Update.

Update. Substitutions for Notts

Update

Notts much better this second half.

Update.

Another good move by Notts.

Update.

More good work from Dennis.

Update Substitution for Notts.

Update.

Update.

Notts Unlucky not to score after more good work.

Update.

More drama in the Wigan penalty area. as Hall has a shot blocked.

When is Jatta back? That will solve a lot of our problems. Solving the mystery of why we can't put in a consistent 90 mins might be a tougher nut to crack.

Full time. A Wigan penalty scored by Paul Mullin decides the match in the 10th minute of the match.

A poor first half by Notts in the 1st half, but Notts were much better in the 2nd half, & deserved to take the match into extra time but it just wasn't to be, however I'm encouraged by the effort shown by Notts in that 2nd half.

That second half was much better, the subs made a difference Gordon looked lively and so did Dennis both were unlucky not to score, Dennis hit the post and Gordon had a good shot well saved Notts deserved at least a draw with that second half performance, I can’t wait for Jatta to return and hopefully another forward before the deadline.

Lots of positives in the second half.

Three Matches Down, Seven To Go!!

Notts can point to the Fact they Topped most of the Match Stats, unfortunately Stats Don't Win Matches Goals Do. And at the Final Whistle Wigan had one more than Notts, and that's all that counts, and all That Matters. I Just Hope the Technical Board are Working on bringing in a Striker (though where they're going to Get One Is Anyone's Guess) Even with Jatta back it May take him several matches, to settle back into the Goal Scoring Groove, he began last Season with. Despite an Improved Second Half Performance the Magpies still ended up Losing, and this will be a Further Set Back To The Teams Moral. Now we will see how MP and the Technical board Lift the Deflated Notts Squad.

The real issue is that I don't think Jodi can play the #10 role, he is needed out wide.

A real grandstand finish to the game, I see someone mention that it was a contactless penalty. The guy made a meal of it. Ref decisions are not going our way.

We had 64% of the possession against a league 1 club at their place & I was encouraged by the 2nd half performance, but in the first half we weren't so good.

Martin put on Dennis, Hall ,& Gordon in the 2nd half & they did make a difference to the intensity, & Notts to their credit upped the ante & put Wigan under pressure for decent periods of the 2nd half.

What I'd like to see is the HC changing things earlier when it is clear the starting eleven isn't firing on all cylinders. I would have made those 3 substitutions half way thru the first half. Doing that could have made the difference.

There were 9 subs available tonight so 3 going on early wouldn't have put the team under pressure later on in the match or for extra time if the match has been level.

Watched the game on tv, the travelling fans were excellent and big respect for them.

First half was poor, a dull watch. Lots of posession but not actually doing anything with it. JJ was receiving the ball far to deep to impact the game and as our main creative force that is never going to go well. Luker simply isn't a striker, have to hope he only played there to give Dennis a bit of a rest and not as a viable backup option should we not sign another striker to go with Jatta and Dennis.

Second half was better but still felt the first 20 mins of the second half weren't especially good. I was left wondering why it took the team until the final 25 mins or so mins to have some urgency. But a better second half overall is something to build on.

I do struggle to see what the game plan is with MP, I know early days, not all the players signed or available yet etc but the general plan I think isn't necessarily there and he may be lacking tactically.

@Piethagoram you're right about Jodi. He's more Dangerous playing outside on the left, then either cutting inside for a shot, or putting the Ball in Dangerous positions in the Box. Once Fit I think Will Jarvis, could perhaps take on the number 10 role.

I really think that losing just 1-0 is actually a good sign, especially considering how strong Wigan is. It’s nice to hear folks talking about Notts having a better second half. I wasn’t there at the game, so I can’t say much about how they played, but it’s cool to see that we held our ground and the penalty was pretty much the only thing that made a difference, even if there was no contact. It just shows that when Notts gets into a groove, we're not as bad as Salford made us seem.

Hopefully, it's encouraging to the team. I know we are still seeking that first win, but it's not as if we have been outplayed in every game.

For now, we have to focus on the league, despite it would have been nice to have a good League Cup run.

I'm pleased that the team had a much better 2nd half & I'm happy that the team finished the game attacking & trying to force extra time. That's a big positive.

However, I'm not pleased that we lost. If the team had applied themselves in the Ist half as they did in the last 30 minutes of the game, the result may have been different.

We always hear or read this soundbite, "We can concentrate on the league now" if a team loses in the cups. We never heard that thirty & forty years ago. I believe teams should aim to win every single game they play.

There was a big incentive for Notts to win the match with the prospect of getting a money making fixture against a top PL side, which could have earned Notts £150K plus in gate & TV money A team like Man U away could have attracted 3K plus Notts fans to old Trafford or a packed out ML.

Notts shouldn't be missing out on these opportunities, especially when money is tight & we need to strengthen the side at this time.

@Piethagoram,@Wheelbarrow repair man, agree that the Jodi situation is an important one to keep an eye on.

Stall is on a roll so far this season, and voiced on the podcast what I felt but hesitated to write on here - it's unlikely to work out for him at No.10. Although he's probably going to get a couple more matches though to prove us wrong, I suspect he's going to be moving back to the wing.

That's going to pose MP with a set of choices. He seems as wedded to 3 across the back as IB,LW and SM were, so the only wide position is 'wing-back' (unless you really go for it like LW, although even the likes of Nemane were expected to defend). Then he'd have to decide left or right? And choose between really different options, for example Cotter or Jones? Will he be willing trade defense for more attacking threat?

So not only does MP have to find a winning formula and work out a best XI, he'll have to deal with some big structural questions related to the team as well. He's really going to earn his corn. Good luck to him.

@The Anti-Clough said "So not only does MP have to find a winning formula and work out a best XI, he'll have to deal with some big structural questions related to the team as well. He's really going to earn his corn. Good luck to him"

It's unfortunate that MP has to deal with the result of a turnaround of 22 players that he virtually had no control over. Such a big turnover of players was always going to give headaches to any new HC.

I do think it's going to take time for the players to gel together, & for MP to find his best starting eleven. The fans have to be patient but that will be difficult for some.

This was a game of two halves as they say, and in the first half we just went through the motions or so it seemed.

I think it proved that Jodi is no number 10 and needs to get back to the position where he is devastating and can be more productive.

As for most of the second half and after the 3 substitutions we played alot better, which has to be a positive moving forward.

MP the onus is now on you, your players and your team of backroom staff to keep the momentum going into Saturdays game against Barrow. COYP.

To Make Martin Paterson's Job even harder I think there is a lot of Interference from others behind the Scenes i.e. the Technical Board. Luke Williams found a Winning Formula to get the Magpies back into the EFL and ever since the Powers that be have Stuck Stubbornly to that System. As I've said before Notts have had a Reliable Strike Force to get the Magpies out of Sticky Situations in the Past, the attitude was you score 2 goals we'll score 3 goals, you score 3 goals we'll score 4 goals, the Problem is this season Notts don't have that Luxury. To make matters worse in the past two season's the Owners or Board members have Sold Top Players, who have Not Been Replaced, and has it's been Stated there are to many New players at the Lane and by the time they begin to Gel Notts Could Find Themselves in a Very Deep Hole, and who will pay for this ? Martin Patterson will probably lose his job but what will happen to his Replacement? He will be hired on the condition he sticks to the Model, which Doesn't Work. The Technical Board and the D.O.F need to leave the Head Coach to Run the Team his way and let him Win or Fail on his own Merits. Possession doesn't Win Football Matches, Goals Do. And has long has Notts Keep Losing, No matter which half they play well in, the Fans are soon going to lose Interest and the Home Crowds of 10,000 -11,000 fans at Matches will soon become a Thing Of The Past.

I couldn't watch our annual League Cup run yesterday, so thanks everyone for commenting!

During pre-season I had the impression that MP had opened a big jigsaw puzzle, the pieces had fallen all over the floor and he was trying to find the best way to fit them together. The jigsaw puzzle won't be finished for quite a few weeks yet.

When Ian Burchnall switched to using wing backs, it was because we didn't really have enough wide players who were up to scratch. Now we have too many for the system we're playing, and the risk there is that members of the squad will end up too far away from the first 11 and will end up unhappy. Even if the Jones no. 10 experiment fails, if Jones is fit he should be playing. That leaves one other slot, and Bennetts also plays in his position. Would Bennetts really be happy with the supersub role he had at his previous clubs?

@Wheelbarrow repair man said ".Possession doesn't Win Football Matches, Goals Do".

It has to be the right type of possession.

If a team has 58% possession & scores one goal, but the opposing team has 42% & scores 2 goals, has more shots on goal & has 7 corners to 1, the team with the most possession needs to have a rethink.

I cannot believe some of the comments on here. Between 2011 and the Reedtz era, Notts did not sell a single player ( apart from youth team talents in "fire" sales). The old manager style got us relegated out of the EFL.

"Possession doesn't Win Football Matches"

Well, Wilkinson under Sirrel use to say, "If you have control of the ball, you have nothing to fear"

Maybe Notts have been priced out of the market seeking goal scorers on the wish list. I do fear if we lose Jatta in this window, that we are able to source a replacement.

Interesting perspective from @DangerousSausage on the Jodi Jones dilemma, could Jodi and Bennetts switch wing / #10 positions during a match. It would give the opposition defence something to think about as it would pull defenders out of position?

Howard Wilkinson's preferred formation was 4-4-2. During Howards time as Manager of Notts in 1982/83, over 42 years ago, Goalkeepers most of the time cleared their lines to the centre field, & possession was for the most part, won there.

Football was a different game in those days & possession was judged specifically on not how long a team had the ball, but what they did with the ball when they had possession of it.

The 3-4-2-1 formation that Notts have adopted didn't gain traction Until the last decade when Chelsea under Conte used it successfully.

Playing out from the back 100% of the time does have an element of risk. We saw it just the other week with the Roos clanger. We saw it under Williams, & under Maynard, now we've seen it under Paterson.

When opposing teams employ an aggressive high press against Notts (most teams do at ML) our goalkeeper distribution to defenders & central midfielders & defenders passing across the back line is risky & it always will be.