Match Day National League Fixtures - 02/11/19

[Master D]

The FA Cup argument is a decent one in terms of champions and how good they actually are, obviously it depends on the draw though.

Crawley 2011 (best team I've ever seen at this level) went life and death with Man United at Old Trafford in the 5th round and lost 1-0.
Fleetwood 2012 got to the 3rd round after beating some League sides.
Mansfield 2013 got to 3rd round against Liverpool.
Lincoln 2017 - Quarter Final

There's probably others but these stand out.

 

[jacobncfc]

Even ours is nowhere near that. Realistically we’re operating with 19, plus a goalkeeper player/coach and four left over from last season who we can’t get rid of but haven’t been near a match day squad since the opening day.

 

[Master D]

Macclesfield went up as champions a few seasons ago with the lowest budget in the league -

Yeah ok.

 

[slaphead]

Yeah ok.

Indeed. I would suggest the last time someone went up with a small budget, and was still part time, was Burton.

 

[PaulHaddock]

I never really go by the points accrued as an indicator when judging this league.
I just think that when watching the games, the standard is so much worse. Most games I turn on these days are painful to watch. Back in the Luton/Mansfield/Fleetwood days, you’d just expect a decent match. As has probably been said, even those playoff teams from 2011-2014 would wipe the floor with most teams currently.

 

[DarkSithLord]

30 players?

We have 26 registered first team players. 3 of them are youth players (2 of which are out on loan) and 1 (Manny Smith) has been injured since the end of August 2018. Expect a couple of players to leave soon as well.

What happened to Manny Smith?

 

[The_Viking_Magpie]

Even ours is nowhere near that. Realistically we’re operating with 19, plus a goalkeeper player/coach and four left over from last season who we can’t get rid of but haven’t been near a match day squad since the opening day.

Hold on that doesn't add up to 30+ Jacob!!!

What's going on here?!!! We must get our facts straight.

It doesn't matter whether the league is stronger or weaker than seasons gone by, it's non league, its always been non league and noticeably inferior to L2 and above

 

[jacobncfc]

I never really go by the points accrued as an indicator when judging this league.
I just think that when watching the games, the standard is so much worse. Most games I turn on these days are painful to watch. Back in the Luton/Mansfield/Fleetwood days, you’d just expect a decent match. As has probably been said, even those playoff teams from 2011-2014 would wipe the floor with most teams currently.

The standard of games this season has definitely been no worse than last season in League Two. Even taking into account how bad we were last year, I think teams generally try and play more open, entertaining football down here than in League Two. There are obvious things that are worse, like set piece delivery, but overall it’s been pretty good.

 

[EnglishRed]

What happened to Manny Smith?

Nothing good. He's done, but noone will tell us.

 

[RLC]

The standard of games this season has definitely been no worse than last season in League Two. Even taking into account how bad we were last year, I think teams generally try and play more open, entertaining football down here than in League Two. There are obvious things that are worse, like set piece delivery, but overall it’s been pretty good.

I think this might reflect how poor Notts County were last season, rather than the general standard of League Two.

After watching five minutes of our first match at Stevenage last year, it was clear there was a big gulf between the two levels. The gulf between Leagues One and Two is bigger still.

 

[The_Viking_Magpie]

That's how football goes the gap between each divisions reduces as you go down the pyramid. Shock, horror.

Would definitely agree regarding more football being played on the deck I guess that's cos you get more time on the ball in this league.

Notts are playing some lovely controlled stuff this season whether that be due to the style in this league or Ardley

 

[RLC]

The Conference must have changed a bit in the last couple of years. When we were at this level there were literally a handful of sides that played football - Forest Green, Aldershot - with the majority of sides very direct, even the better ones.

 

[Master D]

The Conference must have changed a bit in the last couple of years. When we were at this level there were literally a handful of sides that played football - Forest Green, Aldershot - with the majority of sides very direct, even the better ones.

It hasn’t changed at all, more sides than ever launch it. There’s only Fylde I can think of that have played any sort of football in the past couple of years and even that might change now without Challinor.

 

[GTFCfish]

Josh Granite our central defender played the last 5 minutes of injury time up front with what looked like a dislocated arm as we'd already used all 3 subs,.

Yeah he’s an absolute rock that guy.

 

[The_Viking_Magpie]

It hasn’t changed at all, more sides than ever launch it. There’s only Fylde I can think of that have played any sort of football in the past couple of years and even that might change now without Challinor.

We must be like a lateral version of Brazil then.

 

[Optipez]

Perhaps how well the promoted teams do in L2 is a good guide as to the standard of the year before. Tranmere went up via the play offs so must have been pretty decent as opposed to say, FGR who struggled first season up.

Have to disagree with Master D, not seen much hoofball from teams at Meadow Lane this season. Most have been defesive, two solid banks of four but although they aren't all playing short passes out from the back they aren't just tonking it up to the big man.

 

[RLC]

That's how football goes the gap between each divisions reduces as you go down the pyramid. Shock, horror.

Why would it necessarily be the case ?

I think it is these days, purely because of the impact of Sky money at higher levels of the game.

 

[DontBringBertie]

Perhaps how well the promoted teams do in L2 is a good guide as to the standard of the year before. Tranmere went up via the play offs so must have been pretty decent as opposed to say, FGR who struggled first season up.

Have to disagree with Master D, not seen much hoofball from teams at Meadow Lane this season. Most have been defesive, two solid banks of four but although they aren't all playing short passes out from the back they aren't just tonking it up to the big man.

I’ve been surprised by how little hoofball teams there’s been this season.

Maybe because 90% of teams in the South last season just lumped it forward.

 

[chipmunx]

We must be like a lateral version of Brazil then.

the game on the 16th between you and us should be an entertaining passing game then given this quote from the Dagenham forum after we won there last week;-

(At) "Times they were passing the ball around like a 70's Brazilian national outfit"

 

[simonfromsurrey]

I thought Fylde passed it about for the sake of passing when we went there and battered them. A few teams seem to be doing this and taking it short from the keeper everytime and then taking 20 passes to go nowhere.

I've not seen anyone this season who are just route one. When that works and is played well its certainly effective. Maybe all this endless passing bollocks is a fad. I'd love to see a 'Big Elbows Bastard' up front for us.

 

[The_Viking_Magpie]

Why would it necessarily be the case ?

I think it is these days, purely because of the impact of Sky money at higher levels of the game.

You've answered your own question, money.

 

[The_Viking_Magpie]

the game on the 16th between you and us should be an entertaining passing game then given this quote from the Dagenham forum after we won there last week;-

(At) "Times they were passing the ball around like a 70's Brazilian national outfit"

If it is you will hear countless moronic shouts from the home stands of 'gerrit forward' or just the classic 'forrrrrwarrdddd' whilst we keep position in midfield. Idiots

 

[TheEndIsNigh]

I thought Fylde passed it about for the sake of passing when we went there and battered them. A few teams seem to be doing this and taking it short from the keeper everytime and then taking 20 passes to go nowhere.

I've not seen anyone this season who are just route one. When that works and is played well its certainly effective. Maybe all this endless passing bollocks is a fad. I'd love to see a 'Big Elbows Bastard' up front for us.

There’s certainly a fashion for coaches at all levels to get their teams to pass out from the back. I fucking hate it when England do it, so when I see some of the donkeys try it at this level it makes my teeth itch.

Notts under Ardley piss about with it pointlessly more than most, which is one of the reasons I’m dubious he’ll ever get us promoted. He doesn’t seem to realise that it’s the Gods of Lump It like Warnock, Allardyce and Cotterill who are successful at Notts. I’m all for great passing football, just not in your own half.

 

[simonfromsurrey]

Amen to that.

In my view, you cant beat a winger skinning a full back, delivering a cross onto the head of a rampaging centre forward and BOOM !!!

 

[The_Viking_Magpie]

Agree that almost all our success during my years of supporting Notts the direct territorial approach has produced almost all our better years.

However, with the quality of footballer we currently have in the squad , going direct from the back would basically involve aimless punts from the centre halves for the forwards to try and control from 10 feet up, the never productive classic full back ball down the line / our of play and basically playing off scraps. Personally I've had enough of that.

If we play Wooton and Dennis as a front two and ignoring the wingers with an aerial approach , you are basically using just one player as your initial attacking starting point. If Wooton isn't playing well and getting it under control or laying it off the Plan A is over before it starts.

 

[simonfromsurrey]

Lincoln only used rhead as a focal point for a few seasons and look what happened there. Brazil 1970 they were not

 

[B2TF]

I think it's probably the standard of the top teams rather than the league as a whole. If you compare the standard of the top teams now to when, in recent times, the likes of Wrexham, Tranmere, Luton, Bristol Rovers, Cheltenham, Fleetwood, Lincoln, Mansfield, Kidderminster racked up nearly 100 points then it's probably well, well short.

For example, the year we got promoted, FGR were mid-40's by this stage I think and we won the league on 99 points with two games in hand. Bromley are currently 4 wins behind and are on for low 80's, which is a massive difference.

Wrexham chased down Fleetwood to nearly 100 points and likewise Kiddy with Mansfield and Tranmere with us.

This might be slightly out now but over the last 10 years, an average points total for 1st has been 98 with 2nd 90.

Last 10 seasons, with the play-off winner's total and position noted when the second placed team didn't go up:

 

[simonfromsurrey]

I remember Halifax's title winning team with the rampaging Geoff Horsfield and Jamie Paterson

Effective without needing to pass it to death

 

[BeeArmy]

We are the definition of a team passing for the sake of it. It is honestly dreadful to watch. Sideways with no killer pass.

 

[The_Viking_Magpie]

Everything in moderation except victories , hopefully.