Super_Danny_Allsopp

Ness was impressive. Calm and solid at the back. Bennets looked excellent, no idea why he vanished. Jarvis doing what he usually does - played well. Jaden Luker also looking very good. Should see all of these on the bench at a minimum Saturday and pushing to start.

This whole pre-season feels utterly flat. There is little to be excited about and the silence from the club is deafening. Club Media What happened? It seemed like our media team were right at the front of our progression under the brothers and offering fans many insights into the inner goings on in the club in addition to keeping us informed of developments. Now, we have silence. No dates even mentioned for the club home shirt. The away kit was released by UoN before the club. The Alfreton friendly was barely mentioned up to the game. The cold press releases for departing players are baffling. An end of season message from the owners announced - then ignored since. Has the department been reduced in terms of manpower? The clubs' media department and fan engagement has declined terribly. Recruitment Hardly inspiring, is it? Sell the clubs best attacking midfielder - no replacement. Sell the best keeper in the league - no replacement. Let the best player in the league go because you don't want to pay his wages - no replacement. The players we have signed, whilst seeming solid-enough, aren't filling anybody with confidence. True, we've not seen them play any competitive football - so we can't judge absolutely. However, they do not replace what we've lost in terms of quality. The current squad is objectively weaker than the one that started last season - and significantly at that. We're a couple of weeks away from our first game and we haven't got a goalkeeper on the books, bar some kid released from over the river. Then there's the injuries. We have to be a complete outlier in signing players that are currently crocked or have a history of long-term problems. Surely this costs the club financially, as the budget is spent on players that barely kick a ball. Have we seen this many trialists since the brothers acquired the club? Not since their first season after 'little Al' left us in a pickle. It doesn't point to a team with a data driven recruitment model - it points to a team scrambling around for players. Are we struggling to attract players? What is a factor in that - budget, head coach, head of recruitment? CEO and Head of Recruitment Gone are the days of Jason Turner (RIP) and his excellent communication and transparency with fans. Replaced with - who knows. Montague was lampooned by some of us fans at times, but he seems light years ahead of this new chap who comes with a dodgy reputation - and is so far living up to it. Then there's weird goings on with Peterborough cancelling friendlies only to then play MK Franchise on the same day we were supposed to play them. Odd behind closed doors friendlies that we are not informed about. Manager I'm willing to give anybody a chance. Clearly Paterson impressed in the interviews or which ever metric they are applying. However, it was hardly an inspiring appointment given other options available. This isn't enough to be a downer on its own, we've appointed managers before who were not inspiring at the time - Luke Williams being one - but combined with the rest of the clouds gathering over the club, the manager appointment feels like a contributing factor. There is a general malaise affecting the club right now - or at least it appears so from the outside. I fear for the coming season if something doesn't change quickly. COYP

I think MK Dons said exactly the same thing we are experiencing - nobody really knows what he does. If you take a Jones out the side - you can tell. "We're missing Jody". If you take Grant out, nobody notices. Hopefully the new gaffer can get him actually influencing play a little bit.

Is it too much to ask for 'no red'.

Somebody really needs to give the Notts Media team a good kick up the backside. The away kit has been released by UoN before Notts Media team.

Mark Fotheringham. No? 🤣

Pressure is definitely on now for this transfer window. Replace the leagues best keeper. (Bass) Replace the leagues best player (Didzy) Replace one of the leagues best midfielders (Crowley). That's just to bring us on par with the quality we had last season. 0 out of 3 thus far. Tick tock

A bit surprising. Was promoted well and clearly valued. Perhaps he got a bit above his pay grade and thought that after applying for the top job and not getting it / not being kept on as assistant, he wanted to leave.

That is Fullerton-esque. Totally underwhelming signings, totally underwhelming head coach. This club is going backwards.

Little bit concerning. Not deemed good enough for NL York?

I'm not normally one to knock new signings, but.... A mega part of last season was our injury record. So far we keep signing players who are treatment room specialists or are currently crook!

If football manager is anything to go by - you can appoint as many foreign staff and the visas always get accepted. Have to wait a couple of weeks though. It is FM though.

I'm relieved. Wish Maynard all the best in whatever is next, but his football was incredibly boring to watch. The players looked completely lost and lacking any direction or belief in the system they were being asked to play.

Who would you keep or Release, regardless of contractual status? Bass - Keep Slocombe - Release Miller - No idea, another weird signing. Platt - Keep Bedau - Keep Macari - Keep Gordon - Release Tsaroulla - Keep Chicksen - Release Cameron - Release Ness - Keep Cundy - Release McDonald - Release Jones - Keep Palmer - Keep Robertson - Release, too injury prone Grant - Release Whitaker - Release Jarvis - Keep Abbott - I'd love to, but he's outgrown us. Edwards - Release Jatta - Keep Didzy - Keep Morias - Release Traore - Release

As we all expected and the answer was definitive. No.