CliftonMagpie

Tranmere are one of those sides you can never quite predict. They look decent on paper but often play poorly. You think we’ll walk all over them, and then they make us fight just to scrape a point. There’s no guarantee we’ll start well or even look convincing enough to deserve anything, especially with all the changes going on. I’d love to think we could win, or at least nick a draw, but I believe Rovers will give us more trouble than we’ll give them. Still, I’m hoping Conor Grant, Jodi Jones, Matt Palmer and the rest step up, because we’ve got a squad that can give the travelling fans something to cheer about.

I appreciate the concern, mate. I'm still finding my feet, literally but I’ll feel more like myself soon. It’s all new to me, and most of my focus is on finding the right job. I’ll be back watching Notts away before long, so no need to worry about that.

Rest in peace, Steve Thompson. May you sleep peacefully, and may your memory live on through the clubs you played for and the fans who remember you.

Norwich City 1-0 Middlesbrough Sheffield United 1-1 Millwall Bolton Wanderers 2-1 Lincoln City Joker Mansfield Town 2-0 Leyton Orient Fleetwood Town 2-1 Oldham Athletic Gillingham 1-2 Crewe Alexandra Halifax Town 3-0 Forest Green Rovers Sutton United 1-1 Scunthorpe United

It was a good response after the Barrow game, and a solid win at Meadow Lane. There’s still plenty we can improve on. Performances from Notts have often been like this, either a strong first half or a better second. Yesterday felt more balanced, with a good spell across most of the match. I think the passing will get sharper with more games and training. I’m not too worried, but we’ll need to raise our level against stronger or better organised teams. No offence to Shrewsbury Town, but they were poor. They had a few decent moments, but their defending was all over the place.

I voted for Nick Tsaroulla. I always make sure to think about my choice and vote before reading what others have said. It speaks volumes that he’s picked up so many votes and positive comments. It also shows he’s put in the work during his time out, keeping fit and staying ready to step back in.

The Reedtz brothers seem to be thinking long-term. Our coaching team is already bigger than most in League Two, just like it was in the National League. That means more wages, but I think it’s a good sign. They’re also working on the infrastructure now, which should help us stay on track when we do go up. I see it as a chance to build and invest early, rather than fall behind by only focusing on the pitch and signings. A balanced approach should lead to more steady success. If we don’t have the right setup, we’ll end up stuck between spending on players or improving the club’s facilities to boost its reputation and quality. Doing both at League One level might work, but I can’t see it being enough in the Championship if we only invest in the squad.

I don’t mind the weather at the moment. It’s much cooler than those heatwaves we had, and now and then the sun does show itself. I applied for a new job today. My last one let me go after I went over their limit for time off. I’m not too fussed, work is work, and I just want to get back into a normal routine. I feel a lot better mentally, though I still have days where I question things.

Huddersfield Town 3-1 Doncaster Rovers Luton Town 1-2 Wigan Athletic Stockport County 1-2 Bradford City Colchester United 0-1 Cambridge United Joker Gillingham 0-0 Chesterfield Harrogate Town 2-0 Barrow Altrincham 1-2 Hartlepool United Woking 3-1 Wealdstone

Preston North End 2-1 Leicester City Swansea City 1-2 Sheffield United Leyton Orient 1-1 Stockport County Reading 3-1 AFC Wimbledon Joker Barnet 0-2 Walsall Tranmere Rovers 2-2 Gillingham Aldershot 3-0 Boston United Hartlepool United 2-1 Braintree Town

I wish Riley Reynolds all the best with his loan move. He should be able to build on last season and really push on from here. I don’t mind that he’s going back to Kidderminster. They clearly rate him and are helping us out by giving him some first team experience. As for the club possibly selling him, I don’t think it’s very likely. I believe Reynolds and James Sanderson are both being prepared for the first team, as long as we’ve got a head coach who’s willing to give them a chance.

I wouldn’t change anything myself, but I think it’s great that you can. I really appreciate you taking the time to explain it. The popup message isn’t as annoying as the one on the official site. It’s a good way to make sure people read important content. With how many members have seen it by now, I thought more would have interacted with it. Hopefully lots of people will like having control over how the content on PON is displayed.

How different would it be if we had someone who could let Matthew Dennis play off them? I think sometimes we need to be more attacking, drop the single striker, and go with two up front, even if one of them has the freedom we often see from Jodi Jones. We didn’t create many chances, and our passing wasn’t great. We kept putting ourselves in areas where we’d either lose the ball to a throw-in or get crowded out by Salford players. There were a lot of new faces, and I don’t think they’ve quite settled yet. But I hope the spark we saw near the end can be built on in future games. Notts really needs to think about whether we’ve got someone who can lead the line on their own while Alassana Jatta is out.

Keanan Bennetts gets my vote. I thought he did alright in the first half. His defending isn’t the best, and that’s something that could be improved in training. But going forward, he looked sharp. We need to make sure there are options in the box when we break forward, but I felt Bennetts did very well overall.

Jacob Bedeau and Matty Platt are clearly in the mix for team selection, but I thought Sonny Aljofree was the standout. Platt made some key tackles, and while his yellow card came from a poor challenge, he did his job. Bedeau looked off at times and a bit clumsy. He can be brilliant, or he can be shaky and yesterday he was shaky. Defensively, we let Salford take control even though we had the ball. The midfield needs to pick it up and show more urgency going forward. We weren’t sharp when it came to countering, and I hope Martin Paterson sees that we need to bring more energy.

Oxford United 2-1 Portsmouth Stoke City 0-0 Derby County Exeter City 2-2 Blackpool Mansfield Town 1-1 Doncaster Rovers Gillingham 1-2 Walsall Oldham Athletic 2-1 Colchester United Joker Tamworth 1-0 Scunthorpe United Wealdstone 3-1 Truro City

I want Jodi to enjoy his football, because that’s when he plays at his best. Moving further up the pitch is almost like reinventing himself at Notts again. He came here and made a massive difference. His ability out wide has been a joy to watch. There’s always that risk he could be clattered, which might lead to a long injury. He won’t want to miss football, but I’m sure he’ll still get assists. He’ll probably be in a position where he could score as well. I’m looking forward to watching tomorrow’s game.

I thought we were really unlucky to go behind. We were clearly the better side, and Notts just needed to be a bit sharper with the final ball. On another day, a couple of those chances would’ve gone in. I would’ve liked to see a bit more fight in the second half, but I get it, going 1-0 down like that can knock the wind out of you. It’s hard to keep confidence up after that.

I think the club is being careful with the budget so we can strengthen properly in January. It’s like building up a bit of a war chest, ready to fix any problems later on without affecting the start of the season. The loan deals seem smart, and it looks like we’re paying part of the players’ wages, which might use up some of the wage budget. I reckon the reason we haven’t spent money on signings yet is because we’re saving it for a proper go in January. This new lad sounds like a real talent, and having more depth in midfield is a good thing, as long as players get minutes and there’s some rotation.

I think Bristol Rovers will find it hard to settle in League Two. I don’t see them making the playoffs. MK Dons should do better, but I think 3rd place is about right for them. If we get off to a good start, I think we could finish 2nd. But to be on the safe side, I’d say 5th is more likely. Walsall should be in the playoffs too, and I’d expect Chesterfield to be up there as well. I don’t think Grimsby will make the playoffs. Salford City have made some strong signings, I’d put money on them to win the league. Colchester and Cambridge United should be in the mix for the playoffs. I think Oldham and Cheltenham will go down.

Martin Paterson gave a very good interview. I would have liked the media to push back a little when he refused to answer certain questions. I respect that he doesn’t want to talk about promotion and would rather let the football do the talking, but sometimes it’s okay to press a bit. There are polite ways to phrase things from his point of view, like saying he’s confident but will take it game by game, and after a few matches he’d hope to be in the top four and pushing higher.

Is he a striker or does he play out wide? If he’s a striker, he’s not kept up with scoring. I remember reading that he was one of the club’s top scorers at youth level. He really needs to push on with his career. Best of luck to him.

I don’t like it when newly promoted teams complain about how expensive the step up is or say things are overpriced. Compared to what, League Two? It doesn’t make much sense unless they’re trying to set up excuses early. They should stay positive and get on with it. It sounds like they wanted other players but settled for cheaper ones. What would their new signings think? Maybe they should have asked for more wages.

I really hope Jodi stays fit for most, if not all, of the season. We do miss him when he’s not playing. Trying him in an attacking midfield role is a smart move. It gives him some freedom, like others have said, but also offers a bit of protection. The main thing is that he enjoys his football. Helping the team by scoring, assisting and playing well will make a big difference. There’s nothing stopping Jodi from drifting wide to put a cross in or making a run into space for a shot. He’ll be different to David McGoldrick, but I think the role suits him. It’s more about him getting his confidence back and letting go of the fear of another injury. I’m sure he still hesitates at times when he’s on the ball. There were a few moments against Cardiff where he looked unsure, so moving him into a new role could help both him and the team.

Newport County might not be the strongest side, but we shouldn’t underestimate them. They play well as a team and can cause problems if we’re not careful. If we lose focus or switch off at the back, it could cost us. I’m sure Martin Paterson will set us up to control the game, and I do think we’ll create chances that trouble them. It’s the first game, though, and that makes it tricky. What’s on paper doesn’t mean much. We need to be sharp in front of goal and defend with courage to get the job done.