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Should Notts panic yet or can we pull it back?


Magic magpie

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So for the time since the new area at County we have lost two home games back to back normally that wouldn’t be a problem but as the loss at the weekend and now tonight. the chasing pack are licking their lips another slip tonight I’m finding it hard to not panic based on our record in the past. but this is new area I keep telling my self .. so I try to remain positive and calm. I really think tonight’s loss will boot them up the back side as Nolan won’t except it .. let’s hope for a quick recovery and some points on the board.

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It's just a bad patch.

I don't think two games signals much, it certainly doesn't mean that Virtue and Husin is crap. I would also suggest that those who bang on about us missing Yates, go back to the majority of games whereby he failed to impress - he did much better with those around him playing well. I don't think it's that simple as saying he made the difference at all, I just think the new faces aren't yet into the same system and idea that we had previously.

The main thing is this silly formation that Nolan is trying to do, he refused to change to accommodate Forte (who is a goalscorer) - yet does it because we are very blessed now in midfield.

Personally, I think it's because a striker isn't coming and he's trying to adapt to suite what we do have.

Should we panic? No, let's get behind them but it does become very pathetic when people are arguing over opinions expressed on social media.

Let's chill out and try to encourage 'em.

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Hardy and Nolan could afford to be arrogant last year given their successes but Notts have been going through the motions for a while now and this double collapse was very much on the cards.

Nobody seems to understand why the formation has changed with an ageing Stead as the long striker, plus the new boys aren't exactly delivering - and that goes for Noble too - and when the hell are we going to strengthen the defence and attack? (And goalkeeper by the looks of things, given Fitzy's moment of madness).

I'm worried. Now Notts could very easily slip down into the playoffs and then the hopes of automatic will be dashed.

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  • Joe Jones changed the title to Should Notts panic yet or can we pull it back?

Notts are struggling to focus right now, some of the defending is comical and poor to say the least.

What I don't get is why Liam Noble is said to be unfit? The club spoke about how they would keep him in shape, and yet he isn't the player most thought we had re-signed. Kevin Nolan needs to understand that changing a winning structure is just madness, but perhaps he knows the players brought in can't play to how we did previously?

I would also like to know why we prioritized signing not just one, but three midfielders?

This does make me wonder if the club felt Grant would be recalled, but if they can sign midfielders that they are happy with why are we lacking to sign in the two areas most are aware that we do need?

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Yes big time. Need a striker and centre back so massively. NO NEED TO CHANGE THE FORMATION. WHY HAVE WE DONE IT? There was literally no need to change the formation. If it ain't broke don't fix it. Referee should be sacked but Nolan has to take responsibility. This formation doesn't work. Virtue looked so much better in a 4-4-2 formation so why have we gone 4-2-3-1? Stead's miss is awful. One of the worst missed chances I've seen at the Lane. Nolan's arrogance tonight was not good. We've won 3 of the last 11 and I'm getting annoyed that we aren't winning against the lower teams in the league. Yeovil, Stevenage, Crewe, FGR, Cambridge, Grimsby, Crawley. All of them we've dropped points against. 

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The most naive managerial week we have seen from Nolan so far. Our success has been 4-4-2 with two combative midfielders and to suddenly change to a 4-5-1 with nobody able to add any steel to the midfield has proved to be pretty brainless. 

What is the point of accommodating three players and leaving Hewitt on the bench, or at Centre Half? Looks like my pre season prediction of around 10th will be coming to fruition unless he finds what we need in the loan market and returns to basics (which we had mastered).

Fitzsimons needs fining heavily and has probably relegated himself back to the bench with Collin returning and Virtue-Thick (as) needs to learn fast what is needed in adult football.

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Whilst trying to stay positive I don’t think anyone, looking back at results since we came back against Cambridge could say we’ve done too well. Glaring chances have gone begging which has highlighted the need of a striker with the pace to capitalise on them.

yes it will be a major disappointment to be see us slip out of the top three this weekend but we got there before and those that find themselves above us come Sunday morning will be lucky to win every game until the end of the season. We can get back on track but unless we start taking our chances it will be very difficult.

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I think we're already panicking. We need cool heads but Kevin Nolan and half the team have lost theirs.

The new midfielders could have done with being slotted into an established team and formation, and preferably not at the same time. Instead they have all been thrown in to an unfamiliar team in an unfamiliar formation. It makes it much harder. We know how effective Noble can be, but he hasn't played in months. No number of training games can replace proper match practice. Virtue has a good touch and clearly some potential but is very raw and naive, which is why he's on loan in the first place. Hewitt and Yates have given us a steady foundation this season and have allowed others to shine - we couldn't do anything about losing one, but why did we drop the other?

4231 can be a great formation. In our case the strikers aren't scoring many and most of our goals come from midfield, so I can see where KN is coming from. But when your striker looks as isolated as Stead last night you're not doing it right. The whole point of it is to be able to commit more players up front without sacrificing stability at the back, but we failed on both fronts. They players looked ill-prepared for it.

The worst thing, however, is that we're in the wrong place mentally. You can even see it in this thread. We have achieved NOTHING so far. In May no-one will care who was second in January. Everyone has bought into this idea that we currently possess an automatic promotion place and now it's in danger of slipping away. That is the wrong way to see it - we're CHASING one of those spots like everyone else. We've given ourselves a slight head start in the race but that's all. A play-off spot would be an achievement. Promotion would be an outstanding achievement. But we've got to realise that we too are in the chasing pack - let's chase!

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THIS...from fellow pie, Wayne Turton, on the NCFC Supporters page:-

"I know I'm flogging a dead horse here but I thought I'd chip in with my opinions: what if Kevin Nolan is a visionary?

What if he realises the standard 442 system is predictable and one dimensional?

True it has served us well so far, but how many top level teams still use it?

There is a reason for that, football is a tactical game: I think Nolan has one eye on the future & knows he has to get us using a system that will allow us to compete at a level he wants to get us to,. Yes it's not been too successful in the 2 matches he's tried it out but you can't make an omlete without breaking a few eggs!

We've come a long way in the last year, but there's still a long way to go too, we simply can't not move with the times, that would be suicide. 

Nolan is playing the long game because he knows it will pay off in the long run, even at the expense of short term pseudo success.

Guys think about it, Nolan can be the next Jimmy for us.

Aare we going to hound him out of the Lane for a couple of dodgy results?

All he needs is time, please be patient my fellow pies!"

Please discuss...

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