Sheffield Pie

Another epic fail I'm afraid. Big Saturday crowd, TV, local derby, any one of those is usually enough for a let down. Let's hope the play-offs this year are scheduled for a Monday morning, behind closed doors, during a TV technicians' strike.

Jatta makes the bench! Consipracy theories officially retired.

This season when we've had 10k+ crowds we've only won 3 out of 7. All three times that we've not scored have been in front of 10k plus crowds. The Cambridge win is the one big plus. When we've had a smaller crowd we've won 8 out of 11. That includes all of our evening kick-offs. So a big crowd expected, Saturday afternoon, time to step up.

The bookies have it as a five horse race (Salford, the sixth favourites, are a long shot at 8/1). Converting the odds, they give Bromley an 83% chance, MK 75%, Cambridge 67%, Notts 56%, Swindon 23%. I still don't rate Swindon. Our game at Cambridge is massive, win there and we're in the driving seat. Bromley have lost the knack of nicking a win. It's 100% there for the taking, we just have to play to our potential in the kind of games where we tend not to turn up - the Chesterfield and Salford games being the ones that worry me the most.

Putting a curse on it but ... after the earlier result, if Notts win by 2 goals today we go second I think?

Our odds at the bookies have come in a lot, about evens now and I'm pretty sure you could get 5/1 after our last bad run. We're 7/1 for the title, tempting ...

Yes they said they were keeping in touch with him, but it's getting pretty late in the season now to make a difference. I think in terms of success or failure, the owners would want 16 signings to include at least 1 that ends up going for a decent fee. Not much scope left for that, Dennis maybe.

Another 2025 signing out the door. Including loans out that's: Johnson, Miller, Whitaker, Jarvis, Traore, Roos, Cotter, Aljofree, Luker Still with us: Hall, Dennis, Norburn, Bennetts, Kouhyar, Griffiths, Iorpenda

Stlll in a different time zone entirely so really disappinting to wake up to this. Could still turn out to be a great season but our defeats have been really lame, complete no-shows for the most part. MP says every game is tough and that's kind of true but let's not forget this is the 4th tier - teams in the bottom half are the dregs of the football league. We should have enough to overcome them. I think back to the Allardyce championship season - a team of solid pros and we basically got promoted by doing the double over all the teams in the bottom half.

Yes JJ!

Hoping JJ can rescue this for us. Something out of nothing, maybe a free kick or penalty.

Come on Notts we can do this!! Need to take our chances because Bromley sure take theirs. On holiday in Vietnam, keep the updates comng please.

Such a strong, mature squad now. Usually in any squad there are a few weak links where you're thinking they should be loaned out or released. Getting ahead of myself now, but if we got promoted, it's difficult to think who the lcub would ship out to make room for some L1 level signings.

I've voted for L1 because of the owners' focus on sustainability. If we get to L1 they'll want us to find our feet, build up attendances and commerical revenues even more (maybe redevelop the ground?), and put tgoether a better squad without just splashing the cash. Then push on to the championship when we're ready. They're the opposite of the instant success buying attentions seekers who own some clubs. Hopefully Forest will be in L1 as well at that point, saddled with massive debts and heavy points deductions.

Who do we think it comes down to for automatic promotion? I reckon it's 3 from the current top 5. Salford haven't quite got what it takes I don't think, very one dimensional. Walsall are bottling it. I can't see anyone else making a charge that would catch us up - it's probably going to take far more than 78 points this season. Colchester looked most likely at one point but not now. That means we need to finish higher than 2 from Bromley, Swindon, MK and Cambridge. We're way better than Swindon. MK are underperforming given their squad. Cambridge I'm not sure about - if Saturday turns out to be more than a blip for them, so much the better.

It's a complete mystery, to me anyway. Paterson emphasises that it's a squad effort and likes to rest players who've picked up a knock, so you'd have thought he'd make the bench occasionally. Maybe it's an off the field issue (to be clear I'm not implying anything). PS just seen Jarvis has been moved on, shame but clearly had an attitude problem and that won't wash with Mr Paterson.

Certain players' decision making could be better, Dennis for example, and more goals from midfield would be very welcome. But I think Paterson is just, rightly, a harsh taskmaster and doesn't want complacency to creep in. This time last year is when the wheels started to come off:. Seven wins from the final 17 games would have got us automatic promotion, but we managed only five.

Fantastic Notts. I make that a sensational 50 points from the last 25 games after our shaky start. Keep that up and there's nowway three other teams will finish higher than us.

Looks a bit lightweight in midfield. Need Norburn to continue his good form. Jarvis immediately pushed off the bench by the new signings. Will he be loaned out?

Great that the club have tried to address all the areas that everyone could see were an issue. Obviously they've decided that how it turned out with Traore and Edwards doesn't necessarily mean Scandinavia to L2 is too big a leap. I wonder if RR has said he'll come back if we're in L1 next season.

It's a stretch now mathematically. Four points is easy to claw back when you're at the bottom, but at the top, over only half a season, you need a fantastic run of form. You can't afford a bad month. Yes, Bradford did it last year so there's hope, but we don't quite have the players, the ruthlessness, or the luck with injuries. And the first two signings in this window have been 'ones for the future'. We're now 7/1 at the bookies i.e. a 12.5% chance. More realistic to hope MP can find the right formula in time to put up a good fight in the play-offs.

Even more recovery time now. Hoping the next time Notts get a run out we will be stronger to the tune of two or three players in key positions.

Good question. To answer it, it's also worth considering whether L2 is stronger or weaker this season. Last season it was definitely weak, some bang average teams got promoted and it was a massive missed opportunity. Slightly stronger division this season I think especially on the managerial front. In that context, MP is doing OK. though he needs some strong showings asap to put that Accrington horror show to bed.

Agree with all the above but it's also about the big players, winners, leaders, who can make other players around them better. If we had a couple of those then almost any other nine players in our squad would be fine in supporting roles. The problem is we don't have any partnerships on the pitch or anyone inspiring the rest, driving them on, as well as chipping in with goals and assists. Palmer and Robertson have a bit of that but not the whole deal. Norburn talked the talk when he arrived but not delivered. JJ is past his best. Need a new impact signing urgently in the mould of Glenn Roeder or Ryan Yates. Not more 'data model says they might be worth x% more in two years' signings.

I pride myself on my positivity but starting to lose faith. I'd love it if the owners could magic up a L1 side with their data model, a bunch of journeymen, crocks and loan signings and a rookie manager. But after watching that and plenty of other performances where we've been schooled by L2 also-rans with experienced coaches, I'm not sure it's possible. Yet again a 10k crowd has been let down. They won't keep coming back indefinitely.