All Discussions
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Ian Burchnall is looking to bring in Guy as our recruitment process is not deemed strong enough
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Game 35 - Red Dragons (H)
Team: Wrexham
Date: 02/04/2021
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.
- Show previous comments 10 more
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Big win, needed to keep that faint hope of top alive (I haven’t given up hope yet), but more importantly keeping in touch with that 2nd/3rd spot.
I was worried after the first 10, we could’ve easily been 2-0 down. Our slow starts have cost us games this season and if not for Slocombe that could’ve been another one. Luckily Wrexham sort of gave up after 20.
Still didn’t create a lot, we looked comfortable but their keeper didn’t really have a lot to do. Thought Chicksen did well (after a shaky start) and agree with @Super_Danny_Allsopp about Griffiths and Knight. Still confused as to why Wootton was sent off, just a 50-50 ball and then play was restarted with a drop-ball. Did he say something? Pfft, anyway he needs a break he’s been carrying the attack all season.
Hopefully that’s the end of the set-backs for Roberts, a massive boost for us and Burchnall – he really will make the run in easier.
Part one of Easter done, got to back that up another good result at Woking now.
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I won’t repeat what’s been said above.
Main thing for today was the determination in the tackle for me. You see the confidence returning as the minutes ticked by. Desperately needed as well.
Hope we can back it up with another 3 points on Monday.
And only fair to specifically mention Chicksen. Thought he played excellently today. Dealt with nearly everything. Occasionally let a player go past him to cross, but that comes with understanding of the defensive unit playing together.
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That was a very positive afternoon and an excellent result. I only listened on the radio, but it sounded like we grew into the game and played a bit further up than we usually do. Knight sounds promising and I'm looking forward to seeing him play. With Roberts we have someone who scares the opposition to death and creates space for others - it'll be fantastic if we can have him starting again, he's like a cheat code at this level. It's good to see defenders mixing it up at set pieces a bit more, and it's also interesting to see Chicksen in the team again - IB seems to rate him more than Ardley, who'd sooner have played the mascot in that position.
For all our recent struggles the table doesn't look bad, the gap to Sutton aside. Now let's build on it at Woking!
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Anybody got any links to view the match... No BT sports here
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Game 29 - The Shots (H)
Team: Aldershot Town
Date: 06/03/2021
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.
- Show previous comments 8 more
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New YOUNG midfielder coming in before Friday... Straight from the rabbit in his aftermath presser....
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What an appalling display that was, their keeper had to make a routine save from our only shot on target in the 87th minute!!!! The penalty was a blatant dive, but it still doesn't excuse what followed. Aldershot were poor, but poor was more than enough to beat us.
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right now i feel we are the masters of our own downfall, losing 1-0 does not worry me but the performance was not good at all. the players need to setup and work for each other, i think we will have a period where we are unflattering but i do hope the new manager starts to understand things.
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Slocombe - 6 - Fine.
DKE - 4 - Contributes to the crab display. Backwards and sideways. Possession terrible.
Ellis - 5 - Was OK. Penalty was a dive.
Turner - 5 - He was fine.
Barnett - 2 - He's crap.
Enzio - 4.5 - Not great.
Reeves - 3 - Crab. Slow.
O'Brien - 6 - At least made forward runs and passes.
Miller - 2 - He's crap. -1 for backing down in physical challenges. Wimp.
Wootton - 5 - Some decent touches.
Sam - 3 - He's crap.
Ref - 0 - Hoodwinked time and time again. Gives them a pen for a blatant dive. -
Slocombe 6 Great save at the end
DKE 5 OK but not getting forward as previous this season
Ellis 4 Long throws but very little else
Turner 3 Cannot pass, end of
Barnett 3 Cannot pass too, end of
Reeves 3.5 nearly gave a goal away running back. Dead ball delivery so poor
JOB 4 Some nice movement 2nd half... but little else
Sam 3.5 Disappointing but getting harsh criticism when some of the balls into him are unplayable
Miller 4 tried to make things happen
Enzio 4 Drifting in and out of the game...should be moving to make himself available
Wootton 4 Lone striker looking lost
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https://www.nottscountyfc.co.uk/news/2021/march/ian-burchnall-appointed-250321/
Sounds like they’ve been researching the new manager for a while. Interesting choice imo.
Hope his previous experience helps him cope in this league. Obviously the intention is a long term appointment as it’s all about the coaching and ... there isn’t a lot of coaching to do in the current fixture pile up. Game, rest up, game. Rinse and repeat!
Good luck Ian.
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OK we may have the best defensive record in the NL but at what cost? Do we need a sitting Reeves and Doyle in front of the defence? A like for like replacement for a Rose, tall and athletic in the Bishop / O'Connor mode may have been all that was needed. It just means we lack a midfielder further up the pitch to link play and sustain the pressure on the opposition.
Is Wolfe really up to that role... I presume not as he hardly ever plays. In all honesty, that is the only option we have.
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Alan Hardy
@Bigalanh5
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I was immensely disappointed with the January transfer window. He arrived in November and had enough time to have assessed who he wanted. He had free reign and big budget. We got relegated 6 months after he arrived. More than enough time to have turned the team around
Quote Tweet
Chris Kew
@chriskew_1
Replying to @Bigalanh5
Thanks Alan. I’ve always felt it did have a part to play so interesting to hear otherwise. How would you surmise this situation? Lovely bloke but players not quite playing for him in a way that someone would for a Neil Warnock type character for example?
another tweet:
Alan Hardy
@Bigalanh5
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It’s reassuring that there are some people who appreciate the bloody hard work I put in and the fact, ultimately, that Notts County cost me my marriage
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FA Trophy semi-final - The Urchins (H)
Team: Hornchurch
Date: 27/03/2021
Where: Meadow Lane
What line-up should [insert name of new/caretaker manager here] 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.
- Show previous comments 7 more
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What an absolute shambles that was. For the first ten minutes, despite the team selection, I hoped we'd see something a bit different - we tried to get in behind them from the off, and had a nice tempo to our play. But soon we were back to the ponderous build-up play we're all so sick of. At times in the second half we couldn't get out of our own half. Hornchurch were positive and played hard, but their press hardly looked difficult to get out of - there were huge gaps there, yet we still couldn't cope. I've got no desire to recall the game and give a blow-by-blow account, Ellis and Rawlinson being given the runaround by a man with a beer gut and a double chin tells you all you need to know.
If we'd gone out against Morpeth, I wouldn't have cared much. It was a weakened team, and we could have claimed we were concentrating on the league. But this was different - a chance to reward the fans with a trip to Wembley and win a trophy. It was an important game. I'll give the new manager a pass on this one (although how he can watch several of our matches in full length and decide another 90 minutes of the Doyle and Reeves show is a good idea I'll never know), but the players need to have a word with themselves. That shower won't win promotion in a million years.
There's always someone worse off than yourself though - some of our fans are of the Irish persuasion, and rounded the day off by watching their national team lose at home to Luxembourg...
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I tuned in because I thought we might see something different under a new manager. We didn't.
I'm not fussed one bit about this trophy and it seems neither were the players. Woeful performance. -
im not bothered either we can focus on the league and we should all know performances will only improve over time.
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Slocombe 4 One poor kick led to one Hornchurch goal
DKE 4.5 Expected to be more influential
Rawlinson 3 Passing was woeful at times. His lack of ability on the ball seems to have been targeted
Ellis 5 Why no further use of the long throw
Barnett 4 Defensive position and awareness consistently at fault
Doyle 4 Injured at the end, a few good passes but overall ineffective especially defensively
Reeves 3 Poor penalty, poor desire
Enzio 3.5 Losing possession consistently in good positions
Ruben 4.5 legs to get into position to score, well marked
Miller 4 out of position but thought he offered something
Wootton 4.5 missed some great chances
Subs
Sam 5.5 scored, looked lively, shame about the rest of the team
Knowles 4.5 One good shot but need to hit the target
JOB 4 Offers less than Ruben
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While Notts are gunning for a place at Wembley, the Proper Leagues (and the National League) continue. These matches kick off at 3pm on Saturday, you have a joker each. Good luck!
AFC Wimbledon v Northampton Town
Shrewsbury Town v Portsmouth
Leyton Orient v Oldham Athletic
Morecambe v Cheltenham Town
Stevenage v Barrow
Solihull Moors v Aldershot
Stockport County v Hartlepool United
Wrexham v Bromley
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Should I be pleased. Well no, thought Greg as coach was responsible for Derry losing his job. I hope I am wrong, but don't want a return to long ball
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Never nice to hear about anyone losing their jobs, but that is the profession they are in and results have shown they weren't up to the job.
Not sure who will take over now though. Doyle as caretaker manager (It get's him away from the pitch which is a bonus!)???
"We are not inviting applications for the manager’s position. A further update will be provided to supporters in the near future."???
https://www.nottscountyfc.co.uk/news/2021/march/neal-ardley-departs-240321/
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I'm looking to make my own soda syrups, we have a Soda Stream machine and used to enjoy their own offerings but these days they're no better than most store bought cheap soda drinks.
Our bottles are old, so they need replacing and whilst searching on a popular e-commerce site.
I stumbled upon this review, it had me in stitches.
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Fingers crossed this will send out a dummy email to those members who have subscribed to the Prediction League forum, if you recieve this can you please respond so we know its worked?
For those who stumble on reading this via the site, please ignore.
If you have any questions feel free to ask.
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Personally I hope this is just a coincidence, but I wonder what the "new challenge" could be?
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Ian Burchnall - The young Englishman who wanted to take over Iceland
Ian Burchnall is a 38-year-old Englishman from Leicester. His playing career was not remarkable and he admits it himself. However, his coaching career is very interesting. He has worked hard to advance in training and when the opportunity arose in Norway about nine years ago, he jumped at it. Now, after adventures in Norway and Sweden, he has returned to England and is starting to think about his next project.
Burchnall was among those with whom KSÍ spoke regarding the work of the men's national team coach at the end of last year. He spoke to Guðni Bergsson, chairman of KSÍ, but did not get the job this time. Maybe sometime later. Guðni talked about Burchnall as the man of the future.
A Fótbolti.net reporter sat down with Burchnall through Zoom teleconferencing equipment and talked to him about his coaching career so far, the Icelandic national team and something else.Burchnall was 29 years old when he got the opportunity to become Sarpsborg's assistant coach in Norway.
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Guðmundur Þórarinsson was at Sarpsborg when Burchnall trained there.
PHOTO / FÓTBOLTI.NET - HAFLIÐI BREIÐFJÖRÐ
He says that his player career has not been very significant.
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He enjoyed coaching more than playing in the English Premier League.
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Brian Deane, a former Sheffield United, Leeds and Benfica player, brought Burchnall to Sarpsborg.
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'I was training in academia and it had become a bit' Groundhog Day 'for me. I felt I had to push myself to get to a higher level '
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Östersund supporters held a party for Burchnall when he left the club. The supporters were happy to see him leave and the same was true when he left Viking.
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Jón Daði Böðvarsson played under Burchnall in Viking.
PHOTO / FÓTBOLTI.NET - HAFLIÐI BREIÐFJÖRÐ
Indriði Sigurðsson also played for Burchnall in Viking.
PHOTO / FÓTBOLTI.NET - HAFLIÐI BREIÐFJÖRÐ
Burchnall had a good meeting with Guðni Bergsson, chairman of KSÍ, about the national team coaching work in Iceland. Guðni described Burchnall as the man of the future.
PHOTO / FÓTBOLTI.NET - HAFLIÐI BREIÐFJÖRÐ
'I hope you get to the next World Cup, that would be fun'
PHOTO / FÓTBOLTI.NET - HAFLIÐI BREIÐFJÖRÐ
'I enjoyed talking to them and maybe some of this will happen later when I have gained even more experience'
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'There's something special about their mentality and the way they present themselves. At least for those I have worked with and I have worked with so many that I know this is no coincidence '
PHOTO / FÓTBOLTI.NET - HAFLIÐI BREIÐFJÖRÐ
Burchnall is transferred back to England and is starting to tickle his fingers to return to the 'hot seat'.
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Leicester is the club that Burchnall supports. He is extremely pleased with the current situation at the team.
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'You just have to think about doing well every day and what happens after that, it just happens'
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What's next for this promising manager?
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"Very nice to be considered and a great honor for me"
Worked many jobs at once and then kept in
mind the adventures Burchnall began training when he was studying at the University of Leeds in England. He studied sports science and needed a job to pay the bills. He contacted Leeds United and got a job there as a football coach in the community.
"I started there and I put a lot of effort into it. After a year or so, I was transferred to the academy where I was working with young kids. I was in it for four years and then I went to Bradford City. This just kept evolving. I was not necessarily thinking when I was 20 that I would become a football manager, I just wanted to work in football full time. I went into it with an open mind and worked through it that way. "says Burchnall, who took on all the jobs he could possibly get to just think about football, a sport he loves.
"It is difficult to make a living from training in grassroots football. I was going to give this a few years in and see if I could pay the bills by taking on all the jobs I could take on in training; train in primary schools, in leisure activities, in academies. I was also training at my university for seven years. I thought to myself that if I did not put in a lot of effort, I would not be able to live on this. "
Then came the opportunity.
"I got a job as an assistant coach at Sarpsborg in Norway when I was 29 years old. Then I thought to myself that I had been working stress-free for ten years and now I had come to the point where I could only think of one job. I had done five or six jobs at a time and now it was just one job. There was a moment where I thought that this was really happening to me. "
Not worth writing about players career
The players career Burchnall was not clear and he admits it himself. To train fascinates him more than playing.
" It is not "It's worth writing about," Burchnall said of his career."I always played and was such a good player. I played college football and a little bit in the English Premier League. I did not really enjoy playing in the non-league. I did not enjoy training and it was more fun to train. "
" I thought to myself, 'What am I doing?' Going two, three nights a week to run for an hour in training where I do not like it. I would rather enjoy training. I prefer to play five-a-side ball and concentrate. "I was never a great player but I was fully aware of that and that's why I went to college to learn more about coaching."
Burchnall finds it more fun to train and when asked why, he says:"It's about working with different people and helping them improve. I like the process of helping people improve in something. "
" It's also a matter of putting the puzzles together to make a team, I find it interesting to work in a team. I do not know how I would like to train in individual sports like and for example golf or something. I like working in teams with different personalities. It's also fun to put out my ideas about football and see if they work. "
Burchnall mentions his ideas about football. He wants the teams he coaches to be positive in his approach.
"You can start talking about keeping the ball and things like that, but for me it's mostly about creating teams that are positive in their approach, creating teams that are brave how they play; players who want the ball and are brave enough to have the ball, make mistakes and develop their game. I want my teams to be aggressive, positive and courageous. That's how I would describe it. If you have a lot of great ball, but sometimes it doesn't have to be that way. "
Modern trainers always seem to pay more and more attention to analysis, statistics and the like. For example, xG is a very popular topic right now. To explain the concept in a simple way, it measures how likely it is that a team will score based on the quality of the scoring opportunity. A shot from 30 meters does not yield much xG, but a chance to die with an open goal will probably give teams a pretty high xG. Burchnall says he thinks a bit about diagnosis and the like.
"I want to use this to support the things we are doing, but I would not say I'm a statistics nerd. I'm not like that but I want to see if the numbers support what I think, " said the young Englishman.
Very popular with fans
Burchnall went to Sarpsborg and was an assistant coach there. He was then Viking's assistant coach in Norway and then took over as head coach there. He took over Östersund in Sweden in 2019 after his countryman Graham Potter took over at Swansea. Potter now manages Brighton in the English Premier League, but Brighton is playing very entertaining football.
"I was training in academia and it had become a bit 'Groundhog Day' for me. I felt I had to push myself to get to a higher level. I was not sure I would get the experience I wanted and maybe I would have to go abroad. I was close to Brian Deane, a former footballer. He helped train at the university while completing his coaching qualifications. "
"Then he got an offer for the job at Sarpsborg. He saw what I had to offer as a coach, I had something he did not have. He had many good qualities from the time he played the game while I had ten years of experience training on the training ground. He did not have that experience and we got along very well. "
" I went out with him and we were together for two years at Sarpsborg. He went back to England but I stayed out in Norway. This puts something different on my CV and when clubs look at my resume, they might think that this guy has a different experience and that should hopefully be a positive thing. "
"In Norway I experienced a different kind of football. Football there is probably underestimated, especially at home in England. You have to prepare a team for Rosenborg, Molde and Brann who are very strong teams with national team members in their ranks, and this helped me a lot tactically. Culturally it was not a big leap but it was good to get out of the comfort zone, " says Burchnall who has worked with players from all over the world, including Iceland.
Burchnall was fired after one year as head coach at Viking but the job was very difficult due to The club adored him and protested his dismissal, as did Östersund and the fans held a party for him before he left.
"Viking supporters did the same even though I was fired! I was there for three years and the last year was very difficult. It was mainly about off-field problems at the club and I think the fans agreed with me. It was a party and they gave me presents. It was the same at Östersund. It was very nice. You win and lose, but when you go you get to know what people think of you. You think that you have done well and that people have appreciated it. The supporters have been great at the clubs I have been with. "
Burchnall achieved great results with Östersund. In his first season, the team finished in sixth place and was one point away from equaling the previous record set by Potter. In the summer of 2020, he stepped aside to move back to England with his family. Was it difficult to close this eight-year chapter?
"Yes and no. I chose to leave Sarpsborg as I had an offer from another club. It was rather difficult because we had many friends there and I thought the club was great. There was a lot to change there and I felt it was the right time to go. With Viking, it was not my choice, I was fired. It's normal in football; three years and you're gone. We loved Stavanger and did not want to go. It was difficult. At Östersund I was ready to go out for family reasons. Overall, it was the right decision, " says Burchnall, who is currently looking for the next project.
Wanted to take over the Icelandic national team
Guðni Bergsson, chairman of KSÍ, announced last month that he had talked to Lars Lagerback, Ståle Solbakken and Äge Hareide about taking over the national team. He also said he had spoken to Burchnall.
The Englishman sent his CV to KSÍ and had a good meeting with Guðni and KSÍ.
"I sent my CV to the Icelandic Football Association. I did not know what to expect back because in my eyes and in England, the Icelandic national team has a rather large reputation after one particular game many years ago, " said Burchnall, and of course he was referring to the famous game in 2016 when Iceland beat England. at the European Championships. "This is a big job in my opinion."
"I got a very good answer back from Guðni (Bergsson). He asked me to come to a video conference and I did. We talked for a long time and I have to say that I was very, very impressed with both Guðni and the vision of the relationship. He told me how football was in Iceland and I was very interested in participating in this but I think Arnar Þór Viðarsson is a great option. He and Eiður Smári did great things with the U21 national team. There are promising players coming up and I think it's a good decision to hire Arnar. It's also good that Lars Lagerback comes in with his experience from the national team. "
" It was very nice to be considered and it was a great honor for me. I enjoyed talking to them and maybe something will happen later. I will have gained even more experience. "
Burchnall will keep a close eye on the Icelandic national team. "I'm going to watch and watch the games. I hope you get the next Cup, it would be nice, " said the World Cup qualifiers starting next month. Since Iceland is a group with Germany, Romania, Korea, Macedonia, Armenia and Liechtenstein.
" Germany is there that is not easy "The other teams that are in the group, it is possible to have better against them. This is a good opportunity to advance but it is never easy in national team football."
The mentality of Icelandic players is no coincidence
Burchnall has worked with many Icelandic players and he finds it extremely fun to work with them.
"I have worked with many Icelanders over the years and could probably line up for an entire starting line-up only with Icelandic players I have worked with. I know a few in the national team and I have always enjoyed working with Icelandic footballers. "
" There is something special about their mentality and how they put in the effort. At least for those I have worked with and I have worked with so many people. "I know this is not a coincidence. It was another thing that I found fascinating about the national team, working with players with such a good mentality."
What's next and the dream job
It's been a few months since Burchnall left Östersund and he is moved back to England with his family.
"We have bought a house here and the children have started school. We have been traveling in Scandinavia for eight years and have children born abroad. We felt it was time to come back home. The first priority was to establish ourselves. Otherwise, I have been talking to clubs, talking to other coaches and going over the last few years to prepare for my next job. It's nice to have a vacation, but I'm in a place right now where I've done everything I needed to do, and now I need to start working again. I'm back to that place, but it's good sometimes to take a break, look back and review what's happened. "
He does not rule out working again outside of England if something very exciting comes up, but his wife now prefers to he works a job near their new home.
"The family wants to be in the same place now because we have been on so many trips. I have three children and they have all been born in different cities, and in different countries. My wife tells you that my dream job is to drive a distance from where we are now, but if something interesting comes up abroad then maybe I need to look into it and find solutions. "
He does not have a clear plan for his career, it is difficult because it is best to focus on each project individually. "I do not want to go to my next club, say it is a club in England, and think that if I do well here I can go there "You just have to think about doing well every day and what happens after that, it just happens."
"I'm concentrating on getting a new role now and I've talked to a couple of clubs in England and I've gotten some offers from Scandinavia, but I did not feel right at the time. It is difficult now as the operations are not going very well for many companies. I have to choose something that suits me. "
It didn't take long for him to think when he was finally asked about his dream job. " I am a Leicester supporter and that is my club. "
"My father agrees and we went to many games together for many years. Leicester is my club and if I could choose a job, it would be with that club. Everyone has their own team and this is my team. I'm been a few years since that and Brendan (Rodgers) is doing absolutely great now. "
"On the other hand, if I took that job and if it did not go well, I would definitely lose some friends and some family members."
For others who want to follow in Burchnall's footsteps by continuing their training without having a big name in the football world, he suggests trying to get as much knowledge from other coaches as possible, watch other coaches and see how they do things and keep trying to identify teams, players and games.
"I would also say, do not rush. You do not have to be in the place you aim to get to tomorrow. Learning is very good. You want to be ready and you can only be that by practicing a lot, " says Ian Burchnall, man of the future. -
its been a long time in lockdown, a whole year without going to see notts and its got me thinking. how are you?
i know there are people struggling but i would encourage everyone just to open up and reply to this topic, you dont have to write a long worded response. some might not be bothered or see the point, but i think its worth asking.
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i have spoken to @cheeky~k8, who has told me that the issue with emails should now be resolved.
they might end up in your spam box, so i ask members to monitor this and if within 3 days things have not improved. please respond here so that i can pass on the comments to get a fix.
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Slocombe 6 No fault for the goals
Ellis 5.5 The best of the the back 3
Rawlinson 5 Dependable defensively
Turner 2.5 Sorry, missed with a free header and then concedes a stupid penalty.
Enzio 6.5 A wonder goal when we needed it, much better 2nd half in a more forward position
Barnett 4.5 Lost his man for their first goal. Disappointing ball in forward positions
Doyle 4 dawdled on edge of area. Tried too many deep balls
Reeves 4.5 On e deflected shot but not as influential
JOB 4 slowness of midfield personified with these 3
Wootton 5.5 Should have scored that winner but generally well marshalled. Good dummy for ruben
Effiong 4.5 if good work was Agana esque, out wide back to goal. No goal threat again
Subs
Knowles 5 Apart from that break and cross, close control let him down most of the game
DKE 5.5 more comfortable and effective as a RB
Ruben 6.5 Read the play well to score.
Subs
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Slocombe - 6 - Ability to judge when to rush out and when to not is just bizarre. Why he came that far out in the second half, I will never know. Good save from Reid, but maybe should have come out? Difficult to see with angles of the camera.
Rawlinson - 5.5 - He wasn't terrible, but they conceded 2 again.
Ellis - 5.5 - Not sure who was at fault in the first half when Reid ran through clean on goal. Either Turner or Ellis (I have an inkling it might have been the former).
Turner - 0 - Should never play for us again. How many points has he cost us this season, per game he's played? Even if he plays 'well', he's a mistake waiting to happen. The mistake of letting the player skin you is acceptable (even expected from a player like Turner), but then to bring him down when we had numbers back defending, is just stupidity. He's clumsy and incapable of making the right decisions after mistakes. Even worse than that, he doubles down on mistakes: lets the ball bounce - boot to the face - red card. Lets the man skin him -pulls him down - penalty. A liability.
Barnett - 4 - Not great. Plenty of effort but not a great amount of quality I'm afraid. Whatever he thought he was doing on the half way line when he's the last man, somebody needs to give his head a shake. Improved after Turner went off.
Enzio - 7 - Looked again our most creative player from RWB. Goal is peak Enzio.
Doyle - 3 - When he gets the ball down and he's on it, his passing is probably second to none in this league. However, that's neither often enough nor simply enough - the performances aren't acceptable and he is another one who makes too many costly mistakes. Have no idea why he is never rested or dropped.
Reeves - 6.5 - Been a critic of him recently, but improved today. Much more running beyond his own position, getting suck in and not afraid to have a pop. Still a lot of crabbing though.
O'Brien - 5 - Probably unlucky to be the one hooked. He wasn't great by any stretch, but he was better than Doyle for sure.
Wootton - 2 - Been terrible for weeks. Lethargic and second to everything. Should be finishing that chance at the end.
Effiong - 6.5 - Extremely harsh to hook him as he was playing well and when Wootton was so terrible. Ardley will say that Wootton is more suited to the ball being on the deck following our change in style, but at the minute Wootton isn't winning anything on the deck or otherwise.
Knowles - 7 - Ball came to him in the box and he had an air shot, I thought 'here we go'. Turned things around though and got in behind Dickinson (as bad as I remember him being) for an assist or two.
Rodrigues - 6.5 - Scored. Couple of other flashes of quality.