It was such a poor performance yesterday, I think it's fair to truthfully examine where this team and this set of players stand.

Based on the Accy game, I'll divide the starting XI into 3 groups

1) Still pieces to build a promotion team/squad around - Macari, Bedeau, Tsaroulla, Iorpenda, Dennis

2) Not so bad yesterday and probably best regarded as squad back-ups anyway - Roos, Norburn

3) Players that might need to be re-evaluated in terms of how far they can take us - Platt, Hall, Kouhyar, Jatta

Platt - Rod McDonald better be injured or there's been some cowardly team management going on. Montague recruited Platt as a starter and RodMac as a back up in summer '24, but this season's evidence should throw that out of the window and the team should be picked on merit. Maybe Monty missed Sept/Oct when RM was a revelation. Platt is a fine L2 defender, but is prone to poor runs of form, is a below average distributor, can't use the space ahead of him and has stopped contributing as a goal threat, so the jury's out on him being a promotion level L2 defender. All I'm saying is that if there's someone who's been playing better this season in his position, they should have the shirt instead. Let's see if they can defend it and Platt/Ness can earn it on performances.

Hall - We've seen so may Charlie Whitakeresque games from Hall by now - largely anonymous and ineffectual, and way too easily dispossessed and knocked off the ball. I speculated before that Hall was probably a schoolboy level striker that Spurs coaxed into becoming a midfielder when he didn't turn out to be big, strong or fast enough. He's still got great skill, composure in the box and an eye for goal, but 3 out of 5 of your performances in midfield can't be like yesterday's

Kouhyar - was hoping he could force his way into the team but instead he shows like a natural sub, blazing brightly for 10mins and then dropping off a cliff. MP doesn't give too many chances but he does give them and you have to be ready to take them. He didn't

Jatta - the big one, where to start? He has too many games like yesterday. English pro football isn't like the Danish league, you just don't get the time and space. You have to try to win your individual battles with the opponent. Does he try enough? Probably. But that doesn't change the fact that he loses 80-90% of his tussles and challenges. I wish he was regarded as someone who still had to prove himself rather than a surefire sell-on asset and then maybe him and his agent would see it that way too. I get it, we want (big) money for him so have to talk him up. But how nice would it be to tell him you have to do better, take a seat on the bench.

The subs are a whole other story, so won't get started on that. Comments? Is most of that the usual over-reaction (probably is ;) ) or does any of it ring true.

Simple answer to yesterday, poor performance by the whole team, including management and no plan 'B'

10,000 fans gave up their plans and hard earned money to support the team, with what reaction, simply nothing. Even staunch, dedicated fans are questioning the choices, playing style and application.

Let's hope that we can re-boot and come out with something against Gillingham. ⚽️

An important topic to discuss @theAnticlough & an interesting introduction.

I don't think there is much wrong with the defence & Notts do have cover if required. I do think that the goalkeeper position requires attention though.

Although Iorpenda & Norburn have done a reasonable job, Notts do miss Palmer & Robertson because they bring a little extra going forward by initiating attacks much better.

Notts have to do something about the AM position. They need to recruit but they have to recruit quality, & will have to pay for that quality.

The only alternative is trying Iorpenda further forward, or giving Jodi another go. I do think that Grant does a reasonable job that largely goes unnoticed, but he needs a good partner next to him.

After giving Jatta & Dennis a spell together, I don't think it is working as well as just having either Jatta or Dennis playing upfront on their own with support just behind. A tall strong attacker that can shield and distribute the ball would be a good option to recruit.

And the elephant in the room. The tactical battle. Notts are losing it especially at home. We are simply missing quality to unlock stubborn defensive tactics. The powers that be at Notts have to address this as a matter of urgency. It has gone on for too long.

Great points @Robbie, and it's good to see someone back up the most pressing issue

48 minutes ago, Robbie said:

Notts have to do something about the AM position. They need to recruit but they have to recruit quality, & will have to pay for that quality.

I also agree with the point you make about tactics and the solution being more quality rather than becoming like Accrington or Harrogate. Yeah, if we want to play like we do, positively and with skill, then we need the quality to pull it off.

Back to the AMs, Luker isn't the answer either as we just can't afford to give a player a run to get up to match speed. We have to get this particular bit of January business right to have any chance of promotion.

Apart from the GK, CM and AM question marks we've been having for months, I walked away with a new, more worrying question of my faith of MP yesterday.

He's shown that he can make subs, but hasn't shown tactical nouse to change up games by offering variants of play styles. Yesterday's sluggish, lethargic long ball either shows he's really overperforming with the players at his disposal or that this was his version of football all along and just took a while to migrate away from Maynardball.

I'm happy to see what happens because with a new three (in those positions) and a new striker (maybe on loan, under 21's perchance) then I'd like to see what happens.

I have more faith in RM and the bro's than I do the players and the manager at this rate, so unless we have a terrible transfer window, I'm not rushing to panic just yet.