Chris

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.

Notts County survived a late scare to move back to the top of League Two with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Barnet at Meadow Lane on Saturday. The Magpies went ahead on the quarter-hour mark when Shola Ameobi headed a Rob Milsom corner towards goal and Shaun Brisley made sure of the goal from point-blank range. Notts then doubled their advantage seven minutes into the second half when Matt Tootle Cruyff-turned his marker and crossed for Ryan Yates, who glanced home for his first league goal of the season. Kevin Nolan's charges pressed for a third, Jorge Grant belting over from close range before Jon Stead fired the ball into the back of the net only to be thwarted by the offside flag. The hosts then endured a nervy finish when Simeon Akinola drove inside the far post with seven minutes remaining, but were able to see the game out to leapfrog Exeter City up to top spot. Pride of Nottingham chief and master tactician Chris has provided his review of the game from a tactical and analytical perspective, and also looks ahead to Tuesday night's trip to Crewe Alexandra. Was the result fair? It’s actually quite hard to answer. I think overall Notts did deserve to win but at the same time I think Barnet themselves played very well at times. A draw may be fairer, yet the first half and majority of the second for me firmly favoured Notts – yet Barnet did take the game to Notts once they scored but only because we allowed them. How did Notts play? First half was alright, nothing special but we deserved to be in the lead. Both teams worked hard, and I was pleased with how Notts matched Barnet especially after the FGR game. Midfield seemed vastly different and it was pleasing to see the work rate increase within the second half. The Magpies dominated Barnet and really excelled within the second half, however the substitutes largely impacted the game and I feel it forced Notts to drop deeper to the point we started to struggle. How did Barnet play? Jamal Campbell-Ryce played very well, he was there key man and his outlet made it very difficult. However, going forward the whole Barnet squad did. I think their keeper was a massive weak link – he just seemed quite poor and created the issues within the Bees defence. They did very well to pull a goal back, at a time where they simply looked outmatched by Notts. Did our tactics work out? Yes, however at times they simply didn’t. First half I have absolutely no complaints, the starting line-up settled into the match very well and we looked quite lively at times (although Barnet were more dangerous). The game became more entertaining after the first 45 minutes, and the confidence grew but for me the substitutes happened at the wrong time forcing Notts to drop deeper. How did the referee perform? He was fine, called the game quite fairly and it was his co-workers who at times massively spoiled the game but these days referees have to listen to all the match officials – so I don’t blame him for ruling out our third goal. Who do we play next? Crewe Alexandra – on paper they seem worse off than they have been in previous seasons but they have some very good young professionals and on their day they can take the game to anyone within League Two. How should we play them? The key as always will be the way that we control the game, so the midfield will need to match the work rate that we saw against Barnet. I honestly feel it time that we saw Shola Ameobi and Jonathan Forte up top, even Jon Stead's performance off the ball seemed quite empty and I honestly feel having a quicker option would highly benefit the game to the point we really can’t start without Ameobi. Plus it seems unfair to see a largely consistent Forte forced back onto the bench, over someone who isn’t having the best season at all. Defensively we need to keep on our toes, if Collin is out – we shouldn’t rely on Fitzsimons to do all the work at the back. He made some amazing saves, and I am confident he deserves to start (even if Collin is able to feature) but no keeper should be relied upon as we saw within the final 20 minutes. Notts just have to ensure that they use the ball wisely, avoid rushing the play and really just keeping calm under possession. Barnet fan views (from Onlybarnet.com) Nicesirmick1: For the first 70 Mins this really was an awful game. We outpassed County (though did it mainly in our half of the pitch) but had no creativity in the final third. On todays showing I don't know how County are top. They hit the ball long and lack pace. We defended poorly for both their goals. With 20mins to go we seemed to realise that if we took the game to County they were there for the taking and but for one decent save by their keeper and the Santos miss at the end we could and should have got something from this game. Becbee: No club can lose their best players and it not affect results. However the contrast between the first 70 and the last 20 minutes yesterday showed there's more to it than that. We were awful early on, it was only a matter of time before Notts County took the lead. At 1-0 it was more hope than expectation. At 2-0 down we were out of sight. The fact that we could respond in the way we eventually did just shows what we might have achieved had we played for 90 minutes. This isn't the first time this season and it's just so frustrating. Mr Smart: County were a horrible team created in the image of their boss and his mentor Allardyce. Cynical, defensively well organised but horrible hoofball. Until we changed back to a wing back system they pressurised into mistakes and did their best to break up play and any momentum we got. We were largely toothless as an attacking force with a midfield that was scared of running in behind JLAA, standing on top of each when we had possession and far too one paced. All our football was played in front of County. One of the biggest differentiators was their deadball delivery which were superbly whipped in whilst we put in floaty nonsense. Then we switched to a back 3 and came alive. Tutonda was causing them all sorts of problems and put in some great crosses, one of which lead to the goal. Akinola/JLAA were 2v1 and Akinola couldn't pick out JLAA and then Santos missed a guilt edged chance right at the end. All in all we were second best but although it's frustrating, we have several players starting today who wouldn't be anywhere near our first Xi yet we come away from a promotion chasing team having marginally lost. 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.

Notts County have returned to the top of the League Two table thanks to a 2-1 win over Barnet at Meadow Lane on Saturday. The Magpies opened the scoring in the 16th minute when Shola Ameobi thumped a header towards goal from a Rob Milsom corner, with Shaun Brisley getting the finishing touch to bundle home. Kevin Nolan's side then doubled their lead early in the second half thanks to great work from Matt Tootle to get a cross into the box, where the impressive Ryan Yates nodded home. Barnet, however, launched a late comeback and halved the Simeon Akinola drove inside the far post with seven minutes remaining, but were able to see the game out to leapfrog the Grecians up to top spot. Pride of Nottingham was at the match and took photos of the fans before, during and after the game. Have you made it into this week's Faces of PON? Check out our gallery and find out! 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 have moved back to the top of League Two thanks to a hard-fought 2-1 win over Barnet on Saturday. Kevin Nolan's men went ahead after 16 minutes when Shola Ameobi headed a Rob Milsom corner towards goal and Shaun Brisley forced the ball home. Seven minutes into the second half, Matt Tootle beat his marker with a Cruyff turn and crossed for Ryan Yates, who glanced in his first league goal of the season. Barnet, however, kept plugging away and set up a nervy finish when Simeon Akinola rifled beyond substitute keeper Ross Fitzsimons inside the far post with seven minutes remaining. Notts managed to hold on to their goal advantage until the final whistle and the result sees them leapfrog Exeter City to return to the summit of the table. Pride of Nottingham was at Meadow Lane for the game and interviewed a number of fans ahead of kickoff, asking them several questions including what they thought of Liam Noble's return to Notts County, the team's problem areas, and whether the Magpies have been overachieving at present. Share your thoughts about this week's Meet the Fans 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.

We're just over a quarter of the season through and Notts County continue to sit nicely in the top three of League Two. However, alarm bells have started ringing ever so slightly as the Magpies have made a hash of their last two games, losing at Mansfield and scraping a draw with Forest Green. Another weekend, another chance. Up next are Barnet, another seemingly "winnable" game, but of course Notts need to take caution given their blip. In this article, Chris provides the lowdown on Saturday's opponents. History Notts County and Barnet have met 17 times over the years. The head to head stands at 9 wins for Notts, 5 for Barnet, and 3 draws. The first meeting took place only 20 years ago, the Magpies winning 2-1 at Underhill in Division 3. The last fixture took place in March this year, Notts winning 1-0 at Meadow Lane. Run-down of their last six fixtures Tuesday 12th September – Barnet 1 Exeter City 2 Saturday 16th September – Carlisle United 1 Barnet 1 Saturday 23rd September – Barnet 1 Crawley Town 2 Tuesday 26th September – Lincoln City 2 Barnet 1 Saturday 30th September – Wycombe Wanderers 3 Barnet 1 Saturday 7th October – Barnet 0 Coventry City 0 The Players – Fact Sheet Highest Goal Scorers: Shaquile Coulthirst 8, Mauro Vilhete 4, Jean-Louis Akpa Akpro 3 and Jamal Campbell-Ryce 2. Persistent Foulers: Jack Taylor 1 red card and 2 yellow cards, Andre Blackman 1 red card, Dabid Tutonda 3 yellow cards and Jamal Campbell-Ryce 2 yellow cards. The Key Players Jean-Louis Akpa Akpro and Shaquile Coulthirst are technically two very good strikers within League Two, both offer the Bees a lot of pace and direct threat. Shaq is a former Spurs academy product, and at the age of 22-years-old he has a wealth of league experience already. On the wing Barnet have former Magpie Jamal Campbell-Ryce, who on his day can turn defences inside out – if he releases the ball rather than repeatedly stepping over the ball. And Andre Blackman can be a rock within the Bees defence, whilst doubling up as a midfielder further up the field. Blackman has a lot of pace and likes to take on the opposition at every given chance available to him. Style of Play, Strengths, and Weaknesses Despite their current league position, Barnet are a very good football club within League Two. They have one of the most talented squads within the division in terms of quality and prospect, and can attack teams with a lot of style and confidence. Whilst retaining the ball they aren’t afraid to enter limited ground and have the ability to work the ball around nicely – in my previous Scouting Report I mentioned how FGR have a very good midfield and Barnet have one much stronger. Their physical players will be able to get a grip of the game, and attempt to control the tempo. They can move between channels, switching between the centre of the park and revert onto the flanks where they have good wingers available to whip in the ball. Defensively they are switched on, and are well organised but can be sloppy if pressed. Part of their main issue so far during the 2017-18 League Two seasons, is when they commit men forward and leave themselves wide open to counter attacks. Set pieces is another variability, however they have several tall and physical players that aren’t easily intimidated. Yet if the ball bounces a few times, pressure can be assert due to their inability to deal with this type of threat. Notts will have to use the centre of the park wisely, whilst ensuring each Barnet player is man marked rather than relying on zonal marking. If we can assert a calm passing game the confidence within the match will only grow in confidence – as previously mentioned free-kicks and corners will be paramount towards creating good chances. 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.

This story has really refused to go away ever since Notts County were first linked with Liam Noble back in the pre-season – yet the club has taken it a step further by officially signing him on a free transfer after he was released by Forest Green Rovers earlier in the week. Friends had been telling me how Noble’s re-signing could be a beneficial thing for us, usually followed by the ‘especially if Jorge Grant goes back to Nottingham Forest in January’. However, for me this is a mere assumption and I really can’t see Jorge Grant being recalled because although he’s done well, he’s not quite the moulded League Two player we know he can be, so why would Forest consider recalling him for the Championship? It just seems like one of those weak reasons to justify a return of a player given more chances than a cat has lives. I’m really sick of this! The news is extremely disappointing and I fail to make sense of the decision behind capturing Noble's services yet again. I’ve lost count of the times I’ve said or written it, but I fail to see how he can be of any use after he failed to help a struggling League Two team. And the fact that he signed another deal with Forest Green just a short 3 months ago, it seems even more bizarre that he has decided to ask them to tear up his contract – especially after going on video and saying just how delighted he was to extend his stay there until 2020. Speaking to the FGR website had Noble said: “I'm delighted. There was obviously a lot of speculation over the summer but I am a Forest Green player and happy to be here to go again for another few years "We won at Wembley and I wanted to stay. As soon as I spoke to the chairman and manager about a new deal it was a no brainer to stay because I think the club are going places.” It’s ironic how quickly things can change once you're staring non-league right in the face again. The word unimpressed would be the easiest way to explain how I am feeling, yet it goes beyond that – I’m disappointed and I feel that the risk is such a huge gamble that it really doesn’t make much sense. Kevin Nolan spoke about wanting players to be at Notts, he wanted them to be passionate and focused – how much will Noble adhere to this framework? "We are trying to find out if certain people are available and if they want to come here but, like last season, there will be nobody here who does not want to be here," the manager said. How long until Noble decides he doesn’t want to be at Notts? He’s shown already that he’s quite fickle when it comes to football already. Besides reading through Twitter, I noticed a friend Keith Waterfall had mentioned something quite striking – he wrote: "In my opinion Kevin Nolan looks at Liam Noble and sees Kevin Nolan." This really struck me, as the two are very much alike and if you cast your memories back to Nolan’s days at West Ham United – you will recall him being sent off near Christmas after committing a foul very similar to the one Noble made before Mark Cooper sent him home during his last spell at Meadow Lane. Don’t get me wrong, despite the level of frustration that I am feeling, I am more than willing to give Noble another chance, but I am nervous that the type of person he is will come back to haunt Notts. As I have said, I don’t question his ability but I do question his attitude, along with his approach to the game, because it’s quite clear that he wants to be playing higher than he is and there are demons quite obviously there when he doesn’t get what he believes a person of his talent deserves. He’s not the type of player I feel sets a very high example, and even after Notts chairman Alan Hardy attempted to throw fog onto the speculation by tweeting a fan “Liam who?” and then later “That boat has sailed, don’t worry.” – it just seems all rather bizarre. If we have signed a player that will give his all, avoid silly challenges and focus on being a team player – who can use his ability to help the club (rather than himself) then fair enough. And hopefully Nolan will understand how to deal with someone like Noble, however I just hope that it won’t backfire or create friction within the camp. We already have competitive midfield players deserving of a chance to start, so I really wonder how this move will work out. We can only assume, yet I understand why there are people even more annoyed than I am about this. We’ll have to wait until January to see how things pan out, we need to focused on the league and ensuring that we are fighting to maintain our current form – as it’s already been an amazing journey this season and I would hate for silly politics to derail us as it always seems to be the case. Share your thoughts about this news story 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.