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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Voting ends this Friday 9pm (11/06/2021)

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

Please take the time to vote for the Pride of Nottingham game of the Season, the choices had to be narrowed down to 12 choices but others may be added if mentioned - League games only.

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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

Game 46 - The Lilywhites (A)

Team: Bromley

Date: 29/05/2021

Where: Hayes Lane

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.

https://www.bromleyfc.tv/site/mark-cousins/

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

Good keeper

https://www.bromleyfc.tv/site/jack-bridge/

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

very good close skill

Slocombe - 8 - Made some excellent saves

Chicksen - 7.5 - Stellar.
Ellis - 7 - Did well aerially.
Rawlinson - 4 - Looked a bag of nerves and knackered. Made odd decisions.

Brindley - 5 - Looked knackered. Beaten often down the left.
Miller - 6.5 - Electric, final ball lacking.

Doyle - 5.5 - When defending, often sits/hides behind the wingback and not marking his man, allowing them to cross easily. Overran at times.

O'Brien - 6 - Decent.
Reeves - 6 - Decent. 
Rodrigues - 6 - Decent, needs to work on shooting.

Wootton - 6 - Toiled. 

Subs:

Enzio - 3.5 - We were worse as a team when he came on. Constantly offside, bad touches, strange decisions. Poor.
Sam - 5 - Has the potential to bamboozle defenders, however often bamboozles himself in the process.
Griffiths - N/A


 

https://www.nottinghampost.com/sport/football/football-news/notts-county-transfers-summer-burchnall-5425395

What do you remember most about the 90s?

As a child born in 87, I grew up appreciating the 80s a lot more than the music at the time. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed tuning into Trent FM and Dr Fox for the chart countdown with my brother. Yet it's only until my late 20s I truly grew to appreciate the music I grew up hearing at the time, especially when out. Funfairs would blast some absolute classics, it's not quite the same now with the drowning awful bubble popping managed lyrics that most modern artists come out with.

One band I loved as a kid was Supergrass, a band which often gets overlooked when you talk about the 90s and even when mentioning BritPop. 

Blur, Oasis, Ocean Colour Scene, Suede, Pulp etc.

What band(s) was your go-to choice for the genre? I could name others, like Space but I tried to narrow it down.

I preferred Blur more over Oasis, but I did like their songs. Ocean Colour Scene always gets me singing especially if "The Day We Caught The Train", my grandfather got me into this song as he played it in his car a fair bit - along with Train's "Drops of Jupiter" but that doesn't have much to do with this topic. It's more a small antidote to mention that I didn't actually know who sang The Day we Caught the Train until I heard it coming home from a school trip. Back before you could hold your phone up-to a speaker and let it tell you, I managed to track it down and later downloaded it on the internet using a lime based file sharing software (I do own a copy of the album though now).

Briefly touching upon Supergrass, I think they were massively ahead of their time and although they did well - I do think they tend to be vastly forgotten. 

"Caught by the fuzz, well I was, still on a buzz" ????