⚽ Match Thread vs. Chesterfield FC 15.03.25 [EFL L2]

[queenslandpie]

It?s dreadful. I genuinely dont think Notts have played well for a full ninety minutes in the entire season and were like two points off automatic promotion still.

It's changed but I don't think it is much worse than all the hundreds of games I have seen at this level over the years. Not many /any teams at this level will play well for 90 minutes and you know that. I'm extremely pleased with all aspects of our progress as a club since the Bros arrived on and off the field.

[Notts78]

League 2 has always been described as a poor league with very few exceptions. You get the odd team that is heavily backed financially and that?s it. This season there isn?t a team that?s hugely backed, in fact, yes there is, MK Dons. Look where they are. The other thing is this league really isn?t that bad? have you really forgotten the NL already?
This is our second season back in the EFL and yet some are still not happy with things.
We are a work in a progress, on and off the pitch. I?d like us to get promoted of course I would, but I?m also satisfied that the club is progressing and if we do miss out this time, then I?d expect another tilt at it next season.
This is the most stable the club has been for decades IMO. Probably since the Pavis days.

[OP67]

It?s dreadful. I genuinely dont think Notts have played well for a full ninety minutes in the entire season and were like two points off automatic promotion still.

I agree, it has that feel of the Munto season. With a fully fit squad we should be flying in this league but held back by an inexperienced manager. We hovered around 8th with McParland who was a useless manager and absolutely romped to the top under Cotterill. Don't get me wrong I like Maynard but he's not the man to get us consistancy in results if we're serious about climbing the leagues.

[MAD_MAGPIE]

I agree, it has that feel of the Munto season. With a fully fit squad we should be flying in this league but held back by an inexperienced manager. We hovered around 8th with McParland who was a useless manager and absolutely romped to the top under Cotterill. Don't get me wrong I like Maynard but he's not the man to get us consistancy in results if we're serious about climbing the leagues.

If in the Munto season we had suffered a lengthy injuries to the likes of Davies and Ravenhill/Bishop like JJ and Crowley, and if Hughes had been out for a period like Didzy it's likely results could have suffered.

This season the starting eleven has constantly had to change due to injuries. I can't think of a season before with so many injuries like it. Then in January the starting eleven has evolved with new young players coming in that have had to adapt to the style of play and the league and get to know their teammates so almost like pre-season in the mid-season, and a promotion chasing one at that.

We had none of the injury problems to key players in the Munto or Allardyce promotion winning seasons from memory and we didn't have it in the National League promotion season either. What's not been consistent this season is the starting eleven and for me if we do not get promoted this will be the main reason and that's regardless of who is the head coach.

Then add into the mix two first team coaches leaving and the head of recruitment half way through and it becomes a transitional season much like last season when LW and his assistant RH left and SM, the blueprint brothers and Jatta came in.

What we don't yet know is if the outcome of all of this results in us getting promoted or not.

[Three_Point_One_Four]

That's pretty much the deal for me, Mad_Magpie. There has been multi-layered disruption throughout the season, thus it's difficult to pin any blame on one aspect.

Still many twists and turns to come before the season is out.

[i961pie]

The fact that there's only 9 games left and no one has reached 70 points yet shows how poor this league is and shows how poor all the teams are including us. I can't see whoever gets promoted surviving in League 1 next season.

Looking at it from a different angle the reason no one has reached 70 points is that it might be a very competitive league where there is not a lot between quite a few teams. And whoever gets promoted might not be starting division 1 with the same players that got them promoted. So you don't know if they would survive or not.

[matt_magpie]

We all know our owners are heavily invested in stats, data, performance metrics etc, and all of that on a screen will most likely suggest that we should have more points than we've got. I'm a bit concerned that will lead them to believe that what we are doing is right, so carry on and it will work eventually.

I'm not sure it will, it's gone on too long and something is missing.

I agree I think they?ll have a lot clearer view on how SM is doing than most of us. There is something missing, I think we?re a bit too nice, obviously not very ruthless at the moment and you can argue a bit conservative at times but that may be skewed seeing games after LWs era.

[Jampie]

I agree I think they?ll have a lot clearer view on how SM is doing than most of us. There is something missing, I think we?re a bit too nice, obviously not very ruthless at the moment and you can argue a bit conservative at times but that may be skewed seeing games after LWs era.

Well, he lost two assistant coaches eh, if he gets an assistant head coach who is better at the man management / charisma / motivation, whatever you want to call it, that could be a good pairing.

[maddogslater]

We created enough chances both halves of football to win the match with goals to spare, so how does changing the coach make Jatta and McGoldrick stick them away 🤔

[maddogslater]

The extra man in midfield did for us.
Unfortunately it was obvious to everyone in the ground we needed another man in there. Given Edwards was on the bench I'd have put him in alongside Palmer and allowed Abbot to play slightly further forward.

To wait until 70 minutes to make a change - Maynard is far to slow to react when we're under pressure - invited to goal to come. Even then neither of his substitutions addressed the obvious weakness in midfield.

I would say both goals conceded were down to defensive mistakes and Bass would have saved at least one