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The need for us fans to have patience has been highlighted this season. During pre-season and even after the first few game many were doubtful (myself included) that things at the club were in a good place. Poor recruitment, unconvincing head coach and a style of playing that looked chaotic at best. But look what a bit of time and patience achieves. I know we are not the finished product yet, but things have progressed for the better. As far as recruitment is concerned look at what time to settle has produced. Hall, Luker, Iorpenda and Dennis are starting to flourish as are a few others. The team is playing with our core principles with a Paterson twist and to top it off, Richard Montague is back! Yes as the saying goes....patience is a virtue.

I agree with you. There were a lot of changes, and it’s understandable that fans would be worried. The early performances didn’t match expectations, and pre-season should have been used to build stronger connections within the squad. Getting signings in earlier and giving the new head coach time to settle with his players would have helped. It’s fair to be concerned, but some fans go too far with the negativity, especially online. I always believed things would get better. Even if we finish 10th, I think adding permanent signings next season could give the club a fresh push. When it comes to league position, we have to think about our budget, the situation we’re in, and what other teams are doing. It’s not just about where we want to be, but what’s realistic. If we stick to being sustainable and focus on building a better future for the club, patience is key. If people only care about quick results, they risk harming Notts in the long run.

All of the above and more. The gaffer is now doing what he visualised from day one, the squad are now understanding each other and exactly what Martin and the coaching staff requires of them. Long may it last and the same for fans who were doubtful and impatient. As they say, Rome wasn't built in a day (sorry, don't know who they are) or something like that. We all must Keep The Faith and allow the process to continue. 👍🤠

This is news I have been hoping to hear, welcome back Richard.

I agree that there needs to be balance, and some people should be less quick to lose patience. I think all fans would agree that they want promotion. So why let bad feelings and negativity spoil what is a natural rollercoaster with its ups and downs. It would be great to be strong enough to win the league, and if we keep growing then one day this could happen. For now though, we should focus on building for League One. We need to earn the right to play there and then celebrate. Otherwise you spend more time wishing you were as successful as Liverpool instead of enjoying the journey. That is not what true football is about, especially when you support your local club.

We had a whole new coaching team and lots of new players too, it was always going to take time. I'd say one of the biggest advantages to having the Brothers in charge is their ability to not react like fans... If they had Paterson might have been sacked 3 matches in! I wonder if the belittled and bashed technical board is having a positive impact too. It was after all bought in to aid the coaching staff. If it's giving Paterson new things to think about and flagging up points he was possibly oblivious it can only be a good thing. I think given how we've seen the team change subtly it could be having an affect, Paterson isn't stubborn and I like he's changed the team up in order to make us better. It was a pretty horrible start in away, before a ball was even kicked there were a lot of questions being asked and no-one really had much faith going into this season. I'd say we are in a much stronger place now and I'm cautiously optimistic we'll be at the right end of the table come the end of the season!

I totally agree that patience is needed. When eleven new players arrive these players are not going to fit into the Notts playing system immediately. There are also other considerations such as getting to know their playing colleagues, the Coaching Staff & Head Coach & what the Head Coach expects from them, such as level of fitness & their responsibilities on the field of play. And of course, the established Notts players have to get to know the new players too. I think Martin Paterson has done remarkably well to get the squad where it is right now. There is optimism in the air around the club. The squad isn't yet the finished article & Martin will want to see more from his players in the weeks and months ahead. There will still be ups and downs & lots of patience, especially from some of the fanbase will be needed. One thing's for sure, the owners have lots of confidence in this squad, the players are definitely playing for Martin Paterson, & Martin has the confidence of the owners. A perfect recipe for success this season.

I’m happy to wait because I believe earning promotion to League One the right way is better than going up by luck or being unprepared through the play-offs. There will be good and bad moments, and it’s fine to talk about concerns. That’s why sites like PON matter. They help fans see things more clearly, which often gets lost on social media.

Great post @McPie there were lots of fans who were questioning the direction of the club, some even calling for the owners to go, how ridiculous is that? I’m afraid these days patience is not something that a lot of people seem to possess in all walks of life not just football.

Likewise I’ve had doubts about Roos too and tbh I still have particularly regarding a seeming reluctance to command his area but fair is fair he produced a number of very strong saves and was on his game for the 100 minutes today. I also think that the manager and staff deserve a nod too particularly with their game management and substitution decisiveness. I am constantly getting small reminders of the common sense, patience and honesty that we became used to in the 70s and 80s. No more than the team and the keeper I’m thinking small little steps but there’s something about our Martin.

I was among those worried after the rough start, but the owner and head coach have shown they want a steady, long term path. The club kept to a budget that makes sense and focused on core strengths. The academy has to feed the first team, so the plan should keep investing in youngsters who can grow into useful players. It is easy to shout for swifter changes, but such calls can hurt a season. Patience does not mean no heat; it means smart heat. We push the team to improve, but we keep a calm tone in public and protect players from unfair abuse.

i think there is a lot of reasons why we should be patient and not start demanding things to be changed, as if it can suddenly just happen but through hard work and further improvements. i do wonder if roberto gagliardi will be vindicated come the end of the season. dont get me wrong, i am happy knowing richard montague is back and i do think it will work itself out but gagliardi took the brunt of a lot of criticism.

Ive been a critic of Roos since his signing.....i feel a slice of humble pie incoming if he carries on giving match winning performances like today.....long may it continue .....well done Kelle Roos...

I looked at some footballers who don’t have a club right now. They played last season in the Premier League down to League Two. Some might be too expensive or not realistic, but if the club could pay their wages, even just until the end of the season, I think it could help. I’m not sure if any are injured, but if they’re fit and ready to play, they could make the team stronger. Jamal Blackman has always been good in goal. I liked him when he was on loan from Chelsea. He’s 31 now and has lots of experience. I think he’d be a solid goalkeeper for us and would help out with the Kelle Roos situation. Theo Vassell is another player I think would be useful. He’s played in the lower leagues and is quite steady. He can play in all three centre-back spots, so he’d be handy to have in the squad. If we need more wing-back cover, Anthony Forde could be a good choice. He’s been sold for decent money before and has played well. If we use him the right way, he could do a good job. Some people say Notts need more attacking midfielders. Jonathan Lewis used to play for Barnsley and could be a good pick. He can play up front but is better on the wing. Nathan Redmond is also really good going forward. He’s 31 and last played for Burnley. It might be a bit of a stretch, but if we could get him, even for a short time, he’d be amazing. Max Woltman is a young striker who came from Liverpool’s academy. He went to Oxford United but didn’t really settle. He played for Doncaster Rovers on loan in 2023. I think he’d be a good signing to help him grow and improve. Victor Moses or Emmanuel Dennis would be dream signings. They’ve both played in the Premier League and still have some football left in them. They could become fan favourites like Shola Ameobi did. Wages might be a problem, but they’ve made good money already. Maybe the club’s goals and the chance to get promoted to League One could tempt them. If we want someone like Dan Crowley but with Ruben Rodrigues’ style, I’d love to see Lucas Andersen join. He’s Danish and very creative. He’s 31 and works really hard. He played for QPR before they let him go, and he’s also been at Aalborg BK in Denmark. He’s got a good background with teams like Grasshoppers, Ajax and Willem II. We probably won’t sign any of these free agents, but it’s fun to think about. If I was part of the team picking players, I’d want to talk to some of the ones I mentioned. Emmanuel Dennis (Forward) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emmanuel_Dennis Nathan Redmon (Attacking Midfielder) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nathan_Redmond Max Woltman (Striker) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Woltman Lucas Andersen (Attacking Midfielder) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucas_Andersen Jonathan Lewis (Attacking Midfielder) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Lewis_(soccer) Victor Moses (Attacking Midfielder) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victor_Moses Anthony Forde (Wing Back) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Forde_(footballer) Theo Vassell (Defender) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theo_Vassell Jamal Blackman (Keeper) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamal_Blackman

I'm delighted that he has returned. He's worked with the brothers a long time. They are very comfortable with him and his work.

Fantastic news IMO Here's the release on the club site Richard Montague has returned to the club as Director of Football. Having left for the same role at Swansea City in February, the 39-year-old reunites with our owners, Chris and Alex Reedtz, having previously worked closely with them for 14 years. Chris and Alex said: “We’re delighted to welcome Richard back to Meadow Lane in what will be a slightly broader role to the one he previously held with us. “While recruitment will once again be one of his key responsibilities, Richard will now be more involved in the day-to-day operations of the football department and will once again become a key figure of support to the coaching team. “We’re sure fans will join us in warmly welcoming him back to the club.” Richard added: “I’m incredibly excited and grateful to be back at Notts – a club close to my heart following a very memorable and enjoyable five-and-a-half years here previously. “I arrive with fresh ideas, experiences and contacts from my time at Swansea – and even greater passion and respect for the way we operate at Meadow Lane. “I look forward to meeting and building close relationships with Martin Paterson and Andy Edwards, as well as catching up with the many other fantastic people who work so hard to drive the club forward.”

Roos for me today too..humble pie x2

Notts have a lot to do, but there are clear signs. The new coaching team is asking for discipline and energy, and the players are buying in. When the system clicks, the defence looks tighter and the midfield more compact. It is not glamorous, but it works. The next fixtures against Barnet will test whether the team can sustain this level. If they do, we will see a higher tempo and better ball retention. The supporters will notice the difference, and that can lift confidence across the club. For me, patience is not passive; it is a steady belief that we can improve week by week.

Just a small update to say PON will be recognising the talent within the community by acknowledging 'community roles', which will see a badge awarded to various contributors who reach certain criteria. Such roles as Community Expert, Analyst, Historian, YouTuber, etc. These will be issued to active members of the community, so we encourage you to take part in order to keep the relevant badge of your chosen field. I would also encourage you to showcase your field by sharing your work within the community, but where relevant and mindful of avoiding appearing to spam. In addition, the dashboard and community forum page have an activity streak widget to encourage and remind members to stay engaged. I fully understand that members won't always have the time, but commitment and effort really do help the site. As a fun way to encourage this, the activity streak will keep track of your posting habit, and if you keep engaging, you will see it total up. If at some point you don't post, you can simply start again and see if you can beat your recorded highest amount. Latest subscribers now have their ribbon back on desktops, and on mobile, it reverts to a badge due to space. Thanks for all your contributions, everyone! Regards, Chris

It was somewhat of a culture shock to see Notts rely so heavily on loans; I can understand the concern and the risk. I am more balanced, although it did look like the recruitment hadn't succeeded so well. The argument that a lack of quality players who could be brought into the club for modest fees could have given us a bit more long-term stability, which could have helped ease the loan players in. There's always a risk that the loan players won't give their all; we have seen this in the past where they have been simply signed to top up the squad and aren't ready, but this isn't something we have seen during the Reedtz era. We might have invested too much into young loan players, so I do understand, but there needs to be a level of respect shown, not just patience. Hard work is seeing some good results, and I hope this continues.

Fans talk about promotion a lot, and that is fair. Yet the best route is to build a team that can stay competitive in League One. The coaching staff has earned time to mature the squad, and the owners appear to have faith in this project. Notts are not there yet, but the process is clear: smarter recruitment, steady development, and a sense of unity across staff, players, and fans. If we keep this course, not only will the club rise in the table, we will have a healthier club for years to come.

I have to say that I've enjoyed following how MP has shaped the team over the first 2 months of the season. His choices have made a lot more sense than Maynard's or Burchnall's even. He's been pretty decisive in moving away from things that haven't worked. Each change he's made - Robbo for Norburn, Macari for Aljofree, Jones back out wide, Hall in, etc have made us better each time. Burchnall was too cautious at times and had favourites (I better not get started on Ardley!) For a modest man, Maynard thought it was about him and his techncial solutions for each game, hence the seemingly random chopping and changing. I actually have more faith already in MP to identify problems and fix them swiftly and fairly. For now, the team looks pretty settled. The latest great development appears to be that Hall has grabbed a starting shirt in one of the No.10 positions. This is really exciting, because there's a 15-20 goal a season player if ever I've seen one. And that kind of output can contribute to a promotion. I don't think 2 up front will be his staple. So the main question remaining is who will be the other regular No.10? I don't think that can be Iorpenda. A low assist, low goal player in that advanced position will hold back progress big time. It's alright with home games against Shrews, Crawley, Oldham and the like, but all the big games like at Gills, Walsall, MK, Swindon etc when it's tight and they wrap up Jatta and Hall, you need that other player to come up with equalisers and winners and that's not going to be Iorpenda IMO. He might look good but he's not ready yet to make telling contributions in the men's games which affects actual results. There's plenty of other viable contenders for that other spot....Luker, Dennis, Jarvis, or a surprise like Kouhyar or Traore. And failing that a January acquisition.

the activity streak is a cool idea, i think we all sometimes undervalue the difference we make and its just a gentle reminder that one or a few posts per day can make a lot of a difference. my highest amount in a row says 18, so i am going to beat that. 😁

Roos, Aljofree, McDonald, Bedeau, Jodi, Tsaroulla, Palmer, Robertson, Hall, Dennis, Jatta. If not Dennis, I would have Grant, even though he takes too many touches to shoot. He has time to start scoring, but he does work hard. Subs: Griffiths, Macari, Norburn, Bennetts, Jarvis. If we are playing by the rule @menzinho mentioned, being that we lose a sub due to no homegrown player than I end with Jarvis. If we have another space, I would put Ness or Luker in.

Unfortunately Notts looked like the non league team and Brackley the league team. Congratulations Brackley for the positive attitude, energy, grit and determination never to give up. I hope we as a collective can learn from a dismal display and moving forward, put on a brave face leaving this disaster in the past. PMA is a must now, the league beckons.

That was not just a win for Notts, but a win for football. Notts were the only team trying to play football. Cambridge just came to frustrate and stifle us with the hope of nicking a goal. I have no complaints about the first half performance, Cambridge made it very difficult with their tactics as others have this season. The pleasing thing for me is in the second half we continued to try and play football and got what we deserved. Likewise, Cambridge got what they deserved, nothing!

The team played very well defensively, & they were backed up by an excellent performance from Roos. I've been critical of Roos too, but for me he deserves all the plaudits for his performance between the sticks today. I'm delighted to give my vote to Roos & I hope that his performance today will give him lots of confidence for the weeks and months ahead.

Martin Paterson has been choosing a settled first eleven as late. Earlier on in the season he was tinkering with different Players & Players in different positions, even placing Jodi Jones as an attacking midfielder for a while. When new players join a club there will always be a period where they are settling in, getting to know their fellow players, Head Coach & getting used to the Notts way of playing. It appears on balance that Martin Paterson now has a strong squad to choose his first eleven from. Martin has also said that it is a good place to be to have an headache over selections for the first team & match squad. So after having seen the first eleven league games who would your first eleven be if you were in Martin Paterson's shoes. At this particular moment in time my first eleven would be. Roos, Macari, McDonald, Bedeau, Tsaroulla, Palmer, Robertson, Jones, Iorpenda, Hall, Jatta.Subs bench Griffiths, Ness, Norburn, Luker, Dennis, Jarvis, Bennetts.I do think that those players I've selected are a well balanced squad. It is a hard choice to leave out Dennis because of his form during the time Jatta was absent, & I do prefer the one striker model, so I thought it would be good for Notts for Jatta & Dennis to fight it out for the number one spot.

Eleven new players take time to gel. The coach reshaped the midfield and the system to suit them, and you can see the style becoming clearer.

A lot of our players are not the most reliable finishers. Kellan Gordon and Nick Tsaroulla have both missed very good chances and do not often take the ones that come their way. The same could be said about Scott Robertson, Ollie Norburn and Tom Iorpenda. It is not only Conor Grant or Matt Palmer who struggle in this area. Players like Jodi Jones make up for it with assists and creativity. Jodi is more than capable of scoring but does not. I do not think people hold it against him, as he works hard and is a real asset to the squad. Palmer is a credit to Notts and Grant also puts in the effort. Grant might benefit from an extra push from Martin Paterson, perhaps by being challenged to score more. Mai Traore should not be given a free pass just because he has not settled. He is a professional footballer and so far looks like the biggest flop of the Reedtz era. I would love to see him celebrate a goal, but he needs to show more form and play at a better level. Every player has limits, but each brings something different to the squad. As long as we have players who can finish chances, the goals will come. We are fortunate to have Alassana Jatta and even Matthew Dennis to a degree.

Me everyday and each day gets harder to shift myself

The bad weather and wind seem to have been the final blow to my back garden fence, so I am having it replaced soon. I have someone from a fencing company coming out around three this afternoon. I have already had two quotes which I rejected straight away. I think some of these people either do not want the job and price it high to put you off, or they are trying to pull the wool over your eyes. Over three thousand pounds is far too much money for such a simple job. I am not in a rush to have it fixed, but if I keep getting high quotes I will do it myself. There is no heavy digging needed, and the old fence is easy to remove. Concrete posts, concrete and fence panels would not cost that much, so the labour charges must be easy money for them.

He is a quiet player who lets his control and creativity show his quality. Some players can score goals but offer little else. Enzio Boldewijn is an example of that. Hard work and consistency should be valued just as much as goals. Matt Palmer might need to be a little more selfish when he has the ball. It could also be that his passing is stronger than his shooting. Conor Grant is a good player. He can be frustrating at times, but he helps us keep the ball and move forward. He is dangerous when opening up play. It could help him to work on shooting drills and to take fewer touches when he has a chance to score.

Great list. Some of these would be amazing for Notts, assuming their legs or motivation haven't gone (we've had a few of those). Who would be dropped though to make way for them? Apart from Roos, the defence is starting to pick itself, Palmer and Robertson are developing a good partnership, Jones and Tsaroulla are among the first picks, Jatta plus Dennis/Iorpenda/Luker/Hall all looking good. Keeper seems like far and away the priority, then maybe someone with the experience to help us manage away games better. Thought that might have been Norburn but not looking like it.

Nice topic & good info on availability of suitable players for Notts. I do recall that the owners were saying that they are satisfied with the strength of the squad right now, so the odds that Notts may go for the players you put forward are slim. However, we now have a new Head of Football & that means that the owners are much more likely to take the advice of Richard now he's here. Fans like yourself have a very good idea where the side needs strengthening. As far as I'm concerned it's between the sticks, defence, & attack. We also have to remember that as well as having wages to play, agents fees have to be paid. There will maybe have to be a signing on fee for the player too. If there were just one player I would sign, it would be a decent goalkeeper, who would make such a difference to the squad, & also Notts's promotion chances.

There are some interesting options among the list @Ash I expect if there are any possibilities among them Richard Montague will on the case for sure!

Well done the Bros Send your man out on an internment at a championship club for 6 months. He does some benchmarking there, develops himself, learns that division, steals the contacts and all at the great expense of the championship chumps. Cheers Swansea, you didn't even see us coming. Couldn't have happened to a nicer club :)

i hope he can pick up from where he left and resume his role like he has never been away, he should thrive back at notts and i am pleased to see him return. i hope the next big opportunity that comes his way, he reflects a little more on what can be achieved here for a long period than a short term of success.

Hope a new Goalkeeper is at the top of his list of priorities!!!!

This is good news. He knows the DNA of the club. He understands the way the owners want to do things. As he says in the press release, he has gained experience and has fresh ideas. It just feels like things are under control again.

I didn't honestly believe he would come back, so this is great news. The work he did in his last stint speaks for itself and the owners know and trust him. Hopefully he can build a good working relationship with MP too. I wonder where this leaves the technical board?

Funny thing is @Chris , we’ve had the maximum number of subs this season, even though we haven’t had one of our academy players on the bench! I think, and I could be wrong here, we’ve registered Griffiths as part of our academy setup and therefore he's become our “home-grown player” and that's how we've had the full 7 subs. I terms of my team, I really don’t envy Paterson here! On paper you'd want a front two of Jatta and Dennis in, but in reality think the 3-4-2-1 formation does suit us more. I really like Dennis, he couldn’t have started the season any better to be honest. Defence isn’t easy either, I think McDonald has to stay for now, I’m not sure Platt is suited to playing at RCB so I’d have to bench him. I’ve liked Ness when I’ve seen him, he just needs to stay fit and I think he'll be really good. Macari is ultra reliable and you know you'll get a committed performance from him. Finally, think I’m looking at Iorpenda or Luker for that last attacking midfield spot (even as a member of the Jarvis fan club, we've not seen enough of him here). I think Luker is going to get you more goals and assists but Iorpenda gives us a touch more physicality and his ability to stride forward with the ball is really good. It’s a really tough choice. First 11: Roos, Ness, McDonald, Bedeau, Tsaroulla, Palmer, Robertson, Jones, Hall, Luker, Jatta. Subs: Griffiths, Platt, Bennetts, Norburn, Iorpenda, Jarvis, Dennis. If we ever have a fully fit side it’s almost an impossible task choosing the side and subs, I feel bad for leaving Macari, Grant & Kouhyar out but I just can’t fit them in.

Feels like it's been something a long time in the making. I’d be interested to find out about the really early days, in the build up to the League forming and how Notts were involved with that. And the idea that we could’ve then been voted out of the league after that first season for some reason! The recent history section from about 2000-2020 will be pretty bare, we’ll have the infamous Munto season along with the League 2 Title… Maybe a picture of Russell King as Public Enemy No.1. Oh, and a plaque for the time all we had to block the whole of Hungary to stop our website from crashing after we signed Bajner!

The default theme (PON V5) has been fixed; it had some JavaScript issues and misbehaved, so that has been sorted now. Along with the mood system, I am very sorry if you were one of the members who had selected a mood, only to lose it. I had to uninstall the app, and that ultimately didn't help. I'm tempted to do this. 🤣

Hmmm, just wondering what talent I can bring to the community? 🤔 Is there a badge for most holidays in a year?

All this is actually coming from the old supporter meetings which I used to be a member of; it's nothing new. It was said in one of the first meetings by Matthew Rimmington back when Sarah Gooding worked at the club. It's good to see it finally here, as it's been years in the making, but I thought, based on the last meeting I had attended, that Alice Kelk had found a club historian to help curate items for a museum. It's good news because we should be preserving the club's history, and there are a lot of knowledgeable fans out there who could help with this.

martin paterson said when he arrived that he wanted his players to be used in the right way and that they need to be played to their strengths and not asked to do something that is outside of their skill set. without matt palmer in this notts squad, we would be lost much like we were in our first season back when he got injured. palmer plays such an important role that it helps to get the best out of other players. he makes everything seem so simple, but hes not a natural goalscorer. hes a provider and a creative midfielder who is the link in our chain. scott robertson flourishes alongside palmer, take palmer out of the squad a lot of players do not seem the same. john bostock suffered from this, and he ended up being released because he just was not the same player as he could be alongside our skipper. a lot of people are harsh on players, especially conor grant. he works so hard on the ball and can make things happen, he just does not seem to be a natural goalscorer but i think he could improve given the chance. whereas i think palmer is set in his ways and we are fortunate to have him in our team.

Hi guys and thank you for the warm welcome! I have kind of weird connection and hope its still accepted :D So im football fan from Finland and my connection to Notts County actually comes from Football manager. Been managing the team for I don't know for how many years/games and with that started to follow the team in real life and now trying to actually catch games when ever they come. So little odd..but from just playing to checking scores and then to actually watching games I wanted to find a place to learn more what is happening and what you guys are talking about. Also sorry for my English its obviously my second language

It's hard not to vote for Kelle Roos, he had a big presence in the win yesterday and pulled off some vital saves which only deserves to be recognised. He's had his criticism, but he deserves praise here.

Just watched the full match replay and defensively we we're outstanding. For me MoM was a close thing run thing between Roos and McDonald. I think it was Roos's best game to date and for all the criticism he has received would have been well deserving of the award. But Rod McDonald was absolutely outstanding for the whole game. He headed and blocked everything. Without him today we would have lost this game. So my MoM is Rod McDonald.