Wrexham v Notts (An analysis..or in other words, how we have been found out)

[Piethagoram]

 

[Fozzy]

Can't argue with any of that, but I would say our biggest undoing were the mistakes at the back which gave away two goals and the high line without enough pace amongst the Centre Backs (that's why Maguire and Lindelof no longer play together for Utd).

When we signed CLE, we did not need him, the one position we did need was another Centre Half and that is what I think has cost us ultimately this season. I can definitely see that being addressed in the summer, no matter which division we will be playing in.

 

[liampie]

i struggled to get past his first opinion that bostock should have been replaced with jones. a winger for a central midfielder, i know jones has played in the middle for coventry but hes by far better out wide. having him start would have left little at the back and added an imbalance as he would most likely try to do what rodrigues trues. i agree with fans from the match discussion here, baldwin would have made a significant difference if he was able to play.

[DangerousSausage]

4 hours ago, liampie said:

i struggled to get past his first opinion that bostock should have been replaced with jones. a winger for a central midfielder, i know jones has played in the middle for coventry but hes by far better out wide. having him start would have left little at the back and added an imbalance as he would most likely try to do what rodrigues trues. i agree with fans from the match discussion here, baldwin would have made a significant difference if he was able to play.

I can see the logic in that actually. LW wanted us to have a stronger midfield to combat the hosts' physical game, and I'd have made the same calls as him to be honest. But in the first half in particular, we had a lot of difficulty making the ball stick in the opposition's half. Jones is good at holding onto the ball and recycling it well, and we looked better once he came on. He's a very versatile player and would be a crucial signing if we can keep him.

[Chris]

Mullun wasn't the difference, he was a constant threat but all the better work came from players behind him. Mullin did well when he wasn't creating chances to score from the spot or knocking out Ruben's tooth.

There's no mention of the effect that Chicksen and Nemane had, their defensive duties were very absent and that made it harder for the back 3.

I do agree, Mendy did very well. He looks an awesome player and out of the Wrexham squad, he's genuinely the only player I would take and bring to Notts if I had the power. Going forward, he was lively, and he defended extremely well. I don't think Ruben looked like a player who had pressure; he looked like he wasn't fully fit. Unfortunately, Bajrami was poor, and it just doesn't stop with the defensive errors.

He gave the ball away, more than Rawlinson, Cameron, Rodrigues and Bostock combined.

I agree with comments here, that Rawlinsons slow pace, the lack of Cameron's awareness (mostly due to wanting to attack more), Baj's failure to cope with pressure. The lack of support defensively from Chicksen and Nemane placed a lot of responsibility on an already weak area. Whilst these did well as individuals, they didn't as a defensive unit and that made things the hardest. Yet, a lot of credit to the way Wrexham played forced much of the headaches we witnessed.

It's an interesting insight, but most doesn't seem to fit what someone more knowledgable of the players might say. I mean, there are bits that make sense but a lot more seems to be getting forced into the hole to suite the opinion or narrative that they perceive.

[TheSkipper]

I understand where George Claydon is coming from. Everyone will have an opinion on football, and that is what makes it so captivating. Sometimes, two strikingly similar comments can both be right in their own way.

However, I have to agree more with what has been outlined by the PON gaffer, @Chris. He's hit the nail on the head as far as I'm concerned.

In my opinion, Notts used a high defence as a means to combat Wrexham's playing style. However, they had changed their own style going into the game, and those overhead balls towards Mullin looked dangerous early on.

While Mullin is not the slowest striker, imagine if a quicker one was up top. It would have been lethal and much harder for the defence to cope.

I have seen some fans question Jim O'Brien's presence in the starting line-up, yet I felt his experience gave Notts a calm head in midfield. He was one of the few players trying to instruct the team to calm down and pick out the right pass.

Wrexham pressed in such a manner that even Matt Palmer struggled to be himself. I thought his passing was subpar, the worst I have ever seen from him. John Bostock did well to win balls back, but he often made the wrong decision about whom to pass to next. He also under-hit passes on a number of occasions, leading to breaks by Wrexham.

The biggest issue is the three-man defence. The lack of support from the wing-backs was noticeable, and I don't recall seeing the defenders communicate in a way that suggested they were working together.

While I do not believe Kyle Cameron fouled Paul Mullin enough for the penalty, he was in cloud-cuckoo-land at times. I feel he should have been the person to say that the defence needed to work more together. They were so narrow that loads of space were often seen behind, in front, and to the sides. How do you defend that without losing your head?

[CliftonMagpie]

Ruben Rodrigues appeared fatigued. I realise some individuals may have believed I was foolish to propose in the match discussion that he should be rested, but to me, it was the obvious solution. In my opinion, he would have accomplished a lot more if he had come on as a substitute rather than starting. We may not have earned the free kick for John Bostock's goal, but someone else may have created a completely different opportunity. Ruben does not perform well when he is not at 100%, which is one of the reasons why he is not always dependable, particularly in his first season with us.