theAnticlough

It's semantics really. We have promotion seasons now with Nemane and JJ playing key roles. They're wingers - but remember Nemane's block v Boreham Wood? And JJ does his best to get back and defend under orders from MP. Another example was Calvin Miller, who was on fire for us as winger/wing-back for a short time. Fans can label them what they want. The important thing IMO is that there's cover behind them. The LCB and the whole team is designed to slide over to cover attacks on that side. But if that wing-back/winger doesn't attack down that side? There's nobody to 'cover' that. That's why LW had to transform Chicksen and he got 11 goals in that promotion season. If you look at the video of Cal's best goals for Scunthorpe they mainly seem to come from the No.10 position. In Scunny's system he was r-side attack in a 4-3-3. If he comes back there's no way in the world he'd play left-winger or LWB unless we're chasing games at home. JJ can just about manage the defensive duties but Cal showed us that he really can't. In our system he'd be right side No.10 I think, but that'd mean we need a Iorpenda-type player (with more goals) on the other side. And Cal returning would probably mean we're not keeping Tangan? It'll be interesting to see what happens over the next few days.

If we were still L2 it'd make perfect sense. @menzinho you make good points about the formation. If it was announced I'd be happy, but fear it was a mistake...

Time to chip in on this debate...players out of contract next month McDonald - I think we can be a little less sentimental than we when came up to L2, but this guy is a hero of our promotion. And a class player, whose reading of the game can help stretch his career into his mid-30s. I say we offer him a new 2-year contract. Norburn - Ditto. We can avoid his slow start now, and he'll bring the calmness and nous that'll be important in L1 Tsaroulla - don't let him do to us what he did to Crawley. Tie him down through his peak with a 3 year deal Platt - having two defenders out long-term to start life in L1 is a big handicap. How convenient it would be to cut. But we just can't. Reputation around football and within our club dictates that we have to look after him. Also, he's too good. If we ever did slip back down, having a warrior like him would mean we'd never slip down to far. Length of contract to offer though is tricky Bennetts - we have to say goodbye and good luck. We can't ride with a player who'll struggle at the level and won't score or assist. We have to take a punt of someone else, or use the salary slot, combine it with another ,and get a top first teamer in. The consolation for Bennetts is that his association with a promotion team will land him another team in L2 Kouhyar - exactly the same. I think he'd be closer than Bennetts, but we needed to see much more in the games he started. Tangan - unless they've seen great things in training, I don't think we should pick up the option to buy. He's not always involved and we can't afford that type of player in L1 matches. It's still a gamble and we need sure things in the No 10 positions Perott - keep

I agree about consolidation but I think we can allow ourselves to be a bit more ambitious and optimistic. The Reedtz bros, Monty and now Pato are on a upward curve together. 4 years NL / 3 years L2 / and then the fairybook ending to Chapter 3 is 3 more years, so NL to Championship in 10 years of their ownership! What might that look like? Year 1 - 14th to 9th, Year 2 9th to 6th, Year 3 - Play offs again

Will conceed on those two @StarkMallard, but lets ask ourselves who we're really afraid of... Bradford? No, we were beating them only last year Doncaster? Ditto Mansfield? Notts fans would never allow that Bromley? Ditto Wimbledon? Bunch of thugs we owe one to Luton? Old sparring pals from Nolan's days, now on a level again Sheff Weds? Might still be in disarray for a season or two Oxford? When Ruben went there we were all saying he's gone to smaller club MK Dons? We have their number recently Cambridge? Let's focus on the 2-0 win at Meadow Lane Stockport? We could bring back Frank Vincent and beat them that way Wigan? Didn't we outplay them when we met in the cup? Burton? Really? Add to those Stevenage, Orient, Wycombe, and that's 16 not to be scared of at all. We can spend the first season saying 'only x pts off the play offs', even though the L1 promotion system is as close to the NL's as it is to L2's. We can definitely aim for mid-table upwards.

I think I was still happy that our previous had departed to be disappointed! But yeah, 'underwhelmed' What an appointment though. I know this is in the afterglow of a Wembley masterclass but he really does have all the hallmarks of a succesful team manager with a long career ahead of him relentless focus astute man manager - seems to know player psychology tactically sound makes good team changes, only when necessary plays a positive and entertaining brand of football incredible work ethic that has to rub off on others and the list goes on, kudos to the brothers for this great pick (and some credit to Gagliardi too, who at least gave us Luker, in the beginning Dennis, and in the end Norburn)

For sure Big Tone, but my thick head is a permanent condition I'll go out today to celebrate it properly...my youngest has really got into it and that adds to positive vibes The renaissance of our club is outstanding. All those years of thinking what happens when all the old codgers go? Are we in the wrong part of Nottingham? Only to see new generations of County fans to emerge in numbers much greater than we had in the 80s and 90s even. Then there's the stunning matchday experience, with The Nest and an unbelievable slate of big, local and localish games against Leicester, Sheff Weds, Bradford, Huddersfield, Mansfield, Peterboro, Doncaster, Oxford, Luton, Barnsley, Stockport, Burton etc. A great time to be a Pie, let's all savour these days.

It really was the game of the season for player performances - a lot of 8/10s and better. Belshaw, Ness, McDonald, Robertson plus a couple of the subs, Grant for sure. But I've got Jodi edging out Jatta. Having JJ hit one of his peaks was just too much for Salford to cope with

Fantastic so far - such a sweet moment when that 2nd went in. Norburn and Robbo great - they've got nobody doing that job for them. Great we had Jodi Jones peaking at the right time - playing brilliantly and one of the best assists I've ever seen. The ball was going sideways by the time it was in front of Jatta. And now Mnoga on a yellow... Without their small pitch, no tolerance of their usual antics, exposed for lack of skill, I'm not sure what they can do to get back into this...

As expected, nobody will argue with that Still slightly uneasy at not having Browne on the bench...In a dream world it'll be all over after a hour and we can stop worrying about it ;)

Echo all of that. But strangely calm here - confident, but ready to accept the reverse in a nigh on 50-50 game. I think I need to catch sight of Robinson and some of their players to remind myself how much I want us to win it!

Interesting stuff @Robbie The results and votes are what they are. But something's awry if Aljofree can get 10 more votes than macari on 27 fewer appearances!! Macari should be far far higher on that list than he is. MP wouldn't have picked him 36 times until his injury, if he wasn't doing well. I think MP described him as 'underrated' in one of his interviews. PON votes definitely point towards that.

This will be a better game. I'd say Kyle Wootton playing at centre-back might not be looking forward to facing some of Ruben's through balls. You have to fancy Bolton?

Agree on the midfield. MP will probably leave it as it is. Palmer's had a great bounceback season individually and played much better than Norburn overall. But his place has become tangled up with the captaincy and I suspect the meek way we went down to some of those 14 defeats, simllar to the 2 Wimbledon games last year have Pato thinking we need some different leadership on the field. RodMac captains the side now and it gives the team a different flavour and self-image.

I have reason to shout for Hull today, but I'll go the other way after their pathetic reaction to Southampton's expulsion. They spin a positive like playing a team that didn't know they were even still in it, into a negative - whingeing and bleating about a really unfortunate but necessary set of actions. What an awful message to send to their players and fans