Scouting Report: Barnet (H), 14 October 2017

We're just over a quarter of the season through and Notts County continue to sit nicely in the top three of League Two.

However, alarm bells have started ringing ever so slightly as the Magpies have made a hash of their last two games, losing at Mansfield and scraping a draw with Forest Green.

Another weekend, another chance. Up next are Barnet, another seemingly "winnable" game, but of course Notts need to take caution given their blip.

In this article, Chris provides the lowdown on Saturday's opponents.

History

Notts County and Barnet have met 17 times over the years.

The head to head stands at 9 wins for Notts, 5 for Barnet, and 3 draws.

The first meeting took place only 20 years ago, the Magpies winning 2-1 at Underhill in Division 3.

The last fixture took place in March this year, Notts winning 1-0 at Meadow Lane.

Run-down of their last six fixtures

Tuesday 12th September – Barnet 1 Exeter City 2

Saturday 16th September – Carlisle United 1 Barnet 1

Saturday 23rd September – Barnet 1 Crawley Town 2

Tuesday 26th September – Lincoln City 2 Barnet 1

Saturday 30th September – Wycombe Wanderers 3 Barnet 1

Saturday 7th October – Barnet 0 Coventry City 0

The Players – Fact Sheet

Highest Goal Scorers: Shaquile Coulthirst 8, Mauro Vilhete 4, Jean-Louis Akpa Akpro 3 and Jamal Campbell-Ryce 2.

Persistent Foulers: Jack Taylor 1 red card and 2 yellow cards, Andre Blackman 1 red card, Dabid Tutonda 3 yellow cards and Jamal Campbell-Ryce 2 yellow cards.

The Key Players

Jean-Louis Akpa Akpro and Shaquile Coulthirst are technically two very good strikers within League Two, both offer the Bees a lot of pace and direct threat.

Shaq is a former Spurs academy product, and at the age of 22-years-old he has a wealth of league experience already.

On the wing Barnet have former Magpie Jamal Campbell-Ryce, who on his day can turn defences inside out – if he releases the ball rather than repeatedly stepping over the ball.

And Andre Blackman can be a rock within the Bees defence, whilst doubling up as a midfielder further up the field. Blackman has a lot of pace and likes to take on the opposition at every given chance available to him.

Style of Play, Strengths, and Weaknesses

Despite their current league position, Barnet are a very good football club within League Two.

They have one of the most talented squads within the division in terms of quality and prospect, and can attack teams with a lot of style and confidence.

Whilst retaining the ball they aren’t afraid to enter limited ground and have the ability to work the ball around nicely – in my previous Scouting Report I mentioned how FGR have a very good midfield and Barnet have one much stronger.

Their physical players will be able to get a grip of the game, and attempt to control the tempo.

They can move between channels, switching between the centre of the park and revert onto the flanks where they have good wingers available to whip in the ball.

Defensively they are switched on, and are well organised but can be sloppy if pressed.

Part of their main issue so far during the 2017-18 League Two seasons, is when they commit men forward and leave themselves wide open to counter attacks.

Set pieces is another variability, however they have several tall and physical players that aren’t easily intimidated.

Yet if the ball bounces a few times, pressure can be assert due to their inability to deal with this type of threat.

Notts will have to use the centre of the park wisely, whilst ensuring each Barnet player is man marked rather than relying on zonal marking.

If we can assert a calm passing game the confidence within the match will only grow in confidence – as previously mentioned free-kicks and corners will be paramount towards creating good chances.

Share your thoughts about this scouting report on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans.

Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.