NL v League 2

[BanjoPie]

I do hope we haven't repeated the failures of the relegation season.

Signing good attacking players but not strengthening the defence and having a midfield that can't compete.

Jesus - 1st match in L2!

[matt_magpie]

Jesus - 1st match in L2!

You certainly wouldn’t want to be in the trenches with some on here, one sign of adversity and it’s sheer panic and turns out last years 107 point season was because everyone’s awful in that league, yet more teams are full time than ever in there.
Facts are we do need another defender, every single Notts player under achieved, probably every single Sutton player over achieved, result, we got walloped.

[marky]

There's no drama. Notts just need to sign a defender, someone with experience, just this once they need to forget about this "radar model" or whatever you call it.

[slack_pie]

Jesus - 1st match in L2!

I think most Notts fans are scarred from seasons past and any bad result dredges up all sort of bad memories and fears.

That said, we can't be naive either. There were clear signs towards the end of last season that we had problems at the back. Let's be honest, we were poor in both playoff games, and we'd have lost either to a half-decent side. The Stoke friendly was another eye-opener. Yet seemingly nothing has been done to fix our defensive problems.

Perhaps it was just a bad day at the office and we'll start shooting up the table over the coming weeks, but I have to say there are similarities to what happened under Nolan.

Of course you can't compare our current owners to Hardy, and Williams is clearly more professional and driven than Nolan was during that pre-season of doom. But even during the playoff season under Nolan, it was clear after a great start that there were problems. Those problems were never really addressed. Rather, they got bigger. And we all know what happened the following season.

I'm not saying the same thing will happen again. What I'm saying is if you continue to ignore obvious issues, those issues will eventually grow. Our defence needs sorting, either tactically or through new personnel. If we don't do that, we'll continue to get battered by teams who are good enough to take advantage of it.

[matt_magpie]

I think most Notts fans are scarred from seasons past and any bad result dredges up all sort of bad memories and fears.

That said, we can't be naive either. There were clear signs towards the end of last season that we had problems at the back. Let's be honest, we were poor in both playoff games, and we'd have lost either to a half-decent side. The Stoke friendly was another eye-opener. Yet seemingly nothing has been done to fix our defensive problems.

Perhaps it was just a bad day at the office and we'll start shooting up the table over the coming weeks, but I have to say there are similarities to what happened under Nolan.

Of course you can't compare our current owners to Hardy, and Williams is clearly more professional and driven than Nolan was during that pre-season of doom. But even during the playoff season under Nolan, it was clear after a great start that there were problems. Those problems were never really addressed. Rather, they got bigger. And we all know what happened the following season.

I'm not saying the same thing will happen again. What I'm saying is if you continue to ignore obvious issues, those issues will eventually grow. Our defence needs sorting, either tactically or through new personnel. If we don't do that, we'll continue to get battered by teams who are good enough to take advantage of it.

That season there was a massive decline Jan onwards and then to try and get a manager to play a creative style when he was the extreme of long ball was never going to work and that was only the half of it.
That said I get what you’re saying, if we’re playing 3 at the back we need another top level defender at the very least, a lot depends on Tipton too.
We got promoted last season because we had high intensity and especially away from home. I didn’t see any of that yesterday, I think the occasion got on top of them and they didn’t show Sutton the respect they deserved.
LW will sort with the owners, they are both intelligent and both want success and they aren’t stupid enough to think Notts can coast it, that’s one positive from Hardy’s reign, the lesson even if you’re as big as Notts you’re not too big to go into non league football.

[Davy500]

I think you are spot on with hindsight but unfortunately LW didn’t have that and with Nemane being one of our best sources of attack last season and Jones looking fitter and stronger there pre-season and also him and the squad believed the hype of the bookies so why would he go defensive away at a team that finished 14th last season although your theory was more solid and bring the more attacking players on when the game was stretched a bit more …perhaps something we will have to do more often this season
We know there are problems at the back and would like to see Baldwin and Tipton in the side probably in a back 4
As worrying for me was Palmer and Bostock ran the midfield last season in virtually every game and rarely gave the ball away but yesterday they were both bullied and gave the ball away a lot.
Hopefully it was mainly down to us having 10 men

We fell behind early just as in the play offs, but this time we were playing better opposition, so when we went down to 10 men it effectively ended the game as we were already behind
As for sutton finishing 14th, they were a much better home side than that, in fact they won 11 at home , out of the 15 they won all season, in fact only 4 teams won more games at home than Sutton last season
Notts had the best away record in NL, its obvious that this time, we are going to struggle more at gaining points on the road

[Davy500]

That season there was a massive decline Jan onwards and then to try and get a manager to play a creative style when he was the extreme of long ball was never going to work and that was only the half of it.
That said I get what you’re saying, if we’re playing 3 at the back we need another top level defender at the very least, a lot depends on Tipton too.
We got promoted last season because we had high intensity and especially away from home. I didn’t see any of that yesterday, I think the occasion got on top of them and they didn’t show Sutton the respect they deserved.
LW will sort with the owners, they are both intelligent and both want success and they aren’t stupid enough to think Notts can coast it, that’s one positive from Hardy’s reign, the lesson even if you’re as big as Notts you’re not too big to go into non league football.

The reason for the decline from January , was Yates leaving, and Hardy failing to strenghtn in the January transfer window , whilst the other teams did

[Magpies1959]

If we are as poor on Saturday then I think although still early, there might be more cause for concern.

[GrimsbySteve]

I would rather you had got off to a good start from our point of view , your lads will be fired up on Saturday no doubt .

I am interested in how the game goes as judging by pre-season and Saturday we will play some very good football on the ground , but without the end product unfortunately - it looks like we miss what you have - a natural goalscorer or 2 .

I imagine it will be tight , with both teams having spells of possession ; with last seasons more 'league 2' strategy of counter attack and defend I would be more confident ; but after your defeat and our new style not so much.

Keep an eye out for Conteh in the middle of the park ,he will go onto much bigger things - some talent .

Steve

[Davy500]

If we are as poor on Saturday then I think although still early, there might be more cause for concern.

Williams sacked if we dont win any of the first 5 matches ?