⚽ Match Thread vs. Boreham Wood 13/08/22 [NL]

[TSANHO]

I would have been happy with a point at Borehamwood before the game, so I'm happy with point after it. This was never going to be an easy fixture against a team who I think will be in the promotion hunt, so all in all I reckon we've made a good start to the season. Maidenhead's win against Scun thorpe today puts our comfortable win last week in more context too. So far, so good.

Not really aimed at you Jackal but aren’t you worried, concerned at best, that we’re still made of custard when put under pressure? Same old mistakes giving the ball away in dangerous places, too complacent (almost arrogant?), and totally and utterly inept at defending crosses into the box.

It sounded like we created more chances for the opposition than we did for ourselves. I know it’s early days but we’re not creating enough and our soft underbelly is still there. I find it worrying that we’re starting with arguably 7 (8 including the goalkeeper) defensive players and we still can’t defend a lead.

At risk of sounding frantic or over the top, we look poor to me, certainly no where near the standard of challenging for overall honours. The manager can keep coming out and saying it’s not good enough….but that’s not good enough…the same problems have persisted ever since we got relegated.

#viva-ncm?!

[jackal2]

Not really aimed at you Jackal but aren’t you worried, concerned at best, that we’re still made of custard when put under pressure? Same old mistakes giving the ball away in dangerous places, too complacent (almost arrogant?), and totally and utterly inept at defending crosses into the box.

I'll be worried if we're still making the same mistakes in two or three months' time, which is why I began to get frustrated with Burchnall last season because we didn't seem to learn from the errors we made. The reality is that LW has inherited a team with those known problems, and we've got new players also gelling into the side, so I can tolerate certain weaknesses at this stage, especially when we're still getting a decent result, but the key test of LW will be whether he can iron out these problems as the season progresses. He's not had much time to change things yet.

Put it this way, if we haven't played anywhere near our full potential so far, which I agree we haven't, then being top of the (embryonic) league ain't a bad sign. Getting results even when you're not at your best is a key requirement of potential promotion winners and/or champions.

[Rainbowpie]

I thought we did ok today in really tough conditions. It was hard enough to sit in the shade watching let alone run around in the sun for 95 minutes
That being said we need to be braver with the passing in the wide areas. As much as i like Chicksen, he isn't a wing back and Taylor was a waste of a player on the right
Sam Austin, Langstaff and JOB made plenty of intelligent runs in the first half that we're crying out for a palmer pass. He'shouldn't be on the bench if he's fit
The defense looked a bit dicey today at times through the own complacency rather than BW pressure
All in all happy with the point but defo need to sort the wing backs out

[jackal2]

As much as i like Chicksen, he isn't a wing back and Taylor was a waste of a player on the right. All in all happy with the point but defo need to sort the wing backs out

Yes that one's got me puzzled too. I don't know why Joel Taylor is being deployed on the wrong side, which surely can't be a sustainable long-term plan even if he did come inside and score a belter last week. Is Adebayo-Rowling injured? Hasn't Sam Austin played wing-back at least occasionally for his previous clubs? Surely both of these should be ahead of Taylor in contention for that RWB role?

I think anticlough completely agrees with you about Chicksen and I do to an extent. I think Chicks is an adequate cover player for left centre-half or left-wing back, but he shouldn't be first choice. Joel is the natural left-wing back on our books and looked really good in that role early last season before losing form. We've either got to show faith in him in his proper position, or bite the bullet and admit we need to recruit a new first-choice player for that LWB position.

[durhampie]

I thought we did ok today in really tough conditions. It was hard enough to sit in the shade watching let alone run around in the sun for 95 minutes
That being said we need to be braver with the passing in the wide areas. As much as i like Chicksen, he isn't a wing back and Taylor was a waste of a player on the right
Sam Austin, Langstaff and JOB made plenty of intelligent runs in the first half that we're crying out for a palmer pass. He'shouldn't be on the bench if he's fit
The defense looked a bit dicey today at times through the own complacency rather than BW pressure
All in all happy with the point but defo need to sort the wing backs out

Agreed about Chicksen, He makes a run up field then stops and passes the ball back. So frustrating. It was a good point, but it was a game we should have had wrapped up in the first half. If we want to get out of this league then we have got to stop messing about with the ball in our own goal mouth. This suicidal tactic cost us again today...We are doing exactly the same crap as last season..

[Elite_Pie]

As much as i like Chicksen, he isn't a wing back and Taylor was a waste of a player on the right.

Because of the system we seem determined to play, wing backs on both sides are a bit of an issue. It's a very difficult role at this level, because the modern wing back needs to be able to defend, attack, create, and chip in with the occasional goal. We have a few players who can 'do a job' in the role, but nobody who seems an automatic first choice. Still early days and somebody might come through, but I hope the radar have their eye on some loanee who will prove to be an upgrade on what we already have.

[optipez]

Not really aimed at you Jackal but aren’t you worried, concerned at best, that we’re still made of custard when put under pressure? Same old mistakes giving the ball away in dangerous places, too complacent (almost arrogant?), and totally and utterly inept at defending crosses into the box.

It sounded like we created more chances for the opposition than we did for ourselves. I know it’s early days but we’re not creating enough and our soft underbelly is still there. I find it worrying that we’re starting with arguably 7 (8 including the goalkeeper) defensive players and we still can’t defend a lead.

At risk of sounding frantic or over the top, we look poor to me, certainly no where near the standard of challenging for overall honours. The manager can keep coming out and saying it’s not good enough….but that’s not good enough…the same problems have persisted ever since we got relegated.

#viva-ncm?!

I prefer LW to Birch, he comes across as more honest and wants to win every gsme, no ifs or buts or excuses when we haven't.
The team is likely to evolve, Palmer will become a starter and either Mitchell or Scott likely to have to play more to get the best from Langstaff.
Still think we need a better keeper and it sounded like there were too many errors from the defence but we're only two games in.

[durhampie]

Quite an encouraging interview in that he seemed down at having dropped two points rather than happy to have claimed one.

Its whether he does something about that counts...

[durhampie]

It's crazy that after just 2 games nobody has a 100% record in the league. Annoying for Notts after leading twice away from home.

Classic NL Notts comfortably best rabble at home, fail to beat some quality away from home#standard. Still unbeaten and ermmm top

I didn't think that they were that good. We should have been out of sight in the first half, but for missed chances. We gifted them their goals through pi**ing about as per usual..

[jackal2]

Because of the system we seem determined to play, wing backs on both sides are a bit of an issue. It's a very difficult role at this level, because the modern wing back needs to be able to defend, attack, create, and chip in with the occasional goal. We have a few players who can 'do a job' in the role, but nobody who seems an automatic first choice. Still early days and somebody might come through, but I hope the radar have their eye on some loanee who will prove to be an upgrade on what we already have.

Couldn't agree more.

There's probably no other position in a football team that requires as much all-round ability as wing back, because you've basically got to be good at both defending and attacking, have a great engine, good sense of when to make runs, and overall a reasonably high degree of football intelligence. Despite this, clubs often seem to occupy this role with 'bit part' or utility players of fairly modest ability. If you're going to insist on playing wing-backs then you really do have to invest heavily to get the specialists to play the role. I would have thought it was far easier to play a back four formation where the roles are more straight-forward, especially for players at non-league level who have their limitations by definition.