Match Thread vs. Boreham Wood 23.11.21 [NL]

[SwalePie]

The point is we should be top on merit, promotion is the stated objective and expectation by most. But if you are content with not beating the teams around us then stay chilled. We're here for the long haul and I guess we should all take a leaf out of your book.

The fact is we are a fifth rate club. Most of the time I've supported Notts we've been a third rate club with occasional seasons in the dizzy heights of the top two divisions. Now we're a fifth rate club and we are to be content with a draw from a winning position at Boring Wood.

You can be content with it if you like but I certainly am not. I am, however, capable of accepting that results don't always go according to the expectation. I'd go so far as to say that is one of the reasons we love the game so much. Accepting the result as a fact, as it has already happened, and moving on in hope of a much better one on Saturday is not the same as being content with it.

[SwalePie]

One thing Kyle Wootton never does is "go missing". He has his share of ineffective games, but that's entirely down to to competing against two centre backs with little or no support. If he does go, he'll be bloody hard to replace.

Agreed.

[the_anticlough]

One thing Kyle Wootton never does is "go missing". He has his share of ineffective games, but that's entirely down to to competing against two centre backs with little or no support. If he does go, he'll be bloody hard to replace.

I'm with BFP on this and see him as a work in progress still. You can go missing in different ways, it's not about effort but goal threat - those games when the defender has him in his pocket and 90mins can pass without any attempt on goal.

But what I don't doubt is that while he may not our best player he's probably the most important for our fortunes. We play 1 up with lots of creators in and around him - to get top 1 or 3 that sole striker needs 20-25 goals minimum and that will take a better chance conversion rate. We grind him into the ground a bit, so when he enters a bad patch he needs taking out of the team for a game or two, be allowed to freshen up and see some competition for his place.

[SaltySeaDog]

It's been a rough ride for us fans slowly trickling down to level 5, but unfortunately the club is here because it deserves to be.

Of course I'd much prefer us to be playing the likes of Sheffield Wednesday, Stoke, or even Lincoln again. But this "we are Notts County", "we are too big for the league" just sounds arrogant to me. Just like how we perceive Forest fans for living on past glories. Whenever new players sign and the interviewer talks about the ground, and how nice the changing rooms are it really makes me cringe.

Every team wants promotion from this league, and some have been run in the right way for much longer than us, so deserve to fight for their place alongside us. Thankfully we seem to finally be building things in the right way, so I am remaining positive & patient for our return up the leagues, whilst eating a cold slice of humble pie

[matt_magpie]

You are possibly too young to remember it, but we were a club that has achieved historically. Make that a club that has massively over achieved, because our fixture list used to consist of clubs like Man City, Man U, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, Spurs etc. I don't expect anything remotely close to that now, but do we really have to meekly accept Boreham Wood as equals?

I started in 86 so saw us one season in the top flight but know what you mean. I’m certainly not happy about it and part of my acceptance/tolerance is because unfortunately all the chips are stacked against us now with one auto spot and very competitive teams, if it was 3 autos like L2 I would be extremely hacked off if we were still in it after 3 seasons.

[durhampie]

I'm with BFP on this and see him as a work in progress still. You can go missing in different ways, it's not about effort but goal threat - those games when the defender has him in his pocket and 90mins can pass without any attempt on goal.

But what I don't doubt is that while he may not our best player he's probably the most important for our fortunes. We play 1 up with lots of creators in and around him - to get top 1 or 3 that sole striker needs 20-25 goals minimum and that will take a better chance conversion rate. We grind him into the ground a bit, so when he enters a bad patch he needs taking out of the team for a game or two, be allowed to freshen up and see some competition for his place.

We cant take him out because we have no one good enough to replace him with.. Mitchell is not good enough either..

[laddo]

So do I. Expect sheite and you can be sure that's what you'll get.

Or expect sheite, predict defeat each week and when it doesn't happen disappear until it does.

Clearly there are two schools of thought on this subject, and the draw at little high flying non league outfit Borehamwood illustrates this perfectly.

[laddo]

One thing Kyle Wootton never does is "go missing". He has his share of ineffective games, but that's entirely down to to competing against two centre backs with little or no support. If he does go, he'll be bloody hard to replace.

Agree. Never goes missing. I find the criticism of Wootton strange both this season and last. Thankfully the numbers who do, appear to be a very low proportion. Once he's gone those fans will catch up I'm sure.

[Old_pie]

You are possibly too young to remember it, but we were a club that has achieved historically. Make that a club that has massively over achieved, because our fixture list used to consist of clubs like Man City, Man U, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, Spurs etc. I don't expect anything remotely close to that now, but do we really have to meekly accept Boreham Wood as equals?

Those years were an aberration in Notts' history. Go back as far as you want and most of the time we've been 2/3rds down in however many leagues/divisions there were. A generation never saw Notts in the top flight. I started just post Lawton - seeing players like Hateley and Astle come in and be sold and failing to get into the 2nd tier. Years of dross until Sirrel got a grip. Two (good) blips in the years of dross and now more dross. I don't go down often and can barely manage the effort to watch this board.

It's great that folk like you are buying season tickets but perhaps the kind thing to have done was let the club go when it was in admin instead of killing folk with the dream of some good days again. "The good news is that the operation was a success, the bad news is that the patient is in a terminal coma".

There will need to be a step change in December otherwise I can see the remaining enthusiasm waning when reality strikes home.

[the_anticlough]

We cant take him out because we have no one good enough to replace him with.. Mitchell is not good enough either..

Well that's not a healthy state of affairs, is it? Along with no right-wing back, that will be one of the reasons we'll be looking at a 4th season in the National League.

So, there's no option apart from flogging him for 44 games whether he's in form or not? Keeping the same formation, we could even have Ruben with Cal, Vincent, Nemane behind him. And seeing what Mitchell, Knight, Sam, Palmer could do over a full 90mins is the only way we're ever going to find out about them. The other option is to recruit another striker.

On another subject too many people talk about 'play-offs' as if it represents a really good chance.
But the odds are.....6 really strong teams. 2nd place about 30% chance, 3rd 25% chance, 4th 15%, 5th 15%, 6th 8%, 7th 7%.
It's not a lottery just really really tough and 5 good teams are going to have their hearts broken.