Stockport

[MAD_MAGPIE]

Exactly. I'm sick and tired of hearing how teams like Aldershot are tough because they're well organised or whatever. It's Aldershot, for god's sake. No offence to the vast majority of teams in this league, but with our resources, we shouldn't be losing to teams like like Aldershot, no matter how well organised they are.

I don't expect us to win every game. I expect us to try to win every game, and if we fail, I want it to be that we gave absolutely everything but were just outclassed/unlucky. To simply not turn up - like Notts do once every five games - is shocking for a club in our position, with our ambitions, at this stage of the season.

Bring in someone who can instill a ruthless winning mentality in our players. And bring in players who can win a battle. No more Zak Brunts, please.

I was thinking about the two games we played against Halifax in the league this season. The away game, we throw away three points after leading against ten men. The home game, we fail to break down 10 men despite having a tonne of chances. Halifax get four points, we get one. Now, imagine if Notts were in the two situations Halifax were in - 0-2 down with a few mins to go and down to 10 men away at a club who's hammering us with wave after wave of attack. How many points would we have gained? Zero, with a doubt. That's the difference. That's why Halifax will finish above us (literally).

I had hoped there would be some acknowledgement publicly that the performance was unacceptable and that we've got to be better but there was nothing. It's all well and good that Aldershot were fighting for lives and herein lies the problem. We should have been fighting for promotion away from home because we were challenging for 3rd place but we didn't. It's not like it's the first time this has happened either as too many times we've not fought away from home this season.

We have no devine right to beat anyone but let's be honest Notts County in the National League should not have picked up just two points away from home from in games against Weymouth, Alrincham, Eastleigh, Aldershot and Wealdstone. That's is not an acceptable standard of results for this football club. Collectively it's a new low, but these away games seem to be a leveler without the confines and luxury of Meadow Lane and our 6,000 fans.

I don't want the manager to go, I think he needs time and a second summer. The club as a whole must look at why we struggle to beat inferior opposition away from home, and make sufficient changes whether that be in playing style or personnel otherwise we will never have that final piece of the jigsaw that's missing that's needed to be challenge for the title.

[1955pie]

Or the alternative view is players might have knocks and didnt risk them ?

Its easy after the event but in his shoes its not always simple.

Its a poor result cant sugar coat it.

A 3-0 win away at Dover should have ensured an unchanged team.
Yes, juggle the bench to bring injured players back but it must be very demoralising for those dropped.
We hear all the talk of giving players a rest but hopefully we have 6 games left this season in the next 35 days.
If they don't get injured or suspended then they shouldn't need a rest.

[legs77]

A 3-0 win away at Dover should have ensured an unchanged team.
Yes, juggle the bench to bring injured players back but it must be very demoralising for those dropped.
We hear all the talk of giving players a rest but hopefully we have 6 games left this season in the next 35 days.
If they don't get injured or suspended then they shouldn't need a rest.

People need to stop the word dropped it is a squad game now it isnt like it was 10-15 years ago.

I disagree if sports science say there could be an issue fitness you have to go with it IB mentioned it.

If we get promoted nobody cares we lost at Aldershot.

I think we as fans need to back the club/squad if we fail to go up we fail.

[1955pie]

People need to stop the word dropped it is a squad game now it isnt like it was 10-15 years ago.

I disagree if sports science say there could be an issue fitness you have to go with it IB mentioned it.

If we get promoted nobody cares we lost at Aldershot.

I think we as fans need to back the club/squad if we fail to go up we fail.

Yes I agree that if we fail we fail but the consequences of that failure is likely to be enormous, especially with what is happening elsewhere in the county. We could be 4 (yes four) divisions below Florest and 2 below Mansfailed. We will I fear become a non-league club, not a league club that happens to be in the wrong division. We have had nearly 3 years of this new business model and it hasn't got us very far yet. In fact if we don't go up we are likely to start next season minus 50 goals (Wootton, Rodrigues & Roberts)
Mathematically we could finish as high as 3rd or as low as 11th. 3rd and 4th are probably gone and 8th is a distinct possibility if we don't get 6 points out of our last 3 games. In fact, even if we win all our last 3 games it doesn't guarantee 5th.
As you can probably tell I am on a real downer today. I hope I feel better by 5 o'clock.

Yes we have played some nice attractive football at times this season but there is nothing attractive about losing 4-1 at home to Woking or 5-1 away to Southend or 3-1 to Aldershot

I don't believe 4 players from that Dover game were injured. Unless injuries or suspensions force his hand he has to play his best team every match from now on and to hell with squad rotation for rotations sake.

[the_anticlough]

I don't believe 4 players from that Dover game were injured. Unless injuries or suspensions force his hand he has to play his best team every match from now on and to hell with squad rotation for rotations sake.

Couldn't agree more.
Saturday was a MUST WIN, the chance of grabbing 3rd represented a tripling of the play-off promotion odds. Home to Dover was the only time he should've thought about rotation.

Richardson out, DKE in
Brunt picked. Why?
No recognised striker on the pitch. One of Sam, Wootton, Mitchell has to play. This shows he really shows he thinks he can do the same as 'Pep'!
Has Nemane really done enough to justify being ahead of Eli?
What about continuity of system, let alone personnel...

The result of being too clever/arrogant with all of the above - Part-timers (Aldershot are, aren't they?) thrash us...

[keldsyke]

Yes I agree that if we fail we fail but the consequences of that failure is likely to be enormous, especially with what is happening elsewhere in the county. We could be 4 (yes four) divisions below Florest and 2 below Mansfailed. We will I fear become a non-league club, not a league club that happens to be in the wrong division. We have had nearly 3 years of this new business model and it hasn't got us very far yet. In fact if we don't go up we are likely to start next season minus 50 goals (Wootton, Rodrigues & Roberts).

Absolutely spot on and this is the point I’ve been trying to get across as it could possibly affect the followers more than the supporters. If Forest go up guaranteed even more wall to wall coverage, if Mansfield go up games against Derby, Sheffield Wed, Charlton, Portsmouth, Sunderland, Bolton, Ipswich which sound more attractive than, Weymouth, Bromley, Wealdstone etc to name but a few. The gap is widening and perhaps the penny will drop with the followers when we only get 2 or 3 updates during a Mansfield match. It maybe a good thing in some ways as it maybe the only way the followers realise how far adrift we have come and mediocrity in the National League is not as comfortable as switching the radio on every Saturday afternoon.

[SwalePie]

Absolutely spot on and this is the point I’ve been trying to get across as it could possibly affect the followers more than the supporters. If Forest go up guaranteed even more wall to wall coverage, if Mansfield go up games against Derby, Sheffield Wed, Charlton, Portsmouth, Sunderland, Bolton, Ipswich which sound more attractive than, Weymouth, Bromley, Wealdstone etc to name but a few. The gap is widening and perhaps the penny will drop with the followers when we only get 2 or 3 updates during a Mansfield match. It maybe a good thing in some ways as it maybe the only way the followers realise how far adrift we have come and mediocrity in the National League is not as comfortable as switching the radio on every Saturday afternoon.

Could you define the difference between your 'supporters' and 'followers' definitions please? I have a horrible suspicion that you don't think people who can't or don't attend matches spend any money supporting the club. Hopefully I'm wrong though.

Clearly everyone who is on here every day or more are fans (fanatics) by any sensible definition, regardless of whether they're able to physically attend all or some matches, either home or away. Many of those of us who are, for whatever reason, unable to attend as regularly as we used to, still buy season tickets and merchandise etc., subscribe to Lifeline, subscribe to PiesPlayer etc. to financially support our beloved club. Some of us have contributed in other financial ways including player and match sponsorships, in many cases undoubtedly spending far more than the price of a season ticket to do so.

I'm sure there are some who could attend who choose not to, and of course that's absolutely fine, but equally there are those who would love to attend but can't. I don't think it is helpful to a club that's striving to maintain its fanbase at a lower level to have fans trying to diminish the contributions of other fans. If that isn't what you're doing then apologies for misunderstanding your new terminology.

[keldsyke]

Could you define the difference between your 'supporters' and 'followers' definitions please? I have a horrible suspicion that you don't think people who don't attend spend any money supporting the club? Hopefully I'm wrong though. Clearly everyone who is on here every day or so are fans (fanatics) by any sensible definition, regardless of whether they're able to attend matches, either home or away. Many of those of us who are, for whatever reason, unable to attend as regularly as we used to, still buy season tickets and merchandise etc., subscribe to Lifeline, subscribe to PiesPlayer etc. to financially support our beloved club. Some of us have contributed in other financial ways.

I'm sure there are some who could attend who choose not to, and of course that's absolutely fine, but equally there are those who would love to attend but can't. I don't think it is helpful to a club that's striving to maintain its fanbase at a lower level to have fans trying to diminish the contributions of other fans. If that isn't what you're doing then apologies for misunderstanding your new terminology.

Perhaps I should have put a paragraph at the beginning but there is no dig intended to anyone. Durham coined the difference between a ‘follower’ and a ‘supporter’ and as previous threads have shown there have been some great gestures by people who struggle to attend for whatever reason like the excellent lunch offer from the guy who sponsored Eli Sam (I think) , or as others have mentioned who buy season tickets but can’t attend for whatever reason. Perhaps try not to be so defensive and think every time it’s having a go, it was just a post to point out that taking things for granted could affect those that don’t go for whatever reason.

[The-Mac pie]

To a degree I agree
I like birch’s style of play but I don’t think his philosophy or the owners to play complete football is ever going to get us out this league.
Full stop.
A good mix of pretty/rugged/long ball football with some quality will give you a much better chance

[SwalePie]

Perhaps I should have put a paragraph at the beginning but there is no dig intended to anyone. Durham coined the difference between a ‘follower’ and a ‘supporter’ and as previous threads have shown there have been some great gestures by people who struggle to attend for whatever reason like the excellent lunch offer from the guy who sponsored Eli Sam (I think) , or as others have mentioned who buy season tickets but can’t attend for whatever reason. Perhaps try not to be so defensive and think every time it’s having a go, it was just a post to point out that taking things for granted could affect those that don’t go for whatever reason.

Fair enough. So a supporter is not necessarily an attendee of every or indeed any match. That's what I wanted to hear ta.