I think we would all agree last nights win and the goals scored were very welcome. However we did look a bit disorganised at times, wide open in midfield. A better team than Shrewsbury would have exploited the wide opens spaces. With Jodi and his free spirit role we it's easy to lose our shape. Tsaroulla who played well as a whole, was caught out of position, which allowed for a free cross for their goal. Something we need to work on I feel.

Yes definitely...the Goalkeeper doesn't shape up very well at all!!!!

I would like to see Notts adopt a 4-4-2 formation. This would give Notts more defensive solidarity. I don't think it would impede the Notts possession based identity to any degree, but I do think the formation can give the Notts team more flexibility with their shape & tactics during a match.

I don’t know much about shapes or formations I’ll leave that to the experts but I do like to see, fighting spirit, endeavour etc. and a winning team or at least a performance where you can say every player gave his all.

There’s definitely something still not quite right about us, I can’t put my finger on it, I think we’ve been so used to having a lot of control of the ball (but doing sod-all with it) that it’s a tad odd to see us relinquish this control and chase the opposition around a bit more.

I think it’s coming from us trying to press a lot more, we seemed to have quite a different formation when we didn’t have the ball. It’s one thing doing it in training but opposition teams will be a lot more unpredictable so it’ll take a bit of time to work (or not work as might be the case). There were times when I thought the wingbacks didn’t know if they should be marking the space or charging out to close the defender down, sometimes they did, sometimes they didn’t but generally off the ball they were quite deep. And I still think Jodi looked a bit lost playing as a No.10, we used to have so much control in this area with Didzy and Crowley but that is gone now so we will have to do something different.

The Club's DNA is 3 at the back, that allows an extra guy in midfield.

I am still concerned about the ease we lose possession and I still don't have the confidence in the head coach

The PON gaffer (@Chris) has mentioned a few times so far this season, and last year about how much movement is important and I would agree that this is something we are guilty of. Some players can become a little static, and I would say it continues to the actual shape especially when defending. I don't think when teams break us we are all the structured, and it's a disapline that once was drilled into our squad.

It's another thing that can be sorted within training and then putting to practice in games. I hope one of the many eyes on the tactical board will have seen this, so that Martin Paterson can effectively correct or tweak these crucial areas of our game.

There is another important take on this matter

The loanees we have taken , probably have been given to us on the basis of a footballing back 3.

So if we switch to a back 4, the loanees could be gone in the January window!

Good question in the OP, but I don't think there is a lack of shape.

We play a clearly identifiable 3-4-2-1, same as SM played, and IB too. LW's team was more 3-2-4-1.

Sure there's still a shitload to work on. Interesting point about Tsaroulla's position for the goal. Oddly, he was way inside but a more common problem would be not getting back after an attack. But surely, when this is the case Bedeau has to cover from LCB. He has McDonald and Aljofree and there would be no excuse for Cotter not sliding over, with Palmer and Norburn filling gaps and marking runners too. The team is built for a WB being beat or not being there.

In our first season back at MK Dons, Rawlo at RCB kind of ended his Notts tenure by running away (back inside) from a player who had got through on their left, instead of getting over there to block what turned out to be an easy goal for them.

We have the players and formation to cover at the back. But who will 'cover' for Cotter if he doesn't attack and penetrate on the right-hand side? Nobody is the answer. There's will be no 'cover' going forward, if he doesn't do that. Nobody will attack down that third of the pitch so the opposition only have to think about the other 2/3s. Not having a go at Cotter, he's been fine. I'll always just prefer the full-on attacking approach of 2022-24.

Edited August 22Aug 22 by theAnticlough

The HC should set up a formation that will most likely succeed against a particular team employing a particular tactic. A set up & tactic that is most likely to get the win on the day. Not a formation, & tactic that a particular player is comfortable with.

I think that players should be able to play in any formation if asked to do so. There will be plenty of preparation on the training ground. That's the coaches job to ensure players are prepared for any eventuality.

A team that is flexible & can counter any tactic that an opponent can muster is a team that is most likely to be successful over the season.

That sure is one ideal @Robbie. SM spoke about that, especially at the start, and I think we can all agree he didn't pull it off. He hardly ever changed the shape, but he certainly changed the personnel. A lot of these changes were pretty baffling. There's more logic to MP's changes so far.

LW had the opposite approach though - This is us, you worry about us, this is what we do and we'll work and practice on that one shape and all its patterns of play.

Too early to say how MP will be. It's noticeable how he plays 3-4-2-1 every game and his substitutions are like-for-like, within the formation. Team selection seems to be based more on performance and form rather than changing for the opposition, like SM did. I think I much prefer that way, MP's.

The overriding point of formations at Notts is to help retain the ball, with say aiming for a 70/30 possession split. A Head Coach then has to work out what is needed to defend that 30%

A team can have 70% of the ball, but it's how they use that 70%. If they spend most of the possession passing the ball between defenders & midfield, but don't have any sort of worthwhile penetration, it will come to nothing, unless the opposition make a mistake at the back.

If the opposing team has just 30% of possession, but makes the most of it by being incisive & dangerous when it breaks with pace, & the team with 70% keeps making mistakes at the back, the team with only 30% will most likely win the match.

Having the most possession counts for nothing if you don't do anything worthwhile with it. We've seen that play out too many times at ML in recent years.

But @Robbie as Wilko use to say, you have nothing to fear provided you have the ball. Far rather have 70% possession than expose Roos to anymore pressure

@Piethagoram I get your point. I'd rather Notts have 70% possession & do something useful with it like they did against Shrewsbury, & replace Roos asap so we can handle the 30%

Jodi Jones said after the Newport game that Tom Iorpenda was playing in his usual spot and they weren’t speaking to each other. I’ve seen this happen quite a bit with the younger players coming into the team. I thought Tyrese Hall struggled with his positioning against Bromley. He looked unsure of where to be, and not one person spoke to him during the match.

So it’s not just about the shape or formation. There’s a real issue with communication on the pitch, and the young lads aren’t getting the support or guidance they need from the others.

are we playing to our strengths yet? martin paterson spoke about how he wanted the players to do this, and not only do we look out of shape at times. we still dont seem to have key players fit enough to play for 90 minutes. 5 games in we are seeing improvements, but most seem slow and counter productive with how we fail to defend. we struggle with headers when the defence dont have time to prepare and we dont defend as a team like we have previously done. the pressing to win the ball back or to get the secord or third ball back is missing.

In earlier games, I felt our centre backs were pushing forward too much, while the midfield and attack seemed to sit back too often. It left us a bit out of balance. We’ve looked better against Shrewsbury and Bromley, with signs of improvement. But defending only works well when the whole team is organised and ready for it.

Having seen every game so far, bar the home win against Shrewsbury Town and the Wigan Athletic cup game.

I think it's more communication that is hindering us, along with a lack of movement. When we are doing well, it's a lot more natural, but out of possession, it seems almost forced to make any effort. We have gone from being a team that can quickly intercept the ball and push on. To a team that loses it quite easily, it is a lot more indecisive as to whether we are going to try to win the ball back quickly, and those 2nd and 3rd balls are being chased like we would have under Luke Williams.

A fair case to the point of it being shape-related is a fair one, as we are very relaxed at times when it comes to keeping it.

When Kelle Roos has the ball either in his hands or at his feet, who often wants the ball? When we have conceded or almost conceded, who is reacting in the way that makes you think they are fired up and don't want to lose or draw?

There has always been an element to Notts being slow; however, previously in games where we have played well, we quite rightly deserve the 3 points. We have come back from setbacks and pushed. That winning mentality, along with the desire to make space and to win the ball back quickly, is currently missing.