Chris

I couldn't name a single jockey these days, but there's one thing for sure! We won't forget Hayley Turner from this point on.

I point his move to the German league as part of the reason why he's been disappointing: he really doesn't have to do much or move at all. This said, it's not like he's been getting any support. We really haven't been very attacking minded, so that puts some perspective, but I just don't think he should be dropping back. At times, I see no reason but for the majority of the game, well its negative and players know that if they try to get the ball forward there won't be anyone there. All the comments directed to Harry Kane, and the England team, have been fair and justified in my opinion. That said, I am still hoping that we can pick up in terms of performance and just put all this behind us. It's just a distraction and something that makes for talking points, but it's not helpful for the players (to be making excuses).

The biggest plus about Scotland is about how passionate and supportive their fans are, as for the team, not a great performance during the tournament. I am not surprised they've been sent home, because this is their first major tournament for years. They have some good players, but personally I didn't think a second they would be able to progress. They need to put effort into challenging for the World Cup, perhaps get David Moyes as the manager.

It is a lifeline, but not for every club. It offers the majority of teams financial stability, with the modern game the way it is - it isn't uncommon for owners to sell up (or try) leaving the club in difficult circumstances. In our own case, without the payments to ourselves, our first season in the National League could have been much harder. The funds helped the club operate between Alan Hardy's exit and the arrival of the Reedtz brothers who acted quickly, but the parachute payments meant we were able to do stuff before. Against his credit, Neal Ardley worked tirelessly to keep Notts in a good position, and it's something that tends to be overlooked due to him being the manager who unfortunately was at the helm when we got relegated. Alan Hardy took Notts down, him, along with Kevin Nolan and Harry 'useless' Kewell. Clubs need to take into consideration what their finances might look like without the parachute payments, making sure players wages are affordable. Yet, a lot rely on being able to afford their talent. In some cases, players would want to move on due to a large drop in wages. Other than them wanting to return to their previous playing level, due to chasing the international dream, better wages etc. Numerous teams have been saved from administration due to the induction of the parachute payments, which was part of their intended design. However, I believe it's three more times likely that teams who receive them end up being promoted back the following season. We don't know how this number would change if abolished, nor how many teams may find themselves in Bury's situation. Personally, I think football should be fairer, but the removal of it could cause further implications to our game.

I was talking to my dad about it this past Monday, it wasn't looking good for him. The most recent pictures, you could see he's taken a decline, but I hope he recovers further. It's not nice seeing someone's face go like that and very rarely do you see them put the weight back on at that age. He's a good pundit, and I have been told in the past he was a very good footballer, but he was well before my time. I do miss watching him on Match of the Day, mind. He was one of them you may not agree with, but you could see his reasoning and generally he just seemed to love football. Whereas the standard these days it's much poorer, despite the better pay.

Aye, we do but we tend to fetch bits and bobs from local stores. I'm becoming a grumpy old sod, before the age of 40. Man I feel much older now.

I went to Lidl earlier with Kate. It was nice walking there as we went through a park nearby but coming back... Let's just say my body makes me feel far older than I am. I'm amazed by how little space people give you these days whilst shopping. I had an elderly man practically using me as support as he passed. I wouldn't mind if it didn't limit where I could move myself. I can't say, I really enjoy going places where you don't have a level of personal space. People expect you to disappear, when they take literally all the area by positioning their trolley sideways and then have the audacity to then walk straight towards you - as if you have to move for them. Right now, I am having to relax due to back pain. Tomorrow, I don't believe I have any plans but will most likely go see @super_ram at some point. Either tomorrow or Sunday. PS. No wonder people prefer online shopping these days.

We're very predictable, lack confidence and any sort of energy to make runs which splits the opposition wide open. At one point, we were trying to put longer passes through, but in the process they were rushed and resulted in being intercepted. I think the biggest issue is the way the players knock the ball around, they stay very close to each other and when pressed you have limited options where to pass the ball. I have said it in other discussions, England needs to play further up and wider. They need to take on players and not be afraid of losing the ball, to some extent it's like watching Notts during the periods we lacked creativity going forward. The players need to focus, Gareth Southgate must make changes for the next game.

Yes, and no. The players just aren't performing and that's something which Gareth Southgate needs to reflect on for our next match. I do think there's room for tweaks to the tactics, perhaps the formation needs altering as Harry Kane as a solo striker really does isolate him. Jude Bellingham does well to play off him, but I think we could afford to play two strikers at the cost of maybe one of the defensive midfielders. Alexander Trent Arnold in the centre of midfield doesn't work, I get the thought behind it but for me, he can be afforded to be replaced by someone else. Despite our defence being the weakest point of the squad, I don't think they have done all that badly. I believe that we tend to panic and become careless when passing the ball. Alan Shearer made a lot of good remarks about how England play (or how we should). The defence needs to push further up, to make the midfield wider and to actually give us some bodies up front to attack when chances to create something happen. There should be more urgency to pass the ball into space, however, the players seem to pass in to danger instead. I do think we need to avoid being so narrow, it makes us very compact and easy to push back. This doesn't take anything from Denmark's performance; they were great at controlling this. However, we are very easy to press back.

Mike Edwards - 'Steady Eddie' Lee Hughes - 'Hughesy' Kyle Cameron - 'Cammo' Cal Roberts - 'Geordie Messi' Alan Judge - 'Judgey' and 'Irish Messi' Bartoz Bialkowski - 'The Bartman' Dean Yates - 'Yatesy' Adam Chicksen - 'Chicks' Macaulay Langstaff - 'Macca' and 'Non-League Haaland' If I took some time, I could probably add to this. Great idea! @Wheelbarrow repair man

I will be looking out for it. The moment it's shipped, I will send you a text to let you know it's on the way.

It's the players, perhaps Gareth Southgate could work on the formation but I would safely assume this is fine during training. It's easy to blame just one person, but it's the players who make poor in-game decisions. The passing hasn't been good enough, we are not direct enough. So far, Southgate has tried to inject energy and a bit more fight. It seems to be having an impact, but I believe we are a very nervous nation - that over thinks every aspect of our play (from the players perspective). Which the players just need a bit of confidence. We are setup to not be easily beaten, but that doesn't stop poor passes - that leads to interceptions from going into the back of our net. However, our weakest area on the pitch is the defence.

Happy Birthday, matey! I hope you have a wonderful day.

Great play by England to get the lead, a 34-year-old Kyle Walker proves why he's in the squad. Great persistence, which otherwise might have been a poor pass. Harry Kane proving he's usually always in the right place for a chance. I hope this calms out nervous, as we have been guilty of giving the ball away too lightly but have what it takes to wrap the game up.

England needs to learn how to control the game and grow into it, some of which Gareth Southgate is responsible for. However, much comes down to the players themselves. More support for Kane is something which I think would benefit England, there's no issue with him dropping back but to say he'd sacrificing his game by doing it sounds like an excuse. Those that suggest Grealish would make us more direct, he didn't make the cut for a reason. There's players who can make a difference but are inconsistent, unless we dominate. Bellingham played very well, he was always involved until he was taken off. Part of the issue I feel, comes down to poor padding decisions. Mind, it's not as bad as Scotland's. Play it forward and don't be afraid to have runs, take on players. Careful control and possession does help, but for confidence it grows with attacking and not inviting play against yourself.

This is a fantastic coup for Notts, I am delighted to welcome Nick to Meadow Lane. He brings us defensive strength, but a talent going forward which benefits us as he can play on both sides of the pitch. The fact he has left Crawley Town, to join us after their promotion is another plus sign of strong recruitment. We don't know how Crawley Town will do next season, but they might have a glass ceiling. Our squad has a lot of quality, which is attractive to potential signings. It will be good to see how he fits in, as I don't see him being a player content with not featuring much. I believe he will fight for his place in the team, so that should build healthy competition within to succeed. Very happy with this!

Well, Nottingham Forest actually has a good academy and that will help to produce future talent. I wished Notts could figure a way that would give our own youngsters a fair chance to gain experience. Sending them out on loan is only part of it, they need to get to grips playing with and against better players. Unfortunately, the East Midlands hasn't produced many high calibre players for a while, despite the training ground for the England camp being near Burton. This doesn't mean there's no good players, it's just their potential ends up being swallowed and overlooked by areas where the experience is a lot easier to gain.

I remember @GrannyPie threatening to call up my work place, so that she could give them a piece of her mind, but I was young - I just wanted to work and get on with things. It wasn't a great place to work, and the experience above wasn't the worst thing I experienced there. It made me more determined though. At the last restaurant/hotel that I worked, regular Championship and some League One/Two (depending on Notts) teams would stay. They were far more professional than the Australian Cricket team. @Fan of Big Tone The manager, he was off work for 8 months prior to me leaving. Allegedly, he used a chair to change a light bulb and fell.

I am very pleased by this signing. Alex Bass has the potential to improve and become a very reliable keeper for us. I am even more impressed that we managed to agree terms on a deal to move him here permanently. Paying a fee for your keeper at this level, to me, always shows faith in their ability - as it's very easy to pick up one of the many released keepers. There's nothing wrong with that, but it shows conviction and belief that the money is being well invested. I believe this is the case with Bass, his experience already at our level should give us a nice boost, along with the two new defenders. Give him time, let the squad settle, and I am sure he'll impress for us.

Well, I think it made sense as to why we allowed Ed Francis to go. He slipped too far down the pecking order and didn't really progress as we did; I remember saying at the time he was a few seasons off being ready for League Two. He's got there by playing regularly and in a side which does push players to perform well. He really needed a fresh change, but I would be cautious against him making a jump just to play at a higher level too soon because he could find himself out of favour for more experienced players. Good player but with more game time under his belt, I believe he'll only get better. I would hate to see him end up being one of those players who constantly get loaned out for experience, yet never really settle.

I can imagine quite a few people agreeing, sadly because there's a lot of people who are against Gareth Southgate (perhaps lack a real understanding of the game). There are some points which I would agree with, but I feel the video is pandering to those who have no clue. Southgate wasn't the issue as to why Serbia grew into the game. No changes were made after we scored, changes if anything happened too late and at a point where our players allowed the game to become more pressured for them. Yes, he went defensive when Serbia started knocking on the door. It's a fair point about not subbing Harry Kane, however, Kane plays because he's a quality striker and just needs one chance. The issue was the lack of him. We could have switched strikers, but that wouldn't have resolved the creativity issue. Phil Foden was very average, as were some of the players who were inconsistent as the game progressed. The criticism is laughable. "I'm not wrong." Oh boy. How deluded do you have to be to think you're the sole answer? Yes, Gareth Southgate is frustrating but every manager is. I wouldn't have taken Harry Kane off; I would have switched formations to bring on another striker. Southgate isn't afraid to make changes. He sees things differently, but it's not his fault we haven't won something. It's down to him that we have been more successful, asking the media to put pressure on him is such a clueless thing to say. Our press does it by default...

Yes, but support is very loosely based on what it is. I haven't watched our Olympic team for years, but I wish them all the best, and I am delighted when I read about how they have done. That's quite a passive way to support them, but in my younger years I did find it easier to be excited about watching it.

I really don't want to seem like I am boasting, but in my earlier working years, I have met a lot of famous people. The Austrialian cricket team once stayed at a hotel I worked at due to how quiet it was - my manager (very lazy) assigned only me to breakfast shift. I had to open up, setup every table (even those not in use), get the breakfast area ready, so we were talking fruit, cereals, yoghurts and milk etc. There were 13 covers expected for breakfast, with the food already being sent to the kitchen the night before. Guests had a time whereby they were supposed to arrive. It was a very slow shift at first; none of the 13 people were to do with the cricket team. A handful were builders who were staying, they were very respectful and despite the common association with them being 'difficult'. They never once did anything out of line, plus seemed to appreciate I was alone. Around 11am, you start to turn the tables around for launch. I cleared one side of the restaurant so that this made my life easier. Living a an area where the daylight shined through was commonly the better area. Sometime after, the Australian cricket team came down, and I spoke to one of them about breakfast almost being over. I explained that they could still use the breakfast options, but that it was down to the chef if he would cook any meals outside of pre-orders. I spoke with the chef who wasn't happy, but agreed to cook fry ups for any of the players/staff that wanted it. I was encouraged against allowing them all to request meals, so I tried my best to assist them in a way that wouldn't make the chef want to kill me. Most were happy with having toast, and items from the breakfast area, but some did want cook food. Part of my job was to make sure guests had drinks, so I would have to go to the bar and do their order myself. Between fetching the drinks, I had to do the toast by myself. So, I focused on doing a handful of tables at a time. I explained this to the cricketers and apologised, so they understood I was by myself. I had managed to get half of the remaining sorted, when I went to make more toast (you have to keep it warm) and when I went back into the restaurant. They were having a food fight and being very rowdy. Not just food was being thrown, but cutlery, salt and pepper containers. and anything you could imagine. They made a right mess of the area, which felt like a nightmare because I had gone out of my way to cater for them. So, they end up leaving the room like a tip as I am trying to tidy up after them. Stretching over time and whereby my manager turned up, he wasn't happy and gave me an instant dismissal warning. That p***ed me off even more, as how can I stop grown adults from having a food fight when I'm the only person on duty? I had called to reception to ask the general manager of the hotel to come up, but he just sat on his arse. I had woken up at 5:30am, caught a bus at 6am and got into work about half an hour later. I had been working the night before on a function which ended at 3am. So, I was speechless. I actually felt like just walking out, but I didn't. I tidied up by myself - as other staff started to arrive for the launch shifts. My manager had them watch me, without any help, as I cleaned up. I would have been finished by 12:30 and then back at 5pm. However, cleaning up took over an hour and a half. This gave me a chip on my shoulder, so when I later on at night bumped into three of the cricket players. I ignored them, but sarcastically thanked them for getting me my first dismissal warning. The following day, my manager decided to put 3 people on duty but for further punishment for the mess. I was assigned to clean the function room from the prior night before which I had worked. So, I know the mess that had been created wasn't there when I had finished. I also got tasked with restocking the kitchen and breakfast (which involved a lot of carrying items up 4 floors). By late 10am, I had finished with all the 'punishment' and walked into the restaurant to see what needed doing in there. I immediately noticed my manager, standing talking to two of the cricketers. I went to check the list for when we expected people down, to see that we only had 5 guests left to serve and then any potential late arrivals (which usually didn't happen). As I started to clear some of the tables, one of the crickets said 'excuse me'. Still annoyed, I ignored it. He then said, 'Hey, look. We feel awful about yesterday mate'. He then stood up and walked over with a signed cricket bat and all. My manager quickly intercepted him and said that he would leave the items for me in the staff's cloakroom. I never saw those items again, but I did speak with some of the players before they left. I accepted the apology, but I still felt like they were the worst people I have ever served.

I need to start by saying the clean sheet and win, that's what matters, but it was quite boring. Serbia did very well in the second half, no way could they have continued to play how they started. I think the Netherlands has had the best start that I have seen (albeit wasteful on goal). At times, I wanted England to be braver, to be more direct, but other than Jude Bellingham we had little idea. Bukayo Saka did well in spells, but he's very overrated. Good player, but he reminds me a lot of Aaron Nemane. He's either brilliant or lacking. Kyle Walker did well making space and shaping up the defence, I think the subs shook things up, but we went too defensive. Conor Gallagher looked useful, no idea how his close control with his foot ended up being given as a handball. I think the referee started to bottle it towards the 70th minute, making some very poor decisions. He did well up to that point, but allowed Serbia to get away with so many niggling challenges. Jarrod Bowen also made a difference. I like him. He does what is needed, and although he got criticised for his clearances. He would win the ball, who cares if he kicks it up the field to nobody. I mean, only Harry Kane was up top at that point, and we risk injuries demanding him to hold up the bathe fieldll. Good opening result, but a performance England must improve on.

Welcome to the Pride of Nottingham @Stephen May. I hope you enjoy being a part of our Notts County community.