Stevenage v Notts County

[cliftonmagpie]

So glad to have league football back on the agenda!!

2-2 draw for me. We look great going forward but still shaky at the back. Stead and Jenner for the Pies!

Hoping to see;

Carrol

Swerts
Bennett
Amevor
Adams

Aborah

Thompson
Jenner
Da Silva

Stead
Spencer

 

[RavenBish]

That team would get nobbed away from home at Stevenage imo.

Really don't know what to expect here but it feels like it'll either be really good or really bad. I don't expect some hard-fought 1-1 draw.

 

[Enzo Scifo's Right Foot]

I don't know what to expect either, so I'm going. It'll either be car crash viewing from the away end, or magical from the stylish magpies.

1-1

 

[cliftonmagpie]

I think that's the best 11 we can field IMO. Thommo and Aborah both great on the ball and both play and get stuck in. Maybe stick Noble in the middle too and sacrifice Spencer or Stead if need to

 

[RavenBish]

Hollis is clearly favourable to fucking Bennett.

 

[Brox]

I think we'll struggle in the early stages of this campaign, we have a paper thin squad and it looks like we have a few players injured (or certainly carrying knocks). Unless we sign a few players in the next week we'll have no choice but to turn to our youth to make up the numbers. 2-0 away win.

 

[hellogregory]

I don't know what to expect here.

 

[GrahamSFC]

No idea how we'll line up for this one, hoping some of the first teamers who missed the friendly on Saturday will be back for this.

Either way I think we'll be struggling early on this season, I'm just hoping we translate that positive last 30 minutes against Spurs into this instead of the poor showing in most of pre-season before that, I'll go for Stevenage 1-2 County.

 

[Youpies]

I think we will go one up front or play Stead as no.10 can't see us playing a proper front two. Stevenage is one of the smallest pitches in the league I reckon. Not a ground for fancy stuff rather a bang it forward pitch.

Our defence is clearly suspect and needs some additions with the club also chasing McLeod. Predicting the team right now is almost impossible

 

[LongEatonPie]

I suppose it depends on if we get the other 2/3 in before the game.
I am looking for a 2-1 win here but would settle for the draw as I have no idea how we will line up.
As a side note with my Long Eaton United we have Hereford added into the league, they sold over 1,000 season tickets and expect a gate of around 3,000 at home to Dunkirk on Saturday! tinpot!

 

[Youpies]

I think this could be quite high scoring 3-3 or 4-3 kind of game

What I think Notts will go for is a 4411 or a 433 style formation:

Carroll
Hewitt, Bennet, Amevor (If fit), Adams (If fit)
Swerts, Thompson
Stead
Jenner, Spencer, Da Silva

 

[Brox]

http://www.stevenagefc.com//news/article/201516-squad-numbers-confirmed-2594929.aspx

I expect the County fans are quaking in their boots at this squad list. I for one can't wait to see Morgan Bruce-de-Rouche in action.

 

[Youpies]

Proper who are ya list that

 

[RavenBish]

Never seen a squad without a 1,2,3 or 4 before

 

[StallardWonderland]

 

[RavenBish]

Curtis Thompson has to play, not even up for debate.

Anyway, got my tartan shirt, I am ready! Still don't know if I'm going or not but I shall wear it regardless

 

[william death]

Stevenage sign Jamie McCombe and tom Hitchcock at the 11th hour :/

 

[RavenBish]

Stevenage are literally the same team as under Westley. Thought we were excellent with dealing with that, bit disappointed about Amevor getting sent off - the Stevenage player has weirdly sacrificed himself to get him sent off.

First goal was superb, could've easily scored more and kept a clean sheet with a makeshift back four, not sure Carroll had to make a save.

 

[Brox]

Better team won. We played with absolutely no width, no purpose and pretty much limped to defeat. Difficult to gauge how good Notts County are, comfortably better than us on today's showing, we just have nothing about us going forward, said 2-0 before hand, could have been more in truth.

Dipo Akinyemi isn't ready to be a first team regular, needs to be eased into the first team picture if the management think he has the potential. Hitchcock looked lively until he got himself, ridiculously, sent off.

Stead looked good for County, Carroll solid, think the 33 played well too.

 

[GrahamSFC]

Stevenage are literally the same team as under Westley. Thought we were excellent with dealing with that, bit disappointed about Amevor getting sent off - the Stevenage player has weirdly sacrificed himself to get him sent off.

First goal was superb, could've easily scored more and kept a clean sheet with a makeshift back four, not sure Carroll had to make a save.

Thought Notts played very well today, a good mix of talent and some definite gamesmanship in there which although frowned upon, is certainly something needed to do well in this league.

I don't agree with you on the Westley stereotype though, County were overly-physical in a number of challenges today and I counted 4 'injuries' that were quite clearly attempts to run the clock down (I know it's something we do a bit, but everybody moans at us for it anyway).

All in all, a pretty shit day and a rather worrying start to the season...

 

[jacobncfc]

Yeah, we're gonna be good this season. Class above all game really.

 

[1862]

Is that Curtis' first goal? Struggling to remember another.
Good start, can't complain. Not sure why there was so much outcry about the red cards though...

 

[Youpies]

Who of the new lads impressed?

 

[jacobncfc]

Who of the new lads impressed?

Stead is obviously going to be very, very good at this level. Was a step ahead of the Stevenage defenders all game and those two assists won't be the first. Otherwise, I thought Amevor was excellent until he decked someone, Audel played very well and de Silva was a constant threat. Would like to see a bit more from Jenner, who wasted loads of good positions. Swerts was solid, Aborah great fun - touch of the Boucauds about him.

Best player on the pitch was Liam Noble, though, which was great to see considering i've feared for his future recently.

 

[Enzo Scifo's Right Foot]

I appear to view it different to most Notts fans who are positive with yesterdays defence.
I thought we were fortunate to be ahead at half time, we never seemed to settle on the ball, maybe that was to Stevenages high pressure all over the pitch. We did score an extent counter attack goal and looked better we we got the ball out wide (had no joy down the middle) but the home side had two great chances to score and somehow hit wide and straight at Roy.

Second half we started very well, looked comfortable, got on the ball and took control in midfield, this resulted in us creating a good chance and effort which Day saved well. The game then went scrappy and Stevenage looked dangerous by just lumping it forward. We struggled at times to win the first header, which gave them an easy out. What worried me most was defender corners, they were basic shit floated efforts with no pace to the near post which should be dealt with my the defending side with ease. They weren't. I thought we could concede every time they tried the same corner kick routine. Us on the other hand, looked about as effective as last season, the season before (repeat). Obviously our midfield lacked serious height which doesn't help at all , but we never looked like scoring from the 11 or 12 corners we had.

Of the new players, hard to say after just one game and no pre season viewings. The defenders (No 2, 31,32,33) looked very raw and panicked a little at times but physical, mobile with potential to do well. Was disappointed with De Silva, and more impressed with Jenner on the ball. Stead was as expected, so happy with that, and created both the goals with good play. Liked the midfield 3 in the centre, with Noble impressing 2nd half and Stanley looking very comfortable on the ball. Swerts solid enough but unspectacular.

Great away following, good noise and a obviously a great day out in the sunshine for the travelling fans.

Ref was inconsistent, certainly didn't do us any favours and didn't help the game flow. But giving silly fouls away in dangerous positions in L2 against teams who play like Stevenage yesterday is a recipe for disaster.

Oh and definite red card offence for both players, which was daft being 2-0 up in the 93rd min. He looked good on the ball, comfortable although took some risks. Change now required for the Stags game.

 

[RavenBish]

The shit floaty corner worked initially but I thought we snuffed it out quite well once we decided to not have lil' Kyle de Silva as the man responsible for protecting the near post, Stevenage abandoned it in the second half too so they obviously didn't think it was being that effective. From open play they didn't really get a sniff at all, Sprockel was unconvincing and as you said, he lost a couple of initial headers that resulted in a bit of a panicky scramble on the edge of the box. I didn't think much to him at all, where as I thought Audel was superb.

Away from home though, it never really felt like we were massively being threatened, unlike last season where every 1-0 win seemed to come via either Carroll heroics or some use of magnets I presume...and, again unlike last season, we always seemed to have another goal in us if we had conceded an equaliser.

 

[Youpies]

I am glad Noble had a good game. I think we are a much better side when he's in te team. Gives everything he can.

I do worry about players like Sprockel. They will need time to bed in and reading that he didn't do well in the air is worrying. League two 101 - win your headers

 

[The East Terrace]

Better team won, we missed an absolute sitter early on but created very little after that. I agree with Sherringham though, there were good signs County were a decent side. Ref was too easily misled as the game went on, basically anyone who fell over got a free kick and the game got stiffled a bit. Both players deserved a red, pair of muppets right at the end of a dead game.