Chris

There's players who have performed well against us, that I would hope is on the club radar and that we might have a serious chance of signing them. Bristol Rovers Joel Senior impressed me in both legs: he works hard and covers a lot of ground. However, he plays as a wing back and would we really need to sign someone for a fee in this area? Malcolm Ebiowei would be on my radar and regular football might be enough to tempt him, though I think other league One teams will be interested in him. Brandon Williams and Jordan Thorniley could be good additions, Williams is likely to end up with a Championship club. Dan Potts could provide us with valuable experience. These are a few players that I would be looking around, some might not be likely but you never know. We are attracting good attendances and could build for a push to the Championship.

As much as I love Cal Roberts, we need to find players who are as good as him but who are not injury prone. There's a lot of interest around him which various places are picking up on. I heard before the season ended that he was attracting interest from a League One club that we might not be happy if he signed for. Rumours are nothing until the manager, or club acknowledges them. My personal stance is I wouldn't be against him coming back, but he needs to fit our system and we need to have depth for injuries. Him and Jodi in League One could have a hard time staying fit if teams decide to target them.

I am very sorry that I am wishing you a belated birthday, @Michael D Pie.. I hope you had a great birthday, and enjoyed/ing your vacation. I have seen some of the pictures you shared and they look amazing. I hope you managed to get to watch Notts too. There’s a good present for you.

Harry Maquire shouldn't be in the national team, there's better unpicked defenders. Cole Palmer should 100% be going, I think Jack Grealish did excellent with Everton and can feel unlucky not to have been selected. There's always going to be players dropped or overlooked, what is refreshing is the fact that players don't see to be getting chosen due to the club a player represents or because the player has a reputiable name. The only concern I have is Jordan Henderson, I have never rated him and we don't need a player just because they have experience. His lack of playing time is a concern. I'd much rather we take someone injury prone that is a capable player because it's less of a risk that the position won't be just a bench warmer. If he captains England, even in a vice captaincy role I would be further disappointed. That said, I am happy because I would hope it makes those who have not been named peform even better. Palmer can't do much more; he's a bright spark in an average Chelsea and a real joy to watch. I would say it seems more "team focused" than individual stars to be relyed on if performances are not good.

Jodi looked bright the moment the game kicked off, and he was performing at his best. He earned my vote, but I think Ollie Norburn was a close second, followed by Nick Tsaroulla, Lucas Ness and Scott Robertson. Excellent team performance, the lads showed today they can win when it matters.

Good to see so many different Man of the Matches, it's also interesting to see how they compare and who is at the upper end. I am pleased for everyone, but especially for Tom Iorpenda.

You have let the cat out of the bag there, @Michael D Pie. with regards to your birthday. Though, someone once told me all the best people are born in May and now I am more inclined to believe it. Thank you for taking the time to wish me a happy birthday. Time does fly by very quickly, but it's important we make the most of it. = )

It impressed me to see 13k sold, I am sure the numbers will continue to climb. It could be worse, Salford City are attracting funny comments on banter pages and sites where multiple fan bases discuss football. While I do chuckle. I do feel it is unfair because despite them having played League One before, they are still a small club. I hope any unsold tickets are offered closer to the time they are offered to schools in both areas.

The Match worn shirt I am told would be about £50-60, but both shirts are pretty much as I said open to pricing from the potential buyer. In the future, it might be worth more, as for the other shirt. I was told very similar, that it would need to be someone who really wants it that would pay above it. I have seen shirts sold for £100-150, usually with people more over the odds to get this because they want the shirt for their own collection or it's a reputable player. Nothing against Matt Tootle, I loved his time at Notts but a lot of fans blow hot and cold towards him. I believe the white shirt worn by Jon Stead in the match against Aston Villa sold for a considerable amount. I know when Notts have run an auction for signed shirts, that they tend to be the only way to gain more value from people. Matt Tootle may be interested in the shirt, but it's worth hanging onto.

I have seen Salford play against Notts, they push to control the game and try to keep the play 'wide'. When Notts has the ball, they pull ranks and put bodies around the ball. It's disruptive football, and doesn't suit our style of play. It's constant pressure, where they look to break with pace and they have a lot of players who can cause us headaches. Defensively, I don't think they are as weak as some think, but I certainly believe two strikers could cause Matty Young some problems. Not that he isn't a decent keeper, because he is but as a young squad player he must have some nerves and any of the three strikers we have could put the fear of god into him, but I think Alassana Jatta would benefit from someone to work off. Someone who can help him advance or simply assist in obtaining markers. I wouldn't want Notts to be defensive; against Chesterfield we struggled and it was Aaron Nemane who forced us out of our own half. It's important we go play, rather than rely on putting away a sigle chance or poaching the game.

The EFL has rules on spying, you cannot do it against teams you are preparing to play and 72 hours is that window time. The law changed after 2019, when Leeds United spied on Derby County and it's part of the game to avoid anything like it which is considered outside of good faith. It preserves the competitive integrity, and it's a weak point about sending scouts to watch games because that's completely different. Trying to watch a team train, unearth what they are working on and trying to find out about injuries etc, it would be quite the unfair advantage. Having such strict rules creates a level playing field, and the stricter decisions are the less likely they will be to reoccur. It acts as a deterrent, a clear signal that it won't be accepted and if anything the Premier League should be more inclined to deal with breaches more promptly. It's unfortunate for the Southampton fans that their club's actions came to light, but I am certain the Football League would have acted swiftly. Commercial value in football is very important, and that comes in toe with the public interest and any unfair advantage or believe matches are rigged should be treated equally. The rules being put in place closes a legal loophole, and I am sure some might be more insensed if it had happened to Notts. Also, Southampton admitted to spying on Oxford United, Ipswich Town and they probably did it against many other clubs too.

I see the benefits of being unchanged, but I am quite curious as to if playing two strikers would better our attack against Salford? I personally would have Matt Palmer in all day, if he's 100% fit. I love Scott Robertson but he doesn't dictate the tempo as well as Palmer does. Both are similar, and Robertson might be more defensive focused but that could also be a hinder to us, as he can get easily booked. Palmer isn't as rash, but is a lot better at moving the ball around and into areas that our players can exploit. I would keep Ollie Norburn in, so there's no option to switch Robertson with him. Keeper, and the defence writes itself. There's no need to tinker with that. I am unsure if Keanan Bennetts is out, but I would love to see him make the bench. He could be a great impact player if he were more direct. However, we do need to see more from Alassana Jatta and it's not all on his shoulders. Notts has to attack and bring him into the game, but Jatta needs to strike and avoid overthinking or placing the ball straight towards the keeper. It's why I would be tempted to have another striker on.

A fine typically isn't enough, because most teams in the Championship can more than likely afford it, so where is the punishment? Look how it doesn't deter Premier League teams from breaking rules. Spying on a team training is incredibly risky, and 4 points isn't remotely impactful. It does punish the fans, but so would a transfer embargo, or other limiting player based activity. I would have at least docked 6-8 points, because that's the only way I can see it sending a clear message.

@Fan of Big Tone Sorry to read this. :(

Thank you, @StarkMallard and @Robbie. 🫶🏻