Match Discussion: Game 20 - The Gulls (H)

[PON_News]

Game 20 - The Gulls (H)

Team: Torquay United

Date: 23/01/2021

Where: Meadow Lane

What line-up should Neal Ardley 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.

[Dripsey3]

Hello? Is this on? Sorry, a weak attempt at humour......

Must win game for us. Can't afford to lose anymore ground in the title race. Torquay are a decent side but Notts should be beating them at home. 2-1 to Notts I reckon. 

[DangerousSausage]

Is these one of these "football matches" that we used to have back in the olden days? I remember them from when I was young, some of them were quite good. The team in black and white were usually rubbish, but they were my favourites anyway.

Torquay are already 15 points ahead of us, albeit having played three games more. Theoretically we could whittle that down to 3 by beating them and winning our games in hand, but we won't. That would be almost insurmountable in the unlikely (ha!) event that the season isn't finished. We need a win to have any hope of top spot at the end of the season.

[Super_Danny_Allsopp]

Covid 1
Torquay 0
Notts 0

Called off on Friday evening or Satruday morning due to suspected Covid case in Torquay's camp. Notts ask all of the other 19 clubs they have postponements with and none can be bothered playing, all of them already wishing for furlough now the government handouts have stopped. 

NL is suspended on the Sunday. 

[menzinho]

Would’ve been a great statement if Notts could have won that, I feel a bit disappointed we didn’t.

Couldn’t fault the work rate/battling and again, defensively very solid. Another clean sheet but is it coming at the expense of our attacking play?

I feel like our attacking play is too predictable now, I don’t mind us cutting inside but it’s almost every attack. Yesterday it forced Enzio to shoot with his left foot, he bangs them in on his right! Play him on the other wing or just switch it up a bit more - he was only up against a now 35 y/o Dean Moxey, no disrespect but Enzio should've been able to cause him constant problems one on one. 

When we’re in the final third, still, almost every ball is into feet we never want to play a ball in behind – mainly because no-one makes the runs but the one time we did Effiong caused a big problem. He won a good free-kick another yard in and he would’ve got a pen.

I’m slightly worried we rely too much on Roberts in an attacking sense, since his injury in the league we’ve scored 5 goals in 7 games… Is that just a coincidence? I’m not so sure…

[liampie]

i dont think a draw is a bad result, a win would have been nice but i think the draw might come down to the players of both teams thinking the season will be suspended or whatever. i am happy for us to take the point, i just hope it means something in the long term.

[DangerousSausage]

Not a bad result, but not the result we needed. Torquay have got a clean sheet and a point away from home, and they've prevented a potential rival from closing the gap. They'll be pleased.

Overall it was a very hard-working display against a good team. The first half had 0-0 written all over it - we didn't have any clear chances, partly because of our reluctance to commit men up front, and the same applied for Torquay. We occasionally had a sniff due to a couple of dodgy back passes, but that was it. Both teams grew braver as the second half wore on, both had some good chances and could have won it, so a draw was fair in the end. It's just a bit of a shame we're unwilling to pull the trigger at times.

[DonnyNotts]

I agree a point is a point, and in general terms a good one against a very good well managed team. But it was a home game and if we harbour Hope's of promotion these are the games we need to win. We have not been bad this season, just not good enough in too many games. I would say that while we may still be in contention for promotion,  we look a long way off at the moment. 

[Super_Danny_Allsopp]

We don't have any natural goal scorers in this team. So many times we are overplaying or missing big chances. 

I've said it before and I'll say it again: If Knowles is a goal scorer then either use him or send him back and get another one in who will actually play. 

[liampie]

it comes down to chance creation, i agree that notts are starting to over play their passing and the movement does not leave much opportunity to build confidence for the strikers as what changes do come, they have to rush to pull something off or they end up being pressured. cal roberts returning to in form would help to stretch the play but i totally disagree with those who believe effiong and wootton are the same type of player.

the wider players need to draw more space imo.