Notts beaten today in a match that they needed to win to have any chance of remaining in the frame for automatic promotion.

So who impressed you the most for Notts today?

I have chosen players from the starting eleven for you to make your choice.

Belshaw, Ness, Macdonald, Bedeau, Bennetts, Palmer, Norburn, Jones, Iorpenda, Dennis, Ndlovu.

Kind of deja vu, I got Palmer over Ness - the only two who verged on being good IMO.

And that's doesn't include any captaincy issues - it's just based on the play that we saw.

Maybe Palmer looks good compared to the ineffective, inactive Norburn beside him.

The worst? Well that was a contender for worst individual game of the season from Bennetts today.

The subs were really poor too.

I picked Palmer as well, although he feels almost like a default choice. He consistently does his thing. Yet I feel we lack a character next to him, a Bish type, somebody who steps forward when it counts and refuses to be beaten. Palmer is Mr Reliable, but we need more.

Ive gone with Iorpenda

Hmm, not a tough choice really.

Only 2 candidates for me, McDonald, who defended on his own in the 1st half and provided composure on the ball and was solid in everything he did. Iorpenda provided energy & grit, which was sadly lacking in Norburn today.

I’d go for McDonald, simply because Iorpenda’s end product & final ball often let him down - but he was the only player offering any threat until Luker came on.

We need their Glover (15) & Stead (10), not to mention the gigantic Chinedu (22). They were the 3 outstanding players on the pitch today. I’d have had a contract in Glover’s hand before he reached the touchline when they subbed him.

We have no one with that pace, energy & creativity. He tore Bennetts apart from wing back then moved into central midfield and ran the show. Yes, he conceded the penalty but we have no one who’d have got back from the opposition’s box to make the challenge!

Edited yesterday at 21:091 day by YoopEyes

I also went with Palmer, just for the kind of default he did what he does. It was good to get McDonald back, I thought he did well too, I just feel more assured with in the middle than Ness... (even though we lost!)

I initially went for McDonald, but with two goals conceded it just took the the shine of it. But great to see him back! So my pick is Iorpenda, not his best game in a Notts shirt, but he epitomisies the desire and will to make something happen especially in a team performance that was lacking ideas and quality.

I believe Lucas Ness stepped up, but for me, Jacob Bedeau was the only shining example in defence. I believe Rod McDonald had a disappointing performance, with numerous misplaced passes and poor headers. I don't know if he's still not 100% but it was a very, very poor performance by him.

Midfield look very disconnected when trying to cope with the pressure Barnet put on us, even Matt Palmer missed placed passes and one almost very much punished us early on. I don't think he did that well in the first half, but did come into it in the second. The players who stood out for me, Bedeau, Tom Iorpenda and Keanan Bennetts, I have critised the latter for his defending but I believe he's improved.

I voted for Iorpenda, and he got my decision before it was even official.

Good calls @YoopEyes I don't need to post a Scouting dossier this week😉

Why ever was Ness playing at Right back when Macari was on the bench!!!!!he's a centre back.....he was found out several times......for me he should be played there....no where else....iam guessing it was an experiment to fit Mcdonald in....it's the wrong time of the season to be experimenting!!!!!!!!

1 hour ago, gtownjohnno said:

Why ever was Ness playing at Right back when Macari was on the bench!!!!!he's a centre back.....he was found out several times......for me he should be played there....no where else....iam guessing it was an experiment to fit Mcdonald in....it's the wrong time of the season to be experimenting!!!!!!!!

Have to agree @gtownjohnno 

He did the same with Platt (to accommodate Rodmac) v Chesterfield and he did his ACL sprinting back and forth down the line.

MP's treatment of Macari (constantly subbing him and dropping him for CBs at times) has been one of his blindspots IMO.

Either Rodmac was ready to come back or he wasn't, you gain nothing by putting another CB at Right Back for insurance

I think Ness can play RCB OK, but not for a must win home game when it means supplanting one of your best ball users

Edited 6 hours ago6 hr by theAnticlough

Baffled by the criticism of McD tbh. He shone like a beacon in the 1st half when Bedeau was getting fleeced down that left side, often because Jones offers him no cover at all. Ness misplaced headers and passes but Rod McD won every aerial challenge and cleared the danger numerous times. After 30 mins I got a text from a mate in the Family stand saying “good job McD’s turned up”, to which I replied “he’s the only 1 playing at the moment”.

He was composed on the ball and hit the 2 best long passes of the game. I think he was maybe a tad flat footed for the winning goal, but again there was just no challenge, tackle or awareness from the team in the build up.

On a day where several were way off the pace and lacked the guile and tenacity required, I’m not sure how McD can be singled out for criticism. Have a look at the video, he was immense for the most part.

FWIW I thought RodMac was fine. But a 6/10 maybe and a typical first game back from injury after a long lay-off.

It's a trajectory he has to go on, and lets hope he's at his best by the time the play-offs arrive. With Platt out we need him to have any chance.

I don't think we lost because of the backline yesterday - like Cambridge we just couldn't make the ball stick further forward

2 hours ago, YoopEyes said:

Baffled by the criticism of McD tbh. He shone like a beacon in the 1st half when Bedeau was getting fleeced down that left side, often because Jones offers him no cover at all. Ness misplaced headers and passes but Rod McD won every aerial challenge and cleared the danger numerous times.

I don't think any other defender caused so much stress at the back, his clearing seemed thoughtless and the amount of poor passes he made I ended up losing count. I did notice his leg strapped up with tape, so maybe he's playing through an injury but he was poor all through the half he looked a major liability, and none of his headers were directed to safty but the Barnet players.

I am not posting this to say I am right, we all see things different and interpert games differently. Although re-watching the first half, i still believe Jacob Bedeau played the best role in defence and Lucas Ness, although he loses the ball a few times and makes weak passes he still defended better than Rod McDonald IMO.

McDonald's first half is noted good and bad below, as I have just re-watched the first half.

33 seconds in, McDonald leaves the middle open and forces Ness to cover, poorly marking and leaving Barnet with a good chance.

1:50 seconds puts a good cross in.

3:22 Ness plays McDonald into danger

5:37 somehow manages to put pressure on to Barnet so we can win back the ball

6:05 ball played through showing McDonald too high up the pitch (offside decision)

6:50 poor header straight back into the path of a Barnet player, partly Bedeau but it was a poor header.

6:55 had the chance to press Barnet but decided to make a run back, as the central defender his positioning is questionable.

7:05 if the cross had gone into our box, who was McDonald marking?

8:57 brilliant sliding challenge by McDonald

11:18 brilliant through ball by McDonald

13:25 decent header out of the box

14-15 double header forward good efforts by McDonald

18:00 Ness wins the ball, McDonald should have (he decided to mark a defender)

19:14 poor defending by McDonald nearly allows Barnet through by going to ground.

25:00 McDonald watches ball being swung in

26:05 poor header away and then moments later poor positioning

31/32:00 McDonald 100% not marking for the Barnet goal, just stands watching

36:00 Barnet ball comes in for a header and McDonald is nowhere mans land (all defenders seemed to be)

39:00 Poor header out by McDonald but difficult to pull off

40:00 McDonald in a left position, ball called back for free kick

43:00 Ness heads the ball away from central position

43:50 McDonald not marking

46:00 Marks a player, but then drops to marking no player a bit odd considering they win a corner not long after