Thoughts on yesterdays Wimbledon game?

[OP67]

I didn't get to go as I needed to work even though I'm self employed. So what where peoples thoughts on the game against the Wombles of Wimbledon?? I thought the idea behind changing the manager was to possibly make a serious challenge for a play off place. This clearly isn't the case with the same old problem of wrong team selection and playing players out of position AGAIN!!!! As soon as I saw the line up and the way JF had set them up I could only see one result, a lose!!

So if the plan is to tread water this season what is the point me spending my hard earned cash at Meadow Lane in the future?? Over 35 years of supporting Notts I've never had this feeling of very little hope and boy have we been in some dire situations in the past.

[Turkey_Twizzler]

Wimbledon dominated, Bennett is not a central midfielder, Hewitt is not a centre half, and no one really tried with the exception of Thompson, milsom and stead, , maybe Atkinson

[Piethagoram 𝕏 @piethagoram]

@ohstanleyaborah  Really concerned that our "creative" players like Stanley and Genaldo are being frozen out. Yesterdays game reminiscent of Derry's reign, long ball to nowhere. This is a major step backwards. What is more frustrating is that Jamie refused to acknowledge that we were so poor or offer any hope that he knows what to do about it. 

 

@OP67  One word sums it up from this supporter "demoralised"

[Elite_pie]

A quick summary - we were rubbish.  Why were we rubbish?  Where do I start?  The bizarre team selection and who played where has been discussed in detail elsewhere.  The tactical formation was just bewildering.  What was supposed to be a standard 4-4-2 was actually 8-0-2 for most of the game.  That left a huge gap in the middle which Wimbledon exploited to the full.  Every time we cleared the ball it came straight back.  It was as if they had two more men than we did because they always had a player in space to pass to, while we were quickly closed down whenever we had the ball.  For reasons only known to the manager we persisted with this 'plan' for 70 minutes, even though it was clearly failing.  The scoreline flattered us greatly, 0-5 would have been a fairer result.  The worrying thing is that even though Wimbledon are a good side, if we had produced a performance like this playing Dagenham, Yeovil or York they would have gone home with all three points.

[Dripsey3]

Wimbledon scrapped for every ball. Some of this was bordering on the illegal but the referee was lenient. My point? Notts didn't match Wimbledon's effort. We might have the better players but they are a better team. They played for each other and their manager. They believe in what they are doing. Notts, well who knows what is going on. Rudderless springs to mind.

[ivansneck]

Typical inexperienced manager issue. Play away and defend like anything and you get a result.

Play at home and the team needs to create something, because the opposition sets up differently. This requires possession of the ball in areas of the pitch that will scare the opposition. The problem - the manager picks a left-back at left midfield and two defensive midfielders who sat very deep. Elite is a little unfair with his description of the formation as 8-0-2, but I know what he means. It was really 4-3-1-2. Now this can be very attacking IF the '1' is in the hole and becomes the playmaker, the old number 10 role. However, our '1' yesterday was a right winger, hence a huge space in midfield that others have pointed out.

A problem JF has is that 2 up-front down the middle doesn't really work any more, but with Stead and MacLeod both playing 'centre-forward' yesterday the Dons defence didn't have nay real questions asked of them. I know Moniz used those 2 as well, but not both down the middle, so the opposition had to keep moving to them instead of waiting for them to appear in the middle of the field. This creates space for the wide players like Campbell and Burke to cut inside.

What we got instead was old fashioned hoof-ball.

[Piethagoram 𝕏 @piethagoram]

Well he had 5 days to prepare for that game, but it never showed. I for one, after Crawley thought we had a person of professional integrity but his failure to apologise to the supporters after that performance has left me disillusioned.

[Elite_pie]

1 hour ago, ivansneck said:

Elite is a little unfair with his description of the formation as 8-0-2, but I know what he means. It was really 4-3-1-2.

While 8-0-2 was probably a bit of an exaggeration, I couldn't help but notice the number of times we had four defenders in the box, four 'midfielders' on the edge of the box, with Stead and McLeod stood on the half way line.  Whenever the ball broke into the huge gap in between, the Wimbledon player had time to control it, look around then pick his pass under no pressure at all.  The shape of the team was shocking, and Fullarton didn't seem to have the first idea how to put it right.

[Piethagoram 𝕏 @piethagoram]

I do disagree with JF of bringing everyone back at corners. There were opportunities to break but all we could do was a big hoof to clear only for the ball to come straight back

[Chris Website URL Visit Site 𝕏 fmcj10 Instagram fmcj10]

Some players put their bodies on the line, yet there was major issues with positioning, the defence being alert and understand each other. Hewitt should not play as a cenre back, I like him as a RB but not as a CB.

Hollis was one of the only defenders trying to lead the line, the amount of abuse I heard directed at him was a joke - the lad was clearly trying!

Bennett didn't seem to know what to do in midfield, I'd like to see him return to the CB position but he just may need time to settle. I think Adams proved a point yesterday, his control was probably left at Mansfield. I'll never say that I want to see him play in midfield ever again, especially based on yesterday - try him at left back and tell him to keep things simple. He plays like he has skilts attached to his feet, very disappointing play from him!

JF needs time, he isn't going to change things in a day but he must reconsider how defensively he sets us up.

Just start with the basics, get two strikers - start with engergy and pace. Safe a player with these attributes on the bench as an impact player, otherwise we'll see no chances come. Someone told me under JF we've only had three shots on goal, we need to work on how we build.

Also, sorry to say it but AFC Wimbledon looked far more prepared and they played well - deserving the credit.

[Fozzy]

They found it easy to bully us and the ref was happy to let them, Elliot won everything in the air first half and the shot for his goal would have gone into the stands nine times out of ten.

I was quite pleased to see Adams back in the side, as I was sure this would have released Milsom into midfield to strengthen it, but no, they were the opposite way round, so all we had was Curtis desperately trying to make things happen. 

Jamie Fullarton said when he joined that he wanted Notts to play effective football, well there was nothing effective in what I saw yesterday, just despair. I don't know where we go from here, as they were truly woeful and I can't see a lot of non season ticket holders paying to watch that every other week.

 

 

[DangerousSausage]

I remember Steve Thompson used the same tactic of bringing everyone back for corners @Piethagoram; it was stupid then and it's stupid now. Leave one man up front and the opposition also need to leave at least one man up there with him, resulting in a less crowded penalty area. I'm hardly a great student of the game, I'm just a fan, but this is obvious to me. Why isn't it obvious to the manager?

[Piethagoram 𝕏 @piethagoram]

@DangerousSausage I always  liked Ricardo's out of the box thinking. Leaving 3 up, so the opposition left 4 back. It should make sure of where defensive responsibilities lie.

[Fozzy]

Warnock used to always leave 2 or 3 up front and we had blistering pace back then with Johnson and Bartlett (and Regis in Div2), so the opposition had to keep 3 or 4 back to cover them. Bringing everyone back just invites pressure and gets in the keepers way.

[liampie]

awful!

notts looked the worst i have seen this season, yes i have only been to home games so far but we lacked any sort of fight. passion was gone, confidence seemed low and just the game seemed a total write off. i hate sound negative but it was poor.

[Piethagoram 𝕏 @piethagoram]

@liampie agree Liam, back to the Derry and Hart eras. Hoofball after hoofball. Football has moved on and the distinct lack of creative quality which we showed under Ricardo has vanished, with this ultra defensive set up. I sincerely hope that he doesnt have any continental player hang ups, because if he does, we are dead...and dead boring to watch.