Notts County’s Journey in League Two: A Discussion

[Burnz3r0]

Welcome to our live discussion about Notts County's performance in the League Two season!

Notts County suffered a shock in their opening game, but they have steadily improved since then. Are they now on the up? Are they settling into life in League Two? These are some of the questions we'll be discussing today.

• Notts are 9th in League Two
• LWDW - current form
• Currently sit two places away from the playoffs and are six places away from the automatic promotion places.
• Scored 7
• Conceded 8

Join us as we delve into Notts' journey so far in the League Two season and share your thoughts and opinions with us. 

[liampie]

i think notts we caught off-guard against sutton, it came as a disappointment and shock. yet we have bounced back from that, i do like that williams has used that hurt to remind the players that they are fighting for us fans to do well. the support this season has been amazing, i have been to every game except the lincoln city match.

its been very lively and i do think notts are starting to fund their feet.

where we are now, i think should be our minimum target on where we should finish, i am still a lot more ambitious than that but it is all to play for right now.

i think the game against tranmere will show us a lot more.

they have also had a poor start to the season and its probably the best time for us to encounter them.

[TheSkipper]

Right now, we need to see where we are in six games’ time.

Performances have improved, and given time, I think the mistakes people are pointing out will minimise. Luke Williams has navigated the opening game well; that could have been a minefield, but thankfully he poised himself well. He doesn’t seem to be like Kevin Nolan or John Sheridan, where bad results affect his thinking, so it’s a positive sign that he clearly sees what needs to be done and will work on it.

I think we will continue to move up, but we may experience a few setbacks, which as fans, we need to take on the chin.

At home, I think we will be strong and difficult to beat, but on the road, we may experience a few more games like Morecambe, where we just fail to open them up.

Overall, I am happy. I think if the club could bring in a good centre-back that can play as a defensive midfielder, we would be tighter. But I do acknowledge that we have Ollie Tipton, which would prove to be a pointless addition if we failed to use him when presented. So, we might just need a centre-back.

[liampie]

5 minutes ago, TheSkipper said:

I think we will continue to move up, but we may experience a few setbacks, which as fans, we need to take on the chin.

i agree, we are still feeling out the league.

there are teams like tranmere who have not had the best of starts, so it shows that whilst teams are fighting for form. defeats might happen, but its how we navigate and handle any potential set backs,

[TheSkipper]

@liampie It’s important to remember that the league is still in its early stages and teams are still finding their form. Setbacks are bound to happen, but it’s how we handle them that matters. As fans, we need to support the team through thick and thin and have faith in their ability to bounce back from any setbacks. I’m confident that with time, the team will continue to improve and move up the league. Let’s keep cheering them on!

[Burnz3r0]

Is form really the key for Notts right now? Is it crucial for them to settle into the season by being robust enough to come away with good results, even in those difficult matches where a win doesn’t seem possible? Could digging deep spring a good result? What do Notts and Luke Williams need to focus on from here? Can they overcome any obstacle and achieve great success by staying determined and focused?

[KingMaynard]

At present, it is still early in the season, but things are looking up for Notts and the journey continues. I believe we should fare well against Tranmere Rovers. It should be a close match, but Notts should be able to overcome the game with minimal fuss. I would like to see us climb to around 5th place and remain in touch with the teams above.

The players are showing signs that they are adapting, so right now we are firmly looking forward. However, just as the outcome looked disappointing after Sutton, things can quickly change and we need to avoid that.

[NottsTastic]

I think form is the main thing for us right now. If we are enjoying our football and doing well, I believe the mistakes and defensive errors would become few and far between. I am not expecting Notts to win every game; I just want to see them make it harder for teams to score. I wasn’t disappointed that Doncaster Rovers scored because we performed well up to that point.

[TheSkipper]

Yes, form is definitely important for Notts right now. As @NottsTastic mentioned, “If we are enjoying our football and doing well, I believe the mistakes and defensive errors would become few and far between.” It’s still early in the season, but things are looking up for Notts and the journey continues.

And as @KingWilliams believes that Notts should fare well against Tranmere Rovers and that it should be a close match, but Notts should be able to overcome the game with minimal fuss. The players are showing signs that they are adapting, so right now we are firmly looking forward. However, just as the outcome looked disappointing after Sutton, things can quickly change, and we need to avoid that.

It’s important for Notts to focus on making it harder for teams to score and to continue to enjoy their football. By staying determined and focused, they can overcome any obstacle and achieve great success!

[Chris]

Well, I think if we do win Tranmere Rovers that potential victory should push us much closer to where most fans would feel happier. Much depends on the other scores, but the fact a lot of fans are looking forward to games - that speaks volumes for me.

I don't have much concern about if we have the quality to score, but I have seen change my thoughts on if we do need reinforcements in defence.

We probably could do with a new CB, but we might be able to wait until January.

Progress is being made in the right direction, demonstrating the necessary determination to secure a decisive victory. This approach would greatly simplify matters by making it harder for opponents to catch up. We are doing well, League Two does take time to re-establish yourself. Yet we have a lot of quality and it all comes down to hard work.

[liampie]

1 hour ago, KingWilliams said:

I would like to see us climb to around 5th place and remain in touch with the teams above.

me too, but if it was not to happen i would not hold the wish against the club because provided we are still a football league club next season. i am happy.

i do feel we are adapting and starting to find the form that will see us push on, i am hoping that the goals macaulay langstaff scored at doncaster now lifts him, because he has had chances to score but those were very good chances which is what he needs.

[NottsCountyKev]

Like everyone else, I feel that Notts are on the up now, and I think the club is good enough. I have always felt that the players have the quality to adapt to playing league football. They are league players, not non-league, and it’s just a case of them gaining the confidence to move forward.

With us having only played one home game so far, it will be interesting to see if we will be difficult to beat at home.

Meadow Lane needs to be a fortress that we defend, and while the fans’ support is so great, I think that is all the motivation the players need to make sure we win or at least draw.

[Super_Danny_Allsopp]

We certainly have improved since Sutton, but it'd been hard not to. 

 

I still expect our results and performances to be up and down a bit. In part that's due to the nature of the league; in the national League a draw or a loss were the end of the world, however in L2 you will see them much more regularly. The other factor is still a settling in period, both as a team and individually, a new league with a bit higher tempo will still catch us off guard.

[Burnz3r0]

The discussion has been lively and engaging so far, and we’re excited to see it continue until 10pm tomorrow. The organic reach has been amazing, and we want to thank everyone who has joined in and contributed so far. Keep the conversation going!

[liampie]

36 minutes ago, Super_Danny_Allsopp said:

I still expect our results and performances to be up and down a bit. In part that's due to the nature of the league; in the national League a draw or a loss were the end of the world, however in L2 you will see them much more regularly. The other factor is still a settling in period, both as a team and individually, a new league with a bit higher tempo will still catch us off guard.

yeah, i agree with you.

i think away from home is where the performance will mostly dip at times but that is to be expected.

[upthepies]

Well, many interesting and valid comments have already been posted.

I am hoping Kyle Cameron's comments about going up and trying to win the league don't bring unnecessary pressure. While it's good to hear, I am always mindful of comments like these ever since Mark Fotheringham stated such himself.

I don't expect Notts to be the team that whips all the smaller teams and gets the right results against the bigger ones. I do think it will be very hit-and-miss myself. However, I do think we will be around the automatics and playoffs. It's all down to the form we establish now. Luke Williams has said that two or three wins in a row can change the outcome. He has spoken about our impressive winning streaks last season. Against better opposition, this will be harder, but it's turning those games which look to be out of our hands into draws which will be the main thing this season.

[KingMaynard]

One point I forgot to mention earlier is that after the Sutton United defeat, I noticed a fair number of fans who believed we wouldn’t score goals as freely because Ruben Rodrigues had left and they felt we would lack in this area.

I never agreed. I think we have the best midfield and one of the strongest attacking options up front. Notts has new players in David McGoldrick and Dan Crowley who can create magic. Matt Palmer makes games look effortless when the team is performing well, so I have faith in the attacking area. Defensively, however, is the area where we need to see improvements.

[AmericanPie]

I think things are picking up; the mistakes seem to be fewer, but it will be interesting to see how they perform against better teams. It should settle down with form, so I’m not overly worried. I’m very interested in reading more comments in this discussion!

Edited August 23, 2023 by AmericanPie

[RetroPie]

It might be tempting fate to say that we’ve improved, but the signs indicate progress, especially after the Sutton defeat. I did wonder if the players’ nerves would have a greater impact on the start than that single defeat. Luke Williams is showing signs of working on the aspects that will yield results, so we’ll see where the club stands in six games’ time.

[Chris]

It will be interesting to keep this discussion going over the course of the season, drawing back to points in which we have already mentioned. It will be a good source to see how things truly reflect say by 12 games in.

As it does look like we are progressing very well right now.

Luke Williams and the squad, just need to handle any potential set backs.

[Joshua]

In my view, the journey thus far has been largely positive. I’d like to see the team concentrate on becoming more robust and controlling matches with the same resolve we witnessed against Doncaster. There’s no reason why we can’t be among the leading teams in this league.

[Nocturnal-Magpie]

The journey is just beginning, a few more good results and it could put us in a very healthy position. The issue with entering that mix, can we avoid the nerves for the long term? I think so, the club is heading in the right direction and performances are getting better. As others have said, there may be some setbacks but it’s how we navigate around them. Each time a potential setback happens, we must work harder to form a new unbeaten run. It’s promising, a few wins and we will see what happens! Then again, we could get a string of draws. It’s football, it’s not an exact science.