Match Discussion: Game 18 - The Saddlers (A)

[Fan of Big Tone 𝕏 @mainstandpie]

They’ve got a big job to pull this round now.

[Robbie 𝕏 @Robbie_NCFC]

Update.

 

Update.

Penalty to Notts.

GOOOOOAAAAAL DIDZY 

74 - GOAL! Typical McGoldrick - cool, calm and collected from 12 yards.

[Robbie 𝕏 @Robbie_NCFC]

Update 

A third for Walsall.

 

[Robbie 𝕏 @Robbie_NCFC]

GOOOOOAAAAAL HINCHY 

Full time.

Defeat for Notts.

 

[Chris Website URL Visit Site 𝕏 fmcj10 Instagram fmcj10]

A lot of fans are saying we clearly missed Matty Platt, problem is we seemed to have crumbled upon conceding. Pleased that David McGoldrick scored the penalty, and now that Jack Hinchy has scored. 3-2 doesn't sound all that bad, but really we need to start making possession count. Walsall have shown us why an inform team can hold its own, when a team tries to control the game.

I'm disappointed that we conceded 3 goals before scoring but pleased that we kept fighting.It's really a case of balancing this, and realising that we need to get to January to further improve. Heading in the right direction, but not the finished product yet.

[Robbie 𝕏 @Robbie_NCFC]

We have to take into account that Notts are missing 6 players who would go straight into the first eleven.

The effect of the injured players is starting to show & Notts have done so well to get this far and still be in touch with the leaders .

The players remaining are doing their best & could easily have salvaged a point at the end.

Notts fans  need to give the team some slack. The injured players are going to return at some point. 

Positives. Jack Hinchy had his best game for Notts. McGoldrick was magnificent & Ness played well too

Let's get a few more wins & hopefully early in the new year we will have a full squad available again.

[Fan of Big Tone 𝕏 @mainstandpie]

The first goal was a bit of a fluke really, it went straight in from the corner. The second was a soft goal to concede and the third they caught us on the break when we were chasing the game. Notts pulled it back to 3-2 with a grub hunter from Hinchy and in the dying minutes Tsaroulla nearly levelled the score but from a great save from their goalie.

We move on to Colchester.

Edited December 3 by Fan of Big Tone
I can never spell Tsaroulla properly

[Robbie 𝕏 @Robbie_NCFC]

Notts stein sixth place just two points from the automatics.

 

[menzinho]

It’s just not quite there is it, I know we are missing our better attacking players but I still feel like we’ve got the ability to get something from these games.

I couldn’t believe for a team that passes out from the back how much we actually struggled to get the ball over the halfway line, especially in the first half. The movement and speed we moved the ball was just dreadful. It was a really poor half overall, Walsall weren’t even really pressing us they just kept their shape and we couldn’t get near their goal.

I felt a bit sorry Cisse, not going to criticise him cos he’s very young but that was not the right time to put him in. I want our academy players to come through but just shoving them in when they are not ready doesn’t do much for me. Although, it makes me wonder just how bad Martin must be.

Second half we were better but once again we were the architects of our own downfall, like how do you concede directly from a corner! Bass totally misjudges the flight of the ball, if Slocombe had been in goal tons of fans would’ve gone nuts over that. Their second goal came from our inability to pass it out and everyone got sucked over to right hand side for some reason. We needed a penalty to back into it but then you could see the confidence return a bit, we actually had Walsall a tad worried until we messed up again. Awful pass from Ness to Bass and then he hacks it into the middle of pitch again, when he just had to whack it into the stands…

We had 76% possession tonight, I think that’s the most we’ve had all season yet Walsall had 23 shots… We had 14, that shouldn't be happening. No-one really had a shocker of a game though, there were some good individual performances, I liked what I saw from Hinchy, Palmer was probably my man of the match and McGoldrick was desperately trying to be a creative spark, but cohesively as a team it’s just not working right now. 

[Piethagoram 𝕏 @piethagoram]

Actually @menzinho I too felt sorry for Cisse as the senior pros, were not passing to him. However Cisse produced the best Notts pass of the game to put McGoldrick through, but he stumbled and the chance was lost

[Morten Johansen]

I`m quite impressed by our performance yesterday given we missed so many leading players.

Colchester are in good form, but I`m confident we will get a win on Saturday.

[saddlesore]

Morning pies. Walsall fan here.

Good game last night, one of the better sides we've seen, and McGoldrick still pulling the strings. Sounds like you've got a few injuries, and just need to hold out until they're back, or until January.

 

A lot of you seem to be excusing your amount of possession for dominance and saying that we're not a great side. Yet, here we are with a chance to go top at Vale on Saturday, with a game in hand, by far superior goal difference in the league, have put 3 and 4 goals past a number of teams, don't concede many, and have injured players to return.

In most games this season we've let sides have 60-70% possession. But generally it's in areas where there is no threat. We'll happily sit, keep an excellent shape, press, and let teams have the ball, but restrict them to few chances. Then we switch, counter and are clinical in our finishing.

 

But, we can play when we want/need to. We just do what we need to against each side to get the 3 points. We're also unbeaten against a number of L1 sides (and Leicester). The cup game against Charlton was out first loss against a L1 side this season.

 

So yes, we're not always great, but it's effective. We may not be what Wrexham or Stockport were last season, but then we haven't splashed the cash they have, and we beat both of them last season, and blew our chance of play offs. We just need to keep our loanees in January to keep going, but long way to go, and it's a very tight and competitive league this year.

 

Great following from you lot last night btw. I hope you stay in the top 6 and keep the likes of MK Mongs, Salford and the like out. Proper club  

[Fan of Big Tone 𝕏 @mainstandpie]

1 hour ago, Piethagoram said:

I too felt sorry for Cisse as the senior pros, were not passing to him.

I noticed that too, it was as if they didn’t trust him, I wasn’t at all surprised when he was withdrawn.

[Robbie 𝕏 @Robbie_NCFC]

Cisse had a better rating than Bass, Macari, & Austin as well as the substitutes like Scott & Gordon on whoscored.com 

In his post match interview, Stuart was very pleased with his performance.

Can't remember anyone on the radio commentary refering to Cisse not recieving passes.

[Robbie 𝕏 @Robbie_NCFC]

First Notts goal for Jack Hinchy.

 

[Dripsey3]

Injuries are killing us which means individual errors need to be kept to a minimum. That didn't happen last night. Walsall are an effective side. I don't like the way some Notts fans dismissed them. They are above us in the table for a reason. You have to earn every point in this division and Walsall fight for 90+ minutes. They have more of a chance of going up than we do. 

[Robbie 𝕏 @Robbie_NCFC]

@saddlesore

Your team took their chances well. Your first goal was a little fortuitous, but the other two goals were well taken 

Your team had a plan and stuck to it well. Good luck for the rest of the season 

[liampie]

its really just putting the chances we create away, had an earlier effort of ours gone in i think the game would have been different. defensively this season we do play like we can come back from errors, but the two goals walsall first scored mind it difficult for us to get anything out of the game. if we had kept it 2-1, when jack hinchy scored the game would have reflected a fairer outcome. the injuries dont help but we need to play as a team and cut out lack of focus. earlier in the season stuart maynard spoke about being unpredictable but we are in our efforts on goal. dont get me wrong, i am not disappointed but it is frustrating that we did not respond when the game was at 1-0.

[menzinho]

I think Walsall are a decent team and I wasn’t begrudging them of the win, but I can’t hide the frustration from our side. We started the second half well, but why couldn't we have started the first half like that? Even with our injuries, I feel this team is more capable than it shows at times!

Walsall's game plan was more effective, but they didn’t outplay us, it was pretty even in that respect but we created two of their goals because we played ourselves into trouble.

I think Walsall have a good chance of going up automatically because their home form is really strong and they’ve shown how they can be effective against the other good teams in this league. Saturday’s game between Port Vale and Walsall will be really intriguing.

[Robbie 𝕏 @Robbie_NCFC]

By the way @saddlesore, are you a season ticket holder at Walsall & do you travel to away matches too?

It's nice to see another Club's supporter on PON.

It's says on your account your a newbie. I wouldn't call you a newbie seeing you've been on here 9 years.

Lots of water under the bridge since then.

I think you need an up to date badge.

[saddlesore]

17 hours ago, Robbie said:

By the way @saddlesore, are you a season ticket holder at Walsall & do you travel to away matches too?

It's nice to see another Club's supporter on PON.

It's says on your account your a newbie. I wouldn't call you a newbie seeing you've been on here 9 years.

Lots of water under the bridge since then.

I think you need an up to date badge.

Yes, season ticket holder and attend most away games. Been to County many times since the 80s.

 

I think the Newbie badge is related to my number of posts. Only usually around when we play each other!

[Robbie 𝕏 @Robbie_NCFC]

@saddlesore 

Even so it's good to have you visit & express an opinion from time to time

I do think that your team is one of the favourites for an automatic spot, although you just never know, which team below is going to hit some good form.

We are just hoping that once we get these injured players back, we'll start winning some games & put some pressure on yourselves & Port Vale.

Doncaster had a good win last night so we can't count them out either. Then there's MK Dons starting to play well too.

It's going to be a very competitive league this season. 

[NiftyNick]

November and December are always tough, even without injuries. Fair play to Walsall for grabbing the win and making the most of their chances. I think there are points to be made about how Notts were slow to defend, but I accept this. I just hope we bounce back because I don't like when fans call for the manager's head during a promotion chase. We should be more unified, in my opinion.