Game 17 - The U's (H)
Team - Colchester United
Date - 22/11/2025 15:00
Where - Meadow Lane

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.

Palmer back in to start for sure.

I wouldn't mind unchanged apart from that, we won the second half with Palmer on after all.

Jarvis to come on, Jodi as well if he's fit.

Notts need to show more intensity from the word go against Colchester & put them under pressure.

I'd play the starting eleven that took the field against Harrogate, but I would play Palmer instead of Iorpenda & put Iorpenda on the bench.

We know that Martin Paterson can change things around if things aren't working in the first half. Hopefully that won't happen this time.

I'm hoping for a convincing win on Saturday. A 3:1 win for Notts would be a great result & should keep Notts in the top four.

1 hour ago, Robbie said:

Notts need to show more intensity from the word go against Colchester & put them under pressure.

I'd play the starting eleven that took the field against Harrogate, but I would play Palmer instead of Iorpenda & put Iorpenda on the bench.

For two home games running we've seen the same slow-paced Maynard-style ball for entire first halves which hasn't been the possession with a purpose we were promised.

There hasn't been a particularly intense press against us, in fact they've been very willing to see our defenders with the ball at their feet. Macari and Bedeau haven't injected any positivity or adventure into our play. Balls across the backline or to the feet of tightly marked wing backs in deep positions won't get us anywhere at all. We have to have the option of being dynamic down the middle. There's cover if those wide CBs surged forward and committed players and I think we really need them to do that a lot more.

Well I won’t be there for this match so I predict an exciting fast paced match, Notts will dominate for the whole 90+ minutes and we’ll win 5-0.

You heard it here first.

We can beat anyone in this league when we are on it. Let's hope we are on it this Saturday. I think our problem is we can't sustain a good performance for the whole game. We either start well and fade of start poorly and give our selves a mountain to climb. We have to start taking our chances while we are top that's seems to be what's missing.

Colchester's form suggest a tougher test than Harrogate.

Hoping Jarvis on the bench, who could also play a #10 role

I am not worried that they beat Walsall, 2-0, despite them having been away at the Bescot Stadium.

It was a good result for them, and I am sure that they will be one of the better teams we will have faced so far at Meadow Lane, but our atmosphere can be a lot more impressive. We are in good form at home, and all it takes is one of the chances to kick-start us, so I am hopeful we will be direct and straight to the offensive in order to put the U's on the back foot.

This might sound controversial, but we are not the same without Matt Palmer, whereas people tend to go on about Jodi Jones, who is a brilliant player when he is playing well and focused.

However, we have learned to cope without him, and this isn't something we have shown many signs of with regard to Matt Palmer.

Ollie Norburn is okay, but he hasn't established himself yet; however, he can do well. Tom Iorpenda is a decent talent and can unlock play, but neither of those are what Palmer brings. He's calm, focused, and, most of all, great at setting the temp. With him in the team and us playing well, we can control and dictate play, whereas without him we tend to struggle.

I think the game will be close, but I am thinking we will pick up the points. My prediction would be 2-1.

1 hour ago, Piethagoram said:

Hoping Jarvis on the bench, who could also play a #10 role

He definitely can. And oppositions wouldn't enjoy it.

No.10 looks a hard position to play in L2. Somebody up your xxx all the time and defenders everywhere you turn. It already seems a long time ago that McGoldrick and Crowley showed they could live with that and produce goals/assists. Hall and Grant are doing OK but are not in that league so things could change there over the course of the season.

@theAnticlough It's just the ability Jarvis has to glide past players. Low block defences are OK but Jarvis coming at you, can draw fouls and penalties

41 minutes ago, Piethagoram said:

@theAnticlough It's just the ability Jarvis has to glide past players. Low block defences are OK but Jarvis coming at you, can draw fouls and penalties

Absolutely (as Stall might say :) ) He's a real game changer. That gliding ability is something else. It's funny because it doesn't look like its pace that's doing it. It was the same with players like John Robertson and John Barnes - it's a pretty rare ability.

Why would MP hesitate? Hall and Jarvis? If they both have sleepy games a whole section of our team would be missing and we'd miss Grant's pressing and general defensive work. Jarvis behind 2 strikers? That's a lot to put on a player not known for his work ethic or reliability.

I, and many other fans, maybe you too Piethagoram, would do this but I'm not sure MP would.

I think we can all agree that having Matt Palmer back will be a big boost. At the same time, we should ask how much we are missing Rod McDonald in defence.

He has made a clear impact since joining the squad, and I believe he is one of the more alert centre backs we have.

I want Notts to move past the draw, aim for a win and play with confidence. If the lads enjoy themselves, it will feel like less effort as long as the goals come our way.

I suspect Colchester will come to play today and that should suit us. As mentioned, a 90 minute performance would be most welcome.

10 hours ago, OoooooTommy said:

I think we can all agree that having Matt Palmer back will be a big boost. At the same time, we should ask how much we are missing Rod McDonald in defence.

He has made a clear impact since joining the squad, and I believe he is one of the more alert centre backs we have.

At Brackley definitely. But Ness has done well in the main. For the run in, Ness is clearly still third choice for the CB position. I wonder if he could give Macari competition for RCB?

1 hour ago, Dripsey3 said:

I suspect Colchester will come to play today and that should suit us. As mentioned, a 90 minute performance would be most welcome.

Last 2 away games 0-0 Swindon 0-2 win Walsall, where they were 2 up at HT and dominated apparently, so I think you might be right. Should be a better game to watch

It's Matchday.

Colchester may well come to play, but I wouldn't be surprised to see them play like most visiting teams do at Meadow Lane.

Play a defensive game & challenge Notts to break them down. They will also employ a high press, & just wait for Notts to make mistakes at the back & hit Notts hard on the break.

I agree with @Robbie 's comments above about how Colchester will approach this. I think they are going to press hard for the first 20 minutes with the aim of going 1-0 up. Then I'd imagine they'll sit deep and just play to counter. If they go into half-time 1-0 up, get prepared for a master-class in time wasting. I thought Harrogate were pretty sporting considering they had no subs, a team managed by the Cowleys will go through every trick in the book.

I think in the big matches it's important that we get the first goal, then that puts the pressure on the away side, they can't just sit back and that will open up more spaces for us to attack too.

Palmer replaces Iorpenda in Notts's only change from Harrogate.

I'm still appreciating how we can predict the starting XI and subs. Unlike the Maynard season and a half, there's a clear logic to the selections.

Great to see Matty Palmer back - we know he's ready from what we saw last weekend.

If JJ was playing LWB we'd be expecting some production, so it's only right the same standard is applied to Bennetts. There's limited use is just playing well for a half or so, we're a promotion aspiring team that needs some goals and assists on the end of it.

Having Palmer back should help - a lot. Expect a tight game but conditions may play a part too.

No need to be overly concerned about Colchester, they’ve had done good results but they are inconsistent. Still fancy us for 3 points………..

Kick off.

GOOOOOAAAAAL NOTTS

Goal Colchester.

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