Friendly match thread vs AFC Telford...

[countygump]

Mystic Meg. How do you do it?

Sarky mare..............

[laddo]

You're right there, laddo. A pre-season friendly like the 8-0 trouncing we got against Swansea does nothing for a team's confidence. Nothing was learned but how great the gap is between us and them. Similarly, playing semi-amateur teams contributes nothing except perhaps fitness, lose against them and there is also gloom. We should be playing teams of our own standard, a standard we should be expecting to play against.

There is a big between playing teams one division below our current level than playing teams 2/3 above.

Playing National League North sides is ideal for pre season.

[optipez]

Harrogate tomorrow is perfect preperation. They're better than us but not by much, match fit and as it's competitive we won't be changing most of the team at half time.
We then have another friendly against a York team who would probably have gone up to our level last season but for Covid interrupting things.

Friendlies tend to be quite useful in gauging where we're likely to be. Under Allen we had a good pre season and looked organised and played well until Trew sacked him, under Derry we looked dreadful, Hucknall Rolls were as good, we only won through fitness and bringing on subs and we went on to get relegated.
Under Moniz, Carlton Town looked fitter than the Dutch imports, Jenner was gasping after 15 mins and we were unfit and lightweight all season.
Nolans second pre season was terrible. Again , Basford matched us until they ran out of puff after an hour.
Last season the team we were sending out to friendlies was clearly going to struggle, Remaye Campbell up front was leagues away from Nathan Tyson who was years past his best and Oxlade Chamberlain and Bird as our centre halves was just not National League standard.

Looking at this season's matches I worry that the bench doesn't have a striker as good as Dennis on it and I'm a bit worried that centre mid is still too reliant on Doyle, Reeves has had injury issues and JOB isn't a 7 out of 10 every week and also the wrong side of 30. Enzio looks lost in the formations we've played and Sam doesn't look in the same class as Wootton or Thomas so far. Knowles has been the surprise packet, quick, energetic and generally lively. I think Ardley will play Graham ahead of Rawlinson as he did last year until his injury and Chiksen over McCrory for the most part. Just a view based on not very much though.

[KCNotts]

Harrogate tomorrow is perfect preperation. They're better than us but not by much, match fit and as it's competitive we won't be changing most of the team at half time.
We then have another friendly against a York team who would probably have gone up to our level last season but for Covid interrupting things.

Friendlies tend to be quite useful in gauging where we're likely to be. Under Allen we had a good pre season and looked organised and played well until Trew sacked him, under Derry we looked dreadful, Hucknall Rolls were as good, we only won through fitness and bringing on subs and we went on to get relegated.
Under Moniz, Carlton Town looked fitter than the Dutch imports, Jenner was gasping after 15 mins and we were unfit and lightweight all season.
Nolans second pre season was terrible. Again , Basford matched us until they ran out of puff after an hour.
Last season the team we were sending out to friendlies was clearly going to struggle, Remaye Campbell up front was leagues away from Nathan Tyson who was years past his best and Oxlade Chamberlain and Bird as our centre halves was just not National League standard.

Looking at this season's matches I worry that the bench doesn't have a striker as good as Dennis on it and I'm a bit worried that centre mid is still too reliant on Doyle, Reeves has had injury issues and JOB isn't a 7 out of 10 every week and also the wrong side of 30. Enzio looks lost in the formations we've played and Sam doesn't look in the same class as Wootton or Thomas so far. Knowles has been the surprise packet, quick, energetic and generally lively. I think Ardley will play Graham ahead of Rawlinson as he did last year until his injury and Chiksen over McCrory for the most part. Just a view based on not very much though.

Good summary that. And echoes my thoughts on what I've seen so far. I still think we are light in wide areas too.

Although to be fair, I don't think many teams in the Conference (if any) could attract our players to play for them. We really shouldn't have anything to worry about.

A lot has been said about our rivals making great signings...but honestly? Which of their recruits would you have taken at Notts? I read Lee Curtis' list and couldn't pick a single one.

This is an abysmal league and we need to be out of it this season.

[upthemaggies]

This is an abysmal league and we need to be out of it this season.

It occurred to me the other day that, aside from the 1940s (in which we only played a few seasons due to the war) we've been relegated in every single decade of our league existence except the 1970s and the 19-noughties (top flight throughout). If, as is the norm, we suffer a relegation in the 2020s it'll need to come after at least two promotions, otherwise it's going to mean a disastrous drop back into non-league or, god forbid, a catastrophic relegation to tier 6.

[BigFatPie]

Good summary that. And echoes my thoughts on what I've seen so far. I still think we are light in wide areas too.

Although to be fair, I don't think many teams in the Conference (if any) could attract our players to play for them. We really shouldn't have anything to worry about.

A lot has been said about our rivals making great signings...but honestly? Which of their recruits would you have taken at Notts? I read Lee Curtis' list and couldn't pick a single one.

This is an abysmal league and we need to be out of it this season.

I’m no expert in non league signings but even I know we haven’t signed anyone as good as John Rooney.

I hope we’ve strengthened from last season, but I have to say I’m not massively optimistic.

[KCNotts]

I’m no expert in non league signings but even I know we haven’t signed anyone as good as John Rooney.

I hope we’ve strengthened from last season, but I have to say I’m not massively optimistic.

John Rooney who has been playing in non league since 2014? You're having a laugh. If he was any good, he wouldn't be playing for Stockport.

[lunaspie]

Mystic Meg. How do you do it?

You don't know the half of it. Can you believe after last night he reckoned that if we can't score more goals we'll struggle to win games.

Mystic Meg ? More like Mystic Mug!

[applepie]

You don't know the half of it. Can you believe after last night he reckoned that if we can't score more goals we'll struggle to win games.

Mystic Meg ? More like Mystic Mug!

I wonder who it was who said, “If ye dinnae score ye cannae win”?