⚽ Match Thread vs. AFC Wimbledon 10.05.25 [EFL L2 POSF1]

[matt_magpie]

I just want Notts to win. I seriously don't care how. I think most normal, honest people would think the same about their team.

We're not in a position to be football 'evangelists'. We pay our money each week and if Notts win, we generally go home happy.

I can quite honestly say that I have never watched or played in a game of football, where afterwards I've thought, 'well we had 80% of the possession, we had twice as many throw ins. We didn't commit a foul, whereas the other team committed 10 fouls and had 3 players booked and none of the opposition got hurt, but we finished up with 9 men because of injuries. We lost 6-0, but at least we have maintained the higher, moral ground'.

I like to see players like Brian Kilcline, put the opposition centre forward into the away team dug out with one tackle or players like Neal Bishop scaring the $hit out of the other team's midfield.

How many great teams have won anything, by playing schoolboy football? I struggle to think of any. Before the advent of modern football, ALL successful teams had their enforcers.

I think some people do care though, I wouldn?t want us lumping it 99% of the time as I saw under Nolan. People asked me what was the football like, I?d say ?dreadful? but we?re winning a few till we didn?t.

I?m happy with middle ground, mixing it up, a few tackles flying in. That?s what I remember in the Warnock days, it wasn?t all long ball as many outsiders believed, we had enforcers like Harding, we had guile with the likes of Donno, we had culture with drapes, a great finisher in Tommy, pace with Bartlett, it was just a really good mix and now we don?t have a mix, just very very similar players.

[Lullapie]

I think some people do care though, I wouldn?t want us lumping it 99% of the time as I saw under Nolan. People asked me what was the football like, I?d say ?dreadful? but we?re winning a few till we didn?t.

I?m happy with middle ground, mixing it up, a few tackles flying in. That?s what I remember in the Warnock days, it wasn?t all long ball as many outsiders believed, we had enforcers like Harding, we had guile with the likes of Donno, we had culture with drapes, a great finisher in Tommy, pace with Bartlett, it was just a really good mix and now we don?t have a mix, just very very similar players.

There's a huge difference between getting the ball forward quickly and lumping it forward. Nothing wrong with either technique, as long as you have the players to play that way - in my opinion. It wouldn't bother me if all of Notts players were giants.

Putting the ball forward quickly though allows you to clear any danger and puts the opposition on the back foot all around.

I was always taught, if you can make the opposition have to turn around and run, then you are heading in the right direction.

Too much of Notts' football is not only played in their own half, but also in front of their own goal, meaning that it is Notts who are having to turn and chase, even when they're in possession.

[slack_pie]

There's a huge difference between getting the ball forward quickly and lumping it forward. Nothing wrong with either technique, as long as you have the players to play that way - in my opinion. It wouldn't bother me if all of Notts players were giants.

Putting the ball forward quickly though allows you to clear any danger and puts the opposition on the back foot all around.

I was always taught, if you can make the opposition have to turn around and run, then you are heading in the right direction.

Too much of Notts' football is not only played in their own half, but also in front of their own goal, meaning that it is Notts who are having to turn and chase, even when they're in possession.

This is my view too. Whether we play on the ground or in the air, I want us to play with urgency and desire, especially at home. I want us to get the ball forward quickly at any opportunity.

I understand that our current approach requires players and fans to be patient as we build an opening rather than force one, but it sometimes seems like the players are so drilled to be negative that their first instinct is to turn backwards, even if it's not necessary. The amount of times I've seen a player receive the ball in a good position and then, without thinking, turn so that they're facing away from goal rather than towards it.

Also, possession-based football prioritises keeping the ball. Our players often seem more concerned with keeping possession than making something happen. This results in playing the safer pass, or what I mentioned before - deciding to turn away from goal and pass backwards. But when you look at the goals we score, they almost always happen because someone took a risk and did something positive. I'd rather we focused primarily on creating chances or playing in the final third than keeping the ball and waiting for the perfect opening.

Maybe I'm just a dinosaur, but lots of other teams seem to do what I've described above. One thing seems clear though: having more possession doesn't seem to translate into winning more games.

[nw6pie]

Maybe I'm just a dinosaur, but lots of other teams seem to do what I've described above. One thing seems clear though: having more possession doesn't seem to translate into winning more games.

Having more possession does translate into winning more games, but only when you have the players and formation to make it work. Leeds topped the possession stats in the Championship (61%) this season, Liverpool were second in the Premier League (58%, only behind - unsurprisingly - Man. City), Bayern Munich were top in Germany (63%).

We’re doing a “discount” version of the possession-based game that’s far more conservative than the teams mentioned above. Also, all of those teams play a 4-2-3-1 formation, compared to our 3-4-2-1. Maybe this needs to be the biggest change next season?

[slack_pie]

Having more possession does translate into winning more games, but only when you have the players and formation to make it work. Leeds topped the possession stats in the Championship (61%) this season, Liverpool were second in the Premier League (58%, only behind - unsurprisingly - Man. City), Bayern Munich were top in Germany (63%).

We?re doing a ?discount? version of the possession-based game that?s far more conservative than the teams mentioned above. Also, all of those teams play a 4-2-3-1 formation, compared to our 3-4-2-1. Maybe this needs to be the biggest change next season?

Yeah, I agree, it works better the higher up the pyramid you go, and the better players relative to the level you have. In L2, it's clearly not so effective:

Top five L2 sides by possession: Notts, Chesterfield, MKD, Carlisle, Swindon.

Where's our trophy?