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After their win over Fleetwood on Saturday, Notts join Port Vale as the only two clubs that have beaten all 91 league clubs in the four tiers.

Those complaining about the infrastructure are short-minded fans who want Notts to live in the stone ages and never be in a position to match more elite clubs that don’t have to worry about the facilities they have because they are state of the art. Every season we would fall further and further behind; nobody ever complains about the pitches, work and they shouldn’t - other areas. It’s just excuses to complain and something to argue is holding us back, when it allows Notts to move forward.

https://www.nottscountyfc.co.uk/news/2025/september/08/update--lifeline/ "The hugely successful Lifeline scheme is helping to elevate our performance infrastructure, with the latest donations helping to take our facilities to the next level. This year, two generous donations totalling nearly £150,000 have been made. Around half of this amount is going towards the development of a high-performance gym at our Highfields training base. Currently being constructed off-site after receiving planning permission, the gym will be a transformative addition. Chief executive Joe Palmer said: “The new gym will be a game-changer for us – a Premier-standard facility that will significantly enhance the team’s performance capabilities. “We’re incredibly grateful for Lifeline’s support - and members can be assured that their contributions are being put to excellent use. We’re very excited about this project.” The facility will support both performance and rehabilitation efforts. Palmer added: “It will allow us to be more effective with pre-training activation, ensuring players are properly warmed up, building load and stability into their muscles, helping prevent injuries and enabling more effective training.” Last season, Lifeline funding enabled the installation of handrails in the Derek Pavis Stand, and a further £12,000 contribution will complete that project. The remaining funds from this year’s donations have supported the creation of safe standing areas in the Kop and Jimmy Sirrel Stand, and have kickstarted a programme to replace all 36 turnstiles around the stadium – many of which are now failing. Lifeline has funded the first six replacements, ensuring smoother matchday entry for fans in key areas. With this year’s contributions, Lifeline’s total donations to Notts County have surpassed £4 million since its launch in 1986. Palmer added: “That’s a remarkable achievement and highlights the vital role Lifeline has played in our club over the years. Members should take great pride in their contributions – we thank them sincerely for their loyal support and hope it continues for many years to come.”

Over the years, Notts have had some very steady defenders. Mike Edwards was one of them and people called him Steady Eddie. In midfield, we had hard-working players like Matt Palmer and Neal Bishop who always gave their all and were very reliable. Now it feels like we have a new player doing the same. Rod McDonald has come in while Matty Platt has been out and he’s been brilliant. He’s not just filled the gap, he’s made that spot his own and is playing really well every game. He’s so solid in the middle of the back three that I don’t know how we’ll take him out. I keep thinking about how Platt will fit back in. Maybe I’m not the only one wondering that.

A lot has been posted recently on here about the club spending money on infrastructure rather than players, so some fans will be pleased to hear the Lifeline funds some of that so it doesn’t affect the player budget. So if you want to make a difference join lifeline. Join Lifeline – limited spaces available A limited number of vacancies have arisen for supporters to join Lifeline. To take advantage of this rare opportunity, or to find out more, please email [email protected], call 0115 955 7200 or visit our club shop.

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.

Whoever decides what the Lifeline money goes on always seems to get it right in my book. Good common sense investments that speak for themselves. Good to hear from Joe Palmer as well.

I’ve gone for Matt Palmer. He was in control from start to finish and kept things ticking nicely. His passing helped set the pace and got us moving forward with purpose. He also worked hard off the ball. I noticed him winning it back plenty of times and doing his bit defensively. He looked sharp in both directions. I watched the full match back on video, so my vote’s based on that. I wasn’t there in person, but Palmer stood out clearly.

I appreciate the concerns regarding our match against Salford following their defeat to Crewe; however, I believe that playing at home presents us with the perfect opportunity to demonstrate our capabilities as a strong team and capitalise on the chances that arise. There's always that concern about former players returning, and Jorge Grant can be someone who punishes teams. The only change I would consider is replacing Kellan Gordon; if Will Jarvis is back, get him in. If it weren't for that, I wouldn't choose to start Keanan Bennetts. My biggest concern will always be the absence of Alassana Jatta, but I do think Matthew Dennis will score some goals. I would just feel more confident if there was a spark or instinct to suggest to me that he was a striker. Perhaps he needs to be a little selfish when it comes to opportunities, but I largely feel optimistic, and I can't wait to get back in the KOP. Start with the same intent against Newport County, be see it through, and just try to slow down at times when it comes to striking the ball.

Interesting post. Even if we announce the quality signings we need tomorrow, they'll have missed the bulk of pre-season, which can't have been the plan. It's pretty clear that we've missed out on transfer targets, and the longer it takes to fill the gaps, the more difficult (and more expensive) it will become. I'm partially with you on communication. Some updates would have been welcome (vaguely worded if need be). However, the owners have always kept their cards close to their chest when it comes to signings. I take that as evidence that they're working professionally (gone are the days of the owner logging in to a forum and telling us a Championship striker is signing next week), but when we don't land targets or things take longer than expected, what we get is silence. We should qualify this talk a bit though, pre-season is meant as a preparation for the season proper and that's the only way to judge it. I've seen us have seemingly great pre-seasons, winning our friendlies, landing our transfer targets - only for us to then get relegated. What counts is that the team comes out of it as a disciplined, well-organised unit that's ready for the season ahead.

I don't believe there is a need to panic. We've seen enough of it on social media, in particular Twitter. The Club is in a good financial state compared to what we have known in the past. The Club has appointed a Head Coach who has a good vision for the Club & has already notified the fan base that he is looking to get three or more players to strengthen the squad. He is backed by his new coaching team & supported by a new Head of Football. The owners are clearly demonstrating that they are ambitious & are looking for Notts to challenge for honours this season. Notts already have 7 new players in the squad compared to last season & by any standards that is a significant number. Off the field, the owners have been spending money to improve the ML infrastructure, & invest in the training facilities. It's easy to talk about the negatives, but for me the positives at Notts, totally outweigh any negatives. We begin the season with lots of promise.

All this shows is that they want to sell, and they will not be asking for their money back. The club will be sold to the highest bidder, and we could lose the best owners Notts have had in decades. Oh wait, I do not think like that. This is great news. It is another successful bit of business that proves the negative voices wrong. Thank you, Chris and Alex, for everything you continue to do for Notts.

I used to attend them religiously, but I find them to be quite pointless because any question worth knowing will be diluted or politically answered. It's to be expected, and as such I find it to be more of a waste of time. This one seems a lot more important, at least for me to see where other fans are coming from and getting a fairer reflection on what concerns people have. Outside of social media and beyond what fans say to me when I talk to them. I would hope the forum isn't an attempt to appease people, as I think it tends to cause more problems. My hope is that Notts can use this as a way to be informative to us fans and get the majority of supporters back on side with what matters. That is encouraging for the site, and I'm hoping we can climb the table; there have been teams who have struggled and gotten their act together. I would hope Notts sees how important we are to chasing promotion, digging ourselves out of tough times, and just mounting pressure. We had it for one brief season after promotion back to League Two.

Are we happy with where the club is currently? Some may feel under the Reedtz brothers in their 6-year tenure we have gone backwards. Recruitment has been poor and uninspired by the appointment of Martin Paterson. We might look at Wrexham and Stockport who were with us in the National League and compare their progress to ours. Personally, I think we have to put our current situation into context. There are significant differences. For the most part Wrexham and Stockport have had the same manger from the start of their “journey” till now. They play the same style of football but have had the finance to bring in players from higher levels who play that same brand of football. (hence why we couldn’t keep Didzy) In our case since the Reedtz brothers took over we have had 5 head coaches in 6 years. Two of them were poached by clubs higher up the football pyramid. We have also had our best players poached. Wooton, Roberts, Rodrigues, Langstaff, Crowley and Bass. With Wrexham and Stockport their so-called best players have been sold to lower-level clubs. They have replaced them with better ones due to their financial status. In a word these teams have had continuity, but our progress has been hindered by the above. So where does that leave us now? We play a brand of football that when the team is gelling is great to watch. It takes time to achieve. Especially with the interruptions to our progress as already mentioned. We have also had to tweak the way we place to make us more solid at the back without losing our potency in the final third. I thought we started to see signs of that against a very physical Bromley team. Yes we are not the finished article, but I feel Paterson has the drive and work ethic to make it work. With the transfer window still open and the January one to come, I think in view of the context, our progress report for now doing ok, but there is still more work to be done. COYP!

I hope Martin Paterson is ready and that he and the squad are not distracted by anything off the pitch. The focus needs to be fully on Gillingham. They are a strong team and have come a long way since last season. It’s good to be talking about football again instead of everything else going on. I think the team should stay mostly the same. The only change I’d make is bringing Jodi Jones back into the squad. There’s no other reason to switch things around. Gillingham play with pace and seem sharp on the counter attack. We need to block every ball and be smart with our tackles. If we keep moving and make sure we get goal side, we can give them a real headache.

Big shock a few games ago when everyone near me thought I had won £100. I swear, it was announced as £200, though the amount in the entries put up on the OS says £100. I thought it said the same this past week when I heard a familiar name that had reached out to me via email. I tried to join Lifeline back in the day, but I found myself unable, as the limit was in place and no waiting list was available. 😔 I do think it's a very important part of the community around Notts, and those 2,500 fans are amazing people who offer a lot of security and improvements when it comes to it. I also think Lynn Lawson does a great job managing it; if anyone has ever been to a Lifeline event, you will have seen this with your own eyes. It's such an important part of our club's DNA.

The impact of the Lifeline’s initiatives goes beyond financial contributions. it’s about community and ensuring Notts County remains competitive both on and off the pitch. Enhancements like the high-performance gym are game-changers, giving our players the tools needed to excel. Fans can appreciate smoother matchday entries with updated turnstiles, highlights of the club’s dedication to improving fan experiences. Equally impressive is Lifeline's proven legacy in enriching the club's infrastructure, a testament to what passionate support can achieve. It’s good to know that every contribution, big or small, collectively drives the club forward.

It’s worth knowing that you can join a waiting list to become a Lifeline member. As of 2023, all places have been taken. Interest in the scheme went up during COVID, which helped bring the membership back to its full limit of 2,500 people. I’m not sure if that limit is due to gambling laws, small lottery rules, or just what the club finds easiest to manage. They might look into raising the cap by another 500, if it’s allowed.

It would have been better if the graphic showed the teams we beat first, instead of listing them in alphabetical order. That would have made the achievement stand out more. Notts has plenty to be proud of, and this is another great moment to add to the list. It’s another feather in our cap, and it shows how far we’ve come. The team deserves credit for it.

A great win on the road for Notts at such a a tough place to go & get a result. Credit has to go to the players for the 2nd half display. A touch of class from Jatta helping to st up Notts's winning goal was just the reason why Notts have missed him for 5 games. For your PON Man of the Match I have selected the starting 11 plus three substitutes for you to make your choice. Those players are, Starting eleven. Roos, McDonald, Bedeau, Aljofree, Cotter, Norburn Palmer, Tsaroulla, Iorpenda, Jones, Dennis. Subs. Jatta, Grant, Gordon.

I think it's time to give a lot more credit to Rod McDonald. I chose him again. His reading of the game was excellent, he got himself in the right spots to intercept or clear time after time. He was so far behind Platt and Bedeau last season, so who would've thought he'd be in the early running for Player of the Year. Also a word for Kellan Gordon. I hope his winner today gives him the confidence to contribute more. I'd say he's a much better all-round wing-back than Cotter, who's more of a full-back.

Some interesting points there. Of course we've made progress - when they took over, we'd just been relegated to the National League, had a skeleton squad and were facing oblivion. The fact that we're back in the League and are looking towards L1 (although that might not be realistic this season) shows how far we have come. More context - before, we had no footballing identity, with managers rarely having a whole season on the job and pretty much doing their own thing when it came to recruitment, culminating in the disaster season. At that time many people were calling for us to adopt a proper philosophy and sign the players that fit into it. This doesn't necessarily mean signing the players the other clubs in our league are chasing. Of the five head coaches we've had, only one was sacked mid-season (the only one they didn't appoint themselves) and two left of their own accord to manage in a higher division. Whether MP is a good idea remains to be seen. This isn't the easiest route to success and in a way it reminds me of the season when Ardley was sacked - then too, many of our signings didn't come off and we had trouble fitting them into the team. It took most of the season for us to look like a cohesive unit. But one of those players was Ruben Rodgrigues, who really came good in the couple of seasons that followed. Of course, even if you've made progress, things can go into reverse with a couple of bad decisions. Not all his signings came off, but Richard Montague did a good job of building the squad and unearthed some real gems. The jury is out on his successor. And the willingness to sell Bass in particular indicates overconfidence in our ability to replace him. But they're problems we'd have been delighted to have just a few years ago.

After a long, hot summer of transfer rumours and exotic pre-season tours, the proper football is finally about to begin. And with it the prediction league! You are ALL welcome to take part whether you're a newbie or a seasoned campaigner, but be warned: I've decided I'm going to win this time 😉 This is how it works: At least two days before every matchday I will post a thread with eight matches to predict from the Championship, League One, League Two and the Conference. You then reply with your predicted scores. The cut-off time for posting is kick-off (in this case 3pm). At the end of it all I'll then post a table with the current standings. Scoring system: 3 points for a correct score and 1 for a correct result. So if you predict Swindon to beat Walsall 2-1 and they do, you get 3 points; if Swindon win 1-0, you get 1 point. Each round you can also choose one match as your joker - any points you win for that match are then doubled. So let's get on with it, shall we? Here are Saturday's fixtures: Bradford City v Wycombe Wanderers Doncaster Rovers v Exeter City Lincoln City v Reading Plymouth Argyle v Barnsley Barnet v Fleetwood Town Cambridge United v Cheltenham Town Grimsby Town v Crawley Town Walsall v Swindon Town

We witnessed an encouraging performance by Notts in their first league match of the season against Newport, however, it will be a bigger test for Notts when they meet Salford at ML on Saturday in the early kick off. Salford are tipped to challenge for promotion this season after just missing out on the playoffs last term. Salford did the double over Notts last season, having totally outplayed us in both league games, so Notts will be very keen to reverse that trend of poor results. I expect Head Coach Martin Paterson to pick a similar starting eleven to the one that faced Newport. Alassana Jatta is still under suspension, so I expect Dennis will once again lead the attack. New signing Tyrese Hall is expected to feature in the matchday squad probably on the substitutes bench. I think that this first home game of the season against a strong Salford side, with a large ML crowd in attendance will be a cracker. By the end of the match we may have a better idea of where this Notts team are in the league 2 scheme of things.

I don't fear for the coming season. I feared when we were breaking the record for the longest time in admin, when we had crowds of 3K mostly pensioners, when Munto turned out to be a scam, when we went to the Astoria meeting, probably a few other times. Honestly, these are the good times, try to enjoy them! Club home shirt - just been announced what's happening. Recruitment - hard to judge before the season has started but I predict a few will turn out to be gems, make the L2 team of the season, or score a wonder goal, or get sold at a massive profit. I'm basing that on the club's recent track record, not blind optimism. Manager - seems passionate, honest and willing to learn. Determined to grab his chance. I like him already. Don't sweat the small stuff. Example: one closed doors friendly (singular) is not odd. LW's team played one against Leicester. There was a brief match report straight after. No big deal.

Calm down folks we haven’t kicked a ball in anger yet, I can understand the frustration and I feel it a little myself but I try to have a positive outlook, I’ll judge how things are going when we played 10 games or so, there’s no need to panic just yet. There’s time to sign the 3 or 4 players MP is looking for, I’m sure they are working hard behind the scenes. Plus we beat Port Vale 3-1 today, that’s got to be a positive.

Rod McDonald is doing really well at the moment, but good form doesn’t always last. Any player can have a bad patch or be swapped out if someone else is doing better. I think he’s a great defender and we’ve got strong choices in the middle. I hope he keeps playing well, but I also think Matty Platt is brilliant. We just need everyone at the back to stay solid.

I prefer Rod McDonald in the middle. He plays the role with ease and looks comfortable doing it. What I think and what will happen are not always the same. I reckon Rod will end up as the third choice. I can't see the club or Martin Paterson dropping Matty Platt for long, even though McDonald has done well. Even with Platt playing well, I still think McDonald is the better option.

I find it more interesting to talk about the fans forum after it’s taken place. Sometimes you can pick up on things that aren’t said directly, and that makes the discussion more meaningful. I’m not really a fan of holding these forums when there are lots of complaints that don’t seem to have much reason behind them. I’m not saying that’s the case this time, because I do think the club should have given us more updates before fans had to push for it. The problem is we don’t tend to hold forums when things are going badly, and when things are going well, they often get ignored. That’s why I prefer to wait, see what’s been said, and talk about those points properly. I also like reading what other people think.

https://www.nottscountyfc.co.uk/news/2025/september/17/apply--fans--forum/ Statement by the Club."Our owners, chief executive and head coach will be discussing various topics at a fans’ forum on Thursday 2 October". "Chris and Alex Reedtz will be joined by Joe Palmer and Martin Paterson on the panel". "Season ticket holders can exclusively apply to attend the event, which begins at 7.30pm in the 1862 Suite, by tapping here. All applicants will be contacted via email - either to confirm their place or to be told they've been unsuccessful - in good time ahead of the event. If you wish to apply for more than one person, please submit a new form for each individual. Information regarding parking and other details will be shared with attendees in advance". "Those not in attendance can submit their questions using the form below and watch the event via a live stream. Pre-submitted questions will be answered in the first half of the evening, with questions from the floor to follow".

Joe Palmer’s words resonate with the pride we all feel as Lifeline members. Knowing that our support funds Premier-standard facilities reinforces the tangible impact of our commitment to Notts. The gym and improvements like safe standing areas prove that our club is progressing, preparing players optimally while respecting fans' experiences at Meadow Lane. It's initiatives like these that create a more dynamic, enjoyable environment, attracting more fans to games and new members to Lifeline itself. Let’s keep this momentum, ensuring the foundations we lay today serve every purpose possible for seasons ahead.

Rod McDonald for me, I thought he was class in defence and I did notice Jacob Bedeau having a bit of a go because he had to track a player who shot straight towards Kelle Roos, but all the defenders at times get caught out at least once, and they need to mop the play up as a team. McDonald looked good in the air, calm on the ball, and defensively solid against a physical team that liked to leave things on every challenge they made. My son turned to me and asked if I thought Matty Platt would come straight back into the team, and I said that I don't think he should when he's recovered from his injury. McDonald has done superbly and has taken this game time well. I thought he dealt very well with Fleetwood Town.

Notts were on top until Tranmere scored, and the left side looked strong. I did think we should’ve used Barry Cotter more, though. He looked sharp when he got the ball and had a few good chances. I gave my vote to Matt Palmer, but I was close to picking Rod McDonald instead. Nick Tsaroulla had a solid first half and looked better than Jacob Bedeau. Tom Iorpenda carried the ball well but gave it away too often with soft passes. He linked up nicely with Tsaroulla, but I think Tranmere’s height and rough play made it harder for him. Still, I thought he had a decent game.

I voted for Palmer, but having watched back the full match replay, it could easily have been McDonald.

Rod McDonald for his solidity at the back. Countered the aerial threat of a "long ball" Tranmere side Palmer back to his best but it has to go to McDonald

It's the way of professional football clubs, unfortunately. To play the devil's advocate, even if the club came out being open as to what was going on (they actually might be, for all we know now), some fans will still make up their own minds, and rumours will just change based on facts, and half-truths can be more dangerous. I think clubs tend to try to get all their facts and play along with things whilst trying to keep things in-house. If we think back to Stanley Aborah, his absence from the team was a really dark moment and very depressing because Notts looked very poor under Jamie Fullarton. Alsorts was going round the rumour mill, and for some time Aborah was frozen out of the squad. His reaching out to speak to the BBC Sport team meant that the truth had to be clear. It dismissed the false rumours about him refusing to play and highlighted how the club wanted him gone for whatever reason. Switching back to Alassana Jatta, I think at first you have to address the rumours of the bids. Use the local media for this case; make it known what is what. Some might say the club's refusing £700,000 and £900,000 offers might mean the club just doesn't want to sell him, but the club needs to be practical. The initial rejection of Jatta's bid was acknowledged in a statement on the OS. If a player wants to go, get the highest fee possible and make it known what figure you are looking for; otherwise, you'll miss out. I have been saying to fans that the clubs need to be transparent, especially to season-ticket holders. A fan asked me at Alfreton about various things relating to the media team's lack of updates and transfer business. Notts can't just make willy-nilly statements and hope fans quieten down, but when things reach the point of a player saying he has a 'back spasm' it's for the local media to unearth the truth. Then Notts just needs to be open; it just creates a circus, and whilst it might be 'PR' management, it's very much at the cost of genuine fans not knowing what is going on with their club.

i think we have to remind ourselves of the good jason turner did, and how much his death has left us lacking. i dont know joe palmer, never spoke to him but it does not seem to be his priority to have a good relationship with fans. i never spoke to jason turner, and i took much of what he did for granted. his updates used to always make me feel closer to the club, which with palmers arrival i feel we have gone backwards especially in terms of the recruitment of other staff which he probably has less say on. i dont judge moving forward based on promotion, but where i feel the club is heading and this season is the first where i truly feel like we have stepped back. i wish nothing more than martin paterson to work, but the club has not helped him at all. there is more for us to learn from in this season and the one just past, than any of the previous ones because the club seemed to be moving in the right direction. sacking a manager for failing to gain promotion, then to hire someone with little experience and send the squad to germany without a complete squad or at least the majority seems quite narrow minded to think it would work. we did not seem prepared for this season and paterson will take the brunt of virtually everything and it seems unfair. the reedtz are doing well, there are areas they could do better but its the head coach position where i feel they should do better. stuart maynard was a somewhat experiemental appointment but with an encouraging cv. now we have gambled on someone who says he wants to win, but is being held back by not signing players in the right areas or priortiesing we are weak such as in goal and up front.

We've gone backwards fast since we were led by LW's vision, a squad packed with attacking talent and good ballplayers. and a recruitment team making more hits than misses. For sure, we're much better off than the Trew and Hardy days. I don't think we're on a track to non-league again - but the great momentum from our promotion has been squandered. We raced to the top of L2 by following the formula that had success in the NL - but step by step, adjustment by adjustment, it's been diluted....we must be more defensive... we mustn't throw players forward, they must be back to cover....we need to be taller, more physical etc Are these adaptations that protect us against relegation? Or do they just put us on track to be an average and more typical L2 side? Does becoming more typical give us a better or worse chance of getting out this league? Seems to me that we're bedding in for a long stay in this league rather than pushing all our chips in by trusting in our principles. As MP gets more and more stretched, tested and stressed as the season goes on, his true footballing instincts will come to the fore. Do we want to be more like Bromley so we can battle with these middle-ranking L2 clubs? Or so different that on our day we can steamroller them through superior football? I don't know which way it's going to go.

Welcome, and hello @one-two pie. Would you mind telling us a little about yourself? I do hope you enjoy being a part of the Notts community here on PON.

I'm not sure I agree with that, my moustachioed friend. With such a big squad and no clear first choices in a few spots, I want MP to get ruthless right from the off. Having a couple of poor-performers drag the team down over a run of games is how automatic places are quickly lost. We lost all momentum in the 2nd half against Newport so on 54mins MP dragged off Gordon (having a stinker IMO) and Grant, who was fading and just wasn't going to do the business for us. Bennetts did way way better than Gordon and nobody was feeling bad about Grant going off (despite Iorpenda playing worse in the more advanced position). I admit they're far from my favourite players, but that should cost Gordon and Grant their starting places - already, after just one game. My hope is that the technical board helps MP to act decisively and nip things in the bud early. It's all subjective, and my examples won't be other fans examples, but I don't want to see things like successive managers pick Stead till we got relegated, Nolan to persevere with the likes of Duffy, Ardley pick Turner over better players in massive matches, Burchnall play DKE all season at WB (with no goals and assists) when he had Nemane all the time, SM to play Austin over Jarvis in last season's big finales. I hope the board can help MP by pointing it out when a player is doing jack **** and making a negative contribution to the team. Saturday was kind of alright overall, but there's still stuff there that needs acting upon early IMO.

Salford City are a team I always want Notts to do well against. On paper, I think we’ve got the edge in terms of quality, and the home crowd could really help us see the game through. I expect Salford to want a response after losing their first match, but Notts needs to be smart. I hope Martin Paterson doesn’t make changes just for the sake of it. Newport was a solid start, and I’d like to see the same team given another go if possible.

Cardiff City played really well going forward and were direct at the beginning. They made it difficult for Notts to get into, and I wish more people would understand that good teams do make it hard for clubs that might not be up to their level to play. There was a lot of frustration heard about how we couldn't attack, but I think the credit must go to Cardiff for pressing and making it difficult. The referee was quite easy with fouls, quite irritating at the beginning because a lot of the early "fouls" were nothing compared to the shirt pulling or tackles our players faced. Notts would have had to take control of the ball and force Cardiff back, and I didn't think they would maintain their aggressive start. It's a demanding tempo to retain for 90 minutes, but to expect us to be able to play the way we grew into the game from the start is very naive thinking. Confidence played a big part in the positives today; the passing at times was a joy to see, but we lacked the movement that was visible later on. As we grew in confidence, Cardiff struggled to maintain the tempo and control. I thought Conor Grant was class; he would be my man of the match. Jodi Jones, playing as the attacking midfielder with the ability to go to the flanks, could work if we persist. His creativity could be missed from the wider area, but we have a lot of quality in the wing-back positions. Jodi could be braver in this role without the worry of being crunched down so much. Defenders don't like flying on attacking midfielders who play a central role, as it doesn't protect their goal. For some reason, in football it's perfectly acceptable on the flanks. Yes, Jodi is brilliant in the wide space, but there's no reason why he can't be the replacement for David McGoldrick. I don't blame Matt Palmer for Cardiff's second goal; I wish people wouldn't target players who people constantly call out. It was a silly pass from Harry Griffiths; it went straight into danger, and most of our players would have been hard-pressed not to lose the ball. You play it that quickly to an area where the opposition are waiting like lions; you can't expect a player to cope well in that situation. Comments about squad depth should be eased a little, as I do think we had plenty of options, and although I still would hope for one or two players. Yet, the signs are quite promising, and I loved watching Martin Paterson. Though Jodi might like Martin picking him up, the passion and constant instructions set a high standard. I left happy from the Notts perspective; I don't think I would have if I supported Cardiff. They wasted so much attacking space by trying to get behind our last defender, but again, I think defensively we were superb at times.

Didn't think anyone was outstanding yesterday. However, there were a few honourable mentions. Jodi was a threat, McDonald give us stability at the back and Tsaroulla for his goal and the spirit and determination he shows. Also Palmer the go-to anchor man and Macari for his defensive work and overlaps. On balance I go for Tsaroulla.

Hello, @SoccerLord. Welcome to the Pride of Nottingham. I hope you enjoy being a part of our Notts County community. Would you care to introduce yourself? See you around the site.

A massive match for Notts on Saturday. The most important match of the season for Notts so far. It's a pity that developments off the pitch have been a bit of a distraction & I do hope that the players focus on the match rather than other distractions. I would stay with the same starting eleven that started the match against Fleetwood & have Jodi Jones on the bench initially. Gillingham are going to be tough. They are riding high at the top of League 2 & fully deserved to be there..Notts are going to need to continue playing with physicality & toughness & to keep it very tight at the back. We know that Notts are capable of hurting any team in this league with their front two strikers Jatta & Dennis. It's just a matter of waiting for opportunities up front & defending very well at the back. I would be very satisfied to come out of this fixture with a draw to keep the unbeaten run going. We will know quite a lot about Notts's promotion credentials after the final whistle.

The man talked a good game but that was about it really. His recruitment strategy was a head scratcher to say the least. I mean was Roos really the best option out there? I think we all know the answer to that one!

This is brilliant! Last season I sort of realised Fleetwood were the missing one, but then I forgot it again 😁 Port Vale completed the set (again) in April when they beat Bromley. I can imagine we had the whole set at some point in the past before we had two-up-two-down with the National League. Maybe we did it in 97-98 when we found ourselves in L2 for the first time in decades and met teams like Scarborough for the first time. I can't remember it ever being mentioned before though.

Best performance by a mile this season. You could actually see the confidence improve the longer the game went on. Finally get a well earned boost. Long may it continue. Wont single out a player of the match as the whole team did well.

Think there’s a lot to be positive about after that showing. First half we looked like we were still finding our rhythm, but second half we looked much more like a team ready to start the season. Barry Cotter took his goal brilliantly, you could tell as soon as he shaped up to shoot that it was going in. Really hope he gets a good run whilst on loan with us because he offers something different. Also thought Conor Grant looked really sharp again. He keeps things ticking and always finds space. The link-up between him and Alassana Jatta for the second goal was quality. Jatta really showed his physicality and calmness there, did all the hard work, then slotted it calmly. Defensively we’ve still got bits to tidy up, but it’s night and day compared to previous pre-seasons.