Notts County (a) - 25/08/12 - League 1

[traymondo]

Is it a crime to post we are playing rubbish? I was there, we was rubbish 1st half. Delighted with the win but don't let this paper over the cracks.

No, of course it is not a crime, but re-read his post and get some perspective.

I suppose your just pead off that you can't post "Smith Out" as usual :wink:

Even if we grind out a 1-0 win in every game this season and take the title by a clear 25 points, I for one will not be happy...

[Neil Ravenscroft]

To put it into perspective, the Nottingham Evening Post report starts:

Notts County's unbeaten start to the season came crashing to a halt as they lost in disappointing fashion to a spirited Walsall team who merited their 1-0 win.

Note, "spririted" and "merited".

[Duke]

Very encouraged by that result ,well done .

[nottmsaddler]

The comments using woeful, abysmal and pathetic are well wide of the mark. The first half was not great, but far from terrible. We were under the cosh a bit but they didn't create many (maybe one) clear cut chances I can remember, and Grof had little in the way of saves.

We were the better team in the second, and the goal was coming because the longer it went the more comfortable we looked. Even in the last ten minutes they failed to create clear chances even though the ref did his best in injury time. Whereas with a couple of better timed runs, we could have had another goal or two.

All in all a massive improvement on the last two seasons here, and plenty of encouraging signs. Purkiss did struggle (I'd prefer Stewart and Chambers moving to RB personally) and Grigg didn't do anything but that apart the others were good, a couple were superb and the support was first rate.

If the first half was "as bad as ever seen"and on the whole, we were pathetic and abysmal then the posters must have missed Oldham, Dagenham (cup), Notts County to name but three at the Banks's last season. Because what I saw today was a hell of a lot better than that.

And I am not part of the UTS clique - I only posted this because I couldn't believe some of the garbage and negativity on here. Fair play to the sarcastic responses - shame the recipients were too miserable to even get them!

[chestersaddler]

Is it a crime to post we are playing rubbish? I was there, we was rubbish 1st half. Delighted with the win but don't let this paper over the cracks.

No, of course it is not a crime, but re-read his post and get some perspective.

I suppose your just pead off that you can't post "Smith Out" as usual :wink:

Even if we grind out a 1-0 win in every game this season and take the title by a clear 25 points, I for one will not be happy...

But we won't will we? Grinding out a 1-0 away at an expected play off contender is the sign of guts and discipline. Smith has got the team playing decent football when they are allowed to. It's inevitable that we will be under the cosh away from home against stronger sides, so grinding out a win is fantastic.

We tried to play Doncaster off the park last week.

BTW, what would make you happy?

[SWS1]

To put it into perspective, the Nottingham Evening Post report starts:

Notts County's unbeaten start to the season came crashing to a halt as they lost in disappointing fashion to a spirited Walsall team who merited their 1-0 win.

Note, "spririted" and "merited".

I'm VERY encouraged by that report. It's not easy to drag praise out of the opposition press. Great result. Let's enjoy it. :D
EXCELSIOR!

[ws3]

The comments using woeful, abysmal and pathetic are well wide of the mark. The first half was not great, but far from terrible. We were under the cosh a bit but they didn't create many (maybe one) clear cut chances I can remember, and Grof had little in the way of saves.

We were the better team in the second, and the goal was coming because the longer it went the more comfortable we looked. Even in the last ten minutes they failed to create clear chances even though the ref did his best in injury time. Whereas with a couple of better timed runs, we could have had another goal or two.

All in all a massive improvement on the last two seasons here, and plenty of encouraging signs. Purkiss did struggle (I'd prefer Stewart and Chambers moving to RB personally) and Grigg didn't do anything but that apart the others were good, a couple were superb and the support was first rate.

If the first half was "as bad as ever seen"and on the whole, we were pathetic and abysmal then the posters must have missed Oldham, Dagenham (cup), Notts County to name but three at the Banks's last season. Because what I saw today was a hell of a lot better than that.

And I am not part of the UTS clique - I only posted this because I couldn't believe some of the garbage and negativity on here. Fair play to the sarcastic responses - shame the recipients were too miserable to even get them!

That is pretty much as I saw it. Average to below first half, but a massive improvement in the second half.

[traymondo]

Is it a crime to post we are playing rubbish? I was there, we was rubbish 1st half. Delighted with the win but don't let this paper over the cracks.

No, of course it is not a crime, but re-read his post and get some perspective.

I suppose your just pead off that you can't post "Smith Out" as usual :wink:

Even if we grind out a 1-0 win in every game this season and take the title by a clear 25 points, I for one will not be happy...

But we won't will we? Grinding out a 1-0 away at an expected play off contender is the sign of guts and discipline. Smith has got the team playing decent football when they are allowed to. It's inevitable that we will be under the cosh away from home against stronger sides, so grinding out a win is fantastic.

We tried to play Doncaster off the park last week.

BTW, what would make you happy?

Oh I dunno, a night with Katie Morgan?
You?

[Jeremy Busby]

Was not there obviously but we all have to consider what we are looking for. Entertainment or results? Often you can't have both.

What would we rather have - A superb performance and lose 3-4 or a poor performance and win 1-0. I know what my choice is.

If we win promotion/make the playoffs, or avoid relegation by goal difference, we will look back On Notts County away in August with some relish

[Cheesebag]

First half soaked up a lot of Notts pressure under our 4-5-1 system and Grigg stuggeled (again) as the lone striker.

Brave but correct move to 4-4-2 (bringing on a proper striker) changed the game.... we attacked and I thought deserved our goal.

[BathSaddler]

Whatever the performance, I'll take that three points and party :D .

433 Saddlers in attendance.

[chestersaddler]

Oh I dunno, a night with Katie Morgan?
You?

I'm as happy as a pig in cack :D

[canadiansaddler]

Great win - 3 pts is 3 pts

Hate to think what UTS would have been like under Barnwell

[Neil Ravenscroft]

Great win - 3 pts is 3 pts

Hate to think what UTS would have been like under Barnwell

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

[Cheesebag]

Great win - 3 pts is 3 pts

Hate to think what UTS would have been like under Barnwell

Disgrace... i was at the cricket ground in Northampton and............ :D

[PT]

First half soaked up a lot of Notts pressure under our 4-5-1 system and Grigg stuggeled (again) as the lone striker.

Brave but correct move to 4-4-2 (bringing on a proper striker) changed the game.... we attacked and I thought deserved our goal.

Been on my hols and have been catching up on stuff this evening.

From what I've read, Deano made a sub on Tuesday that was game-changing and the same happened today. If he has improved in this area, it could be worth a dozen points over some of the shambolic substitution decisions he made last year. I'm an admirer of the rest of his management decisions, the way he tries to get us to play and his honesty in his assessments so if he improves in this area, he could yet be a really good Walsall manager during some really difficult Walsall times. Let's hope so.

[geoffwhiting]

Never mind the performance, good or bad, at Notts County it only matters that we won and banked an early 3 points towards our safety target. This was a really good surprise, taking 3 points from one of our most difficult (at least on paper) fixtures.

Thanks to our Notts Forest friend, Bitter Tree Hugger, for keeping me informed by text when my internet was not working in North Wales. Cheers mate, good on yer!

Just one complaint really, it seems no-one on our side pole-axed the odious ginger jailbird and he's still walking on two feet tonight. A great pity, but I guess I'll take the 3 points as a nice consolation! :D

[King Crimson]

our Notts Forest friend, Bitter Tree Hugger

He won't be your friend for long if you keep referring to his team as 'Notts Forest', geoff.

They dow loik it, kidda.

[Finch]

I think there is plenty to be optimistic about after such a good away win, whatever the performance was like. Smith will know he has things to work on but the dressing room will be buzzing and I doubt Smith will want to quash that by telling them they were all rubbish! The players really wanted to beat County, particularly since Manny went there.

I remember our first season back at this level with Money, where we were woeful until about October and we scraped a win away at Millwall with a last minute Deeney goal. Before this the team looked disjointed, devoid of ideas and Mr Deeney himself looked like he couldn't hit a metal cows bottom with a magnetic banjo. Things changed after this game, the players believed in their ability to grind results out and confidence changed Troy into a different player. We embarked on a superb unbeaten run that took us into the play-off positions (the months that followed have been covered numerous times on this board, so let's not go there again eh!?)

It is not my intention to make direct comparisons between that team and this, as certainly defensively we are a little weaker now (though the more I think about it man-for-man the rest of the team compares favourably). My point is simply that confidence plays such a huge part in the psyche of a footballer, both individually ad collectively, and it is out job to remind them on Saturday that we believe too (even if deep down we don't) as this is our opportunity to make a contribution.

[Finch]

In the interests of statistical accuracy, in the season I was referring to above Millwall away in September was very much a turning point, but not the start of the unbeaten run. We won 3, drew 1 and lost 2 (both at home) of our next 6,
THEN embarked on that 17 game unbeaten streak, starting in October.

[gray]

So glad I decided to go at the last minute. Got a bit of a sore head this morning. First half we weren't really in it but weren't put under much pressure by County. Second half we played well and got a deserved goal, obviously after that it was backs to the wall but we defended well and countered nicely. Credit has to be given to Deano for bringing on Bowerman for a midfielder and changing the formation to 442.

Butler was immense and supported well by Holden. The Chambers brothers were both good too. Purkiss struggled a bit, he seems to panic and want to play hoof ball rather than look at other options around him. Patterson and Grigg were both anonymous. Hemmings and Cuvelier were good when they were on the ball but that didn't seem to happen very much.

Great win, good performance, bring on QPR!

[Welsh_Saddler]

It's sometimes interesting to see the game through the eyes of the opposition fans, so to speak. From the "footymad" board for Notts County I particularly liked this heartfelt comment from one of their major contributors:

"We were shown how to attack with purpose by a team probably destined for relegation".

That's what you call a back-handed compliment I suppose....... :wink:

:mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: UTS

[Darth Vader]

That's it then, we're already relegated because some lace making tosspot has stated on an internet message-board after seeing us once, where their great team lost.

Prat.

[Registered Saddler]

In the interests of statistical accuracy, in the season I was referring to above Millwall away in September was very much a turning point, but not the start of the unbeaten run. We won 3, drew 1 and lost 2 (both at home) of our next 6,
THEN embarked on that 17 game unbeaten streak, starting in October.

Pat on the back for noting how we started that infamous Money season. Our dreadful start is often swept under the carpet. The match threads from the opening five or so games of that season are still available and make interesting reading. Take a look who was moaning about Money and the quality of his signings then; take a look at who was moaning about Bonser letting Money leave a few months later; take a look at who has been moaning throughout this pre-season. Nothing ever changes.

[Fray Bentos is God!]

Somebody get on the horn to Ivanovic and Jagielka. They ay allowed to score anymore.

I can smell the period blood from Greece.

Get in you mighty reds!

[WFC_Rob]

I think there is plenty to be optimistic about after such a good away win, whatever the performance was like. Smith will know he has things to work on but the dressing room will be buzzing and I doubt Smith will want to quash that by telling them they were all rubbish! The players really wanted to beat County, particularly since Manny went there.

I remember our first season back at this level with Money, where we were woeful until about October and we scraped a win away at Millwall with a last minute Deeney goal. Before this the team looked disjointed, devoid of ideas and Mr Deeney himself looked like he couldn't hit a metal cows bottom with a magnetic banjo. Things changed after this game, the players believed in their ability to grind results out and confidence changed Troy into a different player. We embarked on a superb unbeaten run that took us into the play-off positions (the months that followed have been covered numerous times on this board, so let's not go there again eh!?)

It is not my intention to make direct comparisons between that team and this, as certainly defensively we are a little weaker now (though the more I think about it man-for-man the rest of the team compares favourably). My point is simply that confidence plays such a huge part in the psyche of a footballer, both individually ad collectively, and it is out job to remind them on Saturday that we believe too (even if deep down we don't) as this is our opportunity to make a contribution.

I couldn't agree with you more. The old saying 'earning the right to play' carries some merit and what we seem to be doing is feeling our way into the season at this early stage. Despite the reports of rubbish football, poor tactics and the like, it sounds like we're doing the basics fairly well and are at least trying to keep the ball on the grass when we can, which is about all we can ask for from a really young team assembled from scratch over the summer - with a couple more to come, hopefully.

I said a few weeks ago that with the side we have, it is more important than ever before that we get off to a half decent start. The more confidence the likes of Hemmings, Cuvelier, Paterson, Grigg and Featherstone in particular play with, the better off we'll be in the long run. on the flip-side however, without picking up results like yesterday's, they'll play like they're not sure how to get a result.

Yesterday's result was fantastic and will breed confidence within the squad, which is a huge thing to have. You don't win at Meadow Lane by pure fluke.

[Finch]

Forget Prince Harry, that's excellent investigative journalism Registered. I'm not knocking the 'moaners' by any means as its hard to sit back and watch us drop points and not look for the 'cause' or 'solution' because we all want it to improve. Like any opposition politician will inevitably call for change too!

Smith's challenge is when things arent going well to find that balance between loyalty/stubbornness and decisive/tinkering (delete as appropriate based on your perception of Smith).

Well done for loyalty shown to Grof and the decisive changes made in the previous two games, Dean.

[gray]

I noticed that Notts County made a clear effort to crowd Grof during corners and set pieces. I thought he coped with it pretty well.

[Magic Man Fan]

Yay! Best team in the world.

[Jolly Johnny]

First half soaked up a lot of Notts pressure under our 4-5-1 system and Grigg stuggeled (again) as the lone striker.

Brave but correct move to 4-4-2 (bringing on a proper striker) changed the game.... we attacked and I thought deserved our goal.

Been on my hols and have been catching up on stuff this evening.

Wondered where you were at Oldham on Tuesday, mate!