Slocombe - 5 - Nice assist for their 3rd.

McCrory - 3.5 - I know he was here as an emergency because of Covid, but I'm just rating on pure performance here. Not a right back. Not fit. Should have probably played Rawlinson there. Assisted the first goal.

Rawlinson - 4 - Not great. Complacent.

Lacey - 4.5 - Not great. Complacent.

Chicksen - 6 - Did OK for me.

Doyle - 6 - OK

Reeves - 6 - Decent through ball for the first.

Rodrigues - 7 - MOM. Scored, some great footwork and work rate strong throughout.

Enzio - 4.5 - Poor throughout. Where has the old Enzio gone?

Wootton - 4 - Started the season on fire but he was very poor today.

Knowles - 4 - Scored and took that chance well. Apart from that, very poor and looked well below the standard. 


Subs: No impact.


I know today we were hit by the old 'rona, but there isn't much excuse at conceding 3 against a team as poor as Maidenhead. It also highlights our weaknesses: Take out a couple of our attackers (Roberts, Thomas), then the stand-ins just aren't good enough. Enzio is out of form (again) and Knowles looks a poor piece of business in the transfer market (as predicted). 

Ardley - 4 - Got this wrong. Again, taking into account the difficulties and knowing hindsight is a great thing, shouldn't have played McCrory at RB, shouldn't have played a 4-3-3 when Enzio is out of form and Knowles is not up to standard. Then again, who could he have played up front with Wootton? Sam - didn't look great when he came on.







 

May I introduce
the great PON prediction league
as a nice haiku.

Send your predictions
for Saturday 17th
of Oct., with joker.

Birmingham City v Sheffield Wednesday

Rotherham United v Norwich City

Portsmouth v Doncaster Rovers

Charlton Athletic v Wigan Athletic

Walsall v Exeter City

Mansfield Town v Bradford City

Weymouth v King's Lynn

Solihull Moors v Boreham Wood

It's that time where we all have our say on this upcoming weekend's fixture against Dover Athletic.

Pre-Season needs to be put to the back of our minds, but important signs of a decent performance would be encouraging. It's going to be interesting to see if Neal Ardley persists with the diamond formation, along with who will make his starting 11. I fully expect the first player on the team sheet to be Michael Doyle, although, I had hoped that we would have a new captain this season.

I'm sure Doyle will organise us well on the pitch, as he's the eyes and voice of Ardley on the pitch.

Will Casper Sloth make a start? I can see Kyle Wootton and, Elisha Sam starting up top (yet would prefer Wes Thomas). Whatever happens, just remember there is a long way to go and, I am determined to make the most of this season.

It will be surreal not to be attending, fingers crossed we can get back safely not before too long.

What line-up should Neal Ardley opt for? What will be the key areas for the Magpies to get a victory? What do you think the final score will be?

Have your say below, join in with the Pride of Nottingham match discussion.

Game 4 - The U's (A)

Team: Sutton United

Date: 13/10/2020

Where: Gander Green Lane

What line-up should Neal Ardley opt for? What will be the key areas for the Magpies to get a victory? What do you think the final score will be?

Have your say below, join in with the Pride of Nottingham match discussion.

Slocombe 6 Well protected, Sutton were limited to 2 real chances

Brindley 5.5 Solid but limited effect going forward

Rawlinson 6 Does what it says on the tin

Lacey 6 Defended well, limited opportunity to play the long pass

DKE 6.5 Up against Sutton's best player, thought he did OK

Reeves 6 Roll the sleeves up and keep position

Doyle 6.5 Another captain's performance

JOB 6 a solid midfield blocking any real creativity from Sutton

Enzio 5.5 So needs to get into the game more than he does

Rodrigues 6 Some good touches , still finding his feet. promising

Wootton 7 Lone striker , played well and when you think there is nothing, pops up with a crucial goal

Hello @Dave Dornan, welcome to the Pride of Nottingham. I hope you enjoy being a part of our Notts County community.

Would you care to tell us a little about yourself?

DKE credit for the pinpoint pass to Wootton for the first, and the step over to set up Wootton

Welcome to the Pride of Nottingham site @colin savage, I hope you enjoy being a part of our Notts County community.

After Casper Sloth's departure, Ardley admitted that he wants another central midfielder to replace him, with similar attributes to Doyle and Reeves. Also said the ones they are looking at are likely to be on loan, but didn't rule out a permanent transfer.

I'd be interested to see who we can get on loan and the quality. I'd like to hope that it'd be a damn sight more impressive than the Knowles loan.

I would imagine Sloth wasn't on peanuts, so there is probably a bit of wage budget there. Perhaps it could stretch to a loan + a Regan Booty? I know he has had his injury problems, but there's certainly a player in there. As far as I'm aware he still doesn't have a club. Neither does Mitch Rose, but I'd like to think that ship has sailed.
 

I listened to BBC Nottingham today and they said that Nottingham is the friendliest city in England.

Few day ago I watched "TheOriginal African" youtube channel and there one guy asked people at Hartlepool streets: ''Which area in England has the best looking people?''. A lot of answers was Newcastle.  

So, what do you think about it?

The Notts live stream is hitting the airwaves tomorrow - an all-singing, all-dancing media extravaganza with four cameras, replays and commentary for 12 quid a pop. That's a bit on the expensive side for my taste (I'd have been happy with a more no-frills production for a bit less) but I'm glad it's there. And I hope it works!

Is anyone else tuning in?

Slocombe - 6 - The second goal could have been pushed anywhere but where it was. Perhaps a harsh criticism.

DKE - 4.5- He was poor. I said in the ratings against Altrincham that DKE was pushing to replace Brindley as the first-choice RB. On this performance, Brindley will feel at ease. Poor distribution, beaten constantly down his side. 

Rawlinson - 6.5 - More comfortable alongside Lacey.

Graham - 5.5 - Won a lot of headers but clumsy at times in possession. Him and DKE made a mess of the 1st  and he let his man go for the 2nd.

McCrory - 6.5 - Needs time to get back up to speed but was OK. Barnet's threat came primarily from their wingers.

Roberts - 8 - He's soo good. Made his goal look effortless.

Doyle - 8 - MOM. Really impressive passing range and a goal. Captain fantastic. 

Reeves - 8 - Seems to be taking the ball from one of the CBs one second, and breaking into the opposition box the next. Dynamite. 

Enzio - 7.5 - A bit more like the Enzio we know. Loach maybe will be upset he didn't keep the shot out.

Ruben Rodrigues - 7.5 - What a player. You can see he is adjusting already, a few more games and he will be firing on all cylinders. 

Wootton - 8 - Can't stop scoring and assisting. What a player


O'Brien - 7 - Solidified when he came on.
Thomas - 7 - Turns his man so many times, including for our 4th.
Brindley - N/A 

Hurray! The Premier League is going to save English football! But be warned - there are strings attached...

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/54499998

The owners of Liverpool and Manchester United have tabled a proposal, with the Orwellian name "Project Big Picture", according to which the PL will hand over 250 million quid to the Football League, plus 25% of its TV revenue every year. Great. But coming from American billionaires, this amazing offer has strings attached:

Only nine Premier League clubs will have "special status" and thus voting rights - Liverpool, Man United and City, Spurs, Arsenal, Chelsea, Everton, West Ham and Southampton (it's interesting here that Aston Villa (25 PL seasons) and Newcastle (21) have been ommitted in favour of Man City (18) and Southampton (16)). If six of these clubs vote for a proposal, it will be deemed passed. As the PL will essentially be holding the Football League's purse strings and will therefore have FL clubs by the goolies, this narrow PL cartel will essentially have complete control of English football. The rest of the Premier League won't have a voice, never mind the other pro clubs.

Hence, six big clubs would have the power to force their B teams into the Football League, bring Rangers and Celtic into the English league system or basically anything else they want without the risk of being outvoted. They will also have the power to prevent their rivals from being taken over. They can run the show.

The more I think about it the angrier I get. These clubs are exploiting a crisis and greasing the palms of Football League clubs in a thinly veiled attempt to entrench their position at the top of the game. Man City and Southampton should be particularly ashamed of themselves - it's just an accident of timing that they're in the PL and not in League One.

I hope this plan gets squashed.

dion kelly-evans since joining notts has always give the club 100%, i feel so far this season, he has been the most consistent and deserves his place in the team despite being out of position.

if this means dropping brindley or whoever plays at left back, i feel, he should start provided he dont need resting.

People might disagree, but the thing about Michael Doyle is he's not able to lift the squad by himself. If the squad plays bad, usually he's one of the culprits for going missing. This said, he's proved within the past two games that he's a vital part of the jigsaw.

I realise now, that we might not appreciate what he does well when he doesn't perform to the standard in which we expect or, believe we should see.

I'm not his biggest fan by a country mile, but I do like his character.

He's not afraid to put himself about and, I am starting to feel I shouldn't judge him so harshly. Today, not just because of his goal but the way he commanded himself. I think his experience shines, but we have to rely on other players around him to bring the best out of him. Is it harsh to expect more from a 39-year-old?

Going into this season, I was worried that his legs had gone and, I really wanted someone to replace him as a captain. This is something I feel must be done at some point during this campaign, but I do acknowledge he will be a vital part in our promotion chase.

Slocombe 7 - Made a good few saves in the first half and always does his job well. Not much chance with a fantastic strike for their goal.

Brindley - 7 - Good interplay going forward at times. Still worries me, often out of position and not closing down his man quick enough. There is a case for DKE starting in his position.

Rawlinson - 7.5 - Seems more lean and mobile than last year? Much better with the ball at his feet too. For a 'does the basics right' CB, he has improved with the ball.

Lacey - 7.5 - Usual Lacey. Calm and composed.

DKE - 8 - Never gives up, tenacious and always battling. Showed some good touches and joined in the attack, too. 

Roberts - 8 - Very close control allows him to emerge from a sea of defenders leaving us all clueless as to how exactly he has done that. However, needs to work on his passing. Often beats 3 men to play a lazy pass and give the ball away. An area for improvement.

Doyle - 7.5 - Covered a lot of ground and spread the ball nicely. Typical Doyle performance. When we get countered though, Doyle often lacks the pace to keep up with their midfield running past him. This needs to be rectified against some teams, maybe by playing Reeves there at the base.

Reeves - 9 - MOM. Somebody should stop giving this kid too many E numbers. Just ran and ran and ran. He did 13 km against Dover on a cow field, would be interested to see how many he did last night. Not only did he put a shift in, he was very good with the ball at his feet, often driving forward. 

O'Brien - 6.5 - Very good going forward. Often knows when to turn and passes excellently. However, he is far too slow at being able to track back. More than once it was his lack of pace that allowed them to get in, especially on the counter. Furthermore, he is no defender. He dives in and doesn't face his man up. Some could say 6.5 is harsh, the lowest on the team, but defensively the weakness came through him. If we are being countered and have Doyle and O'Brien tracking back - forget about it - too slow.

Thomas - 9 - Expert at being able to turn his man. Calm under pressure and a lovely dink over the top for our second.

Wootton - 8.5 - A real partnership with Thomas. Give and go, a pleasure to watch. Finished well, but could and maybe should have had more. The penalty wasn't the greatest nor the worst I've ever seen - it was a decent save from the keeper.

Enzio - 6 - Nothing really of note.

Sam - 6 - Was going to be lower after the first few 'touches', but slowly came in to the game and actually had a couple of decent touches as he settled in. Could be a slow burner. Ardley saying he needs time etc... as he hasn't played in a year. OK, let's give him time, but I can't shake that feeling in me that he might be a bit of a dud. Hope not.

Rodrigues - 6 - Only played a few minutes but showed some very good touches. Was too naiive once and jumped in to a tackle, turning his back to block the long pass, as the defender dribbled easily past him. 


Overall a very good performance throughout, 

The prediction league is in full flow now, it's tight and the title is still anyone's. So get your predictions in! The deadline is 3pm on Saturday, 10 October, and you have one joker each...

Accrington Stanley v Rochdale

Swindon Town v AFC Wimbledon

Cambridge United v Newport County

Port Vale v Carlisle United

Walsall v Colchester United

Bromley v Torquay United

Maidenhead United v Hartlepool United

Yeovil Town v Wrexham

Game 3 - The Bees (H)

Team: Barnet

Date: 10/10/2020

Where: Meadow Lane

What line-up should Neal Ardley opt for? What will be the key areas for the Magpies to get a victory? What do you think the final score will be?

Have your say below, join in with the Pride of Nottingham match discussion.

As per the e-mail which I have sent out, I am keen to gather feedback from the community.

I realise that some fans might not be interested, however, it's a fun way to discuss the games when you have an active group of people who enjoy each others company. I would like to rekindled the interest which saw it being very popular under @anonypie - a fan who loved to discuss everything black & white with a loyal following which she had built over the years.

Firstly; I did use to promote the chat on social media.

This is something which I would like to try to focus on again, especially, since more fans know some of us behind the PON community.

I'll be encouraging friends to come on board, along with previous users which I am to reach out to personally. More as a gesture to see what has been keeping them away and, what can be done to improve things for them.

If you have any ideas for the match day chat, please discuss below.

You can also express your own interest by commenting or, simply liking my post.

One area I would like to look at, is the ability to include radio coverage directly linked into the chat - I obviously need to check this. However, I have seen other fan sites achieve similar and provided there's interest I will look into the possibility.

Game 2 - The Robins (H)

Team: Altrincham

Date: 07/10/2020

Where: Meadow Lane

What line-up should Neal Ardley opt for? What will be the key areas for the Magpies to get a victory? What do you think the final score will be?

Have your say below, join in with the Pride of Nottingham match discussion.

Again a really excellent pod cast.

Really good words about Ricardo Moniz and Richard Thomas (Nolan's assistant)

I have asked members in the past to do similar, however, I am sure things have changed and I wonder what our creative bunch will come up with. Please share a video to a song on YouTube which you would consider a guilty pleasure.

When I used to be a member of a prominent song writers community, I shared this and, mentioned how the lyrics might be somewhat corny but it worked quite well. I had some banter directed my way for liking Darius Campbell.

Whilst this is by far his best work, I don't think he's a bad singer and his writing ability is a lot better than most these days.

I am rather gutted that Notts miss out on this quality