Chris

@liampie 2018/19 mate, last I knew he was at Gedling Miners. I thought Greg would have a decent league career, as when he came through our ranks I admired his passing ability. He's becoming a journeyman for teams around the east-midlands and in the lower Non-League. His biggest mistake was joining Lincoln after leaving us; it's all been downhill since then. He should've stepped down and built his career up from the ground up.

Very heavy touches from him in the Alfreton game if I am not mistaken, but his presence was decent. Youngers do need to find themselves as part of our plans, even if It's just for cover.

Good signing on paper. I hope we can get the best out of him, as he's the type of player some of our lot will get onto his back due to higher expectations and the unhealthy impression that a player of his quality/experience should walk rings round others in this league.

Usually, when Notts goes one down - that 'here we go' feeling starts to sink in. I don't think I have had it so far this campaign, I felt Notts would get back into the game if they created chances. It seems we certainly took them! The 4-1 result was probably flattering for us, but the goals were all very well taken. Jim O'Brien getting on the scoresheet is nice to see, hopefully, he can continue to prove the doubters wrong that he's past it. Just like the here we go feeling, I never doubted Jim.

Haha... the third goal! When I was told Jim O'Brien had scored, it made me smile. Seeing the goal, what a clean strike.

@Piethagoram When was this? A recent account or at some other point?

Good luck to him, I would welcome having him part of our setup. He knows his stuff.

@Alex Canada deserved to win Belgium, they played incredibly well against one of the world's most overrated teams (at international level). I think the occasion got to the nerves of some Canadian players, but boy did they put on a game. PS. I went against avoiding it.@super_pie wanted me to watch England with him. I held my own minutes of silence to the people who died building the stadiums etc

I wasn't impressed with Wrexham. They started well and made use of our high press, with an early chance that could've easily turned the game in their favour. Despite all their money spent, they still struggle with finishing, which bemused me slightly. Mullin actually seemed quite pacey for such a lanky presence. Notts grew into the game I felt and, I actually predicted the result. I wished in hindsight I said to the lads that Langstaff would score, but I did feel it would be someone else. Mostly due to the belief that Wrexham would make our key players heavily, but again they failed to deceive. We could've easily scored more with the chances created, whilst their only real opportunity fell early in the first half. Parkinson's comments about them deserving a draw at the very least is the typical talk a losing manager with high expectations says. In truth, they deserved nothing and all the talk about understanding how we play, it only looked like they did at times and those where very few between.

I actually did find the first half difficult to watch, Notts looked like a team that was going through the motions. Rushing creativity, losing ground and pressuring ourselves. Simply put, Notts made it very easy for Chesterfield to begin with. There was little to no service up front and, I honestly don't recall testing Fitzsimons in the first 45 minutes. Did we actually have any attempts on goal? Chesterfield's gain was our own undoing, the defending leading to the goal was extremely poor and for someone who I personally feel should be played out wide. Richard Brindley deserves credit for his efforts; it's a shame his work went unnoticed by those around him. As his block/defending didn't match those who could've dealt with the building threat better. The harsh view I feel, is blaming Slocombe for it. He had no chance, his commands of 'away' was being ignored. What I don't understand is why we can't just boot the ball away when in these situations, not that I believe playing out from the back is the issue. It's more the inability to absorb pressure when it builds to easy chances. Playing out from the back is important, as it does calm things down and space does emerge, but we need to exploit this opening better. At times, I feel we just need to clear the ball as far away as possible, re-group and stay alert. If their opening goal had been a wonder strike, it wouldn't be as annoying but the fact Chesterfield kept pushing for the opener whilst we were defending like blind mice. None of our attacks in the first 45 minutes seemed likely to trouble their defence, does this mean the booing was deserved? Not at all, I find that poor support. Yet Notts was dire in the first half, with no actual solid purpose or directives. Austin and Scott coming on made a huge difference. Credit to Mitchell I thought he actually did okay, but he just doesn't seem to be a natural goal threat. I thought some key players had been quite poor, Rodrigues for one who continues to fall quite short. His engine never seems to get going, plus his greediness is quite annoying when he's simply not doing well. Great comeback and, I do feel the timing was good as Chesterfield couldn't handle us, but this needs to be more than just 30 minutes. If the pressure had been applied, a win could've been the final result. I do believe we had enough chances in the second half but when Notts defends like we did at times - we will only occur problems rather than creating headaches for the opposition.

I felt a draw was highly likely, like Liam I felt Gateshead would be very eager to prove a point. Still, it's early days but defensively I do feel we could be a whole lot better.

It's a steady start, yes Notts could've won, but a draw isn't that bad. They're more used to this level of football than us, so I think a draw shouldn't be considered the worst outcome. It's still very early and, I personally believe our home form will be the major factor in keeping this season's hopes high. Not that we don't need to be picking up wins away from home, I just feel it's a starting point against a good team in this league. Two penalties for both sides, usually I think when this happens the referee is attempting to balance out mistakes, but I must reserve judgement for the highlights. Plus, Mitchell is on the scoresheet and equalled his tally last season! Perhaps, he might hit double figures and prove himself this time round? We can only hope.

The first half wasn't really the best and, despite the score line, it wasn't remotely a good team performance. It was acceptable, but defensively we need to be better, as I think better teams would've punished our poor passing and lack of defensive mindset early on. Maidenhead, although not a great side, did give us enough concerns early on as they pressed for a quick tempo. I think their travelling fans should be happy with their side's performance. Our goals came through pressure and good play, which is a promising sign as we worked the ball quite well at times. Second half we looked very lively, I wanted to see someone like Frank Vincent sit on the ball a bit. Yet Jim O'Brien did extremely well in my eyes, both defensively and assisting going forward. At times, he tracked back, won the ball and played us forward. I don't get why some fans moan about him starting because he brings experience and fire to the side. I wasn't a big fan of Joel Taylor on the right in the first half. He did quite a bit better in the second half, yet I think it highlighted that someone else there could do the job more comfortably. I actually wished Richard Brindley was given this role, as I do think he does well at times when he plays, but he's a lot more effective for us going forward. He's willing to cut in, run into space and go wide when the times are right. Taylor looked like he had been given the role of Jayden Richardson but needed to either gain confidence or just grown in the position. Perhaps he will get better as his deliveries are good, but I would be lying if I felt he wasn't better suited on the left. Good win, fantastic start for Macaulay Langstaff. It's early days, but I do feel a lot more confident that we'll continue to have the best start to any season for years.

I'm not sure what to expect about tomorrow with it being the first game of the season, but I still believe we'll start the season off strongly. In my mind, I think I know what my line-up would be. Luke Williams himself probably will, but I do expect him to make a few decisions which will surprise us. Provided we attack the game, don't allow them to put us under silly pressure - the game should be quite free flowing. What's the odds on a 4-0 opening day victory? Having asked that, I'd take a simple one nil to build on. It'll be nice just to be back at Meadow Lane. I must note that the first thing I do, once a manager leaves, is updating various automated parts of the site. I need to do the managers page.

It seems that our players who are transfer linked, aren't quite in the game to turn things around - we've been more consistent with Cal Roberts on the bench. I don't think the break in games has helped, although you would've hoped for more of a fight. I think it shows that we need to freshen things up from time to time, we can't expect to score when the players show no confidence on goal. Notts needs to look into the options out there, see if we can find a pacey finisher who can play alongside Kyle Wootton. Then again, Notts never makes anything easy but just at the point you feel we'll push on - we stumble. I don't think there's any need to panic, we're good enough for the playoffs.

Wealdstone must be happy with the draw, it's s good result for them and credit is due for making the most of the game. I feel a bit disappointed, but it's nothing major. I just hoped we'd make it a lot more harder for them.

If Notts pile the pressure on Wealdstone, a good result should come, and we might enjoy a few goals. The main thing is to leave with the win. However, it would be great for confidence if Notts won 4 or 5-0 and put together a solid performance. The postponements surely make some of our players more eager to do well. The process has to be on focus though, no game is won before kick off and Wealdstone can be extremely unpredictable at times. If we can work the ball and, control the game, chances shouldn't be few or far between. 3-1 is my score prediction. Cal Roberts, Kyle Wootton and Matt Palmer to score.

I just think it is terrible that nobody has done anything about all the deaths which have occurred since Qatar won the bid to host the World Cup. I might be mistaken, but the Olympics don't award the hosting rights to nations whom don't have the infrastructure in place. If I am mistaken, my point is that the infrastructure must be in place BEFORE and, not something in hindsight. What happens if a bid wins, then all the promises are bodged through poor building or simply doesn't happen due to the lack of funds/interest to fulfil the plans? I'm not remotely interested in the World Cup in Qatar.

It didn't look bad from what I've seen, we've had it worse and, I watched the game highlights their chairman mentioned - it certainly looked worse then compared to today. I don't buy they wanted the game to be played though, off or on. A decision needs to be made early to prevent travel. Dover are a club that pulls postponements without thought, if they truly believed the game could've been played, then they should've communicated with Notts throughout the process.

Dover is just an awful club, no standards whatsoever... It came as no surprise that the game was called off, however, what wasn't predictable was how Notts would react - https://www.nottscountyfc.co.uk/news/2022/january/dover-postponed-080122/ How can a referee postpone a match without speaking first to both teams? It seems wrong to me. Supposedly, even Dover didn't want the game being called off.

No sympathy for Dover, whatsoever! They're incredibly poorly run and, are a joke to even be still operating as a football club. I find it hard to say that teams don't deserve to exist normally, however, Dover is the one example where I feel they're on borrowed time. Any club that spends money, signing players after releasing others (some allegedly not paid) - only to bring in high earners. It doesn't sit well with me. Nothing that Dover does surprises me. I fully expect them to pull a Kings Lynn on us, although, after the last time, Dover postponed two games - I would imagine the term should be "a double Dover". If the game goes ahead and Notts fails to play well, I would honestly be annoyed. Merely because they're the poorest team in this league for a reason, we have pulled off some good results and, I fail to see how we can't create enough chances to win. A draw wouldn't be so bad, but to be the first team they've won - some of our lot will have a right meltdown. Stick with the team that started against Wrexham if possible.

The thing I noticed very quickly, was how Wrexham smashed their crosses and passes. It was almost like they wanted to intimidate us with weight on the ball, so that we didn't try to block them, which is something that faded as the game progressed. Their tempo early on, it was very direct and with a lot of purpose. Right before they scored, they had two chances which should've had alarm bells going. Their goal, was a fantastic exchange, and although I didn't feel like 'here we go again'. It did make me feel that the game would be very open, with Notts needing to exploit them. Kyle Cameron eased things a little, as Alex Lacey tried, but I think the main focus for us to regroup came from Cameron at the back. Wrexham didn't seem to have a lot of pace and, I was surprised that they actually didn't press more after the opening goal. Their red card, unbelievable - talk about stupidity. Was there any point in handling the ball? Did it save Wrexham? If that didn't happen, I feel the game would've been a draw as both teams did well in all fairness. No doubt Wrexham losing Harry Lennon was the turning point. They didn't start off as if they were a man down, bringing the game to Notts, but slowly we faded them out with our passing play. Those who dislike how we pass the ball at times, take note that Wrexham had spells where they chased every ball, until they became frustrated and somewhat lazy. This allowed Notts to turn the game in our favour, pushing and creating chances which put the panic on their defence. Whilst I felt Matt Palmer did very well, my Man of the Match would be Kyle Wootton for his work rate - followed by Frank Vincent who played an immense game. I actually felt every player played very well, with a level that grew as our confidence lifted. Paul Mullin had the chance to salvage the game for Wrexham, but he went missing. Very poor penalty! Nothing was taken from Anthony Patterson as he still needed to pull of the save, which was a good one, but that penalty was pathetic from a club's leading goalscorer. Jayden Richardson on another note, what a difference he made in the second-half. He was pretty quiet in the first 45 minutes, looking scared to run at Wrexham and, generally slowing the game down with some poor decision-making - yet for his age, It's to be expected. I just wanted to point out, that sometimes players can make up for periods where they go largely unnoticed. Fair play to Wrexham for still trying, although they looked visually defeated, but it was still a good game. Talking points: Opening goal: Yes, Anthony Patterson should really be saving those, but it was from a quick spell of chaos and well-placed strike. The red card: All day and, night - it was a red card. One of the most stupidest decisions I have ever seen in a life game. Wrexham fans disputing the decision: Harry Lennon denied a goal scoring opportunity, it wasn't a natural reaction - he made himself larger to cover the goal. Their antics with diving: Have the Wrexham players been taking acting lessons from Ryan Reynolds? If so, they need to keep it up because it's far from convincing. Throwing themselves into opposition players, jumping over people who are just standing, it was all absolutely ridiculous and, for this reason I see why they're struggling to be the Hollywood team they dream of. Elisha Sam foul: It wasn't a booking for me, but I can see why it was given. I felt he won the ball, yet he left a lot on the challenge and the momentum could be an issue that the referee decided was dangerous. No red, it wouldn't have changed much if he did get sent off. Elisha Sam's performance: He's a frustrating player, but when you have someone who seldomly plays and appears to try - It's hard to be crucial of the small parts they play. He did some nice things, one very decent cross into the box for Kyle Wootton. Yes, he missed the header where he didn't need to jump, but it's always harder to connect with the ball in that situation. Phil Parkinson: What a tool... If Notts gave Wrexham a lot to think about, yet he believes 100% that they were the better team - he's as deluded as the Wrexham fans. Penalty but not a straight red and our third goal... It didn't change anything so why be salty about it.

I felt like "here we go", for the first 20 minutes. Notts didn't pass the ball well at all, in fact, Southend asserted more pressure after the first 10 minutes when they realised we looked nervous. We might be playing at a low level, but our players are able to pass, that's a basic thing in football and if this hasn't improved like it did - Southend would've enjoyed a lot more time as nobody seemed to want the ball in our kit. Aside from the free kick which Rube Rodrigues took, we didn't trouble them much at all. The moment Matt Palmer passed the ball to an unmarked Alex Lacey, who tried to control the ball but instead allowed it to go out for a corner is the most frustrating thing I have seen from Notts (much more than any part of our League Two relegation season). Defensively, Notts had their heads in the clouds (I could be harsher with the word clouds). Thankfully, we started to improve but Southend's pressing in the first half did prove to be a difficult point to overcome. I would like to add, a lot of the issues in the first 45 minutes can only be blamed on us, but they did press very well once they knew Notts wasn't as comfortable as they should've been. When Cal Roberts scored, it did give us a boost and, I do think it restored some confidence, but it still looked like a game which would ultimately end in a draw. In the second half, Notts came out with a high-pressing attack and started how we should've been playing in the first. Southend struggled with our passing and, I am surprised they didn't start trying to kick lumps out of our players more so than the few times they did. Due to Southend wanting to play football, it allowed us to be a lot more creative and free - flowing with the distribution. I felt a bit disappointed when Joel Taylor came off, although Connor Pearsons did quite well. I just felt Taylor looked to be our main outlet on the flanks, yet in hindsight, it allowed Jayden Richardson a lot more ball time and, he alone took the game in a more direct way to Southend. The moment he started taking on the opposition's defence, pulling behind the last defender at the right time - just opened up so much space. Southend simply couldn't deal with the class we showed on the right-hand side, which made the game a lot more open. Notts did attack with a lot of purpose, yet I think it's only fair to credit Richardson for finding the space which change things. Frank Vincent did a lot of smart play, with his direct running and passing. Matt Palmer calmed things down and with Cal Roberts and Ruben Rodrigues the passing at times was a real joy to watch - although albeit frustrating when one or two of said players went for glory instead of being a team player. The performanc was fantastic overall, topped off with Kyle Cameron's goal.

Knowing Notts, Southend are exactly the type of team that will make it difficult. I can see frustrations becoming a problem, I have this feeling its going to happen. 1-0 up, then fall to pieces in the second half. I hope not, as I dislike Southend fans attitude towards the National League, its as if they're too good for this league. Yeah, right!

This is happening across the world, unfortunately. Have you seen South Park: Post COVID? Whereas I don't feel anybody should be forced to have a vaccine, there are ways to reason with the majority of people. When the UK media started scaremongering about the new strain (I don't think this helps in the long term), I noticed reports mentioned that a surge from new people taking their first jab had come as a result. However, when news outlets like Nottingham Post falsely report the numbers - then retract their report, based on the fact they said Nottingham had two cases, despite it being a single case and a student who travelled into Nottingham. This type of "panic" now, "truth" later just plays into the hands of those who think they know better. Humanity will always have issues with the voice of reason, doing better for others - instead of just yourself, but there's much that can be done to make this less common. PS. I don't believe for a second those who haven't had a vaccine are "selfish", but it does seem a lot of those who argue publicly instead of keeping it private are very much appearing to be only thinking of themselves.