Match Discussion: Game 8 - The Boro (H)

[Magic magpie]

3-2 County as Hemings chip early in the second half pits the magpies in the lead 

[Magic magpie]

And that’s 3-3 as fitzsimons comes off his line to catch on the left misses then the ball is crossed to the right in to a almost empty net and the diving  fitzsimons 

[CliftonMagpie]

The outfield players did their jobs today, I think the performance was better and not far from being okay.

We just have a massive issue with the keeper, he doesn't communicate and his attitude stinks at the moment. We can't sign more defenders, I felt these did well and was caught out by play that could of been prevented by the team. The first two goals we might as well played without a keeper.

[liampie]

im worried about notts, there was an improvement today but there is no little praise for giving the lead away three times. notts would have had stevenage, they looked poor but we gave them a way back into it every time we scored.

notts looked good at times especially in the second half.

but the opening nerves crept in and times. i have little faith in fitzsimons, people moaned about collin for slowing down the game but all ross does is give the ball away by blindlessly clearing it to the opposition.

[Magic magpie]

10 magpies and 1 lost sole who needs to find his confidence.. a possitive game for me the out feild players played really well a few iffy spells .. the confidence with out players seems to be coming through just not the goal keeper 

[Chris]

I wasn't impressed much at all by Ross Fitzsimons, even early on because he drifts around the pitch like some sort of cattle watching over the game - the amount of time he has to quickly back track because of this.

He did look confident training, he looked focused and I thought he would have had a good game but he didn't.

The defence looked better, there are still issues but I feel these can be fixed because of the positive signs shown. Notts looked lost in the opening minutes, it was awkward to watch. I don't get the comments about how well Notts looked at this point, especially by David Jackson when interviewing Harry Kewell. I felt we looked lost and like a team that had no ideal. It was simple hoofing, however never in a useful direction. It was like nobody wanted the ball and when they had it, they had no idea what to do.

Eventually the game opened up, yet I had been yelling for ages to keep the ball down on the ground.

We looked quite useful passing it around and the penalty was a huge relief as it felt like we could go on to win the game.

The first two goals Notts conceded was terrible, Fitzsimons totally to blame for both because he should have been in a position to try and do something. He just watched nothing, as they scored two very easy goals. His positioning is somewhat of a joke now, he ties himself to the nearest post and makes no effort to try to get a hand/foot onto the ball. When you leave that much space open, the opposition will score because he doesn't make himself bigger - he does absolutely nothing and his lack of a reaction is pissing me off. Even after Kasper let several goals against Bournemouth he reacted, he shown passion and aggression which to me shows some sort of desire.

Fitzsimons distribution is pointless, every time he lumped the ball forward it never seemed to go anywhere near one of our players.

There was several times he called have rolled the ball out, or kicked it to a defender out wide without watching it come straight back. Look I felt Stevenage was quite poor, they never really looked dangerous and at the back they was woeful but we allowed them back into the game.

It's not the defence, although they can do better. It's not the midfield, it's our keeper - the amount of shots on target that he has allowed to go beyond him is shocking.

The outfield players such as, Jon Stead, Enzio Boldewijn and Lewis Alessandra all busted a gut to create chances. They worked hard, Noor Husin for me did well, however I do feel we missed David Vaughan as fans said at half time to me everything came through our midfield due to his absence.

Sooner or later, there will be pressure on our outfield players to score goals that will revert in a shift of confidence and a lack of pressure because of the sheer amount of goals we concede. We have fixed and add recruitment everywhere else but in goal, we have seen improvements everywhere else but in goal. Fitzsimons needs someone to push him, someone to remind him he won't automatically start games.

He could be a great backup keeper, however he's no number 1. His moaning to the defence to go up when he wanted to give the ball back to Stevenage is a joke, he should listen to his team-mates and Harry Kewell who instructed him to release the ball by throwing it etc.

As @Magic magpie has said, I thought people said Kevin Nolan instructed the keeper to lump forward? Why has this not changed.

[PON_News]

 

[PON_News]

Match footage  

 

 

[allardyces tash]

Good game, poor goals that ended up being conceded and further signs that we have more than a defence issues.

The positives is are there for once.

[Magic magpie]

1 hour ago, Chris said:

I wasn't impressed much at all by Ross Fitzsimons, even early on because he drifts around the pitch like some sort of cattle watching over the game - the amount of time he has to quickly back track because of this.

He did look confident training, he looked focused and I thought he would have had a good game but he didn't.

The defence looked better, there are still issues but I feel these can be fixed because of the positive signs shown. Notts looked lost in the opening minutes, it was awkward to watch. I don't get the comments about how well Notts looked at this point, especially by David Jackson when interviewing Harry Kewell. I felt we looked lost and like a team that had no ideal. It was simple hoofing, however never in a useful direction. It was like nobody wanted the ball and when they had it, they had no idea what to do.

Eventually the game opened up, yet I had been yelling for ages to keep the ball down on the ground.

We looked quite useful passing it around and the penalty was a huge relief as it felt like we could go on to win the game.

The first two goals Notts conceded was terrible, Fitzsimons totally to blame for both because he should have been in a position to try and do something. He just watched nothing, as they scored two very easy goals. His positioning is somewhat of a joke now, he ties himself to the nearest post and makes no effort to try to get a hand/foot onto the ball. When you leave that much space open, the opposition will score because he doesn't make himself bigger - he does absolutely nothing and his lack of a reaction is pissing me off. Even after Kasper let several goals against Bournemouth he reacted, he shown passion and aggression which to me shows some sort of desire.

Fitzsimons distribution is pointless, every time he lumped the ball forward it never seemed to go anywhere near one of our players.

There was several times he called have rolled the ball out, or kicked it to a defender out wide without watching it come straight back. Look I felt Stevenage was quite poor, they never really looked dangerous and at the back they was woeful but we allowed them back into the game.

It's not the defence, although they can do better. It's not the midfield, it's our keeper - the amount of shots on target that he has allowed to go beyond him is shocking.

The outfield players such as, Jon Stead, Enzio Boldewijn and Lewis Alessandra all busted a gut to create chances. They worked hard, Noor Husin for me did well, however I do feel we missed David Vaughan as fans said at half time to me everything came through our midfield due to his absence.

Sooner or later, there will be pressure on our outfield players to score goals that will revert in a shift of confidence and a lack of pressure because of the sheer amount of goals we concede. We have fixed and add recruitment everywhere else but in goal, we have seen improvements everywhere else but in goal. Fitzsimons needs someone to push him, someone to remind him he won't automatically start games.

He could be a great backup keeper, however he's no number 1. His moaning to the defence to go up when he wanted to give the ball back to Stevenage is a joke, he should listen to his team-mates and Harry Kewell who instructed him to release the ball by throwing it etc.

As @Magic magpie has said, I thought people said Kevin Nolan instructed the keeper to lump forward? Why has this not changed.

I totally agree buddy 

[Magic magpie]

3 minutes ago, allardyces tash said:

Good game, poor goals that ended up being conceded and further signs that we have more than a defence issues.

The positives is are there for once.

They are mate indeed the only way is up

 

[Magic magpie]

20 hours ago, CliftonMagpie said:

The outfield players did their jobs today, I think the performance was better and not far from being okay.

We just have a massive issue with the keeper, he doesn't communicate and his attitude stinks at the moment. We can't sign more defenders, I felt these did well and was caught out by play that could of been prevented by the team. The first two goals we might as well played without a keeper.

I think you hit the nail on the head mate

[Countyman]

There is finally something to build on now.

I am worried that the club doesn't realise that Fitzsimons is a shadow of his former self, I do hope that he can improve but I don't see it. I felt the defence looked better, all the signings fitted in and worked hard. It's just those moments when nobody takes responsibility that punishes Notts.

[Natty]

Yet more evidence that the team is slowly turning the corner under Harry Kewell. There has been a clear improvement since HK took charge in terms of what Notts do when they have the ball. The "frightened rabbits" we witnessed against Yeovil and FGR are no longer there. Notts are now beginning to play decent incisive football and are looking dangerous going forward. Hemmings might've had a hat trick on another day, and Stead went close to adding to his converted penalty. 

It was particularly pleasing to see Milsom and Husin getting stuck in and winning the ball in midfield. This will only be enhanced when Kellett is fit again.  Alessandra put in, IMHO, his best performance for Notts........its clear that Kewells' philosophy suits his game.  

I was impressed with new boy Jamie Turley in his 45 mins at right back. He's a big strong lad, mobile, doesn't try to do anything too fancy, and won't take any s**t from opponents. In fact, he's just what we want from a L2 centre half. He took a bang in the ribs so was subbed at half time as a precaution, but HK says he's hard as nails and it won't keep him out next week. I look forward to seeing him play in the centre alongside Ward, as soon as Tootle is ready for starting again.  Duffy is out for quite a while and Brisley will surely be the one to make way in the middle. I doubt we'll see much more of either in the first XI. 

I thought Cedric Evina did ok too, but he's not the biggest of players, and will sometimes struggle against physical opponents. He can play though, so will be an asset when we have possession, and he's not short of pace. He combined well with Boldewijn...of course they'd played together at Crawley...... and he can deliver a decent cross. 

But of course, we still have the same old trouble at the back, and three more conceded. It'd be harsh (as it would've been last week) to put the blame on Fitz. He should maybe have done better with the first one, even though the scorer was left unmarked, but he couldn't be faulted for the other two. However, his confidence is low, and with Pindroch now obviously fit enough for the bench, I think its maybe time to take Fitz out of the firing line and take the pressure off him. 

Notts began to falter in the last 20 minutes through fatigue...and that's when mistakes happen. There were some very tired legs out there. I heard Mark Stallard on the radio on the way home, and he's at a loss to explain the players' poor fitness levels so early in the season. But HK is working hard to improve it, and I'm sure we'll see a change in the coming weeks. 

All in all, there is much positivity to take from this game. Confidence is slowly returning and the playing system HK wants to use is gradually sinking in.  It wouldn't surprise me to see the keepers swapped over next week, especially if Pindroch plays in the reserves at Port Vale on Wednesday, and comes through without any bad reaction. There are others returning to fitness too, and of course Jones has now completed his suspension. 

It's coming together. 

Natty

[B&Wstripes]

Normally I would be frustrated but I feel a point has given Notts something to build on from.

I am not impressed with Fitzsimons but I hope if we can cut down the shots on target that he may find his hands again, either that or the confidence. I felt the KOP made a big impact and it was a lively response from the fans.

[lambleypie]

Harry Kewell looked very animated during the game, he was noticeably shouting instructions to Ross Fitzsimons but his head seems in the clouds now.

It was a good game, both teams played well but I left wondering how we didn't win it.

[NottsTastic]

It should have been a win but I am not going to complain, I think the improvement is there for all to see and the issues at the back isn't just going to be a quick fix like signing a new defence seems to be.

Some well taken goals too, I just hope this is the start of better to come.

[TheSkipper]

4 hours ago, Chris said:

Sooner or later, there will be pressure on our outfield players to score goals that will revert in a shift of confidence and a lack of pressure because of the sheer amount of goals we concede. We have fixed and add recruitment everywhere else but in goal, we have seen improvements everywhere else but in goal. Fitzsimons needs someone to push him, someone to remind him he won't automatically start games.

This is my worry, the defence could help but Fitzsimons only saved what was kicked straight at him.

What concerns me the most are the fans who probably call him blind but want others to cut him some slack, it don't work like that and the club clearly felt like the defence was the issue before looking to sign a keeper. Maybe they did try? I don't know but it concerns me because every where else has improved.

[liampie]

@TheSkipper i doubt it. ah seems blinded by pointing the fault elsewhere. communications seems a big key for a strong keeper and surely people notice that fitzsimons does it less than last season? maybe he made a point to be noticed but hes not taken the chance.

[Fan of Big Tone]

I’m away so I wasn’t at the match but I take heart from reading @Natty‘s report, it seems that things may be slowly turning around.

[Joshua]

I agree everything mentioned by @Chris.

Scoring goals isn't easy for Notts but we look goo, conceding them is the complete opposite and the question must be why the defence still hasn't made that much of a difference despite them working hard? I think teams know how to punish us and I don't the club realise how easy it is right now.

[upthepies]

I do feel things could improve and winning ways return, but there is still work to be done.

If we can narrow down the chances the opposition get, things may improve all round but the best way would be to control the game. I felt at times Notts did this well but certain players rushed the play and it ended abruptly. Jon Stead started numerous promising attacks, only for Lewis Alessandra or Noor Husin to kill off the move.

Promising signs I feel.

[SouthwestPIE]

I don't understand how people can call criticism abuse? There are some on social media sites who get personal or borderline abusive but as a paying fan or supporter it gives us the right to say our opinion. Fitzsimons this season has shown us why he was plucked out of the Non League, he should be replaced.

Other than that the game was positive, I felt Notts played well but errors at the back cost the club three points again.

That's disappointing but I accept it.