Chris

Burton Albion 1-3 Blackpool Luton Town 1-0 Rotherham United Joker Accrington Stanley 2-0 Bristol Rovers Cambridge United 0-1 Barnet Grimsby Town 1-1 Chesterfield Braintree Town 0-1 Truro City Hartlepool United 2-0 Wealdstone Woking 0-0 Boston United

I want to start off by acknowledging that PON needs to return to a level of consistency with regard to the news, match reports, and so forth. I have numerous finished content pieces which I have put off because I wanted the site to be in full motion, but I haven't managed to keep to the standard I wish to set. Moving forward, if I can't do something, I will ask one of the team members, and I am sure in time things will improve to a standard that visitors and members have enjoyed in the past. I am also pleased to say that I have built and set up a system status page, which can be found here: https://status.prideofnottingham.co.uk/ Transparency and being up front is something I strongly believe in, and this system page will allow those who wish to see what is operational across the site. Issues will be posted as events, and updates will be given in a timely manner. If PON should happen to go down, you will be able to find out why by visiting this page. You may subscribe to email alerts by entering your email address in the "Notify Me" box. Please remember to choose which updates you would like to stay in the loop about. In the event one of these areas encounters a problem, you will be emailed and kept up to date with the progress, but only if you subscribe to this service. Bug reports will still be taken by the site and addressed within the forum. Over the past week, I have spent time improving the mobile experience. While most of this will be noticeable only to team members, it does bring improvements to the header and logo for regular members. There are subtle changes and a few improvements from a recent upgrade, which I plan to make the most of with these new features. Awards will be given out on a merit-based routine, which will be more frequent. In areas and during the site's downtime, I will finish adding the rest of the ones I created. There are a few more things in the pipeline, but they aren't quite ready to be mentioned. My main focus is to get more organised over this weekend and pick up the content. It's a privilege to represent Notts fans and provide content to be enjoyed. I very much appreciate everyone's help, and a more oganised me will be a better PON experience for everyone. Thank you for reading this, Chris

I am pleased for Scott Robertson, he deserved the Man of the Match no doubt. This will be better promoted and highlighted moving forward; it slipped my mind due to two reasons one being health related but it's not good enough. I apologise to the community, and to @Robbie. I am greatful for the understanding, but the process needs better handling and I should have reached out to a team member.

I haven't yet given much else a go, but I have re-installed Championship Manager 04 which has my favourite Notts lineup in the attacking department but DOSBox does a great job running CM 98. At some point, I plan to configure it so I can quick launch Ultimate Soccer Manager 98 and 2000. CM and USM were my favs back in the day, along with Premier Manager. Regarding Sensible Soccer, do you know a fan remade it? https://sensiblesoccer.de/swos-2020

I was torn between Nick Tsaroulla and Scott Robertson, but my vote was persuaded by how the player's removal from the squad would impact the team. For that reason, I had to vote for Robertson, but I did think Tsaroulla was brilliant. I think there could have been two more very close to obtaining my consideration, with several others having played well, but I narrowed it down to these two. But I actually thought Jacob Bedeau was more like his old self, yes a few mistakes, but very reliable and looking more focused. Players will make mistakes, but they made up for them by defending much better at key points.

I think there are times when we should try to stick to our main formation, but I would like to see Martin Paterson be braver to change things when it's not working. I give Paterson credit, as he does appear to read games well and will make changes that do make a positive impact, and compared to Stuart Maynard, it doesn't lead to the feeling we are to salvage a point from a game we were winning easily at one stage. Personally, I think there are times when we should be looking at the opposition and thinking of formations that will give us the ability to hold the ball and press. There have been away games where Notts have stuck to their formation, and you just know nothing is going to change. Barrow away earlier in the season was one of the worst games I have ever seen. 5-10 minutes in, you could tell Barrow would pressure us. I think there was some hope from our managerial team that they would tire or Notts would get to grips with it. However, nothing changed, and that a game switching formations going into the game could have put Barrow on the back foot. We tend to rely on quality, and even when playing well, we can be very predictable to the point that teams can sniff out an opening. Persisting to think one style will succeed and that there's a one-size-fits-all formation for every team isn't the way to play. I acknowledge we do at times switch things up, but not enough, and I don't think we are consistent. That is one major issue with switching formations, because if a routine doesn't get the best out of individuals, mixing things up could lead to further complications. In general, I do think it would be worth trying. The Matt Dennis and Alasanna Jatta duo looked promising at Tranmere Rovers, but a few games later, along with the absence of Dennis, it was dropped.

I am pleased Mrs. T is still getting out and is on the mend. Hopefully, within a few days, she'll feel much better. I have been coding a bit the last two days; I have built something to help with updating members on crucial parts of the site that might be experiencing trouble. It's not the most complex thing, but it is one of the first things that I have coded which required a database and a full app structure. I also took the initiative to manually prevent the newest member from being displayed among the validating members. It allows me to keep PON safe from spam bot accounts, and I have implemented ways of reducing this. Until about 4:30, I have felt good, but now I am trying to stay awake. The weather outside is dismal; poor Cheeky got completely soaked while going to pick Ava up from school. The only other thing I have been doing is loading Championship Manager 1998 in DOSBox and playing it as I go about doing stuff. Naturally, I chose Notts and spent a spell in 3rd and 2nd; then I was top for about 10 games. I am now 5th and seem to be struggling to motivate the players. I score and end up drawing. Or, I concede and get battered. Mansfield and Lincoln both beat by 5 goals to 1.

I think Cheltenham will try to keep things scrappy, but for us it would be good if 3-5 players started brightly and grew in confidence. We have several players who teams can struggle to mark, but it's the team performance that sometimes sets us back. Martin Paterson seems to be getting more out of the players right now, so I think that gives me confidence. It feels like we are capable of doing more; we just need to see it happen on the pitch. There are a few players who could do with a goal, so we are lucky enough to take the lead and control the game I do hope some of these players are able to create good chances on goal.

Maybe if Manchester United had selected him for the bench but didn't play him, losing 2-0 to Arsenal, things might have been different for them? I do like Sonny Aljofree; I think he's a good player, but his age means he will make mistakes. Someone else like Godwill Kukonki might be prone in different areas, but he does sound like one to keep an eye on. I'm going to watch the full game later; I haven't so far, and I do like how Notts lets us rewatch full games.

Stoke City 3-1 Coventry City Wrexham 0-1 Charlton Athletic Doncaster Rovers 1-3 Barnsley Joker Exeter City 0-2 Wigan Athletic Bristol Rovers 1-2 Gillingham Harrogate Town 1-1 Oldham Athletic Morecambe 0-2 Sutton United Truro City 0-0 Altrincham

Next home game hopefully, it really does feel like I have missed 10 games when it's only a few weeks. I'm taking care of myself, I don't have much choice when my body decides to sleep. I've been told off twice recently by @super_pie for snoring loudly. 😂 I'm glad Mrs T is a lot better. ❤️ Aye, to be fair I fell for the sterotype impression of them. Yet, I feel even worse to think I am not as organised as a caveman might have been. So, thanks @DangerousSausage. 😅 PS. I heard @Hi Humans ツ had a round in the prediction league. 😉 Have a great time catching up with your family, DS.

I haven't been the best health-wise since returning from my family's break. I really had a good time, and I intended to update the community on that. It was good to spend a week with Super and go to various places. It's a bit lacklustre on my part, but I will be upping my game. I really miss having seen Notts; it seems like ages since I last watched them play live. I hope Mrs. T is doing okay, @Fan of Big Tone. The good news, and main point to take away from my comment, is that I do have content being lined up and I am getting help again to come from being disorganised like a caveman to a much easier and manageable workflow. It would be great to see what other PON members are upto, they are what makes this click.

I don't wish to sound harsh, but Luke Williams is still riding off the success he had with us. His stint at Swansea City isn't something that would overly appeal to clubs in my opinion, whilst he did a modest job. There were a lot of articles circulating about how he was staying away from the players and how he had caused a division among the squad. Swansea captain Matt Grimes also left the club, stating Williams as the cause. There are two ways of looking at this: either Williams was weeding out the bad eggs/underperformers, or he was contributing to the problem holding Swansea back. Wales OnlineUnhappy Luke Williams 'annoyed' by Swansea City players a...The Swans boss was unhappy at the way his team started Saturday's draw with PortsmouthBBC SportSwansea City: Luke Williams stays away from dressing room...Luke Williams gives the credit for Swansea City's win over Queens Park Rangers to Matt Grimes after revealing he did not go into the dressing room before the game or at half-time.EFL AnalysisLuke Williams reveals the real reason he was sacked by Sw...That doesn't sound good 😬Since he arrived at the club, it's his first major appointment after having success. Alienating a struggling squad isn't exactly the way to go; I would have thought it would be best to adjust slowly and find replacements. I thought he had made a jump that was too big, but I understood the reasons, as he would be closer to his family. Peterborough United, to me, seems like a poor move because they have spent money and massively underperformed as a result. It's almost identical to Swansea City, who needed someone able to get the best out of the squad that was there without a massive overhaul. Posh will probably spend more money come January, but they need someone who can work with their existing players and fairly quickly improve their situation. Holding the position at the bottom of League One comes with immense pressure, and although I genuinely wish Williams success, the challenges ahead are significant. I can see it failing; he would have done better to wait for a team that wasn't in any sort of crisis but just needed a steady leader.

Blackburn Rovers 0-1 Southampton Millwall 1-1 Leicester City Barnsley 3-1 Rotherham United Joker Reading 2-1 Doncaster Rovers Barrow 0-1 Barnet Harrogate Town 2-0 Newport County Forest Green Rovers 0-0 Boreham Wood Hartlepool United 1-0 Solihull Moors

I am very pleased for Kelle Roos, I hope this gives him some confidence knowing that he earned the fans vote and has been named the Pride of Nottingham Man of the Match. Thank you to everyone who voted, and to Robbie for holding the poll for us as always.

Birmingham City 0-2 Hull City West Bromwich Albion 1-0 Preston North End Blackpool 1-1 Wycombe Wanderers Doncaster Rovers 0-1 Northampton Town Grimsby Town 2-1 Gillingham Joker Newport County 0-0 Cheltenham Town Altrincham 0-2 Woking Brackley Town 1-2 Gateshead

Burton Albion 0-2 Bolton Wanderers Joker Exeter City 1-2 Reading Leyton Orient 1-0 Doncaster Rovers Wigan Athletic 3-1 Wycombe Wanderers Chesterfield 2-1 Salford City Crewe Alexandra 0-0 Bromley Fleetwood Town 1-1 Harrogate Town Tranmere Rovers 2-0 Barnet

I think the harshness some players receive can be a major hindrance to their performance. Some players want to prove themselves, such as Jodi Jones, but others just quietly get on with things. I do wonder if Conor Grant has read any of the messages about how some fans think of him? You wouldn't think he was all that well-liked, a natural, and again, players who deserve such stick never seem to get it. We are talking about the likes of Richard Duffy, who would be blindly defended for making constant mistakes and passing short balls back. Not every player needs to score; they just have to be better in other areas, and the way I see it, you build a team at this level based on what makes you stronger. If we had 10 outfield players who could score regularly, then we would be losing them far more often, as it would suggest League Two wasn't their level. There are Championship teams who have midfields outscored by their defence come the end of the season. Conor Grant does take too many touches, and I think he overthinks when shooting. This sounds like confidence, but we know Grant can score. Being a midfielder, even an attacking-minded one, doesn't guarantee goals. There have been exceptional wingers who thrive on assisting; Palace had a player a few seasons ago who missed some sitters during a game I watched. Yet his crossing was dangerous and very exciting to watch, as they were pinpoint and very well placed. Grant has scored the same amount of goals as Palmer, but in considerably fewer appearances; the two players are different. I hope Grant can improve, because he is a smart footballer.

I think this season will be one of the biggest lessons for the club and for the Reedtz. It highlights the importance of being organise, assembling a squad as early as possible, at least the bulk signings. Having them stagnate effectively means they would be learning to gel together during the season. The German tour, although nice, just seems like it wasn't the best timing. I mean, I get that it's done so work could have been carried out at Meadow Lane. With the massive overhaul of the new coaching team and other appointments, there will be something to learn. So, I understand the concerns. I was impressed watching Notts at Newport, but then I felt we were massively behind compared to other clubs. I have said it before a few times; the biggest mistake was saying we are aiming for promotion and sacking the head coach not long after exiting the playoffs. This said, I am all for being patient and trying not to be critical of matters for the sake of it. I could see positive signs, and I did feel things could come together. Our home performances have largely been good, and we look a much different team. Away from home, especially Barrow, was just difficult. I remember posting the full-time score and instantly seeing people complaining to me. I saw it unfold; I watched us being outclassed by Barrow, so I felt the frustration before even posting it, and I did post as myself, saying as much and that we need to be better, but that the midfield needs to settle. Patience is very important over a long season, especially when things start poorly or eventually hit a rough patch. Walsall could have turned the tide last season if their supporters had rallied behind their team during a tough period marked by dwindling morale and a series of disappointing performances when their strategies were no longer effective. The spotlight was squarely on their manager, who had previously done an exceptional job of guiding the team to the top of the table. They exceeded all expectations, and while I had accurately predicted this success in the PON predictions before the season started, their decline ultimately stemmed from a loss of unity among club and fans.

Gossip and rumours can seem harmless, but they can cause problems, and for a club wanting to achieve promotion, it can cause difficulties. It can create problems with players which would not otherwise happen, and while I understand the element of wanting to know what is happening or going off. I would say sometimes it is best to conduct it privately, but there are times when open transparency is a must. I think the Notts fan base is a little quick to jump to knee-jerk reactions, or pressing the meltdown button but a lot of it does come from wanting better. I don't always understand it. In this scenerio, Notts handled things very well and managed to get Jatta back doing what he does best: scoring goals!

A considerable amount of work has gone into PON this week, with a lot of fixes and improvements. I feel quite satisfied with it, and I know things could always be better, but it's nice when you start to tick off problems. I know I need to get back into writing and other things that make the site work. I do think a lot of members have been contributing towards some excellent discussions, and that is encouraging to see. There are two features almost completed, one being another type of feed and the other being a quicker way to change between dark/light mode. I had my back fence put in for £700; when my front needed replacing, my wife was quoted £3-4k. @magpiejue's husband and friend did it for a much fairer price, and they did both the front sides too. Even part of my land at the back of my garage was reclaimed from a neighbour who had wonkily put in their wooden fence and later straightened it, but left behind heaps of concrete.

I am still trying to seek donations to help PON reach the target required to finalise the remaining resources. If any members are in a position to donate, please consider it. I can assure you that it will help the overall goal of the site. Please don't if you already have done this year; those who have are incredible, but there should be others out there open to assisting this target. I will be looking into ways of selling merch more regularly, but since upgrading, no new purchases have happened, and I believe it's due to the banners I used to display on the home page and inside articles. Also, I will be hoping to attract support from businesses with fair sponsorship and advertising prices. None of this silly stuff where sites claim they get x amount of views and demand £500. This would be affordable, but a partnership with PON where I would actively try to shed light on those who take us into consideration for representing their businesses.

I know it can be kind of morbid, but I have always liked watching true crime documentaries. In the 90s, I would watch Crimewatch UK and The FBI Files. I don't recall seeing other popular American shows, such as Unsolved Mysteries. America's Most Wanted and the like I have always been fascinated with, whereas these days it's somewhat of a buzzword to say you follow one of the million podcasts or YouTube channels that cover them. One of my favourite YouTube channels is called 'What Likely Happened', but I also like That Chapter and a few others. The issue with some of them is that they seem to narrate old TV episodes, to the point of directly copying, and it becomes apparent when the next thing they release is from the same show or uses AI, and that puts me right off. I can instantly tell if a YouTube video has been based on something like Unsolved Mysteries or UK crime that comes from Crimewatch. There is an interesting Jack the Ripper channel called "The House of Lechmere." A lot of cold cases have been solved due to people continuing to highlight and shine a light on cases, but I do not like disingenuous hosts or channels.

These three could easily come in and do a job, Theo Vassell can be a bit hit and miss. Decent player, but would be most suitable as a rotational/backup player. He could be worth giving a contract until the end of the season, I can't imagine his wages being a problem. Jamal Blackman would be excellent competition for Kelle Roos, he's a very good shotstopper and would be suitable to push for the first team. I do get the feeling Roos might be on a decent wage, which might be the reason the clubs is hestitant to look for a replacement but the fact he makes so many mistakes, and looks uncomfortable at times I do think it would relese pressure. It's funny hearing people telling me they want Sam Slocombe back, who was never all that bad but we just insisted he did things outside of his comfort zone. Max Woltman has a good pedigree, I recall him signing for Oxford and it looked like a good move. I think provided he didn't end up sitting on the bench or in the stands, he could give us an option over Mai Traore. It might allow for Traore to play in a more suitable role, than as a striker.

I thought we would put out a squad and get dismantled in all honesty, but Martin Paterson got the best out of the players he gave a chance and that's exactly what you want to see. I think Barnsley felt they could play some of their fringe players and that they would still be good enough. So, I don't think it reflects badly on us but on them for not mounting more of a game against a weaker League Two team when you consider how many aren't regular starters. The competition I don't really care for, but I am proud of the players for grafting a positive result because it will have helped with the league.