Chris

Notts County have made it four clean-sheet wins on the spin after securing a hard-earned 1-0 win over Crawley Town in Saturday's League Two encounter at the Broadfield Stadium. Jorge Grant was the hero once again for the Magpies as he drilled home from close range after Jonathan Forte played a low ball into the loanee's path. The result keeps Notts second in the table and takes their unbeaten run to eight matches, ensuring yet another weekend of smiles for the Black and White Army. Here is an in-depth analysis of the game from Chris. Was the result fair? Both sides created several decent chances, but the whole game lacked a leading side. I think a draw would have been fairer but I’m delighted to see Kevin Nolan’s side push past a difficult performance to maintain the winning streak. How did Notts play? You’re watching it, even in the highlights and you're pondering what could make this Notts squad click and turn into a similar side that we saw back in 2010 – that said it doesn’t really matter, as Notts worked hard yet again and passed around nicely in spells. Defensively they looked comfortable, so not much else matters. How did Crawley Town play? They played as I expected and wrote in my scouting report, so quite well and very much focused on committing players forward. Their finishing was very poor, which was a good thing for us because they managed to create some cracking chances. Defensively they played much better, yet a few wobbles could have had us threaten them a little more. Crawley fans can’t be downhearted though, as they seem capable of doing well. Did our tactics work out? The simple answer is yes, it allowed us to hold the game but we failed to create any convincing chances – which I personally feel could have been amended at half-time - but hey, we won. How did the referee perform? As per usual there a few gripes, though largely he didn’t make much of an impact on the game and at League Two level it would suggest an okay performance by any match official. Who do we play next? Lincoln City – a local derby which has already seen a good amount of tickets sold for the away end at Meadow Lane. The game should be lively, though on a personal note I am hoping for a result similar to the Chesterfield game. How should we play them? Defensively if Notts play as we have been we should be okay, I’d like to see Notts build from the back – as this would increase the confidence and provided our defenders a chance to get a proper feel for the game. There’s no doubt in my mind that we must be patient, yet careful at the same time. I actually feel Chesterfield would have been the harder game, yet as this one leads into Mansfield – I think it’s vital that we get the best possible result. So, for Notts it’s about building clear chances and maintaining that steady work-rate we have seen. Regarding changes there’s not much I feel Kevin Nolan should do, leave the line-up without making several changes and just monitor how the game pans out as it happens. Lincoln can’t be written off, yet I think if we assert the right amount of control from the off – the game will be easier to manage and that Notts will create good enough chances to get the points at Meadow Lane. Crawley fan views (from the CTFC Fans Forum) Hampshire Guest: "Total trash. We didn't look like scoring no threat up front at all and usual blunder at the back. It was like watching a games under Yates era. No enjoyment or entertainment what so everybody." (sic) Hickmottsenior: "We did ok to contain them in the first half but in the second we didn't get a look in and looked utterly clueless. Not having a striker is costing us. I think we had a fair shout for a penalty though. As above, this was like traveling back in time to any of the previous few seasons. Crap. I think it's made my mind up about (not) going to Barnet." AlexBH: "Absolutely woeful display in the end. First half was OK, we competed, but didn't threaten. Second half we give a silly goal with another mistake at the back and from then onwards we lost of shape and looked completely desperate. The tactics were awful! Play out from back, no recognised midfielder for the last 15 minutes except smith with 5 attacking players on the pitch. It was schoolboy stuff, lump it up there and then Notts county won all the second balls as we had no midfield to speak of except Smith. Truly woeful showing. I can't remember us having a single shot on target all game. What on earth Harry was trying to achieve with the players out there I don't know. We looked OK first half with Bulman, Smith and Payne in there. Then he goes and takes off Payne and Bulman and we completely lost our shape. We looked desperate and clueless. Harry has got to learn that this playing out from the back doesn't work especially when you don't have midfielders showing for the ball. I thought after some good results against Swindon and Yeovil he was beginning to realise this. Instead we seem to be going backwards." 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.

This weekend, Notts County head to the Broadfield Stadium to face Crawley Town in League Two. The Magpies have a chance to make it eight games unbeaten in all competition should they get a result against Harry Kewell's side. History Notts County have only ever played Crawley Town 10 times in their history. The first fixture between the two was just under five years ago, on 10 November 2012. This milestone first meeting between the two, played at Meadow Lane, finished 1-1. Meanwhile the return fixture, played away on the 9th March 2013, ended as a goalless draw. The record stands at six Notts wins, two defeats and two draws. Our recent record against them is very good, the Magpies winning the last four encounters (all in League Two) and six of the last seven. The last fixture took place on 28 January this year at Meadow Lane, a 2-1 win with Thierry Audel and Jonathan Forte grabbing the goals for us. Run-down of their last 5 fixtures Saturday 19th August – Crawley Town 0 Cambridge United 1 Saturday 26th August – Swindon Town 0 Crawley Town 3 Saturday 2nd September – Crawley Town 2 Yeovil Town 0 Saturday 9th September – Colchester United 3 Crawley Town 1 Tuesday 12th September – Stevenage 1 Crawley Town 1 The Players – Fact Sheet Highest Goal Scorers: Jordan Roberts 3, Jimmy Smith 2, Enzio Boldewijn 1 and Ibrahim Meite 1. Persistent Foulers: Josh Payne 3 yellow cards, Jordan Roberts 2 yellow cards, Mark Randall 1 yellow cards and Dean Cox 1 yellow cards. The Key Players Out wide Dennon Lewis can be very influential when going forward, the 20-year-old winger can also offer Crawley Town a lot of pace and direct movement – which can be tricky. The youngster, who is out on loan from Watford, can also switch flanks and likes to drift into the middle where he tends to get more chances on goal. Jordan Roberts is another player that likes to get time on the ball, and can take a shot from range which is usually not far from the target. Whilst Enzio Boldwijn and Ibrahim Meite offer Crawley Town a lot of options upfront, as the versatile strikers tend to move around – offering them support out-wide when needed. They both also have a fair bit of pace and like to run directly at the opposition defence. Style of Play, Strengths, and Weaknesses Crawley Town largely mix between hoofing the ball, and trying to play the ball on the ground – with more focus on attacking through the centre of the park. They tend to commit players when going forward, whilst they resort to having shots at goal largely from distance. The Devils are an able side capable of moving the ball nicely around, however they do appear to have limitations on how best to use their momentum. From a defensive point of view, they leave a vulnerability at the back when they commit players forward and they struggle to re-group when hit on the counter. Their position play going forward can be very good, yet at the back its very dubious to say the least and as a result they look very weak when coping with attacking minded teams. Notts will have to try to create chances whereby they can get behind their defenders, as Crawley like to keep the play in front of them. Jorge Grant should be able to find more time on the ball against these, so he will be key to unlocking play and pushing Notts forward. 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.

Notts County continue to go from strength to strength, unbeaten in seven games in all competitions and sitting second in the League Two table. Up next for the Pies is a trip to Broadfield Stadium, where Crawley Town await. Pride of Nottingham spoke to Red Devils fan Jordan Knott (@JordyTekkers) to get an insight on the opposition. About Jordan: I'm 21 years old and have been a Crawley Town fan since 2002, when my dad took me to my first game at the age of 6. My all time favourite player is Matt Tubbs. Crawley are relatively new in the Football League - how do you make of your time in the EFL so far? I would say our time in the EFL so far has been quite successful for a club of our size. Back to back to promotions to League One in 2012, after finishing 3rd in League Two, and reaching the 5th round of the FA Cup for the second season running, losing out to Stoke City. In our first ever season in League One we finished 10th under the guidance of then manager Richie Barker. He then departed the following season, with John Gregory replacing him in December 2013. We ended the 2013-14 season in 14th place. During the summer of 2014 is when things started to go down hill. Gregory had a complete overhaul of the playing squad, getting rid of many fans favourites including Sergio Torres, Dannie Bulman and Kyle McFadzean, partly due to lack of funds from the club. The 2014-15 squad was unrecognisable, with only a handful of players remaining from the previous season. Subsequently we were relegated back to League Two that season, along with Notts County. Dean Saunders had taken over as interim manager in December 2014, and did his best to try and keep the club up. There were signs of improvement under Dean Saunders, but unfortunately it wasn't too be, losing out to Coventry City on the final day in May 2015. In our first season back in League Two we finished 20th under manager Mark Yates, our lowest finish since joining the EFL. We had a new owner take over the club in March 2016, Turkish businessman Ziya Eren. Yates departed in April 2016 with a few games of the season left. Former Chelsea and Arsenal youth coach Dermot Drummy replaced him, taking charge of the final few games. Last season we finished 19th under Drummy, a much improved squad from the previous season with the arrival of James Collins, Dean Cox, Enzio Boldewijn and the returning fans favourite Mark Connolly from Kilmarnock. However it was again a disappointing season with the team only just staying up. Hopefully there are better things to come this season. Steve Evans made his name at Crawley. A rather divisive character, what do you make of him? Steve Evans is a manager who is a lot like Marmite, you either like him or loathe him. If you've ever read former Crawley and Hereford United midfielder Ben Smith's book Journeyman, then you'll see exactly what Steve Evans was like to play under. A very much Jekyll and Hyde like character in the dressing room. Personally I like Steve Evans, and we played some of our best football under him. In August 2006 the club came within an hour of liquidation, but luckily we survived. Steve took over in May 2007, and we had 6 points docked before the start of the season due to our finances, so not the easiest of starts for him. We finished 15th that season, despite the off field problems and points deduction. The 2010-11 was our best season under Evans, promotion from the then Blue Square Premier to the EFL, and a 5th round FA Cup tie with Manchester United at Old Trafford. Steve departed us for Rotherham United in April 2012, and was very successful there, having got them from League Two to the Championship in a few seasons. Striker James Collins left in the summer - how big a loss is he? The departure of James Collins in the summer to Luton Town was a big one for us. Without his 22 goals last season then we would without doubt have been relegated. Our last player to score that many was Izale McLeod, who we sold to Notts County in 2015. Whenever Crawley find themselves a prolific goal scorer, we find it very difficult to keep hold of them. Unfortunately we haven't been able to bring in a striker of James' quality this season. We have signed 3 new strikers, including Panutche Camara from Non-League Dulwich Hamlet, Thomas Verheydt from MVV Maastricht, and Ibrahim Meite on loan from Cardiff City. So only time will tell if they can fill James' shooting boots. Harry Kewell is a well-known name in English football - how did fans view his appointment? Harry Kewell's appointment was received with mixed opinions from fans. The fans were hoping for an experienced manager who knows the lower leagues. After appointing Dermot Drummy, a head coach with no lower league managerial experience last season, fans were sceptical with the appointment of Kewell. Having been sacked as Watfrord under 21s head coach in April 2017, and having no football league managerial experience, it did seem a strange one. Without doubt Kewell's playing CV is up there with the best, but his lack of experience as a manger does have to be questioned. He brought in former Plymouth Argyle forward Warren Feeney as his assistant, as the two played together at Leeds United. Warren has got lower league experience having been manager at Newport County in 2016. We have got off to a mixed start under Kewell so far, inconsistency being the main problem for us. When we play well, we play really well, but when we're poor, we look like a team that hasn't played together before. It seems to the second half of a match that we actually start playing, so hopefully we address this problem sooner rather than later. However it is still early days, so hopefully we can get back to winning ways and kick off from there. Who are Crawley's danger men in the current squad? Our main danger man is Jordan Roberts, who we signed from Inverness Caledonian Thistle last season. He's missed the last few games with injury but he's back for selection to face Notts County. Predominantly a midfielder, he's been playing up front so far this season and is our top goal scorer with 3 goals. Ibrahim Meite who scored his first Crawley goal at Stevenage the other night looks to be a really handful as well. Our captain Jimmy Smith will be one to look out for too, his return from injury coincided with our first two league wins of the season against Swindon Town and Yeovil Town respectively. Score/scorer predictions Notts County are doing well so far under Kevin Nolan this season. They have got a very experienced squad and look like a tough opposition. Notts County have got the better head to head results, and we have struggled against them in recent seasons. However, I believe we can take positives from our draw at Stevenage the other night, so I think the score will be Crawley 1-1 Notts, Meite getting his second Crawley goal. Share your thoughts about this Opposition View feature 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.

One striking difference I have noticed during the 2017-18 League Two season for Notts is that Kevin Nolan has delivered on his words. He has his side playing for the shirt, he’s tightened up the defence and made each player accountable on the pitch. It’s hard to imagine Notts playing like they did last season, especially under John Sheridan. When you think about changing the philosophy a team plays, you wouldn’t expect the changes to be made so quickly – yet it was visible upon the appointment of Nolan that we have someone unlike the previous managers at Meadow Lane. Whilst I would like to point out that it’s early days, I know enough fans who have warned me about the ‘Shaun Derry’ effect – but I do believe the club is moving in a clear direction, in fact I would say from the board down we are finally a club moving together. The positivity around Meadow Lane is a joy right now, I have noticed fans who had stopped attending games due to the frustration (and various other reasons) are now back. Home games are just another level, and although at times the Kop could be louder and the players could perform a little better – the fact we are grinding results out is such a positive thing right now. The stability level at Notts is at a new high, and this is something I hope will continue for a long time. In previous articles, I have mentioned concerns which I do feel are starting to be addressed. I’m pleased for Jonathan Forte and Rob Milsom who played well against Swindon Town – in a game where more than a few fans questioned the decision by Kevin Nolan to change five starting players. I actually think Carl Dickinson picked up during the game and played well, although he looked like he was desperately needing match time early on (as he looked a little rusty). This demonstrates the availability we have within the squad, although I do agree there are areas which can be approved – this can happen come January. I’ve always said it’s important for Notts County to send a signal of intent, not solely from the players that are signed but from the way we operate business on and off the field. I feel it’s important for all players to feel respected, and settled within their squad duties. This starts from the board, yet it continues within the management and team dressing room. This is why I feel the contract talks between Alan Hardy and Nolan over the latter's future is pivotal to the success we may see this season. Having the players see him secure a new contract on the merit of the work already achieved is such a huge reward, it sends the most positive message out of Meadow Lane and it’s a signal of intent that the football club is moving forwards. Previous seasons I have been nervous seeing players’ contracts dwindle down, whether this was down to not knowing what the following season's budget was, debt, or simply a case of the players being unsure over their futures. The foundations outlined by the managerial team is a big part of any club's success, I know this is football basics but for our club it seems to have been lost within the recent years. So, it’s just good to see the positivity right now. I firmly believe the team performances will improve further, it will just take that moment for things to click on the pitch – hopefully between our strikers we have enough to continue. Yet the goals are coming from all over the pitch, and one area I would love to see Notts score from is a corner – it seems like ages ago since we have done. Though whilst it is early days, we must continue with our support and try to make Meadow Lane as lively as possible – after Jon Stead scored against Swindon Town I honestly feel the Kop shown its potential and this must create a buzz for the players. I’m just very keen to see the work-rate continue, and would actively encourage Kevin Nolan to pen his contract – as I feel he can take the club much further than from the foot of the League Two table to where we currently stand. 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.