Chris

Hello, @JDaykin. Welcome to the Pride of Nottingham. I hope you enjoy being a part of our Notts County community.

I don't like Real Madrid or Barcelona, both are teams who feel they can bully decisions due to their size, and really it's because of the money involved with those higher up. Real Madrid have several players who are a disgrace to football. Vinicius Junior, for example, he has such a bad attitude, is quite selfish and resorts to cheating tactics if the team isn't winning. I don't mean just diving, or other dark arts, but getting in the faces of the opposition, pushing buttons, and even trying to cause riots with opposition fans. He is someone I used to like to watch, but not any more. Real Madrid aren't a team that I really like anymore. I think they act like they are football, rather than a football club.

Sorry for not voting, I hadn't watched the game or listened to the radio coverage. I had planned to go to The Nest with my friends, but obviously that got cancelled due to Notts not being on Sky. Pleased to see the votes, and David McGoldrick earning the fans support for his performance. It's great to have secured a playoff place, which every player majorly contributed towards, but Didzy is a different class this season.

I thought we would manage to get back into the automatics by this stage, but it's not going to be, and whilst there's talk of it still being mathematically possible. In all seriousness, our form suggests otherwise, and if we are unlucky, we might slip out of the playoffs if we don't at least get 4 points or the remaining fixtures go our way. I still believe our squad is good enough for promotion, and I feel playoffs will be achieved, but the season has been a good one regardless. It's a shame, but I think the club handled the injuries and recruitment well. Mai Traore looks like he's finally settling, and could be a good asset for next season. If we remain at this level, Notts wouldn't have to do so much to improve ahead of competing with other League Two teams. I think more extensive improvements would be required if we do secure promotion. We need Junior Morias' position covering, with another optional striker to take off the burden. The future of David McGoldrick is unknown at this stage, and defensively we could do with a few more improvements. We have a good core squad for both situations, which is pleasing, but I really hope whatever happens we really send a message that we are not there to survive (League One) or settle for playoffs (League Two), but make a bold strategic move to establish ourselves as a good League One team, or a firm promotion favourite with a squad that has the depth to rally when our form dips or injuries happen. I am not suggesting the club blows the players wage budget and risks the future. I am just saying it would be a big confidence boost to see us not "settle" but continue to build well.

Adam Chicksen actually assisted Woking's third goal with a superb cross into the box. Can we try to encourage Notts to put out highlights of this quality? I appreciate the multiple angles and quality of the footage. At first, I had to ensure it wasn't a fake video using FC 2025. The overlays are quality, just very well produced and look not like something found in the Non-League but Championship or higher. I haven't seen what caused the injury, and it's not featured in the highlights, but there were some rash challenges mentioned by both sets of fans towards mid-point of the second half. Woking played some quality football, and could have easily scored far more than they did. As for Adam Chicksen, I wish him a speedy recovery. I always liked him, and whilst he did a good job covering as a centre-back. I always preferred him out wide and believed he offered us something going forward and defensively. He probably wants regular football than he could get here, hence the loan, but I wished we could get the best out of him. He had one exceptional season, the year when we gained promotion back to the EFL. Since then, he seems to have struggled to motivate himself or find the level of form to keep him in our squad's contention.

I don't know, Harrogate are a team we tend to struggle against and know how to adapt their football to suit league teams. At this point, they are very well established and I just have a feeling the game will end up as a draw. James Belshaw has also been a tricky keeper, so if we are to get something from the game, I do believe Notts would need to be at their very best. I would start Jodi Jones and Will Jarvis, focus on an attacking-minded team. I would hope defensively, we are prepared to clear the ball away from danger instead of playing it down. At the start of the season, this was a policy that Notts tended to do, and it worked out better. Defensively, we are good enough to make Harrogate have to work for anything, but I am mindful about their set pieces and corner kick routines. Though, with Alex Bass back in between the sticks, it is a welcome boost.

It would be very unlucky if we were to slip out of the playoffs now, but stranger things have happened. However, I look at the season, I think we have grown and done well as a club who is only in their second season back within the English Football League. But in typical Notts fashion, it's going to go down to the wire. The only team I can see potentially edging themselves into the playoffs is Colchester United. Ideally, we'll get a positive result at the weekend and they drop points, leaving the playoffs final spaces to be fought between Grimsby Town and whoever can challenge them. It's going to be interesting, though I hope some of our supporters can get over this Maynard out stuff and just back the team or club, as they say managers come and go.

It's remarkable that we haven't suffered so much with the departure of Macaulay Langstaff. Jatta has shown he's a good replacement, and although a totally different player. He's been a joy to watch on goal. David McGoldrick continues to look like he's not slowing down. If we can get him to renew for another season, I would be happy to see him continue his part, especially if he takes on a mentoring role within the young pros we have.

MSV Duisburg I have been told, had some good players when we played them in a friendly. It's nice to see they have gone on to gain promotion and restored their previous standing. I hope Notts follows via promotion through the playoffs. Then perhaps in a few year time, we can invite them to Meadow Lane to play us?

You're still in Germany, right? Would celebrating Saint George's Day be a wise move? Mind you, it might be more forgivable than Sam Smith. Oh right, not that Sam Smith.

I popped over to see @super_ram with Jake earlier. It was nice to get a walk, but very painful (feet/leg-wise). I had hoped to go over on Tuesday, but I knew there was little chance. I thought it was quite nice, a gentle breeze and not exactly cold or overly warm. Right now, I am just doing various things on here and behind the scenes.

I don't recall any home game this season that I have witnessed Notts being outclassed or not deserving something from the game. I think my biggest concern is how Stuart Maynard doesn't push for a second goal to wrap games up or at least make them easier. This past Monday, it was obvious that we were in control and just needed something a bit different to convert one of the many chances we created. Yes, we could have won 1-0 on Easter Monday, but there's always the element that a team might sting us. I spoke to Jake (@super_pie) about this, and I told him I would have taken Kellan Gordon off for Jodi Jones instead of Conor Grant. He mentioned that he would rather have brought on Will Jarvis and not play Jodi at all due to fears of injury. I get the point, but we are heading into a crucial stage where he really needs match minutes, and his confidence with a return to form would be massive. Gordon has a decent cross, but he runs himself into danger and becomes a bit frustrating to watch because you know he has the ability to do more. I think all season Maynard hasn't particularly used his subs well, but away from home I do think more often it's about positive changes. Except for Carlisle United, where we went defensive beyond a point, it was long balls for Jevani Brown to chase. There's a lot of talk by the club on how good a coach Maynard is, but I wish we could see it more during games, and especially at home. We either go defensive, or overload ourselves with attacking options. We rescued a point against Fleetwood Town earlier in the season, but I think we started with the wrong XI and I don't believe the changes in the game influenced our comeback. If anything, I felt at the time a change was needed to handle Fleetwood, who wasn't great but deserved their lead. The 0-1 loss to Gillingham, for me, is a prime example of how we could have got more from the game. Their only goal still annoys me, but Notts could have done much better. Despite all this, I do think Maynard has done well at times, but I wished I could see more improvements with the changes. I swear he listens to fans, as when he would make 3 to five changes at once, he's now reverted to the 70th minute mark. We would have beaten Cheltenham if we had brought Jodi on earlier and injected a bit more quality. There have been factors such as injuries, fitness, and other concerns which haven't helped, and I do believe at this level, most managers have negatives which become irritating, but Notts have played some good football this season at Meadow Lane. The club looks much better defensively, and finally our recruitment strengthened the areas we wished for. I do think it's a juggling act for Maynard though, and I hope we can secure a playoff place because I do think it would be a good achievement. I know we could have kept nearer the top, but with all the injuries and so on, it would have taken more than what this squad has. If we don't get promoted, I firmly believe we will be able to build and strengthen the squad to a point where we will be in the running again in the next campaign.

Ian Burchnall isn't a manager that would make my top 20 Notts manager. The way he left us and used the club to jump ahead of himself without committing to what he said really rubbed me the wrong way. He was very average in truth, and I much prefer Stuart Maynard. The best thing Burchnall did was take the FGR role, as it allowed someone else to come in and improve the squad. Luke Williams might have left in a similar way, but at least he gave us fans and the players something to believe in. Burchnall is just as wide-eyed as he looks, and there's a reason he's not in management now. He could very well be a good coach, but I really don't care for his memory lane tales of how much Notts meant to him. If the words held up, he wouldn't have been as foolish to leave for Forest Green. Thank God he did, as we wouldn't have gotten promoted under him.

Is it true that Mark Draper's brother played for Long Eaton United? Several fans over the years have told me this, I can't say, but those who have said that his brother was the better player, which is hard to imagine. Great to see them reaching the playoffs, I wish them well in them.

I left after the players came across, as Stuart Maynard was the left to acknowledge those who remained, and I didn't see Matt Palmer reacting to any fans. I might have missed it, but I don't believe I did and it wouldn't surprise me if it didn't happen.