Chris

Notts County return to League Two action on Saturday with a trip to Barnet, who sit bottom of the table. Although the Magpies were superb last time out in the league, winning 4-1 against Crewe, they will be eager to put the 8-1 loss to Swansea City in the FA Cup behind them while also seeking to get back into the automatic promotion places. Pride of Nottingham's latest Scouting Report provides a thorough analysis of the opposition. Head to head Notts have met Barnet just 18 times in competitive fixtures. The record stands at 10 Notts wins, 5 defeats, and 3 draws. Our last five fixtures have yielded 3 wins - including the last 2 - and 2 losses. Run-down of their last six fixtures Saturday 30th December – Exeter City 2 Barnet 1 Monday 1st January – Barnet 1 Swindon Town 2 Saturday 13th January – Crawley Town 2 Barnet 0 Saturday 20th January – Barnet 1 Lincoln City 1 Saturday 27th January – Cheltenham Town 1 Barnet 1 Saturday 3rd February – Mansfield Town 3 Barnet 1 The Players – Fact Sheet Highest Goal Scorers; Shaquile Coulthirst 10, Simeon Akinola 5, John Akinde 4 and Jamal Campbell-Ryce 4. Persistent Foulers; Jack Taylor 4 yellow cards and 1 red card, David Tutonda 6 yellow cards, Michael Nelson 4 yellow cards and Andre Blackman 2 yellow cards and 1 red card. The Key Players The Glovers Bees goalscorer Shaquile Coulthirst is a player that poses a real threat to the Notts back-four, his ability to play off the defenders shoulder – whilst maximising his pace is a real concern as he could prove very difficult to handle. In midfield, Ryan Watson is also someone who contributes to Barnets attacking ability – as his eye for a pass can be something which splits the defence and, going forward he likes to get in on the action with the strikers. Ricardo Santos at the back is someone who should be very switched on and, his simple play can be quite misleading – however the magpies’ may struggle to get the better of him due to his awareness at the back. Style of Play, Strengths, and Weaknesses Barnet have taken a massive downward fall in recent seasons, however on their day they’re not a bad League Two outfit. They have plenty of ability across the field, with some very capable and quick players at their disposal. However, their issue greatly falls under a lack of confidence and belief within their own play. Good sides tend to punish them for their defensive relapses, yet they can score goals themselves – which isn’t something Kevin Nolan’s men should neglect to remember on the day. Performance wise, they struggle to get into games – they can have a lot of possession but fail to make use of it. Whilst they do appear decent going forward, the confidence is a massive sign when you see what they often do with the ball in the final third – often making use of scrappy play or a wonder goal to score. Defensively, they’re very poor and this is their biggest issue on the field. Nobody seems responsible to marking and, although Ricardo Santos does very well to bridge in this major lack of concentration – they aren’t exactly helping themselves. They seem a squad that’s instructed to go out and earn a point, nothing more – so they often fail to ask questions of their oppositions defence despite doing well in games. Tactically for Notts, they need to avoid being deep and inviting the Bees to attack. After the Swansea game our midfield needs to take hold of the game as early as possible and get a real feel for how the game may pan out. I fully expect Barnet to make some rash challenges, so the players will need to show no fear with silly challenges in an attempt not to be bullied when on the ball. The flanks will be a key area on the pitch for Notts and, the use of Mason Bennetts pace up top might allow for floating passing from distance to allow changes to be created in and behind the Barnet’s back four. Notts just have to be direct, build carefully and avoid rushing passes. Chances will naturally come with Notts push and use what pace we have at our disposal but it’s of great importance that we don’t leave ourselves exposed at the back or invite Barnet to play. This will require a good performance from Notts and each player must support both attacking and defensive play. 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.

How amazing would it be to see Notts make yet another round in the FA Cup? I think it would be incredible, and tomorrow night Kevin Nolan’s side will head into a game against Swansea City whereby we could progress to the 5th round. This season has been very surreal, it’s almost at the complete end of last year’s spectrum and I believe the hard work on the field is paying off dividends. It’s a tough ask from our squad playing in the fourth tier of English football to go to a Premier League side and play in such a fashion that could snatch a win. However, I feel we are very much in contention to achieve such a result and even if we don’t, it’s just nice to see the clubs name up there in the headlights. Our home tie against Swansea provided that we could match them and at times play well enough to deservedly do so. The second half at Meadow Lane was a joy to watch and I would hope that we could encourage another similar display, even if we are away from home. In the recent league game against Crewe, we rebounded very well to the opening shock of conceding early, and the players showcased a real belief in determination in getting a positive result in front of 17,000 spectators. I feel we need to approach the game forgetting about whom our opposition are, or how many divisions are between them and us. Approaching the game with the mindset that we won’t be outplayed, nor will we surrender, yet to make a solid statement and push to see just how much further we can go. There’s no reason why we can’t just go and express the type of football we want to play or achieve something which most may feel is impossible – I’ve always said that Swansea is a team I fancy our chances against. Kevin Nolan has also recently expressed his feelings towards the tie, stating that he's "really looking forward to it". "I know Swansea had another good result at the weekend so it will be a tough one, but we go there full of confidence." he added in a recent press release. Unfortunately, Swansea have also lost two key players in Wilfried Bony and Leroy Fer, who have been sidelined for the rest of the season due to serious injuries. The Premier League will also be their main focus and, despite this, I feel Carlos Carvalhal will field a side which he believes is still strong but again it may not risk a few of their other bigger named players. Regardless of who plays, I would hope we go there believing that we can continue our FA Cup journey and, I would hope there’s a high level of belief within the Notts camp. It really would be incredible to see us progress to the fifth round and take on Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough. As supporters we have had a very turbulent time over the last 3 to 4 years and it’s fantastic to now see just how well Notts are doing. Alan Hardy has restored the faith of many Notts fans and Kevin Nolan has introduced a winning way to Notts – something which no fan isn’t thankful for. Now let’s go to the Liberty Stadium and showcase further that amazing turnarounds can happen if you fully set your mind on it! 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 put in one of their best performances of the season in front of the biggest Meadow Lane crowd of the 21st century in Saturday's 4-1 win over Crewe Alexandra. The Magpies endured a wobbly start as Shaun Miller drilled home on the rebound after just eight minutes for the breakthrough. However, Noor Husin struck back on the quarter-hour mark with a ferocious long-range effort before Elliott Hewitt put the hosts ahead just before half time. Hewitt then got his second of the game and County's third by finishing off a great team move on the hour mark and putting the Pies out of reach. Derby County loanee Mason Bennett then added the cherry on top late on with his debut Notts goal to wrap up a wonderful afternoon for the Black and White Army. Pride of Nottingham was at the Lane for the occasion and took photos of fans - check our gallery to see if you're in this week's Faces of PON! Share your thoughts about this week's Faces of PON 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 came from a goal down to record a superb 4-1 win over Crewe Alexandra in Saturday's League Two encounter at a packed Meadow Lane. In front of a bumper crowd of more than 17,000 thanks to Alan Hardy's "2 for Crewe" offer, the Magpies fell behind to Shaun Miller's goal on the rebound. However, Notts were level seven minutes later when Noor Husin rifled home in a stunning drive from all of 25 yards out. Elliott Hewitt put the hosts ahead just before half time before adding a second on the hour, before Derby County loanee Mason Bennett scored on his debut to cap off a memorable win. How did the game pan out from a tactical perspective? Pride of Nottingham's Chris takes a look with this weekend's Tactical Talk. Was the result fair? As I made my way to Meadow Lane yesterday, each time I encountered a fan that I know, they spoke about how confident they were about Notts hammering Crewe. I really didn’t think this would be the case, yet on the pitch, Crewe’s opener of the game lifted Notts and it urged them on to better themselves. The win was incredible for such a huge attendance and it was pleasing to see fans re-finding the buzz of winning ways. We should have scored more when you think about it, so nobody can argue it wasn’t deserved. How did Notts play? The first 10 minutes we started very shaky, the Crewe goal had me thinking ‘here we go’ but I was proud of how Notts responded. Our midfield took much of that burden and drove towards Crewe with sheer determination! It wasn’t a case of ‘will we score’ but ‘when’. Ending the first half, Notts had played some very entertaining stuff at times and the 2-1 lead was vital. It was what I would describe as a complete performance from the back to the front, as Collin looked great in goal and our attacking play looked lethal – we really did play with a lot of confidence. How did Crewe play? Exactly as I expected and had mentioned within my scouting report. They used their physical side to attempt to intimidate Notts, whilst using scrappy play to get the edge over us at the beginning. On the ball they played some good football and always seemed capable of giving us a game. However, at the back they were woeful and failed to cope with our play. Overall, it wasn’t a ‘bad’ performance on their part – Notts were simply too good and refused to bow down to them, yet they played quite well in spells. Did our tactics work out? Absolutely! I would have liked to see Mason Bennett start. However, we got a glimpse of what he could do against a defence, which was as if a rabbit was caught in the headlights. The formation, just common sense at this stage and it gives us much more time on the ball in midfield – it allows our players to get a good understand of how to play. We attacked understanding what Crewe had about them and balanced our play according to that. Tactically Kevin Nolan was spot on and he adjusted well even when the game was completely in our hands. How did the referee perform? He seemed to like the attendance more than perhaps the Notts board, I felt some of his decisions were quite poor and at times just baffling – yet he wasn’t noticeable once we had control of the game. It could have easily been different on another day, yet a focused Notts squad took the niggles from his performance away. Who do we play next? Next up Barnet – Notts will have to put on a repeat performance as the last two games have really impressed us fans and it will be for The Bees’ to attempt to derail the progress that had been made on the pitch. How should we play them? We should approach them with the same belief and, focus as we did against Crewe. When Notts click on the field, there’s no denying how good or entertaining we can be and this match will be another perfect opportunity to build on from that had gone missing in the two home league defeats. It’s vital that we go into the game fully focused, so no blunders to open with – as the Duffy mistake against Crewe could have changed the game completely. Barnet will see our fixture against them as a way to prove themselves and quite possibly as a way to gain further momentum as they attempt to gain safety within League Two. For this reason Notts will have to focus on playing a solid game at the back, and build on any chances when going forward – allow the midfield to control the game and carve open those chances we do have the ability to create. I’d welcome seeing Mason Bennett start, we’ll know more about what type of options he will give us and I think Jon Stead has earned a break. Ameobi and Bennett would be the right options for me in attack against Barnet. As the game slows down, it will naturally open up and this is when we can reintroduce players such as Stead. It will be about remaining focus, and hopefully a good performance against Swansea City on Tuesday night might encourage our lads further – yet if we do bow out gracefully from the FA Cup, let’s not be downhearted. We have a job to finish in League Two and, I have complete faith that we do have the ability to complete it. Crewe fan views 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.

January brought Notts County joy in the FA Cup but disappointment in League Two, but February is a fresh month and we're all hoping the Magpies can kick on. First up this month is Crewe Alexandra, who come to Meadow Lane and are likely to play before one of the largest crowds seen at the ground for years. How have the Railwaymen done in recent weeks? Who are their danger men? Pride of Nottingham's Scouting Report sheds more light on these questions and more. Head to head Notts and Crewe have played 44 times in competitive games, and we have the upper hand with 21 wins to 14 defeats, while 9 draws have taken place. The Magpies are unbeaten in their last six home league games against Crewe (three wins and three draws), finding the net at least once in all six matches (12 goals). However, the Alex are unbeaten in their last three League Two clashes against the Magpies (one win and two draws). Our last meeting came in October last year at Gresty Road, a 2-0 defeat for us. Run-down of their last six features Tuesday 26th December – Chesterfield 0 Crewe Alexandra 2 Saturday 30th December – Cambridge United 3 Crewe Alexandra 1 Monday 1st January – Crewe Alexandra 2 Grimsby Town 0 Saturday 13th January – Carlisle United 1 Crewe Alexandra 0 Saturday 20th January – Crewe Alexandra 2 Wycombe Wanderers 3 Saturday 27th January – Swindon Town 4 Crewe Alexandra 3 The Players – Fact Sheet Highest Goal Scorers; Chris Porter 12, Chris Dagnall 7, Jordan Bowery 5 and Callum Ainley 5. Persistent Foulers; Perry NG 8 yellow cards and 1 red card, Michael Raynes 7 yellow cards and 1 red card, Brad Walker 7 yellow cards and Eddie Nolan 5 yellow cards. The Key Players Crewe Alexandra have some very capable players within in midfield, none more so than Brad Walker and Tom Lowery, two very creative players. One is your typical 'grab the game by the scruff off the neck' player, whilst the other works very hard to create decent chances. Up top Chris Porter and Chris Dagnall are both strikers easily able to unlock their opposition and, despite the Alex struggling, they've done well to get their team goals. Also up front, Jordan Bowery is a decent player at League Two level – he possesses something completely different from the other two strikers and his pace can be a tricky factor. Style of Play, Strengths, and Weaknesses Crewe Alexandra are a decent League Two outfit, they are struggling financially and, as a result have been reduced to quite a small squad. They possess a very capable midfield and strikeforce, which I am surprised they have been able to retain during this January transfer window. Crewe’s main issues are their defence and lack of confidence within the camp. On the field, they try to play football in the right way. They’re a good passing side that like to move the ball around promptly. In possession of the ball they can use it well and, can punish teams by clever play – they try to hit teams creatively and with pace. The major downfall for the Alex is their inability to defend well, individual errors often leads to scrappy goals and poor marking can often be very costly too. Also, there’s a real lack of discipline across their team and this can easily take points from what can be a very tough side – they have fighting spirit which often sees them not give up but their poor play often is more than enough to change the final outcome. Notts will have to be mindful about allowing any incidents to become out of control, whilst ensuring players are protected when on the ball. Passing wise, it just has to be direct and creative. Husin and Noble have a real chance of unlocking for our forwards and Stead, Ameobi, Bennett and even Forte could find this useful (if the latter plays). The pace will certainly be useful to have up top, as will someone of Ameobi’s mould and print. I expect Crewe to try and keep it scrappy at the back, whilst keeping the ball down within midfield – almost how Notts tend to play themselves. Winning the ball back will be key, but making use of it without forcing play would be highly beneficial. The Magpies just have to be calm on the ball, mindful and creative. This is a very good chance to ensure we crack on, however we can’t expect to go into the game at Meadow Lane and expect to steamroll the opposition. 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.

I realise that the deadline day signings have split fans' opinions, we can debate how good they appear on paper or discuss their careers so far, but the important part is to welcome any new signing into the club and hope that they can help us. Notts have fought hard this season and we have seen such a huge turnaround that even now I find it hard to believe. The club right now is experiencing a fresh start and we now have the right kind of foundations in place. Success on the pitch is often measured in quality, but also desire and I think our club has the right type of balance – although I do openly admit I had hoped for a permanent striker to sign. This said, I feel in League Two Mason Bennett does offer us something which we don’t really have and that his pace could be the thing which ignites us on the pitch - as a signing he should naturally take the burden off the midfield to score goals. It’s also important after Exeter City’s midweek win that we get back on track ourselves, as I feel the wheelbarrow doesn’t need to break just yet – this is more optimism and hope mind. Crewe Alexandra are the perfect team for us to be playing right now, especially since the great performance we put in against Swansea City in the FA Cup. That said, we need to match that performance and even attempt to outplay it. The Alex won’t be an easy pushover despite their league position, not at all and I think the fact that they play some decent ground football should test Notts. Yet their poor form is also a beneficial factor for us, as we could go into the game respectful yet be confident at the same time. On paper people will naturally think it should be easy, yet football is never straightforward and, as Notts fans, we only know too well what it’s like playing an underperforming side. The 2017-18 squad is completely different compared to previous squads and I feel they will want to see the success continue – I certainly believe they will show a lot of character as we fight for our finishing place. There’s just that underlining question of formation and, I hope after Kevin Nolan’s seen how useful it is – reverting back to it against Swansea, that he will see it makes sense to continue using 4-4-2 within the league. We would be stronger, much stronger sticking with a formation that we know inside-and-out. I fully expect Nolan to choose 4-4-2, I think he will see that the two league defeats weren’t down to much else – yet with the inclusions of our new signings, we should be stronger up top and at the back. Notts really need to put a convincing showing on Saturday, we need to forget about the attendance and just rise to the task of getting back on track. The amount of fans or potential fans shouldn’t be daunting and, if we get behind the lads – singing them on. With the Kop fully behind the game, I feel we will find our form – it’s time to start believing! COYP!! 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 have earned a place in the hat for the fifth round of the FA Cup after holding Premier League side Swansea City to a 1-1 draw in Saturday's fourth-round match at Meadow Lane. The Magpies began brightly but their opponents soon stepped up a gear and had the hosts under the coash before finding the net on the stroke of half time through Luciano Narsingh. Kevin Nolan's charges were much improved in the second half, however, as Jorge Grant spurned three gilt-edged chances in quick succession. Eventually, County's pressure was rewarded as veteran striker Jon Stead turned home on the hour to draw the Magpies level and ultimately clinch a replay at the Liberty Stadium. Pride of Nottingham was at the Lane to watch the action unfold and took plenty of photos of the Notts fans. Have a look through our gallery in this week's Faces of PON, published on our Facebook page, and don't forget to tag yourself and your loved ones! Share your thoughts about this week's Faces of PON 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.

Jon Stead kept up his record of scoring in every round of the FA Cup as his equaliser earned Notts County a deserved replay in a 1-1 draw with Swansea City in the fourth round. Luciano Narsingh's strike on the stroke of half-time put the Premier League's bottom club ahead at Meadow Lane but the Magpies went up a gear after the restart, with Jorge Grant coming close on three occasions in quick succession. Stead, who famously put in a superb performance for Bradford City in their fourth-round upset of Chelsea several years ago, then fired home on the hour mark to guarantee a place in the hat for round five and a replay at the Liberty Stadium next month. How did the game pan out? Pride of Nottingham's Chris takes a look with this weekend's Tactical Talk. Was the result fair? Both Notts and Swansea really went head-to-head yesterday. Swansea obviously looked full of energy and naturally looked very creative, as any Premier League team should. Notts struggled to match them at times in the first half – however over the course of the 90 minutes, the magpies’ actually improved and grew in confidence. A draw is very fair, some fans feel we should have won but honestly both teams could have done this. How did Notts play? First half we naturally did a lot of chasing, yet there wasn’t much wrong in terms of heart or performance. Notts just naturally struggled at times due to Swansea making it different through their play. One note for me is the lack of pressing at times and I feel defensively we should have shaken off the nerves sooner. In the second half, Notts really took the game to the Swans and the game became very open as a result. There was a lot of character, passion and desire in this game from a Notts perspective and reverting back to 4-4-2 really showed why we had done well in previous games before the formation switch. How did Swansea play? They played well, credit where credit is due. However, going 1-0 up there was a lot of time-wasting – in fact, I recall times even before they scored but this is quite normal in football. Swansea looked creative, very direct and they played neat overlays, which put Notts often on the back foot. The Swans were a joy to watch at times, and I feel if their strike-force had played better – the outcome might have been vastly different but this doesn’t take anything away from their performance as they did well. Did our tactics work out? Reverting to 4-4-2 must have taken some swallowing of Nolan’s pride, it was clear that 4-5-1 isn’t a formation which would work for Notts – could you imagine how many limited chances we would have had against Swansea if we hadn’t have reverted? I felt the line-up was pretty spot on, it was nice to see Terry Hawkridge starting and I felt we had a lot of width about our play – something that has been lacking even before we went to five midfielders in previous League Two games. It was clear that Kevin Nolan had told the players to go out and enjoy themselves. Notts played organised but almost with a certain level of freedom. Attacks were carefully played out, although at times passes did stray or certainly became rushed – this for me was down to nerves and, I feel the tactics were spot on. How did the referee perform? There were periods of the game that I felt he liked breaking the action up, solely just to sound his whistle but overall by the end of the game I actually felt he did alright. Second half he noticeably improved, and as a result allowed the game to flow better. It was nice to see him standing his ground when players attempted to sway his decisions, something which most recent officials haven’t done well but this referee did okay. No real complaints as such from me. Who do we play next? Focusing on the FA Cup here, it’s obvious that the fourth round replay will be against Swansea – yet it will be interesting to see who we might possibly get in the 5th round, provided we make it that far. I actually feel we stand a greater chance of upsetting them away from home. How should we play them? I sent out a tweet before the game against Swansea City echoing my thoughts on how Notts should be balanced and, defensively aware. I felt breaking out on the counter would serve us well, especially if we didn’t commit too many players forward. This would ring true playing them in our 4th round replay, it’s important that we don’t get a rush of blood and go all attacking on them. We need to build carefully, pressing them into wider positions as a way to open the game up. Jorge Grant did really well with taking a lot of the play forward, with the likes of Elliot Hewitt running himself into the ground. These will be things we must repeat when fancy Swansea next. I would like to see our two strikers stay further up the field, however if we can find a way to get the best out of Liam Noble – I feel his energy being found could give us two players to unlock any opening which may present themselves. It’s important we go and, in the process ask questions – ensuring that Swansea City’s defence doesn’t have it easy. If we pressure them in the right way, I feel a cup shock could very well be on the cards – as winning a team at their home ground often happens against the big boys as it lifts the opposition players. Swansea City fan views (from The Fans Network) Londonlisa2001: I thought we were absolutely woeful. We were a little better in the first half than the second, but we didn't give a crap. Not giving a crap and playing at half speed when you saunter out a 2 goal victory is one thing, doing it and not being able to beat a team that together quite possibly gets paid less than Bony is on is a disgrace. I didn't see it as a chance to walk around and build patterns, I saw it as a chance to give it our all (at least until safe), and score some goals in an attempt to create some confidence and put some zip and spark into our lacklustre forward line. Cockneyswan: After watching that abject performance, I think Carlos message must have been "ok if you can win it without too much effort do it, however if we lose don’t worry, we got bigger fish to fry." Unfortunately Notts co delighted with another pay day. Jackrabbit: I only saw the second half but it was obvious that County wanted it more. I sincerely hope Bony is unfit and lacking match practice because he was dreadful - slow, ponderous, clumsy and indolent. Both he and Abraham were AWOL in the goal area. A centre forward needs to be pressurising the goalkeeper, be on hand for crosses in front of the goalkeeper and be available to tuck away rebounds - neither of them were ever there when they needed to be. Abraham was our only touch of class at the start of the season. What has happened to him? Ki made mistakes but he looked classy - he passed the ball well and tried to slide balls inside the fullback for Narsingh to run on to. He doesn't deserve the special bile he gets on here. At least he looks like a footballer. Ayew must have been as underwhelmed as we were by the Swans performance because when he came on he decided he would beat County on his own. All in all Swans looked like a team that were saving themselves for a big game on Tuesday night. I thought County were terrific. 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.