Joshua

Dan Crowley, despite some dips in form, has been the standout player on the pitch from an overall perspective. This season, fewer players deserve to be in contention, but I believe Crowley is by far the most consistent. He gets involved defensively, and while he has committed a few silly fouls, these are rare. He’s skilled at retaining possession and utilising the ball effectively. Jodi Jones is a reasonable choice, but in my opinion, he can be quite inconsistent. We depend on his assists and moments of brilliance, rather than seeing a consistently high standard most of the time.

As a manager or head coach, you have to be cautious about certain decisions. I wouldn’t entirely blame Maynard, but there’s a point to be made. Robertson came with a fiery reputation, and if you see players losing their cool in games, it’s best to substitute them. The sending off was Robertson’s fault, and it turned the result against us. However, Maynard might need to consider these situations. If several players are already on a yellow card, it’s harder to decide who to take off to avoid suspensions. If you leave someone on who has a yellow card, then you risk them being sent off. Notts had three players on a yellow card: Robertson, O’Brien, and Slocombe. O’Brien is experienced enough to ensure he won’t be sent off, despite his physical style of play. Slocombe wasn’t likely to see red. Robertson, being young and fiery, always seemed a risk that would warrant a tactical decision to take him out of the game. Crawley had five yellow cards. Forster and Gordon, who both looked highly likely to receive another card, were taken out of the game. Lolos and Mukena remained, and then Maguire received a yellow card after coming on. I repeat, I wouldn’t completely point the finger at Maynard, but it’s a fair argument that we should have considered substituting Robertson.

Torquay made a hefty investment before we snatched their top players for our own promotion drive. I believe that’s a huge risk, and it makes me appreciate our own owners who cautiously financed the club’s advancement after the turmoil caused by our last two owners. Clubs should spend within their budget, fans need to consider this, and if people truly cared about their football, they would make a sensible decision. Sadly, some owners seek immediate success with a gamble, and fans are all too eager to support it.

Scott Robertson’s dismissal was a big blow to Notts, whether he deserved the second yellow card or not. In his position, he needs to be cautious. Some blame might fall on Stuart Maynard for not substituting him, but who else do we have who can fill this role without it being a weak spot? It could be argued that whoever replaced him could have been targeted for being out of position. That’s why we need a larger squad with more depth. It’s very disappointing, but I’m happy for Sam Austin. He’s earned his spot and has been patient. Right now, he seems to be a threat to the opposition and adds a positive dimension to our game.

It’s easy to criticise players when they’re not performing well and the disappointing results are accumulating, but it’s refreshing to see such positive tweets emphasising a player’s effort in a game that might not have gone as expected. On the field, no position is more scrutinised than the goalkeeper. I believe each of our goalkeepers has the potential to excel and also bring different styles to the table. Sam Slocombe has performed well since his return to action. His experience provides us with a slight edge at a time when we’re chasing points. While every player on the pitch can make an error, it’s usually the goalkeeper who bears the brunt of it all. Personally, I don’t mind having Sam Slocombe in goal. I think there are valid points to play either him or Aidan Stone. I personally believe Stone is better at distribution and command. Both are excellent at stopping shots. The downside for Stone is his confidence; once he’s beaten by the opposition, he can falter, but that’s something he can overcome with experience. It’s not that he doesn’t make some good saves after conceding, it’s just that it’s highly likely more will follow. Would we be in a better position if Luke Williams had stayed? I don’t believe there would be a significant difference. Luke Williams didn’t demonstrate any ability to rectify the flaws. He was excellent at bringing out the best in the players, motivating and inspiring them, but the downturn started well before he left Notts. While we might not be experiencing a series of losses as disheartening as we are now, I don’t think we would be any better off if Williams had stayed. Is this a call for reason or just wishful thinking? I’m inclined to agree with this statement, although Stuart Maynard isn’t doing himself any favours with his in-game decisions. I’ve noticed that he’s tried much of what the community has asked for, from changing the formation to giving other players a chance, and I think consistency is crucial from here on out. There are many issues, but blaming Maynard for everything seems wrong to me. I acknowledge that the team’s form doesn’t make it easy to support him, but this campaign is crucial for learning. Any mistake should be a learning opportunity, and this period could aid Maynard in his development as a manager. Assuming he manages to retain the board’s support, as currently, I can only see him losing support, which saddens me because I feel the club as a whole needs a bit of faith to turn things around. Is this a hope for learning and improvement, or simply a preparation for giving someone else the opportunity to settle with the squad ahead of a new campaign? Personally, I’m against the idea of sacking Stuart Maynard. It would appear as a weak appointment if the Notts board decided to dismiss him after offering him a three-and-a-half-year deal. However, I can understand the club’s perspective in wanting to give someone else the chance to prepare the squad for a new campaign. I believe Maynard would improve given time. He should be aware of what’s holding us back, something the recruitment decision-makers clearly don’t understand, at least not before Maynard joined the club. An experienced centre-back was crucial, and we focused too much on signing a player that was hyped by the media team for a transfer fee of £150,000, which could have been better spent on improving the defence. Alassana Jatta should be ready for next season, but until then, I can’t see him making much of an impact. We need to consider what to do with Will Randall and Junior Morias, two signings who have barely featured and show no signs of being considered for starting games. Ideally, going into next season, we should strengthen the defence, sign players to provide depth, ensure quality is available on the bench in all departments, and abandon the idea of having a small squad. We need cover. If players aren’t being played, they are either not considered good enough or should be loaned out so they can play competitive football with the mindset of recalling them if needed. Follow me on x.com (Twitter) at @20JOSHUA04, please subscribe to my blog here if you liked it and ensure you opt to receive alerts on any upcoming posts.

When I was invited to become a moderator and accepted, I felt not only proud to be asked but also motivated to make a difference, so I joined Twitter. I mainly retweet and comment, I’m not the most active user, but it’s a good platform to connect with fans. It’s more about motivation for me. However, I’ve mentioned in my Twitter bio that I’m a moderator, in the hope that fans will see it and consider visiting the site. If you’re a fan of PON, one way to show your support is by adding the Pride of Nottingham’s social media account to your own socials. You could even leave a comment suggesting others to visit the site. If you don’t have a website, you might consider linking to your own profile or to the community. It’s crucial to attract more visitors to the site. I understand not everyone will do this, but I’d recommend it. It’s a common practice among people my age to recognise the communities they’re part of.

It’s encouraging to hear that he’s returned to training more closely with the team and has resumed outdoor training. This is a significant progress in his recovery from injury, and I hope the team can gain a lift from having him around the camp and training regularly.

Welcome to the Pride of Nottingham. We are a friendly group, so don't be afraid to say hello yourself.

We haven’t had a stable team this season. Yes, injuries can be cited as a reason, but we seem to switch goalkeepers on a whim or to keep the other content. The back three hasn’t been consistent enough, and the wing-backs are barely involved in defending. Some recent elements have been good, but they’re not sufficient. We rely on playing John Bostock even when his form is poor. Similarly, with David McGoldrick at his age, you’d want to see him utilised for the impact and quality he brings. He’s a good player, even now, but we’ve overused him, and it showed in some of the home games before his injury. Yes, I started off by saying we haven’t settled the squad, but sometimes smart changes are needed. While incidents involving Matt Palmer, Cedwyn Scott, etc., were all freak occurrences, I can’t help but feel we should occasionally rest a player. Consistency is very important, as is form. If we had a structured first team and changes were only tactical or due to form, then there’s an expectation to maintain a good enough level. Defensively, we’ve been weak, but it’s been made more apparent with Palmer’s absence. Bostock isn’t the same. People criticise Macaulay Langstaff for missing chances, but some forget to point out it’s a team game. Misses will happen, especially when morale and confidence are low. It’s not an excuse to say that when we’re on fire, Notts can be unbeatable, but for the most part, we allow ourselves to be less disciplined throughout the game.

From my perspective, dismissing managers often leads to more problems, and I’m keen to avoid that. I don’t think Stuart Maynard is entirely at fault here, his decisions and efforts so far have largely aligned with what we’ve all been saying. It’s easy to criticise someone for trying and not succeeding, but the result against Wimbledon was a stroke of luck for them. We played well, it’s not as if we’re performing poorly, and I don’t think a new manager can come in with the mindset of reversing the habits we’ve fallen into. Maynard has shown signs that he’s done well to reduce the goals against Notts, and while it’s not perfect, I believe he’s doing his best. Will dismissing him boost the players any more than it would harm us to stick with him? I foresee morale dropping significantly if we let him go.

Before becoming a moderator, I mostly kept to myself, sharing my views and occasionally replying to others. It was only after getting involved that I truly began to value PON. @Piethagoram, I hope you get well soon and return to watching Notts. Sadly, there’s no quick fix for missing that.

We don’t realise the value of something until we have it. Becoming a moderator taught me a lot, especially during tough times like the site’s hacking incident. I appreciate being able to discuss things calmly here, without feeling hopeless or as if everyone is against the club. Community and the Pride of Nottingham are very important.

Sarcastic without a hint of humour? I can’t imagine anyone saying such a thing unless they were joking. But that’s not important now. We haven’t been great at bringing young players through, and we need to think about what’s best for them. Putting them in a struggling team where every move is criticised won’t help. It’s about getting them ready to improve without unfair judgement, not overprotecting them. The right time to play a young player is when the team is performing well and can support their development. Otherwise, we risk exposing them to negativity which can affect them more than older players. They might learn from tough times, but they could also pick up bad habits from struggling teammates. We should play them when we have the luxury to let them grow. That’s why, when the team was doing well before Luke Williams left and we had injuries, we should have given the young players a go. Sure, they played in less important matches, but league games are where they really learn, as those are taken more seriously.

It’s significant news mainly because so many people have Facebook accounts and it’s one of the biggest websites online. Aside from that, the overreaction and the teasing on Twitter just show how much some people are fixated on social media.

We would concede many more goals if the U.S. women can't defeat a group of mostly ex-Wrexham players. How would a team of amateur women be any more helpful? I don't find your post as amusing as you seem to think. Undermining their spirits by placing them in a team that's highly likely to lose and could significantly dent their own morale. We passed up this chance when Luke Williams was around, and we were winning with a squad stretched to the limit. Now is not the right time; it would be disheartening for any young player.

The Jatta situation, I believe everyone thought he should come on. However, until Wimbledon scored, we appeared more likely to score. We had several close calls where the ball was either overplayed or just didn't fall right. Jodi made an effort, but I thought he was wasteful at times. In other situations, his passes were almost pinpoint, but nobody managed to connect. Nemane posed a greater threat in this scenario, providing us with the closest chances to score. I felt Austin played superbly. Defensively, we performed much better until the goals. Notts seemed to dominate Wimbledon until then. We're quite unlucky not to have secured the win ourselves. Currently, Notts seems to face a mysterious force preventing us from earning points at home. The fans were brilliant, and I'm pleased with that aspect from yesterday. In all fairness, taking Jim O'Brien off (though possibly due to fatigue) seemed like a mistake. The absence of Aden Baldwin also had an impact since he has been performing well lately.

A wonderful piece of history indeed. Perhaps one day we’ll go even further and have more to celebrate! ????

It would be a huge help right now, but thankfully, the club has some fans who are showing their support in tough times rather than making things worse. Stuart Maynard really needs a win. Hopefully, tomorrow will bring his first home victory, and we can progress from there.

Blackburn Rovers 2-0 Plymouth Argyle Millwall 1-2 Birmingham City Port Vale 1-1 Shrewsbury Town Reading 0-2 Wycombe Wanderers Accrington Stanley 1-0 Bradford City Sutton United 0-2 Grimsby Town Joker Aldershot 0-1 Oldham Athletic Kidderminster Harriers 0-0 York City

Stuart Maynard hasn’t been praised enough for his hard work. He’s listened to us fans and tried our ideas, but player errors have cost us. It’s not really his fault. Our form is shaky, and we risk losing our footing and slipping further. The match against Wimbledon is our chance to correct course. Winning boosts morale, while repeated losses can really damage team spirit and that’s tough to turn around.

There were moments when we longed to see more of Sam Austin. He’s a skilled player and his occasional dips in form were understandable, given he was often plugging gaps in our team. Despite this, it’s tough not to think about starting him. He’s not afraid to take on opponents, he always pushes forward, and his main aim is to create opportunities. Since returning to the squad, he’s been truly impressive.

I mainly use Facebook for family and catching up with friends, Twitter for news and PON. Of course, PON, BBC, Sky Sports, YouTube, Netflix, Notts County’s Official Site, The Football League, Premier League and other sports sites are my go-to online destinations.

That seems like a brilliant idea, though I’m not quite sold on the name “memory club”. I reckon there are more imaginative options that could sound better. I hope it brings joy to the fans, particularly the older ones who doze off in the Pavis during matches. ???? Just pulling your leg, it’s nice to see the club thinking forward.

I don’t believe either team will keep a clean sheet in the match, but I do think there will only be three goals scored and it will depend on who copes with the stress better. Notts needs to concentrate and avoid conceding simple goals, like penalties and opportunities from bad marking. AFC Wimbledon are a decent team at this level, but I’d still prefer our squad. I hope the players can concentrate on the game and overcome any obstacles that come their way.

I’m hopeful that this is just a temporary phase. Most supporters are fantastic, and while I don’t blame them for booing, I personally wouldn’t do it. I agree that we’re going through a tough time, but the situation with Jamie Fullarton was completely different. As a younger fan, it makes me appreciate where we are now and what our current owners are trying to achieve. We’ve had some bad luck this season, especially with the loss of Luke Williams, but I’m committed to giving my full support.