Countyman

When you see owners wipe off over ten million pounds of debt, it’s clear they’re committed. It doesn’t mean the club has suddenly made money, and I like that they’ve been upfront about that, but it does mean the balance sheet is far stronger. That could make a big difference if we want to borrow responsibly in the future or even just to give the club some breathing space. I also think it’s a good sign that they’re willing to invest further if needed. They’ve been measured since day one, and this move shows they are thinking about the long-term picture rather than short-term gains.

Ipswich Town 1-0 Portsmouth Watford 0-0 Hull City Burton Albion 2-2 Plymouth Argyle Mansfield Town 0-0 Rotherham United Bristol Rovers 0-0 Salford City Crawley Town 1-2 Barrow Halifax Town 1-2 Aldershot Truro City 2-1 Morecambe Joker

Blackburn Rovers 0-0 Ipswich Town Sheffield United 1-1 Charlton Athletic Cardiff City 1-1 Bradford City Wycombe Wanderers 2-0 Northampton Town Joker Bromley 1-2 Chesterfield Salford City 2-1 Swindon Town Altrincham 1-2 Carlisle United Tamworth 1-2 Yeovil Town

Martin Paterson has the right approach with Matthew Dennis. Strikers get the headlines, but the whole team creates the platform. The way he linked Dennis’ success to the squad shows he sees football as a collective game. You can also sense that Paterson is pushing Dennis to keep improving, rather than letting him settle. That’s the right way to handle a player in form. His mention of filming training and encouraging players to work individually stood out. Twelve staying behind after the session suggests there’s a strong mentality building. This kind of detail makes me believe Paterson is laying proper foundations. Gillingham away will be a huge test, but the preparation feels like it’s in the right place.

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

Rod McDonald fully deserves the Man of the Match award against Fleetwood Town. Since joining the squad in Matty Platt's absence, he’s brought a strong and steady presence at the back. He’s no longer just a back-up or fringe player, he’s playing like someone who belongs in the starting eleven. He gets my vote without question. His performances have been consistently good, and right now I think his role is the most important in the team. That might surprise a few people, but his leadership and the way he organises the defence stands out more to me than Jacob Bedeau’s work. That said, he fits in well alongside Bedeau and young Sonny Aljofree. The three of them seem to complement each other, and McDonald’s experience helps bring balance to the back line.

Matt Dennis is beginning to show real signs of being a natural finisher. His goal was taken with calmness and confidence, and while it wasn’t the easiest of chances, he made it look simple. Alassana Jatta deserves credit too, his physical presence and quick bursts of pace caused all sorts of problems for Fleetwood’s defence. For a first start, he didn’t look out of place at all. It was unfortunate that Jatta had to come off, as he’d made a strong impact. You get the feeling we might have found another goal if he’d stayed on. At the back, the team looked steady. Kelle Roos made a couple of key saves in the first half, and the defence held firm after the break. It wasn’t the most polished performance, but it was effective, and the result was well earned. There’s a brighter feel about the squad now. Players seem more settled, and the new signings are starting to gel. You can see the work being done on the training ground is paying off, there’s more shape, more understanding, and a growing sense of belief. It’s encouraging to see things coming together.

Matt Dennis is starting to look like a proper poacher. The way he took his chance showed a lot of confidence and composure. That was not an easy finish, but he made it look straightforward. Alassana Jatta played a big part too, and for his first start he showed strength and pace that gave Fleetwood defenders real problems. It is a shame he went off, but he left a positive impression. We might have scored a second if he had stayed on. Defensively, we were solid overall. Roos kept us in it during the first half, and the back three stuck to their task well in the second. It was not pretty at times, but a good win.

Bolton Wanderers 2-1 AFC Wimbledon Doncaster Rovers 1-1 Bradford City Cambridge United 1-0 Oldham Athletic Salford City 2-0 Tranmere Rovers Walsall 1-1 Chesterfield Forest Green Rovers 2-0 Hartlepool United Tamworth 1-1 Eastleigh Yeovil Town 1-0 York City Joker

Blackburn Rovers 3-1 Norwich City Watford 2-1 Southampton Barnsley 1-1 Huddersfield Town Wigan Athletic 1-0 Stockport County Barnet 0-2 Colchester United Joker Bromley 1-1 Harrogate Town Hartlepool United 0-1 Boreham Wood Morecambe 1-0 Woking

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

The back line really stood up to the task and deserves recognition. Rod McDonald was dependable throughout, Jacob Bedeau stuck to the basics and kept things tidy, while Sonny Aljofree not only found the net but put in a strong shift defensively. Kelle Roos pulled off a crucial save at 2–1 that arguably kept the momentum from swinging, moments like that are just as vital as goals. The overall shape worked well, especially with Matt Palmer shielding the defence, which helped us disrupt Shrewsbury’s rhythm. It was also encouraging to see Kellan Gordon and Tyrese Hall come on and make a difference late in the game. Their energy and involvement showed we’ve got depth and flexibility when matches start to stretch. Having players who can influence things from the bench is a real asset, and it bodes well for the tougher fixtures ahead.

Thought the defence deserves a lot of credit. McDonald was solid, Bedeau kept things simple and Aljofree not only scored but defended well too. Roos made one excellent save that stopped the game turning at 2–1 and that’s just as important as scoring at the other end. The shape looked right with Palmer in front of the back three and it helped us break Shrewsbury’s play up. Nice to see Gordon and Hall making an impact off the bench as well, as it shows we’ve got options when games open up late on.

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

I don’t think he pushes himself enough because of his mental health, but the main thing is his happiness and the joy he gets from playing football. Carlisle should have allowed him to go with a free mind, as that would have been in keeping with what we did. Good luck to him, he’s far better than that level.

Something needs to change, and our fortunes could improve with a win today. Performances are one thing, but being gritty enough to win helps when the start of the season hasn’t quite got off to a good start. I’m not worried. I think a win is around the corner.

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

This feels like a proper head coach’s mindset. The bit that stands out to me is how much importance Paterson puts on preparation and competition. Saying it’s “open season” after the Newport result is brilliant because it tells the squad that no one is safe if they don’t perform. I think that’s how you keep standards high over a long season. It’s also good to see that new signings like Tyrese Hall are making an impact in training already. Salford are no pushovers and Paterson clearly respects that, but the fact he’s kept the main focus on Notts is a good sign. We can’t control how they play, only how we do.

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

Bradford City 1-2 Wycombe Wanderers Doncaster Rovers 0-0 Exeter City Lincoln City 1-2 Reading Plymouth Argyle 1-1 Barnsley Barnet 0-0 Fleetwood Town Cambridge United 2-1 Cheltenham Town (Joker) Grimsby Town 0-0 Crawley Town Walsall 1-1 Swindon Town

Hello, welcome to PON. It's good to be saying hello to you @theAnticlough. It's great to see you joining in already.

Hello, welcome to PON. It's good to be saying hello to you @Triton 61. Do you support Notts?

I wish the club would release the video of Martin Paterson’s post-match comments, rather than just writing their version of events. There are some daft comments backing Paterson for being honest. I get it, but let’s be realistic - we were never going to be that competitive against a second division German side. Cardiff will be a tough game, so losing here and having no momentum isn’t the worst thing. We made a few chances. What’s with all the sudden criticism of Matt Palmer?

The two features that have come back are great. I always head straight to the front page first, then check the dashboard to see what’s new. I take a quick look at the forum index and dip into a few sections to make sure I haven’t missed anything. It’s become part of the routine now. Seeing who’s viewing each topic is a brilliant touch. It’s a nice extra since the upgrade and could help keep people interested. They might stick around longer in case someone replies. It’s a solid improvement all round. Nicely done!

Welcome to the Pride of Nottingham, as you can see the community are pleased you joined us. See you around, @Daisy-Mae.