KB1862

15 hours ago, BeestonPie said:

Jatta’s contract being extended beyond this season shows that the club still values him

15 hours ago, BeestonPie said:

Whatever was said during that week when Martin Paterson and others spoke with Jatta clearly helped

It could be seen in 2 ways.

The first could be that the people in the club have spoken to him, like you've mentioned, and told him how valuable he still remains within the club and he's took that on board feeling appreciated enough to stay on.

Secondly, it could have been agreed that this club can be used as a stepping stone for him that when the right offer comes a long the club won't be standing in his way and he'd be free to discuss with other clubs providing a fee has been agreed.

It could even be neither of these were had in the discussions, it could be something totally different but whatever was said, as mentioned in this thread, seems to have worked.

Some were sceptical about his arrival, with reason, due to his goalscoring record. But he's proving what he's capable of in front of goal so far hence being given this award which has been well deserved.

Long may this form of his continue.

1 hour ago, Benji said:

It’s not about sitting back like a small team hoping to nick a result against a Premier League side. We should be aiming to play our own game and score through good football.

Precisely this. If the team sits back absorbing pressure, what fan can really go to a game and enjoy seeing that? Even if the team comes away with the win. You might get a win here and there but more time than not they'll come away with a loss because there's only so much pressure a team can absorb.

However, as mentioned previously, if a team sticks to the game plan and performs to their game fans will still like what they saw even if they come away with a loss probably not as much as getting the win but they can still come away saying the team played well.

6 minutes ago, DangerousSausage said:

In the last few games we've developed a habit of giving the ball away or, when we're under pressure, just aimlessly launching it up the field (and thus losing possession) rather than trying to keep the ball.

That could be solved. It sounds like something that needs to be worked on on the training ground. Pressurised play keep ball. Aligning the players in areas to make options visible and having a get out rather than having to boot it aimlessly long. But, it could also come down to not quite having the suitable players able to carry those tasks out.

On 31/08/2025 at 11:10, McPie said:

more often than not he punches the crosses rather than catches them

Unfortunately, that's the modern day goalkeeping. Keepers much rather punch or parry the ball away rather than catching it these days.

Mark Schwarzer has mentioned it on a number of occasions that when he's watched a game he's noticed a keeper has palmed it away or punched it clear when it could have easily been claimed.

Apparently, that's what is being taught to them whether it be from the coaching side of things or personal preference. More saves for the cameras as they'd say rather than being safe and catching it. It might not be either one of them, he could genuinely be a goalkeeper that struggles in certain situations to claim the ball and attempts the safety option of getting it gone by punching it away.

When I played, I'd get a talking to (it was more than that) by my manager if I used my feet to save the ball or palmed it away when it could have been caught.

Sometimes, you have to also look at how the defence has allowed the situation to arise. If there has been an attack where the defence hasn't covered themselves in glory and left the goalkeeper stranded as to what to do, it doesn't fill the confidence of a goalkeeper which can lead to them being more cautious about coming for the ball, reacting to attacks or even general goalkeeping abilities that never normally evaded them.

On 07/09/2025 at 18:25, menzinho said:

It’s weird now in football that being entertained is almost as important was winning though. I don’t know how others would feel but I would certainly rather see a 3-3 than a 0-0.

Of course. There have been some great 0-0 games over the years, not many but still there has been a few, but a 3-3 shows attacking football from both teams and more than likely an end to end game which is always great to see. That's how football used to be and why it was so much more enjoyable to watch than today's game. Teams used to live by the saying "if you score 3 we'll score 4". Especially during the 90s/00s this was the case, it was a faster paced end to end kind of game back then. Now, as has been said, the game today is more about stats and teams seem to be falling in line by playing a generic style of play where it's play out from the back possession based game. Which doesn't always make for great viewing seeing how slow the building up tends to be.

Sometimes you do have to win ugly. Obviously managers don't plan out their teams to go out and win ugly they still want to play the style they've worked on in the training ground but that all just depends on how the opposition sets out, how well you can keep them out defensively and how effective it can be to execute the game plan set out by the manager.

Sean Dyche has mentioned it on a podcast, I can't remember it word for word but it was something a long the lines of teams must set up for the opposition rather than sticking to a game plan. It's hard to argue with that especially when, as I've already said in this, teams set up generically by playing a build up from the back possession style won't necessarily work against teams that press high up. Sometimes you do just have to re-adjust and ping it over the top due to the high line of the opposition to get in behind. I get the feeling that's what Paterson was referring to in his post-match interview when he said "there's a reason I play Jatta and Dennis together, you can do the maths on that one". Big man little man partnership, unless I'm mistaken by that.

22 hours ago, McPie said:

In answer to the question, yes winning matters, but it’s not all that matters

Agree with this.

As football fans, we want to go to a game and be entertained watching free flowing football, players performing week in week out, executing game plans perfectly and giving the fans something to admire. But, unfortunately, that can't always be the case there will be days where the players have an off day or the opposition make it tough for the team to get anything going which at that point if they grind out a win despite not being at their best, being second best in the game or having that one lucky break any football fan would take that even with a bad performance. They may not be overly impressed with the match itself but they'd be a little bit happy to have gotten the win.

But, if a team doesn't get the win but the players have played exceptional and it just happened to be on a day that it was just against them, fans may come away disappointed because they didn't get the win but they won't be deflated because they acknowledge the fact that the players gave it their all and were just unfortunate not to get the result.

On 21/02/2025 at 14:17, TheSkipper said:

It's all down to opinions, and there isn't one right answer.

I agree with this. Some prefer Messi while others back Ronaldo. They both have their positives and negatives but they have both been a joy to watch with the "rivalry" and have both achieved greatness during their careers. 

There is no fact about one being better than the other, it is as you said all about opinions. 

On 20/02/2025 at 22:43, Fozzy said:

Absolutely, Maradona’s skill was just on another level and you cannot argue with his ability to raise average teams to greatness, he was definitely the most skilful that I have seen

Absolutely, people tend to discredit him in this type of conversation due to him playing in teams that have won less than that of Messi or Ronaldo but you can't judge players too much based on team performances. However, as you mentioned, he raised average teams rather than the other 2 mentioned already playing in great teams. 

Maradona manged to showcase how skilful he was on pitches that ripped up at his feet and having defenders trying to hack him down. That was the goings on during his time. Imagine if he was around during Ronaldo and Messi era where the tackling isn't as hard as it was, defenders aren't able to hack you down and pitches are smooth to play on.

On 20/02/2025 at 22:43, Fozzy said:

I suppose the article though does state “Complete” player and you would find it difficult to argue against Ronaldo.

Messi is the more skilful of the two but when you compare individual attributes, Ronaldo is definitely the more complete player when comparing them. 

On 05/02/2025 at 15:20, Chris said:

I think Messi wouldn't have been as big in the Premier League. I think he would have struggled where skill wasn't enough to deal with the style.

I don't think he would have been as dominant in the Premier League as most people think he would. People assume just because of his performances in the Champions League against English clubs that he would come in and do his business. But, doing it week in week out is completely different to having a game against a Prem side on the odd couple occasions. I think if he came against a tough side that get stuck in, he'd struggle in those type of games and in the English game there are plenty of those. 

On 12/02/2025 at 13:06, liampie said:

i think ronaldo challenged himself more whereas messi has taken an easier route

Ronaldo did challenge himself by going to teams and leagues where he managed to keep up the competitiveness. Messi could have challenged himself more as he had the ability but as you mentioned he took the easier route. As much as he has lit up the MLS, it doesn't scream greatness given the league he's performing in. Not to discredit the MLS because they've come a long way and it has become more and more competitive but when you've got a team like Busquets, Alba, Suarez and Messi you'd expect Inter Miami to blow that league apart. 

On 05/02/2025 at 15:20, Chris said:

It's very fine margins, but I think one downfall is how Messi is around world-class players

There's no disputing Messi's greatness but this has certainly helped Messi on his way to greatness by being surrounded by great players who made him look world class. 

On 05/02/2025 at 15:20, Chris said:

Ronaldo has often lifted his national team

Ronaldo has also been a detriment to his National team. Especially in the last 2 tournaments. Portugal without Ronaldo are a better team than Portugal with Ronaldo in their team. Most of this comes down to his ego. At times it often feels like players must go through him and not be able to do their own thing. 

As great as Messi and Ronaldo are, I'd place Diego Maradona above both of them in terms of greatest ever.

Twitter was my go to social media platform but due to the toxic feel of the platform I decided to leave a while ago. I have been tempted to go back on it but then I realise why I left it in the first place. Just like @liampie said, there are people on there just looking for reactions and it seems like that's all they're on there for rather than discussing, debating or having conversation. Also like @Chris said, people used the platform just to gain a following and often looked down on people with lesser followers which led to them mocking them just because of the lack of followers they had. 

Blue Sky has caught my interest about joining but when I first heard about it, I thought it was Twitter 2.0 but after reading some of the comments on this post, I might be tempted to join.

Is it still worth joining? It would be great to have a social media platform once again where you can engage with people without having the issues you quite often experience on twitter when it comes to commenting or posting. 

I think Paul Mace said what he said in the way that he said it to purposely get this sort of reaction and get people excited about the possibility that Langstaff could return. It would be great to see Langstaff return to the lane but it's doubtful that it is him. As everyone else is saying it could be Etete and I think that's the more likely. 

I would love Jatta to stay but maybe these comments along with the rumour of a "former Notts" striker coming in on loan could mean that there is something is in the works for Jatta to depart. 

@liampie had Vardy gone for the corner, Vicario was never gonna stop it and it was still a save that needed to be made. The build up play was good to watch. Against a team like Spurs who like to play a high line under Ange this was a way to exploit it. 

Got asked about Damian McCrory about a month or 2 ago by my Wife and Kids. They asked if I had heard of a footballer by the name of McCrory and it turns out he has a daughter that goes to the same school as my kids. Apparently, he's often there during pick up times. Don't think I've spotted him though, maybe I have but just didn't twig at the time. 

I'm not convinced from the camera angle. It looks as though there's a genuine attempt to play the ball but the ball was knocked past as the challenge came in. 

Even if players win the ball with a full blooded challenge these days, it's still deemed a foul. A player could win the ball cleanly after going in full blooded but if it causes a leg break, it's automatically seen as a red card offence despite being a great challenge. (not saying that the challenge shown in the video is this but in general)

Serious foul play should be a red card offence but only if there is genuinely an attempt from the challenging player to crunch another with the intentions of wiping them clean out and possibly causing serious injury.

It's amazing how there are people commenting on how we're going to finish mid table or lower this season and that the manager will be gone before christmas based on this pre-season friendly. From what I heard of the game, there were a few good signs especially from the trialists as @ARLukomski has highlighted. But what is key to note about this pre-season game is that, it's not just about performance it's about players get match fit and ready for the season ahead. 

Thought there was potential in the lad but I wish him all the best and hope the transfer works out for him, seems like it could be a good move. 

I've mentioned it before and I'll mention it again. There is no consistency with English weather. Last week, it was all t-shirt and shorts weather with windows wide open during the night, fans blowing and waking up at 5am to temperatures of 16 degrees. Then it all changes, rain falls weather drops and away with the shorts. There's still a warmness but not as much as there has been. 

The one thing about English weather is the unpredictability of it. 

Last week, it was suitable to wear a coat. This week, it's a t-shirt and shorts weather. Not that I'm complaining this is the type of weather I love tbf.

There's no slow change in temperature, it's either cold or hot. It doesn't gradually change between either one. 

Hopefully we see him potentially get more game time for Notts next season. It's about time he got given the opportunity. 

Promising praise from this tweet. 

Caught the highlights on YouTube during my lunch break today. Shambolic defending for all 3 goals. Especially the 3rd, no one seemed to be bothered in claiming the loose ball. 2 Gills players were basically battling each other to get on the end of the header sent back in. 

Post-match, I find it bizarre how criticism is being aimed at Stuart Maynard. Conceding goals in this nature, losing the way we did and having a frustrating night was happening before he even came into the club. 3 games in to his managerial reign, it's still gonna take a bit of time for him to slowly implement his way and move away from the old. 

It's been a horrible day in terms of the weather today. It wasn't a very pleasant cycle to work this morning. I left at 5.30 am and thought I was only going to be hit by rain but it wasn't rain, hail or snow. I wouldn't even say it was sleet. It was like sharp frozen rain drops, it comes keen when it comes into contact with cheeks. 

The weather didn't know what it was doing today. Sleet, Rain and a bit of heavy Snow. It was a whole mixture of things. 

I'm not a massive fan of cold weather but I'd take the minus temperatures we had a few weeks back over this cold & wet weather. Roll on Summertime. ????

Apparently they're predicting a part 2 of the beast from the east we witnessed in 2018. 

I listened to the game on the radio and from what I can gather, it didn't sound like the greatest game of football but Notts can feel very hard done to not to have got at least a point from the game. 

The referee didn't seem to have a good game either. Stal was gesturing for a card on one of the Mansfield players for a cynical foul, which is a bookable offence anyway, but also because it was apparently the 3rd time he had committed a foul. There was also claims for a penalty for a potential foul on Langstaff.

13 shots and just the 1 on target. That's a poor stat to have in a game. It sounded like we were getting there but no urgency to properly attack or make any sort of great chance to find an equaliser. The best of the bunch that I heard of on the radio was Jodi Jones hitting it over after capitalising on a mistake by a Mansfield player. 

Baldwin sounded like he had a very good game at the back. Stone also sounded like he did well between the sticks and made some good saves. 

It's not great losing to a rival like Mansfield but it's not as bad as the 4-1 defeat we suffered at Meadow Lane earlier on in the season I suppose.

Thought we had a better second half than we did first half. All the possession with no real options going forward. 

Second half, there was a little more forward thinking and chances got created. 

The referee had an absolute stinker.

Langstaff should have had a penalty when he was being grappled to the ground in the second half when it was pinball in the box.

50/50 challenges seemed to go more in favour for Barrow than us. 

As for the Jones incident mentioned in this thread, it was without doubt worthy of a red card. Breaking away and there was only one way that they were stopping him and they did it by swiping his legs from behind. People can claim "tactical foul" but this was more in the territory of endangering an opponent rather than stopping a dangerous attack by playing for a tactical foul.

Jones without doubt man of the match. Didzy looked good breaking away with the ball trying to make things happen. Baldwin had a solid game. Stone had a good game, especially when making that one on one save during the first half.