Soccer AM used to be a must-watch for all British and British-based football fans. When I was younger, I would get up before 9am and watch Tim Lovejoy, Helen Chamberlain and the rest of the gang serve up an entertaining slice of football pie to get me in the mood for the Saturday afternoon games. It was part and parcel of the whole football package.

But that was then - I've not watched the show for years, and by the sounds of it, many other fans have given up watching it as well. Maybe it's the fact television is no longer the dominant medium and things like "Third Eyes" can be delivered online in the blink of an, ahem, eye. Maybe it's the struggles of making a traditionally un-PC show PC in the current era, or maybe it's something else, but it's definitely not the force it used to be.

For the record, the last time I saw the show, it was a couple of years ago, and there was this rock band on who was playing a game where they had to guess the brand of water from sampling several shots of the stuff, or whether it was from the tap. I found it so cringeworthy I made a mental note never to watch it again.

Last weekend, Soccer AM was mentioned a fair bit by Notts County fans on social media and elsewhere, because six individuals who were supposedly supporters of the club appeared on the show.

Only problem is, the Notts fanbase is a fairly close-knit community where most people tend to know each other, or at least recognise who their fellow supporters are, and nobody had a clue who any of these "fans" were.

Closer inspection found that several of these guys were actually supporters of other teams, like Nottingham Forest, Reading and Sunderland, and needless to say, the Black and White Army was not best pleased.

Chris and I spoke about this at length in (open link) our latest PONcast (close link) and ended up going on a bit of a rant because, as much as the whole debacle has been played down, it's unacceptable.

Since the turn of the century, Notts have been a notoriously difficult team to support. Save for a relatively bright spell between 2009 and 2013 when we were promoted and put in a decent stint in League One, plus a couple of enjoyable cup days out, it's been nothing but misery.

And Notts fans, the real Notts fans, would support their team even though they were getting humiliated by non-league teams on national television, even though they were fighting relegation from the EFL, even though there have been various winding-up orders and, earlier this year, the real fear of the club ceasing to exist.

Now that the ship has steadied, now that there's a good chairman at the club, now there's a good young manager, now the infrastructure is good, now the team's flying high in the league, how have the long-suffering fans been recognised on national TV?

By bringing in a bunch of photogenic "lads" to parade as Notts "fans" despite supporting other teams and not giving the real fans a look-in.

And by the looks of it, it's not like there was a shortage of suitable Notts fans who were keen to go on the show.

Alan Hardy has defended their appearance on the show, even going on himself, and stressed that he had no control, that Sky had the ultimate say over which fans would appear on the show.

But whatever the reasonings were, the fact of the matter is, six guys went on a show claiming to be Notts County fans, all relatively young and photogenic, all wearing either Jake Bugg home shirts or Paragon away shirts and skinny jeans, none recognised by the bulk of the fanbase and several of those seemingly showing support for other teams on their own social media.

And even though it's the kind of thing that shouldn't really be a big deal - given Soccer AM is watched by something like 40 people and a goat nowadays - it feels like a slap in the face to the fans who have suffered for years for the sake of their beloved team, being overlooked in favour of a bunch of phonies.

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This week, the biggest sports news company in the world officially backed Notts County to win the League Two title.

The Sky Sports League Two Predictor believes that the Magpies will finish top of the standings ahead of the likes of Luton Town, Coventry City and the other big sides in the division.

My initial reaction was yet again to pinch myself, as the 2017-18 League Two campaign really has been something much different than previous seasons and it’s something which I hope isn’t just the start – I hope it’s the beginning for more to come.

It also seems like Notts might be turning a small corner in the way that people view the club, I actually feel like we have returned to being the family club we've always strived to be and youngsters are seeming to buy into this also.

Being in a good position for promotion from League Two will naturally help, yet I feel we are becoming a fairly trendy side to support and although I would point out that it’s early days, I actually feel much of this is down to the takeover of Alan Hardy, as without him we wouldn’t have the right type of young manager at the helm.

Kevin Nolan certainly adds a lot of interest and I think this is shown even more so by how he’s linked within various clubs managerial positions.

But yeah, seeing the club tipped for promotion by the sports giant Sky – it seems so surreal.

Even seeing the club return back to first place is something that seems different, as usually we don’t have this much luck – in fact the recent draw against Stevenage would have perhaps seen us fall down the table previously.

Yet we have managed to remain top, even after a fairly frustrating dry spell too – so this says a lot about the current ambitions for the club.

I’ve been saying for a while just how much difference the hard work that goes into the club makes, and if we as fans are right – well, being where we are right in November is an excellent place to be.

Quite a few people have said to me that Notts haven’t given up a lead once we reached this point in the season, and I very much hope they’re right.

Christmas will be the spell where we will know more, yet I have faith that we can maintain pressure on promotion this season. Provided we can continue to grind out results, yet improve and move away from the relapses within the starts to games.

I’m not going to dwell on the route-one stuff, as I feel it’s being said more than enough now but we do look very good passing along the turf.

And as I mentioned earlier, I hope that this point is the beginning for more to come.

I honestly feel like the foundations are good and people care passionately about the club – not just in terms of us fans but the people who continue to restore the pride and traditions of this club.

Stability seems like a long time due, and if we continue to see players recognised within the Team of the Week – along with Kevin Nolan in contention for the Manager of the Month award(s), than surely Sky are onto something with their backing.

Although it’s flattering to be tipped for the League Two title, we still have more than half the amount of games left to be played and that’s a long way to go.

I’m just mindful of the expectations and added pressure, I just feel like it doesn’t change what we left to do. Nolan and his players just have to crack on with each game as they come, whilst avoiding disruption.

I’m quite content to enjoy the roller coaster remaining positive with regards to where we might finish, facts like these are nice but play no motivation towards me getting carried away at all.

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The draw for the second round of the FA Cup has given Notts a home game against Oxford City, who play in the National League North.

At first glance, it might seem like the Magpies have escaped the worst of the potential opponents, with the likes of Wigan Athletic and Blackburn Rovers also in the hat (not to mention Scunthorpe United - part of me was thinking "we're gonna get them away aren't we?")

But in truth, a non-league outfit from two divisions below Notts County whose confidence will be sky high following a 1-0 win over another League Two side, Colchester United, in the first round will prove a tricky proposition.

A couple of weeks ago I wrote an article about how important it was for Notts not to let complacency get to them in October, which had several "easy" fixtures on paper compared to August and September.

As it turned out, the Magpies had a mixed month due to opponents not allowing Notts to play their typical game and indeed, results were mixed.

But Kevin Nolan is the perfect manager to steer a team in this kind of fixture. Having already been stung a few times against opponents we should - on paper - have beaten, he will not only have learned his lessons in terms of gameplay, but will also ensure that any complacency will be stamped out.

Nobody will want reminding of this of course, but it cannot be shirked - Notts have not done well in recent years against non-league sides in the cup. Last year it took a replay to beat Boreham Wood, and the year before, Salford knocked us out of the competition in what I still remember as my most humiliating moment as a Notts fan.

East Anglian Daily Times reporter Carl Marston gave this assessment of Colchester's defeat to City, which shows just how difficult a proposition they could prove to be.

He wrote: "This was no smash-and-grab win from the non-league minnows. I thought Oxford City fully deserved their victory, and passage through to the second round of the FA Cup.

"They were unlucky not to score in the first half. Matt Paterson hit Sam Walker’s bar with a superb free-kick, and the same player peppered the target with a couple of shots before half-time.

"And it was Paterson who came up with a worthy winner, heading home a precision cross from Dave Pearce after just 34 seconds of the second half.

"City always looked a danger going forward. Wingers Pearce and Zac McEachran were excellent, Paterson was a constant thorn in the U’s defence up top, and Rob Sinclair supported him in a withdrawn role.

"All in all, the U’s did not do enough to earn a replay, visiting keeper Jack Stevens having very few saves to make."

So, it's absolutely crucial that Oxford City be shown the same amount of respect shown to the likes of Wigan, Blackburn and so on, and before anyone even thinks of the third round, they need to navigate this opponent first.

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The EFL Trophy is despised by a significant proportion of football fans, and rightly so.

It's effectively been hijacked by the Premier League for the benefit of their academies to give their reserve teams some competitive action.

This has come at the expense of the teams in League One and League Two, who cannot do the same thing themselves and will even be sanctioned if they fail to field a number of first-team players.

It's not like the teams in the bottom two divisions of the Football League already have 50-odd games to play already when you factor in the 46 standard league games, potentially the playoffs, and the League and FA Cups.

No, let's force their already tired and weary players to turn out not for one extra game, as it was in the past, but three more games as a minimum.

But let's face it, when was the last time that the EFL Trophy actually any good?

Having a competition only open to the 48 teams in the third and fourth tier was never going to throw up any bumper ties.

Previously, there was a 50-50 team that you'd be playing a team that you'd be facing twice in the league anyway.

And even if you were drawn against a team in the league above or below you, it's still unlikely to be the kind of match-up that will make fans excited.

The only exception to this would be if you were drawn against a fallen "giant" - say Blackburn Rovers or Charlton Athletic. Only then would it be somewhat exciting for a fourth-tier team.

But even then, would the more illustrious team actually make any effort in the competition? Winning such a tinpot competition as the EFL Trophy would be a permanent mark of shame for such a team, a reminder that they had once fallen on hard times.

And on top of that, having a competition played largely on weekdays may work if it's something like the Champions League, or the latter rounds of a proper competition like the FA Cup or League Cup, but a midweek trip to Morecambe or Southend is hardly going to generate enthusiasm - and it's not like there's the prospect of better ties ahead.

That said, even having a group with local rivals Mansfield Town and Lincoln City, as it is at present, is not a particularly exciting thing, given it feels forced, plus all the previous points that made the competition shoddy in the first place, plus the Premier League meddling that have rendered the competition at best pointless, at worst outright toxic.

The EFL Trophy is a moribund, pointless and utterly futile competition. The Premier League intervention can either be seen as an attempt to breathe new life into it, or as a parasite or virus that has taken over its host and completely zombified it.

Either way, it reflects badly on the competition, so the best thing would be to just let it die off.

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Winning football games is never the easiest thing to achieve. However, when you do manage to pull it off, it restores a sense of pride, not just within the club and its players but it spreads within the fan community.

The momentum it builds can be a very powerful psychological tool, which I believe is a part of why Notts County have managed to assert themselves strongly after the opening day defeat to Coventry City.

It’s been a long time since the club has felt like it’s moving in the right direction, and I believe we should continue to aim high.

Another aspect which only deserves praise is the fact that key players have upped their game – something which started from day one after Kevin Nolan arrived at Meadow Lane.

It would be unfair to suggest that the form which turned the club around during the 2016-17 season lies anywhere else and I feel strongly that the majority of the squad have continued this within their own right into 2017-18.

It’s this kind of form and focus which I would like the club to work towards now. However, I don’t suggest this isn’t the case – I do feel the focus has been lost somewhat.

Adam Collin has been a different keeper this term, he’s really impressed me and I still feel right now he doesn’t get the praise he deserves.

For the most part Richard Duffy has been solid, although admittedly I am not his biggest fan – I do feel he offers something which contributes to the success we are seeing on the field.

Dan Jones as a new signing has been paramount and has given the club a lot more pace at the back – after the shaky start he really has found his form prior to the recent injury.

At right back, Matt Tootle has been probably the most consistent player, something which I noticed myself last season.

He just seemed a different character on and off the pitch, and I am pleased to see that he feels open enough to talk about depression – something which I myself suffer from.

That’s the thing about the 2017-18 season, every player has largely been working towards the same goal and the added competition really has helped people thrive – perhaps not Tootle as much as Nolan has suggested recently but it certainly has for players such as Collin, Jonathan Forte and Carl Dickinson.

Whilst Nicky Hunt is a good character to have around, and someone capable for players to learn from, he really hasn’t done anything to push Tootle for his position.

I know it won’t be a popular opinion, however I would rather see Elliott Hewitt push Tootle because all Elliott requires is time to learn and gain experience.

However, it is still a positive note just how much widely across the pitch we have improved and there is depth within the squad when you take games seriously.

Whilst again, people suggest that Notts are unable to maintain their current form, if targets are a part of what got us here, ambition and desire should be more than enough to help us on our way with a return to form.

This is exactly why I feel the club should continue to aim high, we need to dig deep and believe – reverting back to the basics will help (as will keeping the ball on the ground).

And I really don’t believe in the curse of the Manager of the Month, if you remain grounded and focused on your tasks at hand, this is nothing more than praise for a job well done.

The majority of fans know that have leaders on the pitch, perhaps not captain material but we have a squad which cares – so let’s keep Notts flying high.

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So we're a third of the way through the League Two campaign and the table does not lie. Notts County are second in the standings, with 30 points from 15 games and the second-best goal difference out of the 24 teams at + 9 (and Luton are way ahead of everyone else this season with +22).

Yes, if you had asked me back in July if I would have taken this position for the Magpies a third of the way through the season I would not only have said yes, but I probably would have laughed at you for suggesting something so implausible.

But as it stands, here we are nicely right near the top of the league, only one point behind a very impressive Luton outfit. And yes, credit where credit's due with regards to Alan Hardy and Kevin Nolan's work, not only in stopping the rot last season but for the top-to-bottom repairs carried out on and off the pitch.

Both Nolan and Mark Crossley have hit out at negativity from fans in recent weeks, while Hardy has also found himself in the firing line a couple of times on social media. And I do know where they're coming from - it does seem like some people would moan if Notts snapped up Lionel Messi, probably saying he's too old and that young English players should get a chance instead.

But with regards to the performances, there can be no denying that, at various points over the last few weeks, standards on the pitch HAVE slipped, and that Notts have resorted to lumping the ball from the back towards the attackers and bypassing the midfield. This isn't fans being ungrateful or disrespectful, it's making a point about what, and I'll say it again, at various points over the last few weeks, has been witnessed by the fans.

Football is a public game which relies on thousands, if not millions, of eyeballs on the pitch (and the money which comes with people wanting to see the action), and fans will have opinions about what they see. Sure, there will be unreasonable ones and there will be downright hostile ones, but by and large, the majority of fans have their heads screwed on and, although they know in the grand scheme of things the club is doing fantastically well, it's a case of alarm bells beginning to ring if standards begin to slip and getting a little panicky.

In all fairness, can you blame fans for getting panicky given Notts have a history of beginning the season well, only for it to go downhill? We have been scarred by years and years of being right up there and starting to believe, only for things to go **** up.

One year ago today, Notts had beaten a superb Portsmouth side 2-1 away at Fratton Park, leaving us sixth in the table with 21 points from 14 games. And you won't need reminding what happened after that.

No, I am not being all doom and gloom. I am not saying this will happen again. I know things are much different both behind the scenes and on the pitch, and there is more chance that Leicester City will go on to win the Premier League again this season than Hardy nor Nolan allowing things to slip more than a fraction.

What I am saying is that Notts fans may be a little jumpier than others - a few years ago we were officially voted the most stressed out fanbase in the top four divisions - so the term I will use is "once bitten, twice shy" with regards to alarm bells ringing.

Football is never meant to be an easy ride. It's only easy in hindsight, when a championship has been wrapped up, and that's usually when the DVDs come out so fans can relive the key moments safe in the knowledge that everything will pan out great.

So even though we KNOW that, deep down, the club is a million miles away from the shambles of yesteryear, fans should not be blamed for being a little uneasy at times.

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The performances so far from Notts County during the 2017-18 season haven’t been the ‘most complete’, something which Kevin Nolan has admitted himself.

However every fan should give credit to Nolan for where we are, sitting second in the league after 14 games with 9 of those being wins is very impressive.

Especially after the turmoil of the last few seasons, there will always be a transitional period, and I do honestly feel bad performances are part and parcel of that.

This said I do feel we should abandon the hoof ball tactics, as it invites pressure onto ourselves by being poor in possession.

I feel some of the best performances that have come from Notts during this campaign came by having played the ball on the ground.

Nolan was bemused at the start of the season after his side was labelled ‘a route one football’ team.

He said: "If someone is under pressure, then put it in an area that is going to give our forwards or a winger an opportunity but hurt the opposition in the process. If you are a centre-half what is the ball you hate? It’s not one coming on to your head, it’s one in behind.

"It’s not about putting balls onto Jon Stead’s head because that’s not his game. A lot of people maybe thought his game was that.

"For people to say that’s what we want to do is ludicrous."

The problem is we are more reliant of hoofing it than we are at keeping calm in procession, or against the run of play.

In recent weeks, fans have suggested that the problem stems from the attack, mostly that the strikers aren’t doing their jobs – yet I wholeheartedly disagree with this.

We all know that there’s a limited amount of service to our strike force, especially in games where we struggle, and the route one football has perhaps helped at times – yet it's largely hindering the progression we can truly make.

Nolan has also said that he doesn’t want Notts to pass for the sake of it, something which reinforces the fact that we are reliant on hoofing the ball.

"I’ve never been a manager who likes passing it for passing sake," he said.

"There are managers out there who like to keep it, then look at the possession stats afterwards and say we kept it for 80 percent of the game. But I’ve been involved in matches against United, Arsenal etc and they’ve had the ball 75 percent of the game, but we’ve won 1-0.

"That’s the only stat that matters and that’s because we got it right defensively, and we did the basics right. So in that 25 percent possession, we’ve scored a goal."

In recent weeks I would argue that we aren’t getting the basics right at all, and in this division you can’t rely on the odd goal as a cushion – you have to be clinical and defensively solid.

Passing allows you to grow in confidence, players will naturally get a feel for the game and it largely assists with setting the tempo.

Most teams win games simply because they handled these simple facts, whilst allowing the pressure to be absorbed away from the defence – clearing the ball and attempting to force the play only returns frustration and it really does play into the advantage of the opposition.

I have spoken about the hard work which all the players and staff have put in, and it always seems like going top of the League Two table is the issue – yet we must believe in what we do.

I really hope Nolan finds a way to get the team focusing more on how we proceed with games, rather than just hacking at the ball – if you watch the training highlights released by the club, virtually everything is played on the deck, so why is it different when we go into games?

For me it’s not passing for the ‘sake of it’, it’s a case of ensuring we are doing enough to protect ourselves.

Teams which focus on hoofing it generally fall under those that lack quality, we know Notts have depth and capable players – I also mentioned it earlier about how when we do pass along the floor how much better we look.

Losing to Crewe means very little, it's all about how we respond but we have been stuttering since playing Mansfield Town at Field Mill towards the end of last month.

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This story has really refused to go away ever since Notts County were first linked with Liam Noble back in the pre-season – yet the club has taken it a step further by officially signing him on a free transfer after he was released by Forest Green Rovers earlier in the week.

Friends had been telling me how Noble’s re-signing could be a beneficial thing for us, usually followed by the ‘especially if Jorge Grant goes back to Nottingham Forest in January’.

However, for me this is a mere assumption and I really can’t see Jorge Grant being recalled because although he’s done well, he’s not quite the moulded League Two player we know he can be, so why would Forest consider recalling him for the Championship? It just seems like one of those weak reasons to justify a return of a player given more chances than a cat has lives.

I’m really sick of this! The news is extremely disappointing and I fail to make sense of the decision behind capturing Noble's services yet again.

I’ve lost count of the times I’ve said or written it, but I fail to see how he can be of any use after he failed to help a struggling League Two team.

And the fact that he signed another deal with Forest Green just a short 3 months ago, it seems even more bizarre that he has decided to ask them to tear up his contract – especially after going on video and saying just how delighted he was to extend his stay there until 2020.

Speaking to the FGR website had Noble said: “I'm delighted. There was obviously a lot of speculation over the summer but I am a Forest Green player and happy to be here to go again for another few years

"We won at Wembley and I wanted to stay. As soon as I spoke to the chairman and manager about a new deal it was a no brainer to stay because I think the club are going places.”

It’s ironic how quickly things can change once you're staring non-league right in the face again.

The word unimpressed would be the easiest way to explain how I am feeling, yet it goes beyond that – I’m disappointed and I feel that the risk is such a huge gamble that it really doesn’t make much sense.

Kevin Nolan spoke about wanting players to be at Notts, he wanted them to be passionate and focused – how much will Noble adhere to this framework?

"We are trying to find out if certain people are available and if they want to come here but, like last season, there will be nobody here who does not want to be here," the manager said.

How long until Noble decides he doesn’t want to be at Notts? He’s shown already that he’s quite fickle when it comes to football already.

Besides reading through Twitter, I noticed a friend Keith Waterfall had mentioned something quite striking – he wrote: "In my opinion Kevin Nolan looks at Liam Noble and sees Kevin Nolan."

This really struck me, as the two are very much alike and if you cast your memories back to Nolan’s days at West Ham United – you will recall him being sent off near Christmas after committing a foul very similar to the one Noble made before Mark Cooper sent him home during his last spell at Meadow Lane.

Don’t get me wrong, despite the level of frustration that I am feeling, I am more than willing to give Noble another chance, but I am nervous that the type of person he is will come back to haunt Notts. As I have said, I don’t question his ability but I do question his attitude, along with his approach to the game, because it’s quite clear that he wants to be playing higher than he is and there are demons quite obviously there when he doesn’t get what he believes a person of his talent deserves.

He’s not the type of player I feel sets a very high example, and even after Notts chairman Alan Hardy attempted to throw fog onto the speculation by tweeting a fan “Liam who?” and then later “That boat has sailed, don’t worry.” – it just seems all rather bizarre.

If we have signed a player that will give his all, avoid silly challenges and focus on being a team player – who can use his ability to help the club (rather than himself) then fair enough.

And hopefully Nolan will understand how to deal with someone like Noble, however I just hope that it won’t backfire or create friction within the camp.

We already have competitive midfield players deserving of a chance to start, so I really wonder how this move will work out.

We can only assume, yet I understand why there are people even more annoyed than I am about this.

We’ll have to wait until January to see how things pan out, we need to focused on the league and ensuring that we are fighting to maintain our current form – as it’s already been an amazing journey this season and I would hate for silly politics to derail us as it always seems to be the case.

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Despite having to reflect on the Forest Green Rovers game quite early, I wanted to take time to reflect on the game – which like most Notts fans I wasn’t very impressed with.

There’s no denying that we have had a great start to the season, and along with Kevin Nolan picking up the League Two Manager of the Month award for September it really does highlight the amazing progress we have made so far.

However, it's not been nice seeing us struggle to a side that is at the foot of the table and seeing a lot of issues within the game which honestly continues to nag me now.

I can write the last two performances off quite easily, yet I strongly feel that the past two games are a wake-up call and that the club must go back to basics, whilst working hard on the training ground just to iron out the last two performances.

Kevin Nolan himself has openly admitted that the players simply didn’t turn up against Forest Green, whilst also adding recently that ‘nerves’ may have affected the team’s performance.

During his post-match interview, he said: "I'm relieved, fair play to the lads, they persevered and got their rewards in the end with a well-worked goal.

"I don't think we turned up today, which is disappointing. A lot of lads didn't have one of their better days but the togetherness they showed got us over the line and earned a point, which they can take a massive lift from."

Don’t get me wrong here, I found it hard to celebrate the goal because it felt like we had dropped points. I honestly don’t believe we deserved the goal, despite having worked harder towards the end of the second half.

I feel we robbed Forest Green Rovers, and I just hoped for a better response after Mansfield.

I’m unsure how there’s anything remotely uplifting about the performance, it’s not a massive lift – again we as fans have been let down.

Certainly we are still in a very good position and I’m not remotely wanting to be negative, yet I urge a sense of realism because the progress made simply can’t go to waste.

The hard work which has seen us turn around the massive land slide of last season has brought a lot of optimism and I really am enjoying the season.

That said, I can’t ignore the backwards steps we have made and just how poorly Notts County defended against Forest Green.

"As a management team we will sit down and think of ways we can help the players, I just felt on Saturday we went away a bit from the tempo we usually play at. We played to Forest Green’s instead and we didn’t exploit their weaknesses." Nolan added.

For me it was a complete role reversal, and FGR made us look like the team stuck at the bottom of the League Two table.

We had little tempo, going forward we looked like a side without confidence or faith within their own decision making on the field – whilst at the back we just allowed a side that does have a very capable midfield to look even better.

However, I do agree with Nolan that we simply didn’t exploit Forest Green's weaknesses and their defence is exactly that – we should have been pressuring them but instead we ended up pressuring ourselves.

Are we in trouble? I wouldn’t say so but I am concerned about how we have failed to respond after the stagnated performance against Mansfield – this weekend’s result feels worse in a way.

I just don’t want to see the hard work undone, however this would be typical of Notts County.

It’s just after all the recent issues within pre-seasons we must not underestimate the current progress, and it will require more focus from letting it slip – I hope each player believes that we are capable of containing this success of this season.

Now let’s bounce back by regaining our focus, Barnet will be a difficult test for Notts but Meadow Lane can be the encouragement the players require at this point in time.

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Two months into the season and Notts County are flying high. Top of League Two, joint-second highest goals scored on 21, joint-third lowest goals conceded on 11 (and just over half of those came in our two "blip" games).

What makes it all the more impressive is that there have been some really tough games in August and September - very much make or break. And credit to Kevin Nolan and the players (and Alan Hardy) it's been a case of "make".

August gave us two teams relegated from League One - one a bitter local rival - and a solid team boasting the very awkward Adebayo Akinfenwa. September, meanwhile, gave us the remaining two relegated sides, the Prawn bogey team, and two more East Midlands rivals.

And despite this run, Notts got through these months in fantastic fashion.

Now, into October. On paper, this month is a lot, lot more straightforward. The first three teams (Forest Green, Barnet and Crewe) are all in the bottom six at present, before the long-haul Carlisle away day and, to finish off the month (once we get past the meaningless EFL Trophy game with Mansfield), Newport at home, a team that, to their credit, has begun the season well, but remain short of quality.

The key words here are "on paper". Fixture-wise, this month will need Nolan to really put his "no complacency" mantra into practice. And my view is that the first two months of the season, where the manager has seen players out of the starting XI or even the squad for dropping standards, will have served as good preparation for the next four weeks.

Maybe the defeat at Field Mill could also prove to be a blessing in disguise. The whole of September was outstanding and, in a way, us fans got a little "used" to winning. Maybe the players ended up taking the foot off the pedal in terms of mentality and, lo and behold, the Stags had our pants down. A rude awakening, but one that will jolt the team back into the right frame of mind.

Already there's talk on the forum of FGR being a team that we "are going to slaughter". Based on form, league standing and player quality, it would seem the case, but already we have lost half the battle by thinking this way. Remember, Mark Cooper is an ex-Notts manager and historically they have got their own back on their former employers.

Arguably the biggest sub-plot of the weekend's game, that of Liam Noble returning to his old stomping ground, seems to have been put on ice given that FGR have ruled him out sans return date due to medical issues, but if he does end up playing, there's that age-old "former player returns to haunt his former club" which fate almost always springs up (hell, we saw it ourselves when Terry Hawkridge bagged his first for Notts against, who else, Lincoln).

So in a nutshell, an easy month on paper is very much a potential pitfall, so Nolan will arguably be given an even sterner test this month - motivating a player to be 100% against a Coventry or Exeter is not as difficult as getting the same percentage against a Barnet or Newport.

Over to you boys - don't get complacent, or the amazing start we've had so far in 2017/18 will end up being an irrelevant memory like all the great starts we've had in recent years.

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Juventus's summer transfer business ended with a reinforcement in midfield, Blaise Matuidi, who came from Paris Saint-Germain and chose number 14, and a defender, Benedikt Howedes, who came from Schalke 04 and chose shirt number 21.

Following the closure of the transfer market, our competitive fixtures started: in the Italian Supercoppa final, Juve lost 3-2 to Lazio, with a Paulo Dybala brace not enough to win.

Dybala, aka "La Joya" (the jewel), is playing his first season with the number 10 shirt. "It's an honour," Dybala, who started the season very well, told the press.

Serie A started with Juve-Cagliari and finished 3-0 for us Bianconeri. Juve then won again in the next two league matches against Genoa and Chievo.

Up next was the Champions League group stage, with Barcelona, Olympiacos and Sporting Lisbon in our group.

The first game was in Catalonia, where Barca beat us 3-0. At Camp Nou, Mattia De Sciglio was injured and will be out for about 40 days.

After that game we won the three successive league matches, against Sassuolo, Fiorentina and against Torino, once again proving Turin is a black and white! We then won our second CL match, a 2-0 victory over Olympiacos.

On the 7th day of Serie A we draw 2-2 with Atalanta, goals by Federico Bernardeschi (first goal for Juve) and Gonzalo Higuain.

At present, Napoli are top of the league table by two points. However, Dybala is top of the goalscoring charts with 10 goals.

On October 14, we will head to the Allianz Stadium in Rome to face Lazio.

Meanwhile, off the pitch, the authorities decided the future of our president, Andrea Agnelli.

Andrea, accused of selling tickets for matches to 'mafioso' organisations, was banned for one year (disqualification), plus a 20,000 euro fine and a 300,000 euro fine for Juve.

The Juve players who are currently injured are Sami Khedira and Claudio Marchisio, who will return shortly; Miralem Pjanic, who is to be evaluated; De Sciglio, Howedes, who should be available in a couple of weeks, and Marko Pjaca, who suffered an ACL injury in March and is on the mend - within a month we could see him at last.

Juve are also expecting the return of Douglas Costa back to his best and, with the international break, he has time to rest.

Our next goals are to return to the top of the league and progress in the Champions League!

Thank you to Leo from Daje Juve for this article. Follow them on Instagram by clicking here.

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A lot has been said about the policing and stewarding of Notts supporters at Mansfield on Saturday. Now I'm not for one second going to claim that our fans are all angels, although find me a club that doesn't have it's fair share of idiots, but year in year out when we go to Mansfield we get treated like absolute dirt, and it's becoming a joke.

When we go to Mansfield, we're banned from the town centre and pubs. When they come to us they get free roam of the city. There was a pub near the station actually advertising itself as being open to Notts fans, yet when Notts fans arrived at Mansfield station police blocked the route towards the pub and forced us straight to the ground.

I saw families with young children trying to make their own way to the ground, being told by police to wait and being forced to join the police escort to the ground. For what reason? Who's going to start a fight with a mum & dad and two young children?

I know football is tribal, and that's what makes it so special. I don't like Mansfield one bit, but I think 99% of us are quite capable of walking to a ground without feeling the need to assault somebody for wearing a different football shirt to us.

When we got to the ground it was supposed to be a full search policy before we were allowed in. Some people were not searched at all, some were searched in a completely over the top and somewhat degrading manner. I wasn't searched, yet my overnight bag was virtually emptied. Any need?

You then get crammed into a small caged area behind the stand which is nowhere near big enough to accommodate that many fans. You've got young children and disabled people being squeezed in amongst that.

You've then got completely needless heavy handed stewarding inside the ground, stewards trying to snatch flags from fans. I saw a steward physically grab a fan by the neck for taking photographs of our fans!

Then coming out of the ground we're again herded like cattle back to the station, and then East Midlands Trains in their infinite wisdom lay on a train made up of 2 coaches to transport Notts fans back to Nottingham. We were crammed in like cattle, and you had police shouting at us to move down the train, even though we barely had room to breathe! If I had been on that train for much longer I would've been sick.

We got hammered on the day and deservedly so, so this probably sounds like sour grapes, but come on, why do we get treated like animals? Not just us at Mansfield, but football fans in general. By no means am I saying it's like it was in the 70s and 80s, but it's far from good. Treat people like animals and they will behave like animals.

It's 2017, surely they can now differentiate between normal football fans just going for a day out with their mates to watch their team, and complete idiots who are there with the sole intention of causing trouble.

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Heading into the Nottinghamshire derby yesterday, I had a sense of uncertainty about the game. I always knew it would be a tight match, one which may be physical and difficult for us to get hold of.

The starting line-up on paper actually seemed very good, minus the odd changes which I would have personally made myself - mentioned already within the Pride of Nottingham scouting report and more recently the tactical talk piece I write.

Yet it was clear even from the kick off that we seemed quite unsure how to deal with Mansfield, despite having a few spells where we looked alright.

At the back we simply didn’t, I counted at least four chances which the Stags wasted within the first half and a part from Shaun Brisley everyone in defence seemed to be napping.

It was like all the talk leading into the game actually meant nothing, and I refuse to believe that Mansfield controlled the game that well that they stopped us playing – for me it just like we arrived thinking it would be easier than it was.

It’s disappointing because many of the players spoke about being ready and keen to do well in the local derby, however this wasn’t the case.

Yes, it’s a bad day in the office and we were beaten by a fairly decent Mansfield – yet they were not special.

They didn’t impress me much at all, in fact I was annoyed throughout the game for how easily they went down or just plain dived.

Even the referee was frustrating, yet even a different match official wouldn’t have made much difference.

Simply yesterday Notts reverted back to the opening game of the season against Coventry City.

I feel now pretty much the same as I did when I wrote my article about how Notts got it wrong against the Sky Blues  – however I wasn’t that disappointed because in my heart I knew it was the first game of the season and we were up against a tough side.

We invited Mansfield to play us, we allowed them to hit us and defensively we were just very poorly organised.

It’s very difficult to win a game when your defenders simply cannot cope with doing the basics, and I feel massively let down by each one of them – as we arrived top of the table and in good stead to turn the recent fortunes that we have had at Field Mill.

Any defeat I can accept, and as I told fans who asked me for my thoughts, I am confident that we can bounce back.

But there’s a big but: if this Notts County squad wants to achieve something special this season, we must go into these types of games at least trying to avoid giving the game away.

Yes, we are bound to lose, and there was always that nagging feeling that it would be Mansfield to end our undefeated run but we shouldn’t just lay back and take it.

I’m sorry, there was little to no fight yesterday! That’s the most disappointing thing for me, as the warning signs all came within the first half and despite the decent chances Mansfield had – they wasted sitters! A good side would have sunk them, not missed.

I personally think Kevin Nolan should have made a change at half time, yet we clearly missed Dan Jones because Carl Dickinson was terrible but second to Richard Duffy who was asleep for all three goals – just like he was at the Ricoh Arena.

These types of games are the ones you want to see the fight, and we know we can do it!

Scunthorpe United, Wycombe Wanderers are games which highlights this, Mansfield invited us to play them after scoring their third and we looked fairly capable of scoring from there on.

Had we have scored a little earlier, some pride might have been restored but hearing the offensive songs sung by their fans really rubbed salt into the wounds.

It’s like we struggle to raise to expectations when we fans give a great amount of backing, yet we need to come good against Forest Green Rovers – this can’t be the end of the good times within the 2017-2018 League Two season.

We have shown how good we can be as underdogs, and perhaps there’s been a bit of luck but as the favourites we really should do better.

There are some good games coming up which might allow us to forget Mansfield, and as I say I do believe we can bounce back but we also have to strive to avoid losing like we did yesterday – as it could be the thing which haunts us at the end of the season.

I really don’t want us to be punished by a poorer goal difference, so let’s get the defence looking good and we can build from there.

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As Kevin Keegan would say, 'I will love it if we beat them.'

This phrase applies so much to Notts fans for this game.

It's not just about pride, passion or bragging rights.

It's about revenge.

Revenge for the defeats, the pain we have suffered whilst the six fingered *insert swear word here* have celebrated and had their deluded heads up in the sky.

This derby is massive for Notts, not just to keep our unbeaten run and momentum going in the league, but we need to beat Mansfield.

We owe them for the last two seasons and we are need of a good result against them.

Although some fans don't view this as a particularly heated rivalry, others may think differently. For me it's slightly awkward as I was born in Nottingham but live in Mansfield.

But for me, I hate them. I can't stand their fans. They think they are so big, bigger than they actually are. It would be so nice to shut them up for once and show them for what they are. A really small football club.

Unlike previous meetings, this time we have the quality, the passion, the never say die attitude, the mentality and the togetherness. This year we can have them.

So let's back the lads and cheer Notts on to a derby win that has been long in waiting.

Three defeats hurt. They really do. Now it's time for payback. For revenge.

LET'S DO THIS

WE ARE THE BLACK AND WHITE ARMY

COME ON YOU PIES

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Yesterday whilst appearing as a guest on BBC Nottingham’s Match Talk, I was asked the question by David Jackson - "is it time to believe in promotion yet?"

It’s a question which I have asked fans myself, and it's one which the majority seem unsure how to answer.

Myself, I always remain optimistic about any season, especially as the table is still taking shape - but the 2017-18 season does seem special.

I also recall a discussion that was started by PON member Liampie which asked “Should we avoid getting carried away?”

At the time I felt similar, although I would say I was more quietly optimistic.

I could already sense a ‘positive vibe’ around Meadow Lane that just felt that season could be very different, I always tend to warn caution to the fans I know – yet it’s difficult when things are going in your favour for once to play down the fact Notts could gain promotion.

It’s still very early days within League Two, however I do believe we as supporters should try to really get behind the team.

In our match against Lincoln City, it was brilliant to see so many fans being vocal about encouraging the Kop to sing and once the home support had silenced the away end (the opposition fans didn’t really do much did they?) – it was one of the most enjoyable experiences that I had had in a number of seasons.

Not just purely because our lads controlled the second half well, or due to Lincoln continuing to try to get something from the match – despite all hopes.

It was more so because everyone around me - and I moved around the Kop as I watched the game - was fully enjoying themselves and I honestly feel it made a huge impact on the way that Notts played.

It’s also good to see that we have a bench made up of players who could start regularly and the fact we have a manager who can make several changes now that he knows who forms the best starting 11.

Another point made by David Jackson was the amount of luck which we had, as any fan will know we have had a tendency to attract opposite previous seasons.

Yet the striking difference this term is how hard-working we are as a team, this was visual against Swindon Town – a game which the majority felt we didn’t quite have the power to shrug them off, but we did manage to keep them mostly quiet.

I felt extremely proud during that game, as for once it seemed like we had a team which would protect the lead at all cost. A team that would run, scrap and work hard for their manager.

It’s still very early days, and I would echo the discussion myself and Joe Jones had in the latest Pride of Nottingham PONcast – things can change differently, yet whilst the squad works hard and puts in those determined performances – no matter what happens on the pitch, we will always be better off, and I think that is the prime example of what we have witnessed so far during the 2017-18 season.

Kevin Nolan has done a fantastic job keeping the players focused, he takes things game-by-game.

The Exeter win will have instilled further hope and ambition within my fellow supporters. However, let’s make this season less about luck and more about the passionate, free-fighting squad that gets the right results.

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One of the main talking points between Notts County v Lincoln City was the 28th minute incident, where Billy Knott dangerously went in studs showing on Ryan Yates – which earned The Imps player a red card.

However, despite the media and Lincoln manager Danny Cowley labelling it as the ‘changing moment’ – I would honestly disagree.

The first half wasn’t productive for either sides, the way Lincoln set themselves up cancelled out both teams and the game ended largely even despite them going down to 10 men – which for me was the correct decision.

Danny Cowley believes his players have ‘personal space’ on the pitch, but as an ex-footballer he should know there is no such thing.

He said: “It’s quite clear that Billy Knott is about to hook the ball on and Ryan Yates, ridiculously bravely, throws his head into Billy’s personal space and there’s a bit of contact.” – yet what you see is a player going for a ball before any movement is made by any Lincoln player.

What is ridiculous is the fact this bad challenge is being used as a very weak excuse as to why his side lost a football match.

Knott dangerously kicks high, his studs are raised and it’s clear that with such a tight amount of space that any sort of high movement would be dangerous – I find it ludicrous that a manager wouldn’t acknowledge this, let alone believe he stands a chance at having the decision rescinded.

Let’s face it, the red card wasn’t remotely the defining moment in the game but of course bitter people will suggest this.

Despite going down to 10 men Lincoln still enjoyed spells of the first half, where I actually felt that they didn't appear to be without a player at all – they seemed to cope fine and even after Jon Stead scored they looked decent in control.

I was taking pictures when they scored, however I spoke to several fans and they all praised Lincoln for getting back into the game.

The defining moment was after they scored, Notts County simply got on with it and took control of the game by pulling themselves 2-1. This for me is the ‘defining moment’, as it appeared Notts had broken the chains which restrained them within the first half.

You could argue that it created space, yet I encourage people who read this – go back and look at how Lincoln organised themselves.

And the Pride of Nottingham Man of the Match Jon Stead deserves a lot of praise with how he dealt with being heavily marked – perhaps if Lincoln hadn’t decided to stick multiple players on him they would have handled the space better.

Seriously, I believe there was a positive reaction to Lincoln scoring and I know Kevin Nolan has mentioned that he sees we have 6-7 leaders on the pitch but it was almost like the opposition side didn’t exist, regardless if they was one man down.

After Matt Tootle scored, Lincoln seemed to be broken. Perhaps it was frustration or simply that Notts did truly shown their class within the squad half – yet whatever we threw at them they simply didn’t defend well.

There’s little excuses beyond how Lincoln defended, hence why I feel that the red card is their way of clutching onto defeat.

After the match, I walked back to the train station with a group of 100+ Lincoln fans due to the Nottinghamshire police pushing into their path and I didn’t hear any complaints about the red card or the referee.

The only comment I heard was about how it would have been nice for them to end the game with 11 players on the pitch, yet notably accepted that they Notts ‘were one of the better teams’ The Imps had played.

I actually felt they gave us a decent game, and played some good stuff attacking wise but from a defensive point of view they panicked, simple as that.

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I have to say, Jorge Grant is not the only person linked to Notts County who thinks the team's campaign so far has exceeded his expectations. I've been pinching myself about just how well the Pies have done. And many other fans will also be somewhat incredulous about the season so far.

Over the years we have been mentally engineered to prepare for, experience and cope with disappointment. So to be witnessing a club that, at present, is stable and performing well from top to bottom feels like uncharted territory.

With Notts currently second in the table, boasting an eight-game unbeaten run in all competitions and, crucially, having won the last four league games and not conceded a single goal in those, is great to see.

But with such an impressive run of form so early in the season, there has to be another thing taken into account: expectation management. The mind begins wondering "what if..." and the P word appears.

But at the same time, you keep telling yourself "it's too early, don't think about it, take it one game at a time" or maybe even "nope, not gonna happen". Cognitive dissonance at its finest.

Kevin Nolan is trying his best to stay grounded and taking it one game at a time. Alan Hardy, meanwhile, has shown how easy it is for that optimism to filter out with a recent tweet in which, talking about Manchester United and Manchester City, he added: "Definite 1st and 2nd. Toss a coin on which one finishes the higher. Sounds a bit like Notts County & Exeter City." Hinting that Notts might still be there would be incredible, but then comes the mental slapping-yourself-on-the-wrist thought of "not yet, it's too early!"

The finest example of expectation management I can think of in recent history is from Claudio Ranieri when he was at Leicester City, who kept his side grounded and plugging away one game at a time for the entire season - and helped a team who were tipped for relegation to the Premier League title.

County's mission to earn promotion is not quite on the same stratospheric calibre as a smallish team overcoming some of the richest clubs in the world to win the PL title, but Notts will nonetheless have to maintain their nerve, and from what Nolan has shown so far in terms of what he demands from his players and also in managing the side's expectations, he definitely seems like the best man for the job, which bodes well moving forward.

The remaining three fixtures in September will definitely be a mini-test in itself - two local derbies, against Lincoln City and more importantly Mansfield Town, plus the top-of-the-table-so-far clash against Exeter City. Three difficult fixtures from both a physical and a mental perspective, and with the possibility of Notts ending September with a 100% record, Nolan will need to pull out all the stops to keep his players focused before, during and after the games, which will no doubt be blood-and-thunder affairs.

As for myself, the way I keep managing my expectations is by telling myself to just enjoy the good atmosphere while it lasts, just seeing each game out one by one, and remember that being in a serene, stable place as the club is now, compared to last year, is something that should be enjoyed for what it is no matter what happens at the top of the table. Anything else, well, it's just a bonus.

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One striking difference I have noticed during the 2017-18 League Two season for Notts is that Kevin Nolan has delivered on his words.

He has his side playing for the shirt, he’s tightened up the defence and made each player accountable on the pitch. It’s hard to imagine Notts playing like they did last season, especially under John Sheridan.

When you think about changing the philosophy a team plays, you wouldn’t expect the changes to be made so quickly – yet it was visible upon the appointment of Nolan that we have someone unlike the previous managers at Meadow Lane.

Whilst I would like to point out that it’s early days, I know enough fans who have warned me about the ‘Shaun Derry’ effect – but I do believe the club is moving in a clear direction, in fact I would say from the board down we are finally a club moving together.

The positivity around Meadow Lane is a joy right now, I have noticed fans who had stopped attending games due to the frustration (and various other reasons) are now back.

Home games are just another level, and although at times the Kop could be louder and the players could perform a little better – the fact we are grinding results out is such a positive thing right now. The stability level at Notts is at a new high, and this is something I hope will continue for a long time.

In previous articles, I have mentioned concerns which I do feel are starting to be addressed.

I’m pleased for Jonathan Forte and Rob Milsom who played well against Swindon Town – in a game where more than a few fans questioned the decision by Kevin Nolan to change five starting players.

I actually think Carl Dickinson picked up during the game and played well, although he looked like he was desperately needing match time early on (as he looked a little rusty). This demonstrates the availability we have within the squad, although I do agree there are areas which can be approved – this can happen come January.

I’ve always said it’s important for Notts County to send a signal of intent, not solely from the players that are signed but from the way we operate business on and off the field.

I feel it’s important for all players to feel respected, and settled within their squad duties. This starts from the board, yet it continues within the management and team dressing room. This is why I feel the contract talks between Alan Hardy and Nolan over the latter's future is pivotal to the success we may see this season.

Having the players see him secure a new contract on the merit of the work already achieved is such a huge reward, it sends the most positive message out of Meadow Lane and it’s a signal of intent that the football club is moving forwards.

Previous seasons I have been nervous seeing players’ contracts dwindle down, whether this was down to not knowing what the following season's budget was, debt, or simply a case of the players being unsure over their futures.

The foundations outlined by the managerial team is a big part of any club's success, I know this is football basics but for our club it seems to have been lost within the recent years.

So, it’s just good to see the positivity right now. I firmly believe the team performances will improve further, it will just take that moment for things to click on the pitch – hopefully between our strikers we have enough to continue.

Yet the goals are coming from all over the pitch, and one area I would love to see Notts score from is a corner – it seems like ages ago since we have done.

Though whilst it is early days, we must continue with our support and try to make Meadow Lane as lively as possible – after Jon Stead scored against Swindon Town I honestly feel the Kop shown its potential and this must create a buzz for the players.

I’m just very keen to see the work-rate continue, and would actively encourage Kevin Nolan to pen his contract – as I feel he can take the club much further than from the foot of the League Two table to where we currently stand.

You Pies!

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Approaching today's game against Swindon Town, Kevin Nolan has said that Jonathan Forte will start up front due to the injury suffered by Shola Ameobi.

Forte offers something different in attack compared to Jon Stead and Ameobi. He is easily our fastest striker and at the minute our most prolific with two league goals, coming against Wycombe and Morecambe, and one in the Checkatrade Trophy against Everton.

Pace up front is important in any league, especially in League Two. It can make all the difference, whether the striker in question is in the starting lineup trying to get you that early goal to set you up on the front foot, or coming on as an impact substitute trying to help the team get back into the game or grab a winning goal.

Forte is very much key to us due to our reliance on long balls up to Shola. His pace means we can play it on the ground more and it allows the midfield to help in creating chances, whilst when we play long balls up to Shola, the midfield is always bypassed and never get a chance to show what they are like as players when we attack.

Late in the game against Accrington he came on but we still persisted with plan A, which was long balls but this time it wasn't to Ameobi, it was to Forte himself. He is better suited to what happened for the second goal against Morecambe. Playing it on the ground. Providing through-balls which he can run onto and get in behind the defender. Defenders at this level hate pacey strikers.

If we played the ball on the ground we could be a lot stronger and more chances will come game by game. Nolan says he doesn't want to pass for the sake of it, but if we used Forte's strengths to our advantage and we take into consideration how well we played, playing passing football in the second half against Accrington, we could be a very very dangerous side.

The former Oldham man will be a very crucial player for Notts this season and could be the difference between playoffs or not. But we cannot judge him solely as an impact sub.

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As we come up to the eight-month mark since Alan Hardy’s takeover I thought I’d shine a light on his achievements so far at Notts County and highlight some key parts of his ownership in the club.

A bit of background on the main reason for the takeover. In February 2010 Ray Trew picked up the club with its priceless heritage and the Meadow Lane ground for £1 after Munto Finance, a firm that claimed to be backed by Middle East fortunes, turned out to be a complete pack full of lies.

During his ownership he oversaw Notts winning the League Two title in the 2009-2010 under Steve Cotterill. After the celebrations from promotion, though, it all sort of went wrong for Trew in terms of management.

Between 2009 and January 2017, Notts had gone through 13 managers. By 2016 I'm sure many other Notts fans would agree the situation at the club had become an absolute circus.

Trew eventually cut his losses and agreed to sell the club to Hardy for a reported £3.5m. Along with the keys to Meadow Lane, Hardy also inherited a commitment to HMRC to pay off the accumulated debts.

To put a long story short, finishing 17th in the league just a season before with relegation seemingly on the cards in 2017 and a bunch of outstanding cheques, Hardy had taken on an impossible task of retaining County's Football League status.

So, with the club taken over successfully and fans in desperate need of a statement for survival, what was Hardy’s statement?

His first step was to appoint a new manager as John Sheridan was shown the door for gross misconduct and verbal abuse of an official, bringing in Kevin Nolan, a quality midfielder for the likes of Bolton, West Ham and Newcastle but relatively untested as manager, save for a short spell at Leyton Orient.

At a time where relegation was looking like a real possibility the communication between Nolan and Hardy had to be flawless with no complications. With the takeover and new appointment happening in the January transfer window it was important for Notts to give their squad a real boost for the second half of the season.

Marc Bola, Jorge Grant, Josh Clackstone, Tahvon Campbell and Shola Ameobi were recruited, with all but Shola signing on loan.

So Hardy was already being praised for the money he had put into the club and the statement him and Nolan had made with the signings by the fans but how did things start to pan out?

Nolan managed to start off his Notts managerial career with a home draw against local rivals Mansfield Town. In 21 league games in charge he managed to secure 10 WINS, 4 DRAWS and 7 DEFEATS, for a side doomed for relegation that isn’t half bad. Nolan had turned a relegation battle into a mid-table team in 21 games and the fans were loving it.

Attendances started to rise and rise. With Hardy doing constant offers to bring new fans and existing fans to believe and support in a new Notts team. Hardy continues to impress fans by constantly investing in the club and making the Notts County experience enjoyable for all.

With the 2017-18 season looking promising we only have him to thank for his decision making and passion for this club.

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Four games into the 2017/18 League Two season I can honestly say how good it is to be back, with the club in a new direction and the players largely showing that we can move forward as a club – especially after the disappointing opening day defeat against Coventry City.

Performances against Scunthorpe United in the League Cup and against Wycombe Wanderers in the league highlight the much-improved atmosphere and work ethic at Notts.

With many of the new signings getting to grip with the expectations of Kevin Nolan, the togetherness in the early games shows just how different things are – whilst to a degree it shows just how much further the club could go.

I’d even say that the Magpies have exceeded my expectations, and I’m not overly disappointed about missing out on going top due to the draw against Accrington Stanley.

Yet despite it being very early into the new season, there are some concerns which will hopefully be dismissed after 7-10 games.

The first concern is the squad size - well, more the fact we seem to have signed players that are more ‘quantity’ rather than ‘quality’.

This said, some seem to be able to be future first-team players, yet it’s just difficult to see how they will do it here at Notts – as there seem to be limited chances and it’s important for young professionals to gain match time.

I realise that there’s a section of fans that believe many of the younger signings are simply development players, yet for me I would have rather seen us opt for the quality that can bring further stability back to the club – maybe even reinforce the chances of gaining promotion this season.

Another concern is the inability to reward players who perform well, whilst backing inconsistency – this is a two-sided coin but for me having players fighting to start is only a good thing. Yet the competiveness isn’t good when there’s little to no rewards.

Take the Jonathan Forte situation for example – this has the potential to be a much bigger problem and if it happened under the previous regime I would be certain it would have more of an impact on the team morale.

I saw a poll on Twitter, I think it was started by NewarkPie, and the response in favour to see the out of favour player Forte start.

Now, I do think Nolan is trying to foster some consistency and keep certain players’ morales high – yet the whole ‘I had a frank and honest conversation’ is pretty weird.

Considering Jon Stead, he hasn’t really contributed anything and the fact that the majority of fans seem concerned that he’s simply lost his legs. Personally, I thought he would gain motivation from simply sitting a game or two out.

Can we really keep starting every game with him and Shola Ameobi up top? Coventry was a stark reminder that even in League Two you require pace to stand a chance.

And this is where having young faces and hungry professionals eager to step in would be a realistic way forward. Up front we have little options on paper - despite Jonathan Forte showing us that he can score, will he make any impact playing the odd 15 minutes here or there?

Nobody knows what Callum Saunders has to offer, yet I don’t think he’s even made the bench in a league game – someone correct me if this is wrong.

And the fact that a large portion of fans want Notts to sign a striker, even going as far as saying the club should wave their chequebook at players (*cough* JJ *cough*). We have seen in previous seasons that this simply isn’t an easy thing to do.

So in a nutshell, I hope the club can avoid issues regarding players who are phased out of the first time or have limited chances to play, whilst ensuring that the quantity we have are in a position to be quality, another situation which we require to be wary about.

Overall it’s very early doors, and this complete performance by Notts doesn’t seem that far a way. Yet we need to be more lethal upfront, and more clinical at the back.

Additionally it would be welcoming to see Notts being able to pass and retain the ball, as this would have ensured the outcome of the Accrington game would have been much different.

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There can be no doubt that Notts County have been very shrewd in the transfer market this summer.

There is a good blend of experienced players who know the lower leagues inside out (Dan Jones, Shaun Brisley, Nicky Hunt, Lewis Alessandra) and players who have spent most, if not all of their career so far in non-league and are hungry and eager to make the step up (Terry Hawkridge, Ross Fitzsimons, Pierce Bird, Elliot Hodge).

There are also loanees from a higher league (Jorge Grant, Ryan Yates) and a couple that fit in the miscellaneous (or perhaps "wildcard") category, such as Liam Walker (a year at Portsmouth, rest of his career abroad), Callum Saunders (young, came through the ranks at Crewe and has only ever played for them), and Branislav Pindroch (first spell playing abroad).

On the whole, I am happy with the bulk of these signings. I mean, I still think there is room for another reinforcement or two, a centre-back and a forward perhaps, but this is more just about the players that have already come in.

I know some fans continue to lambast owner Alan Hardy for having promised "wow" signings and delivered more modest names, but let's face it, League Two is not a "wow" league. It's a league full of plodding lumps who kick the ball straight up and aren't shy to let you know they're there with a shoulder-barge here, an elbow there and crunching tackles everywhere. Ricardo Moniz tried to play "wow" football and he and his flair players got massively shown up in the unforgiving dungeon of the fourth tier.

Maybe Hardy regrets talking about "wow" players now, but it's no big deal, he is fairly new to this football ownership malark so really, we should let it slide.

One thing I would like to see more of in the coming transfer windows is Notts identifying players who are performing well at other clubs, and signing them for cash.

Granted, this kind of business is a rarity in the lower leagues. Players' contracts tend to be for one or two years, and often they are allowed to run down, either by the player or by the club, so when a footballer joins a new club, it's likely to be as a free transfer.

However, splashing the cash for a couple of top players, either in League Two or the National League, would not only provide the obvious benefit of having them in Notts colours, but is also a signal of intent - "we have the money, we're not afraid to spend it, and we mean business on and off the pitch".

Now, I know what you're thinking - "we tried buying Liam Noble from Forest Green". Indeed, and that's exactly the intent I'm thinking of. Unfortunately, the whole "ex" element and the protractedness of it all ended up making the whole thing look like some rubbish reality TV or Jeremy Kyle episode involving love triangles (ie most of them).

One school of thought suggests that Notts would have given the message of "yep, he's our old player, but we can have him back at a whim", the same thing that Manchester United did with Paul Pogba and Chelsea tried to do with Romelu Lukaku, but in truth, the buying club looks silly even if they pull it off - "you've blown X amount on money on a player you just let go, what does that say about your scouting/developing?"

So going forward, no point wasting time on exes - just identify a key player or two who are impressing for their clubs in the fourth or fifth tier, offer some cash, ramp up the charm offensive, buy them, and give that signal of intent to the rest of the league. Obviously not many, just one or two, while the rest will be the frees and the loanees as per the lower league.

It will be interesting to see whether players can be persuaded to leave their clubs mid-season in the January transfer window, but if Notts put themselves in a top-seven position come the new year, then it's worth a try.

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