Highlights vs Wrexham

[the_anticlough]

The other factor on the right is Roberts. I know he’s playing as a third central midfielder when you put it down on paper, but in reality when we’re on the ball
and come forward he’s taking up the same positions he used to, mostly on the right wing. That will affect what the wing back is supposed to be doing - we probably want them to be constantly making the run on the overlap to create space for Cal to cut inside, but not necessarily getting the ball all that often. Whoever plays on the left is naturally going to be involved in the play more because of that, I think.

True enough. The first goal against Barnet was a Roberts to DKE action...but that's what it would look like in a 4-2-3-1 as well.
There'll be glory moments like that (and the DKE to Rodrigues goal in the play-off semi) but it's the general play that worries me when you're trying to get on top of an opponent. For various reasons we couldn't achieve it in that game either.

[matt_magpie]

OK, wasn't sure myself. But will he show us a well rounded wing back game when he is fully fit?

There's a problem with my prediction that we'll end up going 4-2-3-1......IB seems so committed to it that it'd take a run of 6 bad games for him to drop it, by which time we'd be out of the race for the top. Sterry was what we needed. Could he be proactive say to the recruitment guys, get me what I need even now or I'm going to have to change up the system.

It's nothing against DKE or Nemane btw, they could both play in a great 4-2-3-1

I do agree and I said preseason wing back is a tough position and it’s hard to find one that does both sides of the game. I’m surprised IBs gone with it as historically before us he used 433 more but he’s obviously an intelligent coach and must have his reasons, what we do know is he will change it up if he sees it as the right thing to do, that’s what I like most about him is that he’s proactive

[AllNottsAreWe]

And with good reason, it's our best shot to get out this league. We're not talking about every game, but both of them to have a very good season playing to their potential. If both fail to do that for one reason or another, what realistically is our ceiling this year?

It was interesting to me that IB brought them on at exactly the same time. I hope he isn't having to manage any rivalry between them (although no problem if they've both got pride), we already know they're talking over who takes free-kicks and penalties
What I hope they both realise is that there'll be times this season when ones on fire and the other is off his game and vice versa. It might even be that say Ruben carries more of the load in the first half of the season and Cal in the second. It's a long season, nobody's gonna show themselves to be the main man over the first 15 or 20 games.

Watching the interviews, I think both R and R have a certain edge to them i.e. know they are good and the best two players in the team. Nothing wrong with that - I seem to recall a very young Grealish having that swagger at Notts, and Ronaldo is hardly a shy lad.
I just hope that desire to be Notts best player doesn't manifest itself in petty squabbling over penalties, free kicks etc.

[magpie_mania]

Watching the interviews, I think both R and R have a certain edge to them i.e. know they are good and the best two players in the team. Nothing wrong with that - I seem to recall a very young Grealish having that swagger at Notts, and Ronaldo is hardly a shy lad.
I just hope that desire to be Notts best player doesn't manifest itself in petty squabbling over penalties, free kicks etc.

That's down to Burchnall and Doyle. One thing I have noticed is a good team spirit, I am sure that is constantly worked on.

[CamPie]

Watching the interviews, I think both R and R have a certain edge to them i.e. know they are good and the best two players in the team. Nothing wrong with that - I seem to recall a very young Grealish having that swagger at Notts, and Ronaldo is hardly a shy lad.
I just hope that desire to be Notts best player doesn't manifest itself in petty squabbling over penalties, free kicks etc.

My understanding is they are roomies on away trips, I think one of them said so in interview. So from that I’d say they were best of buddies and more likely to work for / with each other than against.

[Killerkline]

My understanding is they are roomies on away trips, I think one of them said so in interview. So from that I’d say they were best of buddies and more likely to work for / with each other than against.

Yes they are. I think there is a bit of friendly competitiveness between them. Certainly nothing that would be detrimental to the team.

[laddo]

......and that's the end of that chapter.

[TSANHO]

I was hoping that having come in to complete last season we would hit the ground running and carry on from where we left off last season. But that clearly hasn’t happened and we have actually regressed in terms of performance imo. Everyone admits that midfield was a weak point last year, and it looks even weaker to me now.

The only good things about Wrexham was Woottons goal and the final score line. The performance as a whole was pretty abject, and if we had lost this board would be melting down about how bad and devoid of ideas we looked.

Saturday is a fresh game, hopefully we’ll see an improvement…we couldn’t ask for better opposition.

[jacobncfc]

I was hoping that having come in to complete last season we would hit the ground running and carry on from where we left off last season. But that clearly hasn’t happened and we have actually regressed in terms of performance imo. Everyone admits that midfield was a weak point last year, and it looks even weaker to me now.

The only good things about Wrexham was Woottons goal and the final score line. The performance as a whole was pretty abject, and if we had lost this board would be melting down about how bad and devoid of ideas we looked.

Saturday is a fresh game, hopefully we’ll see an improvement…we couldn’t ask for better opposition.

Our last game of last season saw us go away to a good but extremely direct team and get completely done by a succession of long balls and set pieces. We spent much of the summer talking about how we needed to be able to deal with that. It’s consistently been our biggest worry.

Then on Monday we went away to a good but extremely direct team but were largely untroubled by a succession of long balls, set pieces and long throws. This is now.. a bad thing!?!

[TSANHO]

Our last game of last season saw us go away to a good but extremely direct team and get completely done by a succession of long balls and set pieces. We spent much of the summer talking about how we needed to be able to deal with that. It’s consistently been our biggest worry.

Then on Monday we went away to a good but extremely direct team but were largely untroubled by a succession of long balls, set pieces and long throws. This is now.. a bad thing!?!

I should’ve added that we dealt, mostly, pretty well with the arial challenge on Monday…I did say as much earlier in the thread though.

Do you think that was a good performance on Monday? Apart from heading balls away from our box, were you impressed with how we played?