Match Thread vs. Dagenham & Redbridge 19.03.22 [NL]

[drillerpie]

After sounds a class act and when fully fit could be the missing part of the jigsaw.

Yes, I'm hoping this is a reverse Ryan Yates moment.

Forest giveth and Forest taketh away!

[pjace]

Well we won't be paying a 5 m transfer fee that's for sure wonder how much of his wage we're paying

[upthemaggies]

Today's win must restore a realistic opportunity for Notts to grab 5th spot and a home Play Off QF.

Boreham Wood look like a decent bet to miss out, they have a tough run-in and as we see so often, a cup run of the sort they've had often derails a league campaign. Solihull have some very tough away games.

[Elite_Pie]

Today's win must restore a realistic opportunity for Notts to grab 5th spot and a home Play Off QF.

It does for me. Even though it's weird to describe a game like today as a 'six pointer', it was in one sense. Had we lost, we would have dropped to 10th in the PPG table, but the win takes us up to 7th. To use a phrase I hate after Brexit, we have now 'taken our destiny in our own hands' in playoff terms. As much as I don't like relying on our supposed easy run-in, a playoff place is now ours to lose. If we get through the next three games in a similar position, my optimism will rise for finishing 5th and getting the home QF tie.

[upthemaggies]

It does for me. Even though it's weird to describe a game like today as a 'six pointer', it was in one sense. Had we lost, we would have dropped to 10th in the PPG table, but the win takes us up to 7th. To use a phrase I hate after Brexit, we have now 'taken our destiny in our own hands' in playoff terms. As much as I don't like relying on our supposed easy run-in, a playoff place is now ours to lose. If we get through the next three games in a similar position, my optimism will rise for finishing 5th and getting the home QF tie.

Yep, the link from Masson4 gives an average position for each of the play-off hopeful's remaining opponents and ours is the lowest. Even if we were a handful of points below 7th following the next four games, you'd still expect Notts to catch up with the 7 match run-in they've got.

The one big negative to finishing 5th is that it is the cursed play-off position in all tiers below the Championship, not one club has yet gone up from tier 5 after finishing 5th - but somebody will do so eventually and it may as well be Notts.

[SwalePie]

Lacey's goal...

https://twitter.com/MGPAnderson/status/1505288144068956161?s=20&t=TEko1JPKhhdgjA7yYgPjiw

[Masson4]

A different perspective and interesting analysis of the run-in for the various play-off candidates.

Grimsby Town's fixtures compared with play-off rivals as Notts County hold huge advantage
https://www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/s...county-6805533

[optipez]

Nail on the head!

No one was being carried today and we had 11 (14 including subs) that were putting in a shift. Add to that the height of Wooton, Mitchell and Sam we came on and we were a much more competitive team.

Hate to say it but our best results this season have been in a 3-5-2 without Roberts playing, making us much more physical and with enough of a goal threat to win games

It's not a popular opinion but you can't play Francis, Roberts, Rodriguess all together. They're specialised players, all good but too many of them and the strength goes out the team.
In a perfect world Cameron, Lacey, Chicksen and Brindley or at least three of them together is our strongest defence but it needs two of the three to be centre halves. Palmer, Arter and Vincent is our strongest midfield, experienced, mobile and creative enough but also strong enough to shield the defence. Then presuming Wootton is playing you pick two from Richardson, Roberts, Rodriguess, Mitchell and Sam. I think Richardson should start for his raw pace and Sam on the left on current form.
Sounds ridiculous but that puts RR and Roberts both on the bench.
We've a strong squad and no way should this season be written off as a learning curve for the manager, promotion is entirely achievable this season.

[bule1]

It's not a popular opinion but you can't play Francis, Roberts, Rodriguess all together. They're specialised players, all good but too many of them and the strength goes out the team.
In a perfect world Cameron, Lacey, Chicksen and Brindley or at least three of them together is our strongest defence but it needs two of the three to be centre halves. Palmer, Arter and Vincent is our strongest midfield, experienced, mobile and creative enough but also strong enough to shield the defence. Then presuming Wootton is playing you pick two from Richardson, Roberts, Rodriguess, Mitchell and Sam. I think Richardson should start for his raw pace and Sam on the left on current form.
Sounds ridiculous but that puts RR and Roberts both on the bench.
We've a strong squad and no way should this season be written off as a learning curve for the manager, promotion is entirely achievable this season.

Not saying I agree with all, but it does seem like England trying to put Gerrard and Lampard in the same line-up (different level I accept). That did not work, lets see how we how we deal with the same issue.

[jacobncfc]

One of our best wins of the season because we didn’t really play well at all and that’s the kind of situation we generally fall apart in. Arter looked class if nowhere near fit, but after he went off we struggled to keep hold of the ball.

But, under the circumstances with probably our two best players out sick and two defenders off at half-time meaning we had players out of position all over the place, we didn’t half put a shift in second half. They had some half chances to level it but generally we defended well and saw it out.