So what lesson have been learned

[jackal2]

The goals conceded column over the course of the season would suggest otherwise.

We've created a lot of chances, missed a lot of chances and scored a lot of chances. As you say, the fundamental problem with this team is its defensive solidity and a distinct inability to defend set pieces. We'll certainly need to replace Wootton's goals, but we could score 10 goals less than this season and still finish higher - possibly top - if we get our defending right.

[keldsyke]

We've created a lot of chances, missed a lot of chances and scored a lot of chances. As you say, the fundamental problem with this team is its defensive solidity and a distinct inability to defend set pieces.

It we have a dedicated set piece / defending analyst, something isn’t right in that either his input is being ignored, the analysis he is giving is not correct or the analysis he is giving is not being acted on correctly by IB.

Things need to change and that starts with the owners if I was giving marks out of ten for the season:

Owners: 6/10

IB: 6/10

Squad: 6/10

As others have said we are now a mid table non league team with no desire or urgency to get out of this league. Things have to change, starting with the owners showing a visible desire to get out of this league, I for one doesn’t settle for National League mediocrity. A tough few months ahead.

[GranthamPie]

It we have a dedicated set piece / defending analyst, something isn’t right in that either his input is being ignored, the analysis he is giving is not correct or the analysis he is giving is not being acted on correctly by IB.

Things need to change and that starts with the owners if I was giving marks out of ten for the season:

Owners: 6/10

IB: 6/10

Squad: 6/10

As others have said we are now a mid table non league team with no desire or urgency to get out of this league. Things have to change, starting with the owners showing a visible desire to get out of this league, I for one doesn’t settle for National League mediocrity. A tough few months ahead.

Makes you wonder if it’s not Alex Clapham or even Burchnall at fault here… rather a rag tag bunch of players who either ignore or simply cannot follow basic football instruction.

Let’s be fair… it ain’t Burchnall, Clapham or Doyle and it wasn’t Ardley signing the players.

[Chicken Balti Pie]

Tweaking is not likely to be currently on the cards. IB to leave for FGR, Wootton gone, Brindley gone, Rodders and Roberts sold, Sam released, DKE released…

major surgery is my best bet.

Ian Burchnall is apparently wanted by FGR. His comments after last night says to me he's in for the long haul

[uysapie]

Learnt sod all

Bleddy right, same old, same old.

[sidders]

Bleddy right, same old, same old.

Watched last night's game with an Everton fan. He was amazed at my skill in writing the script. After our penalty, he asked 'Who do you play in the next round'
'You really don't know Notts, do you?' I said
'Why?'
'Because in this last 15 minutes, The Fish will definitely equalise and Notts will lose on penalties. I'm sure of it'.
Okay, I wasn't quite right, but he was surprised at my certainty.
It's to do with resilience, you see. It's so long since Notts were truly resilient. You can count on therm to let you down.
And what will you all think when Ardley takes his new team to the play-off final? He is the man we should have stuck with. He would have proved resilient.

[ForeignLegion]

As others have said we are now a mid table non league team with no desire or urgency to get out of this league. Things have to change, starting with the owners showing a visible desire to get out of this league, I for one doesn’t settle for National League mediocrity. A tough few months ahead.

Except we are not a mid table team....top 7 outfit at worst, that needs a bit of tweaking here, there and everywhere.

[drillerpie]

I actually saw a lesson learned in that the amount of long passes and channel balls played out of defence seemed to suggest we are witnessing Burchball 2.0, where playing 100% through the press is not compulsory.

It didn't work because of one of our other structural weaknesses which is defending set pieces, but it gave me some hope nonetheless.

As I wrote on the match thread, we were second best most of the match but barring a 5 minute spell just before our penalty I never thought we were getting overrun.

We were a few seconds away from winning ugly without playing well, which is what we all wanted.

If that lesson has been learned, and with the right moves in terms of recruitment, I think we have the potential to improve next season.

[nw6pie]

Watched last night's game with an Everton fan. He was amazed at my skill in writing the script. After our penalty, he asked 'Who do you play in the next round'
'You really don't know Notts, do you?' I said
'Why?'
'Because in this last 15 minutes, The Fish will definitely equalise and Notts will lose on penalties. I'm sure of it'.
Okay, I wasn't quite right, but he was surprised at my certainty.
It's to do with resilience, you see. It's so long since Notts were truly resilient. You can count on therm to let you down.
And what will you all think when Ardley takes his new team to the play-off final? He is the man we should have stuck with. He would have proved resilient.

Can we stop this rewriting of history with Neal Ardley? He is a lovely guy and it would have been great if he could have got us promoted back to the EFL, but he was a spent force by the time the Reedtz pulled the trigger. Our form from the start of 2021 until his demise a few months later was appalling - there were home games when I felt like calling the Samaritans, we were so abject - the 2-1 defeat against Halifax being just one example where we couldn’t even get out of our own half.

Ardley’s best chance of getting us promoted was the Harrogate final, when we never turned up. After that, it was all downhill. Good luck to the guy, but I’d never want him back. Time to move on.

[maddogslater]

Ardley would be the same playing the bros brand of football.