Match Thread Notts County Vs Stevenage

[Chris]

Finally!!!

I'm glad to say it but we will see the one and only 'Gary Liddle' return to the mix. I hope to see the defense come together now and even if Manny retains his place, I see no reason why Gary wouldn't make the return the centre of the park. We've missed him and although I have read some comments about his actions at Sheffield United, it's still a case for me that he's done enough to warrant fans to stand by him.

We certainly need his calm head!

Now I see this one as being a game where Stevenage will try to disappoint us, although I feel we have the quality to see this being a game where we notch up our first 3 points and come away from Meadow Lane with smiles on our faces.

My team would be...

Bart
Dumbuya - Liddle - Leacock - Sheehan
Haworth - Boucaud - McGregor - Bell
Showumni and Haynes (if fit)

I would like to throw Zoko into the mix, although considering the game. If Bell and Haworth are fit, it would be interesting to see how they do on the field at the same time.

My prediction? 3-0 to Notts

COME ON YOU PIES!!

[super_ram]

This is a chance for Notts to build a bit of confidence.There are no easy games and I wouldn't take too much for granted but Notts should win comfortably.

[weymouthPIE]

Im a bit nervous about this game if i'm honest. We should have won at Walsall but for the two dissalowed goals (both of which should have been given), and to be honest crucial decisions have gone against us in the first three games. But the longer you go without that first win, the more difficult it becomes to achieve it. No disrespect but we need to be beating the likes of Stevenage at home.

 

I'm just nervous though. The pressure will be on our lads to perform and win this game, and I worry that they'll have Tuesday nights Anfield trip in the back of their minds.

 

We need to win Saturday I think. If we do, we can look forward to the Liverpool game knowing we have that first win in the bag. I dread to think of the meltdown if we get beat though lol.

 

Liddle's return is a big plus for us, and if he starts it should tighten up the defence quite a bit.

 

Its two teams both looking for their first league wins, I think it'll be quite close.

 

COME ON YOU PIES

[upthepies]

Stevenage cannot be written off, they have had a tough opener for sure but two of the teams they have played are doing well. I am not really sure where I expect this to go, I think Notts on paper should win but based on form or consistency I do not know.

I would throw Liddle on, back into defense. It's where we have been shaky a little and I would like to see more of young McGregor.

The game will be interesting! See you all there

[super_ram]

Agree, upthepies,its always worrying playing a team on a poor run ,irrespective of who they've played recently or league position.

[Chris]

Luck and situations do change, I just hope for once it will be ours.

We need a win, it would be important for this to happen at home and set off a good string of form. We can climb and progress, it's just making sure we don't gamble in games and play steady, calm, attacking football. We should make sure we make though!

They waste more energy tracking back.

[Fan of Big Tone]

I think @weymouthPIE makes a good point about the Liverpool game being on the players minds, they will feel under pressure to get that first win especially with being at home, I think it will be a tense, nervy affair for both teams, I just hope our fans have a bit of patience and get behind the lads if things start to go wrong.

 

I will take a scrappy 1-0 win.

 

Shame I won't be there but I will have my head in my phone trying to find out the score.

[cheeky~k8]

I really hope we finally get a win... even though a point is nice... we could do with 3.

I know stevenage haven't done that well upto now, but we haven't done that well upto now either.

[Chris]

Don't forget you can read both Opposition Views, found in the section for them. This includes an update from a previous fan who answered questions last season, he reflects on his thoughts and I think you all will appreciate it.

[super_ram]

Notts have to try and forget the Liverpool match.That is just a distraction from the more serious business of accumulating more league points and climbing up the table.With a slice of good fortune,which Notts are due,they can get a vital win and 3 points,  then go to Liverpool without worrying too much about the league.Then,win or lose at Liverpool ,they,they can return to league action full of confidence and continue up the league.

[weymouthPIE]

If we can get a win tommorow, and go to Liverpool and do ourselved proud - ie make a real fight of it and make sure Liverpool walk off that pitch knowing they've been in a real battle whatever the result; it should put a bit of a feel good factor into the fans and club, and that sets us up nicely for a local derby of sorts with Rotherham next weekend.  

 

Chris mentioned in his interview that the players should know that if they want to play in the Liverpool game, they need to play well tommorow otherwise they wont be in the team. Hopefully the chance to get themselves on that team-sheet at Anfield will spur our lads on to play well tommorow.

 

It'll be a tough game there's no doubt about it. As I said before its two sides both looking for their first win but there have been plenty of positives from our opening 3 games and if one or two crucial decisions had gone our way in those matches, we could have been on 5 points by now

[MuddyPatchPie]

With Liddle back in the team and Bell hopefully fit enough to play a full part, we should be starting to gel and put some results together. Our luck will turn soon and we might actually get some competent officials.....for a change!

[Chris]

Chris mentioned in his interview that the players should know that if they want to play in the Liverpool game, they need to play well tommorow otherwise they wont be in the team. Hopefully the chance to get themselves on that team-sheet at Anfield will spur our lads on to play well tommorow.

I agree - Strong management decision but it might not catch on with some players, you know the one's who act like a spoiled child and then end up going "Well I'm not bothered". I'm sure this won't be the case for Notts, hope it has a knock on effect because we need a run.

[MuddyPatchPie]

Woeful and I don't appreciate paying all that money out for a season ticket to find pidgeon muck on my seat.

[weymouthPIE]

Felt physically sick when I read that score on my phone. Weymouth's match didnt start till half 3 as Redditch were stuck in traffic so was still watching the second half when the score came through. Really bitterly dissapointed.

 

Wait for it now - Kiwomya out, Rodwell out, Trew out, everyone out. Relegation inevitable etc

[Super_Danny_Allsopp]

Very sad to see us lose to what by all accounts was a very poor Stevenage side.

Not a good start at all!

[cheeky~k8]

Bad start to the season and it carries on, but hopefully it will pick us as we can't possibly carry on like this without any changes can we.

Hope we play better, sooner than later!

[Chris]

Stevenage should be very happy right now.

I think we need to wake up and start choosing the strongest team possible, the subs were poor! Really hard watching and the young lad.. I didn't like, I hate to say it but he contributed to wasteful play and we should have picked Nangle from the start. He did alright and shown some good touches, feel very let down and sort of defeated because there wasn't a game plan today.

At least it didn't look like it.

Pass the ball to Bell and hope, no players gambling with the crosses or trying to connect. Very woeful!

Going forward we got caught out to many times and it were frustrating, I'm not going to be disrespectful towards Stevenage because I think they did okay and although a win seems harsh (a draw being fairer). Really we need this wake up call because we need to be more creative, not single players who stand out but movement along all areas and one good unit.

Doesn't look like the same side pre-season, we played some crisp football but today wasn't that. Weak!

It's still very early and I'm not buying into the relegation. I am concerned because more days like this it will strike fear into more fans and surely it starts with the team which is selected?

Lastly I fear our attacking options if we're going to allow players like Zoko permission to move freely. He should be an asset and even in a poor team, I feel he would have made a difference. Why we don't try him I don't know but sometimes players deserve the gamble and faith, Arquin and Showunmi anyone?

[weymouthPIE]

Well I've not seen the goal as I couldnt bring myself to watch Goals Express, but I'm not panicking just yet. I said before this match that this would never be a walk in the park.

 

I'm not making excuses - by all accounts we were really quite below par today but I do think its fair to say we've had a lot of bad luck so far.

In the Sheffield United game we would deffinatly have got a point with 11 men on the field I've no doubt about that quite frankly, and in fact their winner came from a free-kick that everyone apart from the men in black could see was a free kick for us!

 

Against Peterborough the ref didnt appear to give us a great deal all match, and he failed to give us a stonewall penalty which, if scored, could have got us back into the game and made for a very nervy finish for Peterborough. Not saying we deffinatly would have got back into it, its all ifs buts and maybes but you do wonder...

 

Against Walsall, we won 3-1. Except we didnt, because the linesman failed to spot that the ball was a good foot over the line, and he gave Arquin offside despite the fact he had to come from behind two defender to get to the ball first.

 

See if decisions had gone our way we could easily have had 4 points before today.

 

Then look at how unlucky we've been player wise. OK, Liddle was suspended for the Fleetwood, P'boro and Walsall games and we clearly missed him in both of those. Manny Smith was also suspended against P'boro and of all the teams to play against with a makeshift defence...

 

Then look at us now - today we were missing Enoch Showumni and Danny Haynes, who have both looked very good in games so far. We've also lost Alan sheehan (rumour has it on Twitter for around 6 weeks) just when he was coming into his best form, probably since arriving at the football club.

 

I dont want to be seen to be making excuses but Chris has not had the oppurtunity to get his first choice, strongest starting XI on the pitch together for more than 10 minutes! You could ook at it and say well we lack strength in depth and I would agree with that to a point, but I don't think we're far off.

 

Its certainly not time to be panicking and calling for managers to be sacked. I've said it before, we're crying out for stability and anymore managerial sackings (unless we get to say mid October and havent won) will be ridiculous.

 

The fans really need to have a lot of patience. We have a young squad, a young manager who are still learning. Today maybe we were poor, I dont know. It would be wrong for me to judge having not been there or seen any highlights.

 

We will deffinatly get there. We hav been competetive in every game and I really do feel 1 point from 4 matches is not a fair reflection of our efforts so far. But thats football, sometimes you dont get what you deserve. But I always think it evens itself out over the course of 46 league games, and at some point luck will (hopefully) be on our side.

 

Let's go to Liverpool full of hope and sing our hearts out, back our team for 90 minutes. Lets do the club proud, come back here and get a result against Rotherham.

 

We've played 4 games. There's 42 games left to win the league yet

 

James - the eternal optimist

[super_ram]

Well done Joe and  Weymouth,I was listening to the Rams and was feeling really pleased at half time as Derby were completely dominating the match and winning.I went to check Notts score and wasn't too bothered to see the score was 0-0. I. checked several times in the second half and was beginning to think Notts would at least have a point. My elation at full time,with the Rams winning 3-0 away,was soon to change to disbelief and disappointment,Stevenage scoring in overtime.Notts are really having a lot of luck at the moment ,and it's all bad luck.I know how Notts fans are feeling but I do believe you all have to be patient  and not panic-,yet.

After the encouraging displays in preseason I would expect significant improvements  in performances and results fairly soon.

[liampie]

so disappointed!

they look woeful shooting and we allowed them their goal, i can take losing but theres a point where you question things. im not against chris, i think he will do okay once we get a win but the football was not good.

[GrannyPie]

I hope we don't 'roll over' at Liverpool and get thrashed.A decent display on Tuesday,even if we do lose by 2 or 3 goals,might be enough to get a bit of self-belief back.

[upthepies]

I have seen worse football played at Meadow Lane but that performance wasn't what we needed to see, at least not with the dwindling crowd. I could not post the other night, I have to say my thoughts needed time.

We did not connect or mix things, very poor going forward but we did okay in defense.

There were times when we need to be tighter and Dumbuya did not have a great game. Going forward he seemed solid but he left back, very quiet but you expect players to have odd games off.

It seems a few had that day off last Saturday but I have faith. We just need to see better, we deserve better!

[Fan of Big Tone]

See what happens when I go away? I didn't have a very good Internet signal but saw it was 0-0 very near the end which was disappointing enough but when I saw that Stevenage had won I felt gutted!

It would be just like Notts to put in a great performance at Liverpool, lets hope so.

[Chris]

See what happens when I go away?

Don't give us anymore ammunition to blame you Tony - Transfer request? Pampering.. Get us some goals and put your boots back on. *points towards Tony* It's his fault! Get him!! hehe