Match Discussion: Game 14 - The Alex (A)

[PON_News]

Game 14 - The Alex (A)

Team: Crewe Alexandra

Date: 17/10/17

Where: Alexandra Stadium

What line-up should Kevin Nolan 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.

[Chris]

If we play a controlled game, we should create some decent chances but Notts must ensure that the defence is calm.

Fans shouldn't really underestimate Crewe, they produce some great youngsters and have a team which can surprise any side within this division by playing quite good. I say a narrow 1-0 win.

[liampie]

i dont know i think a draw might be more likely/

[upthepies]

Exeter face Luton Town later so that will be an interesting game to watch out for the score.

Even Accrington have the chance of going top depending how the other results pan out, I think this will give less pressure for Notts which should mean for a more controlled game. We have been playing quite well away from home, so we should be fine.

3-0 Notts.

[Joe Jones]

Crewe are in pretty poor form at the minute - they've lost 7 of their last 10. That said they've not been too bad at home, and they can play very well on their day, so Notts must be fully focused and on top of their game as I can see it being a potential banana skin - I predict a 3-0 win for Notts if they're properly switched on, or a 2-0 defeat if not.

[Elite_pie]

Interesting team selection for tonight with Shola, Stead and Grant all on the bench:

Fitzsimons, Tootle, Duffy, Hewitt, Dickinson, Hawkridge, Milsom, Yates, Walker, Alessandra, Forte

It looks like a 4-5-1 formation with Forte as the lone striker, so I hope we use the extra man in midfield to pass a bit more and avoid the big boot because that style of play won't suit Forte.  To be fair Nolan hasn't got much wrong regarding his squad rotation for midweek games, so fingers crossed and COYP.

 

[Chris]

It sounds like we are very poor in possession, I don't know if it's because we have underestimated them or simply a case of a poor performance but we are 1-0 down.

Need to get a spark in the second half as it could be worse than the current scoreline after having a chance cleared off the line, they seem to be doing well. Kevin Nolan needs to get the players to step it up!  

[Super_Danny_Allsopp]

Very, very poor half.

Not sure what kind of tactics we are supposed to be playing to. We've hoofed almost every ball to Alessandra and Forte. In all fairness, the two of them have won **** all and Forte in particular looks lazy. They are never gonna win Dicko's hit and hope to nowhere balls, Toots seems to be mirroring his fellow full-back. Neither Milsom nor Yates are capable of picking the right through ball to unlock Crewe's defence. If we continue with these two up-front, we need a Grant, and perhaps Walker in the middle, to thread those passes through. Yates is generally hoofing it aswell.

Defence doesn't look great, Hewitt seems OKish but Duffy looks vulnerable. 

Mention to Fitzsimmons who hasn't done anything wrong and has good distribution. Either change the front two or put someone in the centre of the park that can pass forward on the floor and let the full backs know not to mindlessly hoof it, or in Dicko's case, play a short ball to anyone else who is capable of passing with some accuracy. 

[Super_Danny_Allsopp]

Based of a starting point of 5:

Fitzsimmons - 7 - Didn't do anything wrong, no chance with either goal. Good distribution.

Tootle - 2 - Rubbish in possession. Aimless hoofs forward.
Hewitt - 1 - Couldn't deal with Porter. Headless chicken.
Duffy - 1 - See Hewitt.
Dickinson - 3 - Technically barely a footballer, can't pass but defended half-decently.

Walker - 3 - Not in the game. Feel a bit sorry for him, clearly one of our technically better footballers but put out wide right and must have neck-ache watching the balls ping pong over his head.
Yates - 2 - Poor. Can't pass forward. Bossed by Crewe's midfield.
Milsom - 2 - Needs new boots, spent most of the game on the floor. Other than that, passed sideways and backwards. As with Yates, overran by Crewe's midfield.
Hawkridge - 1 - Didn't win anything, crap in possession, weak physically and so predictable with the cut in from the left. Lost the ball endlessly.

Alessandra - 1 - Ghost. Didn't win anything at any point in the game, no creativity.
Forte - 1 - Won **** all. Looked lazy. 

Grant - 5 - Offered some technical ability that was lacking. Nothing came off though.
Stead - 5 - Won a couple of balls. As with Grant, nothing came off.
Ameobi - 4.5 - At least put himself about. Didn't really do owt though.

Nolan - 2 - Not sure what tactics he was trying to play. If you're going to play two pacey strikers, put someone in the centre of midfield who can actually pass forward. Grant or Walker would have sufficed. Instead, and I'm hoping this wasn't the instruction, we had Yates, Dickinson and Tootle doing their best Haydn Hollis impression and seeing how high they could smack the ball in the general direction of the other half of the field. 

Ref & linesman - 3 - Strange decisions and equally bad for both sides, but at least it was somewhat balanced. Were influenced by Crewe's managers' weird touchline antics. 

 

[DangerousSausage]

I missed it last night but it did seem a strange decision to play Forte and Alessandro - who both need the ball played to feet - and leave our best ball-playing midfielder on the bench for an hour. If we're going to play the big boot then we might as well play the big men who can win the arial challenges.

I'm a bit concerned that KN has started to believe the hype. We've got some decent players on board but we're not so good that we can afford to drop a player of Grant's quality, especially when his replacement is playing out of position and hasn't really arrived in professional football yet. Although I think it's an attempt at man management, dropping players like that could be interpreted as arrogance by the opposition.