Match Thread vs. Torquay United 09.04.22 [NL]

[TSANHO]

IB is a coach…a head coach, and a pretty darn good one I’d wager. IB even states his favourite bit of the week is being on the training pitch and match days are very stressful for him. Gary Brazil was/is also a very good coach.

I have doubts whether IB will ever be a good manager.

[Eastcoastultra1977]

IB is one of the worst managers we have ever had. He is fg clueless.

..and as you can imagine, he is up against some pretty tough previous opposition.

[matt_magpie]

Oh, how we could do for a Phil Turner and Paul Harding in our side.

I’ve always been of thought we don’t need this type of player and I don’t think we actually do, but as Keane said and I can vouch for playing a bit, sometimes yer just want to smash into someone to make u feel better and the team, but when u have Rawlinson and Lacey, having their chance as physical players to establish themselves in the run in, go and win everything and show what ur about.

[countygump]

What a difference a week makes! The previous Saturday Notts had left the Southend pitch to the applause of their fans, Ruben Rodrigues with a smile as wide as the Trent and clutching the match ball after his hat-trick secured an impressive 3-0 victory.

Fast forward seven days and the mood of both players and fans could not have been more different.

Outclassed and outfought in a 5-1 defeat, they trudged off the Plainmoor pitch in much the same way as they did when beaten 4-2 in last season’s play-off semi-final.

Despite the defeat, Notts remain sixth in the National League table, and while teams above them took advantage of Saturday’s horror show by winning to improve their chances of securing a coveted top-three place, many Magpies fans will still hope the team can garner a hefty points tally from their remaining seven games to launch them into the upper echelons of the play-off positions.

Realistically, however, the evidence of a topsy-turvy season so far points to such a scenario being far from guaranteed.

True, on paper, Notts could not have asked for a more favourable run-in to the season. All their remaining fixtures are against sides currently in the bottom eight, including two games against already-relegated Dover Athletic.

The problem is that apart from doomed Dover, Altrincham, who appear safe in 15th place, and Maidenhead, also in the clear barring a disastrous decline in their form and a miraculous recovery from clubs in the relegation zone, all the other teams Notts face are fighting for their lives.

King’s Lynn, who are the visitors to Meadow Lane on Friday, Weymouth and Aldershot are sure to be dangerous adversaries. And after seeing Dover put five goals past Wrexham recently, admittedly in a bizarre 6-5 defeat, and Maidenhead claim the scalps of some of the league’s big names, there is nothing to suggest that they, along with Altrincham, who beat Notts in the reverse fixture, will provide easy pickings either.

While Stockport look to have secured top spot and automatic promotion, everything points to the battle below them for play-off success being as tight and unpredictable as it has been all season.

One point could make the difference between finishing third instead of fourth, with the reward a guaranteed home semi-final, or fifth instead of sixth, securing a home quarter-final, or even eighth instead of seventh, and missing out on the end-of-season showdown altogether!

And that ***** point could be provided by goal difference, which is where Notts’ heavy defeat at Plainmoor becomes even more worrying.

After their weekend wins the top two, Stockport, now on plus-50, and second-placed Wrexham, plus-36, are well clear of the rest in the goal difference column.

But the big change comes below that, and it does not make good reading for Notts’ fans.

Before Saturday’s games the teams occupying the remaining play-off places were separated by just six goals, with Solihull Moors, fourth in the table, next best to Wrexham on plus-26 and Grimsby Town, in seventh, on plus-20.

Notts, on plus-22, looked in good shape, knowing a run of scoring form could see them close the gap on those above them while providing further insurance against a late surge by one of the clubs still battling to get into the play-offs - Boreham Wood, Dagenham & Redbridge and Bromley.

That table looks very different now. Notts, on plus-18, have the worst goal difference of teams in the play-off places, two behind seventh-placed Grimsby, 10 in arrears of Solihull, who remain fourth, eight off third-placed Halifax and six behind Chesterfield in fifth.

In the run-in, of course, securing three points by any score is the first objective, but if Notts can really find their shooting boots to overtake those above them in the goal-scoring stakes it could mean the difference between success and failure.


https://www.nottinghampost.com/sport...oberts-6932390

[macse15]

What a difference a week makes! The previous Saturday Notts had left the Southend pitch to the applause of their fans, Ruben Rodrigues with a smile as wide as the Trent and clutching the match ball after his hat-trick secured an impressive 3-0 victory.

Fast forward seven days and the mood of both players and fans could not have been more different.

Outclassed and outfought in a 5-1 defeat, they trudged off the Plainmoor pitch in much the same way as they did when beaten 4-2 in last season’s play-off semi-final.

Despite the defeat, Notts remain sixth in the National League table, and while teams above them took advantage of Saturday’s horror show by winning to improve their chances of securing a coveted top-three place, many Magpies fans will still hope the team can garner a hefty points tally from their remaining seven games to launch them into the upper echelons of the play-off positions.

Realistically, however, the evidence of a topsy-turvy season so far points to such a scenario being far from guaranteed.

True, on paper, Notts could not have asked for a more favourable run-in to the season. All their remaining fixtures are against sides currently in the bottom eight, including two games against already-relegated Dover Athletic.

The problem is that apart from doomed Dover, Altrincham, who appear safe in 15th place, and Maidenhead, also in the clear barring a disastrous decline in their form and a miraculous recovery from clubs in the relegation zone, all the other teams Notts face are fighting for their lives.

King’s Lynn, who are the visitors to Meadow Lane on Friday, Weymouth and Aldershot are sure to be dangerous adversaries. And after seeing Dover put five goals past Wrexham recently, admittedly in a bizarre 6-5 defeat, and Maidenhead claim the scalps of some of the league’s big names, there is nothing to suggest that they, along with Altrincham, who beat Notts in the reverse fixture, will provide easy pickings either.

While Stockport look to have secured top spot and automatic promotion, everything points to the battle below them for play-off success being as tight and unpredictable as it has been all season.

One point could make the difference between finishing third instead of fourth, with the reward a guaranteed home semi-final, or fifth instead of sixth, securing a home quarter-final, or even eighth instead of seventh, and missing out on the end-of-season showdown altogether!

And that ***** point could be provided by goal difference, which is where Notts’ heavy defeat at Plainmoor becomes even more worrying.

After their weekend wins the top two, Stockport, now on plus-50, and second-placed Wrexham, plus-36, are well clear of the rest in the goal difference column.

But the big change comes below that, and it does not make good reading for Notts’ fans.

Before Saturday’s games the teams occupying the remaining play-off places were separated by just six goals, with Solihull Moors, fourth in the table, next best to Wrexham on plus-26 and Grimsby Town, in seventh, on plus-20.

Notts, on plus-22, looked in good shape, knowing a run of scoring form could see them close the gap on those above them while providing further insurance against a late surge by one of the clubs still battling to get into the play-offs - Boreham Wood, Dagenham & Redbridge and Bromley.

That table looks very different now. Notts, on plus-18, have the worst goal difference of teams in the play-off places, two behind seventh-placed Grimsby, 10 in arrears of Solihull, who remain fourth, eight off third-placed Halifax and six behind Chesterfield in fifth.

In the run-in, of course, securing three points by any score is the first objective, but if Notts can really find their shooting boots to overtake those above them in the goal-scoring stakes it could mean the difference between success and failure.


https://www.nottinghampost.com/sport...oberts-6932390

Cue : pointless Post interview with a n other player about how they’re “all hurting”

[Masson4]

IB even states his favourite bit of the week is being on the training pitch and match days are very stressful for him.

Not particular meaning to rubbish Ian Burchnall in the wake of a shocking result and display yesterday but I find this a strange aspect to his work and signs of it have been noticable at various times. He extremely often talks about and seems to take great store in a player 'training well' and 'doing well on the training ground' - more than any coach/manager I can think of. Now the guy is an experienced professional and I've only ever been an amateur player and fan so he undoubtedly has forgotten more than I have ever known about the game but I find his attitude a bit disturbing.

Surely it's all about what happens on match day? That's what every player trains for, it's the culmination of their working week and what they are judged on - not how good they looked in training when it ultimately doesn't matter. Can they do it on the day? Can they perform when it's demanded and necessary? Can they be winners, not just show ponies weaving pretty patterns on the pitch?

Watching footage of some of his training sessions with the players it he appears a very technical coach. That's fine but does the accent on that work help when you're 2-0 down in a crucial match and getting your arse kicked all over the park? Will that concentration on the technicalities and complicated tactics and systems help you stand up, be a leader and drag your team forwards?

As for him finding match days 'stressful', it might be questioned if he's in the right job because whether he enjoys it or not, that's what the hell this game is all about.

It's been said many times in so many different ways but basically Notts lack sheer balls and character at times. We all enjoy 'nice' football but makeno mistake this is the fifth division of football and it's high time Notts adapted to it in order to get the hell out of it.

[the_anticlough]

.....................Jaros
Richardson Rawlo Lacey Chicks DKE
.........Vincent Palmer Arter
..................Rodrigues
..................Wootton

What the hell is that team going to be doing, if say Wootton is having a quiet day?
It's setting up for a defence v attack training session. And are we good at defending? Is it the squad's strength?

The inquest on this thread is interesting but pointless. Yeah the players didn't show up and crumbled, but IB's over-caution and
lack of bravery is the main problem. How can you take the game to the opposition with a set up like that? Where is the game going to be played? In your own box is the only answer to that.

[durhampie]

Well, we seem to prefer playing more in our own half than the opposition..That's why we are set up so defensive...

[the_anticlough]

Well, we seem to prefer playing more in our own half than the opposition..That's why we are set up so defensive...

If he's picking the team for numbers to do that then he's really lost the plot.
I don't think so though...he imagines us playing out and pushing into their half, but then he wants insurance (DKE at WB!) and then more insurance (2 holding mids) and then even more (nobody ahead of Ruben apart from the pretty immobile Wootton). I don't want to hear him say 'being brave' in an interview ever again.

[MAD_MAGPIE]

.....................Jaros
Richardson Rawlo Lacey Chicks DKE
.........Vincent Palmer Arter
..................Rodrigues
..................Wootton

What the hell is that team going to be doing, if say Wootton is having a quiet day?
It's setting up for a defence v attack training session. And are we good at defending? Is it the squad's strength?

The inquest on this thread is interesting but pointless. Yeah the players didn't show up and crumbled, but IB's over-caution and
lack of bravery is the main problem. How can you take the game to the opposition with a set up like that? Where is the game going to be played? In your own box is the only answer to that.

Where we are today after the 5-1 thrashing yesterday has a similar aspect for me to when we lost in the cup to Hornchurch just over a year ago in IB's first game. We had a multiple amount of Tue/Sat games afterwards, but then after his first full week on the training ground, we had an away game at Plainmoor where we really looked a decent outfit and got a 2-2 draw. In our last eight games we won six of them, losing and drawing against Bromley. It was the difference between NA and IB that shone through in those last eight games.

Ironically we've come back from Plainmoor this year at a similar time of the season with a completely different performance and result. What we must do however is now go on and replicate that attacking and brave style of football that was the difference between NA and IB at the end of last season.

It's quite possible we could go an win 6 out of the last 7 as we've got four home games Kings Lynn, Weymouth, Dover and Altrincham. We should be looking to win all of those games. Then three away games at Dover, Aldershot and Maidenhead. For me it's those three away games that will ultimately decide what place in the play-offs we will finish in.