Maynard out?

[MAD_MAGPIE]

Jatta has been poor since DC left, do not think that is a coincidence

This season we have put high balls into the box for someone to get a header on but it?s felt like a percentage game sometimes. I think it was Gillingham at home where we did this time and time again and their defence kept tidying it up every time. It?s bread and butter for league two defenders to be good in the air aerially. I?d have liked to have seen more through balls on the floor and breaking the lines for Jatta to run onto. I?m talking about those Crowley and Nemane combo line breaking passes but using the channels for through balls. Today we did a through ball once in the second half for Traore to run onto and that was about the only through ball I remember. We tried some cut backs in the box but still tried aerially is well.

This summer we need someone to come in of the quality of Crowley and Ruben Rodrigues because we?ve missed that game changing creatively and goal threat as well since Crowley went. With Abbott going back to Tottenham it?s even more crucial we get some creative quality in midfield. Then we might see Jatta get some quality service or at least mix things up a bit.

[Woodypie]

Tippy tappy is crap. Wimbledon, for God's sake, completely dominated us. We need Bros to be less invested in a failed football fad and to appoint a manager that is a proven winner, and let him get o with it in a way that gets positive results. The last quarter of the season was a monumental failure. This is as much Bros' fault as "Frustratin' Maynard's. Sorry Nodders and Pink Specs Brigade, but everything in the Notts garden is NOT rosy. My sheets are completely dry, by the way.

[i961pie]

How have Forest proved that?
They?re 7th behind 6 teams that all play through the lines!
Villa were in the bottom 3 when Emery took over. He took virtually the same squad into Europe playing possession based football Vs the direct approach that Gerrard had them playing.
Our style has not been the issue. Ultimately, the only thing that matters is how many times you stick the ball in the net Vs how many times the opposition do it.
We had 24 chances Vs Cheltenham and lost the game. No other style of play is going to create more chances. We just didn?t have the minerals at each end of the pitch, over the course of the season, to get us in the top 3.

Forest were one of the favourites for relegation. if you had said to their fans at the start of the season they would qualify for Europe and still be in with a chance of a champions league spot with 2 games remaining plus a Wembley semi final they would have bit your hand off or thought you were mad.

[i961pie]

Teams that come to the lane often get 10 men behind the ball but then break quickly and you see 4 or 5 of them get into our box. We are slow and predictable and usually there's only Jatta there marked by 2/3 defenders. That's why we hardly get any goals from our midfield players.

[pjace]

I thought Maynard said we were going to play in a different way well I didn't see any of it .
We played the same way and got the same result.

HE HAS TO GO

[kill_the_drum]

Forest were expected to struggle. They haven't got the players to play in the same way as City, so instead have looked at an alternative which exploits the attributes of their squad. It's been very effective. Up until 12-18 months ago, I'd say there was no doubt that Man City were the team to replicate. Now, I'm not so sure. 70% possession and poor form Vs 30% possession and consistently good results. Our possession game has been ineffective and boring to watch as well as nullifying our most potent attacking threats.

Regards the chances stat, I take that with a pinch of salt purely because I've watched every Notts game this season and the data can make a very dull and toothless performance look more palatable. Of the chances recorded, how many were actually clear goal scoring opportunities?

I'd argue our style is very much the problem. We lack tempo and bravery on the ball. We always slow everything down, allowing the opposition to re-group and get back in position. We have some genuine pace and attack minded players, but our style feels like we're driving a Ferrari with the handbrake on.

Forest have played a low block and countered teams. It?s worked because they?ve played to their strengths of blistering pace, having the ability to move the ball quick and have had an inform striker who has converted the few chances he?s had. It?s absolutely worked for them and they?ve exceeded everyone?s expectations. They?ve recently had injuries to CHO and Chris Wood and have won 1 in the last 7.
In summary, whatever the system, it only works with the best players on the pitch.
Our system isn?t the problem, we either sold our best players or they were injured.
And the irony is a lot of fans don?t seem to have noticed that we did change our style of play when Crowley left. We went far more direct and tried to feed off the front line.
Look at the blocks of form we had this season, it?s no coincidence that it was with 2 of Crowley, Jones and Didzy playing and fit. Nobody complained about the system when we destroyed Grimsby 4-1.
We went into the season with a 28 goal striker, the league 2 player of the season, the pace of Nemane and the creative flair of Dan Crowley.
We?ve finished the season with Junior Morias being our final hope.
Forget systems, forget the manager, we didn?t have enough quality on the pitch!

[maddogslater]

Or the quality on the pitch wasn't used to maximum impact, thanks Maynard, Austin left wing back and Jarvis on the bench

[Bohinen]

Maynard's mentality sounds like that old chant 'Mindless Minority'. Maybe fans could start chanting that in our excruciatingly tedious spells of pointless possession-based football if he stays, which I'm starting to be convinced he will.

[jackal2]

Maynard's mentality sounds like that old chant 'Mindless Minority'. Maybe fans could start chanting that in our excruciatingly tedious spells of pointless possession-based football if he stays, which I'm starting to be convinced he will.

Pointless possession is the key phrase.

Under Neal Ardley and Stuart Maynard the large percentage of possession was/is pointless, because too often it hasn't produced a positive result, and it isn't the least bit entertaining to watch. In fact it's tedious, like watching a never-ending pre-season game.

Under Luke Williams there was always more purpose and attacking intent about what we were doing, winning the ball back quickly and always trying to get it into the opponent's box. His policy of banning shots from outside the area was odd, especially when you've got someone like Didzy in the team, but players like Jodi Jones were free get forward to put as much quality ball into the box as possible and they thrived on it. We also played at a much higher tempo than under Maynard, taking fewer touches, so opposition defences didn't have time to set. The only major criticism I had of Williams was the unnecessary overplaying at the back which exposed the limitations of a player like Baldwin, but I suppose even then the risk-taking had you on the edge of your seat rather than dozing off.

There's another thread suggesting that our squad lacks a considerable amount of talent, but I don't really agree. I think Bass is one of the best goalkeepers in the division, our new centre-halves this season have been far better than the ones they replaced, we have two attackers who managed to get themselves amongst the leading scorers in the division DESPITE the amount of turgid football we've played, and wide players like Jones, Tsaroulla and Jarvis could thrive under a Williams-style system. In Matt Palmer we've got a steady midfielder who can collect the ball from defence and play the pass to the player who can play the killer pass, but what we lost in Dan Crowley was the latter. That needs addressing through recruitment.

For me, the criticism that is equally valid of Neal Ardley and Stuart Maynard is that neither is able to get their team playing in a way that maximises the potential of their players, in fact quite the opposite, they stifle our leading talents. That needs to change, whether Maynard undergoes some sort of summer coaching epiphany, gets new help from elsewhere or is replaced. I don't want another season watching the sub-standard entertainment I've seen in 24/25.

[tommopie8]

He shouldn't have started the 24-25 season for all the reasons we've seen unfold.

If he starts the 25-26 season as our head coach then they can whistle for my money.