Practically safe v must win (Cheltenham v Notts)

[Wooderson]

Very much last chance saloon territory for us now, we need 5 or 6 wins from our last 11 so simply must be targeting 3 points here, especially as our relegation rivals all have tough games.

The problem is Cheltenham have been excellent at home of late, winning four on the bounce before Tuesday’s draw with Bury. From an outsiders perspective they seem pretty well organised under Duff and are well settled into a system that suits them? As for us, we have to be looking to get back to the form that saw us beat FGR and Mansfield, and draw with Lincoln. One plus is we have struggled against a big man recently, something I don’t really think we will be facing tomorrow. If it descends into a bit of a scrap I’m hopeful we can nick it, but goals have been at a bit of a premium lately.

I’ll go for 1-0 either way, or 1-1.

 

[Si Robin]

Very much last chance saloon territory for us now, we need 5 or 6 wins from our last 11 so simply must be targeting 3 points here, especially as our relegation rivals all have tough games.

The problem is Cheltenham have been excellent at home of late, winning four on the bounce before Tuesday’s draw with Bury. From an outsiders perspective they seem pretty well organised under Duff and are well settled into a system that suits them? As for us, we have to be looking to get back to the form that saw us beat FGR and Mansfield, and draw with Lincoln. One plus is we have struggled against a big man recently, something I don’t really think we will be facing tomorrow. If it descends into a bit of a scrap I’m hopeful we can nick it, but goals have been at a bit of a premium lately.

I’ll go for 1-0 either way, or 1-1.

This is pretty much the nail on the head really. Duff changed the system for the game before we played at Meadow Lane (Mansfield at home I think it was) and we've been so much better since. The fact he's transformed our home form is another Godsend as well as attending home games had actually become a chore.

I wouldn't rule out being up against a big man tomorrow, Tyrone Barnett is back to fitness and he's done that job brilliantly for us this season - whilst he hasn't set the World alight, I'm surprised it never worked out for him at Vale. He's a definite 100%er and he clearly still has bags of ability.

I think we'll win this one 2-0 - it feels odd feeling confident before a game.

 

[Wooderson]

This is pretty much the nail on the head really. Duff changed the system for the game before we played at Meadow Lane (Mansfield at home I think it was) and we've been so much better since. The fact he's transformed our home form is another Godsend as well as attending home games had actually become a chore.

I wouldn't rule out being up against a big man tomorrow, Tyrone Barnett is back to fitness and he's done that job brilliantly for us this season - whilst he hasn't set the World alight, I'm surprised it never worked out for him at Vale. He's a definite 100%er and he clearly still has bags of ability.

I think we'll win this one 2-0 - it feels odd feeling confident before a game.

Any weaknesses? Our best hope is probably that you played on a heavy pitch on Tuesday so might have some tired legs I guess!

Anyway, we should have a decent following behind the goal, sold 400 already and there is no price increase on the day.

 

[Si Robin]

We can be very hit and miss - our record at home is great, but it doesn't take into account the luck we had in those 4 home wins with 3 of the teams having a player sent off and Vale having a goal incorrectly disallowed.

That being said, there was a lot of impressed Town fans on Tuesday (I wasn't there as I can't make evening games).

 

[TheEndIsNigh]

This feels like a must-win, but it I’m also getting quite a large twinge of fuck-all-chance-of-a-win.

We’ve reverted to type with our last 3 games, and I think that’s the real Notts team of this season, seemingly regardless of the names on the team sheet. Cheltenham are in a decent bit of form and I can’t see anything other than a routine home win.

Come on lads, prove us wrong.

 

[LongEatonPie]

Point isn't good enough but I don't think we'll get that and probably lose to a late goal.
This could well be one of the nails going into the coffin of Notts Countys historic and world renowned stay in the English top 4 divisions.

1-0 to Chelt with about 600 pies.

 

[valefan16]

Key on this game for Notts is how they deal with Hussey. His delivery was superb against us game before last, based on Notts last week that could kill them so they will have to deal with that better than they did our crosses and set piece delivery.

Big one for Notts this with Macclesfield, Yeovil and ourselves having tough games.

 

[Wooderson]

Key on this game for Notts is how they deal with Hussey. His delivery was superb against us game before last, based on Notts last week that could kill them so they will have to deal with that better than they did our crosses and set piece delivery.

Big one for Notts this with Macclesfield, Yeovil and ourselves having tough games.

Sounds like he’ll be out, so at least that’s something

 

[NCFC Kim]

Against Vale things improved once we brought Alessandra and Hemmings on, so naturally we reverted to our starting line up this week. Hemmings is on for Stead now but it's probably too late. Real shot ourselves in the foot here.

At least I got to see a steward ejected for fighting though.

 

[NCFC Kim]

It's one problem on a seriously long list but we have a manager with a chronic fear of substitutions. In the grand scheme of things he won't go down as the biggest villain in our demise but I'd have a lot more sympathy for Ardley if he at least looked like he was trying to get us out this hole.

 

[jacobncfc]

Well, that was hopeless.

A steward being ejected from the ground for violent behaviour is a first for me, mind.

 

[Casey]

Please say someone has a video of the violent behaviour. Not something I'd normally want to see at a game but that could be a right belly laugh.

Casey

 

[jacobncfc]

Only ones I’ve seen are of the general melee down the front of the stand.

I saw the steward throw a couple of punches and then all hell broke loose, ended with him being dragged out of the away end by police whilst giving wanker signs, bizarre scenes.

 

[Si Robin]

Being on the complete opposite side of the ground I was wondering what was happening and was told by another steward that it all kicked off because Notts fans tried to grab a Cheltenham player. Didn't realise one of the stewards got ejected though

As for Notts, the last time I saw a team as demoralised and devoid of hope as that was when I saw us relegated in 2015. I really don't see how they survive now - and that's a shame in my view.

 

[Optipez]

We aren't even making a fight of it anymore. There's enough in that squad to stay up but collectively from chairman to management to coaching to the players they've been inept all season.
The only people to come out of this season with any credit are the fans, decent numbers home and away with just intermittent scraps to cheer and they've been pretty supportive throughout.

 

[Wooderson]

We aren't even making a fight of it anymore. There's enough in that squad to stay up but collectively from chairman to management to coaching to the players they've been inept all season.
The only people to come out of this season with any credit are the fans, decent numbers home and away with just intermittent scraps to cheer and they've been pretty supportive throughout.

Literally

 

[Wooderson]

Being on the complete opposite side of the ground I was wondering what was happening and was told by another steward that it all kicked off because Notts fans tried to grab a Cheltenham player. Didn't realise one of the stewards got ejected though

As for Notts, the last time I saw a team as demoralised and devoid of hope as that was when I saw us relegated in 2015. I really don't see how they survive now - and that's a shame in my view.

Just three weeks since we beat the Stags to follow up on a win at FGR and the place was buzzing. Then on the next Tuesday night Newport beat us 4-1 to kill any momentum.

Basically Jamille Matt has relegated us.

 

[Optipez]

Jamille Matt ended our faint automatic hopes last year as well, coming off the bench and scoring for Grimsby.
We could have signed him in the summer, no idea why we didn't sign a player like him to replace Ameobi, biggest reason for our downfall has been a lack of physical presence up front all season.

 

[Bianconeri 1862]

Jamille Matt ended our faint automatic hopes last year as well, coming off the bench and scoring for Grimsby.
We could have signed him in the summer, no idea why we didn't sign a player like him to replace Ameobi, biggest reason for our downfall has been a lack of physical presence up front all season.

That's easy, not a big enough name to massage Hardy's ego.
All we needed was someone like him up top, a decent ball winning midfielder, and a couple of decent defenders. Confidence is to far south now, well done Ardley, took a team above the drop zone and rooted us to the bottom.

 

[Tranmerewhite]

National league survival kit;

Be prepared for teams you’ve never heard of writing articles about how honoured they are to play you. Mind games?

If you think league two refs are bad, recommend a whiskey flask on the sly to cope with the national league ones.

Plastic pitches.

Remind Wrexham they’re in their twelfth year of tinpottery after they balls promotion up again.

 

[Bianconeri 1862]

Please say someone has a video of the violent behaviour. Not something I'd normally want to see at a game but that could be a right belly laugh.

Casey

https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football/8600194/notts-county-brawl-steward-cheltenham/
photos, not that I'm glorifying violence being a man of peace.

 

[LondonOrn]

A shocking result, but I decided to hold back commenting on a match I didn't see and wait and see what Notts fans had to say about it, because even in a 4-1 defeat to one of your relegation rivals where you have only one shot on target there could be mitigating circumstances. But now it's clear the players didn't give it their all.

You'd think with your league status on the line, and surely one of the, if not THE most embarrassing result in your history still fresh in your memory (the 0-3 in the reverse fixture) you'd be busting a gut and pulling out all the stops to avenge such a humiliating defeat, I certainly would be if I was fortunate enough to be good enough to play in that Notts team. Not just that, but thinking what the fans feel, what a disgrace it would be for a club as one of the League's founder members to be relegated to non-league. Are most footballers that stupid, lacking in pride or empathy, or any of the above?

 

[Bianconeri 1862]

Probably, player's thinking if the takeover happens I won't be here, if it doesn't some other mug club will have me, why bust a gut or risk injury

 

[Wooderson]

A shocking result, but I decided to hold back commenting on a match I didn't see and wait and see what Notts fans had to say about it, because even in a 4-1 defeat to one of your relegation rivals where you have only one shot on target there could be mitigating circumstances. But now it's clear the players didn't give it their all.

You'd think with your league status on the line, and surely one of the, if not THE most embarrassing result in your history still fresh in your memory (the 0-3 in the reverse fixture) you'd be busting a gut and pulling out all the stops to avenge such a humiliating defeat, I certainly would be if I was fortunate enough to be good enough to play in that Notts team. Not just that, but thinking what the fans feel, what a disgrace it would be for a club as one of the League's founder members to be relegated to non-league. Are most footballers that stupid, lacking in pride or empathy, or any of the above?

A mixture of the above probably. The club just seems rotten this season. Carlisle away on Tuesday night, might see some changes. I’d play a couple of the better lads from the youth team.