Chris

So far this season, we haven’t yet witnessed a settled Notts County but we have been entertained by a couple of outstanding performances. With the arrival of Izale McLeod, Notts do look much stronger up front and the loan arrival of Alan Sheehan does provide the back with much needed cover.At the recent home game against York City, I mentioned to a friend about how comfortable we looked without so many of our foreign legion players. I’m not trying to suggest that they’re to blame for the inconsistency, this seems only natural with the amount of arrivals we have seen during this summer but what it does make me think, is some are not ready for League Two football. With the exception of a few, I think the majority have settled well and contributed nicely already. Yet, on appearance it does seem that a couple need more time to settle to the hustle and bustle of this league. For me, one stand out signing from our foreign legion (which is how the majority refer to them) is Gill Swerts. It was interesting to see him in pre-season looking already settled, as he mingled with fans after coming off at games like Carlton. Yet each time I have seen him, he seems steady and reliable. He did extremely well in my opinion in our game at Meadow Lane against Luton Town. With several players on the verge of returning, it leaves questions as to which players will nail down their positions but for me, I would give Gill Swerts his starting position back. This said, with Elliot Hewitt coming in and doing well – Would it be fair on him after the performances against Crawley Town and York City? This weighs up some of the dilemmas Ricardo Moniz has with his now current 41 man squad. It also begs the question about players like Wes Atkinson, Colby Bishop, Rhys Sharpe, William Hayhurst and Scott Bennett. Will we see any of these feature? Also – is Taylor McKenzie still injured? This would see that Kyle Da Silva, Ronan Murray, Robert Milsom would be fighting for a place once they return from their injuries. There is so much, which can unsettle a squad, which can lead to inconsistency and Moniz in my opinion really needs to balance his selection decisions. He’s doing well to make players fight for their places, yet I am unsure if some of the players like Gill Swerts deserve to be benched. I ask you, what do you think? Does Gill Swerts deserve a place within the starting 11? Does anyone else deserve to be starting more regularly? Have your say below.

League Two is starting to form shape, with teams eager to maintain a level of consistency. Right now, anyone can beat anyone and Tuesday night should make for an interesting encounter throughout the games scheduled to take place. The prize for Notts is not just the ability to take home 3 points but to ensure the County faithful, that last Friday was just a small blip. This game is likely to go down to whomever scores first and I feel that Oxford will have to keep tidy at the back, in order to prevent Notts from scoring. A lively striker who can gain support will be required if the Magpies are to win this game. Key Fixtures Tuesday 18th August 2015 Crawley v Portsmouth Luton v Bristol Rovers Plymouth v Carlisle Prediction For me, Oxford appears to be a team for the taking. I have to admit they go forward very well and look comfortable on the ball. Yet they do not seem organised at the back, with Luton and Crawley seeing their defence pretty shaken when attacked. I predict a narrow 1-0 win to the Magpies, hopefully all 3 points will come back to Nottingham. Match Odds Oxford United to win 23/20 – Draw 23/10 – Notts County to win 12/5 Head to Head Oxford United – United currently have 2 points after back-to-back draws. Another would put them in or around the same area, whereas a loss could see them dip towards the bottom of League Two. If they managed to grab themselves a home win, they could go as far as 9th themselves. Notts County – A win would place Notts County quite comfortably back within a play-off place, with a draw seeing them potentially drop to somewhere roughly around 12th. A defeat would see the club fall towards mid table if teams beneath pick up points, so Notts must ensure themselves at least a point, 3 preferably. Key Man Oxford United; Danny Rose – He will be vital within their procession and attacking play, I feel he will offer the most outlet for Oxford and Notts must keep him quiet throughout the game. Notts County; Curtis Thompson – I genuinely believe Notts missed him after he was replaced for Jimmy Spencer against Mansfield Town. We need someone who can mix play, by both defending and offering assistance with advanced play. For me, an eager Curtis Thompson is exactly what we need. League Table The teams to watch are the current five undefeated teams within League Two, I feel 2 of the 5 may end up drawing or even losing. It’s at this stage we will start to see some form of idea on who is to be taken seriously, however form is a funny thing and until the 7th game nobody will know for sure. Yet, this is the perfect time for Notts to strike back before the weekends game against Accrington Stanley. I believe Portsmouth may go top of the division, with Hartlepool and Wycombe in places right behind them. As I mentioned previously it’s a slow transition and all teams will still be learning about the true depth of their squads. The table should in truth be quite different compared to how it will be featured here, with teams trading positions and others establishing themselves as front-runners for promotion. It leaves me wondering how many of the favourites within this league will fall victim to teams currently being dismissed as capable of gaining promotion candidates.

The Magpies will have to put the disappointment behind themselves, after their recent game against Mansfield. All focus must be on the task at hand, whilst of course pushing for all three points. Oxford United will most likely allow Notts to play, so it should make for an entertaining game within the lower tier. It’s important neither side sit back, as both teams are prone to making their own mistakes. Run down of their recent games. Saturday 8th August – Oxford 1 Crawley 1 Tuesday 11th August – Brentford 0 Oxford 4 (League Cup) Saturday 15th August – Luton 2 Oxford 2 The Players – Fact Sheet Highest Goal Scorers; Danny Hylton 2, Kemar Roofe 2, Johnny Mullins 1 and Liam Sercombe 1. Persistent Foulers; Alex MacDonald 2 Yellow Cards, Liam Sercombe 1 Yellow Card and Ryan Taylor 1 Yellow Card. The Key Players. Danny Hylton, Danny Rose, Kemar Roofe, Liam Sercombe and Jake Wright. Danny Hylton is a lively striker, who has the ability to get quick chances off and generally causes his opposition trouble. Danny Rose is Oxford's creative player, he likes to be direct and isn't afraid to get into challenges or avoid passes when he is being marked. Likewise, Kemar Roofe and Liam Sercombe like to be direct themselves, with a natural ability on the ball the pair team up well and offer United quite a lot of width. Jake Wright is their anchor within defence, he tries to keep the game simple but tackles well. Style of Play, Strengths, and Weaknesses. Oxford United appear to be your typical lower league team, they try to counter breaks after their opposition have thrown men forward. They’re patient and slow at building, yet can inject pace when the need is required. However, to a degree their approach is somewhat scrappy. The main strength is from their creative players, they look for alternative options when their game plan does not seem to work. They invite play onto themselves, so that they can then hit back with their own attacks and generally try to frustrate their opposition. With regards to weaknesses, for me it’s all about their scrappy play. Good teams will be able to flood their back line, which would put pressure onto themselves. Their keeper Sam Slocombe didn’t really impress me within their highlights, he seems to be a risk for me as he didn’t control his area well and when he came to making basic saves – He tended to drop the ball and generally created tension within his own defensive, which lead to Luton Town scoring against them. If Notts can penetrate through the centre of the box, allowing players to shoot from the edge of the box – Potential tap ins may occur, but crosses is another area whereby the Magpies can exploit.

Tuesday 18th August, Notts County travel to the Kassam Stadium to play Oxford United. Notts go into the game after losing our local derby against Mansfield 2-0. The U's come into the game having enjoyed their own cup success away from home against Brentford where they won 4-0, they also battled bravely against Luton Town to get a share of the points. Both teams will be eager to acquire the maximum points available, so that they kick start their season. The Match Officials for the game against Oxford United will be Rob Lewis, with his two assistants Richard Hulme and Nick Hobbis. The fourth official will be Timothy Wood. Due to the fact we are at the start of the season, it seems pointless to mention stats and so, I will include some details about the officials. Match Officials Referee; Rob Lewis From – Shropshire After looking at previous games whereby Rob Lewis has featured as a referee, it would suggest that he is a very adequate match official. In fact, last season he only issued 2 red cards and several match reports highlight his control and decisions through the game as being generally spot on. Assistant Referee; Richard Hulme From – Somerset Sadly yet again, there is very little information regarding Hulme as an assistant referee. Assistant Referee; Nick Hobbis From – West Midlands Nick was born in Birmingham and has spent numerous seasons officiating games as an assistant referee. Fourth Official; Timothy Wood From – Gloucestershire Do you have an opinion on the game? - Match Thread