⚽ Any match day thread today ? [PSF Stoke City (H)]

[slack_pie]

I suspect a few L2 teams have already sussed us out regarding the high line.

Everyone now knows how to hurt us. It's pretty simple really. Unless we change something, it all boils down to how effectively the opposition punish us.

Just watched the highlights. Rank awful defending. Not just 'one of those days' but truly worrying. Need better players if we're going to continue with this approach.

[kill_the_drum]

Even stepping up to league 2, we won’t come close to playing a team with the abilities that Stoke had.
We controlled the game until they scored and then they outclassed us.
We know the risks with our system but I still believe the positives will outweigh the negatives.
Stone has some work to do on making the right choices. He played a straight ball into or midfield 4-5 times when they were marked up, square on with our own goal and nowhere to go. He opted to go longer second half. I’m sure he’ll come good.
Crowley was class. He has a first touch that gifts him 2 yards of space and his distribution was very good.
McGoldrick is everything we’d hoped for.
We’re going to have some serious talent on the bench with the players vying for the No.10 slots.
Randall did ok. Cisse was very positive.
I don’t think anyone at the club isn’t thinking we need defensive reinforcement, but I’m not worried about the result.

[i961pie]

Rawlinson worries me if we continue playing the high line he just isn't quick enough. Both of Chesterfields goals at Wembley caught him out, one for the penalty and the second he was to slow to close down the scorer. Also the same with Dagenhams late winner he had a five yards start over the scorer and was still outpaced. He gives is all and is good in the air but?

[irishpete]

So am I. He was poor and I'd have much preferred to keep Archie.

Don't know if it's been mentioned but, gone to Gateshead on season loan

[nw6pie]

Going from the highlights, this thread, and LW's post-match thoughts only, I'd say this could be a useful little slap in the face.

Despite feeling very positive about next season, the reality is that Notts will be facing improved opposition, and that usually means less time for thought and more consistent punishing of even minor mistakes. A defeat like this might help bring us up to speed sharpish.

I don't fully agree with LW's defence of our last season's defence. He can point to the stats all he likes, but no one else who watched us thought we were defensively very secure at all. And as someone else pointed out above, Chessie and BW both seemed to really have sussed out how to get through our lines by the end, and neither of them are all that. And our senior goalie folded under the pressure at Wembley. I hope LW's not fooling himself with the stat line. Don't think he is, he's defo smarter than me, but unless he thinks he can Moniz the league, there is work to do, imo.
Personally I think we conceded so few because of the speed of our game in the NL context, and our ability to press up the field, and conceded more than we should have because of an inconsistent defence.

I'm a little worried how an absulute tonking next week would effect our start to the new season.

Pre-season is a strange beast nowadays - none of that “play your best XI for 90 minutes and bed in your players” malarkey. I’m sure the starting XI on August 5 will be different, but it’s obvious to every fan that we need a strong and fast centre half who can play either on the right or in the centre for when Baldwin’s unfit. If we want to continue to play the high line (which I’m sure we will), pace is going to be ***** - and we don’t have enough of that right now. I hope/assume the management are working on rectifying this.

[countygump]