allardyces tash

Pride of Nottingham is one of the few places I actually look forward to visiting. Even when work's been a bit mad, I still enjoy popping on and seeing what's new. It's like a warm cuppa after a long day. There are loads of good posters sharing their thoughts, and it keeps the place lively. It's like a proper natter down the pub, only with fewer crisps and more football. Some of the newer members have slotted in so well, you'd think they were part of the furniture. Full of common sense too, which is a rare treat online. If we can tempt the quiet readers to join in, get them hooked like it's EastEnders in the nineties, then we’re onto a winner. The rest will take care of itself. You’ve got nothing to feel bad about, @Chris. The whole thing’s built on your effort and vision.

Stoke City 1-1 Birmingham City Wrexham 2-1 QPR AFC Wimbledon 2-0 Rotherham United Leyton Orient 1-0 Bolton Wanderers Bristol Rovers 2-1 Barrow Joker Fleetwood Town 1-1 Walsall Hartlepool United 2-1 Brackley Town Wealdstone 2-2 Gateshead

Matthew Dennis comes across as very modest, which is good to see. He seems to have the right mindset and looks focused on getting better. I liked how he laughed when asked how long his good form might last. It’s a bit of a silly question really, because so much depends on things he can't control. Of course he’ll want it to carry on for as long as possible. He fully deserves the Player of the Month award. I just hope the team keeps working hard to improve how we play, or at the very least keeps picking up wins.

He's done a great job scoring so many goals, and that fits the way Notts want to play. I’m not taking anything away from Matthew Dennis, especially after that solo goal which came from a clever assist by Kelle Roos. The striker position is one area where the Reedtz brothers have really got things right. Even though they tend to rely on just two or three forwards now, they’ve shown they know how to pick the right players. If you give a capable striker the chance to work hard and get into good positions, they will score goals. Dennis is a brilliant talent, and he should only improve as he settles in and gains more experience.

It's a strong record to hold, and it shows things are improving compared to the start of the season. Hopefully, more meaningful awards and achievements will follow soon. It’s a good sign that progress is being made.

Like I mentioned in the squad registration topic, there are signs pointing to a bigger plan. No major departures, space being cleared, and Paterson asking for new players all suggest January is the focus. Gagliardi leaving might be part of that, but it shouldn't cause too much disruption. It would help if the club explained the decision a bit more. Even if they don’t want to say too much, a little openness goes a long way with fans.

Gillingham won't want Notts to settle on the ball. I doubt they'll try to match our passing game either. I expect them to be more direct when creating chances, and they might see aerial balls as something we struggle with. It's been a weak spot for us at times. Notts are better at defending when the ball stays on the ground, so I imagine Gillingham will have done their homework. They'll likely focus on set pieces and crosses, trying to make the most of them. I hope Notts can avoid giving away easy corners, as Gillingham could really benefit from those. We need to keep up our recent form and protect the unbeaten run.

The club already seems to be planning ahead for January. They're freeing up registration spots and sending players out on loan, which suggests movement is expected. With Gagliardi leaving, it all lines up. I wonder if Paterson had a hand in this, especially after asking for reinforcements and not seeing much happen. Maybe Gagliardi was slow in parts of his role, and things boiled over, leading to his exit.

Lifeline has always been key to helping the club do things that might not be possible otherwise. It’s worth every bit of support. For those who can’t join, I believe there’s still a way to donate and help out. Every contribution makes a difference.

My blog carries on, and I want to make it clear that I’m using this tone to lighten the mood a bit. Things aren’t unknown right now, so I’m trying to keep it quirky and different. It’s how I try to stand out. Last time, I saw a comment on the PON Facebook page that was a bit disheartening. I just want to say, I write every word myself, not to have a dig at the club, but as a way to deal with things. It helps me cope.

Roberto Gagliardi’s reign at Notts: shorter than a queue for pies at half-time. New blog on the fallout.

Why is it that whenever things start looking vaguely positive for Notts County, the universe immediately slams the panic button? You’d think supporting the Magpies would come with a health warning by now. We’ve had 11 new arrivals, Curtis Edwards politely ushered out to Gateshead, Jack Hinchy turning up on loan market, and the midfield reinforced with what looks like a group discount at the “young loanee” section of the Football League. So far, so standard. But then the real curveball: Director of Football Roberto Gagliardi has left the club. By “mutual consent”, naturally, which in football-speak usually means “please go away quietly and don’t touch anything on your way out”. This all lands just five months after he arrived, complete with a fancy job title that started as “Head of Football” before someone decided “Director” sounded more important. The actual implication was simple: Martin Paterson runs the matchday show, while Gagliardi shuffles papers and pretends the loan market isn’t an elaborate version of speed dating. On paper, his CV looked sturdy enough: experience at Göztepe in Turkey, Portsmouth, and enough buzzwords about “wealth of experience” to fill a LinkedIn profile. But he was following Richard Montague, who had the annoying habit of actually signing players who fit the club’s style. Gagliardi, by contrast, seemed addicted to the loan system like a teenager hoarding free Spotify trials. What’s odd is how quickly he’s gone. This wasn’t some random stranger off the street; the Reedtz brothers knew him, worked with him, vouched for him. It should have been a neat fit. Instead, we’re left with the usual fanbase speculation buffet: did the Reedtz lose faith? Was it politics? Or did everyone simply realise, far too late, that it wasn’t working? He himself had said he wanted to work for people he believed in, praising the Reedtz for their patience and lack of emotion in decision-making. Which is a bit awkward now, since he’s lasted about as long as a Love Island couple after the cameras stop rolling. The timing doesn’t help either. Notts have started the season in a way best described as “patchy”. Pre-season included a jolly jaunt to Germany that, in hindsight, probably would’ve been more useful if spent in Nottingham making the players run up hills. Transfer targets may have slipped through the cracks, hence the sudden panic-buying of loans. The matches have been a mixed bag too. Newport looked promising but unlucky. Salford reminded us we can still be bullied. Barrow was like watching a balloon slowly deflate. Beating Shrewsbury 4-1 should’ve been a highlight, but felt more like we’d been gifted goals by a team that couldn’t pass water. Bromley was disappointing for entirely new reasons. And then, just when despair set in, wins against Tranmere and Fleetwood arrived, suggesting the squad is finally capable of lasting an entire 90 minutes without collapsing. Meanwhile, the Jatta saga added a touch of absurdity: ruled out with a “back spasm” one week, then reappearing after the club triggered a contract extension the next. Convenient timing, that. So yes, it feels like a transition period. Criticism of the Reedtz might be harsh, but there’s no denying that right now the whole thing feels like watching someone try to solve a Rubik’s Cube with oven gloves on. My focus, like everyone else’s, will always be on the pitch. But you can’t ignore the sense that behind the scenes, something isn’t quite clicking.

We need more questions and shorter answers. Right now, it’s the results and performances that should be doing the talking, not Martin Paterson trying to steer the post-match chat. He still sounds like a player, not a coach. That style doesn’t help when fans want clear insight into what’s happening. I think he’d be more open if the interviewer pushed him a bit more. Let him respond rather than lead the conversation. That way, we’d get a better sense of his honesty and how he really sees things. It would feel more natural and less rehearsed.

I feel like Curtis Edwards has caught us out twice. When he first arrived, there wasn’t much expectation, but he put in some good performances before getting injured. This season, he’s drifted out of the squad and ended up in the position many expected when he first signed. It’s a shame, because he did show promise early on. His time playing abroad seemed like it might bring something different to the team, but we never really saw that side of him. It didn’t translate into anything special on the pitch. I don’t think it’s all down to Edwards. It feels more like Notts have shifted focus. The club’s priorities have changed, and that’s left him behind.

He speaks more like a player than a manager. It feels like he’s still in the game himself, rather than guiding a group of individuals. I don’t find Martin Paterson very engaging to listen to. His comments are quite predictable. It’s similar to what most managers or head coaches say in football. They tend to stick to their usual way of thinking and don’t often say anything new. I do think he sometimes says things the wrong way. But I also believe he’d come across better if he was answering questions, rather than trying to control the message with long, planned responses. It’s not that he doesn’t know what he’s doing, but the way he speaks doesn’t always match the role he’s in. A bit more thought and a clearer style would help him connect better with fans.