Notts County defender Thierry Audel has admitted that his side have had an awful season, but is hoping to at least finish on a high and enjoy the final few games.

The Magpies were expected to challenge for promotion, but after 39 matches they sit in the bottom division’s bottom five, although they are 13 points clear of the bottom two.

They are also on their third manager of the season in Mark Cooper, having previously sacked both Ricardo Moniz and Jamie Fullarton.

"I am not the gaffer, but now we will take it game by game and try to enjoy it because it has been a tough season," Audel said.

"We started the season well and we had a lot of belief. But the players and the fans have been disappointed how the season has gone from month by month."

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Northampton Town manager Chris Wilder has claimed that Notts County’s poor league position this season is because they have been badly managed throughout the campaign.

More than six thousand Cobblers fans crammed into Sixfields on Saturday in the hope of sealing promotion to League One, but the Magpies – now 20th in the table – fought back from Ricky Holmes' opening strike to lead through Thierry Audel and Jon Stead, with 2-2 the final score.

"I thought we played well," Wilder said. "(Notts) were tough opposition shape-wise and have good players who've been badly managed this year with the likes of Stead, Izale McLeod and Liam Noble.

"They've played at a good level and sometimes when you go away from home against a team who's about to be promoted, you don't want it to be against you."

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Notts County and Northampton have met a total of 54 times over the years, the first fixture taking place on 22 November 1930, which resulted in a 2-2 draw at Meadow Lane in Division Three (South).

The Magpies have a superior head-to-head record – they have won 27 times, drawn 10, and lost 17.

Our last meeting was earlier in the season, on 21 November 2015 – this finished 2-1 to the Cobblers, as Jon Stead’s goal was sandwiched between strikes from Rod McDonald and Brendan Moloney.

Northampton were formed in 1897, after meetings between the town’s schoolteachers and local solicitor A.J. Darnell.

They play their home games at the 7,653 capacity all-seater Sixfields Stadium, having moved in 1994 from the County Ground which they shared with the owners, Northamptonshire County Cricket Club.  

They hold the record for the shortest time taken to be promoted from the bottom tier to the top tier and relegated back down to the bottom again, in the space of nine years.

They played their only season of their existence in the top division of English football when they reached the First Division in 1965–66 before then being relegated back to the Fourth Division by 1969–70.

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Northampton could secure automatic promotion from League Two with victory over Notts County today.

The Cobblers, who sit 13 points clear at the top of the table and have not lost in the league this year, will go up if they win and favourable results occur elsewhere.

Lee Martin and Joel Byrom could both return to the starting line-up this weekend after sitting out Monday's 2-2 draw at Mansfield Town with knocks.

Mike Edwards is back in contention under new boss Mark Cooper after struggling for games during former manager Jamie Fullarton's reign.

"If he's fit he has to play every game. I know if the ball is there he'll head it and kick it and that's a basic rule of defending," Cooper told the club's official site.

County are 19th in League Two after Monday's promising 0-0 draw with promotion-chasing Wycombe Wanderers.

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Notts County have been selected to take part in an exclusive pre-season friendly tournament alongside some of the biggest clubs in the world.

The International Champions Cup will see teams including Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain fight it out in front of Australian, Chinese and North American fans in the last week of July.

Juventus were set to take part in the Australian tournament alongside Tottenham Hotspur, Atletico Madrid and A-League side Melbourne Victory, but they have been forced to drop out due to other pre-season commitments.

As a result, they have chosen to give Notts the chance to represent them at Melbourne’s 100,000-capacity Cricket Ground, citing the two clubs’ shared heritage and bond stretching back over a century.

A Juve spokesman was quoted as saying: “We have discussed the move with the relevant people and they’ve agreed to let Notts take our place.

“Given that they played out a creditable 1-1 draw at the Juventus Stadium five years ago, both the ICC and us believe they will represent us proudly.”

An Australian FA spokesperson, meanwhile, was quoted as saying: “Danny Allsopp, one of Notts County’s finest strikers of the last few years, was born in Melbourne and played for several Melbourne teams.

“Also, their ladies’ team features Aivi Luik, an Australian international who played for Melbourne City, so the connections are certainly there.

“We know the Melbourne crowd will turn out in their thousands to see the world’s oldest football league club showcase their talents on the Melbourne Cricket Ground pitch.”

Another factor that played in County's favour is the fact fellow East Midlands side Leicester City was selected to take part in the North American tournament.

There was no place for Nottingham Forest, however.

Will you be heading to Australia to watch Notts take on Spurs, Atletico Madrid and Melbourne Victory this summer? Let Pride of Nottingham know by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining the conversation.

Ahead of Notts County’s clash against Northampton Town, manager Mark Cooper has expressed his desire for the Magpies to be in the same position as the Cobblers in a year’s time.

The League Two leaders were going through a turbulent time at the start of the season, with players and staff unpaid for two months by the time they visited Meadow Lane.

Chris Wilder, the Northampton manager, publicly pleaded for David Cardoza to sell the football club to Kelvin Thomas, and a few days later, the deal was done.

There are parallels between the early-season Cobblers and Notts today, the latter having gone through an underwhelming season recently fraught with issues both on the pitch and behind the scenes.

Cooper said: “I will be saying to our players ‘this should be you - you should be in this position’.

“Maybe next year it might be us, where we are potentially one game away from getting promoted, and that is what we have to strive towards to get that success.

“But you have to put in an awful lot of hard work to get where Northampton are.”

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Notts County manager Mark Cooper has claimed that veteran defender Mike Edwards will play all the remaining games for the Magpies if he remains fit.

With Notts struggling for defensive solidity all season, Cooper picked the 35-year-old centre-back in the starting XI against Wycombe, and was rewarded with a clean sheet.

The Magpies boss said: "If (Edwards) is fit he has to play every game because I know if the ball is there, he will head it and kick it. That's the basic rule of defending.

"He knows the game, he knows how to defend, he knows when to get up the pitch and when to drop off.

"That's a start for us and the more of them we can get in the team again, the better."

How many more games will Edwards play for Notts this season? Let Pride of Nottingham know your opinion by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining the conversation.

Notts County defender Mike Edwards has urged everyone connected with the club to put aside all differences and stick together in a bid to finish the season on a high.

The 35-year-old returned to Mark Cooper’s starting XI at centre-back in Monday's goalless draw against Wycombe Wanderers, where he defended stoutly alongside centre-back partner Haydn Hollis.

Edwards said: "We are in this position for a reason, but we don't want to be there. We want to be higher up the table, but we need everybody to stick together.

"It has felt as if everybody has been pulling in different directions. It's been pulled apart a little bit but now we've got to stay together.

"We've got to look forward to finishing the season well so we can take it into the next campaign."

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Notts County defender Mike Edwards has praised the club’s fans for their support against Wycombe Wanderers, adding that they deserved a positive performance.

The Magpies ended a torrid March on a high note with a much-improved performance on Easter Monday which yielded a point and a clean sheet, 0-0 the final result.

"The fans were class on Monday," said Edwards. "With the results that have been happening we needed to give them a lift. I think the minimum you can do is give that desire and that determination.

"The lads scrapped away and in a few cases we showed some quality too.

"With a little bit more time and a bit more confidence, that style of play will come back. But first and foremost in any game, you have to tough it out."

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Notts County manager Mark Cooper has launched a scathing criticism of his side following their 4-0 defeat at Portsmouth, saying they concede "ridiculously bad goals" and that their footballing careers are at stake.

The four-goal thrashing at Fratton Park on Friday was preceded by a 4-1 defeat against Exeter City at Meadow Lane, leaving the Magpies in the lower reaches of League Two.

"I said to the players after the game on Saturday that it doesn't matter what formation, or what players are out there, you keep conceding ridiculously bad goals," Cooper said.

"For this to stop, it has to come from within. You must show desire and must take responsibility.

"I was surprised at how basic the goals were. If Richard Dryden had played centre-back we would not have conceded four and he's 45 or 46.

"They need to realise that careers are at stake and players' contracts are up. Whether they are going to stay here or move on, they have to be better."

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Notts County midfielder Liam Noble has criticised his side's defending, saying it's unfair on goalkeeper Scott Loach and simply "not good enough".

The Magpies lost 4-0 at Portsmouth on Good Friday, while six days earlier they went down 4-1 at home to Exeter City.

Noble said: "As a team we can't defend. It's down to us and it has been for the last few games.

"As you saw the four goals could have been stopped. It keeps on happening and individuals need to look at themselves.

"As a team we are not good enough to defend. It's disappointing. It was Sunday morning stuff. It's unfair on Scott Loach, because he's conceded four yet again and there was nothing he could do about it.

"I thought we played well and were in the game, but we switched off. It's not good enough."

What can Notts do to improve their defending? Let Pride of Nottingham know by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining the conversation.

New Notts County manager Mark Cooper has launched into a scathing assessment of his side following their 4-0 defeat at Portsmouth, saying their defending wouldn’t have been seen in park football.

Though the Magpies played admirably in the first half at Fratton Park and were unlucky to concede just before the break, they were run ragged in the second half as Kyle Bennett, Christian Burgess and Marc McNulty weighed in with simple finishes.

The former Swindon boss said: "A lot of people told me before I came here that this team conceded a lot of goals and couldn't defend properly.

"I think you've just seen (on Friday) that the softest of goals unlocked us and changes the complexion of the game.

"All four goals aren't from brilliant play from Portsmouth but ridiculous defensive errors. The players need to take some responsibility; they've had three managers.

"The first goal, their lad has picked up the ball 15 yards into our half, run down the touchline, cut in and rolled the ball into the net - that wouldn't happen tomorrow on the park.

"It's like park football - it's not just defenders, the players need to take responsibility. I can't take any satisfaction from that other than 11 men stayed on the pitch."

Will Notts manage to keep another clean sheet this season? Let Pride of Nottingham know by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining the conversation.

New Notts County manager Mark Cooper has called on his players to "put things straight" beginning in their League Two clash at Portsmouth.

The Magpies haven't won in seven games and currently sit 19th in the fourth tier, prompting bookies to make Pompey clear favourites to win the game at Fratton Park on Friday.

Cooper used this as a rallying call, telling the press: "I really am looking forward to it and I hope the players can deliver a good performance.

"There have been a lot of questions about them and a lot of things have been labelled at them. I said to them it's time to put one or two things straight. Answer a few questions and prove that you are not as bad as your league form suggests."

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New Notts County manager Mark Cooper has confirmed that Stanley Aborah will be involved against Portsmouth in Friday's League Two clash at Fratton Park.

The Ghanaian has not played for the Magpies since the 4-2 defeat at home to Oxford United at the beginning of January.

He fell out of favour with Ricardo Moniz's successor Jamie Fullarton and subsequently appeared set to leave the club following a public spat.

Cooper, however, told reporters at a press conference: "Stan will play the game. He's a good footballer.

People who know what my teams are about have a lot of good footballers in them. I am sure he will add something to the team."

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Notts County Ladies defender Laura Bassett has admitted her side are ‘raring to go’ ahead of the new FA Women’s Super League season.

Last year the Lady Pies made headlines by reaching both the FA Women’s Cup final and the Continental Cup final.

Ahead of Wednesday's game at Manchester City, Bassett told The Offside Rule: “Every season it has to be about getting more points and finishing higher in the league.

We gained so much momentum early in the season getting ourselves to the FA Cup final and then because we didn’t deliver we lost our way a little in the league.

Then the Continental Cup came around and we decided to focus on that and we managed to get to the final again.

“As a club we’re very resilient, we’re very focused and when we put our minds to it, we’ll get what we want but we know in finals anything can happen – that’s football!

This season we want to focus on getting some silverware on the table, we have to be determined and we have to finally prove to ourselves that we’ve got that potential and that we’re hard to beat at Notts County.

We also want to thank our fans and all those people who work so tirelessly every year too.

“Everyone at Notts is so raring to go. You speak to anyone in the team who hasn’t been away on international duty and you can tell they’re all raring to go and that the first game just needs to come around quicker, so yeah definitely we’re all ready to go.”

What will this season have in store for Notts County Ladies? Let Pride of Nottingham know by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining the conversation.

Former Notts County striker Craig Westcarr has described Mark Cooper’s new role at Meadow Lane as one of the most daunting challenges of his managerial career.

The 31-year-old, now plying his trade at Mansfield Town, was part of Cooper’s Kettering side which won the Conference North title in 2008 before they embarked on a memorable FA Cup run to the fourth round.

Cooper’s first game in charge of the Magpies is on Good Friday against Portsmouth at Fratton Park, a game Westcarr says is a "free shot" given Notts' current form.

Westcarr said: "It's a tough challenge for him without a doubt, given the results of the team have not been great in the last few weeks.

"But he'll have a right go at it and knowing him as I do, I'm sure it's a task he will be determined to beat.

"He's a good man manager, he's laid back and not as intense as some other managers out there.

"I really enjoyed playing under him and I am sure the players at Notts will do too.

"He has a way of playing that really caught the eye at Swindon, but the problem is he's going to have to hit the ground running.

"He's going to have to figure out his best team very quickly and it might not be until the fourth or fifth game when he does.

"The fact he only has 10 games of the season left makes it even tougher, but he has proven he's a good manager and I'm hoping he does well because the one thing Notts need is stability."

Cooper’s contract initially runs until the end of the season, but an extension will be triggered if he meets a pre-determined points target.

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New Notts County chief executive officer Jason Turner has claimed that his priority is to instil some stability at the club and lay the foundations for promotion to League One.

The 43-year-old, whose appointment was confirmed today, has worked at Cardiff City, Plymouth Argyle and Newport County.

Turner, who replaces Julian Winter, will start at Meadow Lane on 4 April and will be responsible for overseeing the day to day running of the Magpies.

"It's a privilege to be named as CEO of Notts County Football Club and I am absolutely delighted to be joining a club steeped in such tradition and history," Turner said.

"Having worked in football for many years, I already know some of the people here, and when I was offered the opportunity to join it was a chance I just couldn't pass up.

"The number one priority has to be to get some stability and move the club back up the table and into League One as soon as possible.

"That's the shared vision of everyone here and, in my opinion, everybody has their part to play."

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Alan Hardy has released a statement where he heavily hints at having pulled out of a takeover bid for Notts County.

The chief executive of the Paragon Group last week submitted a 'substantial' written offer, which is understood to have fallen short of owner Ray Trew's valuation.

With Trew said to have completed a deal in principle with an American group, Hardy said he is prepared to step aside as 'an alternative buyer, who can provide a better future for the club' closes in.

He explained: "The one thing Ray Trew and I have firmly in common is that we both want the best for Notts County Football Club.

"Together with an executive team, I've been working hard to try and get a mutually beneficial deal agreed so that we can see the club move forward in a positive manner.

"At the same time I've been developing a plan to deal with the short, medium and long-term future of the club, ensuring that the loyal supporters can focus on activities on the pitch, confident that matters off it are being effectively managed in a responsible, sustainable manner.

"I've been overwhelmed by the encouragement that I've received from the supporters of the club during the last few months.

"My passion for the club and the desire to see it succeed remains as strong as ever.

"I am however a realist and a successful businessman and only make decisions based upon sound, rational judgement.

"I've already said publicly on one occasion that if Mr Trew has an alternative buyer, who can provide a better future for the club and the supporters, then I will do the right thing and end my interest in the club.

"It appears that we are rapidly reaching that point and on that basis I wish the club and everyone involved with it the very best of luck.

"I have a burning desire to be involved in professional football and will shortly be discussing other opportunities that have been identified to me."

Trew reportedly also met with a Chinese consortium on Tuesday for talks over taking over the club.

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New Notts County manager Mark Cooper has called for unity at Meadow Lane and has said out-of-favour midfielder Stanley Aborah has a future at the club.

In addition the former Swindon Town boss has pledged to get his new side playing entertaining, attacking football in a bid to get Magpie fans loving their side again.

Cooper gave his first press conference as Notts manager on Monday following a fast-moving 24 hours at the club, which saw Jamie Fullarton sacked after 70 days on Saturday and Cooper brought in on the Sunday.

The 47-year-old told reporters: "I'm just going to try to bring a bit of stability, a bit of unity to the place and try to put a few smiles on faces.

"The first thing is we try to take the reins off the players a little bit, we try and attack, try and entertain people, get people off their seats.

"If you can get players playing with a smile on their face, I'm a big believer it gives you more of a chance.

"I certainly like to play entertaining football and score goals and have a go at the opposition rather than setting up not to get beat.

 "That's the preferred way of playing (like Swindon), but you have to find a way that is suitable to the players at your disposal.

"If I had my choice that's the way I want to play, but we have to do what's best to get results.

"If we can do it that way, then great. It takes a lot of work, but that's certainly what we are aiming for in the long run.

"From what I saw in the two games I've seen them, there are some very good players in the forward areas, but it's a little bit shaky defensively.

"That doesn't mean we put all men behind the ball, it can mean we can put more men forward but have some control.

"But there is some talent here for certain. If we get everybody singing from the same hymn sheet we will be fine."

Moving onto team selection, namely the inclusion of Stanley Aborah, whose public fallout with Fullarton and the club further alienated Notts fans, Cooper added: "We need everybody behind the club and the players to make sure it is a really good end to the season.

"I have had a chat with Stan. On both parts maybe the situation could have been dealt with differently. But I want to put as many good players as I can in the team.

"Stan comes into the reckoning as much as anybody. He is a good footballer and if he can help then he will play."

Cooper's first game in charge of Notts takes place on Good Friday, a League Two clash away at Portsmouth.

How do you think Cooper will get on at the helm of the Magpies? Let Pride of Nottingham know by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining the conversation.

Notts County are set to announce a new chief executive, with Jason Turner reportedly coming in to take on the role at Meadow Lane.

Julian Winter resigned as CEO of the Magpies earlier this month after less than six months at the club, subsequently linking up with Championship side Huddersfield Town.

According to the Nottingham Post, Turner - who stepped down as chief executive of Newport County in January - will take his place.

Turner has been involved in football for more than 20 years at a variety of clubs including Bath City, Cardiff City, Plymouth Argyle and Newport.

What do you think of the idea of Jason Turner as Notts County CEO? Let Pride of Nottingham know by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining the conversation.

Notts County have appointed former Swindon Town manager Mark Cooper as the club’s new boss on an incentivised deal until the end of the season.

The 47-year-old takes over from Jamie Fullarton, who was sacked shortly after Saturday’s 4-1 defeat at home to Exeter City after less than three months in the job.

Cooper will oversee matters until the end of the current campaign, but if he reaches an agreed points total, it has been agreed that it would trigger a permanent contract for him to remain at Meadow Lane.

Announcing the deal, owner Ray Trew said: “I said on Saturday that what we need now, as a club, is stability, as we look to resolve the change of ownership and that is why I have turned to Mark to bring his experience and knowledge to the club to help turn things around on the pitch.

“To be fair to Mark and to reward him, should he manage to get things moving in the right direction, I have agreed a points total with him, which will remain confidential, at which point his deal will become permanent.

“I think what we all want is for Notts to be successful and if Mark can bring that then it is only right that he is given the role full-time, which I think any new owner would agree with.

“The challenge has been set and I look forward to seeing what he can bring to the role.”

Cooper will meet up with his new squad on Monday and immediately set about preparing for his first game in charge, away to Portsmouth in League Two next weekend.

Mark Cooper Managerial Factfile

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Steve Cotterill is one of the bookies' favourites to become the next Notts County manager after the sacking of Jamie Fullarton, who left the League Two side after just 69 days in charge on Saturday.

The 51-year-old was dismissed as Bristol City manager in January after a poor run of results in the Championship and is now 10/1 to become the new Magpies boss.

Also deemed to be in the running for the Meadow Lane hotseat is Graham Alexander, who guided Fleetwood Town to promotion in 2013–14 by winning the League Two play-offs, but was sacked in September 2015 after a poor start to the 2015–16 League One season.

The 44-year-old, who clocked up over 150 appearances for Scunthorpe United, Luton Town, Preston North End and Burnley, as well as winning 40 caps for Scotland, is 7/1 to take the reins at Notts.

Top of the bookies' pile is Mark Cooper, formerly of Swindon Town, at 2/1.

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