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We have completed the signing of goalkeeper Joe McDonnell on a deal until the end of the season.

The 25-year-old was most recently at AFC Wimbledon, where he worked with Neal Ardley and Neil Cox, and his arrival has paved the way for Ross Fitzsimons to return to Chesterfield on loan for the remainder of the campaign.

Cox said: “We had a very amicable chat with Ross this morning and he’s decided to move on.

“While we wanted Ross to stay and provide competition for our goalkeeping spot, the manager can’t guarantee anyone a starting role in the team.

“Ross wants to play as many games as he can and he feels Chesterfield will be the best place for him to do that. We wish him well.”

 

 

https://www.nottscountyfc.co.uk/news/2020/february/mcdonnell-signs-fitzsimons-departs-030220/?fbclid=IwAR2dGgVKWDuZNz4i_Tsh9IUnAG6bFgcxeV8KpJQCLwVodIr7VTjmYD03VyU

Slocombe out 'for the foreseeable future' is vague one. If Fitz was here, surely he'd be pencilled in for that number 1 slot, like he was on Saturday. Maybe the manager really doesn't rate him and rates this new lad higher? Who knows.

 

I am not so bothered about the departure of Ross, I am looking forward to seeing McDonnell and I hope Fitzsimons can restart his career as a teams number 1.

i think ross just wants to play first team football and ardley probably wants a keeper who he thinks is good enough. he clearly did not have a lot of faith in him and that mostly comes down to how no keeper should bury their heads or go missing.

ross will revive his career, i just see it as us improving.

It didn't work out with Ross Fitzsimons here.

After last season I am surprised people didn't want him to go, but players like Matt Tootle have taken some brunt comments due to wanting to remain here. Fitz gets some sort of free pass, when his confidence is flaky at best. I do rate him as a keeper, but if he can't find a zone where he can focus, he won't be any use to us. Joe McDonnell just signals a fresh start which the club does need.

Good luck to him.

I am happy with the signing of Joe McDonnell, I think it's a sensible decision.

I might be few Notts fans who are just glad that this Fitzsimons/Ardley battle looks to have ended, the manager will know what he wants and sometimes it means that people are no longer required.

I am focused on Notts becoming the best team that it can be, not silly stories or players having a strop because they're out favour.

Hope Joe is a solid keeper who can help keep the games flowing.

Good decision.

Happy with this signing. Sensible decision and he's a really good keeper. Heard good things and seen his abilities.

You can’t moan about this signing, I think people wanted Ross to do well but he’s not consistent enough. I think Chesterfield will find this out.

@NottsTastic @NottsTastic Fitz is a good keeper but is prone to mistakes. Mostly since that red he got against Crawley few seasons ago, which obviously knocked him back. 

Way too inconsistent and needs more time, if Notts moved forward he would be trailing. He’ll get that time to learn at Chesterfield.

It would make a change to have two solid keepers, no disrespect to Ross Fitzsimons but he tends to only have moments where he looks good.

Fitzsimons has too many weaknesses for my book, the manager doesn't trust him (justifiably) and he wants to play (understandably). It's best for everyone that he moves on.

I don't know much about McDonnell, maybe he's at a loose end after stepping down as shadow chancellor. Hope he does a job for us though.

That statement about Slocombe bothered me too. "For the foreseeable future" sounds like the rest of the season at least

Good signing, good to move on and with Slocombe being injured I hope Joe comes ready to prove a point.

I think Ross is a decent keeper and I can totally understand why he wanted to go, Jalal had a poor game for Chesterfield against us so he’ll go there thinking he’ll have a good chance of getting more first team football.

As for Joe McDonnell, I've never seem him play and don’t know anything him about him. Leigh Curtis said on the webchat he’s quite short for a keeper, according to soccerbase he’s 5ft 11”. Also from the same website, he's only played 34 games in 5 seasons.

I hope the lack of game time won't be an issue and that he's got a good jump on him! 

Edited February 3, 20205 yr by menzinho

Height isn't really an issue, if he's agile and has a good reach, he could prove to be a good keeper.

I think its a good bit of business myself.

Why anyone would be bothered about Ross Fitzsimons going back after the comments expressed about him wanting to return, and just on the fact he's played okay twice this season really does seem somewhat deluded.

He looks like he could be a very good keeper one day, is he ready for first team football at this level or the next one?

I'm not sure, I would wish him well but his lack of ability is part of the reason Notts lost their football league status. We can't get sentimental over a player doesn't up his game when required.

Pleased to have the deal done and complete, it's best for Ross Fitzsimons to move on to Chesterfield. I do expect him to stay there at the end of the season once his deal is up, I am surprised he hasn't asked to be terminated.

12 hours ago, DangerousSausage said:

Fitzsimons has too many weaknesses for my book, the manager doesn't trust him (justifiably) and he wants to play (understandably). It's best for everyone that he moves on.

I don't know much about McDonnell, maybe he's at a loose end after stepping down as shadow chancellor. Hope he does a job for us though.

That statement about Slocombe bothered me too. "For the foreseeable future" sounds like the rest of the season at least

2 months according to Leigh Curtis. 

It may be hard to tell but it would be good if the club actually gave an idea on how long slocombe is going to be out because our promotion is going to be over if we are having to rely on fitzsimons.

Honestly, I have wanted it to work out for Ross Fitzsimons but I don't feel Notts will regret letting him go out on loan.

I think some fans hype him up a bit too much, he's a good keeper but there's basic aspects which he fails with. He's not good with crosses, he doesn't command his area and one on one's tend to favour against him.

I'm hoping Joe McDonnell is more polished all round.

It's a good signing on paper, he's the right age to learn from Sam Slocombe and, we shouldn't worry about height.

If he can spring himself into the air, he could be more agile and quicker to respond to things. Some of the best keepers I have seen haven't been that tall in all fairness, so I am excited to see him play for us.

Regarding Ross Fitzsimons, it was always on the card.

It's hard to be annoyed with him, or disappointed to see him go - it simply didn't work out.

Possibly somewhat down to how Alan Hardy hyped him from day one, I do wonder if that make Ross question his own ability.

Some keepers want to fight for the place, and Ross has done this to a point but he hasn't come across in the best of ways at times. Its more just common sense to allow him to go back to Chesterfield and to bring in someone fresh.

Joe McDonnell might be content to play number 2 without causing headaches.

At the end of the season no end of people wanted every player out, including Ross.

He's had limited chance to impress this season, when called upon he's done okay but it makes sense. Joe McDonnell looks a good replacement.

It's a loan? There was rumours going a round before the Chesterfield game that he had been released from AFC Wimbledon.

Ross Fitzsimons could still be in the plans.

I suppose it depends on how he does whilst on loan and if Neal Ardley wants him, it doesn't look to be the case but who knows?