Chris

Disappointment and football seem to go hand in hand when being a Notts County fan. Like most Magpies supporters, I am immensely gutted by the departure of Ryan Yates who has joined Scunthorpe United after being recalled by our neighbours Nottingham Forest. It’s sad enough that a parent club could force a move in spite of a player's wishes. Yet to remove their chances of helping aside secure promotion, either as champions of their respective division or as automatic hopefuls, just doesn’t make much sense at all. There’s no denying how beneficial the move had been for us, as Yates has proven himself as a major force within our midfield. The decision to recall him, only to loan him out to a side chasing promotion in League One seems quite bizarre on paper, as for me it undoes all the hard work that he put into the first part of the season by removing him from the opportunity to play within a very settled environment. People might suggested that Scunthorpe United may gain promotion themselves, however I feel this is unlikely – whereas there is a strong possibility that we could continue to fight for top spot in League Two. Happiness for any player is a big part of their game, as is togetherness – uprooting a player and expecting them to repeat their earlier performances within an unknown dressing room is such a huge risk in its own right. I do understand why Nottingham Forest would want to access his development, yet this just seems very rushed and somewhat mismanaged. Since their new manager, Aitor Karanka, has only arrived recently, it’s quite baffling as to whom made the decision. The one thing we as fans simply can’t get our heads around, but it has happened and our club now has to decide if or who should replace him. Honestly, I didn’t see this happening and I felt that the media reports merely attempted to create the headlines. Would it not make sense to allow Yates to continue his loan spell at Meadow Lane and then reassess his future/development? I do believe that he’s going to be a big player, yet I don’t think his level is quite polished even in League Two and the experience gained here seemed beyond just that. I would go as far as saying the whole vibe around the club has a dramatic effect on young players, if you believe in something and see that your contributions are helping – even appreciated, well it enables you to play at such a higher level of football. Along with the league and cup success, it really adds to the difficulty in understanding the situation and I don’t see Scunthorpe United as being candidates to repeat what magic Yates would have had here. I really can’t see them gaining promotion from League One, it’s very tough and there are far better teams around them which will have a more refined squad in terms of depth. As a fan I can’t complain about the season, and this situation is merely an unwanted distraction. I am certain Kevin Nolan will be accessing what areas need strengthening, yet this does create the situation of do we need extra cover? Personally, I think Michael O’Connor and Liam Noble can fill the position and do it well. I would also like to see another young player with a similar playing style as Yates come in, just as we might need extra depth and having that finer quality does make a huge difference. To summarise this, regardless of the ins and outs of the loan deal – I feel Forest haven’t done themselves any favours. I believe it doesn’t remotely help Yates, and I see this without wearing any tinted glasses. The quality of players around any player is enough to help shape and mould them, if we were talking about a Wigan or Blackburn – I might see things a little differently. It still wouldn’t make me feel any less different about if the decision was right or wrong, and if Notts had a ‘season long loan’ then I would steer clear of developing any of Forest players in the future. Why risk this situation happening again? I don’t believe it casts a good light on them as a football club. I would hope that this decision doesn’t have an adverseeffect on the club, as I do think the event may leave some distractions and unhappiness around the Magpies camp. However, the professional approach would be to focus as quickly as possible on adding the depth mentioned before the January transfer window closes. Hopefully it's business as usual, we will be able to patch the squad up and continue as we were. Good luck to Ryan Yates lastly, it has been a real pleasure to see him do very well in the Black & White shirt and just seeing his enthusiasm whilst playing seems a real honour for us. 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.

Once again, League Two will be put on ice for the time being because it's FA Cup time! Notts County have successfully navigated through two tricky ties in the opening two rounds, beating League One Bristol Rovers and non-league Oxford City to earn a tie at Championship side Brentford. Pride of Nottingham has spoken to Bees fan Will (@WillBoy65) to get an insight on Saturday's opposition. About Will: I've been supporting Brentford since I was 3 and my favourite player is Charlie McDonald. Brentford have been on the up this decade - how do you feel the club has been run? I think we were at our peak 3 years ago under Warburton and then “Moneyball” came in and we didn’t like it at first but then we got Dean Smith at the end of the season and since then we’ve been improving every game. The Bees had their own "Leicester/Watford" moment against Doncaster in the final game of the 2012-13 season - tell us about your emotions on that day. Our manager was shouting “Let Kevin O’Connor take it” but Marcello Trotta stepped up and hit the bar. I was thinking "keep it in there" but the ball was cleared to the halfway line and then they scored. I was in tears and I was heart broken because we were a kick away from the Championship but if you look now the tables have turned dramatically. One of County's most loved players of recent times, Alan Judge, plays for Brentford. What do you think of him? I think he is one of our best players of the last 10 years or so and I was devastated when he suffered a broken leg but he scored a brace for our B team a couple of weeks ago and is now on the bench which is good. Similarly, you had Martin Allen at the helm and he's viewed fondly by Notts fans. How did he do at Brentford? I didn’t really watch Brentford when he was in charge, I didn’t go to many games when I was younger, but my granddad who goes every game says he was a good manager for us and fit in at Brentford quite well. What is your favourite memory as a Brentford fan? I think my best memory was either when we finished 5th in our first season in the Championship in over 20 years or when we went to Fulham on Good Friday and beat them 4-1 and we scored in the last minute I still remember that day clearly in my mind the atmosphere was electric it was also improved by the fact that they are our rivals Who are your danger men? I think definitely Canos because he can turn nothing into an amazing chance like the other week he picked it up just about the halfway line ran towards the box hit one and hit the bar. I also think our new signing Marcondes is a good player - he hasn’t played yet but he scored 37 in 112 appearances for his old club, and Ryan Woods is a good little midfielder who I don’t think stops running all game he wins the ball back a lot and gets a few assists quite often. Can we get your score and scorer predictions? I’m gonna say a 3-2 or 2-2 game because I think we will play well but it depends on what team we put out because we’re only 6 points away from the playoffs so Smith might play a weak team if he wants to focus on the league, but he might play a strong team if he wants league and cup so I don't really know but I think it’s gonna be close. Share your thoughts about this Opposition View 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 a transformation 2017 has been for Notts County. Ever since the arrival of Alan Hardy and Kevin Nolan, things have just been an amazing whirlwind. After last season’s terrible drama, both on and off the pitch, I would have been happy enough for just a mediocre campaign for once. However, this being Notts, things are never going to be dull are they? This said now that we have enjoyed what can only be described as a very successful 2017-18 League Two season so far, I really don’t want it to change. The club’s takeover has revived a new lease of life into the Magpies and on the field everything seems to going from strength to strength – it’s really hard to see how anything could actually change. And even the optimism of the fact the club only requires a few key areas to be strengthened in the January transfer window, shows the amazing turn around, as usually we the fans do eye up improvements across the field. It’s the little things which I feel have gone the furthest with Notts, a sensible manager at the helm, a chairman who believes the club can move forward without shortcuts and players so ingrained and in tune with the core heartbeat of the football club. Honestly, I feel there’s a large element to the success of this season coming from the fact the players enjoy performing under the environment created and are thriving thanks to the extra support given by the fans during what seems to be an incredible run. I feel there’s a lot of ambition around the club, which really does add to the solid foundations trying to be created – when Hardy spoke ‘a new era’ last season he really meant it. There’s a noticeable increase within the supporters’ base, something which I noticed quite early and as I have written before home games feel very special when attending – almost like we realise that the club is on the verge of something vastly different to prior campaigns. I would even praise how things have been increased within the club's marketing department, as the income generated within this area will naturally increase what we can spend and what further improvements can be made. Honestly, I hope the fans that haven’t been able to attend games – look at this season and try to get down to Meadow Lane when possible. The additional support is something I consider to be paramount, and during the difficult seasons I really found it difficult when I noticed friends and Notts fans becoming ever more absent. Thankfully I have seen many return and you can’t blame people for not being there, yet I would urge any support – as the club is doing themselves. Hardy’s desire to personally hand sign all of the Christmas cards sent out to season ticket holders was a nice thought. A gesture that didn’t go unnoticed by me or my family, in fact my youngest daughter who has always loved the club from birth actually kept singing ‘I had a wheelbarrow’ and of course saying how much she enjoys being part of this fanbase. It makes a positive difference doesn’t it? So, lets continue delivering the fantastic support build up in 2017 and emerge a much stronger community based football club in 2018 where hopefully we will be able to do something extra special on the field, and put further implementations to continue the club's fantastic start under Nolan and Hardy. You Pies! 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 emerged from the crunch clash with League Two leaders Luton Town with a very creditable point in Saturday's 1-1 draw at Kenilworth Road. The Magpies fell behind in the first half against the run of play when Johnny Mullins headed home to put the hosts ahead. However, Shola Ameobi hit back with a header of his own to earn a share of the spoils for County, who had goalkeeper Ross Fitzsimons to thank for a crucial point-blank save late on. The result keeps the Hatters top of the table on goal difference, with Notts breathing down their necks on the same amount of points after 21 games played. Here is a comprehensive analysis of the game as written by Pride of Nottingham's Chris. Was the result fair? As predicted both teams fought hard, and ultimately cancelled each other out. It was one of those performances which highlighted our promotion credentials. Whilst nothing has been won yet, this result will be one which firmly features in the memory of our progression during the 2017-18 season. Fair result? Absolutely. How did Notts play? First half Notts played some brilliant football and by all accounts we were unfortunate to have conceded when we did. For an away performance this season, it’s got to be up there as one of the most enjoyable in terms of performance and result for fans. The team performed very well and played against Luton exactly as they should have done. How did Luton Town play? They played well, there’s no denying that, but the way that Notts asserted themselves it was always going to be hard and the fact that both teams cancelled each other out, well it highlights how good both sides were respectively. Luton fans should not be disappointed or disgruntled by the result either. Did our tactics work out? The tactics were spot on throughout the game, and the decisions during the match made it hard for Luton. Notts literally matched them and of course we kept them guessing, whilst protecting our weaknesses. Tactically I would say this was spot on. How did the referee perform? Reasonable performance by the referee, there’s been little complaints and I think this shows just how efficiently he officiated the game. Who do we play next? Grimsby Town – they’re making a solid push for the play-offs and seem to have shaken off their awkward start to the season. This will be another difficult test but one we should be well prepared for at Meadow Lane. How should we play them? It’s important that we approach the game with balance, at the back we will have to steady the flow of the game and up-top it’s vital that we don’t waste any good chances that are created. The battle again will be based on the side which retains the control and has the most influence within midfield, so the game has got to be approached sensibly and well prepared. Grimsby are most likely to try and break quickly against us, with interlacing balls and runs which will get into those awkward positions. Most likely, they’ll attempt to break the game down in three ways. Firstly, by being direct, so it’s important we stand with play and attempt to win the first/second ball. Secondly, by countering us on the break – which will mean we will have to be mindful of how they attack from this situation and have men aware at the back to handle the space they attempt to create. Thirdly, I suspect they will be patient and careful with how they pass. If they revert to making simple passes – i.e neat one-two’s and other methods to get forward. Notts will have to assure any ground that is won is well protected. Controlling the game will be easier if we naturally score within the first half, the second half is always when things to start to click. I would try to get a feel for the game and press in the manner that keeps them on the back foot. We have two home games which will be key to our winter run and of course the potential promotion push, let’s create a fantastic atmosphere and finally have a Christmas worth celebrating. You Pies! Luton Town fan views from the Luton Town Forum Madpig In the end that was a fair result. County matched us all the way. I can see why they're with us. There were few real chances and both defences bosses the game. Where I think they really did their homework was in midfield. We were never given time or space to get things flowing, leaving Hylton and Elliott Lee to make their own chances. E.Lee was a constant menace to them, couldn't be bullied off the ball at all. Halton suffered his usual brutal treatment by their defenders but never let it get to him. In defence we were superb, and Mullins was my Mom, he really has become a fine player. We're top, unbeaten in ages and agonisingly one short of our 50th league goal of the season. Good day in all. ODTT The game had plenty of ebb and flow to it and was enjoyable for it. As suspected beforehand any of the three possible outcomes were possible but a draw about right consequently. I thought our defence was very nervy in the early stages and looked vulnerable. But looked a lot more composed after we had gone ahead somewhat against the run of play. Our midfield didn't shine as much as we have come to expect and seemed well covered. O Lee was particularly anonymous I thought and Berry and Shinnie seemed to play well advanced and never seemed to be any great distance apart. Rea did his defensive duties well but appeared hesitant to carry the ball out from deep with ample space in front of him. The two or three times he did push out with the ball he panicked when releasing. E Lee had a fabulous game, really put in a good shift and never gave the opposing central defenders a moments peace. Surprised in how many headed knock-ons he managed against bigger opponents. Hylton worked hard as well and pulled his markers hither and thither. Not sure what brutal treatment you speak of MP. He gives as good as he gets in a physical area of the game. The 10/15 minute spell of exquisite football we played soon after half-time was magnificent and worth the entrance fee alone. County hardly got a touch and went very ragged. The save their keeper made from Mullins late on was outstanding and got them the point. 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.