More time?

[ancientpie]

Although I very much doubt SM has it in him to turn this around I see little point in getting rid until the end of the season, we have to realise that confidence & form is shot & it looks like recruitment has in the main been very poor. If we were to bring a new manager in now & there wasn't an immediate improvement would we be looking to sack again before next season? it wouldn't look good to any potential new manager if we went back to the old hire em & fire em routine. Give him until the end of the season & if there is no major improvement take our time over finding a replacement. COYP

[nw6pie]

We have too many small players and no physicality in the team.. Yesterday we had Nemane marking the tallest player from a corner, result a goal... In this division we need some height and brute force, not a bunch of twinkle toed lightweights...

It’s so odd that this side of the game has been so badly overlooked - as if physicality and athleticism don’t matter in comparison to being able to retain possession (let’s leave aside the fact that most of that possession has become increasingly sterile and ineffective). Yet the most obvious thing in football is that the higher up the leagues you go, the more powerful and athletic the players become.

Our summer recruitment is crucial, otherwise all the signs are that we’re going to end up back in the dreaded NL - which would completely destroy everything being done to rebuild the youth set-up.

[Pietastic]

This is where I'm at. I thought we were ok today up and till the throw in that lead to the first goal. I thought JOB was the spoiler we needed in midfield and thought he had a good game alongside Robertson. I also felt Nemane had a very good game as well as Macari. A shame JOB had to come off at 70min but you can't expect more from him in that role at his age. I felt he was a loss along with Baldwin through the enforced injury. But once again two aerial balls into the box and we were found wanting. The manager can't be blamed for that we've been doing these things all season.

The comparison between LW and SM results against all the eight teams is still paper thin like when I posed this a few weeks ago. (See below) However under LW we were losing against these sides but there was the credit of last season and other notable good results and performances in-between.

I'm not advocating a defence for SM or trying to prove LW is no better. It's interesting and remarkable that despite trying to approach our defensive problems in two ways one outscoring the other team (aka Moniz) the other respecting the point (aka Ardley) yet the outcome against these sides has merited the same results apart from Gillingham.

Under SM as we may have expected the attacking threat has took a hit to try and remedy the defensive frailties. The game today was a perfect example. Under LW we lost to Wimbledon 4-2 but today lost 0-2. The same result but a different score line.

What's not done or doing SM any favours is at home the consecutive defeats are stacking up but also the entertainment levels and conviction have dropped.

For me whoever is head coach next season the club have simply got to upgrade the defence and bring in League Two experienced central defenders (see Crewe, Wimbledon, Mansfield) and a Patterson type of goalkeeper. The alarm bells on this are ringing loud and clear and have been since Sutton on the opening day. The January transfer window is never a magic bullet. The summer is when the most and best availability is out there.

Luke Williams = P8, W2, D1, L5, GF10, GA18, GD-8, Pts 7
Barrow 1-1 (Draw)
Gillingham 2-1 (Won)
Mansfield 1-4 (Lost)
Newport 3-0 (Won)
Wrexham 0-2 (Lost)
Crewe 0-1 (Lost)
Sutton 1-5 (Lost)
AFC Wimbledon 2-4 (Lost)


Stuart Maynard = P8, W1, D1, L6, GF9, GA16, GD-7, Pts 4
Barrow 1-1 (Draw)
Gillingham 1-3 (Lost)
Mansfield 0-1 (Lost)
Newport 3-1 (Won)
Wrexham 0-1 (Lost)
Crewe 1-3 (Lost)
Sutton 3-4 (Lost)
AFC Wimbledon 0-2 (Lost)

This is bloody brilliant - now there is a bit of statistical data to get beyond the emotion. I remember being at the Mansfield home game and my heart sank - I "knew" something had shifted and we weren't the same team. So if you look at those stats (and I know there has been a bit of further analysis - fair enough) basically Stuart in a time of transition and without our best player (Matty Palmer) has carried on at a similar level to Lord Luke. So the narrative about Stuart this Stuart that just doesn't add up. This is what p***** me off - because it's actually a fair comment he made in his last interview - the club need's its fans more than ever now.

We're on a slide and it we turn toxic and shatter people's confidence more the slide goes deeper and longer... Or we show our faith and belief and we help the club turn it round. I know they are professionals but psychologically to be working so hard, getting your spirits up only to lose by a goal, or get cheated out of an equalizer like at Wrexham AND have supporters lose faith in you is just going to make things worse. Until the last 20 yesterday that was a really hard working performance that made me proud to be a Notts supporter. They all desperately want to turn this round I reckon - let's get behind them and bring the best out of them!?

[OldMagpie60]

I’m new to this forum and have been a Magpie for over 50 years, so have seen it all. I’ve also been a manager for c.40 years.
I totally agree that it’s not always right to have a merry go round of managers, but data analysis will not tell you whether a squad will feel motivated by an appointment or whether players will respect the new coach. That comes from good leadership and quality decisions from owners - this time the Bros’ EFL inexperience has been exposed.
Yes players need to take responsibility but I doubt many of ours were impressed by SM replacing LW - we all know we needed an LW upgrade not an LW trainee!
Recruitment has been dreadful - we were the best footballing team in the NL but were lucky at Wembley where defensive frailties were clear even then. And yet we didn’t upgrade the defence and bring in some more physicality particularly in midfield. EFL 1 & 2 requires some steel to match the creativity.
All of that said SM is not the right character to move us on and if LW had stayed I doubt we’d be 15th now. Senior players will have enough nous to know the game is up this year and human nature has kicked in. It’s unavoidable. I agree with others that we need a credible caretaker to help save the season and keep the very real assets we have in JJ, ML, JB, McGoldrick & Palmer etc.
We need to get back on track sharpish to retain these guys and decent crowds / season ticket sales next season. N
Sadly I think the Bros must swallow pride and SM must go soon. He’s a decent guy and decent coach but it’s the wrong job, wrong time, wrong level.