Chris

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

Another late Tuesday night is calling for football fans to encourage their sides onto victory; Pride of Nottingham is taking a look into the fixtures set to play-out on the 18th of August – as Notts prepare themselves for Oxford away from home. Meanwhile a host of teams will be hoping to lead the League Two table come the end of the night, as several top teams feature against difficult teams. Five teams start the night with perfect records, having all won their opening two games. * Important Game – ** Key Game Tuesday 18th August 2015 Accrington v Mansfield – Kick Off 7:45pm – Score Prediction (0-1) AFC Wimbledon v Cambridge – Kick Off 7:45pm – Score Prediction (1-2) Barnet v Northampton – Kick Off 7:45pm – Score Prediction (1-1) **Crawley v Portsmouth – Kick Off 7:45pm – Score Prediction (2-3) Dagenham & Redbridge v Exeter – Kick Off 7:45pm – Score Prediction (0-2) Hartlepool v Newport – Kick Off 7:45pm – Score Prediction (1-0) Leyton Orient v Stevenage – Kick Off 7:45pm – Score Prediction (2-2) *Luton v Bristol Rovers – Kick Off 7:45pm – Score Prediction (2-0) Morecambe v Wycombe – Kick Off 7:45pm – Score Prediction (0-1) *Oxford v Notts County – Kick Off 7:45pm – Score Prediction (0-1) **Plymouth v Carlisle – Kick Off 7:45pm – Score Prediction (2-1) York v Yeovil – Kick Off 7:45pm – Score Prediction (1-0) My Stand-Out Games Crawley v Portsmouth Luton v Bristol Rovers Plymouth v Carlisle Crawley will be hoping to get their first win of the season against promotion chasing Portsmouth, it will be potentially high scoring with the home side looking to capitalise on the return of out of favour striker Izale McLeod. The former Pompey star will be hoping to establish himself back within the Red Devils and encouraging a win may see him gain his wish. Despite predicting the score in favour of Portsmouth, I don’t think they will have it all plain sailing. At the start of the season Luton were tipped as one of the front-runners for promotion; however, their League Two campaign has been nothing but easy. Whilst Bristol Rovers will be hoping for back to back wins on the road after beating Yeovil Town 1-0. Plymouth Argyle will have a tough home game against Carlisle, as both sides will be hoping to avoid defeat. On paper, advantage seems to favour the home side who are in some decent form but have been struggling to iron out defensive woe’s, which has prevented them from retraining a perfect start to the season. Carlisle has the ability to push sides, which they will be hoping to make the most of on Tuesday. Thoughts on Oxford United vs. Notts County Despite the performance strung together at home on Friday night, I think Notts will be eager to make amends and will no doubt be a very good side away from home. Notts will have problems within their squad selection and potentially will lead a completely new line-up at the front, with Jon Stead likely to miss the game. Jimmy Spencer is most likely to start, with the issues continuing at the back due to key players being missing. Oxford has collected two very hard fought draws, with them highlighting their ability to score in previous games. Comparing the sides head to head, Notts narrowly lead with 9 wins but also share 9 draws, whilst Oxford have won 8 of the ties themselves. Much like the Stevenage game, I suspect the difference will be down to who scores first and yet, if the Magpies show a little bit of their cup spirit away from home against Huddersfield Town. Then perhaps I cannot write them off so easily, if Oxford United do open the account within our game first. Let’s hope it proves to be a bright display and no matter what, both sets of fans go home happy and entertained.

All is to play for today with the local derby being moved forward from its original schedule due to our neighbours game against Rotherham United. The game is likely to start off lively, with both teams having the chance to sit top of the League Two table. Mansfield come into the game with a draw and a loss in the League Cup against Championship side Sheffield Wednesday. On the other hand Notts have started very brightly after the end to their pre-season, on paper the Magpies will also be the favourites. Key Fixtures Friday 14th August 2015 Notts County v Mansfield Saturday 15th August 2015 Barnet v Wycombe Plymouth v Portsmouth Prediction Mansfield Town cannot be written off for their start so far within the 2015/16 campaign, it’s early in the season and teams are still finding their feet after assembling their new looking squad. The Stags have made some decent signings for the League Two level and will be fired up for the local derby game between us. I see the game ending 3-1 in our favour! C’mon You Pies!!! Match Odds Notts County to win 21/20 – Draw 12/5 – Mansfield Town to win 5/2 Head to Head Notts County – If Notts manage to pick up their second win of the season, it would see them move top of the League Two table temporarily. A draw would also have the same temporary effect, with the potential of ending up anywhere from 5th to 12th in my opinion. A loss would see us drop to around the upper half/mid table. Mansfield Town – A win for the Stags would see them move top of the division temporarily, allowing them to safely secure a upper half place. A draw would see them remain around the mid table and perhaps even drop towards the lower half, as will losing. Key Man Notts County; Stanley Aborah – He’s been a breath of fresh air since arriving and his presence allows Notts to play in a way which allows our advancing players more space to go forward themselves. He offers a mix of creativity, which watching his passing ability and trickery will be key to breaking down Mansfield. Mansfield Town; Craig Westcarr – The thorn in any side he features for against Notts, his ability to read the game and elude defenders will make him the Stags main threat with doubts hanging over Matt Green. League Table The current table shows 9 sides starting off quite healthy, with Portsmouth, Notts County and Plymouth Argyle all being tipped for promotion by the majority of bookies. After today’s results, the league won’t look too much different until the games set to face off on Saturday take place. It’s there I imagine the table will look quite different, with perhaps sides like Luton Town picking up maximum points and advancing up the table. Notts could go top as already mentioned, the same applies for Mansfield and this is another reason why the game between the two is paramount to both sides. There’s not a great deal in which I can mention right now, I don’t expect the leading pack to form until at least 7-9 games into the season. Yet, I do feel Notts have started brightly enough to warrant their odds for promotion and after making 18 signings so far, it shows just how much work has been made behind the scenes to start the season off so brightly. I think after Saturday, if my prediction is correct, Notts will find themselves around 2nd or 3rd which would be a fantastic position to push on from.

The Magpies host Mansfield at Meadow Lane later today, the fixture is one which both sets of fans have been looking forward to and it should be an action packed game, with Stag fans flooding down to the ground to support their team. Mansfield will be looking to claim their first victory of the 2015/16 season, whilst also trying to protect their current undefeated record. With only one game in, the Stags will be required to find the determination to bring out the best of their play. Whilst, Notts must continue with their impressive form within this local derby. Run down of their recent games. Saturday 8th August – Mansfield Town 1 Carlisle United 1 Tuesday 11th August – Sheffield Wednesday 4 Mansfield Town 1 The Players – Fact Sheet. Highest Goal Scorers; Ryan Tafazolli 1, and Malvind Benning 1 Persistent Foulers; Adam Chapman 1 Yellow Card. The Key Players. Matt Green (if fit), along with former Magpie players Craig Westcarr and Kristian Pearce. There's doubts over Green's chances to start the game against Notts, however he is a very mobile striker who can stride into play and literally create chances, with the natural ability to finish. Mansfield have a fairly experienced squad, balanced out with ambitious signings and a core of physical players, with grit for the lower league. Adam Chapman is another player in which Notts should be aware of, however I left him out of the key players because of his inconsistency. Craig Westcarr requires no introduction, he is a player who can drift in and out of games. His ability to read movement, the game and of course a certain level of luck has made him a dangerous asset for whoever he features for. If Kristian Pearce plays to his potential, he will be the rock within the Stags defence. However, it is notable that Mansfield do possess other players of similar ability. Facing up against your former club usually brings the best out of players and I genuinely feel Pearce will be a player advancing Magpies must be aware of. Style of Play, Strengths, and Weaknesses. Adam Murray has impressed me with the amount of business and quality in which Mansfield have introduced to their ranks, it leaves questions to if they do require additional strength, but they have assembled a decent side for this division. They're an attacking side which shows no fear of going forward, but are prone to being a little physical to say the least. Mansfield haven't started off that badly considering, I feel the current results are down to players getting used to each other and although they took the lead against Carlisle, they didn't threaten them enough in my opinion. They like to lump the ball forward, making sure that teams have to match their physical attributes in order to find more time on the ball. Naturally, they attack via the flanks but also through the centre the park. The Stags main strengths come from their ability to get forward, whilst the key figures offer strength allowing them to avoid being push overs. Free flowing, fast paced football seems to bring pressure to the Mansfield defence and I have noticed the prone mistakes at the back from set pieces like corner kicks. Notts will have to use all their experience to avoid altercations, as Mansfield will no doubt attempt to rough up play, but if Notts keep the ball down, move quickly I feel this will be far too much for an newish assembled Stag side.