So where do you think we'll finish?

[slack_pie]

I've gone for a fourth place finish. I think we have the squad for top two, but not the management.

That's my thinking too. There are managers that could win the league with this squad, but I'm not convinced Ardley is one. So somewhere between 2nd and 5th for me. And yes, we'll fail in the playoffs again.

[MAD_MAGPIE]

We should be capable of and aiming to be champions and that is why I’m going for 1st place.

Last season we finished 3rd which is 95th in the football pyramid. Our lowest placed finish in our entire 158 year history. In May 19 we hit rock bottom and last year was a year of planting new seeds which the shoots and regeneration started to appear under our current owners.

It all came together before lockdown and taking the performance of the final out of the equation we have been progressing and moving forward both on and off the pitch.

If we were to finish lower than 3rd then technically we would have regressed as we should be looking to move forwards up the league each season. However if we finish 4-7th then get promoted whilst we would have finished lower we jump back into the football league.

Finish lower than 3rd and lose the playoffs for me would be failure as it means we would yet again finish in our lowest ever standing in the football pyramid.

It’s got to be automatic or playoff winners for this season to be one of progression on the pitch for me.

[Russ_OTF]

Season won't be completed. So wherever we finish when it is abandoned.

[jackal2]

I've gone for us winning the title, but that comes with the caveat that I don't necessarily expect us to get off to a flier in the first couple of months, and I won't be calling for the manager's head if our success isn't instant.

I think the new signings - especially those from abroad - will take time to bed in and that our early form might be a bit patchy, but with the squad we've assembled I think we should get stronger and stronger. Barrow started slowly last season but then went on tremendous run, and I think we could do the same. Other clubs have had to trim their squad budgets more than us due to the financial impact of Coronavirus, so our strength in depth should become evident during the long winter months.

That's all assuming there is a season at all!

[Davy500]

We should be capable of and aiming to be champions and that is why I’m going for 1st place.

Last season we finished 3rd which is 95th in the football pyramid. Our lowest placed finish in our entire 158 year history. In May 19 we hit rock bottom and last year was a year of planting new seeds which the shoots and regeneration started to appear under our current owners.

It all came together before lockdown and taking the performance of the final out of the equation we have been progressing and moving forward both on and off the pitch.

If we were to finish lower than 3rd then technically we would have regressed as we should be looking to move forwards up the league each season. However if we finish 4-7th then get promoted whilst we would have finished lower we jump back into the football league.

Finish lower than 3rd and lose the playoffs for me would be failure as it means we would yet again finish in our lowest ever standing in the football pyramid.

It’s got to be automatic or playoff winners for this season to be one of progression on the pitch for me.

Well paly offs and we stay in this division for another season, because as i have said many times before, Notts will bottle it, and fall apart defensively when a team comes at us. Ardley to date has provided no evidence to the contary

The way forward is to get more wins, instead of draws to poor and mid side teams. How many draws did we have at home last season, converted to wins, would have given us more than enough points to be top.

Thats how Barrow did it, you will find they did not draw many games, they won games ,especially at home.
Barrow Home Record W 13 D 2 L 4 Notts Home Record W 10 D 8 L 2

Other interesting points show, Barrow scored first 78% of time , and were leading at half time 60 % of the time, compared to Notts scoring first 50% of time, and leading at half time 32 % of time
This clearly shows that Notts slow starts are detrimental to success, they need to come out all guns blazing, and take the lead sooner in games , the fact is not surprisingly goals win matches , away from home notts scored 78% of the time comapred to Barrow scoring 94% of the time

[magpie_mania]

Well paly offs and we stay in this division for another season, because as i have said many times before, Notts will bottle it, and fall apart defensively when a team comes at us. Ardley to date has provided no evidence to the contary

The way forward is to get more wins, instead of draws to poor and mid side teams. How many draws did we have at home last season, converted to wins, would have given us more than enough points to be top.

Thats how Barrow did it, you will find they did not draw many games, they won games ,especially at home.
Barrow Home Record W 13 D 2 L 4 Notts Home Record W 10 D 8 L 2

Other interesting points show, Barrow scored first 78% of time , and were leading at half time 60 % of the time, compared to Notts scoring first 50% of time, and leading at half time 32 % of time
This clearly shows that Notts slow starts are detrimental to success, they need to come out all guns blazing, and take the lead sooner in games , the fact is not surprisingly goals win matches , away from home notts scored 78% of the time comapred to Barrow scoring 94% of the time

I go for 5th in a very tight league. This whole virus thing will cause many issues, and I just have a feeling that we'll struggle a bit. I think that with this squad and in a 'normal' season we would win it.

However, I think we will get through the play-offs.

Stats can say whatever you want them to. You talk about us falling apart defensively when a team comes at us - yet only 1 team let in less goals (Solihull). You talk about goals, yet only 1 team scored more than us (Barrow). We beat both Harrogate and Barrow away (it doesn't matter how - we did).

You talk about Notts bottling it .... almost reads like you want them to so you can say 'told you so'

Let's get behind this team and get out of this league.

[laddo]

I thought defensively we were good last season. You can cherry pick stats to help any argument.

Naturally when you compare any teams record to the team that deservedly won the league you are going to come up short. Like 22 other side's funnily enough.

Davy is right we need to turn more draws into wins, if Roberts had been with us all season maybe we would have. Davy is rightly aiming for 1st position, it's a tough ask to be the best in any league but it's the place we all want to be come end of the season.

If anyone is looking for told you so success on the internet, then a football forum such as NCM is the perfect place. Predict failure, say the manager is rubbish, or predict a signing won't be good etc and you are onto a winner at most clubs in this league and our old days in L2. It's the safest bet in the business, just look at Notts track record with managers, players and team finishing positions. You are going to be rarely wrong if you go all negative and pessimistic. Sadly :/

[queenslandpie]

But how many of their recruits would you take in our team?

Its not so much the recruits though is it. A few of ours are only good on paper with little league experience. I would take Stockports manager over Ardley any day.

[Davy500]

I thought defensively we were good last season. You can cherry pick stats to help any argument.

Naturally when you compare any teams record to the team that deservedly won the league you are going to come up short. Like 22 other side's funnily enough.

Davy is right we need to turn more draws into wins, if Roberts had been with us all season maybe we would have. Davy is rightly aiming for 1st position, it's a tough ask to be the best in any league but it's the place we all want to be come end of the season.

If anyone is looking for told you so success on the internet, then a football forum such as NCM is the perfect place. Predict failure, say the manager is rubbish, or predict a signing won't be good etc and you are onto a winner at most clubs in this league and our old days in L2. It's the safest bet in the business, just look at Notts track record with managers, players and team finishing positions. You are going to be rarely wrong if you go all negative and pessimistic. Sadly :/

The reason why i included barrow,s stats is it gives a clear model for success , turning draws into more wins, and scoring first in games

Its just i think Notts start slow in games, and have been a better second half team, we need to be more aggressive from the offset

I happen to think there is a strong correlation , to starting on the front foot, and scoring first , to winning matches. . And that is what i want to see more of this season

[MAD_MAGPIE]

Well paly offs and we stay in this division for another season, because as i have said many times before, Notts will bottle it, and fall apart defensively when a team comes at us. Ardley to date has provided no evidence to the contary

The way forward is to get more wins, instead of draws to poor and mid side teams. How many draws did we have at home last season, converted to wins, would have given us more than enough points to be top.

Thats how Barrow did it, you will find they did not draw many games, they won games ,especially at home.
Barrow Home Record W 13 D 2 L 4 Notts Home Record W 10 D 8 L 2

Other interesting points show, Barrow scored first 78% of time , and were leading at half time 60 % of the time, compared to Notts scoring first 50% of time, and leading at half time 32 % of time
This clearly shows that Notts slow starts are detrimental to success, they need to come out all guns blazing, and take the lead sooner in games , the fact is not surprisingly goals win matches , away from home notts scored 78% of the time comapred to Barrow scoring 94% of the time

We had the second best defence in terms of goals conceded last season so we were solid so I can’t say I agree about us falling apart defensively. However I felt the high press was when we were at our weakest.

Yes you are right and I completely agree about turning more draws into wins especially at home. If we had turned five of those home draws to wins we would be in league two.

I’m also in full agreement about going at teams from the off. If we want to be champions then we have to think and believe we are champions and play on our own patch how we want to play.

The novelty of playing at Meadow Lane for the first time for a lot of clubs and fans in this league will be gone this season as well. Yes teams may still up their game or park the bus, but we have to adapt and be better in all areas. I have no issues with respecting teams but let’s be tough and dominant.

If we beat Dover away or Altrincham 5-0 at home in the style we did against Bradford in Aug 09 then we will be on our way.