Chris

With the distraction of the midweek EFL Trophy game out of the way, Notts County can get back to the fixtures that matter. Up this Saturday is a League Two home game against Newport County, a team that survived in the Football League by the skin of their teeth the last two seasons but currently sit sixth in the standings. The Magpies remain in a very healthy second place in the table but there can be no denying that performances and results have slightly slipped recently, so Kevin Nolan will be eager to get the ball rolling once again. In this week's Scouting Report, Chris has an in-depth look at the opposition and how Notts should approach the game. History Notts County and Newport County have met a total of 48 times over the years, the first fixture coming in 1930, which the Magpies won 3-2. The head-to-head record is skewed in the Magpies’ favour, with 25 wins, 9 draws and 14 defeats. The last meeting was in May 2017, the last game of last season, and Newport won 2-1 at Rodney Parade to avoid the drop to the National League. Run-down of their last six features Tuesday 26th September – Crawley Town 1 Newport County 2 Saturday 30th September – Luton Town 3 Newport County 1 Saturday 7th October – Newport County 2 Yeovil Town 0 Saturday 14th October – Forest Green Rovers 0 Newport County 4 Tuesday 17th October – Newport County 1 Colchester United 2 Saturday 21st October – Newport County 1 Mansfield Town 1 The Players – Fact Sheet Highest goalscorers: Shawn McCoulsky 7, Padraig Amond 6, Frank Nouble 5 and Joss Labadie 3. Persistent foulers: Joss Labadie 4 yellow cards, Matthew Dolan 4 yellow cards, Ben White 4 yellow cards and Mark O’Brien 3 yellow cards. The Key Players Despite the obvious flaws about Joss Labadie, i.e. his temper, he is a good technical player on the ball, who can move into good positions or dictate the play with his passing ability. He’s also dangerous if given time to shoot and can really be an influential player on his day. Also former Magpie player David Pipe is a forward thinking player that likes to use his distribution as a way to unlock opportunities for his side – in our last game of the 2016-17 season he was paramount in the Exiles bid to overcome defeat and also to remain a League Two team. Attacking duo Frank Nouble and Shawn McCoulsky offer a lot of dynamic play up top, with the latter being someone who can instantly impact a game for the better once coming off the bench as a substitute. Style of Play, Strengths, and Weaknesses Newport County are a much more organised outlet this term, they focus on attacking and controlling games this way – which can see a mixed performance in terms of the result. They tend to keep players back, which doesn’t always mean they get a feel for their own attacking play. However, they can break with pace and have good deliveries from set pieces – including a very respectful long throw specialist which can cause their opposition some headaches when used effectively. On the ground they are quite confident and this is where they prefer to keep the ball, as it allows their better players to threaten carefully. As a result, to being quite deep, their defence tends to invite play and I would pin point a lack of focus at the back. At times it’s almost kamikaze defending, with little communication and this allows teams which remain focused to come out on top – a lot of the goals conceded by Newport County fall under this scenario. Yet they don’t give teams a lot of time on the ball, rather they rush to cover or block – and again this results in them often leaving their keeper exposed. Route-one football is something which Newport can take advantage from, although it can be a weakness from a defensive point of view. Notts really need to focus on getting wide, whilst making the most of space which comes available as they move as a unit going forward. If we are clever in possession and patient, openings will arise where players such as Grant or Stead may get a clinical shot a way towards goal. Set pieces, especially corner kicks are something whereby the Magpies may create a chance. Distribution of the ball is key, being steady at the back – in terms of being alert and quick to danger will ensure the control remains in an home advantage. Share your thoughts about this scouting report on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.

Hello and welcome to episode 30 of the Pride of Nottingham PONcast, presented by Chris and JJ. In this week's episode we assess Notts County's 1-1 draw at Carlisle United from last weekend, with an in-depth focus on performance and tactics. We then look ahead to the Newport County clash this Saturday at Meadow Lane, looking at how the Magpies should approach the game based on their opponents' form and style of play. We also discuss whether Ross Fitzsimons should remain in goal for the Magpies after Adam Collin recovers from his injury. Other topics covered include the significance of the EFL Trophy, Kevin Nolan's recent criticism of social media, and plenty more. All this and more only in episode 30 of the Pride of Nottingham PONcast! Share your thoughts about this week's PONcast by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.

Winning football games is never the easiest thing to achieve. However, when you do manage to pull it off, it restores a sense of pride, not just within the club and its players but it spreads within the fan community. The momentum it builds can be a very powerful psychological tool, which I believe is a part of why Notts County have managed to assert themselves strongly after the opening day defeat to Coventry City. It’s been a long time since the club has felt like it’s moving in the right direction, and I believe we should continue to aim high. Another aspect which only deserves praise is the fact that key players have upped their game – something which started from day one after Kevin Nolan arrived at Meadow Lane. It would be unfair to suggest that the form which turned the club around during the 2016-17 season lies anywhere else and I feel strongly that the majority of the squad have continued this within their own right into 2017-18. It’s this kind of form and focus which I would like the club to work towards now. However, I don’t suggest this isn’t the case – I do feel the focus has been lost somewhat. Adam Collin has been a different keeper this term, he’s really impressed me and I still feel right now he doesn’t get the praise he deserves. For the most part Richard Duffy has been solid, although admittedly I am not his biggest fan – I do feel he offers something which contributes to the success we are seeing on the field. Dan Jones as a new signing has been paramount and has given the club a lot more pace at the back – after the shaky start he really has found his form prior to the recent injury. At right back, Matt Tootle has been probably the most consistent player, something which I noticed myself last season. He just seemed a different character on and off the pitch, and I am pleased to see that he feels open enough to talk about depression – something which I myself suffer from. That’s the thing about the 2017-18 season, every player has largely been working towards the same goal and the added competition really has helped people thrive – perhaps not Tootle as much as Nolan has suggested recently but it certainly has for players such as Collin, Jonathan Forte and Carl Dickinson. Whilst Nicky Hunt is a good character to have around, and someone capable for players to learn from, he really hasn’t done anything to push Tootle for his position. I know it won’t be a popular opinion, however I would rather see Elliott Hewitt push Tootle because all Elliott requires is time to learn and gain experience. However, it is still a positive note just how much widely across the pitch we have improved and there is depth within the squad when you take games seriously. Whilst again, people suggest that Notts are unable to maintain their current form, if targets are a part of what got us here, ambition and desire should be more than enough to help us on our way with a return to form. This is exactly why I feel the club should continue to aim high, we need to dig deep and believe – reverting back to the basics will help (as will keeping the ball on the ground). And I really don’t believe in the curse of the Manager of the Month, if you remain grounded and focused on your tasks at hand, this is nothing more than praise for a job well done. The majority of fans know that have leaders on the pitch, perhaps not captain material but we have a squad which cares – so let’s keep Notts flying high. Share your thoughts about this feature article on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.

Notts County kept up the pressure on League Two leaders Luton Town with a 1-1 draw at Carlisle United on Saturday. The Magpies struggled in the first half as Hallam Hope edged the Cumbrians ahead in the 24th minute at Brunton Park. County failed to clear Nicky Adams's cross and Jamie Devitt's ball was bundled home by Hope from close range. However, Kevin Nolan's side stepped it up a gear in the second half and got their just reward. Terry Hawkridge played in Matt Tootle, whose cut-back was drilled into the net by Yates, and the visitors left with a share of the spoils come the final whistle. Here is Chris's analysis of the game. Was the result fair? The final result was probably about right, both teams failed to maximise their chances but overall the point was good for both camps. How did Notts play? First half Notts failed to impress, whilst they struggled to take hold of the game and this really worked more in favour for Carlisle United who have earned a lot of praise from fans and the local media. The second half was much improved with Notts showing at times that they’re a capable side, producing some good moves and eventually a well worked goal. How did Carlisle play? Very entertaining in spells. They passed the ball around the park very nicely and demonstrated exactly what I pointed out within my scouting report. First half they easily controlled the game and passed through Notts without any complications. Overall they did very well and stuck at making it difficult for Notts. Did our tactics work out? The majority of fans will highlight that first half failed simply due to the lack of movement and of course passing. The team really struggled to work with the tactics and it was clear after 20 minutes that something needed changing, thankfully this happened in the second half and Notts adjusted themselves well to the changes implemented. How did the referee perform? There’s little to say about the referee, so this would suggest he and his match officials had an alright game. Who do we play next? Newport County – in the league Notts face the Exiles but before that they face Mansfield Town in the EFL Trophy which will have some bearing on how the Magpies perform at Meadow Lane – a good performance would naturally help. How should we play them? I don’t pretend to be an ‘expert’, however a lot fans will always have an opinion and I am simply one of them. Against Newport, Notts really must highlight what type of a team they are by sticking to passing the ball along the ground. It really does help settle down the play, whilst giving players a true feel for the game. I think it’s important to try and make the Ameobi/Forte combination work. It simply doesn’t work to stick Forte up top alongside Alessandra – there’s no physical presence and nobody hold the ball. Defensively we just need to be wary about shots from distance and make it hard for chances to arise from inside our own area – the perfect example would be how we allowed the game last season to escape us. This is a perfect game for Notts to collect some points, whilst lifting the levels of morale around the camp after a few very disappointing performances. So, if we approach the game wisely and build nicely during the game – I am confident that we will be able to keep the other County at bay. It will just be a case again of being clinical up front and stead in defence. Carlisle fan views (from The Cumbrians) Seesaw50: Not as entertaining somehow as Tuesday but we played well especially first half and didnt see them as a better side given their position in the league. Shame we couldn't find the second goal , but their goal was from the same frailty, poor defensive work.....it was like slow motion. Seabird: First half was really good, problem was when County changed things and pressed us stopping the passing game from the back we had not the quality on the bench to be able to change things effectively ,bit sorry for Curle a no winner what ever he did. If only we had Whke or Yabo. Crunchblue: We looked a good team first half, we just seem to be lacking someone to get in the right positions to finish chances. We played some really good football and if we'd had a Charlie Wyke or a Lee Miller leading the line, we'd have put the game to bed by half time. Share your thoughts about this tactical analysis piece on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.

What goes up must come down, and following Notts County's incredible spell between mid-August and late September, things have taken a bit of a downturn. The Magpies still remain in the upper reaches of the League Two table, but following three poor performances from the last four games, alarm bells have started ringing just a little. Up next is the long trip to Cumbria on Saturday, where Carlisle United await us. Here is Chris's Scouting Report for the game at Brunton Park. History Carlisle United and Notts County have met 32 times since their first clash back in October 1959, a Fourth Division clash that was won 2-0 by the Cumbrians. Out of those, the Magpies have won 17 and lost 12, with just 3 draws. Our last meeting was on 8 April this year in League Two, a 2-1 win at Brunton Park. Run-down of their last six features Saturday 23rd September – Crewe Alexandra 0 Carlisle United 5 Tuesday 26th September – Carlisle United 0 Stevenage 2 Saturday 30th September – Crawley Town 0 Carlisle United 1 Saturday 7th October – Carlisle United 0 Exeter City 1 Saturday 14th October – Colchester United 0 Carlisle United 1 Tuesday 17th October – Carlisle United 3 Wycombe Wanderers 3 The Players – Fact Sheet Highest Goal Scorers; Reggie Lamb 6, Hallam Hope 4, Danny Grainger 3 and Shaun Miller 2. Persistent Foulers; Tom Parkes 2 red cards and 2 yellow cards, Richard Bennett 1 red card and 2 yellow cards, Danny Grainger 4 yellow cards and Luke Joyce 3 yellow cards. The Key Players Luke Joyce is a player capable of taking any game hands on, and has the ability to instantly turn things around – the midfielder does have a temper but as a creative outlet he offers Carlisle a lot going forward and in terms of defending. Reggie Lamb is another stand-out player who offers the Cumbrians bags of energy and is menacing in front of goal. At the back Danny Grainger is an experienced defender who leads by example, yet also has an eye for goal. Style of Play, Strengths, and Weaknesses Carlisle United like to play the game in the right way, their movement at times can be a joy to watch and it’s certainly very clever when it pays off. They tend to put men behind the ball even when going forward, whilst ensuring space is created - this means the opposition have to both get tighter but also more zonally aware which plays to the Cumbrians' advantage when space opens up at the back. In procession they’re a very hard working team not afraid to take on teams, however they can be slow in their build-up play which means more time is created to use the ball wisely. Defensively they can lose focus, whilst allowing teams too much time of their own on the ball. They tend to mark loosely, inviting teams to continue playing rather than dealing with the threat at the right time – almost eerily similar to Notts. Likewise, they can show complete control of games expressing some very entertaining football, only to completely allow their hard work to be undone very poorly. Yet for the most part they are a consistent outlet, and also a noticeable team within League Two who on their day can impress. Quite rightly so Carlisle manager Keith Curle as pointed out one of his side's biggest weaknesses with his comment on the Magpies' free-kicks: ‘Notts are inventive with set pieces and comfortable in their style’. Their inability to deal with the opposition with key areas can result in chances coming from set pieces, and as a result is something Notts can take advantage of. However, provided we pass wisely and match Carlisle United in terms of desire and effort chances will come, it will be down to the strongest team to take them and to kill off the game. Share your thoughts about this scouting report on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.

The performances so far from Notts County during the 2017-18 season haven’t been the ‘most complete’, something which Kevin Nolan has admitted himself. However every fan should give credit to Nolan for where we are, sitting second in the league after 14 games with 9 of those being wins is very impressive. Especially after the turmoil of the last few seasons, there will always be a transitional period, and I do honestly feel bad performances are part and parcel of that. This said I do feel we should abandon the hoof ball tactics, as it invites pressure onto ourselves by being poor in possession. I feel some of the best performances that have come from Notts during this campaign came by having played the ball on the ground. Nolan was bemused at the start of the season after his side was labelled ‘a route one football’ team. He said: "If someone is under pressure, then put it in an area that is going to give our forwards or a winger an opportunity but hurt the opposition in the process. If you are a centre-half what is the ball you hate? It’s not one coming on to your head, it’s one in behind. "It’s not about putting balls onto Jon Stead’s head because that’s not his game. A lot of people maybe thought his game was that. "For people to say that’s what we want to do is ludicrous." The problem is we are more reliant of hoofing it than we are at keeping calm in procession, or against the run of play. In recent weeks, fans have suggested that the problem stems from the attack, mostly that the strikers aren’t doing their jobs – yet I wholeheartedly disagree with this. We all know that there’s a limited amount of service to our strike force, especially in games where we struggle, and the route one football has perhaps helped at times – yet it's largely hindering the progression we can truly make. Nolan has also said that he doesn’t want Notts to pass for the sake of it, something which reinforces the fact that we are reliant on hoofing the ball. "I’ve never been a manager who likes passing it for passing sake," he said. "There are managers out there who like to keep it, then look at the possession stats afterwards and say we kept it for 80 percent of the game. But I’ve been involved in matches against United, Arsenal etc and they’ve had the ball 75 percent of the game, but we’ve won 1-0. "That’s the only stat that matters and that’s because we got it right defensively, and we did the basics right. So in that 25 percent possession, we’ve scored a goal." In recent weeks I would argue that we aren’t getting the basics right at all, and in this division you can’t rely on the odd goal as a cushion – you have to be clinical and defensively solid. Passing allows you to grow in confidence, players will naturally get a feel for the game and it largely assists with setting the tempo. Most teams win games simply because they handled these simple facts, whilst allowing the pressure to be absorbed away from the defence – clearing the ball and attempting to force the play only returns frustration and it really does play into the advantage of the opposition. I have spoken about the hard work which all the players and staff have put in, and it always seems like going top of the League Two table is the issue – yet we must believe in what we do. I really hope Nolan finds a way to get the team focusing more on how we proceed with games, rather than just hacking at the ball – if you watch the training highlights released by the club, virtually everything is played on the deck, so why is it different when we go into games? For me it’s not passing for the ‘sake of it’, it’s a case of ensuring we are doing enough to protect ourselves. Teams which focus on hoofing it generally fall under those that lack quality, we know Notts have depth and capable players – I also mentioned it earlier about how when we do pass along the floor how much better we look. Losing to Crewe means very little, it's all about how we respond but we have been stuttering since playing Mansfield Town at Field Mill towards the end of last month. Share your thoughts about this feature article on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.

Notts County suffered a 2-0 defeat away at Crewe Alexandra on Tuesday night which knocked them off the top of League Two, with Luton Town taking their place. Putting in one of the worst performances of the season so far, the Magpies fell behind just before half time when Michael Raynes rattled home from close range after Eddie Nolan had headed George Cooper’s free kick across goal. Crewe's win was sealed when, 66 minutes in, Jordan Bowery ran in behind to latch onto a pass from Cooper - the Notts defence caught napping once again - and steer past goalkeeper Ross Fitzsimons. Here is the analysis of the game from PON head honcho Chris. Was the result fair? No arguments. Notts simply didn’t turn up, which for the most part is the hardest thing because too many players had an off day and the whole game is probably a ‘write off’. How did Notts play? Not well at all, they struggled throughout the game and lacked application. Too many players had an off day, yet even after we had injected fresh legs it always seemed a little too late to change the outcome of the game. How did Crewe play? Quite well. I would say that they simply wanted it more than us, and you could tell by how they worked. For me Crewe were always capable of getting something from the game, but they played to our weaknesses and it showed on the pitch. Did our tactics work out? The line-up was interesting, but we lacked the grit. I have spoken about changes being required, yet against Crewe I honestly wouldn’t have changed much. I think the changes probably added to the nerves, yet there was little sign of any sort of in-game tactics and we struggled for this reason alone. How did the referee perform? No complaints from me regarding any of the match officials, the better team simply won for the right reasons and the referee had little to do. Who do we play next? Carlisle United – a very offensive team that always seems to know how to play Notts. They enjoy controlling games via their midfield and play a flowing game, which always tends to see much better against us. How should we play them? Revert back to basics yet again. We missed Shaun Brisley who for me is our best defender on the pitch, he’s bright and alert to danger – so it’s important that he returns to the mix. Notts need to learn how to control games via the centre of the park, for me the midfield has a lot of responsibility but they can avoid the pressure mounting on the defence by being more prepared to keep the ball on the ground. It’s all about the passing at the end of the day, and our ability to work the ball – if we can spread it around and generally just get a feel for the game (without giving possession a way or attempting to force play) we should do well. The strikers need to ensure that they can be brought into the game, yet for me it’s mostly about the midfield being prepared and the defence able to stomp out any inconsistencies. Honestly, I would take a draw and I suspect it might be another hard game to watch but I have faith that we will be fine. Crewe fan views (Crewe Mad) Gazan: To be honest, we were good but not fantastic. It was a hard won win. They hardly had a shot. Raynes's was immense. Nolan had another effective game, despite being whacked by a challenge that would have been a red card in the PL. Lowery and Grant worked very well together, the former replaced by a robust in the tackle Walker. Porter had a much better game and upset their defence. Bowery generally looked lost and could not make the right moves - that is until scored a fine goal from an exquisite George pass. He managed to wrap his foot around a high bouncing ball and managed to keep it down. Textbook technique. A good time had by all! Ruocul: Have to disagree with gazan on two points. First on Bowery who worked his socks off and caused County`s defence no end of bother, plus a superb run to take the goal. Second point that Lowery and Grant worked well together. IMO Lowery is a loose cannon who works with no player. Most disruptive. We only saw how a midfield pair should work when Walker replaced Lowery on the hour. Grant and Walker played as central midfield players should. They protected our defence solidly. They efficiently supported the forwards at every opportunity. The attack for the second goal was started by Walker. We were a far better balanced side when Lowery went off. I really hope that the team continues with Grant and Walker in central midfield Share your thoughts about this tactical analysis piece on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.