Notts County 1-2 Salford City: Magpies Fall Short in First Home Game of the Season

We looked second best in key moments, which is frustrating because possession-wise we were fine. Salford did not dominate in open play, but they were more decisive when chances came. Both of their goals were avoidable. The first was a case of poor marking from a set piece, and the second was a risky pass back that put us in trouble. Luker’s finish was a real bright spot and shows there’s talent in the squad, but we need to cut out the errors if we’re to get results.

The stats might show we had more possession, but it didn’t feel like we were in control of the game. Salford looked dangerous whenever they came forward and created more from their fewer chances. The difference was that they made their moments count, while we didn’t.

I thought the midfield looked a bit disconnected, which made it harder to break them down. We struggled to play through the lines, and our one corner all game tells its own story. Luker’s goal was well worked and gave us a lifeline, but it came too late to turn the match around. Lessons to learn, but nothing that can’t be fixed with better decision-making and sharper defending.

salford played well as a team and i think we will be fine once the signing adjust and get more focused on the performance. midfield did struggle to get grips of the game and even though we should have defended the first goal. no one marked the open header, which is disappointing and roos with his poor pass. the defence led to that mistake and we need to focus more on passing the ball and move with it especially against physical teams like salford. they deserved the win all day.

Salford just outplayed Notts in key areas with their tactics. They had a plan & it worked perfectly for them.

The first half was really poor from Notts & unfortunately they fell into the trap of presenting Salford with gifts at the back which led to the two goals they scored.

Notts played a little better in the second half & scored with a well taken goal by Luker, & Jones hit the bar from a free kick, but unfortunately it still doesn't detract from the fact that Notts were 2nd best on the day.

It is plain that we need a striker who can score goals, we need a playmaker who can create chances, & a decent goalkeeper who can command his box, & is a good distributor of the ball. I just hope that we can get those three players in before the transfer window closes.

I don’t think the slow signings have helped. I’m sure Martin Paterson had the team set up properly for Salford, and the squad should have done better.

The passing was really poor yesterday. Notts only have themselves to blame for not getting the result.

It’s not all bad, but the disappointing parts do sting.

Salford, even with their problems, played well. We never got close to matching them.

We have to accept it for what it is. We can’t change anything now, and Notts should have known what to expect from Salford. We didn’t deal with them well, but it wasn’t all bad at the back. It just felt very slow, and we didn’t make much happen. The midfield needs to get better at handling teams that press us and try to push us back.

Jacob Bedeau and Matty Platt are clearly in the mix for team selection, but I thought Sonny Aljofree was the standout. Platt made some key tackles, and while his yellow card came from a poor challenge, he did his job. Bedeau looked off at times and a bit clumsy. He can be brilliant, or he can be shaky and yesterday he was shaky. Defensively, we let Salford take control even though we had the ball. The midfield needs to pick it up and show more urgency going forward. We weren’t sharp when it came to countering, and I hope Martin Paterson sees that we need to bring more energy.

Notts needs to regroup following that performance. I left feeling let down, and as expected, many frustrated fans voiced their opinions, and I found myself agreeing with many of their points. Our marking on set pieces often leaves much to be desired, and our tendency to pass backwards frequently leads to issues. Supporters have repeatedly pointed out that this puts us at risk. The performance was lackluster; perhaps it stems from a lack of confidence, but we can't afford to perform for only 20 minutes in a 90-minute match.

Too many sideways passes. We need to be braver in attack.

It felt like the old Notts before the Reedtz brothers came. We made lots of mistakes and didn’t look like the team we should be. I know the players tried and sometimes showed effort, but we’re better than that and we need to prove it.

It was a disappointing result for sure, as others have pointed out Salford came with a plan and executed it perfectly. It’s done now, they will get back on the training pitch and work at putting things right. Let’s not get too disheartened it’s very early days, lots of new players who need to work together better as a team.

As an aside it was great to see Jorge Grant back at the Lane, I wish we’d signed him, why do some fans boo players who served us well?