Pre-season synopsis, Stoke (H)

[ARLukomski]

Nice Greggs pre-match and the PA system is loud.

- Brindley got caught out a few times. Some good recoveries but Campbell got the better of him numerous times. Campbell is a Championship after all though and I'm sure we'll be in the market for a centre-back. The high line on both sides has been exploited but we needed to face a team who were going to show us our weaknesses, so we can fix them now.

- Crowley picked up space nicely and drove us forward on the counter. The more games he plays, the more he'll get used to our system and how we play. The link up play with Nemane will get there too.

- Stone is good with his one-on-one shot stopping. Makes himself big and despite a few loose passes, I'm sure he'll step in comfortably to be No.1. When you play like we do, you're always going to run the risk of playing loose passes out from the back. 

- On the ball, there might not be many better at this level than Didzy. He was making it look easy at stages and his link up play with Macca, once it gets going, is going to be excellent. He offers that quality from the leagues above that you need. 35, but plays like he's 25.

- Cisse was quick with his feet and direct when he came on. Looks promising. Mahovo struggled at first but was better in the second half. Needs a loan as he's not ready yet. 

- Randall looked alright at LWB. One of his favourite ways of playing, is to cut inside and shoot. Got back well, just need to adapt his play to run outside of his man.

Obvious we need a right sided centre-back. Jesse Debrah please. Would add a centre mid as well for competition.

[Fan of Big Tone]

I didn’t go so can’t really comment except to say I was a little disappointed at the margin of the score, I assume Stoke fielded a very strong side? It’s a good test which will hopefully enable Luke Williams to identify shortcomings and rectify them.

[cheeky~k8]

I can agree there, the score may not be a good one for Notts but Stoke are a much higher level team and the team will learn from the play today.

[Chris]

I heard a lot of complaints in the stands, a few people got the better of me and I stood up to their stupid comments. I really couldn't believe it when I heard a fan say "we have two ***t keepers now, what is Luke Williams thinking, even I could do better than that."

Stoke City played well and showed some real quality.

I felt sorry for Aidan Stone because there was little he could do with most of the goals in my opinion. I think any keeper may have struggled, because the chances they had were very much on point.

If anyone thinks we'll be relegated because of losing to Stoke in a pre-season friendly, please don't go to Meadow Lane. Your negativity is exactly what holds this club back and your opinions way about as much sense as it does to walk off a cliff with no parachute.

Randall was fine, but Jodi is exceptional. Cisse is class.

I wished Luke Williams had started what he believed would be his XI going into the season.

There were many positives to take a way, yes, we could have done better, but I think Williams decision to include youngsters from the start is commendable.

[allardyces tash]

I thought the new sound system was set too high. It was deafening at times and I noticed some young people requiring headphones because of it. The club might have thought about it, as Notts does have a lot of fans with sensory concerns. Blasting them with a new sound system just because we can isn’t going to help. I would encourage them to turn it down. I don’t fancy going deaf.

Stoke City looked like a decent Championship team. They went to win and wanted to show off a little. I don’t blame them because it was entertaining to see them knock the ball about.

Aidan Stone could have done better at times. I didn’t see him being all that vocal, but defensively Notts were poor. Kyle Cameron got caught out quite a bit and just went to ground, some of which wasn’t even a foul on him. He needs to cut this out in the league, but it’s not convincing and it comes from his own decisions.

The lad Notts played up top in the second half, was that Luther? He looked like he could create problems but didn’t look like a goal threat. He could have done with someone like Cedwyn Scott to play alongside.

I don’t think the scoreline flattered Stoke. They worked hard and punished us for making too many silly decisions.

It’s not the end of the world, but it does show that a good pressing team can turn our defence into jelly.

[CliftonMagpie]

The first squad didn’t really get going, but Macaulay Langstaff did well to score his chance. I think the midfield missed John Bostock and Jodi Jones, as Matt Palmer struggled to play his usual game. He wasn’t bad, he was just marked and pressed, which limited him and what he could do on the ball. I think the younger players in the defensive areas caused a lot of the problems, but it was nice to see them out there. I would have preferred to see Notts put out a stronger squad, then bring on the youths.

[upthepies]

I thought Stoke City would find the game easy, but I didn’t think Notts would make it easier for them. Some of the poor passing and defensive decisions gave them more opportunities. I was actually a bit disappointed because fans came in good numbers, but the second half was much better. Once Jodi Jones came on, things flowed much better. I thought Sam Austin was unlucky not to get on the score sheet.

Dan Crowley wasn’t the Man of the Match for me. David McGoldrick would have been. He did a lot of good stuff with limited time on the ball. I don’t want someone to come back and say, “What do you expect? It’s a friendly.” While the result doesn’t matter, the issues we saw need to be cut out. They are fundamentally basic things that have plagued us since the last time we were in League Two.

[NottsCountyKev]

There were some poor mistakes made that gave Stoke City goals, but these are things they will learn from. Luke Williams knows this; he will have made his decision, and I think he will know which youth players can fill in games in League Two. I understand the disappointment, but I see the positives. I heard silly comments myself; we will always get this, but I also heard people praising and encouraging them. I thought the KOP had no atmosphere, and I think the club should have allowed the full KOP to be open. I thought the attendance would be higher; I guess that was wishful thinking. I won’t criticise any of the players directly, as it’s a pre-season game, and I do credit Stoke for their efforts. Campbell looks like a Premier League player, not Championship, and I wish them all the best with their season.

[Super_Danny_Allsopp]

I wasn't at the game. Have seen the highlights however. Few points to mention:
 

• Mahovo wasn't great  against Nuneaton. I was surprised that he continues to get the nod when the better youth performers on the night - Reynolds and Gill, were shunted to the B team. He's nowhere near ready - a loan to step 3 or lower IMO
• Slocombe saves 2 of those Stoke goals. Worrying.
• You can't play that high of a line with Cameron, Brindley and Mohovo/Chicksen. There's absolutely 0 pace there. There's a reason we struggle without Baldwin at the back and his 'recovery tackles'. 
• We need a CB with pace, as cover across all 3 positions, or starting on the right ahead of Rawlinson. It was obvious for many fans before, and if Williams hadn't agreed, I think he may have seen 1 or 2 things against Stoke that may change his opinion. 

[DangerousSausage]

Thanks for all the responses, this is a good read! And a bad one at the same time...

My completely worthless thoughts:

Our entire game is based around being on the front foot and in control. So it's maybe not a surprise we got a kicking, especially when you consider our experimential back line.

Speaking of experimental back lines, it's a shame we couldn't use this game as a dress rehearsal, but it's too early in pre season for that. Shame really. There's no way we'll play like that in the league.

It's disappointing we gave them so many gifts at the back, we wouldn't have got away with that in the NL either. But here's the reality check: we've just been promoted back to the Football League, Stoke are gunning for the Premier League. However frustrating and disappointing it feels, LW will have learned a lot more yesterday than he wound have if we'd spent the day whipping a Northern Premier League team 7-0.

[liampie]

i think slocombe years of experience cant yet be compared to stone, he did well and saved some efforts a lot of keepers may struggle with. hes confident and stands up to mistakes, most goals were caused due to the defence. its hard for a young keeper who might not be that ready to face a good stoke side with so many problems in front of him. i believe he will come good.

mahovo has been poor in both friendlies but fair play to williams for trying to still give him time.

i think if matt palmer/john bostock and our usual back 5 were to play we would have coped a lot better.

i am not concerned, i think the issues would show playing a team that high above us.

[Ohh Tommy Johnson]

In my line of work we say a near miss is a gift, as nobody got hurt and the environment wasn't damaged, but we can learn a lot to prevent a future event which could be far worse.  I look at Pre Season Friendlies in the same way.  They are an opportunity to learn and correct before points are on the line.  In this way the score is irrelevant, it's the amount of information and lessons you can extract from the experience.  I didn't go, so can't comment on the actual game, but I would have thought that Stoke and Forest were chosen as PSFs for precisely the reason that we would learn a lot.  We need to be severely tested and exposed, to see who copes and where the gaps are.  Stoke provided just that test (and hopefully Forest), and that has to be a positive. It's also a long time since the side has faced another team who had the upper hand, and to then have to work out what to do about it.  The side now knows the standards they need to aim for, and what they can't get away with.

I would imagine LW has a better idea of who will step up, who will find it harder and what to coach over the coming weeks.  He will have been given a good examination of his tactics, and if he is the coach we think he is, he will look at those issues Stoke exposed and work on them and adapt the plan accordingly.  It is unlikely we will get such an examination outside the cup games, (and even then, these days that's doubtful), so surely this needs to be welcomed?

It's much better than facing a NLN / S side, having a walk in the park and learning nothing about the side or the tactics / system.