Game 32 - Stanley (A)

Team: Accrington Stanley

Date: 23/02/16

Where: Crown Ground

What line-up should Jamie Fullarton opt for? What will be the key areas for the Magpies to get a victory? What do you think the final score will be?

Have your say below, join in with the Pride of Nottingham match discussion.

He needs to play Stanley! Smith just watches the game

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I said after the first away win and sometime before that it would be a shame if we swapped home for for away form.

I do think we have a good chance of winning provided any support that goes, focus on the fact we need three points. I know a lot is going off, yet I really don't care for that. That's between a group of fans and the board, I want to focus on the football and avoid the turmoil that can come. Jamie needs to be sensible and re-think his decisions, yet he's learning and will make mistakes.

He just has to admit it.

Stanley are a decent side, physical and scrappy in a sense. The game could very well be like we saw yesterday! I hope not.

Notts drew the short straw this season. 2 of the toughest games are Stanley and Hartlepool away in February on a Tuesday night. Better than December or January though so that's something I guess. This is another of Nott's games in hand. 

Stanley are absolutely flying this season. Instead of being the relegation candidate many thought, they are pushing for automatic promotion. A win against Notts and they will be level on points with Oxford who are 3rd. They are 4th in the table with 52 points (13 more than Notts). They have scored 50 goals (6 more than Notts) and conceded 34 goals (a whopping 17 less than Notts). It's easy to see why Stanley are  challenging for promotion and Notts aren't. 

Stanley have won 3, drawn 1 and lost 1 of their last 5 games. They have beaten Bristol Rovers, Crawley and Oxford. They drew with and lost to Carlisle. 

Stanley are an exciting team to watch. They play a 4-4-1-1 formation. They mix pace and power with 100% commitment. Notts could learn a lot from them. Stanley have a few suspensions for tomorrow night, I think it is 4, but I'm not certain. They haven't put up a match preview yet so we will know for sure once they do. Josh Windass who was flying for them is injured and has been for a while. They have a few players in form. Sean McConville on the wing is playing very well and Billy Kee is playing well up front. Stanley's strength is that they have threats throughout the team. They have no big names but play as a team. 

This will be a difficult game for Notts but the away record is strong since JF took over. Suspensions might hurt Stanley. Notts do need to improve on Saturday's display but they have shown that they are capable of bouncing back after a disappointing loss so there's reason to be hopeful. The club as a whole needs a lift after Saturday, not just what happened on the pitch, but the ugly scenes off it. Here's hoping we get it. I'll go for a 1-1 draw. Heart over head? Absolutely, but we need a lift....a big one.....

Maybe the only change will be MacKenzie into the centre with Hewitt switching to Right Back.

However I strongly feel we need to play 4 5 1 and drop Izzy, with Stead up front. Midfield five  Curtis Noble Aborah, with Campbell and Valencic out wide. Milsom may also come into the reckoning.

Milsom really should come back into the play.

He wasn't afraid to take players on and looked good going forward. Valencic I don't believe will see another chance for awhile, likely we'll just see McLeod up top and Stead just behind him. I wouldn't play silly buggers against Accrington Stanley, they might not be world beaters but they do a good job as a unit. I'd try to keep the squad as close as possible to the previous games myself, perhaps dropping Atkinson.

I think I could offer more after dislocating one of my knees than he does. Oooo, reading that back it comes across quite negative!

Don't get me wrong I see the potential in him, yet we have let players go who offer far more (yes I know Cranston was a left back but still). Push Hewitt back on the right. Atkinson just doesn't offer us much, going forward his passing and crosses are mostly poor (as are his decisions). In defence he only really just manages to do the job in my opinion - he offers pace and not much else at this stage.

Also, I'm not a fan of Hewitt in the middle - he's getting better but I hope we can settle back more.

I would like to see Milsom back as well, whether that is at left back or the left side of midfield, I think we have missed him. I actually thought that Hewitt had a decent game at centre half on Saturday, whereas I'm not a big fan of his at right back, I do at least think he is better than Atkinson in that position.

Accy have injuries as well as suspensions, so we might have a chance of scraping a draw, but please drop McLeod and Smith as we can't play them with 9.

 

What I would like to see:

----------Loach---------
-Atkinson-Hewitt-Hollis-Milsom-
-------Thompson--Aborah--------
---Campbell----Noble-------Burke-
--------------Stead------------------

What I expect we will see is the same as the last home game. 

@Super_Danny_Allsopp Good team Danny..but I would prefer Valencic for Burke

The best shot on goal Saturday was by Burke at half time!

Looking forward to this match, think we will see a reaction from the players, and then we can consign the Leyton game to the history books.

COYP

 

My team for tonight

Loach

Wildin MacKenzie Hollis Milsom

Thompson

Noble Aborah

Campbell Valencic

Stead

Never going to happen though. I am feeling a bit radical this morning. .... Actually I think now is the time to blood Luther. I have seen enough of him in the Reserves to be confident that he can be our right back next season.

If we find that Izzy is playing tonight, then serious questions need to be asked

 

Looking forward to this match, think we will see a reaction from the players, and then we can consign the Leyton game to the history books.

COYP

 

Not until we see a reaction at home. I have no concerns about away performances/results.

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Tonight could be a watershed moment for the team depending upon the line up.

McLeod: Has to be dropped, he is just hopelessly out of form at the moment and has never scored away anyway.

Smith: His legs are gone and can't play another 90 minutes after playing 3 games in a week.

Adams: Poor on Saturday, but might be saved if MacKenzie is back as I can't see two players being changed in the back four.

Carroll: Will probably keep his place if changes are made elsewhere.

Aborah: I think Fullarton's hand has now been forced on this and Stanley will at least make the bench (but should replace Smith), if not we know his Notts career will be over.

Carroll

Hewitt MacKenzie Hollis Adams

Thompson

Campbell Noble Aborah Banton

Stead,

Bench:

Loach, Audel, Murray, Milsom, McLeod, Atkinson, Valencic

This is the closest I can get to a plausible line up without ripping the side apart.

If Aborah doesnt feature , and I think he won't , then hopefully the journos will ask the question as it needs to be made clear what the situation is 

I think Stanley will play tonight,but when 2-0 down will be made the scapegoat by the manager & subbed,then not feature at Plymouth.

@irishpete I presume he will not feature tonight.

I can see one of two things happening:

Plan A - Either Notts sit back (once again) away from home, play it tight with 10 men behind the ball....and try to score on the break by hoofing it up the pitch to the lone striker............probable loss by 1 or2 goals only

Plan B - Keep it tight at the back, but encourage the midfield and/or wingers and/or forwards to play the game further up the pitch......get forward etc.

By attacking more often, you actually relieve pressure on the defence and stop them scoring.....just call me a football genius huh.

The problem with Plan B is that if it backfires horribly............. and we lose by 3 or 4 goals

JF appears to have a siege-like mentality. In his quest to defend at all costs, we have stopped scoring against the "better" teams in the division.......and here is the classic dilemma.......we now have two of the top teams back-to-back.

The Orient game was proof.......our siege-like, don't move forward out of your zones, type of play, meant that despite Orient being poor.....we were unable to take advantage. I shot on target at home is simply a joke......and one that isn't even remotely funny.

If we lose both of the upcoming games heavily..........he is finished....he knows that, we know that...."Outer Siberia for you son...toodle pip"

One draw....and a tight loss, will probably see him limp on for a while yet.

Two wins and....errrr.....JF will turn into a football genius and Ray will splash out on a helicopter ride for JF to land in the centre-circle at ML.......the adoring crowds will lap it up!!

Prediction - Notts won't win.

I was hoping for a case of Stanley (Accrington) meets Stanley (Aborah) but feel the meeting will not and more likely never happen again. the chance is lost.

A cold chill tonight will come down off the Pennines, where the sheep in the hills will outnumber a paltry amount of County fans.

Accrington will play football and hopefully Josh Windass is still injured. Hoping for a Notts win against expectations, because it will be a long journey home

 

4 minutes ago, Piethagoram said:

I was hoping for a case of Stanley (Accrington) meets Stanley (Aborah) but feel the meeting will not and more likely never happen again. the chance is lost.

A cold chill tonight will come down off the Pennines, where the sheep in the hills will outnumber a paltry amount of County fans.

Accrington will play football and hopefully Josh Windass is still injured. Hoping for a Notts win against expectations, because it will be a long journey home

 

You are a brave man...I take my proverbial hat off to you Sir.

I look forward to your normal excellent match report on here....it should make entertaining midnight reading.

ps It has dawned on me that we are discussing a probable loss to Accrington Stanley......ridiculous huh?

It doesn't seem so many years ago that I was sat there taking pics of the final scoreboard at the Stadium of Light in Sunderland and buying 5 tickets for the next match v Fulham.

How the mighty have fallen!

@tarquinbeech I have just decided to decline to make the trip tonight... I always like the trips to Accrington, a ground unchanged for proper football but I am getting tired on driving up the M6 to witness a Stanley-less team. Saturday's game against Orient quite frankly knocked a hell of a lot of the stuffing ( read "hope") out of me. If I had confidence he was going to field a more creative team, I would have gone tonight but the reality will be same team again. 

1 minute ago, Piethagoram said:

@tarquinbeech I have just decided to decline to make the trip tonight... I always like the trips to Accrington, a ground unchanged for proper football but I am getting tired on driving up the M6 to witness a Stanley-less team. Saturday's game against Orient quite frankly knocked a hell of a lot of the stuffing ( read "hope") out of me. If I had confidence he was going to field a more creative team, I would have gone tonight but the reality will be same team again. 

I cannot blame you....once the hope and "buzz" has gone it is difficult to motivate yourself to travel 100+ miles on a tuesday night.

Get yourself a 12-pack, throw a few logs on the Aga and snuggle up to the radio.

ps remove all sharp instruments from the room prior to kick-off!!

I was trying to remember that Mexican beer that looked liked it was still brewed by WWII escaped Germans?...Tecate??? Will listen on Magpie Player though that seems at least 45 seconds behind the radio commentary... COYP

8 minutes ago, Piethagoram said:

I was trying to remember that Mexican beer that looked liked it was still brewed by WWII escaped Germans?...Tecate??? Will listen on Magpie Player though that seems at least 45 seconds behind the radio commentary... COYP

Tecate red can...yes....huge black eagles as the brand symbol

I prefer Indio myself.....a slightly darker beer that looks like Newcastle Brown (those words make my mouth literally water).....I've got a few 1.2 litres of Indio in ready for the match......my version of painkillers!!

It'll be magpie player for me tonight and another 90+ minutes of Colin Slater ...I only hope he has more time tonight to discuss whats actually happening on the pitch though.

Accrington appear to be short in numbers but , that said, Notts still have good players which a lot of folk (not just Notts fans) forget.

The manager appears to be looking at the players who he feels he can rely on to do a job for him, and hey, if you or I were in that position, particularly as a new post holder....then we would probably do the same.

I think folk are being too pessimistic about this fixture, and whilst Accrington's form is good, I see no reason why Notts can't get a result tonight.

The home performances are what they are at the moment and will change , of that I have no doubt...but in order that some fans can keep their sanity, then focus on 3 wins out of 4 away ....a good return in anyones book in any division...the football will come ...the performances will come ....and I'll tell you what...I'll take a poor 0-1 right now come 21:35

Team selection wise, I wouldn't expect wholesale change tonight although if Mackenzie is back to normal I would expect to see him back