Match Thread vs. Chesterfield 20.02.21 [NL]

[Stan Marshall]

Utter garbage. Enzio was our only threat and ended up playing virtually left back. Our set pieces were worse than dreadful. Oh, and Doyle & Reeves played the full 96 minutes despite constantly giving the ball away. If I was Wolfe I’d look to go on loan elsewhere ‘cos if you can’t get on the pitch today, Ardley’s never going to give you a chance!

[CheltenhamPie]

The good news is: We are still in the mix. The performance today was very poor, with not one player producing a satisfactory game. The midfield produced possibly the worst performance for a long time.
Still, in their defence, the ball was too hard and the grass was too short.��

[KCNotts]

How that was not 2-0 with that one on one at the end I'll never know.

Probably the most disappointing performance of the season for me and we deserved nothing from that game at all. We did not test the keeper once in the entire game. To be fair to Cheaterfield they did a job on us by pressing, working hard, giving us no time on the ball and nullified any threat because we did not have the dominance of play or possession. We did not have anywhere near the quality, energy, creativity or spark to overcome that in the final third as has been the case many times this season.

It's games like today where our lack of creativity and ability to score more goals is going to cost us points. It puts more pressure on us getting a result against Stockport next.

Any manager in our league should use Chesterfield's tactics as a blueprint to play against Notts. The better managers have used these tactics against us over the last 18 months and we NEVER have an answer to it. As somebody said, Chesterfield are nothing special, but you don't have to be to negate our tactics.

I think, if we are being honest, we can count on one hand how many times Ardleyball has been really effective this season.

If the Danes really are stats men, how can they be happy with this brand of football? No shots on target at home again. It's really poor guys.

[matt_magpie]

KC's prediction:

Chesterfield will knock us out of the Playoffs. You heard it here first.

Be totally honest now KC would you be happier if that happened than us get promoted? just a yes or no will suffice and no dodging the question.

Moving on we were absolutely done a number on today, it does ask the question if we are too soft to cope with that kind assault in the first half but then again if not many teams can do that we should be in the running.

Interesting to see how their manager Rowe is doing, they've took a risk on a successful lower league rookie and it's working with a bit of investment in new players, the difference with Notts is Chesterfield were desperate and probably got slightly lucky in his appointment, did speak well pre match but so does Ardley, long way to go though this season.

[eastwoodmagpie]

Absolutely disgraceful Ardley and Notts!! Worse performance of the season!!! Only player of any merit was Boldewijn , Rodriguez as useless, wasted every single free kick. Well Mr Nasty that team talk worked!!!

Have to agree about Boldewijn only player to show some kind of effort. Was Reeves playing in the first half and not much better second half, seemed to be just going through the motions and should have been replaced.

[KCNotts]

How that was not 2-0 with that one on one at the end I'll never know.

Probably the most disappointing performance of the season for me and we deserved nothing from that game at all. We did not test the keeper once in the entire game. To be fair to Cheaterfield they did a job on us by pressing, working hard, giving us no time on the ball and nullified any threat because we did not have the dominance of play or possession. We did not have anywhere near the quality, energy, creativity or spark to overcome that in the final third as has been the case many times this season.

It's games like today where our lack of creativity and ability to score more goals is going to cost us points. It puts more pressure on us getting a result against Stockport next.

There is no doubt about it we are far weaker up top this season having lost Thomas and Dennis. If we fail to get promoted this will be one of the key reasons.

Be totally honest now KC would you be happier if that happened than us get promoted? just a yes or no will suffice and no dodging the question.

Moving on we were absolutely done a number on today, it does ask the question if we are too soft to cope with that kind assault in the first half but then again if not many teams can do that we should be in the running.

Interesting to see how their manager Rowe is doing, they've took a risk on a successful lower league rookie and it's working with a bit of investment in new players, the difference with Notts is Chesterfield were desperate and probably got slightly lucky in his appointment, did speak well pre match but so does Ardley, long way to go though this season.

What is your problem Matt? No i wouldn't be happy with that. I am a Notts fan and I want us to do well...just like all true Notts fans.

Stupid question.

[MAD_MAGPIE]

Any manager in our league should use Chesterfield's tactics as a blueprint to play against Notts. The better managers have used these tactics against us over the last 18 months and we NEVER have an answer to it. As somebody said, Chesterfield are nothing special, but you don't have to be to negate our tactics.

I think, if we are being honest, we can count on one hand how many times Ardleyball has been really effective this season.

If the Danes really are stats men, how can they be happy with this brand of football? No shots on target at home again. It's really poor guys.

We are a strong resolute defensive outfit and to be title winners we need more goals, although that's the hardest thing to do in football.

A lot of teams at this level will respect us to the point that they will let us play football because we will pass them and dominate them with our possession and exploit gaps. As someone said earlier in the thread we are the Man City of non-league.

When we come up against sides that are not afraid to have a go at us such as Cheaterfield today, Boreham Wood and other games like Harrogate in the play off final that's where it can break down. Our game relies on passing, dominance and possession and relies on all players to be on it. Today too many were not on it so again it becomes a perfect storm where the end product is little to no attacking threat in the final third.

Part of me does think we were a bit nervy and maybe were were waiting for Cheaterfield to make a mistake as well the more the game went on so we could nick an equaliser. We need to create our own luck in future games by forcing more corners, getting the ball into good areas in the final third and test the keeper far more often or if we cant do that we need to be clinical in front of goal when we do get a chance or two a game.

[eastwoodmagpie]

It's days like today where we needed Enzio and Rodrigues to be on it and at it as they are our creative players. Without those two pushing forward and creating then we have nothing as Doyle and Reeves are not the creative kind of midfielders. They are the engines and workhorses of the midfield.

Reeves a workhorse what a joke not on todays performance, just going through the motions and should have been replaced at half time.

[matt_magpie]

What is your problem Matt? No i wouldn't be happy with that. I am a Notts fan and I want us to do well...just like all true Notts fans.

Stupid question.

It's just the way you come across, maybe I've got it wrong. You are certainly right we need to work out how to combat this type of threat, tbf they were exceptional by non league standards 1st half with their energy, commitment and positiveness. The one thing I said Ardley got wrong in the relegation season is he overthought it and today not sure if he got it wrong or our group just can't handle that type of side. What ive seen today is Chesterfield are extremely likely to make the playoffs and our chances of winning the title are a lot less likely, we'll make the play offs but there needs to be an honest assessment internally how we deal with these games going forward if we want to challenge.

[queenslandpie]

We are a strong resolute defensive outfit and to be title winners we need more goals, although that's the hardest thing to do in football.

A lot of teams at this level will respect us to the point that they will let us play football because we will pass them and dominate them with our possession and exploit gaps. As someone said earlier in the thread we are the Man City of non-league to some clubs at this level.

When we come up against sides that are not afraid to have a go at us such as Cheaterfield today, Boreham Wood and other games like Harrogate in the play off final that's where it can break down. Our game relies on passing, dominance and possession and relies on all players to be on it. Today too many were not on it so again it becomes a perfect storm where the end product is little to no attacking threat in the final third.

Part of me does think we were a bit nervy and maybe were were waiting for Cheaterfield to make a mistake as well the more the game went on so we could nick an equaliser. We need to create our own luck in future games by forcing more corners, getting the ball into good areas in the final third and test the keeper far more often or if we cant do that we need to be clinical in front of goal when we do get a chance or two a game.

If I was a gambling man I would have put money on us losing today. It was predictable. Chesterfield are a team on the up with a manager who clearly knows what he is doing who had studied us carefully and knew how to rumble us and executed his game plan perfectly. They got up us, ruffled a few feathers then like a number of the better teams comfortably soaked up our clueless possession. Let's hope that Roberts is back soon and back to his best as well, as it is quite clear there is little way of unlocking teams when we play to the style Chesterfield dictated we play to today. As I have said for a while play offs will probably happen but we aren't very cohesive and haven't looked much chop at all in the 2 games this week. One lucky away win one deserved home defeat from the biggest budget in the division. He better hope he gets 3 points at stuttering Stockport or the knives will be out again.