The Lower League Thread

[Macclad]

Barnet 1 Macc Town 0........losing to the bottom of the league !

But whats this I see about Notts County sacking their manager,Craig Short........whats that all about ??

Promoted last season and not doing so badly in a higher league:wacko:

[Xangsamhua]

Barnet 1 Macc Town 0........losing to the bottom of the league !

But whats this I see about Notts County sacking their manager,Craig Short........whats that all about ??

Promoted last season and not doing so badly in a higher league:wacko:

Just playing football every week's a bit boring for Notts, so we've sacked the manager (and the Assistant) to liven things up a bit. About time, Notts County MAD was getting really repetitive with just football talk all the time.

OK, to be serious, Craig Short's gone after only 13 games on a 3-year contract, and favorite son Dave Kevan's been shown the door, too, apparently because the new man they've got lined up already has an assistant. Names cropping up include Paul Ince, Alan Pardew and Dave Penney.

Ray Trew, who still walks on water at Meadow Lane, has taken a fair bit of flack over the decision, and at least one of the senior players has voiced his disappointment publicly, but Trew clearly didn't see things getting better under Short and he really wants a top-half finish at least. It's the quick or the dead in today's football.

[EastSaxCol]

OK, to be serious, Craig Short's gone after only 13 games on a 3-year contract,...

He's just another to come under the blade of the three seaxes after losing to ColU. Paul Sturrock, Phil Brown and Phil Parkinson have also been been fated in the same fashion under the North Essex curse of the East Saxonians. Or am I reading too much into this phenomenon.

[Xangsamhua]

OK, to be serious, Craig Short's gone after only 13 games on a 3-year contract,...

He's just another to come under the blade of the three seaxes after losing to ColU. Paul Sturrock, Phil Brown and Phil Parkinson have also been been fated in the same fashion under the North Essex curse of the East Saxonians. Or am I reading too much into this phenomenon.

Beware the curse of the U's!!

Actually, Phil Brown's one of the names that was mentioned yesterday.

[Xangsamhua]

The two Pauls are clear favorites at Victor Chandler. http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/nottscounty/Notts-County-betting/article-2796574-detail/article.html

Paul Hart 5-2

Paul Ince 5-2

[Xangsamhua]

And the new manager at Meadow Lane is .......(drumroll)........ Paul Ince! (Just in case you didn't know already.)

Fifth manager in just over a year, following McParland, Backe, Cotterill and Short (plus Assistant Manager Dave Kevan who filled in for a few weeks after Backe left).

Mixed feelings among the fans. Some optimism that he'll get them into the Championship. Some believe he'll just use the step to get some success this season or next and then move on to a higher profile club. Some believe he's overrated to start with. His appointment is for 3 years and 8 months.

But let's face it ... Who would not want to manage the postmodern Notts County, where the thrills and spills are off the field more than on it? A first priority being to tighten up the defence, maybe Ince could get Sol Campbell to come back.

If the fun and games keep going, I'm going to resurrect the Notts County thread.

[chavy]

So who's his mysterious 2nd in command then?

For me Paul Hart would of been the better appointment, he seems the right guy to turn to when the ship needs a steady hand. Paul Ince...hmmmm ?????

[chavy]

Portsmaouth for us today !! & up against another former Notts manager !!

[Xangsamhua]

So who's his mysterious 2nd in command then?

For me Paul Hart would of been the better appointment, he seems the right guy to turn to when the ship needs a steady hand. Paul Ince...hmmmm ?????

Notts County have appointed Alex Rae assistant manager, having secured his release from MK Dons.

The 41-year-old Scot, whose career included spells at Millwall, Sunderland and Wolves, was first-team coach under Ince when the latter was Dons boss.

The former Dundee boss combined his coaching role at MK Dons with four first-team appearances to cover injuries last season.

Rae's contract at Meadow Lane runs until the summer of 2014.

Dons boss Karl Robinson told his club website: "I was in a similar situation as coach at Blackburn when I wanted to make the step up to assistant manager here, so I can understand Alex's decision.

"He goes with our best wishes."

[Xangsamhua]

Notts County 1 - 3 Southampton

Notts sliding down the table after giving up the lead once again. New Messiah Paul Ince sitting in the stands and Assistant Messiah Alex Rae bemoaning the red card ("We got a bit disjointed at the back..."), blaming that for the cave-in.

There's been little attempt to be accountable all season. Notts repeatedly claim that they played the better football and were unlucky not to win. The team are continually complimented on their performance as though they have little to do with the outcome.

Craig Short brought a touchy-feely approach to management and reporting, and everyone seemed to take that up with assurances that it was early in the season, we were only 3 points off the play-off group, etc. Now we've got Paul Ince, who, judging from his BBC interview, sound like another touch-feely type and not altogether convincing. But Notts at this time needs Gregory Peck**, as in "12 o'clock High", rather than a leader who's all about the lads and what a great bunch they are and how he has to respect them, and he's neither hard nor soft, and it'll take a while, etc.

Well, Ray Trew may be the Gregory Peck of Notts and if the Ince-Rae appointments don't produce something pretty quickly then they'll know about it hard and fast - not just the managers but the whole playing staff as well.

**Savage [Gregory Peck] takes command and moves to impose his will and standards on the group. One of his first actions is to call the air crews together to tell them to suck it up. "I don't have a lot of patience," he says. "with this 'what are we fighting for' stuff. We're in a war, a shooting war. We've got to fight. And some of us have got to die. Now I'm not telling you not to be afraid. Fear is normal. Stop worrying about it...and yourselves. Stop making plans. Forget about going home. Consider yourselves already dead. Once you accept that idea it won't be so tough."

http://www.superiorp...clock_high.html

[LeungKen]

Tranmere beat MK Dons in a feisty affair 4 - 2, both sides reduced to 10 men.

Now we're only 3 points behind the "Flighty Dale".........Look out BJ the Birkenhead Boys are coming your way on the 1st Jan.

[mrbojangles]

Now we're only 3 points behind the "Flighty Dale".........Look out BJ the Birkenhead Boys are coming your way on the 1st Jan.

Yep, we lost again yesterday ken. To be honest we are doing better than I thought we would. Keeping above relegation is the target this year me thinks.

[mrbojangles]

Portsmaouth for us today !! & up against another former Notts manager !!

Chavy. Where you been me ol mucker? Not seen you round for a while.

I hven't got much time on this visit, as I'm only here 2 weeks. But i'm back again mid Dec, so we'll have to have a meet up somewhere.

[smokie36]

Disaster at Gayfield Park last night as we lost 3-2 to Montrose in the cup replay....after extra time. Bang goes the big lucre of the Old Firm coming to town. No signs we can mount a sustained challenge even for a play off place.

[Macclad]

A decent point for Macc Town at Rotherham on Tuesday night following on from Saturdays win over Burton Albion and the Silkmen now lie a handy 13th in the table.

I see the local derby Rochdale v Oldham was abandoned after just 6 minutes because of a waterlogged pitch......surely the officials could have seen it was unplayable before then ?? Will the fans get their money back ??

FA Cup 1st round this weekend,chaps.

[chavy]

Portsmaouth for us today !! & up against another former Notts manager !!

Chavy. Where you been me ol mucker? Not seen you round for a while.

I hven't got much time on this visit, as I'm only here 2 weeks. But i'm back again mid Dec, so we'll have to have a meet up somewhere.

Not had chance to be on the site matie....swapped jobs a couple of months ago so am up to my neck in it for now. I'm still in contact with Toadie so he'll let me know when your back & can arrange a footie night out as before.

Not much to cheer on the reds side of the river !! Billy no mates seems determined to talk himself out of a job (moaning about lack of signings as usual) unbeatable at home but can't win an argument away from the CG...eve the sheep are above us in the league so things must be bad eh?

[chavy]

QPR are visitors to the CG today....is our 27 home game unbeaten run under threat I ask myself ?????

[cardholder]

QPR are visitors to the CG today....is our 27 home game unbeaten run under threat I ask myself ?????

Better teams than QPR have tried and failed.

In terms of form I would rather be playing QPR than, say, the sheep-shaggers.

I don't see it as the 'fortress Forest' of old and when I went to the game versus Norwich in September Forest were luckyish to get thedraw.

I have to say that today's game seems to have 'draw' written all over it.

[Xangsamhua]

Exeter 3 - 1 Notts County

County continuing their slide down the League One ladder.

Hopes now pinned on refurbishing the squad in January.

Resurrection in 2011? It seems there's a bit of money to spend.

No sign that the situation will improve before the New Year. Still, as a West Ham supporter I haven't forgotten the "Great Escape" in 2007.

[Xangsamhua]

QPR are visitors to the CG today....is our 27 home game unbeaten run under threat I ask myself ?????

Better teams than QPR have tried and failed.

In terms of form I would rather be playing QPR than, say, the sheep-shaggers.

I don't see it as the 'fortress Forest' of old and when I went to the game versus Norwich in September Forest were luckyish to get thedraw.

I have to say that today's game seems to have 'draw' written all over it.

Your crystal ball is working well.

[Macclad]

Macclesfield Town 2 Aldershot 0

Wow,Macc up to 10th now and just 2 points off a play off place......our highest position for 6 years !

[smokie36]

Arbroath 4 Montrose 0

Love it!! Revenge is soooooo sweet!

Great hat-trick from Steven Doris as well.

[Macclad]

Bradford City 0 Macclesfield Town 1........Macc only out of the play offs on goal difference now.

And in the Championship a great win for Forest 2-0 at Cardiff,which puts them in a play off place.

[mrbojangles]

Hard fought draw for the Dale. Rochdale 3 - 3 Swindon

[Xangsamhua]

FA Cup Round Two

Notts County 3 - 1 Bournemouth

Have been out of touch a bit lately, but pleased to see the Magpies back in the winner's circle after a good win against the Cherries, preceded by a handy 2-0 against the Dons last Saturday. Perhaps it's coming together now.

Incidentally (Is that a pun?), Paul Ince's son Thomas is doing very well. A goal against the Dons and a brilliant assist in the Bournemouth match.

Sunderland in Round Three at the Stadium of Light.

Also good to hear that sub-surface heating will be installed at Meadow Lane in the off-season.

[EastSaxCol]

I note that Bristol Rovers have sacked their manager even before the U's play them on Saturday. Bears ill for them that they pre-empt the East Saxonian curse. Although I expect a less supra-mundane equal points come the day.

[alfieconn]

HH, can we take it that once the scammers are on this thread that they will be flavour of the month again .

Edited December 16, 2010 by alfieconn

[citizen33]

I note that Bristol Rovers have sacked their manager even before the U's play them on Saturday. Bears ill for them that they pre-empt the East Saxonian curse. Although I expect a less supra-mundane equal points come the day.

Yes, this happened after Exeter City put them out of the JPT. The Grecians have now recovered from their 'flu bout and followed this up with a 5-1 win over Sheffield Wednesday, with a couple of real quality goals among the haul. They could be dark horses for this division, but the big question is can they hang on to key players in the January window?

[chavy]

Bradford City 0 Macclesfield Town 1........Macc only out of the play offs on goal difference now.

And in the Championship a great win for Forest 2-0 at Cardiff,which puts them in a play off place.

Nose bleed territory for your lads "Macca".......sheep shaggers for us tomorrow night...& again in January so I understand? Just to beat them will make my Christmas period.

[Macclad]

And in the Championship a great win for Forest 2-0 at Cardiff,which puts them in a play off place.

.......sheep shaggers for us tomorrow night...& again in January so I understand? Just to beat them will make my Christmas period.

Bet the beers going down well today,mate !!!