https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/57373050

Slocombe 6 cant fault for the goals

Brindley 6  Perhaps never chose the right ball in fwd positions

Ellis 6 Never a penalty , headed well

Chicksen 6 great goal, still defensively suspect

DKE 6.5 great ball in for Ruben,

Miller 6 Robbed for the first...always tries to be creative outlet

Enzio 5 Below par, shooting boots not on today

Reeves 5.5 Not as effective as usual

Doyle 6 One major mistake led to the corner where 3rd goal was scored. Some good passing but wasnt to be

Ruben 6.5 Great header but tired into extra time

Wootton 5.5 Not his day at the office

Subs

barnett 3.5 Not good enough

Griffiths 5 missed a great chance

Rawlinson 4.5 Effort but not a fwd

Knowles 4 Gets into a good position, ruben waiting for pass...and Knowles too selfish

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/mar/09/oldham-owners-accused-of-destroying-club-legacy-as-harry-kewell-sacked

I had missed this that Curle had replaced Kewell at Oldham

Keepers

Slocombe - 7.5 - Very dependable and rarely lets you down. Fairly comfortable with the ball at his feet and a good shot stopper. Also commands his area to some degree. You won't find a much better keeper at this level.
Pilling - 5 - Takes too many risks with his feet, but looked to be a good shot stopper. Can't command his area and in the NL where we struggled with height all season, a small keeper won't help. When Slocombe was injured we instantly signed a new keeper, which tells you enough. 
Steele - 4 - Thought he was quite poor in the games he played. Slow to get down to shots and slow reaction saves.
Brooks - N/A - On-loan / didn't play for us. 

Defenders

DKE - 6.5 - Tenacious, hard-working and passionate. Every NL club needs players like DKE. A bit one dimensional going forward (can't really beat a man) and his lack of height can be exploited at the back. 
Brindley - 6 - Injured for a lot of the campaign. For me he seems to drift through games, never doing anything spectacular or terrible, a fairly solid and calm performer.
Golden - N/A 
Richardson - N/A
Rawlinson - 6.5 - Was immense at times this season, but didn't look confident as the right part of a back 3. 
Lacey - 6.5 - Injury cut his season short. Still a great defender at this level.
Ellis - 7 - Goals and assist ratio is better than most strikers in the league. Massive in the hear, suspect on the ground.
Turner - 3.5 - Disaster waiting to happen. Still have visions of him in that playoff final and his performances this season actually reinforced them. 
Graham - N/A - Waste of a signing. Sent back to parent club. 
McCrory - N/A - Injured all season. 
Adam Chicksen - 5.5 - Anonymous for most of the season, perhaps not fancied by Ardley. Played a key role under IB and one of our best players in the last few games.
Barnett - 3 - Showed promise with athletic ability early on. Faded quickly as his lack of technical ability came to the fore. 

Midfielders

Roberts - N/A - Injured all season.
Enzio - 5.5 - Few flashes in the pan and a few games where his confidence looked shot. Just not able to produce consistently enough. 
JOB - 6 - Barely used at the start of the season, came into his own under IB. Was sorely missed in the playoffs. 
Doyle - 6.5 - Still bosses a midfield with a great passing range probably unmatched in this league. Gets caught out when players run past him due to lack of pace. Forgivable at his age though. Docked half a point for his role in the chuckle brothers act under Ardley.
Reeves - 6 - It started so well. It then deteriorated into mind-numbing boring 3 foot passes sideways and backwards. Got a couple of long distance goals. Improved under IB.
Sloth - N/A - Left having never played for us in a competitive game.
Ruben Rodrigues - 7 - Showed lots of promise, but never flourished under Ardley. Given free reign under IB and improved noticeably. Seems to glide past players and plays some sublime passes. Also completes a lot of running and closing down, which is not something you'd assume from a player like RR. 
Regan Griffiths - 5 - Not much game-time and while he didn't impress greatly, he performed OK, hence the middle of the road rating.
Miller - 6 - I've included him in the midfielders for a very good reason. A defender he is not. Bad start at LB but when moved to the wing back role really excelled with pace and direct running. Areas of the game he needs to improve on, such as first touch. 
Wolfe - N/A - Another odd loan signing. Barely played. 

Forwards

Thomas - N/A - Didn't play then left under a cloud of rumours. 
Wootton - 7 - Must've played almost every minute of a long, gruelling season. Hold up play as solid as ever, and added a good goal tally despite a (very) difficult period.
Sam - 3.5 - Disappointing. A few signs of promise that were soon replaced with bewilderment. Looks like there's a good player in there, just can't see anybody being so patient to get it out. Doesn't look to have a very good understanding of the game (teammates/managers always instructing him on the field). 
Knowles - 4 - Not up to the standard of the league but contributed a few goals anyway. Clearly has an eye for goal, but lacks so many other parts of the game. 
Knight - N/A - Never really got to see enough of him before he dropped out the squad. Looked quick. 


 

Hello guys,

Two weeks ago Harry Redknapp said about Notts County:
"They should be in the Football League. It's a great, historic, football club. They should be playing league football."
I shared this with Russian-language Everton fans (as I told already I am Everton supporter), we have a chat-room, and offered them to discuss what they think about Notts County. Is this "great" club, big club or just club which has great (big or regular) history?
There are few young guys (early twenties) their answered: we don't even know this club. I must confess I was unpleasantly disappointed with this answer.
But common idea was that Notts County is definitely not small club but club is far far away from big football now and much below their actual level. And it has really great history.

What do you think what kind of club Notts County is?
No doubt Notts should be playing league football. 
If we're talking about the club's resources, what is the real level of the club in the historical aspect and at the moment?
Thanks

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/sportsnews/article-9197545/Torquay-United-accused-forgery-fraud-former-player-Kalvin-Lumbombo-Kalala.html

Some still think we're in with a chance of playoffs. I don't.

So to keep me sane, I'll look forward to next season. The below doesn't take account if they are loan players or the length of their current contract.

Goalkeepers

Slocombe - Keep - He's a very good keeper for this level, even if he does have his moments. Only worry is that he does tend to miss a few weeks every season through injury.

Pilling - Get rid - Good shot stopper, not good enough being able to dominate his area and a massive accident waiting to happen with his feet. We need a solid backup for when Slocombe is injured.

Steele - Get rid - Beaten consistently from distance. Kicking dodgy. 

Defenders

DKE - Keep - He needs to work on the attacking part of his game as a modern fullback. However, being able to play both fullback positions aids him and he's more than good enough for rotation.

Brindley - Keep - He's a dependable, 6-7 out of 10, every game. Miss him when he's injured.

Rawlinson - Keep - Not as steady this season, but often played in formations he isn't comfortable with. Him and Lacey are our starting CBs.

Lacey - Keep - Class above. 

Ellis - Keep - If we can sign him, I think we should. In a better side, the three CBs rotating with eachother will be right up there in this league. 

Turner - Get rid - Accident waiting to happen. Not even adequate backup. 

McCrory - Get rid - Like him as a player, but we can't keep him on the pitch often enough.

Chicksen  - Get rid - He's OK for backup. Would depend on wages. Not good enough for me to be our starting LB.

Barnett - Get rid - Terrible footballer.

Midfield

Roberts - Keep - This one is obvious. Really hope he can sort his injury issues out.

Rodrigues - Keep - He's a very good footballer who can unlock defences given the chance. We need to find a formation and system that suits him.

Enzio - Keep - He'll be on top wages and he's just so inconsistent that I can't justify keeping him on those wages, but if he will take a big wage cut, then we should keep him.

Doyle - Keep - I think he has another season in him. However, not to start every game as he has this season.

Reeves - Get rid - Neat and tidy in passing sideways and backwards, but there's plenty of players that can do that. Doesn't have the quality going forward or the nastiness defensively to boss a midfield.

Griffiths - Get rid - Haven't seen enough to be convinced he's good enough, even as backup.

JOB - Get rid - I like JOB, but he's probably on decent wages and he has been a bit-part player. Need more legs in this league.

Forwards

Wootton - Keep - He can't do it on his own, but his hold up play is very good. Shouldn't have to be the only striker that can play his role.

Knight - Keep - He's not ready yet, but can be an impact sub.

Knowles - Get rid - He can finish, but his other parts of his play are really poor.

Sam - Get rid - Massive disappointment. Runs about like a headless chicken - doesn't seem to understand tactics or instructions.
 

23 in total not including youth. I've kept 12... about half. That's a big turnover of players.

Play Off Semi Final - The Gulls (A)

Team: Torquay United

Date: 12/06/2021

Where: Plainmoor

What line-up should Ian Burchnall 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.

This season feels like it's gone on for ages but we've reached the play-offs at last.

Just thought I'd ask you all, what are you worried about and, what you can take comfort in, with our team and maybe with the potential route to Ashton Gate.

For me, I think we can see positives in the fact we are moving the ball a lot quicker and the players have bought into the way Burchnall wants to play. We're very fluid and don't really stick to our normal roles in our formation, meaning it can be difficult for the opposition to man mark or track their man.

Allowing Ruben a free role to create and support Wootton, causes teams all sorts of trouble. O'Brien is being used a lot better in my opinion, being allowed to make them runs into the box from deep. Reeves is playing a bit further forward and his through ball passes and long range shooting ability is has helped us. Calvin Miller has been superb on loan and his direct running is a thorn in the side of opposition teams. Mark Ellis can also bring it out of defence if he wants to.

However, my biggest worry is, in games we go through spells where we dither about, make silly and stupid decisions and we panic. As IB said yesterday, we need to trust ourselves more and not rush into launching it when we go through these spells. Another thing is our clinical edge in front of goal because, we should have been ahead before they scored yesterday and we probably should have won by more against Weymouth. You won't be allowed to get away with that in the play-offs.

We've also got to be ready and want it more, and to clear it out our box when crosses come in, because we can be suspect to them sometimes. 

So why wasnt their keeper sent off, or even booked for bringing down Ruben? 

Pride of Nottingham Member of the Season 2020/2021

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Pride of Nottingham Signing of the Season 2020/2021

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Pride of Nottingham Player of the Season 2020/2021

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Pride of Nottingham Goal of the Season 2020/2021

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Pride of Nottingham Game of the Season 2020/2021

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They were once the #1 team in Bradford...and one can say the same applies to #Notts in Nottingham

It is somewhat essential that we get back to the EFL this season, its not going to be easy

EFL teams, seasons finished are already conducting transfer business... Will we be left scrapping for whoever is left?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fahrudin_Kuduzović

and I do now remember him playing... thx to @DangerousSausage for jogging the memory

He is currently a coach in Trier

This would make a great quiz question:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Li_Ke_(footballer)

I've been pacing myself this week, trying not to get too excited too early in the week. It's Thursday so the excitement is bubbling. I should come to the boil around 15 mins before kick off lol. This is a massive game. Absolutely massive. It's an opportunity to get back to the FL. We don't belong in the NL, we are a league club, full stop. To be fair, Chesterfield are a FL club and belong in the FL, but this about Notts. Let Chesterfield look after themselves. It will be a game filled with tension and expectation. The pressure on both teams will be immense. I think it will go to penalties. Notts to win. I can't and won't contemplate defeat. Let's do it for the fans in the stands, the fans at home and especially for those who are no longer with us, what a fitting tribute that would be. I'm getting a bit emotional now.....

Just realised that we don't have a thread to discuss the goings-on in the league we (hopefully temporarily) call home. Well now we do.

- Barnet now have NINE players plus their manager in quarantine. Did they spread it to us, or did we spread it to them? They played their FA Cup match anyway, and won 3-2.

- American investors are sniffing around Woking and talking about taking them into the Football League. What could possibly go wrong?

- As mentioned in Jason Turner's email, NL clubs are to receive 10m of funding - 95k a month for proper football clubs, and 84k a month for the tin-potters. Our Jase isn't happy with this, as it doesn't take actual crowds (the absence of which this money is supposed to be compensating) into account.

- Stockport have won four on the trot and are now top of the table. Am I the only one who finds this ominous?

Slocombe - 6 - He needs to be saving their first goal. I know it comes fast, but it is from so far out and it's at a comfortable height. Great save against Tyson. No idea what he's doing at the end.

Rawlinson - 4 - Where is the Rawlinson that used to step out of defence and dribble? He's disappeared.  Who has replaced him is a slow, ponderous CB that doesn't look comfortable. Takes an age to pick a pass and they are often read. Defensively, what is he doing against Rowe for their 2nd? It's about 7 v 1, go and close him down! 

Ellis - 7 - Won a lot of headers both offensively and defensively. Just seems to pop up in those vital moments with another great goal. That would normally earn him a much higher score, but his stepping up to catch Tyson offside was dodgy to say the least. Should have been punished and wasn't. 10 for heading and offensive threat, 4 for his Arsenal back line impression. Averages out at 7.

Chicksen - 8 - Thought he was fantastic. Calm, collected, technically very good. Makes correct decisions defensively time and time again, confident under pressure. Great performance.

Miller - 6.5 - Constant threat in the first half, but final ball was lacking. Faded in the second half.
Brindley - 6 - That right hand side was weak in the first half. The change the manager made improved that, and Brindley was better in the 2nd half. Dodgy moments defensively, sometimes seems to glide through games without intensity.

Doyle - 6 - Controlled the ball and passing was good for the most part. Often in positions to shoot but rarely does. When he does shoot, however, you quickly see why he doesn't usually bother. When they get past him defensively, you see his lack of pace, which is how they get their second as Doyle loses his man.
Reeves - 6 - Wasn't his best game. Gives away a stupid foul to give them their free-kick in the first half. Made some good runs forward and should have a penalty.
Enzio - 6 - He was anonymous for large parts of the game and seemed static.  Improved when moved to the right and beat his man a few times on the right to put in some promising balls.

Rodrigues - 7 - Toiled away, spun his markers, decision making lacking. 
Wootton - 8.5* - MOM. Thought he was fantastic. Real poachers goals and in just the right place. He is always the first man following shots in, a really good habit. Won his fair share in the air and tried to link play.

Knowles - 3 - Think he touched the ball twice and gave it away both times. Largely anonymous and is too weak to be effective. You have to wonder about Knight and Sam if Knowles is preferred to them. The change helped us be more attacking, but Knowles offered nothing. 
DKE - N/A

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p09j4lt3

Full programme on the link above