Give the manager more time

[slack_pie]

Really interesting stat here:

⚖️ Highest average possession %s (top 4 tiers; 23/24):

6⃣7⃣%: ��SOUTHAMPTON*��
6⃣6⃣%: Man City, Notts County
6⃣3⃣%: Brighton, Leicester
6⃣2⃣%: Arsenal
6⃣1⃣%: Spurs, Peterborough
6⃣0⃣%: Liverpool, Bolton

Two things of note for me:

1. Out of the 10 teams, eight are in the top six of their respective leagues, so it’s working for them. The ninth, Brighton, are ninth and punching above their weight. Only we are in the bottom half of the table.

2. For a long time this season, it was working for us. What’s changed - and can we really pin it all on Matty Palmer’s absence?

It's individual errors that are killing us. I've never known a club make as many costly mistakes as we do. It seems like most of the goals we concede are entirely avoidable. Not sure what Maynard can do about it to be honest. You can say to Baldwin "hey, don't under hit your back pass please," but it's not really something he's choosing to do.

[matt_magpie]

Really interesting stat here:

⚖️ Highest average possession %s (top 4 tiers; 23/24):

6⃣7⃣%: ��SOUTHAMPTON*��
6⃣6⃣%: Man City, Notts County
6⃣3⃣%: Brighton, Leicester
6⃣2⃣%: Arsenal
6⃣1⃣%: Spurs, Peterborough
6⃣0⃣%: Liverpool, Bolton

Two things of note for me:

1. Out of the 10 teams, eight are in the top six of their respective leagues, so it’s working for them. The ninth, Brighton, are ninth and punching above their weight. Only we are in the bottom half of the table.

2. For a long time this season, it was working for us. What’s changed - and can we really pin it all on Matty Palmer’s absence?

Unfortunately I think you can pin a huge amount on missing Palmer. He’s the heartbeat of the team, keeps the tempo going by firing balls around the pitch. He’s defensively very good on work rate in harassing players and interceptions.
The good news is him and Robertson should be a force next season.

[OP67]

Really interesting stat here:

⚖️ Highest average possession %s (top 4 tiers; 23/24):

6⃣7⃣%: ��SOUTHAMPTON*��
6⃣6⃣%: Man City, Notts County
6⃣3⃣%: Brighton, Leicester
6⃣2⃣%: Arsenal
6⃣1⃣%: Spurs, Peterborough
6⃣0⃣%: Liverpool, Bolton

Two things of note for me:

1. Out of the 10 teams, eight are in the top six of their respective leagues, so it’s working for them. The ninth, Brighton, are ninth and punching above their weight. Only we are in the bottom half of the table.

2. For a long time this season, it was working for us. What’s changed - and can we really pin it all on Matty Palmer’s absence?

It works for them because they have defenders who don't panic under pressure. Our goals against is the killer for us, only bottom club Sutton ahve conceeded more goals than us. We clearly have a defence that isn't capable of plying our system against teams in the EFL. Unfortunately most of them are contracted until the end of next season.

[slack_pie]

It works for them because they have defenders who don't panic under pressure. Our goals against is the killer for us, only bottom club Sutton ahve conceeded more goals than us. We clearly have a defence that isn't capable of plying our system against teams in the EFL. Unfortunately most of them are contracted until the end of next season.

Exactly. We're trying to recreate a style that's used by a minority of teams, most of which are elite level, with defenders we signed in the National League. No wonder we concede so many.

[OP67]

Exactly. We're trying to recreate a style that's used by a minority of teams, most of which are elite level, with defenders we signed in the National League. No wonder we concede so many.

I would say most elite level teams are playing a possession based style like us. However they have elite defenders to be able to play it although they also make the odd mistake. I get why we play it as it's the modern way forward but we need the players. Last season the crap defence wasn't really worked much as we were in the other half of the pitch most games yet they still conceeded a fair few.

[matt_magpie]

I would say most elite level teams are playing a possession based style like us. However they have elite defenders to be able to play it although they also make the odd mistake. I get why we play it as it's the modern way forward but we need the players. Last season the crap defence wasn't really worked much as we were in the other half of the pitch most games yet they still conceeded a fair few.

For me it’s not the style costing us, yes there’s been a couple of howlers but that could happen with whatever style.
The issue is more you have 3 cbs throughout the season not winning their battles, I actually don’t think Baldwins bad in his battles and blocking shots. Then your defensive cover on crosses is 2 attacking wingbacks. So for me it’s more personnel and the imbalance of attack / defensive minded players.

[slack_pie]

For me it’s not the style costing us, yes there’s been a couple of howlers but that could happen with whatever style.
The issue is more you have 3 cbs throughout the season not winning their battles, I actually don’t think Baldwins bad in his battles and blocking shots. Then your defensive cover on crosses is 2 attacking wingbacks. So for me it’s more personnel and the imbalance of attack / defensive minded players.

Yeah, it's not rocket science. Three defenders who aren't great at the basics of defending, two 'wing-backs' who are actually wingers and can't defend, no ball-winning defensive midfielders, and goalkeepers who struggle with the basics of goalkeeping. That isn't exactly a recipe for success, and having the ball for two thirds of the game clearly hasn't worked in mitigating those issues.

[Chicken Balti Pie]

I think a rethink is needed in personnel. Our goalkeepers play the ball short. If a grown adult can't pass the ball then something is wrong so why not focus on their keeping ability? In ice hockey, a bit stat for goalies is their save percentages, I reckon ours must be very low as I can't remember the last time I felt confident and on target shot from the opposition would be saved?

If we play three at the back, why do all three have to be ball playing centre backs? At least one needs to be a brute who will dominate, ideally two of the three really, stops them from pulling defenders out of position. One ball playing centre back will still have the midfield, the wing backs and the keeper to play to, in total football, the idea is to have at least two options so why do we have to have all our centre backs to be effectively tallish midfielders?

[slack_pie]

I think a rethink is needed in personnel. Our goalkeepers play the ball short. If a grown adult can't pass the ball then something is wrong so why not focus on their keeping ability? In ice hockey, a bit stat for goalies is their save percentages, I reckon ours must be very low as I can't remember the last time I felt confident and on target shot from the opposition would be saved?

If we play three at the back, why do all three have to be ball playing centre backs? At least one needs to be a brute who will dominate, ideally two of the three really, stops them from pulling defenders out of position. One ball playing centre back will still have the midfield, the wing backs and the keeper to play to, in total football, the idea is to have at least two options so why do we have to have all our centre backs to be effectively tallish midfielders?

When was the last time our keeper kept us in the game with a MotM performance? I feel like it's been years.

[upthemaggies]

In the last ten years, with us currently on 1.94 against per game, only two teams in tier 4 have finished with a worse record than that, Morecambe on 1.98 in 2015/16 and Scunny 1.96 in 2021/22.

McP liked possession base football. No idea what our percentages were but 2007/08 we averaged 1.15 goals against (exactly the same as Thompson's full season), 2008/09 it went up to 1.50.
Munto with Kasper was 0.67 against, our best ever ratio at any level.

Up front, if Notts were to maintain the 2.03 goals per game ratio to the end of this season, it would be the highest scoring ratio seen by any club at this level since 2010, which also happened to be Notts with 2.09.