Chris

Consistency is the key, but the odd change could save legs for the league ties. Personally, I wouldn't drop any of our big names, unless they're carrying a knock or, in risk of an injury. Rochdale should be a team that will want to play direct and, on the ground - so I hope the scrappy side that could occur is set to a minimum.

Anyone else feel this will be a good test to see how we can compete against a League two team? I really want to see Notts progress, a good cup run could bring so much more merit than just the prize money. It can give the squad some excitement and self-belief, which goes along way but for us fans, it gives us a taste of a good day out and most likely against a team whom we haven't faced for a few years. I'd like Notts to be mindful of injuries, whilst giving the odd player a chance. Matt Palmer needs to start, he does so much of the ball work that often gets unnoticed. His vision and ability to spot a pass, could lead to more chances. I'd partner him with Ed Francis, I know Frank Vincent has done well, but I just feel someone like Francis would enjoy more of the ball against a team like Rochdale. Ian Burchnall will have his plans and whatever happens, it's a day out but I do hope for a win.

It's a big game, a lot our fans are up for the game - it's almost a full on Derby type match. With their current position, Notts needs to turn up and, make a real game of it. I'm slightly nervous, as I can see Grimsby either being a well oiled team that makes us struggle or, allow the game to be extremely scrappy and I'm just not sure we'll handle the occasion well. I hope I'm wrong, but I can see the game finishing 3-1 to them. If we prove ourselves to be determined, it might be a closer draw. I don't expect a win, it would be nice and useful. Yet, despite it being a game that's crucial, one we should on paper being winning. I think momentum is slowly building and preserving a point seems better than nothing to me.

I can't say I feel defeated by drawing, clumsy goal to concede, but it sounded like Bromley made a game of it. If I put myself into their shoes, I'd be happy with the fight back - as a Notts fan I do wish we could've maintained the lead, but a good game meant the points had to be shared.

Frank Vincent is securing his place in the team by the sounds of his performances so far, it's very pleasing to see - especially after the reports of Michael Doyle's verge of return to the starting line-up. Nothing against Doyle, but that would've been a step back and very negative to happen. Hopefully, it leads to a little self belief as there's a lot more that can come if the players just continue to work hard enough. It's a fantastic result for Notts today.

It's all down to how we approach and control the game, Stockport County will be a good team to give some confidence to our camp if we can do well. It will most likely be a tough, challenging game, but I do think Notts can control it. Aaron Nemane needs to show more of his class here, especially if Cal Roberts is rested or out of the game. Creating chances where Notts can drill in shots from the outside of the box, might create goal chances - as I seem to recall their keeper being a little clumsy at times. I don't think we should panic, just focus on bringing the players out of position and without always going backwards.

I've seen a whole range of comments, from people being extremely negative to the more thoughtful. I can't really take comments seriously when they include a lot of swearing, nor can I when they attack others for having their opinion. Expressing opinions, in a meaningful way always makes me see the point people have to make, even if I disagree - I would always respect that. Notts need to hold the ball better against Tamworth, whilst making sure that the finishing is there. I noticed Ian Burchnall mentioned that the players need to have shots from distance and work on the amount of chances created. We have 7 shots on target, 1 or 2 should be going in. It would take an incredibly talented keeper or an outstanding performance to deny any good chances. I think we focus on point - blank situations far too much. Sometimes you just have to try your luck.

By the sounds of what some fans feel on social media, we'll be sending out a squad that is bare-bones compared to regular starters - with suggestions that all of our key players will be rested. This can't and, shouldn't happen. Firstly, it would be an insult to Tamworth to throw out a squad where our quality isn't in depth. I agree, that we need to explore options to rest 3/4 players perhaps, but it can't all be from our attacking options. Secondly, if we lose, some fans will berate the squad selection (it might even happen before kick off). Thirdly, we need some quality up there, we can't just throw a squad out that rests a silly amount of players - it's got to be players that require it more than anything. If Aaron Nemane starts, we might be able to rest Cal Roberts or Ruben Rodrigues. I wouldn't rest all three of them for the sake of it. Kyle Wootton mostly will fall onto the bench if he's dropped, in order to rest - I can't imagine Ian Burchnall risking leaving a goal scorer out completely. Matt Palmer is the only midfielder who carries the ball in a way that gets Notts forward when we hit blockages, part of me hopes he isn't one who is rested. Having said all this, Ian Burchnall might just throw a largely unchanged squad. ???? I think Notts will win 3-0, Wootton, Lacey and Nemane to score.

I think Ruben Rodrigues playing as a shadow striker/advanced creative midfielder - with a certain level of freedom, would help. In certain games, he goes wide in order to get the ball and that takes him away from where he's most effective. Notts has a good group of players that should make the opposition struggle to mark them. Kyle Wootton, Cal Roberts, Jim O'Brien, Aaron Nemane etc. We need to avoid playing out wide as much as we do, with play coming through the middle at times. The first goal against Yeovil is a good way to cut in, making space and allowing the finisher to take time to place it right.

If Notts were well drilled at this point, I think Tamworth would be quite routine to play. That said, I can see them causing us problems Defensively, Notts need to start strong and have their players under watchful eyes. If we can't win the ball back, just ensure we protect the keeper, block, cover and attack with a real sense of threat. I think the quality is there for Notts to enjoy a good performance.

I think Kyle Cameron's return is a vital factor and, for a short moment I feared we might've lost Ciaran Brennan. Also, despite Yeovil sounding incredibly poor, the positives of the win and clean sheet shouldn't be overlooked. I don't think right now any faults can be had, of course there's room for improvement but the win puts Notts back on track to some extent. Charlie Slater mentioned that our start has been poor, without acknowledging that this is due to the 3 defeats in a row. A bit negative that, in my eyes, after the last 4 games. It's the form which hasn't been great, but after two defeats which we gave to our opponents - I think we need to avoid being too critical at this stage. Ruben Rodrigues sounds like he's on fire right now, was it him Ian Burchnall mentioned 'he's been playing through pain' - re the broken ribs comment? Hopefully, whoever it was, that is not the case. Stockport County will be a test, but if we focus on the right things I am not too concerned.

I'm predicting a 2-1 win, I can see Yeovil leading, and Notts pulling back level near the end of the first half. With the win coming for Notts at the 80th minute mark. ???????? Kyle Wootton is due a goal again.

I always feel, Yeovil are a bogey type team for us but in truth this is the type of game I'd be very annoyed to lose. They've been poor at times, but compared to our defending - I know which is worst. A win would be a lift. However, it sounds like Michael Doyle might have been selected. I don't know if this will be a good, or bad thing. People say we need grit, but he's not the most defensive player once tired. If he helps, that's great, but it could just hinder the chances of returning to good form. I'd be more excited to see Kyle Cameron/Connell Rawlinson return.

@Super_Danny_Allsopp I had a difficult time telling who scored the final goal. The way Charlie reacted it was as if we had done it. When he named the player, my heart sunk. I have been told by some Halifax fans that they didn't see anything wrong with the disallowed goal. I don't believe the rumours about Burchnall headbutting the Halifax manager though.

Speechless.... 2-0 up, 10 men down, and somehow we allowed them to score not once, but three goals to take all the points. Defensively, Notts aren't focused enough. Ian Burchnall needs to give the players a kick. That is a let-down to the travelling fans who gave their support. Simply, more effort needs to be made to ensure everybody isn't switching off, everyone is doing their bit defensively - we can accept when the players fight. I didn't hear much of it once Halifax scored, its a shame Palmer's goal was disallowed - that could've given us the edge. 10 minutes added time? Madness, but we have to accept this on face value, the players are at risk of getting Ian Burchnall the sack. I don't think this is far, the players are at fault.

@menzinho looked like his hamstring, but I don't know if you noticed, he was the player running laps after the game whilst Ian Burchnall was giving his post match thoughts. That's a positive sign, although we'll have to wait to find out just how serious it actually is. However, to go from struggling to walk, to running laps isn't something you would do if it was a major issue.

Self-destruction in the biggest sense of the word. Notts started to fall apart after the first 45 minutes, we played into Woking's hand. Frustration built, and then we started to make too many mistakes in areas of the pitch, which led to a team who played very averagely starting to look far more flattering than they deserved. Woking wasn't even good, credit for the win because they pushed for what happened, but they only won because Notts took their eyes off the ball. Whilst I have been saying since the early stages that we have defensive issues which need addressing, others thought it was the wrong area. We just watch, no effort is made to win the ball back, and attempting to block it seems a thing of the past. There's a major lack of finishing up front, nothing which I personally blame Kyle Wootton for, but we simply rely on him to do far too more than he needs to do. Kairo Mitchell isn't any better than Elisha Sam, no signs of him being a player who deserves to start as regularly, and it's clear now this will happen because we have no other adequate options. He works hard at times, but usually when he comes more into it - the game is almost most certainly over. Matt Palmer is too good for us, he didn't do anything wrong, and everything that looked lively came from his range of passing. The Notts midfield doesn't need to be like Woking at all, I hope this is never the case! Ruthlessness can be taught, and encouraged. I think rather than having someone who does what Ruben Rodrigues started to do (mostly due to frustration), Notts simply needs to learn to press and win the ball back. Issues for me is that we can't adapt very well in-game, I think we move in a passive way more than one of which is decisive. I am sure I might get some criticising what I have written, yet it's my opinion, and I believe myself to have a good understanding of football. Of course, I acknowledge that I am not always right, and everyone has a sense of this themselves. It's nothing major, but we went from controlling a game we should've won - as Notts was on top in the first half (despite being disconnected at times). Managing games is something that obviously fails when other teams adapt or try to cause chaos.

Each season I try to give back to the community. Obviously, last season proved difficult, but as I was prepared to sort through all the prints I have made since 2018 - which proved to be a terrible season to start, I thought that there might be fans out there who might appreciate being given one. Whilst some fans collect programmes, I have accumulated various player prints from past seasons, and as a whole I have learned about not overstocking them. Heading into the 2021/22 season, my wife joked about where I planned to put the new stock once I had finished them. I mean, 8 new variants, and others - it does start to consume space. That is where a mass giving of these mostly redundant prints is formulated. However, I wanted fans to be involved. I thought that fans could name a worthy cause, and therefore it would be focused on the gesture of that fan - rather than me simply wanting to get rid of them. I don't personally agree with just throwing things out, as I know full well - that players can make a significant impact on your thoughts even if others don't rate them, or see how kind they can be. I know Matt Tootle is one of these types, that would do anything and everything to help fans. Plus there's the fact that many are actually signed by the players personally, so there's a keep sake element to it. Whilst the majority of prints I am giving away have simply expired in terms of interest from supporters, I have added quite a lot of ones which do have demand. These have fallen into giveaways, plus backing ARLukomski who is on the road to 2k subscribers on his YouTube channel. If you're a fan of Notts County, and haven't subbed yet or enjoy watching passionate fans document their footballing journey please subscribe here. My mission on Saturday is to find the majority, if not all of these worthy nominations, and to just try to make a difference. I firmly believe that small acts of kindness can make a positive impression, so I will do my best to ensure this goes ahead. I am planning on giving some away as prizes, others to random fans I notice. Such as a young supporter in the Kop, who has been waving a Belgium flag at every home game, and has tried to call Elisha Sam over to sign his programme. I have an A4 print of Elisha Sam just for this young fan, so I am hoping to call Sam over myself - get it signed, and then to signal the fan, so Elisha can hand the print over himself. If this can't be done, handing over the print will have a similar effect I imagine, however, if I can encourage Sam to do it - I think that would be a nice interaction for both him and his fan. I aim to follow this up by writing about tomorrow's match, and the reactions. Whilst this might not be the most interesting subject, I think it shows a different side, and one that's not all focused on something often seen. Behind the scenes, I do a lot of good, and I have for over 13 years now - 11 of which is via the Pride of Nottingham.

I'm hoping we play an attacking focused formation, as we would be able to control the game if our passing/tempo was spot on. I agree that Woking will try to be direct, most likely trying to make the most of the corners and set pieces. Jim O'Brien deserves to be given a start, he's worked hard when given a chance. If this is for Ruben Rodrigues or Ed Francis, I am confident we can adapt to give him a chance to influence the play. Otherwise,I wouldn't change much, unless injuries etc determine that it must. I can see the game being quite open.

The key word is rotation, Ruben Rodrigues for me, needs to be dropped to the bench for at least one game. If he's carrying a knock, unfit due to pre-season or just finding it difficult - he hasn't been the same recently at all. I'm not looking for excuses, but putting across my own opinion that some aren't quite playing at their usual standard. It quite possibly could be form, but I think some are struggling due to the reasons I have outlined. Ian Burchnall has done incredibly well to settle the squad, yet he only makes changes when he's forced. Just like Gareth Southgate, he won't move from his usual starting 11 - this has its positives and negatives. Regardless if its tiredness, full on fatigue or poor form, sometimes it's wise to rotate the players struggle. We rely heavily on our more creative players, so it well may be a mix of things. Also, I haven't said its everyone but the point to disagree seems to be including the whole squad? We have a big enough squad to make changes. Burchnall himself said he doesn't want to drop Francis yet for Vincent, who is supposedly ready to return. So, if we continue to play players who are either poor in form or tired, and in need of a little rest - what will be achieved by constantly playing them? As I say, it's good IB isn't dropping people for the sake of it but the odd rotation changes the mix. I personally think Jim O'Brien should be given a start, whilst Cal Roberts suspension means we should see Aaron Nemane. This might be enough to force changes and hopefully a stronger reaction to the recent defeat. I'm also, not suggesting by my fatigue comment that its anything serious. Unlike those that bang on about 'semi pros' as if footballers are shoe horned into a standard just because of their contracts, footballers are footballers at the end of the day- they win, lose and draw regardless of their natural talent or overall ability [this comment is aimed at some on social media.].

Of course, professional players can become fatigued - especially those that cover more ground. Perhaps some aren't fully match fit to begin with? I could be wrong, but Ruben Rodrigues missed most of the pre-season, if not all of it. And, yet people seem to believe he will be fully match fit 8 games into the season? Sometimes rest is needed for any professional athlete. Yes, because this means that humans won't't become tired. Some issues will be simply form of individuals rather than the whole group. Perhaps even pressure? Yet I do think Kyle Wootton, Ruben Rodrigues are two players who look in need of a rest. Wootton is too important though, he's our main striker and this can greatly impact a players form.

I think fatigue is impacting some players, I keep saying it. Those fans who think when people come out with logical replies, only to be met with 'that's an excuse'. Playing week in and week out, fatigue creeps in and form dips. I like how Ian Burchnall has stuck to a steady squad, but the occasional rotation is needed in my opinion.

I'm a bit at a loss with the reaction to losing, people saying 'they're semi pro' and 'we're bigger'. Football isn't plain sailing and I think the majority of fans who realise that supporting Notts has its ups and downs will understand that naturally sometimes you lose. It sounds as if we didn't turn up, and played quite poorly. So far this season I am content in terms of performances, and even now it's early to be throwing tantrums over losing by a single goal. I am surprised I haven't read any comments bashing the loanee goalkeeper or the centre back. As if people can't have bad days, it would seem the whole squad did exactly this. I agree with people who are echoing the need for another striker to chip in with assets. Mitchell isn't the answer, at least I don't think - I see no signs of him being a goalscorer. For those that dislike Sam, at least he can find the back of the net. Losing? It happens, I do believe we'll respond from this, and I just hope the negativity stops. Some Notts fans aren't very patient with things, but It's something that really should be put into perspective.

It's early days, but unlike previous seasons we have something to build on - rather than improve from. Yes, the performances at times could be better, I keep saying this will come in time. What I will add is, how much brighter we look. The football is heaps better compared to previous managers. Ian Burchnall also makes use of changes and tactics in-game, which is refreshing not to wait for the 70th mark for a change. As it is going for a win, instead of defending for a draw [which tended to lead to defeats more than that].

Supposedly, they have some players out injured. For ourselves, it will be interesting to see how we do without Kyle Cameron. I think he will be a miss, as he integrates himself into our attacks very well, and he's robust enough to defensively cope with the opposition. Part of me thinks Ian Burchnall won't start the new lad on loan, I know some might question - well why wouldn't he? But I just feel he will be on the bench, with Adam Chicksen and Richard Brindley partnering Alex Lacey. As for them, I wouldn't think much about whom they have available or which players might be out. Prepare to have a solid game plan, where we are more creative in the centre of the park, instead of the flanks, and it should be a good game.