break it down.
Considering we always seem to need a scapegoat, I think Rose is leading a charmed life.
He’s been woeful this season. He can’t do anything with the ball unless he has at least three touches and just slows down our momentum.

I would be tempted to move Rose out to the right and play Booty alongside Doyle. Rose seems to be playing with the handbrake on in the centre of the park; we need someone whose instinct is to drive forward with the ball or look for a forward pass (like Booty's to Wootton against Belper). Obviously, it's games like Chesterfield where JOB's absence is keenly felt.

We need at least four points from the next two games, and victory at Ebbsfleet in the FA Cup, to stop the doubts about Ardley returning (they are never far from the surface for most fans, I suspect). Let's hope Saturday was a blip and we can go on another unbeaten run and cement our place in the top 7 ahead of the January transfer window - then we will need to decide whether to add more quality and look for the kind of mammoth winning run that might get us challenging for the top spot.