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Notts County’s Momentum: ‘One-nil Up is Not Job Done,’ Says Luke Williams


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Notts County head coach Luke Williams has expressed his satisfaction with the team's response in training following a disappointing weekend result. 

In a pre-match interview reported on the Notts County site, Williams emphasised the need for consistent performances and addressed the challenges the team faced during their recent encounter.

Williams, taking a moment to look back at the previous game, warmly praised the team’s strong showing in the first half, saying. "Yeah, I'm happy with what I've seen so far, but I need to see that in the game. It's the most important." Yet, he didn’t shy away from pointing out the team’s second-half hiccups. He emphasised the need for keeping up the momentum for the whole game. It's not 45 minutes of football, and one-nil up is not job done," he remarked.

The head coach pointed out the team's occasional lapse in intensity, particularly in terms of ball control and defensive efforts. Williams expressed concern about the team's ability to reproduce successful performances consistently, stating, "We didn't reproduce the same intensity to try to take the ball and to play forward and to try to move swiftly into position to defend. Instead, we were careless with the ball and gave the ball away too keenly."

When questioned about the team's uncharacteristic home performance, Williams attributed it to the demanding nature of the games. He commended the opposition, Walsall, for their energetic performance and noted that learning to reproduce successful efforts would be crucial for Notts County's progress. Williams stated, "I thought Walsall made a brilliant energetic performance to try and harass us really well in the first half."

Williams didn’t forget to touch on the continuous journey of learning, particularly for those players who have risen to meet greater challenges. "Yeah, no doubt. We are learning because, as I've said before, many of the players have not been proven at the level." As we near the midpoint of the League Two season, Williams candidly recognised the uphill battle of promotion. Yet, he couldn’t help but beam with pride at the team’s relentless effort and commitment.

Looking ahead to the January transfer window, Williams mentioned his involvement in the recruitment process and hinted at potential additions to enhance the squad. Williams, with a keen eye on the team’s current form, acknowledged the need to evaluate their performance. He stressed the importance of spotting areas that might need a bit more muscle. He said, "I imagine that people will be out there looking at players and looking at what we have and how we're performing and whether or not there's a player there to come in that can take us to another level."

Despite recent challenges, Williams expressed gratitude for the team's position in the league, being just a point off the automatic promotion places as a promoted club. He emphasised the team's relentless mentality and highlighted the need to maintain enthusiasm and energy over the long term. Williams concluded, "That is our best route to success – to be demanding and relentless and to try to see if we can maintain that enthusiasm and energy over a long period of time, and that's what will bring us to success."

The Pride of Nottingham match discussion for this weekend's game against Harrogate Town is up, fans are sharing their thoughts, opinions and insight to the game. Share your own on the link attached.

Can you think of any players that haven't already been mentioned within our MAGnet's topic that have played for both Harrogate Town and Notts County? Check to see and join in today.



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its good to know that the clubs training hard, i dont doubt that and it will take time to sort out our defensive issues. it might not even be resolved if we sign a defender in january, but working towards getting better results is a must. we are in a good position and our earlier good work should not be undone with a dry patch. lets just try to navigate december the best that we can and rekindle that buzz in the new year.

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We’ve had a hectic period, facing various teams. We’ve performed well against some, but could have improved against others, like Walsall. I believe it’s crucial to regroup and maintain focus during matches, and hopefully, our training will yield results over time. I don’t think Walsall were particularly outstanding; their victory was more a reflection of our shortcomings. They reacted, while we let our spirits drop and didn’t sustain the same level of effort.

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We must leave the past behind and concentrate on applying our learned lessons moving forward. I concur with Luke Williams that this must be demonstrated in matches, but knowing that we’re training well is still a positive sign. Hopefully, we won’t lose heart and will enter the Harrogate match with a desire to improve. We’ve used losses as catalysts for improvement, and that’s exactly what we need now. With proper organisation and avoiding lapses in focus, results should follow.

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Luke Williams will have to ensure that the lads show passion in the upcoming weekend fixture against Harrogate and appreciate the support from the travelling fans. We’ve been underwhelming on the road, but we can improve. After a home defeat against Walsall in our last match, a win against Harrogate could significantly boost our morale.

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Harrogate will be in a curious state of mind considering their current form. I don’t think we need to overthink, but rather focus more on enhancing our performance. The upcoming weekend match could be a pivotal game for this season if it turns out well.

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It's always refreshing to see Williams' transparency in his statement. Identifying the drawbacks and having a clear strategy is key to success.  A game, after all, is not just 45 minutes but a full 90 minutes manifestation of straining and strategising.

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Luke's pragmatic approach to the team's weaknesses and strengths gives a lot of hope for the games ahead. He correctly points out that success is about maintaining enthusiasm and energy over the long term, not just riding high on a one-off win.

The way he bluntly addresses the team's second-half hiccups is commendable. It's apparent that there's work to be done, but one can't help but feel optimistic about the direction the team is moving in under his stewardship. His mention of the January transfer window and potential incoming players to further bolster the squad is definitely something to look forward to.

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Currently, Luke Williams is facing a slump and poor performance that he hasn’t encountered before. Usually, he can get Notts back on track, but for some reason, despite the effort, it’s not working at the moment. I don’t agree with David Jackson’s presser suggestion that Notts are overconfident. I believe it’s not a lack of confidence.

It’s likely a combination of nerves and panic causing the defensive problems. As for what went wrong in the second half against Walsall, it’s much simpler because Notts just stopped playing. When that happens, passing becomes tedious.

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Being two points off the automatic promotion places despite the recent challenges speaks volumes about the team's resilience. It's heartening to see that under pressure, the team's spirit remains high. Let's hope the boys don't lose sight of their momentum as we inch closer to the January transfer window.

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Agreed with Williams, the recent result might have been disappointing, but the overall position in the league is still very prudent considering they're a promoted club. Williams is right in pointing out the need for consistent performance during games rather than occasional brilliance; it's all about sustaining the momentum throughout!

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"Continuous journey of learning" - That's an ethos every team should instil, irrespective of their league. The proactive approach in rectifying weaknesses is what sets champions apart. The Notts have always been adept at rising to meet challenges, and this attitude is evident in spades from William's statements.

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The thing that stood out for me in this interview is when he mentioned that the Harrogate manager had been in the post for nine years, he said he’d love to stay with Notts for nine years. 

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Williams' statement 'one-nil up is not job done' should be etched in every player's mind. The team needs to retain the same intensity throughout the game. I echo his sentiment about not being complacent after scoring.

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Defensive consistency is indeed the key. This echoes the old adage, 'attack wins you games, defence wins you championships.' Looking forward to strengthened performances in this area.

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1 hour ago, Fan of Big Tone said:

The thing that stood out for me in this interview is when he mentioned that the Harrogate manager had been in the post for nine years, he said he’d love to stay with Notts for nine years. 

Certainly, Simon Weaver has gained a lot of respect for his long tenure at Harrogate Town. It would be great if this stops the constant rumours about Luke Williams moving to another club, but even if he were to sign a lengthy 10-year contract, keeping him here until 2036 on paper, there would still be Notts fans who worry or doubt his commitment to our club, fearing he might leave. Until he proves himself in this league, particularly during our current rough patch, I don't think he'll be leaving anytime soon.

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Like the attitude of relentless learning. That’s the spirit! Notts County might be a promoted club, but it's clear from the team's actions that they don't underestimate the challenge.

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Williams is setting the tone right for the upcoming matches with his positive and constructive attitude. The match against Harrogate is an opportunity to demonstrate that we have learned from our past mistakes. Optimistic as always, let's push ahead with the same attitude!

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The emphasis on maintaining momentum is absolutely crucial and the fact that Williams is acknowledging this openly is laudable. I believe that for Notts County, this holds even more significance given their status as a promoted club. It's not just about scoring first but about maintaining that lead - the latter being often tougher. Well done to Williams for not shying away from publicly discussing these issues.

Also, the fact that Williams is focusing on the need for consistency in performance couldn't be more timely. They can't afford any lapses in their defensive efforts or ball control. Acquiring new talent in the January transfer window could provide some much needed fresh energy and skill to the team. Looking forward to seeing how it all pans out.

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Luke has identified where the problems are and he's ready to go into the upcoming transfer window to strengthen the areas where we are lacking in defence, midfield & goalkeeper.

I'm sure Luke Knows who he wants out of the players who will be available during the January window.

Now that Macari has signed permanently, that gives us another option on the loan front too. Maybe go for a goalkeeper here to cover for Sam.

I'm confident Luke will sort it.

 

 

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