Play-off final - The Ammies (Wembley)

Team - Salford City

Date - 25 May 2026 15.00

Where - Wemberleyyy

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? And are we going up?

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

Well, another unchanged team seems the obvious move.

It's worth asking the question though. Our last Wembley appearance needed Johnny Bostock to get on the ball and control the play. Do we need Matty Palmer to try to do the same this time?

This may be an unpopular opinion as everyone is an hero after beating C'Field, but I thought Robbo had a really bad game on Friday - couldn't do a thing right for long periods of the game. So Palmer for Robbo in the strating XI to give us more control?

I'd say not cos I don't think Salford are a team to get on the ball and dominate us that way (unlike C'Field who are). But they do have a lot of athletic players, who could pick off Palmer and Robbo would be needed to try to keep them in check.

So after that, it's back full circle to unchanged for me! I don't think anyone else is pressing for a place in the starting XI.

It's a dilemma @theAnticlough, do you go for the control of Palmer or the physical presence of Robertson?

Maybe my mind is playing tricks on me, but I thought we showed signs of getting to grips with Salford last time we played them (ignoring the two near-identical and entirely preventable goals we conceded of course). Norburn was suspended and Robertson injured for that one, so we played with Palmer and Iorpenda in the middle and both Jatta and Dennis up front. We were missing Jones then too. I think the coaching team might be rewatching that game.

I don't have a great feeling about it because it's Salford, but it's a one-off and we're nothing if not determined.

This would be my starting 11 and bench to play Salford. An unchanged match squad that faced Chesterfield in the playoff 2nd leg. I think Martin has found his most effective starting 11, with a strong bench to cover all possibilities.

Norburn & Robertson are our strongest duo in CM. Iorpenda & Luker are strong together in the AM positions.

I don't think that there is a better back three in League 2 other than Ness, McDonald & Bedeau & with Belshaw behind those three, & Norburn & Robertson in front of them, they make formidable line up of six.

If Notts can take their chances upfront & defend as well as they did against Chesterfield in the two playoff legs, Notts have a good chance of coming out on top.

Starting lineup is likely to be the same, dependent upon fitness/injuries.

I don’t see the argument for starting with Palmer tbh. This will be a battle against a strong, physical but quick and combative team. We have been far more solid & effective with Robertson & Norburn as a partnership. We’ve overcome Chesterfield in 2 games, why mess about? Both offer more in the opposition’s half too.

I’d say Palmer is a steadying, controlling influence once the game is “won” or we are, comfortably, on top. He’s not the man for the first 60 mins at Wembley, and he has “previous”, remember?

The only disappointment for me is not being able to find a starting place for Grant. His energy, movement, touch, awareness and skill is tailor made for this occasion. I think he’ll be on the bench but suspect he’ll make an appearance early in the 2nd half.

Edited 6 hours ago6 hr by YoopEyes

I see the benefits of being unchanged, but I am quite curious as to if playing two strikers would better our attack against Salford? I personally would have Matt Palmer in all day, if he's 100% fit. I love Scott Robertson but he doesn't dictate the tempo as well as Palmer does.

Both are similar, and Robertson might be more defensive focused but that could also be a hinder to us, as he can get easily booked.

Palmer isn't as rash, but is a lot better at moving the ball around and into areas that our players can exploit. I would keep Ollie Norburn in, so there's no option to switch Robertson with him.

Keeper, and the defence writes itself. There's no need to tinker with that.

I am unsure if Keanan Bennetts is out, but I would love to see him make the bench. He could be a great impact player if he were more direct. However, we do need to see more from Alassana Jatta and it's not all on his shoulders.

Notts has to attack and bring him into the game, but Jatta needs to strike and avoid overthinking or placing the ball straight towards the keeper. It's why I would be tempted to have another striker on.

Personally at this stage I would rather the team concentrate on keeping a clean sheet & pinching a goal like we did in the playoff semi final 1st leg.

To turnaround two defeats by chesterfield, to a narrow win over them in the two legs with two clean sheets, is worth repeating against Salford, who beat Notts twice this season.