Chris

Hello, @ANTHONY PERKINS. Are you Tony? Partizan Pie? You could just have the same name as someone I know, but if you are one and the same, it's nice to see you have made your way on the site. I hope you enjoy being part of our Notts County community.

Good luck to Nottinghamshire; I don't really pay much attention to cricket because it's not really my sport, but I do want my county to do well. Off-topic (sorry) Josh Tongue? That's one hell of a name. 🤣

I'm trying to figure out why I am familiar with the name, but looking at the squad, I'm not so sure. It's good to see teams like these doing well; it makes a change. It's partly why I have always liked newly promoted teams from the Championship getting a run in the Premier League (Luton, Wigan, Barnsley, Bradford, etc.). I did note their keeper is their captain, something which not a lot of fans tend to favour.

Great to see these @Ash, they're very well made! @Fan of Big Tone yours is looking very smart; it draws my eyes to the text in your signature a lot more.

There are quite a lot of teams which have ex-Notts players in both camps, and on occasion, former coaching staff. I would be cheering on Yeovil more than I would York City. I have always had a soft spot for Yeovil ever since they signed Paddy Madden back when I was recommending Notts to take a look at him. One day, I might try to get to a game like this if it doesn't clash with Notts just to get more experience outside of watching Notts live.

Jack Hinchy still has potential to improve and become a good midfielder; his start at Notts was the opposite of Curtis Edwards, but their worth in our squad was different, too. Curtis Edwards always felt like he was a squad signing, but surprisingly did very well, and early on he really did impress. His desire to do well reminded me much of Jim O'Brien. Just younger, but he did arrive with a smile and some leadership values. It's a shame his injury lost that momentum, but Hinchy grew into the squad the more chances he had. I don't think he had the best of starts at Notts, nor did he become someone who looked like he could be a regular first team member. He did well enough, put in the effort, and improved. I do think with the midfield being so top heavy, we were always destined to see some movement in this area. To be honest, I thought Notts would sign a few more players in this area, despite there being zero need now. I hope Hinchy finds a good loan move, but it's difficult to see how he would fit in without significantly improving.

I had a walk with Jake today, another excuse for him to look for more of those Premier League trading cards he has started collecting. He unpacked a signed Everton player, which is hand-signed and one of x amount. He even gave me one of Ian Wright, as they are including some club legends in the series, and it's a very nice card. It's proudly in a plastic sleeve and top loader, so it's safe. I never did this when I was younger; I collected them and would look at the cards. I never really cared if they had value; I just liked having them. It presented the perfect opportunity to pay a surprise visit to Super, and we intended to be there for about an hour, but we stayed much longer as we talked about things and caught up. Leaving just in time to get something that was being cooked back at home. The positives were my legs only seldomly hurting while walking, and I don't feel too bad. A much more positive week than it had started.

He still seems to be the same old Ricardo, who loves attacking football and high intensity from the defence which leads to the need to outscore the other team. He's a purist football fan's dream, let alone natural supporters.

Fans will still complain about performances even if we win; it is a simple fact. I think playing well is important, but I can accept ugly wins. I don't think Fleetwood was a bad performance; I think it's the best we have played at Meadow Lane so far this season. We did play exceptionally well for 30 minutes, or in brief glimpses. The performance was there throughout the game, and although times were difficult to watch, it was still by far more enjoyable to watch than games I have seen where we have been very poor. There's always a fair point to take from games, even if we haven't played our best or been that exciting. Football is a game where fans should be entertained, but the main thing will always be about doing well enough to be at the right end of the league table. Another point is you have to factor in the opposition when they have done well defensively. I have been watching a lot more football lately, and the quality of defending isn't as high as people seem to think. Teams who attack tend to be exciting to watch, but the main area where teams struggle is beating good, standard keepers. There are good defenders who make mistakes; there are teams with a good set of defenders that are organised enough, and teams that struggle to create chances. There's no art in defending these days, keepers are vastly underrated, and fans are obsessed with stats to the point that it dilutes pure football. Performances, both team-based and individual, are just as important as winning. "Notts don't have to play well to win" is the wrong message; the correct message is about being resilient enough to win games when the chances are few and far between, but defensively you just have to be good. If you say we don't have to be good enough, it will lead to inconsistency and players failing to reach an acceptable performance level. Even when performance isn't great, it's good to keep in mind that Notts still managed to grab a win. But let's not forget how rough it was when the season kicked off. A lot of fans seemed to overlook the fact that we brought in 11 new players, most of whom were midfielders. That was definitely a big deal, since midfield was where Notts had the toughest time.

Back in the day, JJ (@Joe Jones) discussed this on a PONcast and asked via social media what fans thought. We got quite a lot of comments back and the majority seemed to agree that winning is the most important thing. I respect opinions, but for me I think performances are just as important as is keeping key in form because ultimately you can't rely on winning games without having something more crediable to back it up. No team has ever earned promotion from just winning alone, some have managed to secure it by getting important wins when the form or perormances haven't been that good. For me, winning games is important but form and indidual performances when they are what can be described as "match winners" or "star players" and have the ability to back those titles up with their recent displays helps a team perform much better. All it takes is for a handful of players to have an off day, and the squad will be effected. Yet, if you have 3-4 players who are on fire then your chances of deserving to win games is much higher. I can say, fans do tend to say winning is all that matters, but it doesn't stop people from scrutinising performances or still being utterly negative. I thought the first half we played acceptably against Fleetwood, but I have seen comments suggesting we were poor, and boring in that part simply because we didn't score but I think a nutural would find the game to have been exciting despite the score line and lack of quality at times.

I thought we did well against a well-organised team that liked to leave an elbow or boot in every challenge they went for. It looked like we could score, and we played like that was the mission. Instead of trying to force play, I thought Notts looked like they were working towards creating a chance, although the first half didn't work out. Fleetwood Town were far better defensively than they were attacking. They looked awful in both departments in the first half, but they did enough to keep them out. The teamwork between Alassana Jatta and Matthew Dennis looks really promising. I thought we played pretty well on the attack, and we played okay in defense today. The reason Fleetwood Town grew into the game later on was simply down to us making too many poor decisions, but that comes from pressure, and the changes made to bring on fresh legs will see it happen. Kelle Roos made some very decent saves, but was largely untroubled. Yes, he dropped the ball twice, but we need to think beyond that because of how positive the performance seemed in the grand scheme of things. The overall performance was a big step forward; we look very dangerous in attack and could have caused more problems had things fallen our way. There are areas to improve; I wouldn't take Martin Paterson's post-match comments approach. I think in games like this you need to accept and call the baseline in terms of how you want to play. I thought it was one of our better performances this season, and the reason why we didn't finish Fleetwood off more is down to them being decent enough when it mattered.

Rod McDonald for me, I thought he was class in defence and I did notice Jacob Bedeau having a bit of a go because he had to track a player who shot straight towards Kelle Roos, but all the defenders at times get caught out at least once, and they need to mop the play up as a team. McDonald looked good in the air, calm on the ball, and defensively solid against a physical team that liked to leave things on every challenge they made. My son turned to me and asked if I thought Matty Platt would come straight back into the team, and I said that I don't think he should when he's recovered from his injury. McDonald has done superbly and has taken this game time well. I thought he dealt very well with Fleetwood Town.

I hope Notts takes the game like I plan to spend the day: nice and easy. Fleetwood are a good counter-attacking team; they have previously surprised me by focusing on playing the ball on the floor. I would suspect that if they feel completely overwhelmed, this will kick in, as any club will see that Notts doesn't like it. I really hope they stick to keeping it grounded and that the game has an open-ended feel to it. Jodi Jones, for me, isn't a big loss. I hope his time representing Malta sees him come back refocused. I will be curious to see if what happened to Will Jarvis (hand, I think) will keep him out of the selection or even from appearing on the bench. We should be able to give someone else a chance to step into Jodi's shadow. Maybe someone who might see it work a bit better, as I know I said we need to give him time in his new role, but if someone else does better there, then there's no harm in reverting back to him on the wing. Just a case of how do we protect him there? But that's not a problem we face against Fleetwood.

It's not good business sense for owners to keep pumping money into the club, because that's not sustainable. The Reedtz have done it long enough to see other streams help bring in the revenue needed to continue, which is smart. This doesn't mean our owners won't invest; it just means we are trying to lessen this approach while other areas of the club bring in the money we need to spend. For me, it's unrealistic to expect Notts to just automatically fly up the divisions and to expect our owners to bankroll the club indefinitely. Again, this isn't to say our owners won't put money in when it's needed, because that is what business-minded people do. The main thing is that they don't have to constantly put in the money needed, at their cost and eventually at the cost of finding a new owner. The Reedtz look very committed to Notts County; nothing suggests to me that they are looking to sell. I don't think they would be investing in these areas outside of the club if this were the case, even if it meant they wanted to sell in two-years time. The Alassana Jatta news is good news, and most likely the cause of the issue with him being ruled out of the Bromley home game. We just need to move on from that and focus on trying to climb the league.

Bolton Wanderers 2-0 AFC Wimbledon Joker Doncaster Rovers 0-1 Bradford City Cambridge United 0-0 Oldham Athletic Salford City 2-1 Tranmere Rovers Walsall 1-0 Chesterfield Forest Green Rovers 1-1 Hartlepool United Tamworth 0-0 Eastleigh Yeovil Town 1-0 York City

I spent some quality time with Jake yesterday; we went to see Super. It was nice to catch up, though we turned up unexpectedly, and at first we thought he might have gone out. My friend is on about teaching Jake the basics of driving, so that he can have lessons without throwing money down the drain. He's been a massive support to us, and I am very thankful to have a friend like him and his partner. They have been trying to get Cal's seat number from Notts, but the past two home games we have had random, casual fans, from the looks of it, sitting between us. Today has been very slow for me, and I wouldn't describe it as a good one, either. I don't really want to go into it, but my hands feel everything is a lot heavier than it is. Really hoping things improve for the weekend, as I am looking forward to watching Notts. I hope everyone else is doing well, enjoying the stormy weather as a change, etc.

Yes, I wouldn't be put off from sharing some of the userbars you have created, as some might come forward asking if you could create them one. Things like this are very helpful, as it gives members a chance to customise their signatures to add a little flair or personality. It's a great idea. @Ash.

I couldn't see where he would fit in, even if Scott Robertson hadn't returned. Prior to his injury last season, I would have found it much easier, but he's been out of the first team during this campaign that I had almost forgotten about him. A National League team will pick him up; I am wondering if that will be Woking, or perhaps he will link back up with Stuart Maynard at York City? Being able to play further up the pitch, or more centrally, did give him options, and I appreciate what he managed to do for us. This would likely happen at the end of the season, if not sooner, and for that reason I am not all that surprised.

I would like to believe that the club felt the right players simply weren't available and that they have decided to wait until January, as I doubt they will have used all the wage budget, and from the previous season, we tend to keep money aside to strengthen. I do think it's a bit naive to rely on our current attacking options; it seems like a huge gamble. Suspensions or injuries could really hamper progress. Jayden Luker might be considered another option up top, but everything I have read about him suggests he's just a midfielder. He did okay when he scored for us against Salford City. I just don't think promotion is something you gamble with, and while we can't always sign players. I do think the midfield is very top-heavy, and it does concern me that in previous seasons there have been areas hit with injuries that have held us back. Even last season, we had spells where David McGoldrick and Alassana Jatta struggled, and another option could have eased that period.

Good goalkeepers are confident in nature; they lead and react to every kick of the ball. The comparison between Alex Bass and Kelle Roos is not comparable; Bass was everything you wanted in a keeper and was very polished in all the attributes that made him so solid for us. Kelle Roos struggles somewhat for us because of the direct nature of League Two football, where time on the ball is hard-pressed and the flow of games can be quite unpredictable. In League One, he would have more time to respond to attacks, as teams tend to give you more time on the ball. I think this is why he largely did better at Tranmere Rovers, as he made some very important saves. The goal we conceded defensively; the team should have done better, but I believe Roos wasn't in the best position to save the shot. He left so much space to his right and didn't try to narrow it. This said, it did happen very quickly, and we have already seen that Roos is quite slow at responding. Watching him warm up, I felt like he had shown signs of improvement, and during the warm-up they were working on areas I would say he was weak. I think some of it is that he's just not as confident as he would make himself appear, while being used to a slower pace and having defenders throw themselves in the way of threats. Yet, there are a lot of aspects that make me uneasy; I don't have a lot of faith in him saving chances, and none of this is personal. I hope he calms down and starts to stamp his mark on the defence. I think if he were a lot more vocal, the defence might cut out some of the chances sooner, and therefore he wouldn't have to do as much. If I compared him to other keepers at this level, he's better in most aspects, but not quite in the areas we need. We need a constant shouter, someone who is quick to react and has the ability to deal with threats that are in the air with confidence. This doesn't mean he won't win us over once settled, but I would imagine we would start seeing this now if that were the case.

Hello, welcome to the Pride of Nottingham @NG10 Pie. I hope you enjoy being a part of our Notts County community.

Hello, welcome to the Pride of Nottingham @sentient. I hope you enjoy being a part of our Notts County community.

Mick Waitt played for Notts in 1987 before eventually signing with Lincoln City.

I had hoped we would see the sense in at least strengthening the striker options we have, more for the sake of injuries and being able to play Alassana Jatta and Matthew Dennis together, but to be honest, I didn't expect any signings. The vibe given off by the club was very low in terms of expectations, and it's somewhat of a shame, especially when Martin Paterson called for further reinforcements. If the club ignored the head coach, it could be at risk of hoping for the best. I hardly see how it's a knee-jerk reaction to wish to strengthen such a crucial area. I genuinely hope we begin to give Harry Griffiths the opportunity to start in the cup matches.

Joe Ironside signed for Tranmere Rovers, and he is the striker from the list I am most aware of, and I think he could have done well had Notts been interested. It's a shame we didn't make a move for another striker, but the feeling was that the club was happy with the squad as it is. I just hope they don't regret the decision, because it's something we have done in the previous two League Two campaigns. On the plus side, we just need to build momentum and hope we can get back to a fully fit squad with more players available because I really do believe Will Jarvis will show his doubters that he is a good player. Jayden Luker appears to be a strong contender. Jodi Jones has also played as a striker. He did against us for Coventry City when they had injuries back in the day.