Naughty Notts v Sexeter

[LongEatonPie]

Back at home after a great point at Lincs.
Husin should be in the running and there is supposed to be a good striker signing.

Virtues debut was a good one and looks already to be at least on par with the departed Yates, Noble’s first apperence was ok. A standard 6/10

Got to be looking to get back to winning to put pressure on those around us.

 

[Richard Cranium]

Sexeter City is quite apt. When the students are in town at least, Some real beauties when we came down the other year.

 

[william death]

Unbeaten at home all season, got to be looking to keep that going in our last game against a top 7 side before an easier (on paper) run of 8 or so games.

A draw to keep Exeter at arm's length wouldn't be a disaster, a win to put 9 points between us would be great. Expect Shola to come back in and resume his partnership with Stead up front. Hope Brisley isn't out.

1-1 or 1-0 Notts.

 

[Moomin]

Urgh, so this is the first of two bloody tough away games for us, although we’ve been total pony away to even the shittest teams of late. Everything here points to a home win but being an optimist, well sort of, I am clinging on to the hope we can turn on a good display.

We have a decent record at Notts but our main issue at the moment is we have a CB pairing of Troy Archibald-Henville and Dan Seaborne, both of whom are slower than me put together. However, aerially they’re solid so they may do ok if up against Stead and Ameobi. If you play someone quick like Forte we could be fucked. Moore-Taylor may make it but is rated 50/50.

Am hoping Boateng starts and we play McAlinden to support Stockley up top and we go for it. We’ve got to keep Grant quiet and hope this striker you’re getting isn’t anything too good. Any ideas who?

I will say this is going to be a 2-1 loss, sadly. If someone offered a draw now I’d be delighted.

 

[jacobncfc]

Confirmation that Grant is staying just come through - huge news for us.

Keep expecting us to lose at home but it’s 1 defeat in 12 months now, which you can’t really argue with. Even if we do sign a striker I would expect Stead and Ameobi to start, they’re much more effective at ML where we’re generally on the front foot.

Think you could make a case for this fixture last season being the moment that our revival under Nolan really started, scoring twice in injury time to rescue a point out of nowhere.

 

[AFaceInTheCrowd]

Big game this as a win extends the gap against a promotion rival. Although in some games he offers very little Grants finishing is sublime and worth carrying for 85 minutes. Keeping him is massive for us. Last weeks point at Lincoln was immense especially given it was like the Alamo towards the end of the game! The confidence in the squad will be high but taking nothing for granted Exeter have the potential to get a result and are up there on merit. How many are you likely to bring up?

 

[Grecian O'Grecian]

As mentioned, we've been rubbish away from home this season, surprising as we've picked up most of our points on the road for the past however many seasons. Suspect this will be a pretty comfortable win for Notts. They're unbeaten at home whereas in previous matches we've lost comfortably away at the likes of Yeovil, Crawley & Chesterfield. Also it's been a long time since we've won back to back matches so I just can't see a win in this one.

With regards to JMT, I have a niggling feeling there's more to his "injury" than is being revealed. Reminds me of the Wheeler situation in August when we were told he was close to returning for the next match, but he kept on missing out and was eventually sold. I may be wrong but there's certainly parallels with both situations.

 

[Moomin]

As mentioned, we've been rubbish away from home this season, surprising as we've picked up most of our points on the road for the past however many seasons. Suspect this will be a pretty comfortable win for Notts. They're unbeaten at home whereas in previous matches we've lost comfortably away at the likes of Yeovil, Crawley & Chesterfield. Also it's been a long time since we've won back to back matches so I just can't see a win in this one.

With regards to JMT, I have a niggling feeling there's more to his "injury" than is being revealed. Reminds me of the Wheeler situation in August when we were told he was close to returning for the next match, but he kept on missing out and was eventually sold. I may be wrong but there's certainly parallels with both situations.

Re JMT I have the same feeling, sadly. If the rumour on Exeweb earlier about us taking Sokolik from Plymouth is true then it’s even more weight behind the JMT being sold idea. It wouldn’t be so bad if Troy Brown were fit but he’s out for a few more weeks at least. I just can’t see us keeping a clean sheet on Saturday as we seem to fall apart on the road.

 

[denzel ecfc]

Echo the above. No chance of winning here. Our best chance is postponement.
By the time of our next home game we could be mid table..

 

[Moomin]

Echo the above. No chance of winning here. Our best chance is postponement.
By the time of our next home game we could be mid table..

Denzel, I’m sure your post is slightly tongue in cheek. I know it’s a tough game as I alluded to but to say we have no chance is just wrong.

We are capable of taking 3 points off Notts but we have to be at our best to do so. It’s unlikely, but certainly not impossible.

 

[AFaceInTheCrowd]

There's no danger of a postponement unless something dramatically changes. Madness to say it's impossible last season at home to Exeter I left the ground on 90 minutes or close to when we had 10 men and were 0-2 down we drew 2-2. Against Cambridge this season I left as Cambridge slammed in the third and missed our 3 goal come back nothing is certain in football it's what makes it exciting. We are certainly far from unbeatable we are just a well drilled side with a clinical finisher who have been very lucky with injuries and suspensions. We're not fucking Barcelona.

 

[Pie and chips]

Looking forward to this one should be another good test of our home form well if the team that turned up against Bristol covers in the cup you will get mullered but if the team turns up like forest green then we are in trouble and I think you will beat us.

 

[Moomin]

There's no danger of a postponement unless something dramatically changes. Madness to say it's impossible last season at home to Exeter I left the ground on 90 minutes or close to when we had 10 men and were 0-2 down we drew 2-2. Against Cambridge this season I left as Cambridge slammed in the third and missed our 3 goal come back nothing is certain in football it's what makes it exciting. We are certainly far from unbeatable we are just a well drilled side with a clinical finisher who have been very lucky with injuries and suspensions. We're not fucking Barcelona.

Indeed.

So, my question is, will you ever leave early again!?

 

[AFaceInTheCrowd]

Indeed.

So, my question is, will you ever leave early again!?

More than likely! Just probably not this season with this team! Usually the two goal rule is a safe bet usually I'm back at the pub before the third and fourths hit the back of the net!

 

[Conker]

Feel Exeter will win this, certainly one of the best in the division on their day, that being said County keep defying the odds.

 

[Enzo Scifo's Right Foot]

Its because we have a superstar young manager in charge Conks

 

[Youpies]

To be fair I think this game essentially has the ingredients for a loss, but I've thought that a few times this season. Morecambe for example came with the worst away record vs best home record. In the end it was a fairly routine win, despite it not being that comfortable.

I'm looking forward to it - should be a good game with the top teams meeting each other. If it lives up to anything like last weekends games, we are in for a cracker

Also in terms of defying the odds, we finished last season in good form and have taken it forward. Over the course of a season since Nolan came in charge we'd have something like 81 points, which is enough for autos most years.

 

[william death]

Yeah not relying defying any odds, we were only around 3/1 to go up at the start of the season.

 

[Conker]

Maybe not against the bookies, but it’s still a huge suprised that you have maintained a position in the top three, I think most County fans were not expecting this.


In fact the ones who were probably say the same every season.

 

[jacobncfc]

I would have been surprised at the start of the season, but by about mid-September I was pretty convinced that we were going to be up there, to be honest.

 

[william death]

Maybe not against the bookies, but it’s still a huge suprised that you have maintained a position in the top three, I think most County fans were not expecting this.


In fact the ones who were probably say the same every season.

Yes and no, it is always a surprise to be in the top 3 as a Notts fan, but when you consider it is the same side that maintained play-off form from Jan onwards last season but with some decent/solid additions (Brisley, Yates, Dan Jones, Hawkridge, Allesandra), plus a much weaker division (IMO), it isn't really.

 

[Conker]

Yes and no, it is always a surprise to be in the top 3 as a Notts fan, but when you consider it is the same side that maintained play-off form from Jan onwards last season but with some decent/solid additions (Brisley, Yates, Dan Jones, Hawkridge, Allesandra), plus a much weaker division (IMO), it isn't really.

Personally find your summer dealings hugely underwhelming, and the squad generally.

Shows how much of a good job is being done, that being said you were fucking useless against Mansfield as per usual!

I’m not going to lie either, I still think we can finish above you. Brave words haha.

 

[william death]

Personally find your summer dealings hugely underwhelming, and the squad generally.

And yet, here we are 10 wins from promotion, 4th round of the FA Cup and one home defeat in the whole of 2017.

What you gonna do, eh?

 

[Conker]

And yet, here we are 10 wins from promotion, 4th round of the FA Cup and one home defeat in the whole of 2017.

What you gonna do, eh?

At least have the courtesy of quoting the bit after.

 

[jacobncfc]

Personally find your summer dealings hugely underwhelming, and the squad generally.

Grant was the only eye catching one I agree (and let's be honest, he's making a huge difference), but I thought at the time that our summer signings had got a bit of an unfair rap, particularly from some of your lot perhaps a bit high on everyone you were signing.

When you actually look at them, Brisley and Jones have both spent long periods as solid League One players, Hawkridge was coming off the back of a league title, Yates had just had a decent loan spell in League One and was very highly rated at Forest, Alessandra had a good goals/assists return in a poor Hartlepool team. There's been one notable success out of nowhere in Ross Fitzsimons who came from Chelmsford City to basically be back up for Adam Collin and looks a real find, and probably one miss in Liam Walker who hasn't really had any impact at all.

What we did, I would say probably unlike yourselves, is be extremely particular about what each new signing needed to bring to work with what we already had. Brisley came in because we needed someone who could win headers and just get rid of it to compliment Duffy dropping off and his ability to pass it out. Jones came in because we knew we had Grant playing on the left who liked to drift inside so needed someone quick who plays almost as a winger. Hawkridge came in because we knew we had Tootle (probably the best attacking right back in the league), but he needed someone who would work hard and track back to be really effective. Alessandra came in because he offers the pace that Stead and Ameobi don't but also works much harder than Forte etc. etc.

It's been a masterclass from Nolan in how to build a team rather than just a group of players. We're probably still just a couple of injuries to the wrong players from it all going south, mind.

 

[Trapdoor]

Easy 3 points for notts.

We'll try and keep it tight but fail because we just can't play that style of game.

 

[LongEatonPie]

I have seen the “easy win for Notts” enough times and apart from 3/4 occasions it’s never the case.
Notts style can always leave a door open for the opposition I expect today to be tight with maybe one goal winning it.

 

[RavenBish]

Nolan got far too cute with the team selection and got what he deserved here. Not just the injuries in defence but changing the composition of the midfield as well.

 

[LongEatonPie]

We have changed the side to fit the 3 new signings, there was no need to do that. Hopefully he realises and drops one of them to go back to our formation that beat Exeter earlier in the season.

 

[AFaceInTheCrowd]

Very preventable this team selection leaves a lot to be desired. First goal looked offside the second was a good break. So far Exeter deserve this. Hopefully this curses it for Exeter but as I said we arnt Barcelona and the game wasn't the forgone conclusion some thought.