Sheffield Pie

There are plenty of home tickets left for the Chesterfield game - maybe 1,500 - especially in the family stand, I guess due to the kick-off time. So we've sold 'only' 13k to home fans. That's a pretty good effort in a few days and we'll probably sell out, but they've not been snapped up which suggests a 20k stadium is still more than enough. As everyone has said it's just the configuration. If they could upgrade the Sirrel somehow so that more seats could be used and there was a large segregated away end, and maybe the corner nearest the Kop filled in, that would be great. I'd like the safe standing expanded to more rows in the Kop. I know some people who like to sit would be displaced but it would enhance the atmosphere even more I think.

This feels to me like Cook vs Patto rather than Notts vs Chesterfield. We need to win the midfield tactical battle (and not get any red cards). Also need to play the players in form - so not Palmer, not Hall. Not got lots of alternatives though! What's happened to Tangen?

Really good first half. Evans made one change at half time and we seemed to lose all our shape and belief - worrying. Just to be masochistic, I had a look back at the run-in: 13 points from the last 8 games would have been good enough but we only managed ten. We could only beat Harrogate, Newport and Colchester. Cambridge only got 10 points from their last eight games as well, with only two wins, against Barrow and Notts.

The squad as a whole hasn't been good enough to get autos from L2. I know we came close and MK are a special case budget wise but it's a pretty low bar - the bottom division and three places up for grabs. We lack a little bit of flair, fight, leadership and discipline, and we are injury prone. So time for a clear out even if we get promoted. Keep if we can: Jatta, McDonald, Tsaroulla, Robertson, Grant, Macari, Bedeau. Belshaw will do as well but an upragde would be good. Sign if we can: Iorpenda and Luker. No idea about these but retain if they are serious prospects: Browne, Enoru, Perott, Griffiths. I'd actually take offers for Dennis, Jones and Palmer. This would raise some cash and help with the reset. We need a couple of senior pros we can build a team around. The rest can go if we can shift them.

Well done Notts. Happy but also sad. Just a couple more wins and we'd be over the line. Even just a win against Barnet would have put us in pole position. Living in hope for the last game, but more realistically, just hope that the players have learned some lessons to carry into the play-offs: about concentration at set pieces; not being wound up and getting sent off; starting and finishing games strongly. Booked my flight to the UK for next week, and the return journey for the day after the play-off final ...

Oh dear Notts. This season, like last, is turning into a slow motion car crash. We might scrape into the play-offs because of other teams playing each other. But with zero expectation. Hate to say it but at what point do we conclude the footballing side of the club is being badly run? Big crowds, good commercial set-up, transfer fees, data ... but 14 defeats and counting and zero success in the cups, all against pretty limited opposition.

Anyone able to name the scorers? I was probably there (had a junior season ticket) but can't remember anything about it. Some incredibly memorable games that season but not that one! Looking back at the records, this was one of only two wins in the last 11 games of the season. A stronger finish and we might have ended up in the top half, above Forest. Conscious as I'm typing this that it's ancient history - the equivalent of me in 1982 hearing from some old guy about the inter-war years.

We've still got a narrow path to automatic promotion and it starts tonight. We really need: Bromley to seal promotion by beating Cambridge (8pm) We beat Barnet (Sat) Cambridge fail to beat Grimsby (Tues) If that happens it's game on. Doesn't sound too far fetched?

Just watched MP's interview. He's so angry he's almost in tears. And I get why. This is his big break as a manager. He's navigated the data model, the recruitment strategy, the injuries and suspensions, the crap referees, and got us to a point where we had a fighting chance of autos with four games left. Yes he's made mistakes but he's been so dedicated and relentless, always talking about 'what it means to play for Notts County'. Then the players deliver that.

Finished 3-0 and Holloway sent off. Disaster for them. Bromley will now be promoted if they win today. Not sure I want that just yet as they might then take their foot off the gas, and we probably want them to beat Cambridge. Maybe a draw is best for us.

Swindon losing 3-0 and down to ten men away to Colchester, that's helping us.

Noticed also Bristol Rovers (H) is now on sale, including some Jimmy Sirrel stand blocks for home fans. Hoping there's something to play for and it's a sell-out.

Great opportunity for anyone who is not a ST holder or has any loyalty points to get to an important away game and back the team. Bit of a trek but could be massive.

He's only human. He gets no protection whatsoever. He's had several facial injuries, all unpunished. I can only imagine what physical and verbal abuse he gets all match. L2 must be one of the worst leagues in the world to play in - the level of targetted aggression, encouraged by managers, plus the most incompetent, naive refs and zero concern from the EFL. The 'any other workplace' argument doesn't really hold because in no other workplace would you be provoked so much.

Good win and pegged back MK and Cambridge. It's tantalising - 23 wins is great but if we could just have scraped a few more draws aswell, we'd be in an even better place, pushing for the title. Still, good to be in our hands with four games to go.

Keep going Notts let's give that goal difference a boost.

Come on Notts please don't concede just before (or just after) half time. Get to 60 minutes then bring in Ndlovu and Luker. Get out of this division so we don't have to play Salford again, surely that's motiviation enough.

I've been dreading this for the reason @menzinho has said. Robinson is the archetype of the lower league manager who's not exactly Pep but somehow manages to get one over Notts and make us question our transfer policy, data model, 'identity' etc. I'd take a draw as well - it would be progress, even if it means us temporarily being pegged back slightly in the promotion race. Team wise we don't know who's fit but 8 or 9 pick themselves so it's just a case of whether to use the other few places to add bite or skill. I just hope we don't cave in early on. Best way to achieve that might be to beef things up a bit (Browne?) and maybe keep Bennetts or even JJ fresh for the second half.

Bedeau was more combative today, great interception for the second goal as well. He's the senior defender now so deserves a lot of the credit for the clean sheet. Bennetts put in a good shift as well, nearly had his ankle broken. He's a better pick than Dennis now who's become pretty anonymous.

Doing OK, conditions not the best. Jatta possibly offside for the goal? But very well worked. Would like JJ to get into the game more. Really should win from here.

We should create chances with that team. Can we take them? I'm sticking my Tangen to get his first prediction, bound to be right eventually.

We lack an actual functioning captain - someone who is an automatic pick, is vocal and leads by example in terms of play and discipline. I know they won't take it off Palmer but just thinking aloud, who could theyt turn to - Belshaw? Iorpenda?

The most impressive thing about their run is only conceding two goals in the last nine games. On the other hand in that run they've played some basket cases like Crawley, Gillingham and Tranmere. The Accrington and Cheltenham managers in their post match interviews both used the phrase 'a game too many' to excuse getting thrashed by us. Hoping the Oldham manager will also trot that one out just after 10pm tomorrow. Come on Notts.

Sounds like a cracking game. So glad they turned on the style in front of the home fans. Steve Cotterill fuming! Respect him a lot but he could've given Notts more credit.

MK won last night. It's looking tough now, need to go on an incredible run. This is the problem - every year promotion places are generally filled up by teams that have thrown money at it maybe shouldn;t have been relegated the year before and that bounce straight back come out of nowhere thanks to a good coach and everything just clicks Which doesn't actually leave much room for just plain 'good' teams. I'm still hopeful for auto or play-offs but we could be stuck in this division for a few years yet unless everything really comes together like it did under LW.