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ARLukomski

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  1. Notts County put in one of the best performances in recent years in a 4-2 hammering of Bristol Rovers at Meadow Lane on Friday night to reach the second round of the FA Cup. The visitors had led 2-0 after the first 15 minutes thanks to goals from Liam Sercombe and Stuart Sinclair to seemingly set up a long, torrid evening for the Black and White Army. However, the Magpies rallied round as a quickfire brace from Ryan Yates edged them level by the break, setting up a second half in which the hosts had their opponents under siege. Ultimately a further two goals, from Jon Stead and Jorge Grant, saw the League One side knocked out of the competition, while Notts are in the hat for round two. ARLukomski, a Notts vlogger and Pride of Nottingham contributor, discussed the fixture ahead of kickoff, gave his thoughts as the game went on, and talked about the performance and result after the final whistle. Follow ARLukomski on his YouTube channel by clicking here. Share your thoughts about this vlog on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.
  2. Notts County returned to winning ways - and to the top of League Two - in emphatic style thanks to a 3-0 win over Newport County in Saturday's game at Meadow Lane. The visitors were reduced to 10 men in the 34th minute when Dan Butler was dismissed following an elbow on Matt Tootle and fell behind shortly afterwards when Jorge Grant slotted home from Jon Stead's pass. Shola Ameobi then doubled the Magpies' lead with a neat finish after 52 minutes, turning in a Grant cross. The Nottingham Forest loanee went on to score his second of the match three minutes later when he nodded in the rebound from his own saved shot. Grant sadly missed out on a hat-trick when his free kick rattled the woodwork, but Notts still saw out the game without a reply from Newport and, combined with Luton Town's defeat, went back to the summit. ARLukomski, a Notts vlogger and Pride of Nottingham contributor, discussed the fixture ahead of kickoff, gave his thoughts as the game went on, and talked about the performance and result after the final whistle. Follow ARLukomski on his YouTube channel by clicking here. Share your thoughts about this vlog on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.
  3. Honestly think Saunders can become really good. Needs the finishing to go with his runs. If he adds them two together then we have a prolific striker for the future.
  4. We could definitely do with Jones back in the starting x1. Gets forward and helps the wingers. Hawkridge has definitely missed that. I'd like to see Forte start up front but can't see it happening. Be a tight game I reckon but Notts need this one to get back on track.
  5. To say we won 6 on the bounce, we should have all the confidence in the world yet we still panic with the ball sometimes. Once an opposition player comes near us we panic and hoof. I don't mind a little bit of hoof ball because this is League Two after all. It's just when we do play passing football (e.g. second half vs Lincoln) we can do very well.
  6. No sooner have Notts County got back to winning ways that they suffer another negative result, this time a 2-0 defeat at Crewe Alexandra. The Magpies were hoping to build on their 2-1 win over Barnet on Saturday with a result that would keep them top of the table at Gresty Road. However, Notts were not at the races as Michael Raynes rattled home from close range just before half time after Eddie Nolan had headed George Cooper’s free kick across goal. Crewe's win was sealed when, 66 minutes in, Jordan Bowery ran in behind to latch onto a pass from Cooper - the Notts defence caught napping once again - and steer past goalkeeper Ross Fitzsimons. ARLukomski, a Notts vlogger and Pride of Nottingham contributor, discussed the fixture ahead of kickoff, gave his thoughts as the game went on, and talked about the performance and result after the final whistle. Follow ARLukomski on his YouTube channel by clicking here. Share your thoughts about this vlog on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.
  7. Notts County survived a late scare to move back to the top of League Two with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Barnet at Meadow Lane on Saturday. The Magpies went ahead on the quarter-hour mark when Shola Ameobi headed a Rob Milsom corner towards goal and Shaun Brisley made sure of the ball going into the back of the net from point-blank range. Notts then doubled their advantage seven minutes into the second half when Matt Tootle crossed for Ryan Yates, who headed home for his first league goal of the season. Kevin Nolan's charges pressed for a third, Jorge Grant belting over from close range before Jon Stead fired the ball into the back of the net only to be thwarted by the offside flag. The hosts then endured a nervy finish when Simeon Akinola drove inside the far post with seven minutes remaining, but were able to see the game out to leapfrog Exeter City up to top spot. ARLukomski, a Notts vlogger and Pride of Nottingham contributor, discussed the fixture ahead of kickoff, gave his thoughts as the game went on, and talked about the performance and result after the final whistle. Follow ARLukomski on his YouTube channel by clicking here. Share your thoughts about this vlog on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.
  8. Notts County managed to claim a draw from the jaws of defeat on Saturday as their League Two game with Forest Green Rovers ended all square at Meadow Lane. The division's bottom side took the lead on the half-hour mark through Omar Bugiel and held on to their advantage until deep - and I mean really deep - into injury time, when Rob Milsom equalised for a final score of 1-1. The Magpies barely deserved to come away with anything following a very lacklustre performance against Mark Cooper's side but their point keeps them in the top two, though Exeter City are now back in first place. ARLukomski, a Notts vlogger and Pride of Nottingham contributor, discussed the fixture ahead of kickoff, gave his thoughts as the game went on, and talked about the performance and result after the final whistle. Follow ARLukomski on his YouTube channel by clicking here. Share your thoughts about this vlog on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.
  9. Honestly think we'll be fine. They've conceded 26 goals in 11 games. Moniz conceded less in his first 11 games with his forget about defending tactics. Meadow Lane is a fortress as well and we have that siege mentality at home.
  10. If we kept it on the ground we might have actually got into the game a little instead of hoofing it to two players who prefer it on the floor. We didn't look up for it at all for the fourth time running. The one time and the one game you would want your players to be up for and we couldn't give two Yorkshire puddings. It was the opposite from the Lincoln game. In that game Lincoln expected us to play long ball and we didn't. In this Mansfield expected us to play long ball and we played into their hands by playing long ball.
  11. Notts County’s 10-game unbeaten run came to end in a 3-1 defeat at Mansfield Town on Saturday. Danny Rose made the most of a miscued headed backpass from Magpies captain Richard Duffy to guide the ball into an empty net, before adding a second from close range. Duffy’s own goal, with Rose once again playing a part in the build-up, then put the Stags three up in a miserable afternoon for the Notts fans. While Carl Dickinson found the net in stoppage time with an impressive free kick, it proved a mere consolation. ARLukomski, a Notts vlogger and Pride of Nottingham contributor, discussed the fixture ahead of kickoff, gave his thoughts as the game went on, and talked about the performance and result after the final whistle. Follow ARLukomski on his YouTube channel by clicking here. Share your thoughts about this vlog on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.
  12. As Kevin Keegan would say, 'I will love it if we beat them.' This phrase applies so much to Notts fans for this game. It's not just about pride, passion or bragging rights. It's about revenge. Revenge for the defeats, the pain we have suffered whilst the six fingered *insert swear word here* have celebrated and had their deluded heads up in the sky. This derby is massive for Notts, not just to keep our unbeaten run and momentum going in the league, but we need to beat Mansfield. We owe them for the last two seasons and we are need of a good result against them. Although some fans don't view this as a particularly heated rivalry, others may think differently. For me it's slightly awkward as I was born in Nottingham but live in Mansfield. But for me, I hate them. I can't stand their fans. They think they are so big, bigger than they actually are. It would be so nice to shut them up for once and show them for what they are. A really small football club. Unlike previous meetings, this time we have the quality, the passion, the never say die attitude, the mentality and the togetherness. This year we can have them. So let's back the lads and cheer Notts on to a derby win that has been long in waiting. Three defeats hurt. They really do. Now it's time for payback. For revenge. LET'S DO THIS WE ARE THE BLACK AND WHITE ARMY COME ON YOU PIES Share your thoughts about this news story on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.
  13. This is our best ever chance to beat them. I won't mind a point as it's the derby. But I can't take another loss to them. Stick to what we've been doing and we'll be fine.
  14. Notts County have recorded a fifth win on the spin and climbed to the top of League Two thanks to a 4-1 hammering of local rivals Lincoln City at Meadow Lane. The Magpies were under pressure early on but Billy Knott's red card for a wild challenge on Ryan Yates gave Kevin Nolan's team a man advantage. Jon Stead volleyed in the opening goal but the Imps hit back in the early stages of the second period as Harry Anderson's header pulled them level. Notts were soon back in front, with Matt Tootle rifling the hosts into the lead once again and celebrating in sluggish style, before Jorge Grant's stunning free kick made it 3-1. Hawkridge then got one over his old employers by rounding off the scoring with a late goal. ARLukomski, a Notts vlogger and Pride of Nottingham contributor, discussed the fixture ahead of kickoff, gave his thoughts as the game went on, and talked about the performance and result after the final whistle. Follow ARLukomski on his YouTube channel by clicking here. Share your thoughts about this vlog on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.
  15. Brisley will be a massive loss. For me he's our player of the season at the minute if I had to pick one. Think we're starting to get an Eddie Howe Bournemouth type team mentality and togetherness. I would bring Hewitt in as I'm still not convinced by Hollis. Hopefully Bris is back for the Exeter or Mansfield game. He is so crucial to us this season and we need to wrap him in cotton wool. I would probs go with Collin, Tootle, Duffy, Hewitt, Jones, Grant, Milsom, Yates, Alessandra, Stead, Forte. But Hawkridge is bound to start being an ex Lincoln player.
  16. Notts County have made it seven matches unbeaten in all competitions thanks to victory over Swindon Town on Tuesday night. The Robins came to Meadow Lane hoping to extend their superb away record in League Two, but luckily - for us - it wasn't to be. Arguably the toughest opponent on paper for Notts so far this season since Coventry City, Kevin Nolan's charges were well drilled and well organised. The winner came midway through the first half as Olly Lancashire conceded a penalty, which Jon Stead duly rattled home. County's win puts them second in the League Two table and ensures that the Black and White Army is on a great wavelength as autumn rolls in. ARLukomski, a Notts vlogger and Pride of Nottingham contributor, discussed the fixture ahead of kickoff, gave his thoughts as the game went on, and talked about the performance and result after the final whistle. Follow ARLukomski on his YouTube channel by clicking here. Share your thoughts about this vlog on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.
  17. Approaching today's game against Swindon Town, Kevin Nolan has said that Jonathan Forte will start up front due to the injury suffered by Shola Ameobi. Forte offers something different in attack compared to Jon Stead and Ameobi. He is easily our fastest striker and at the minute our most prolific with two league goals, coming against Wycombe and Morecambe, and one in the Checkatrade Trophy against Everton. Pace up front is important in any league, especially in League Two. It can make all the difference, whether the striker in question is in the starting lineup trying to get you that early goal to set you up on the front foot, or coming on as an impact substitute trying to help the team get back into the game or grab a winning goal. Forte is very much key to us due to our reliance on long balls up to Shola. His pace means we can play it on the ground more and it allows the midfield to help in creating chances, whilst when we play long balls up to Shola, the midfield is always bypassed and never get a chance to show what they are like as players when we attack. Late in the game against Accrington he came on but we still persisted with plan A, which was long balls but this time it wasn't to Ameobi, it was to Forte himself. He is better suited to what happened for the second goal against Morecambe. Playing it on the ground. Providing through-balls which he can run onto and get in behind the defender. Defenders at this level hate pacey strikers. If we played the ball on the ground we could be a lot stronger and more chances will come game by game. Nolan says he doesn't want to pass for the sake of it, but if we used Forte's strengths to our advantage and we take into consideration how well we played, playing passing football in the second half against Accrington, we could be a very very dangerous side. The former Oldham man will be a very crucial player for Notts this season and could be the difference between playoffs or not. But we cannot judge him solely as an impact sub. Share your thoughts about this feature article on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.
  18. Notts County have climbed to third in League Two and stretched their unbeaten run to six games in all competitions following Saturday's 2-0 win over Morecambe. Meadow Lane was the venue as the Black and White army saw their beloved side face an opponent that had build up a reputation as a bogey team over Notts in recent years. Dan Jones opened the scoring for the Magpies at Meadow Lane with a 27th-minute free kick which was curled expertly round the Shrimps wall and beyond goalkeeper Barry Roche. Morecambe launched a fightback following the restart but their efforts were to no avail as Notts struck late on through substitute Jonathan Forte as he broke through and rifled home via the inside of the post. ARLukomski, a Notts vlogger and Pride of Nottingham contributor, discussed the fixture ahead of kickoff, gave his thoughts as the game went on, and talked about the performance and result after the final whistle. Follow ARLukomski on his YouTube channel by clicking here. Share your thoughts about this vlog on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.
  19. Notts County's impressive run this season continues to gather pace after a 1-0 win at Port Vale on Saturday. The Magpies faced their third League One-relegated opponent in their first five League Two games of the season at Vale Park in the first weekend of September. However, the Valiants have not been in good form this campaign, and they succumbed to a defeat at the hands of Notts thanks to substitute Lewis Alessandra's second-half strike. Despite going down to ten men due to Shaun Brisley's injury after all three substitutions had been made, Kevin Nolan's charges continued to impress and saw the game out with little trouble. The result sees the Magpies in an impressive fifth-place position (or joint-third if you will) in the table, with 10 points from five games. ARLukomski, a Notts vlogger and Pride of Nottingham contributor, discussed the fixture ahead of kickoff, gave his thoughts as the game went on, and talked about the performance and result after the final whistle. Follow ARLukomski on his YouTube channel by clicking here. Share your thoughts about this vlog on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.
  20. So angry and very very disappointed. Still do not understand why a goalscorer was not a main priority in the summer. We all knew Stead and Ameobi would be ok but would not cut the deep enough mustard to take us into a play off place. I'm happy with the amount of chances we created but we need to take them. A goalscorer takes them. Why Ameobi shot when Grant had the freedom of Nottingham to put us 3-1 up I have no idea. Ameobi and Stead won't play all the games this season so why we haven't bought a striker to put into the starting x1 I will never know. We can't stop conceding either. 7 in 4 games is woeful. Why we keep allowing the opposition back into the game when we're 2-0 up, I have no idea. Wycombe last weekend, Orient last season. We need to stop making life so hard for ourselves. Still feels like we need another centre back.
  21. A rollercoaster August on the pitch for Notts County has ended on a somewhat sour note as the Magpies were held to a 2-2 draw by Accrington Stanley. In Friday night's League Two fixture at Meadow Lane, rescheduled due to a fixture clash with the neighbours over the Trent, the Magpies edged into a 1-0 half time lead thanks to Jon Stead's penalty. Things got even better for Kevin Nolan's charges as they doubled their lead in the 54th minute through Jorge Grant, but for the second consecutive game, this was to be wasted. First, Mark Hughes looped home a volley, then in injury time, after a player from each side had been sent off, Mallik Wilks struck the equaliser. ARLukomski, a Notts vlogger and Pride of Nottingham contributor, discussed the fixture ahead of kickoff, gave his thoughts as the game went on, and talked about the performance and result after the final whistle. Follow ARLukomski on his YouTube channel by clicking here. Share your thoughts about this vlog on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.
  22. Notts County began the 2017/18 League Two season away at Coventry City, but unfortunately it did not go the Magpies' way as they succumbed to a heavy defeat in the West Midlands. A total of 1,727 members of the Black and White Army descended upon the Ricoh Arena to see Notts open their account for the campaign following a summer of rebuilding both on the pitch and behind the scenes. As it turned out, the Sky Blues were in inspired form following their humiliating relegation from League One last season, and the teenage prodigy Jody Jones rattled a hat-trick past Notts for a 3-0 final result. ARLukomski, a Notts vlogger and Pride of Nottingham contributor, discussed the fixture ahead of kickoff, gave his thoughts as the game went on, and talked about the performance and result after the final whistle. Follow ARLukomski on his YouTube channel by clicking here. Share your thoughts about this vlog on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. We at Pride of Nottingham want you to enjoy all our content for free. If you fancy helping us provide even better content, however, please consider contributing to PON by clicking here!
  23. We've made a lot of signings this week. Six, to be precise. And now Notts have stepped up their recruitment drive, the question on everyone's lips is, how are we going to line up against Coventry City at the Ricoh Arena on Saturday? There may be some difference in opinions in the formation that we use throughout the season, but I'm going to stick with 4-4-2 as we used that nearly all of the time last season when Nolan took over. Starting in goal. Adam Collin seems like the obvious choice and whilst most of our fans don't like him much, it's hard to see Fitzsimons or Pindroch replacing him just yet. Matt Tootle has the right-back spot sewn up sweetly. If he avoids the injury problems he had last season he could play every league game. I don't expect Jordon Richards or Nicky Hunt to start much at all this season. The left-back spot is easy. Dan Jones will easily displace Carl Dickinson. The ex-Stoke man was very error-prone last season, especially when he consistently allowed opposition players into the box unchallenged. It was obvious we needed a new left-back and he needed to have pace, something Jones has and Dickinson doesn't. Centre-back has plagued us for a few seasons now. The last two especially where we conceded 83 in 15-16 and 76 in 16-17. For me Shaun Brisley has to start. He played in the Peterborough team that reached the League One playoffs a few years ago and we're crying out for stability at centre-half. Richard Duffy has been a lot better since Kevin Nolan came in. For me he beats Hollis to that first team spot alongside Brisley. Duffy, for me, was better under Nolan in the second the half of last season than Hollis was and is just a better player in my opinion. I would like to see Pierce Bird play a few games this season. He seems like a good prospect and someone who I think definitely has potential. Onto the wingers and for me it has to be Jorge Grant and Lewis Alessandra. Grant showed last season he is a quality player, especially for this level and has an abundance of creativity. He could very easily hit 10-15 goals for the 2017-18 season. Alessandra has much needed pace which Notts have been begging for, for a few seasons now. I think Nolan can get the best out of the former Hartlepool man. This pushes Terry Hawkridge to the bench but I still see him playing a key role in creating chances for the Magpies. There is also the option of playing these three together behind a lone striker. I don't see Elliot Hodge featuring regularly unless key players pick up injuries. Sam Osborne has great potential but isn't ready yet and a loan spell out to gain first team football is what he needs. Moving into the centre of the park, there are several options to choose from. Rob Milsom, Elliott Hewitt, Liam Walker, Curtis Thompson and Ryan Yates. It's obvious we will miss Michael O'Connor. As captain he led by example and played a massive part in Notts climbing the table. He formed a great partnership with Milsom and in my opinion, Milsom should keep his place in the starting eleven. He is good at pressing teams and is a neat and tidy passer and very calm in possession of the ball. In my opinion, Liam Walker should start alongside him. Walker is more of an attackive minded midfielder and his long shots and set pieces will be a danger to opposition teams. Elliott Hewitt is getting better by the day. He looks at home in the centre of midfield and moving him there from his right back slot could prove a solid decision. Ryan Yates is more of a box to box midfielder and when played, could be very useful in linking defence to attack. I don't see Curtis Thompson playing many games this season and his persistent injury problems haven't helped him at all. Alex Howes is a another player who I see getting loaned out to gain more first team experience. I don't expect a permanent central midfield pairing. I think Milsom, Hewitt, Walker and Yates will all have their turn in the starting XI. Finally, we move into the final third. Jon Stead and Shola Ameobi signed new contracts in the summer and unless we sign a striker before opening day then it will be them two starting up front. As a strike partnership, they have shown they can be effective but not spectacular. Ameobi is a very good player for holding the ball up and this can help bring other players into the game such as Grant and Alessandra as well as Stead. Despite being 6'3, Stead likes the ball more to his feet and Nolan is the first manager, since the ex-Huddersfield man joined Notts, to realise he isn't a target man. He has done very well to score 25 goals in the last two seasons but he is 34 and Ameobi is 35 and it's clear we need someone younger up front who can take us further up the table than my current prediction of 10th. For me we still need a striker if we're going to break into the play-off places. Jonathan Forte can be an asset but breaking into the first team next season will be difficult for him especially if we sign another striker. I prefer him as a striker to a winger but was utilised more as the latter last season but still managed 10 goals. Whilst he only scored 2 in 23 at Crewe, Callum Saunders looks like one for the future. I've heard that his movement is very good but he needs to work on his finishing. My starting XI for Coventry: Collin, Tootle, Duffy, Brisley, Jones, Grant, Milsom, Walker, Alessandra, Stead, Ameobi Squad GK - Adam Collin, Ross Fitzsimons, Branislav Pindroch, Joe Searson-Smithard RB - Matt Tootle, Jordon Richards, Nicky Hunt LB - Dan Jones, Carl Dickinson CB - Shaun Brisley, Richard Duffy, Haydn Hollis, Pierce Bird W - Jorge Grant (RM), Lewis Alessandra (LM,RM), Terry Hawkridge (RM,LM), Elliot Hodge (RM), Sam Osborne (RM) CM - Rob Milsom, Elliott Hewitt, Liam Walker, Curtis Thompson, Ryan Yates, Michael O'Connor (INJ), Alex Howes ST - Jon Stead, Shola Ameobi, Jonathan Forte, Callum Saunders Share your thoughts about this feature article on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. We at Pride of Nottingham want you to enjoy all our content for free. If you fancy helping us provide even better content, however, please consider contributing to PON by clicking here!
  24. It's clear that Notts need signings. Even before we played our first two friendlies, against Rolls-Royce and Basford, it was very clear. In terms of transfer activity, our three signings so far puts us 20th in League Two in terms of how many players we've brought in. At the current moment in time we can only just about fill a matchday squad. Improvements and a bit of squad depth is definitely needed. Every position, apart from left-back, needs either a new signing who is going to come into the starting XI or a new signing which will add depth. Firstly let's start in goal. Adam Collin showed last season he can be prone to making more than one mistake in a game and many fans have wanted him replaced. Although he has his faults, it's hard to see Kevin Nolan dropping him from the first team. Joe Searson-Smithard is Notts through and through but at the moment I don't think he's ready for the first team, though it would be nice to see him become our No.1 in the near future. A few goalkeepers have been on trial for the two friendlies as expected in pre season with Connor Brennan, Joe Cracknell and Ross Fitzsimons joining the team. Any of these three would be nice just as back-up. Right-back was a bit of the problem until the other day when me and my brother realised Jordan Richards could be back-up to Matt Tootle. In my opinion, we should have kept Luther Wildin as back-up, so we didn't have to spend in that area. As we know Tootle picked up a few injuries last season but under the management of Kevin Nolan he has been solid. But if injuries start piling up, we need someone to fill the spot. Well well well. The wonderful world of centre-backs. Everyone has split opinions on Richard Duffy and Haydn Hollis. If you watched my vlogs last season, you'll know I was very critical of Duffy during the awful run between November and early January. But under Nolan, he was transformed and had a solid partnership with Hollis and on occasions, Thierry Audel to see us comfortably to safety. Hollis has divided opinion ever since the Great Escape in 2014. Well, here he is, still with us after signing another new contract. This year he has to prove his future lies here. We have the manager, the owner, the facitlies and now is his time to prove the haters wrong and prove that he belongs in the Notts first team. But sadly we're not all rosy in this part of the pitch. In my opinion a Duffy-Hollis partnership will not take us up. And at the minute they are our only two centrebacks at the club. Mike Edwards is back-up. He's our fitness coach. Edwards cannot be playing again next season if we want to win promotion. He's a nice guy but he shouldn't have to be called upon on the pitch. So one or two required in this area. Pierce Bird from Dunkirk (who I think we should sign) has been on trial and youth team player Peter Dearle has played in friendlies. At the start of the window, Notts approached Lincoln City captain Luke Waterfall but he rejected our terms and offered to sign a contract extension at Sincil Bank. A move for a defender recently collapsed so we are back to square one. I would like to sign ex-Wycombe defender Aaron Pierre but after recently having a trial at Bristol City but not being offered a contract it's probable that he might end up in League One. Kevin Toner on loan from Aston Villa wouldn't be a bad transfer as he spent time on loan at a Bradford City side that reached the play-off final last season. James Wilson didn't start regurlarly for Sheffield United last season so he could be worth a look as well. This would make sense as the Blades recently bought Richard Stearman in from Wolves. Another centre-back I'd like is Dominic Ball from Rotherham whether on loan or permanent. He is also a player I said we should have got on loan in January. Tom Anderson on loan from Burnley would be another decent signing as he has had previous experience of lower league after two loan spells at Chesterfield and one at Carlisle. Moving onto the wing and yes, whilst we have signed Lewis Alessandra and Terry Hawkridge, we are still a little short. And if injuries happen we need players to replace them. I would like to see Sam Osborne get more games this season but whether he's ready or not remains to be seen. Milan Lalkovic on loan from Portsmouth would not be a bad shout as he hasn't played regularly for last season's League Two champions. He scored 7 goals from the wing in a Walsall team that reached the play offs in League One in 2016. That was enough for Pompey to pay compensation for his services last summer. A winger from the Premier League or Championship on loan wouldn't go amiss, and as shown previously they can be a big threat at League Two level. Luke Gambin or Lawson D'Ath from Luton would be good signings for this level as well. Both signed in January and so far D'Ath has struggled to break into the Hatters first team. Moving swiftly into centre midfield and the saga that Notts have only just seen the back of. Notts made four bids for Liam Noble and none were successful. The saga has consumed the Magpies' transfer window up until now and no matter how much Notts tried, Forest Green weren't going to budge. At the start, it was clear £100k was going to be enough, but only a few weeks and four bids later, FGR manager Mark Cooper told BBC Radio Gloucester that the former Notts midfielder was not for sale. Since we wanted him, I said I didn't want him back because of his previous disciplinary record, he's not worth £100k and there are better out there. One player who is better and one that we should of got was Louis Reed, on loan from Sheffield United but recently signed for Chesterfield. Jermaine Anderson of Peterborough is another player I would aim for on loan but has injury problems in the last year or two. I would like to sign Connor Dimaio but I can't see him leaving Chesterfield. Other players we could look at in this area are Ryan Yates (Forest), Jordon Houghton (Doncaster), Giorgio Rasulo (MK Dons) and Ben Whitfield (Bournemouth). Strikers are needed. I've constantly said on Twitter that strikers are a must. Stead and Ameobi are 34 and 35 respectively and whilst Stead scored 14 last season we need someone else and someone with pace. Notts had were linked with Matt Godden but that soon fizzled out. Football League World have said that we should get Toni Martinez on loan from West Ham. The Spaniard has already had one loan spell previously and that was at Oxford United last season. With a few West Ham fans wanting him to be given a chance, this would a fantastic signing for League Two level. Another Premier League player we should be interested in taking on loan is Callum Roberts from Newcastle. He has done really well in the youth team at Newcastle and had a short spell in the England Under 20 team. Moving away from loanees and into permanent transfers. Oliver Hawkins is a player we really need to look at, he scored 18 goals in the National League last season for Dagenham and Redbridge. Portsmouth have already declared their interest but do not want to pay the money. Dagenham have said they want £250k for Hawkins but this price seems a bit much. Another striker who scored 18 in the National League last season is Danny Johnson from Gateshead. A delve into non-league for strikers would not be a bad decision at all. Thank you to ARLukomski for the article. Please check out his YouTube channel by clicking here. 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