Wrexham (A)

[jackal2]

A bit like a Sam Allardyce team I suppose, they play all their nice stuff in the opponents half whereas we try to play it everywhere.

Neil Warnock's team(s) did the same as Big Sam's. It was a complete myth that Notts during the Warnock and Allardyce era were one-dimensional long-ball teams. They had physicality and could battle when they needed to battle, but there were some very good footballers in both sides too. As you say, they played their football in the opponent's half rather than their own, thus avoiding losing the ball in bad areas, but there has never been anything wrong with that philosophy.

The football we've seen this season has been the best I've ever witnessed in terms of pure entertainment, but we do sometimes "give opponents a chance". Fortunately, many teams in the National league aren't clinical enough to take those chances, but Wrexham at home will be. If we turn up at the Racecourse and expect the play 'business as usual' free-flowing football against them, we could be in trouble very quickly. Our style will definitely need to be more pragmatic if we're going to get a result, and we will need to win the battle before we can start to play.

[SwalePie]

....If we turn up at the Racecourse and expect the play 'business as usual' free-flowing football against them, we could be in trouble very quickly. Our style will definitely need to be more pragmatic if we're going to get a result, and we will need to win the battle before we can start to play.

Ah, but that's what they WANT you to think!

If we try to play them at their own game we'll lose.

[jackal2]

Ah, but that's what they WANT you to think!

If we try to play them at their own game we'll lose.

I think we have to be realistic about the quality of their players and their potential ability to impose their will on the game, relative to other opponents who arrive with all sorts of gameplans but don't have the personnel to enforce them.

Don't get me wrong, we're a footballing team and overall we absolutely should win playing our way or die trying, but as others have said, there may be some adjustments necessary, such as not playing quite as high a defensive line, because you've got to respect opposition of that quality.