FA Cup 2nd Round

[The_Viking_Magpie]

It's not in the many fans eyes but if it's based on this season only then there is no reason for him to be sacked. We've been top 6 basically all season. Calls for a change when in the playoffs with or without top players out is frankly ridiculous tbh and frustration talking.

Understandably the fans are scarred from his time in charge last season and were just waiting for a poor run to stick the knives in and they have. They've just had to wait because he started better than expected. Personally I think you should judge on this season alone.

Interesting that earlier in the season when doing better he received a lot of praise for his in game proactive substitutions now he's being criticised. Obviously they have been far less effective recently but how much of that is due to the number of first team players he can't call upon as they are in the physios r
oom?

Agree very big week. Walsall away is tough even with Jones and co but no excuses not to beat Colchester especially after that Newport game.

Above all the Super Computer knows better than all of us and is punching the numbers and keeping a careful watch.

 

[jacobncfc]

Despite my regular pleas to the contrary, I wouldn’t actually sack him unless we totally fall off the top seven pace. No point really and we’re just about clinging on to doing alright in the league.

He needs to sharpen up some of his decision making though. Yesterday was just a self-inflicted mess. He desperately needs a statement result, and 25 minutes away from one he starts making the sort of mass subs you’d make in a pre-season friendly. Try and win the game then worry about Tuesday afterwards.

 

[The_Viking_Magpie]

That's an impressive almost Tory government level of a u-turn.

 

[jacobncfc]

That's an impressive almost Tory government level of a u-turn.

I still think all the evidence suggests that he isn’t a very good manager and I wouldn’t be bothered in the slightest if he went tomorrow as it stands, I just think sacking managers mid-season isn’t generally successful unless you’re near the bottom and need to panic.

 

[TheEndIsNigh]

One of the reasons I’d like him to go is that I’d have every confidence we’d get someone better, but I don’t think it’s gonna happen any time soon regardless of the whining from the likes of me. Yesterday was indefensible though no matter how much people try.

2 stinkers this week in the shape of Walsall away and Col U at home, that second one I’m particularly pleased to avoid thanks to other commitments.

 

[The_Viking_Magpie]

Totally agree Jacob, I'm far from convinced. He seems above average to me but no more. I would know far more if we had more of the squad to use tbf.

Mid season sackings should not happen when you are and have been top 10 all season. If the owners lose faith and we don't make the playoffs I suspect they will simply plan well in advance of the seasons end when they make the call.

Sacking a manager when you are 5th, christ on a bike.

What I don't want and tbh don't really fear is the return to knee jerk decisions because of a proportion of the fanbase and appointing managers every single season. Just doesn't work unless you are Watford

 

[1862]

I still think all the evidence suggests that he isn’t a very good manager and I wouldn’t be bothered in the slightest if he went tomorrow as it stands, I just think sacking managers mid-season isn’t generally successful unless you’re near the bottom and need to panic.

I really don't think it makes sense to sack him and was getting quite irritated with the calls for it yesterday, but yeah I can't say that I would be massively bothered about losing him if we did sack him now. It would be more about it representing a change in how the club is being run really, it would signal to me that we really need promotion this season which shouldn't be the case.

 

[jacobncfc]

I really don't think it makes sense to sack him and was getting quite irritated with the calls for it yesterday, but yeah I can't say that I would be massively bothered about losing him if we did sack him now. It would be more about it representing a change in how the club is being run really, it would signal to me that we really need promotion this season which shouldn't be the case.

It feels a bit rock and a hard place because, rationally and cold light of day, he isn’t doing anywhere near badly enough for sacking him to be justified. But I also think the number of people who genuinely think he’s likely to be a success in the medium to long term is extremely small. So it feels a bit like we’re just wasting time.

 

[The_Viking_Magpie]

1862 hits nail on head, absolutely my thoughts. The owners give their appointments time as they should unless poached.

I get the rock and hard place comment from Jacob albeit at an undeniable elevated place so not that a hard a place.
So many managers or in our case currently head coaches ultimately feel like wasted time, that's the meagre success ratio of football managers. It's nothing new the only (but big) difference to someone like Ardley or Burchnall is we are a league higher.

 

[jacobncfc]

1862 hits nail on head, absolutely my thoughts. The owners give their appointments time as they should unless poached.

I get the rock and hard place comment from Jacob albeit at an undeniable elevated place so not that a hard a place.
So many managers or in our case currently head coaches ultimately feel like wasted time, that's the meagre success ratio of football managers. It's nothing new the only (but big) difference to someone like Ardley or Burchnall is we are a league higher.

I had my criticisms of Ardley and Burchnall, but I always felt both were progressing us in a way that isn’t happening at the minute. NA pretty much built up a functioning side from scratch, and while Burchnall was never going to have the minerals to ever get a team promoted, he put in place the style of football that Williams eventually succeeded with and improved some players loads, notably Rodrigues.

I can’t really see any of that with SM. I can’t think of anyone who has notably improved under his management. Clearly we’re better defensively, but that required us buying a completely new one for him.

 

[The_Viking_Magpie]

Ardley definitely built from scratch albeit with a healthy budget and he progressed us before stalling and hitting reverse. Burchnall made us prettier more enjoyable to watch but agree just didn't have the minerals (could say the same about Maynard but too early to say).

For Maynard it's really hard to improve the defence and keeper as they are all new bar one. Bad Macari improved under Maynard I'd say yes marginally.
Palmer was injured so again can't judge him, Abbott new and quality. He's got better as the season has progressed without doubt. The rest have been very mixed, inconsistent some good some bad. McGoldrick at his age doesn't need training or improving. Jatta has just got better without doubt god knows if that is the coaches or just settling in.

 

[Optipez]

Ardley definitely built from scratch albeit with a healthy budget and he progressed us before stalling and hitting reverse. Burchnall made us prettier more enjoyable to watch but agree just didn't have the minerals (could say the same about Maynard but too early to say).

For Maynard it's really hard to improve the defence and keeper as they are all new bar one. Bad Macari improved under Maynard I'd say yes marginally.
Palmer was injured so again can't judge him, Abbott new and quality. He's got better as the season has progressed without doubt. The rest have been very mixed, inconsistent some good some bad. McGoldrick at his age doesn't need training or improving. Jatta has just got better without doubt god knows if that is the coaches or just settling in.

After almost a full season (42 games) with one of the better backed clubs he's managing a 31.75% win ratio.
I want him to succeed and have praised him earlier in the season but that isn't a promotion winning manager stat.
At the side of Alexander, Cook, Bell, McCann, Sadler and Moore who apart from a shocker at Huddersfield has a great win ratio he's not doing as well. To go up he needs to match them at least and I'm struggling to believe.

 

[1862]

It feels a bit rock and a hard place because, rationally and cold light of day, he isn’t doing anywhere near badly enough for sacking him to be justified. But I also think the number of people who genuinely think he’s likely to be a success in the medium to long term is extremely small. So it feels a bit like we’re just wasting time.

I know what you mean, I would say that I think manager (or head coach I suppose) as a position at the club is intended to be less critical to success, so I reckon there's less to be gained by replacing him. The reverse of that is that in theory it should be easier to replace him because there aren't major changes to implement or a need to sign new players who the manager trusts or fit a new system. Ultimately I think if we do get promoted out of this league it'll be more about us building a really good squad and a bit of luck than it will be about a brilliant head coach, it's hard to know really as I think we had all of that two seasons ago.

 

[AdamStag]

.

 

[valefan16]

The problem with Notts is they seem so one dimensional, where did Maynard come from? Its almost like Crosby with us last season, loads of possession but no plan B. Even into the dying embers chasing the game Notts never changed the approach, all slow passing play, when you'd be expecting them to throw one into the mixers and see if anything falls of Jatta for example.

Our POD was reviewing the season and discussing how poor the division is this season and our pre season expectations and the feeling was the poorer teams have been better than expected and the top sides not as good, so all in all a fairly balanced league and the big take away was a lot of the top sides we have faced are very one dimensional, MK, Notts two prime examples when we faced them being noted.

The one thing we probably have which is the difference so far is we are decent at winning in different methods, be it possession based, long ball, defensive on the break, covered quite well on the NTT20 POD.

Issue could be for Notts though what happens if they sack Maynard? They are so set in this possession based way that it will be difficult and surely take time to then try and change the methods and work the systems, under Moore after Crosby it wasn't done in time to change our fortunes.

 

[1862]

Notts attempted 45 crosses in the Vale game, honestly I don't know how many more is realistically possible in a game of football.

 

[jacobncfc]

Notts attempted 45 crosses in the Vale game, honestly I don't know how many more is realistically possible in a game of football.

Yeah I don’t think we could be accused of not crossing the ball enough in that game, but the point about everything we do being veeeery slow is a fair one.

 

[Conker]

Notts are less one dimensional than last season, at least they’ve got that big lad upfront now to do some damage.

 

[jacobncfc]

Notts are less one dimensional than last season, at least they’ve got that big lad upfront now to do some damage.

Yep this is true. The one thing we still won’t compromise on us passing it out from the back, though, even if we look like conceding every single time we do it.

We’re happy to cross it for the big man, but we don’t stick a ball over the top of the press and in behind anywhere near enough. Jatta’s got the longest legs in the league and bloody quick, he’d cause carnage.

 

[Conker]

Yep this is true. The one thing we still won’t compromise on us passing it out from the back, though, even if we look like conceding every single time we do it.

Yeah the most popular pass is back to the goalkeeper for you lot, must be very frustrating.

 

[valefan16]

Notts attempted 45 crosses in the Vale game, honestly I don't know how many more is realistically possible in a game of football.

But thats the point, it was doing the same thing time and time again and it didn't work, Jatta forced Ripley into one decent save from it. Surely if its not working with someone big like Jatta you try what we did with Stockley and get it long and hope someone can pick up the pieces of it for instance?

 

[GTFCfish]

So I make it that we’ve half the division left - draw this evening. Guessing quite a limited league programme the weekend of 11th also.
Birmingham
reading
mansfield
wycombe
bristol rovers
wigan
lincoln
exeter
orient
peterborough
stockport
charlton

Wrong thread boyo.

 

[AdamStag]

Wrong thread boyo.

Sorry
Still pop in every so often.

 

[1862]

But thats the point, it was doing the same thing time and time again and it didn't work, Jatta forced Ripley into one decent save from it. Surely if its not working with someone big like Jatta you try what we did with Stockley and get it long and hope someone can pick up the pieces of it for instance?

It's a fair question, but I do think it would be a realistic assessment to look at the players we had on the pitch and say that we weren't equipped to play that sort of style as well as you would have been able to defend it. It might have been worth doing for 5 minutes just to see how it would go anyway.

 

[jacobncfc]

It's a fair question, but I do think it would be a realistic assessment to look at the players we had on the pitch and say that we weren't equipped to play that sort of style as well as you would have been able to defend it. It might have been worth doing for 5 minutes just to see how it would go anyway.

I don’t think we did a lot wrong against Port Vale tbh other than missing clear chances at 0-0. Once they got ahead they’re a really well organised side who defended brilliantly and we couldn’t quite break them down and didn’t get a little piece of luck from the many crosses, it happens.

It’s the performances since then that have been more of a worry.

 

[valefan16]

I don’t think we did a lot wrong against Port Vale tbh other than missing clear chances at 0-0. Once they got ahead they’re a really well organised side who defended brilliantly and we couldn’t quite break them down and didn’t get a little piece of luck from the many crosses, it happens.

It’s the performances since then that have been more of a worry.

But that may have been the blue print, if any scouts watched what we did then surely teams will know if they mid block, as long as the defend Jatta well (granted not always possible) then you can keep you relatively quiet?

Also noted you were very fragile on the break against us and looking at the Crewe opener than lesson wasn't learnt?

Clearly a quality side but maybe to address in January having a bit more option? Although Jones coming back should help.

 

[jacobncfc]

Oh yeah we definitely need a couple of different options. I think we really lack pace, both in terms of just a couple of quick players and how slowly we move the ball sometimes even when it looks like there’s a break on. But then Jatta’s really quick and we never use that, so maybe it’s a choice.

 

[The_Viking_Magpie]

Notts are less one dimensional than last season, at least they’ve got that big lad upfront now to do some damage.

And some damage he has certainly done.

A fantastic signing to date and has to be worth a pretty penny.

 

[The_Viking_Magpie]

But that may have been the blue print, if any scouts watched what we did then surely teams will know if they mid block, as long as the defend Jatta well (granted not always possible) then you can keep you relatively quiet?

Also noted you were very fragile on the break against us and looking at the Crewe opener than lesson wasn't learnt?

Clearly a quality side but maybe to address in January having a bit more option? Although Jones coming back should help.

Very fragile against the break yet conceded less than a goal a game and have the joint best defensive record in the league. So I can handle being caught out on the break a few times
Fragile is something we are not so far this season. Our main issues are with the ball not without it.

 

[GTFCfish]

Sorry
Still pop in every so often.

I do the same on the non league section on the other forum although hardly ever now as I can't really be arsed about it now most of the big boys have got back up.