Match Thread vs. Hartlepool Utd. 28.12.20 [NL]

[magpie_mania]

On the replay from the Family Stand, it looked a very poor decision with minimal contact and the ref bought it.

I don't think the officials cost us the game today, but they certainly contributed.

That's what I thought about the Sam decision, but I do think they have cost us at least 1 point.

Many poor decisions today, and without any bias, virtually all against us.

[Elite_Pie]

That's what I thought about the Sam decision, but I do think they have cost us at least 1 point.

Me too. I often think that when I'm at the game, but today the replays confirmed it for me.

[drillerpie]

Come on Driller, his hand clashed with the hand of the player???
Sam was outpaced they were breaking clear and he put his hand on his shoulder and pulled him back. Even Stall and Charlie agreed.
Not defending the officials but even the offside against us was borderline and we didn't have a view along the line on the stream.
We can blame the officials all we like but we had loads of chances to win that game and wasted them.

I didn't see Sam's hand go on the other guy's shoulder to be honest. I thought Sam was catching up with him rather than being outpaced too, but anyway the point I was making is that Sam's was off the ball and a much less clear foul than the one on Wootton.

Also thought Wootton was lucky to escape a card when he wiped out their centre back's standing leg.

Agree that we had enough chances to win.

[magpie_mania]

I didn't see Sam's hand go on the other guy's shoulder to be honest. I thought Sam was catching up with him rather than being outpaced too, but anyway the point I was making is that Sam's was off the ball and a much less clear foul than the one on Wootton.

Also thought Wootton was lucky to escape a card when he wiped out their centre back's standing leg.

Agree that we had enough chances to win.

I thought their player might have had a red for the tackle on Brindley from some refs - Charlie described it as an amber!

[laddo]

Well if we fail to finish above 4th, it would be our lowest league position in our history for 3 seasons running with the same manager in charge. I think the previous 2 seasons are very important

Last season was guaranteed though right? Impossible not to finish in our lowest ever position even if we had won the league. So
......

Not surprised to see the relegation season mentioned again when we lose a game. Notts may not be consistent but NCM certainly is#viva

[Elite_Pie]

Last season was guaranteed though right? Impossible not to finish in our lowest ever position even if we had won the league. So
......

Not surprised to see the relegation season mentioned again when we lose a game. Notts may not be consistent but NCM certainly is#viva

If we all pretend the relegation season didn't happen you can make a case for Ardley being a decent manager.

But it did happen, and he was a significant part of it.

[upthemaggies]

If we all pretend the relegation season didn't happen you can make a case for Ardley being a decent manager.

But it did happen, and he was a significant part of it.

Presumably everybody would agree that we should be an improvement on last season.
It's becoming close though. We're only 3 pts better off now than after 14 games last season and the 2019/20 team would draw, win, win in games 15-17

[magpie_mania]

This 'fitness' excuse really, really bugs me. If we had played on Boxing Day like Hartlepool did, the excuse would have been 'tiredness'. Because we didn't play on Boxing Day, the excuse now is that we weren't up to match fitness in the first half but were in the second????

Really? This is not aimed at you specifically MancMagpie because many other posters frequently use it as an excuse for a defeat or poor performance, but surely it has to work one way or the other?

I agree. I don't get the lack of match fitness that some players claim either. To me, if you are on the bench you should be as fit as the starting 11. After all, you could be called on after 5 minutes.

[maddogslater]

Well Well it hard luck Ardley with yet another hard luck story.

[magpie_mania]

Even though the previous two seasons don't directly affect our performance this season, I have noticed that it's only the pro-Ardley brigade who seem to want to erase them from our history.

I am not pro-Ardley - first and foremost I am pro-Notts, which generally includes whoever the manager is. However, I am very much in the 'Last chance saloon' for him this season .

I have always said that this season will be very strange and unpredictable. I am not making excuses, but simply a general observation. 5 games off today because of Covid and we don't play again until 9 Jan. Can't begin to imagine when the season will end.