CliftonMagpie

Neither are correct, sorry Tone!

Round 17: Clue: Born and bred in England, I am versatile on the pitch, capable of playing as a forward or an inverted winger. I am a product of my hometown’s academy and have had numerous appearances throughout my career. The pinnacle of my experience has been playing in League One. Upon my arrival at Notts County, I was hailed as a significant signing.

I can’t really provide a definitive comment on that. I’m certain the club was functioning before 1864, as we’re recognised as being established in 1862. However, to my understanding, there wasn’t any official system in place until clubs began to register. I’m not sure if professional clubs needed to be affiliated with a cricket or other sports team to be classified as professional. I presume there were discussions beforehand, and 1864 was when most groups started to unite to form teams. This likely paved the way for the league to start in 1888. I can’t imagine people forming a club and then not playing for years. It was probably amateur or even just a group of forward-thinking individuals interested in establishing our club.

Best of luck to Alan Sheehan. I wasn’t aware of his activities since retirement, but I’ve always thought he would make a good coach, assistant, or manager someday. I hope he gets the opportunity to manage a team properly at some point.

I’ll be posting a new round tomorrow, sometime between 2 and 4. It’s more likely to be closer to 4, so make sure to check in at 2. If I haven’t posted within about half an hour, it will be closer to 4.

I believe the main problem is that no one could pass effectively. Yes, we could exchange a few passes, move around, and get into a good position, but Notts were hindered by a tendency to go backwards. That’s the issue, it shifts all the thinking onto our defence, and teams are realising all they have to do is mark and press. Then we start making poor decisions and end up losing possession. The defenders are already panicking or aren’t as focused as we need. Then they score, which I thought was very poor. Aidan Stone did very little wrong, his kicking wasn’t great at times, but I want to see more movement, more desire, and more forward-thinking when it comes to attacking. We could have easily beaten Walsall had we not underperformed. Notts were shocking in the second half, and saying we underperformed is a massive understatement as we simply didn’t perform at all.

Apologies for the inconsistency. I intend to continue this, but I’ll be posting rounds as they conclude, rather than committing to two rounds per week. The next round will start promptly after the previous one ends. This was meant to be a bit of fun, but I admit I haven’t managed it as well as I could have. I hope @Fan of Big Tone, @super_ram, @Fozzy, @menzinho, @liampie, @Piethagoram, and others will participate. As promised, I’ll ensure to communicate when the next round will commence. Are you all still interested?

I’ve noticed PON sharing this historical tidbit. I can see why the average fan might be confused, as they probably don’t research and just assume our formation date was 1862 when it was actually 1864. Even the plaque outside the Mercury Hotel is somewhat misleading.

All we desire is for Notts to truly show their skills in a strong display where they battle every second. It’s a great opportunity to gain points, but we must be mindful of our strategy against Walsall and ensure we put in more effort.

Now that I understand the current agreement better, I think it’s fine because it allows us to grow. I wonder what would happen if Notts tried to buy land around the ground for further work. I hope Meadow Lane remains a traditional four-stand stadium. If we move up the leagues and attendance increases, we might need some work done.

I feel we might underestimate Walsall, and they could surprise us. They have several good players and a tall squad. They just haven’t clicked yet. I don’t know much about the club’s background or if they have issues with recruitment or money, but I expect them to come prepared to Meadow Lane.

The Skipper, Kyle Cameron, spoke honestly in his pre-match interview. He shared his feelings and how the team has been working on their defence. I think they’ve been training hard. The interview with Luke Williams was earlier than usual, maybe because they wanted to focus more on this area. I think the Skipper did well.

I wish Luke Williams keeps on introducing young players. We should aim to shape these players for first team roles. Teams like Crewe have done well in the past by knowing their needs, like a left winger. I believe we are about three seasons away from seeing a youth player take on a part-time role in our first team. We just need one player to pave the way and show it’s worthwhile.

Our community is lively and dynamic, and we always welcome back former members. It’s unfortunate when they leave, but that’s part of life. We continue to meet new people, but I’d be thrilled to see some of the names @liampie mentioned return. If they can spare the time, I’m confident they’d feel right at home again on PON.

It’s disappointing, but I hope the players can move beyond this. We have the league to focus on, which is crucial at this stage. Dare I say, maybe we should have considered postponing the match? But in hindsight, it was best to get it over with.

What a fantastic goal from Junior Morias, it was such a joy to see him score his first goal for us. His celebration showed just how much it meant to him. The team’s reaction to celebrate with him was heartwarming, truly a special moment.

I saw his post-match interview, and his evident pleasure really struck me. This article conveys that as well. If Jim is reading this - I admire your passion and hope you join Notts’ youth setup. We’ll find a way to improve your deal with Sheffield United, just let us know what you need.

Dan Crowley played a crucial role, and David McGoldrick also deserves a lot of credit for his tireless work to overcome the early setback. I don’t think Sam Slocombe or many other goalkeepers could have done anything about Adam Campbell’s well-aimed shot. It was just too well hit, but our goals were just as impressive, I believe.

It’s great to have Adam Chicksen back, but it’s difficult to know where he’ll fit in and when Luke Williams will give him the time to settle in. Out wide, he poses a good threat and adds another potential scorer to our team. In defence, he can do the job, but in my opinion, he’s less effective.

Lovely, talk about living in comfort with endless riches. Water bills are going up? What’s next?

I don’t think we need to worry. I believe we’ll win some, lose others, and draw elsewhere. I just hope we can regain our form because when we’re on a winning or undefeated streak, we seem to be a completely different team. We could be better defensively, but that’s lower league English football for you. Crawley is a decent team at this level, but I don’t fear any team at home.

Mark Stallard makes a valid point, and I don’t think he’s far off. It all comes down to having a true leader in defence. This could make a significant difference, just like the signing of Aden Baldwin did. If we can achieve this in January, we may see improvements. But even if we don’t, we should still be strong enough for at least the playoffs.

Notts let me down yesterday, but they redeemed themselves with the comeback. For a short while, I think we showed AFC Wimbledon why we’re a strong team at this level. If Crowley hadn’t handed them their second penalty, I believe we could have secured a point and possibly even snatched a win.

When we were relegated from League Two and he was available as a free agent, I had hoped he would return to Meadow Lane. I still believe he could have been a significant asset for us, serving as a mentor for others. The 09/10 season, up until the point he left for Derby, was one of the most enjoyable periods I’ve had supporting the club. It feels like those times now, but it’s easier to embrace because there’s no off-field drama.

It demonstrates what it’s like to work for a manager who not only participates in training but also knows how to bring out the best in players in a clear and practical way. I believe most fans feel fortunate to have John Bostock as part of our team.