As a complement to the other thread, I thought I'd ask who you have as the best performers so far at the quarter season mark...

Here's my Top 5 to kick things off

1) Lucas Ness

The obvious choice I think. Ever-present in the league and has hardly put a foot wrong. The display at Huddersfield has to be the best individual performance in a single game so far. His best position is in the centre, but to accommodate mcDonald he's done really well at RCB. We shouldn't forget he played in the play-offs there and pushed JJ for MoM in the Wembley final from RCB. His 1-on-1 defending is consistently strong and it's a bonus to have his aerial prowess as a wide defender. His passing and ball control is absolutely fine and under-rated I think. It'll be interesting to see what interest there is in the January window. If he stays fit, I can't see his form dropping as he's just a class act - teams in the Championship and top of L1 with defensive weaknesses are bound to be interested.

2) Jacob Bedeau

He's playing better in L1 than he did in L2 last season (although his first season was better than that). He looks completely at home at this level and could easily play for a team around the top. I'd say he's gotten better and better over these 12 games as well and is even catching up with Ness. Nobody's gotten the better of him and that includes the Fernandez guy at Huddersfield who's said to be the best player in the league. I bet Bedeau has been the toughest opponent he's faced so far. JB has also gotten off the mark with his first goal for the club. It looks like he'll add a few more in the league because his confidence is growing all the time.

3) Nick Tsaroulla

Another who looks perfectly at home at the higher level. I'd say he's been much more consistent this season than last year and puts in a strong performance week and after week. He's been good in all three thirds of the pitch, especially in the middle third where he's shown that he can retain and use the ball well even when tightly marked and harried.

4) Ishe Samuels-Smith

Played fewer league games (8 with 4 as sub) but it's not just the stellar showing at Mansfield, he's been good in most of his games. Maybe if he was a Tottenham loanee instead of Chelsea, more fans would have positive from the start. What a combination of talents he has - can surge forward all game long but is a superb one-on-one defender as well. Enjoy him while we can, he's going to go far

5) Ollie Cooper

Showed the way in our first 8 games. Great pressing, tidy on the ball and got 4 goals.

honorable mentions - Connor Grant, his best season at Notts so far. Mr. Belshaw pretty steady as well

Very interested to see who others pick out and in what order....

Edited yesterday at 16:531 day by theAnticlough

Jacob Bedeau from the games I have seen up to October, hadn't done enough and had many very poor games to the point where I felt he would be dropped. I had mentioned his errors, but did notice people saying he isn't good enough afterward. I think he's certainly good enough for this level, but his game has changed this season and he's been less attack-minded than in League Two.

Ollie Cooper and Nick Tsaroulla have been absolute class.

Lucas Ness has also grown into the role and does deserve to be in the running based on his performances so far.

Cal Roberts, for me, has proven he's just a talented footballer, but I am not surprised that we allowed Jodi Jones to go (well, I was at the time but solely due to the circumstances), as I said at the time we signed him; both would have been a luxury, but I believe we have kept the right player. I would have loved to see Jodi remain, but having two wingers with their injury records seemed a risk to me.

Cal has proven to me that he's much stronger, and has made a good start to this season for us. Against some teams, he has been by far our best player.

Roberts, Ness and Cooper for me are in the main running, with Tsaroulla not far behind.

Best signing for me has to be Rory Finneran even if it is a loan signing, which may surprise people based on my comments about Roberts, but Rory Finneran looks like a real gem on the way up.

Yes agree @Chris, Finneran has been phenomenal. What a career he's going to have. I must be a curmudgeon, I didn't put him up there because of the stinkers he had at Reading and Wycombe .... but that's just 2 games out of 10, and a 18 year-old is going to have those blips, games where nothing comes off. Apart from that, fantastic - unbelievable considering the young age. He looks like a 32 year-old midfield general, although he's only just got out of 6th form!

After 12 League matches, the PON Man of the Match race for Player of the season is as follows.

Finneran 4* wins

Ness 3* Wins

Cooper 2 wins

Smyth 1* win

Gibbons 1 win

Bedeau 1 win

Palmer 1* win

Tsaroulla 1 win

Samuels-Smith 1 win

The * denotes sharing a win with another.

So according to the PON membership voters so far, Finneran, Ness & Cooper are 1, 2, & 3 in the race for the end of season accolade.

My top 5 are as follows:-

1. Ollie Cooper. He has been outstanding for us this season so far, with 4 goals contribution. He is creative and has the ability to influence our attacking play. He is the number one for me so far.

2. Lucas Ness. With his consistency at the back, he has become one of our most dependable performers, with contributions that reflect his position.

3. Ishe Samuel Smith. A great performer who has brought athleticism and quality to the team. He also offers great defencive prowess.

4. Rory Finneran. An exciting young talent who brings energy, composure and a willingness to get involved. Making him a very important player.

5. Nick Tsaroulla. He has given us pace and energy offering a great attacking threat. Definitely making things happen going forward. These are my choices, but others such as Cal Roberts, Connor Grant and Scott Robertson are close also. One thing I'd say is that we need more consistency throughout the team. Having five good individual performers isn't enough if the overall defensive organisation and results aren't there.

They are, currently, the 5 I’d go for.

Robertson probably deserves to be in there too. The likes of Bedeau, Grant, Roberts & McDonald may well be in contention towards the end of the season tho’. That’s 9 players who have actually put themselves in the frame - so far. That’s both astonishing & impressive for a side that is in our position & with 3 wins. Never known so many contenders tbh.