⚽Match Thread vs. Sutton United FC 27.02.24 [EFL L2]

[DaveSmithRules]

Sounds like half our whole team had an argument with the Kop at the end.

[jackal2]

Sounds like half our whole team had an argument with the Kop at the end.

Cameron had argument with some fans near the dugout. It was most aggression shown by any of our centre-halves all night!

[Mark_Ross]

Cameron had argument with some fans near the dugout. It was most aggression shown by any of our centre-halves all night!

Well, I was one of the many posters on here predicting a Notts defeat on the thread,
but I did not think it would be quite as bad as happened.

Summary:
We cannot defend to save our lives.
We are bullied & out-fought practically every game.
Maynard is hopelessly out of his depth.
We are in freefall. How many points to avoid the dreaded "R" ?

PS:
Is there something in Notts' contract which says we have to give a penalty away every ------ game?

[MancMagpie]

There needs to be some open chats and heart to hearts going on now. We're going nowhere until somebody stands up and says what the fluff is going on. Ideally, this would be the manager's job, but that's not going to happen.
Warnock would had this lot on toast by now.

[MancMagpie]

That's pretty much the size of it.

Our 'defending' tonight was absolutely abysmal. We're a bunch of wimps. As you say, lacking in in any desire or aggression. Time and time again we allowed crosses into our box, time and again we missed crucial tackles and headers, and our three (note THREE) so-called centre halves were completely bullied into submission by a bog standard lower league battering ram centre-forward.

The first conclusion is that the wing-back system should be declared officially over, because we don't have wing-backs. We have two wingers who can't and don't want to defend. Every opponent has now worked out that if we play 3-5-2 against them, it's open house for crosses into our box.

The second conclusion is that our so-called centre halves just aren't up to the job at this level. Their first and most important job is to kick it, head it, tackle anything that moves and defend our box with their lives, but they clearly lack the determination and ability to do either.

The goalkeeper wasn't any great shakes either, but having tried three so far, it makes you wonder whether any goalkeeper would look uncertain of themselves in this shooting gallery. They've got no protection from their defence.

Defensive midfield looked more solid and less fussy until Jim O'Brien left the pitch, but Bostock is a liability there. He simply doesn't know how to defend or tackle consistently, and again he doesn't really want to. If he has a future it's going head-to-head with Crowley for a single central attacking midfield position further up the pitch. And Crowley beats him hands down for that anyway.

Every game we're dominating possession, but the fact that tonight's opponents have been able to slam nine goals past us in two games this season, having had only 34% possession in each of the games, tells you what a pathetic team we are on the defensive side of the ball, at this level. There are too many players in this team who simply don't enjoy or want to defend, and that's where the problem lies. Even last season our inability to keep clean sheets was a warning sign, but this season against better, more aggressive and more physical opposition, it looks like men against boys.

Can't really argue with much (if any) of that.

[optipez]

The awful back pass was from that idiot Baldwin.

Yes, apologies to Warner.

[maddogslater]

Is anyone going to address the 🐘 in the room, that useless 6ft4 Gambian lump we paid 150,000 euros for.
Thought Cameron had a decent game.
Time for Jim back at the wheel.

[Chicken Balti Pie]

Is anyone going to address the 🐘 in the room, that useless 6ft4 Gambian lump we paid 150,000 euros for.
Thought Cameron had a decent game.
Time for Jim back at the wheel.

He's not useless though, it's just we lump it long to him. Actually play like we would to Macca and he'll thrive

[jackal2]

He's not useless though, it's just we lump it long to him. Actually play like we would to Macca and he'll thrive

Far too early to write him off, or declare him the new messiah for that matter. This is his first experience in English league football and he'll need time to adapt, plus he's effectively been thrown to the lions in his last two sub appearances, coming into a team losing, lacking in confidence, and not yet sure how best to play to him. The lad needs to be given time and patience by 'supporters'.

[MancMagpie]

Is anyone going to address the 🐘 in the room, that useless 6ft4 Gambian lump we paid 150,000 euros for.
Thought Cameron had a decent game.
Time for Jim back at the wheel.

Too early to judge...not match sharp by a long way yet.