Match Thread Notts County V Oldham

[Fan of Big Tone]

So what our thoughts on this match?

 

How do you think the players will perform, will they be downcast because of the manager leaving or will they perform because the possibility that a new manager will be watching from the stands?

 

What team would you put out? It will be interesting to see Steve Hodge's approach to the game.

 

I think we will win but I hope that doesn't tempt the board to give Hodge a chance, I want to see a "proper" manager come in this time.

 

What will the attendance be, will a few more come down because CK has gone?

 

So over to you guys, what are your thoughts?

[Chris]

I expect a stubborn response from the players, I hear they're unhappy with the sacking but surely they are partly to blame?

If Rodwell says we haven't started to look, I don't suppose a manager will be in the stands. I think we'll see the common faults from CK reign, which means we need to score more than one or Oldham could take the game. That said the players need to fight for their own backs now!

Team wise, I don't really care and I have no suggestions.

My fears is that Hodge will get a good set of results, he seems to think he'll be in-charge for one game and that he doesn't want the full position. I believe Hodge is keeping his cards close to his chest because only a fool would say that they wouldn't be interested. I also, do not buy 'I like working with development players' for that is what he does.

If he does, the board need to consider what an experienced manager could do before speaking with Hodge, that said I DO NOT WANT HIM.

I say just over 4k

[Pies4u]

I expect us to win tonight - "new broom" effect. We need Haber to start and people playing in their natural positions tho'!

The weather will determine the attendance, bad night then we'll struggle to top 3,200. Decent evening then we might be closer to 4,000. Any more would be a real bonus IMO.

Hopefully, Wilson will be installed by the weekend. Hodge probably doesn't want the job, he is a novice and it is a poisoned chalice. Any career aspirations he may have could be doomed before he starts if he took the job and failed miserably. Think he'll go back to the wings and bide his time tbh.

[liampie]

i fully believe notts can win, i am unsure about hodge but we can survive whilst he is in charge. Attendance 4.2k, cannot see a lot of fans returning just because ck as been sacked.

2-1 notts

[GrannyPie]

Come on Notts give us a win

[BradtheMiller]

Well done pies, great result!!!

[Fan of Big Tone]

Well that was a bit tense at the end wasn't it? I thought Notts put on a good battling performance and just about deserved to come away with the points. Three very good goals, Notts had to dig deep to keep Oldham at bay and star man for me was Sheehan who was playing out of his normal position at centre half but had a great game.

From my position behind the goal I thought Steve Hodge looked a lot more of a commanding figure than CK, he was barking out orders, giving instructions etc and he seemed to get his subs right, when he brought Arquin on I thought it was a mistake but he popped up and got us a goal. So fair does to Hodge it was a great win for him but I hope it doesn't convince the board to give him the job I still want an experienced manager.

We're off the bottom

[Chris]

I watched Hodge at times, he didn't really stand out. In the final 10 minutes he made a lot of movement and seemed to crouch down at times, waving his arms frantically towards their half. I liked that!
 

We started the game well, controlled the game but perhaps we was lucky that they scored so close to the half time?

By that point they had alarmingly taken control and looked quite dangerous. They started the second half brighter, looking very keen to take all the points and we seemed to run out of ideas. We started lumping the ball forward, becoming very scrappy and if it wasn't for some good play - we would not have gone 2-1 up. Liddles cross for Arquin to head was just perfection! No doubts about it, it well created and excellently taken.

Things swayed in our favour and McGregors goal seemed to be exactly what we need. As we started to play again confidently, the passing improved but then they came at us again and it slowly unwound.

This said, we have at least 3 chances which should have been scored.

The defence played very well, thrown themselves into dangerous situation in which very few would. Sheehan and Thompson being the two who seemed to be competing against each other! Though Thompson deserves a lot of credit, he blocked a sure goal and it clearly winded him (I hope nothing).

It was a pleasant, acceptable performance but nothing exactly special. I'm not going to go all OTT about it, I'm happy!

Ps. I am not sure if their goal actually crossed the line, I was watching Hodge at the time and as I noticed that they was doing something. Bart had clutched the ball into his hands, it didn't cross the line during this point and if it had, it would have been before I looked. I have my feelings though but it doesn't matter!

[weymouthPIE]

Tonight was never about the performance, any win would have done, even if it had been thanks to an own goal off somebodies backside. Great to score 3 goals though, when I saw it was 3-2 I thought we were going to throw it away, we don't do things the easy way do we?

 

Still, a massive 3 points. Well done lads, now onto the next one!

[MuddyPatchPie]

Hard fought 3 points with a makeshift defense. We won't stop shipping goals until we have a settled back four. Not sure why Curtis went off as I felt he had a good first half. Too many chances wasted when all that was needed was a cool head to slot home a goal or pass across to a team mate! Very very happy with the effort put in to claim the 3 points. Well done to Steve Hodge but I don't think he'll be the permanent manager,

[Pies4u]

Hard earned victory - much needed, huge significance.

Gritty display and both Labadie and Haynes had their twin brothers ply aiming in the first half, sadly the originals returned for the second!

The balance of the side was ok, it worked but even with .5 across the middle we lacked width. Thompson provided some down the right and got a right mouthful from both Fothers and Hodge, weird that. He was actually taking people on and beating them and gets slated for it.

Overall, we showed the right spirit and determination, Arquin demonstrated that he can be a match winner and Holt at left back looked perfectly at home, he was solid all night, COYP.

[Fan of Big Tone]

Not sure why Curtis went off as I felt he had a good first half.

 

 

When interviewed afterwards Hodge said it was a tactical substitution, he hadn't done anything wrong and wasn't injured but Oldham had just brought on a big forward and he thought that bringing Smith on would counter the threat.

 

It's good to see a manager reacting to the oppositions changed tactics.