Game 8 - The Gills (A)
Team - Gillingham
Date - 13/09/2025 14:00
Where - Priestfield Stadium

What would your starting line-up be? What will be the key areas for the Magpies to get a victory? What do you think the final score will be?

Have your say below, join in with the Pride of Nottingham match discussion.

I hope Martin Paterson is ready and that he and the squad are not distracted by anything off the pitch. The focus needs to be fully on Gillingham. They are a strong team and have come a long way since last season. It’s good to be talking about football again instead of everything else going on.

I think the team should stay mostly the same. The only change I’d make is bringing Jodi Jones back into the squad. There’s no other reason to switch things around.

Gillingham play with pace and seem sharp on the counter attack. We need to block every ball and be smart with our tackles. If we keep moving and make sure we get goal side, we can give them a real headache.

A massive match for Notts on Saturday. The most important match of the season for Notts so far.

It's a pity that developments off the pitch have been a bit of a distraction & I do hope that the players focus on the match rather than other distractions.

I would stay with the same starting eleven that started the match against Fleetwood & have Jodi Jones on the bench initially.

Gillingham are going to be tough. They are riding high at the top of League 2 & fully deserved to be there..Notts are going to need to continue playing with physicality & toughness & to keep it very tight at the back.

We know that Notts are capable of hurting any team in this league with their front two strikers Jatta & Dennis. It's just a matter of waiting for opportunities up front & defending very well at the back.

I would be very satisfied to come out of this fixture with a draw to keep the unbeaten run going. We will know quite a lot about Notts's promotion credentials after the final whistle.

Martin Paterson will have some tough choices to make, with Jodi back will Jatta and Dennis continue as a front two? And we have a number of players like Grant, Bennetts and Hall who will all be desperate to start.

I think we need to be brave and go there to outplay them in a football sense, try and keep the ball on the floor and make them chase us. If we get into a physical kind of slogging match I can only see one winner. We can take positives from how we dealt with Bromley's physicality, they are all about brute force and their goals were a tad lucky. But I totally expect Gillingham will play in a similar way, committing bodies into the box and hoping it breaks for them.

Roos is going to be put under a lot of pressure, I think keeping things like corners and set-pieces to a minimum will be needed!

I think go with the same XI, JJ on the bench for this one.

A very difficult fixture, but hope lies with how well the front three played last week.

We'll have to play excellent team defence, and all 4 or 5 subs that come on for tired players will need to be on it.

Gillingham are the only unbeaten team in League 2. They will lose at some stage and I reckon a betting man may well put a sneaky wager on Notts County to win this weekend.

Personally I would go with an unchanged line up. We are going to have periods of the game where they will press us hard and if we can keep them out, we'll be fine. They know they are going up against Jatta and an in form Dennis. They'll be worried about us.

Gillingham won't want Notts to settle on the ball. I doubt they'll try to match our passing game either. I expect them to be more direct when creating chances, and they might see aerial balls as something we struggle with. It's been a weak spot for us at times.

Notts are better at defending when the ball stays on the ground, so I imagine Gillingham will have done their homework. They'll likely focus on set pieces and crosses, trying to make the most of them. I hope Notts can avoid giving away easy corners, as Gillingham could really benefit from those. We need to keep up our recent form and protect the unbeaten run.

Let Jodi Jones drift wide and drop deeper to collect the ball. Someone like Tom Iorpenda needs to cover the space he leaves. If Jodi gets on the ball properly, with Matthew Dennis and Alassana Jatta up front, Gillingham will have more than one threat to deal with.

This could also give more freedom to Nick Tsaroulla, Barry Cotter or Kellan Gordon, depending on who plays in the wing-back roles. It might open up space for them to push forward and support the attack.

I don’t think Martin Paterson will make many changes, but getting Jodi back into the side and giving him time on the ball should help. He’s a smart player and can make a difference if used well.

Notts will need to be clever with their play. Gillingham have some tall players, so we’ll need to find ways to break them down without relying too much on high balls.

Interesting points @True Magpie, who specifically would you drop to accommodate JJ?

As @theAnticlough mentioned, I don't think it would be a bad decision to allow Jodi some time to breathe and to try to use him as a super-sub once Gillingham begins to tire. The issue with having more than 3 subs is that teams tend to replace those who are not making an impact or who need to come off because they are tired. It can be a little less effective to bring someone on from off the bench aimed to bring a spark, so I would hope that Notts could make the most of the Matthew Dennis and Alassana Jatta duo.

I might be more inclined to suggest leaving Barry Cotter on the bench, for a similar reason as Jodi. If we brought both of them on around the same time and they had started brightly before, it might make Gillingham rethink things.

Going there can be tough; they are a good football side and won't be afraid to pressure Notts at the cost of committing their players forward. I think they will play quite deep in their defensive play, but much higher when they attack, and if we allow them to push us back. It could be a strong battle for both midfields. I am not sure what to predict, because both us and them make it hard to predict how it might unfold.

It should be an entertaining game, even if it's just from a neutral fan's perspective.

Let's hear from Head Coach Martin Paterson about his thoughts before the Gillingham match on Saturday.

3 minutes ago, theAnticlough said:

Interesting points @True Magpie, who specifically would you drop to accommodate JJ?

Ollie Norburn could be an option, even though he had his best game against Fleetwood. I’m still aware that he’s recovering from a serious injury and working on his match fitness, so it might be too soon to rely on him fully.

I would go with Alassana Jatta as the main striker. Matthew Dennis could play just behind him, acting as a roaming forward who can drift wide and find space. That would give us more movement and options in attack.

Jodi Jones should slot in as the player who helps open up space and decide where to move the ball. He’s good at finding gaps and linking play, which could be key in breaking down the defence.

Matt Palmer could sit slightly deeper in midfield, giving Tom Iorpenda the chance to play further forward. That balance might help us keep control while still pushing for chances.

That's right up my street @True Magpie, but dropping a defensive mid for JJ for away at the league leaders would be a very bold move. I can't see MP doing that and I've always liked not changing a winning team (and conversely, changing a losing team).

It probably won’t happen, but sometimes the best way to deal with pressure is to push back just as hard. If we go for it with attacking football, I think it could work. Keeping control in midfield and having a forward line that’s hard to predict might catch Gillingham off guard. I don’t think they’ll be ready for that kind of approach.

You’re likely right though. Martin Paterson may choose to play it safe instead.

It’s good to hear talk about being positive and going at Gillingham with confidence. If Notts can start well and stay calm, it might suit them nicely. Beating the league leaders would lift the mood in the camp. It could give everyone a real boost and help build momentum.

I still think it might finish 2-2 or end in a draw. But if Martin Paterson changes the style and does something unexpected, it could work in our favour. I just hope we don’t sit back too much. That usually invites pressure and makes it harder to get forward.

Notts needs to keep chasing the wins, even if the game isn’t pretty or exciting. A solid performance against an early‑inform team could show us where we are and where this squad could be heading.

Hands on heart, I hope we can get the three points, but I won’t be too disappointed if we aren’t at our best.

Starting with a balanced approach makes sense. Notts will need to settle into the game and show they can stay strong at the back. If chances are limited, it might be a tough match, but both sides have good players. In the end, it could come down to who wants it more and which team has someone who can step up and make the difference.

I’m not really sure. I think it’s nice when the team stays the same because they get used to playing together. But sometimes making changes can help, like bringing in fresh legs and keeping the other team guessing. Our squad is strong and things are starting to go better now. We’re getting more confident and playing well.

It’ll be interesting to see how much better we’ve got since the beginning of the season. I think we’ve come a long way.

I’d like to see an unchanged team as long as they are all fit, it’s going to be probably the toughest test of the season so far so it’ll be good to see how they cope.

I’d settle for a draw, that’d be a good result.

I don’t mind if the first half is a bit slow or if both teams take time to get going. What matters is that we create chances and play better in the second half. It’s good that we’re not just trying to keep the ball all the time. Martin Paterson seems more focused on winning games than just having lots of possession but not getting results. Gillingham will be hard to beat, but if Notts manage it, it could really boost our confidence and help us build momentum.

Notts need not fear anyone this season. I think we have the best two strikers in the league. If we can improve the accuracy of our passing, keep winning the ball high up the pitch (like we did against Fleetwood for the goal) we should be fine. Our weakness is defending balls into the box, especially from set pieces. As its most teams in League two’s most potent weapon, we will have to master it to get promoted, starting this Saturday against Gillingham. I noticed in Gareth Ainsworth’s presser, he said Notts have a certain way of playing. I don’t think many managers have cottoned onto the fact that we have changed this season. I think they are in for a surprise when play us. Hopefully this works in our favor! COYP!

i do think martin paterson will be somewhat conservative and maybe a little more defensive, even if the formation does change or if the lineup is largely the same. i think he will have drilled into the players whilst training that we have to defend with bodies, whilst attacking in numbers.

watching how gillingham play, and being aware of their main threats will give us something defensively to work with.

i am hoping we play well enough to show that we are continuing to improve, but i wont get carried away.

I think we will field an unchanged starting 11 and with the likes of jones & robertson on the bench we can change things up when needed. if we can steal an early goal great because Its a tough place to go and get points and I think a draw would be an excellent result tomorrow but it wont be easy im not sure if where at that point yet but lets hope !!!

We're starting to see the rewards from MP's demanding, relentless approach, which I love btw. I think he's a better tactician than some people give him credit for and he might just be able to get one over Ainsworth. Don't know how many tickets we've sold but expecting a good vocal backing which will help.

If Jodi does play I hope he’ll forget that it was a Gillingham foul which put him out for most of the season!