Match Discussion: Game 29 - The Hatters (H)

[PON_News]

Game 29 - The Hatters (H)

Team: Stockport County

Date: 20/01/2024

Where: Meadow Lane

What line-up should Notts opt for? What will be the key areas for the Magpies to get a victory? What do you think the final score will be?

Have your say below, join in with the Pride of Nottingham match discussion.

[Fan of Big Tone]

24 minutes ago, PON_News said:

What line-up should Luke Williams opt for?

Err, I’m not sure who Swansea’s players are so I’ve no idea. 

[Robbie]

I don't think Jim is going to make any changes to the side that drew 5:5 with Grimsby unless he is forced to do so by injury.

The side will probably line up in a similar formation & the style of play will not alter.

Stockport do leak a few goals so I'm confident we can score a few, it's just how many we concede at the other end concerns me 

Personally, I believe that Notts should be more cautious this game, because Stockport is another level above Grimsby, but I'm sure that the Notts way of playing "total football" will continue.

I'm hoping for a score draw here  I think that will be a good result on Saturday, if the game goes ahead as there are freezing conditions around at the moment. I'm going for 2:2 result.

 

[True Magpie]

I’d rather see Richard Brindley start ahead of Connell Rawlinson, but apart from that, I think the lineup looks good. I have no problem with the team Jim O’Brien chose for the match against Grimsby Town. As the match is at home, Notts should perform better defensively. Even though Stockport County could be tougher than Mansfield Town, I believe Notts will step up to the challenge and deliver a strong performance. Regardless of the outcome, I expect the match to be closely contested. We should have beaten them at their ground.

[TheSkipper]

I’m concerned that Stockport County will watch the Grimsby highlights and spot our weakness in guarding the goalkeeper. If Aidan Stone is playing, he needs to stay alert and work harder to shield the upper part of the goal. Many teams have realised that they just need to aim high. It might not be a popular opinion, but I’d prefer Sam Slocombe to start.

I consider Slocombe to be our top shot-stopper, and he handles stress better.

If Jim O’Brien continues to manage the game, I hope he considers who the back three are. I don’t mind Connell Rawlinson, but it depends on the opposition. Stockport seems to have a good amount of speed, which would make me hesitant to start Rawlinson.

Notts just needs to ensure we apply pressure and create opportunities. Stockport isn’t unbeatable. We performed well against them on their turf, but we made it too easy defensively.

[Chris]

Stockport County are very blessed in midfield and in their attack, Paddy Madden was a player I once wanted Notts to sign back when he played in the Irish league. We all know that Kyle Wootton is a threat.

Those are obvious danger men for them.

Connor Evans, Cody Johnson and Isaac Olaofe are all players I would be aware of. I am looking forward to seeing Scott Robertson. It will be interesting to see if we maintain the tactics of Luke Williams, or if by this point the new head coach will be appointed and therefore choose his own setup. I do have the feeling that Jim will remain temporary in charge even if we do make an appointment before this game.

I would like to say that the Notts players will be fighting for their place in the team and this ideally would get the most out of the players. I do want to see more of Aaron Nemane because he's unstoppable when he gets going.

Defensively and in terms of goal are concerns, but I would stick with the same line-up as Grimsby.

[Ohh Tommy Johnson]

I don't think much will change - maybe Brindley or Macari in for Rawlinson and that will be it.  I don't get this blaming Stone for the draw on Saturday.  From what I can tell it would have been 7 or 8 -5 because he made a few good saves and had no chance with those they did score.  I suspect even if we had Alisson or Edison people would still be upset that we let a goal in from time to time.  When the defence is as over run as ours was at the weekend you can't blame the back 3 and goalkeeper if goals get conceded.

[liampie]

its going to be just as tough as it was at their ground, i think any good results would be a massive boost. i would also say a point would be a decent out come, obviously i hope for more but the main thing is to come away undefeated. stockport will fancy their chances and i can see them being harder as the game starts, i hope we can grow into the game.

[Blake]

I always feel excited about home games, which is a strange feeling when you think back to previous eras. I believe the Notts players will make a game of it, and if they work hard, Meadow Lane can be a daunting place for the opposition.

[TheSkipper]

4 hours ago, Ohh Tommy Johnson said:

I don't think much will change - maybe Brindley or Macari in for Rawlinson and that will be it.  I don't get this blaming Stone for the draw on Saturday.  From what I can tell it would have been 7 or 8 -5 because he made a few good saves and had no chance with those they did score.  I suspect even if we had Alisson or Edison people would still be upset that we let a goal in from time to time.  When the defence is as over run as ours was at the weekend you can't blame the back 3 and goalkeeper if goals get conceded.

Just to clarify, I don't blame Aidan Stone. Conceding 5 goals can really dent your confidence, and while being dropped wouldn't be a positive, it would give him some protection. I think whoever we have in goal will come under criticism, and some of that will be justified. I have less confidence in Stone once we concede; he seems to become a bit hesitant, especially with shots aimed high, and his reactions appear slow. Once again, I don't think he's to blame for the draw against Grimsby because defensively Notts should have done better. I think Sam Slocombe would bring more experience to the role.

[OoooooTommy]

There are many uncertainties with us being without a manager. I believe Jim O'Brien will realise through experience that a stable team is more effective. I also don't think anyone played particularly poorly, at least not individually or enough to be removed from the team. I will be pleased to see us reach Saturday without rumors of players leaving. That, along with a good performance against Stockport, could be a relief.

[DangerousSausage]

I think it'll be too late for any new head coach to implement anything @Chris, but maybe our next man will be in the stands? It'll be interesting to see whether the new keeper will get the nod now he's got his feet under the table.

We gave Stockport a really good game at their place just a few weeks back, and with home advantage and if everyone is at their best there's every chance we could come away with points.

[Chris]

1 hour ago, DangerousSausage said:

I think it'll be too late for any new head coach to implement anything @Chris.

Most likely, but if an appointment is made before Friday - we can't rule out that the new head coach won't want to take full charge. Personally, I would prefer to take control the moment it became official, and I wouldn't worry so much about training, I would just make sure my instructions were clear enough. Though I am not a coach or manager.

I think you are right though, the head coach may be appointed before or on the day, then allowed to watch the squad.

[Dripsey3]

I don't see Notts conceding 5 at home. Stockport were never going to keep up the pace they were going at. The last few games are probably a better indicator of where they are at. They are probably the 3rd best team behind Mansfield and Wrexham. I think this will end in a high scoring draw. 3-3 is my guess. 

[CliftonMagpie]

Notts are much more secure and structured at the back, I anticipate it will be more of a stop-start game with some messy play. I fully expect Stockport County to try to intimidate us, that was their strategy at their ground and they executed it well in the first half.

We need to be wary of those elbows and pushes to the ground, more than we have to worry about them being more direct. I hope we get some news about the new head coach, it seems likely that it will be announced at the match now. There’s something happening which has led to the media releasing the pre-match interviews quicker. I actually think we can narrowly win this game, being on home turf makes me much more confident that we can edge the game.

[Chris]

 Not so late after all, @DangerousSausage.

Quote

Stuart, who has signed a three and a half year deal, will take charge of his first training session on Friday and will lead the team in Saturday’s Sky Bet League Two fixture against Stockport County.

Good news!

I am sure Jim O'Brien would have done his best, but I always do feel it's best for the manager to get involved as quickly as possible - instead of missing a game whilst an interim head coach takes his squad to the field. He will have time to access, tactics might be the same, but it will be interesting to see.

[liampie]

i am all the more excited about saturday, whilst we can not read too much into it, it will just be interesting to see what stuart maynard will do with the lineup and if anything will change. it will be brave to make a lot of changes to the tactics, but then our squad should be robust enough to cope with a new way or system.

[Fan of Big Tone]

I’m really excited for Saturday now, I just hope the weather doesn’t spoil things and the game is postponed. I don’t anticipate Maynard making any changes it’s too early he will rely on JOB for his assessment of who should play.

[NottsTastic]

Let’s set aside the jitters. The players will be striving to keep their starting positions and to make a good impression on the new manager. Notts are set to take on Stockport with full force, showing them that Meadow Lane is no easy ground.

[Joshua]

While Stockport County is a strong team, they’re not invincible. Playing at home, we should be able to create opportunities to showcase our best football. I believe Stuart Maynard will instruct the players to go out, stay focused, and demonstrate their abilities. We can’t anticipate immediate change, but the initial signs could be promising.

[Robbie]

Now that Stuart Maynard has been named as Head Coach, I think that the game on Saturday against Stockport will be a whole new ball game. We all talk about the new Gaffer bounce and it will be as true as ever on Saturday.

We played one of our best games of the season at Stockport a few weeks ago and Notts were unlucky not to come away with a draw being the best side on the day. If we play on Saturday like we did in that game, for our new Gaffer, & with a big crowd behind them, I think we can pull off a win.

[NottsCountyKev]

We won’t get a real understanding of Stuart Maynard immediately, so we’ll have to wait and see. I think he’ll want to begin with the best squad possible. If we utilise the ball well, we might be able to return to the form that took us to the top of the league. Let’s be fearless, we can do it.

[Robbie]

On 17/01/2024 at 23:17, Chris said:

Most likely, but if an appointment is made before Friday - we can't rule out that the new head coach won't want to take full charge. Personally, I would prefer to take control the moment it became official, and I wouldn't worry so much about training, I would just make sure my instructions were clear enough. Though I am not a coach or manager.

I think you are right though, the head coach may be appointed before or on the day, then allowed to watch the squad.

Stuart Maynard's definitely in charge for Saturday.

[allardyces tash]

Stockport will have a plan to try to isolate our best creative players. It might be slow at times and if they’re aggressive, I hope the officials stop it early. This could be a great game for both teams, full of action and drama. Hoping for a win, but a draw would be fine too.

[menzinho]

Stockport were very good defensively when we played them a few weeks ago, we largely dominated the ball but struggled to break them down. On the plus side Stockport didn't really threaten us that much either, they scored from a corner and a penalty.

I suspect Jim O'Brien and co will guide Stuart Maynard on the starting 11, I think adding more defensive minded players would be a good thing but I'm doubtful it'll happen. 

Some players will look at this game as a chance to show the new coaching team what they can do and they'll know they'll have to step their game up if they want to come away win a too. We do need to be better off the ball but I don't think I'd put any money on us keeping a clean sheet for this game. As for the prediction, just roll a dice for each team and it won't be far off the final score!

Edited January 19 by menzinho