Notts V League 2's Top Teams

[menzinho]

It was mentioned last season that our record against the better teams in League 2, top 10/play-offs and automatics was pretty bad. And so far, this season we haven’t exactly been able to buck that trend.

Overall, right now – ‘cos the top 10 is very changeable at the moment – our record is: Played 10, Won 3, Drawn 2, Lost 5.

I guess more telling is that against the teams in the play-offs and automatics we’ve only won 1 match (1-0 against Wimbledon) the rest have been all be losses and a draw. From the teams in 11th and below, we’ve only lost 1 game though, winning 8 times and drawing 5.

So can we get promoted with such a poor record against the better teams or is it something we really need to try and improve? Maybe, just beating the poorer teams will be enough given how close the league is this season, but that doesn’t exactly bode well for life in League 1, where all the teams will be better…

[Fan of Big Tone 𝕏 @mainstandpie]

If we manage to get promoted it will be a big step up, we may struggle with the current players but with good signings to bolster the squad there’s no reason we can’t consolidate in the first season i.e. avoid relegation and build from there.

BUT we need to get promoted first and that means doing better against teams around us in six pointer games. I wonder if there are any more signings in the pipeline that could make a difference.

[Fozzy]

The top teams of League 2 have a far more effective high press and that is our Achilles heel. We need more pace higher up the field (hopefully Jarvis will help with that) as an outlet and we need to make better decisions at the back. Sometimes you just cannot play your way out of trouble and need to put your boot through the ball.

I think the Walsall home game highlighted brilliantly our strengths and weaknesses in one game. First half they let us control the ball and they couldn’t get close, second half they made changes and brought much more energy and urgency both on and off the ball which we just couldn’t cope with.

A lot of league 1 sides would spot our weakness quite quickly, so we need to find a solution.

[Dripsey3]

League One is a difficult league to compete in. There are big teams with big budgets but it is possible to be competitive and not break the bank. I think Notts would only need 3 or 4 additions to be a mid table side. I think the brothers have bigger ambitions so it would be a fun ride! 

[Robbie 𝕏 @Robbie_NCFC]

70 points got Crawley into the playoffs in 7th place last season, so 30 points from 22 games for Notts should be achieved as a minimum amount.

I think a playoff place is very much achievable. An automatic place will be a little harder. I think 82 points may be enough for third place but that's 42 points needed by Notts, from 22 games.

[DangerousSausage]

I think we could make the play-offs just by consistently beating the teams in the bottom half of the table, but it wouldn't bode well for when we get there.

That record seems a bit better than it was last season, but we need to win more than we lose if we want to seriously compete for the automatics. These are tight games and we need to find a way to win them regularly - last season we were just too leaky at the back, this time our injuries affected our attacking strength for a good stretch.

[saddlesore]

On 08/01/2025 at 07:55, Fozzy said:

The top teams of League 2 have a far more effective high press and that is our Achilles heel. We need more pace higher up the field (hopefully Jarvis will help with that) as an outlet and we need to make better decisions at the back. Sometimes you just cannot play your way out of trouble and need to put your boot through the ball.

I think the Walsall home game highlighted brilliantly our strengths and weaknesses in one game. First half they let us control the ball and they couldn’t get close, second half they made changes and brought much more energy and urgency both on and off the ball which we just couldn’t cope with.

Couldn't get close?

We (Walsall) deliberately sit off teams in the first half, let them run around and get tired, then take advantage second half.

 

Our possession stats are the second lowest in the league, deliberately. We let teams have the ball, but generally it's in areas that don't hurt us, and we get numbers back in the box to block any shots.

 

The stats all add up to prove that. Possesion/xg/goals/points etc. If you only count our second half goals this season, we'd still have scored more than most of the teams in the promotion and play-off places.

 

What's the thinking with letting Crowley go to a promotion rival btw?  Surely better to miss out on any fee that reduce the chances of getting promoted? Is it just rumour talk?

[True Magpie]

It's very typical for Notts to struggle against teams above or at the other end of the table in a season. Some of the games we've lost against the better teams in League Two have been unlucky for the club. For me, it's games like Salford away and Gillingham at home where I feel points were dropped. There have been games like Chesterfield where a point was saved. With the way injuries have affected us this season, it hasn't been all that bad.

How many top teams have outplayed Notts? Salford is now in a better position for having beaten us. I think we need to narrow down the defeats at this stage and try to maximise the amount of points we can pick up. We have a good chance of picking up points at Meadow Lane, which would be crucial in any effort to finish in the automatic promotion spots or even the playoffs.

[JIMBO]

To be fair, we have pulled off some very good results on the road and compared to last season, this has been a big improvement. At home, our record is very good too. Some of the results could have gone our way a bit more, but during that period when we had injuries, we did everything possible to get through it. I do wonder how much Dan Crowley wanting out played into that period and if he was injured or just using excuses to force the club's hand. I am more confident about finishing in the automatic places than gambling it through the playoffs.