Joshua

At present, two of our defenders have experience in League Two and they appear to be of a higher standard. I’m hopeful that Stuart Maynard, given the trust placed in him, can bring out the best in all the players. We need individuals who are resilient, focused, and committed. In past seasons, it’s been suggested that we need players with more Non-League experience, but we’ve been successful with quality. This notion seems to be reiterated simply because it’s a convenient label.

As of now, I don’t have any firm plans. It’s likely that my day will unfold spontaneously. If the weather allows, I’d like to take a walk around Nottingham on Saturday, a routine I’ve been enjoying. I might visit The Embankment and Meadow Lane, provided it doesn’t rain. However, these are just thoughts and not concrete plans. What about you? What are your plans?

I find the recent topics widget quite impressive. When it used to malfunction, I thought something had gone seriously awry. However, a simple refresh would resolve the issue. I believe the enhancements are fantastic. It’s uplifting to witness such progress.

It’s truly heartbreaking to hear about Willie Carlin’s passing. I don’t know much about him as a player, as his era was before my time. However, reading these warm comments about him is quite touching. Rest in peace, Willie Carlin.

I’m pleased with the arrival. Although I don’t know much, his experience at this level and his reputation as a good defender suggest that the move to Meadow Lane will be successful. I believe we’ve signed two of the best possible options, so I’m very happy.

Notts gave him a great chance after he left Hartlepool. His mistake was being too ambitious because he moved around too much and never settled. I don't blame him for wanting to play at a higher level, but I think if he had stayed with us a few more seasons, he would have found better options to move forward. I'm glad he's still playing; he was a good player for us.

I am impressed that Notts managed to sign him. I think it's important that we started by focusing on the defence, and I hope he settles in well. Then, we can focus on finding a first-choice number one or competition for Sam Slocombe and Tiernan Brooks.

In my opinion, Archie Mair isn't up to the mark. Whenever the ball is played to his feet, I get anxious, fearing he might lose possession or inadvertently pass it to the opposition. Despite his heroic contributions at Wembley and during our promotion season, I believe we need a better player. Alex Bass could be a valuable addition, but I doubt he'll join us. Now, Tiernan Brooks has the opportunity to play regularly. I hope he gets the chance, and I wouldn't mind if we signed another young goalkeeper, especially since we still have Sam Slocombe for his experience.

I believe Notts already have a clear idea of their recruitment targets. Our recruitment strategy seems to be centred around monitoring player development and potential opportunities. While the Adam Senior project could be a promising signing, he's still relatively young. I'd prefer someone with more experience, a commanding presence, and a no-nonsense approach. An ideal candidate would be a young Connell Rawlinson who is adept both on and off the ball. As for Lewis Macari, he should be starting games alongside Kyle Cameron. Our defence could be bolstered if we manage to sign a tall defender who can effectively deal with set-piece threats, among other things I've mentioned.

Did anyone catch the Champions League semi-final match between Real Madrid and Bayern Munich? There were several instances where VAR was used, and I thought the officials handled it brilliantly. They were quicker and more decisive than the officials in the Premier League. I concur with earlier remarks that it's more about how VAR is utilised and put into practice. It could be a helpful tool for assistance, but problems arise when it's depended upon excessively.

Sunderland 1-0 Bristol City Watford 1-1 Preston North End Burton Albion 1-2 Oxford United Joker Charlton Athletic 1-0 Barnsley Bradford City 0-2 Gillingham Tranmere Rovers 1-0 Walsall Boreham Wood 2-2 Wealdstone York City 0-0 Eastleigh

With only five games left, it would be pleasant to end up in the middle of the table or slightly above. Given that we have more games away than at home, I believe we stand a good chance of securing some victories. It’s always a surprise to see how much better we perform on the road these days. I anticipate a tight game as they are familiar with our style of play, which could pose a challenge. However, if we dominate the attacks, I believe we have the quality to pull off a surprise. I have high hopes for Macaulay Langstaff and Alessandra Jata. Personally, I wouldn’t field David McGoldrick or John Bostock from the start as their performances have been problematic. Their brilliance hasn’t been on display for some time, and considering McGoldrick is likely our top earner, we should expect more from him. I believe we are more likely to see this if he comes off the bench in this game, rather than playing for 70 minutes.

The measures being implemented don’t seem to make sense. They are excessive and potentially threaten freedom of speech. While hate crime is a serious issue that needs addressing, the matters Scotland is pursuing don’t appear to be related to hate. It seems like a case of political correctness gone awry.

It is hoped that Rishi Sunak will soon become a forgotten figure, much like a humorous cartoon. The upcoming elections are likely not something he is eagerly anticipating. It is my hope that this time, people will cast their votes with wisdom.

Deciding who to recruit will be a challenging task for the board or those responsible. It seems clear that we need to part ways with certain players such as Aidan Stone, Will Randall, Connell Rawlinson, Geraldo Bajrami, Sam Slocombe, Tobi Adebayo-Rowling, Richard Brindley, and Jim O’Brien. Some of these players, like Richard Brindley who is a very good right back, might be retained if we were to change our formation. However, he doesn’t fit into a back three role and although he’s performed admirably at times, we seem to be pigeonholing him. Connell Rawlinson is a nice guy, but we should be aiming for better. His height is neither a benefit nor an advantage for us. He’s at a stage where he needs to rely on others or he will be exposed, and that’s not a sign of a player we can realistically progress with. We need to avoid reducing the squad too much, but ensure that we have depth and quality. Signings like Junior Morias and Will Randall are extremely wasteful, even though Morias appears to be a capable player who has performed well when given a chance.

I found the game enjoyable. MK Dons took their opportunities, even though they didn’t seem particularly impressive until they scored. Their goal was beautiful, but it was a pity that their player behaved so unprofessionally with his celebrations and antics. He should have been sent off, not just for that, but also for several fouls he committed during the game. I didn’t see them causing us any trouble, and I thought that us scoring a goal just before the end of the first half would give us a boost going into the second half. It seemed like the players had been spoken to, as they came out with more determination. I also disagree with Stuart Maynard. I thought we performed better in the second half than in the first, but overall it was a good performance. Aaron Nemane can be a shadow of himself, but when he gets into the game, he’s unstoppable. I wish Jodi Jones would work on his crossing, as many of them tend to be overhit and end up being wasteful. Adam Chicksen setting up Jatta was a real highlight. That was a great goal to celebrate. It was typical of Notts to collapse at crucial moments, with individual mistakes costing us the full amount of points. The players should take confidence from having played well against MK Dons, a team that believes they are much bigger than they actually are.

@True Magpie I agree with you. I believe the players will continue to perceive our ambition. We topped the table this season with significant momentum, but unfortunately, our defensive quality was lacking. When we were hit with injuries, it made things considerably harder. I can understand Macaulay Langstaff’s desire to challenge himself at a higher level. He has expressed contentment playing for Gateshead after being discovered playing with his friends. Yes, Notts showed interest in him, but I think the difference between us and Gateshead is our potential scalability with the right management and players. We could potentially be a Championship team one day. To lure Langstaff, they would have to be similar to us when he was in the Gateshead squad. Many Championship teams are very unpredictable due to the money spent, and it’s easy for a player to get lost. As for Jodi Jones, he clearly enjoys playing football. I believe he will have the mindset to stick with us as we strive to return to League One. Oxford United couldn’t bring out the best in him after he left Coventry City. He was very loyal to them, and he’s rediscovered a lot here. With the birth of his daughter, he might prefer to settle down and continue to enjoy his football.

What would be the benefit of dismissing Stuart Maynard at this moment? It wouldn’t resolve any issues for the club. Letting him go would only cause more disruption to the team. I think the board will give him another opportunity next season, once the squad has adapted to the players at his disposal. Indeed, a manager should be able to extract results from the current squad, but our defence has been lacking for several seasons now.

Clever and practical modifications have been made, and it’s gratifying to see how the new features are positively impacting our community.

A warm welcome to the Pride of Nottingham, @John Catling! We’re eager to see you participate.

This is a positive development that demonstrates the unity found in sports, not just football. It’s truly extraordinary to give Sven the opportunity to lead the team he supports.

I don’t envision the Reedtz wanting to dismiss Stuart Maynard. The club could resolve many of the issues by the beginning of the next season. This leaves us wondering if Maynard can handle league football. He displays comprehension, but his game management and decisions aren’t always brave enough or correct to alter the outcome of the match. I don’t wish to criticise Maynard, as I believe he will learn given the chance, but he needs to start showing progress.

I believe there’s a sense of fear and worry within the club, with the threat of relegation looming. However, I don’t think we’ll find ourselves in that situation. The points we’ve gathered in the first part of the season should suffice. I’m hopeful that things will start to fall into place for Stuart Maynard, as I see most of the problems stemming from the players themselves. The team’s morale seems to be low, and they’re struggling to finish games on a positive note. I believe our promotion last season and the unity it fostered helped us climb the table initially. Having someone who could bring out the best in players certainly helped, especially after the defeat on the opening day against Sutton. Notts has transitioned from a team that looked like they could beat anyone, to a team that’s fighting to draw, and then to a team that’s losing games, particularly ones where we start off well. If the players don’t believe they can win, that would be even more concerning. I’m very supportive of giving Stuart Maynard time, but the more we lose and the closer we get to the bottom of the League Two table, the more I think the club will be under pressure to make a decision. The playoffs are definitely off the table, but finishing mid-table or slightly above halfway is still possible if we pull ourselves together now. Getting out of slumps like this is tough, and losing games is hard. Winning can boost confidence and motivate players, but when the results are against you, it’s all about stopping the downward spiral and picking up whatever points are possible. Would sacking Maynard change this? I don’t think so. I believe it would lead to more problems.

This is going to be the first weekend where I have no plans at all. I won’t be at Notts and I haven’t scheduled anything for Saturday or Friday. The sun has made a few appearances today, so if the weather is good, I might venture into the city centre for a bit of exploration, perhaps take a stroll along The Embankment. Sunday is likely to be my day of rest. With no college assignments or work, I’ll be as free as a bird.

In my opinion, Notts needs to play intelligently. It was fascinating to observe how much ball possession Notts had in the match against Crawley. I don’t believe that having 80% or a high amount of possession is a bad thing, but Notts needs to utilise it more effectively. If we are taking risks to advance and consequently losing the ball more frequently, then so be it. Notts just needs to be more strategic in their approach to the game. I hope Sam Austin stays in the team, and I believe most players should start from the Crawley game. We need Jodi Jones to really push forward and attempt to take shots when the play opens up. This advice applies to all the players.