Give the manager more time

[Kent Magpie]

..... The owners have possibly put him under more pressure by declaring back in January that they were targeting automatic promotion still so on that basis he needs 10 points or he is falling well short of their short term expectations.

I missed that. That is quite a change in character from the brothers. Where did you find that?

[NottsNotCounty]

I’m pretty sure it was said by either themselves or Joe Palmer when talking around the Xmas/New Year about plans and ambitions I may well be misheard but I thought they stated that promotion was still the aim.

[matt_magpie]

Having had Saturday postponed may work as a blessing in disguise to Maynard as he gets a week to hopefully address and ‘tweak’ some of the defensive frailties. The next 4 games though I see as key for his tenure with some mid to lower table opposition after Wimbledon visit the Lane. The owners have possibly put him under more pressure by declaring back in January that they were targeting automatic promotion still so on that basis he needs 10 points or he is falling well short of their short term expectations.

I think he’s definitely stopped teams more countering and overloading us but when it comes down to cutting out individual errors he’s got a near on impossible job.
I think he and the team have been unlucky in a few games not then helped by defenders and strikers making errors.

[Could'vebeenacontender]

I think he’s definitely stopped teams more countering and overloading us but when it comes down to cutting out individual errors he’s got a near on impossible job.
I think he and the team have been unlucky in a few games not then helped by defenders and strikers making errors.

Pretty fair assessment
The players definitely are onside with SM and appreciate what he's trying to do
Let's be honest we're so good going forward there should be an immediate improvement in results if we are less open at the back
Now that Chicksen and Macari are fit we should have much better options

[Kent Magpie]

I’m pretty sure it was said by either themselves or Joe Palmer when talking around the Xmas/New Year about plans and ambitions I may well be misheard but I thought they stated that promotion was still the aim.

I think that comment was that they are working towards it, but there was no timescale and no expectation that it was this season. I think the closest we have come to an expectation is the comment that if we were still in contention at the January transfer window they would back the manager.

[legs77]

Pretty fair assessment
The players definitely are onside with SM and appreciate what he's trying to do
Let's be honest we're so good going forward there should be an immediate improvement in results if we are less open at the back
Now that Chicksen and Macari are fit we should have much better options

Are they after the Crewe, Gillingham and Sutton games I wouldnt bank on it.

We were good going forward under LW we dont look like it now.

Its ok saying tight at the back and we'll score loads it isnt as simple as that ...its about patterns of play.

SM has tried to make us tighter but it will cost us going forward and we 100% move the ball slower then we did before.

[ncfcog]

I’d say we move the ball slower because we’ve encountered well organised teams that find it very easy to keep us at arms length, that then slows us down as we don’t have the options we used to enjoy in the NL.

[legs77]

I’d say we move the ball slower because we’ve encountered well organised teams that find it very easy to keep us at arms length, that then slows us down as we don’t have the options we used to enjoy in the NL.

Im not sure we can still move it quicker side to side.

We are playing like Curle used to at home slow and just waiting for the balls up.

We used to be aggressive with/without the ball we are passive now.

[nw6pie]

I’d say we move the ball slower because we’ve encountered well organised teams that find it very easy to keep us at arms length, that then slows us down as we don’t have the options we used to enjoy in the NL.

Really interesting stat here:

⚖️ Highest average possession %s (top 4 tiers; 23/24):

6⃣7⃣%: ��SOUTHAMPTON*��
6⃣6⃣%: Man City, Notts County
6⃣3⃣%: Brighton, Leicester
6⃣2⃣%: Arsenal
6⃣1⃣%: Spurs, Peterborough
6⃣0⃣%: Liverpool, Bolton

Two things of note for me:

1. Out of the 10 teams, eight are in the top six of their respective leagues, so it’s working for them. The ninth, Brighton, are ninth and punching above their weight. Only we are in the bottom half of the table.

2. For a long time this season, it was working for us. What’s changed - and can we really pin it all on Matty Palmer’s absence?

[maddogslater]

No, we beat morecambe 5 0 just before Luke left, now they're 7 points above us.