⚽ Match Thread vs. Gateshead FC 16.08.22 [NL]

[Mark_Ross]

This has to be seen as a disappointing result, especially in regard to comments regarding the performance. Far too early to make any judgements, but if we want to challenge at the top this seems two points dropped rather than a point gained. Big game on Saturday, maybe we'll know a bit more after that. At least Wrexham fans will be feeling worse than us!

Okay Chesterfield on Saturday. If we play the way we have been playing so far it will be a humiliating experience. Maybe Notts will rise to the occasion.

[SwalePie]

Okay Chesterfield on Saturday. If we play the way we have been playing so far it will be a humiliating experience. Maybe Notts will rise to the occasion.

Let's bl**dy hope so. Onwards and hopefully upwards.

[jackal2]

Onwards and hopefully upwards.

I remember somebody else who liked that phrase, and it didn't end well!

[Mark_Ross]

Let's bl**dy hope so. Onwards and hopefully upwards.

We have to hope for better!

[uysapie]

It's the hope that kills you. Different manager, same crap.

[slack_pie]

Okay Chesterfield on Saturday. If we play the way we have been playing so far it will be a humiliating experience. Maybe Notts will rise to the occasion.

It seems more likely that we'll lose and be five points behind them and then never recover that gap.

For those who have seen all three games - do we look stronger or weaker than last season? On paper, I'd say we look weaker, having replaced top players at this level (Wootton, Roberys, Lacey) with relative gambles.

[LaxtonLad]

Okay Chesterfield on Saturday. If we play the way we have been playing so far it will be a humiliating experience. Maybe Notts will rise to the occasion.

Chesterfield aren't the much to be feared powerhouse capable of demolishing allcomers that some on NCM worry about. There isn't a team in this league, including us, that are invincible - they wouldn't be in this league if they were.

All teams have unpredictable players capable of turning a game, whether it's into a win or a loss. If their play could regularly turn a mediocre game into a win - then they wouldn't be playing in this league.

Just remember, we are all in the fifth tier for a reason.

[the_anticlough]

My main issue with last night was that the team selected shows that LW isn't using info about the squad that he should have.

It's all very well, giving a clean slate to players as an incoming coach, but that doesn't mean you should discount the collective, accumulated wisdom that's around the club. IB wasn't as brave as he talked, but he wouldn't have picked... Palmer+Francis+O'Brien in a 5-3-1-1 (tweak as you like) for a game like this, away to a Level 6 promotion club.

O'Brien - scored in just 1 game in 2020/21 and 1 game in 2021/22 right? And doesn't assist all that much
Palmer - only gets 1 or 2 goals per season throughout his career
Francis - purely a holding player, not really a factor in the final third.

(Vincent scored more goals than the rest combined in his limited appearances last year)

We know nothing is going to come from our full back/central defender on the left wing. With Langstaff and Rodrigues isolated and outnumbered, it's no surprise that our only goal came from work by Nemane on the right. So he picked enough to draw, but ffs there's enough to pick from in the squad to have bossed that game with a bit more courage in the team selection.
We got what we set up for. LW can speak about being unbeaten, and selecting like that, with lots of 0-0, 1-0, 1-1, 0-1 scores, will guarantee that he sees the season out. But for us to gather enough points to be a factor in the promotion race, would require a hell of a lot more courage.