Well, it's not exactly been the smoothest road, but we've made it into the third round of the FA Cup!

As we all know, non-league sides are much harder to beat than people give them credit for - the cup for them is a dream and can often make or break a club, so they'll be playing like demons.

Anyway... who would you like to draw in the third round and where (home/away) and why?

Who was your man of the match for Notts County against Oxford City?

FA Cup - The City (H)

Team: Oxford City

Date: 02/12/17

Where: Meadow Lane

What line-up should Kevin Nolan 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.

i know this is kinda obvious most would want a balanced squad but what if we could only have one of the three above options?

the reason behind the question is that we have had a fairly strong squad, we have also had a skillful team in recent years but we really suffered due to having a lack of hardworking players. this season we seem to have that and it gets my vote over the other options.

This has nothing to do with football but it's really cool so I'm sharing.

A waterproof camera lost by a boy on an East Yorkshire beach has washed up in full working order on the German island of Süderoog just south of Denmark two months later. Even more remarkable, the camera was recording a video at the time it was swept away, which can still be viewed (it goes under at 1.24 on the video).

https://www.bridlingtonfreepress.co.uk/news/camera-found-on-remote-german-island-after-it-was-washed-away-from-a-flamborough-beach-1-8879590

As far as I know the owner hasn't been identified or come forward yet. Wouldn't it be cool if PON could help reunite the camera with its owner?

Kevin Nolan was on Sky Sports last night having a go at match punditry. Did anyone tune in and if you did, what did you think of how he did?

Found a couple of clips on Twitter of him if you fancy having a look.

I have only been to a handful of away games this season, but already its beaten the amount I made during last season. It just seems much more optimistic under the new era and the majority of fans seem up for it.

Does winning impact the amount of away games you do?

Over Sunday and Monday Alan Hardy ran a poll to determine whether Notts County should put clappers (inflatable tubes which make noise when bashed together, or something) on seats for fans to make noise when they host Oxford City in the FA Cup this weekend.

As with everything Notts-related on Twitter, emotions ran high - you would have thought the very future of the country's political-economic stability was at stake, the way fans discussed it!

So in the end, the Black and White Twarmy opted for a NO vote - 56% to 44%.

Let's get your post-poll thoughts - would they have been a nice, harmless idea or would they have just looked stupid, a waste of money and potentially used as projectiles (refer to the recent Birmingham derby)?

From an interview with the Daily Mail:

FIRST FOOTBALL MEMORY

I was going on trial for Huddersfield Schools and I didn't have any kit. My stepdad brought me an old England shirt when he turned up to take me to the trials. It was the old sky blue, Umbro shirt.

BEST PLAYER I'VE PLAYED WITH

Tugay at Blackburn. He was fantastic, a real character but an amazing player as well. That was towards the end of his career - he was probably even better in his prime. Walking into a training session with Andy Cole, Dwight Yorke, Tugay and all these sorts of players was a bit of an eye-opener!

TOUGHEST OPPONENT

Jamie Carragher. He wasn't the biggest but he commanded the players around him. Whenever you think you've managed to find some space he would always turn up.

FAVOURITE FOOTBALLING MOMENT

Scoring the winner for Blackburn against Manchester United is still the highlight. The Chelsea Cup game (with Bradford) was special but if I had to pick one it would be this. I had just jumped from the old Division Three into the Premier League. It was at Ewood, 80-odd minutes and Paul Gallagher just slipped me in and I scored. It was a massive three points to keep us in the Premier League.

SPORTING HERO

Growing up it was always Ian Wright. He was the striker I watched as a boy. He has got to be up there but David Beckham is the ultimate sporting icon.

TOUGHEST AWAY GROUND

The most difficult away game I've had was at Highbury in 2004. We never touched the ball. Arsenal were incredible that day. It was a tight pitch but they made it seem massive.

THE FIRST ALBUM I BOUGHT

It was probably something like NSYNC, before the youth-team days!

KARAOKE SONG

On the karaoke it's a bit of Dirty Diana by Michael Jackson, but it gets tiring. There's a lot of shouting in it. It takes it out of you towards the end.

BEST-DRESSED TEAM-MATE

Jorge Grant seems to have a new bit of gear on every day and he's always tweeting about hats he's getting. But it's a standard trackie or jeans and a T-shirt for me.

DREAM DINNER-PARTY GUESTS

Michael Jackson, David Beckham and Marilyn Monroe.

IF I WASN'T A FOOTBALLER

I would be an architect. I loved graphics at school and that is definitely something I'd have gone into.

In Germany, the Chinese under-20 team has applied to "join" a domestic league, the fourth-level Regionalliga Südwest, with which I sadly very well acquainted. It's turned into a bit of a hot topic.

The background is that, due to the DFB's inability to set up a proper pyramid structure, the league will have 19 teams next season, meaning that one team will not play on any given matchday. Enter China, whose under-20 team is spending the entire year at a training camp in Heidelberg. They want to "enter" the league as the 20th team. They won't be in the table and no points will be awarded for matches involving them. They're offering €15,000 per club to take part and the league has accepted. Only Waldhof Mannheim has publicly refused to play the Chinese, although clubs from other regions have dismissed the plans as a "circus".

Aside from the implicit insult to the fourth division, it's also questionable that the German FA has signalled its willingness to help out a propaganda instrument for a totalitarian regime if the price is right. It's depressing and I'm glad my team wants no part in this. And I can't help wondering if the Football League Trophy will be getting an exotic new entrant in the next yerar or two...

After today's shoddy Refereeing/linesman's decisions, together with the debacle I witnessed at Yeovil on Tuesday: I return home see that AH has called for 12 full-time Referees in League Two.

I'm guess I'm 'for' the idea, in principle. However, what if the 'chosen' one's turn out to be just like today's...or Tuesday's?

I tire - week-in, week-out - of witnessing things that continually go unpunished.

Shola was actually punched full in the face today...and although when he retaliated and was punished with a card; the player who punched him, wasn't sent off - as he should have been...simply because the ref...and linesman... both 'missed' Shola being violently assaulted! 

Even when opponents 'climb' our players backs; 'dig/nudge' them in the ribs; claim penalties that aren't or when opposing player's blatantly hit out, Referees and linesman appear to 'miss' it all.

I know KN's been ribbed for his continual 'moan' about Officials and it was even suggested today that he's (likely) bringing his grievances to the Dressing Room/Team. However, I don't know that he can 'pretend' these decisions aren't having a knock-on effect to the players in what are, mostly, extremely emotive matches and particularly when, so much depends on these Officials, 'getting it right'!

I don't think it's helpful, either, when people just say, "League Two officials are notoriously bad!

I'm not sure that 'full time Referees' are the answer or if it should simply be a case of the EFL ensuring their officials are 'good enough' to carry-out the job in the first place.

What does everyone else think?

Who was your man of the match for Notts County against Colchester United?

Game 19 - The Glovers (A)

Team: Yeovil Town

Date: 21/11/17

Where: Huish Park

What line-up should Kevin Nolan 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 20 - The U's (H)

Team: Colchester United

Date: 25/11/17

Where: Meadow Lane

What line-up should Kevin Nolan 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.

Not to steal @Piethagoram or @Elite_pie (please do continue this).

Fitzsimons 7.5 - Outstanding performance, from his decisions to come for the ball to his distribution. He seemed very confident and I think this helped with his penalty save as it wasn't a bad penalty but an exceptional save.

Duffy 4 - Looked very awkward, in the first half he made several bad decisions. The first was elbowing and barging a Colchester United player onto the ground (blatant penalty for me) and Fitzsimons called the ball. He just looked very much out of it.
Brisley 6.5 - He looked very comfortable and defended well.
Dickinson 5 - Usually he looks the weak link but he did alright, he offered us a fair bit going forward.

Hawkridge 6 - He ran around and contributed, he seemed very unpopular amongst the fan opinions I heard but he did a lot of the ugly stuff well.
Yates 7 - He was strong in midfield, creative on the ball and linked the defence and attack nicely. He worked his socks off and for me he was my Man of the Match.
Hewitt 5 - He did alright, seemed a passenger at times. Worked hard, just wasn't involved as much as I think he could have been.
Grant 6 - Jorge struggled due to them being physical and heavily marking him, yet he did well and was a driving force at getting Notts forward.

Ameobi 6.5 - Decent performance but was very limited, he tried holding the ball up and did what he could when he had chance.
Alessandra 5 - Very average, he did some neat touches and ran but he doesn't look like a striker and he didn't work well with Ameobi at all. He found himself dropping deep and roaming which limited our attacking capability.

Subs...

Milsom 6 - Steady play by Robert, he got forward and covered. Very happy with his contribution/
Jones N/A
Smith N/A

Saturday's Fixtures:
Burton Albion v Sunderland
Fulham v Millwall
Fleetwood Town v Blackpool
Northampton Town v Bury
Exeter City v Accrington Stanley
Swindon Town v Newport County

http://www.poteaux-carres.com/article-C3720170702093710-Anthony-Garcia-Après-Sainté,-le-ressort-sest-c.html

Anthony Garcia: "After Sainté, the spring broke!"

Marked by his only season in the green jersey, Anthony Garcia welcomed us at his home in Aigues-Mortes (Gard) the day after the death of his boss Loulou Nicollin.
Are you surprised to have been appointed coach of ASSE fourteen years after leaving Sainté?
(Laughs) Not really because I've been coaching for years. Nobody knows but I won a few titles in Lille and Monaco, it made sense that we appeal to me. I will bring my knowledge and my solid experience to Saint-Etienne.

Can you tell us more about it ?

Er, no, sorry to break your delirium! My name is Garcia, but my name is Anthony!

Listen, it's nothing, I'll keep you anyway! What do you think of Oscar's nomination?
Frankly, we have the same surname but I did not know him. He was born in Spain as my father here but before he signed to Sainté I did not know him. In my opinion I'm not alone, I think this is the case for the overwhelming majority of Etienne supporters. Personally I was a little surprised that we appeal to him. He is not well known because he has coached teams of young people or D2 (Brighton) or in championships low-profile as in Israel and Austria. I was expecting ASSE to choose a more experienced coach who knows the French championship. For me, Claude Puel really had the profile. For the record, I played with him when Arsène Wenger made me start in L1 at the age of 17 years and a month [ndp2: only Kylian Mbappé and Thierry Henry were earlier to ASM].

Oscar is a young coach but he did a great job in Salzburg and advocates an offensive game. It can do good to Sainté, right?

Yes, but only the results will say if Oscar was the right choice. The Etienne leaders took their time to stop their choice, they met a lot of coaches. They did not rush, they had to weigh the pros and cons before trusting Oscar. There is a lot of professionalism in Saint-Etienne, the appointment of a coach is an important decision. Do not be mistaken. I thought that Christophe Galtier would stay a few more years and register even more in the long run. He had good results even though the last year was more difficult. I knew him as a player, I played against him, he was a pretty rough defender. I really appreciated his coaching skills in Sainté, I liked his speech. He did a very good job. It's a page that turns. It's true that it was a good time that he was in post, I think it was good to the image of Saint-Etienne. The club has progressed thanks to him.

Like you he played at LOSC, but he did not have the chance to play in the green jersey as you did in the 2002-2003 season. Can we remember the circumstances of your arrival in Sainté?

I was at AC Ajaccio, we had just started in Ligue 1, finishing Ligue 2 champion. My coach at the time, Roland Courbis, told me that I was going to stay. But at the last moment, as he did to many other players, he changed his mind. It was hard to swallow but I did not have a choice. In the staff there was already Olivier Pantaloni, a former Green. He came to see me to tell me that he had heard of an interest from Saint-Etienne concerning me. I did not have anything concrete, it was a little vague. Maybe he had the info by Christian Villanova, another Corsican. Seeing nothing coming, I asked Olivier to give me the number of Fred Antonetti. I called him directly. He said to me: "Antonio Esposito is on the start, if it is confirmed you will come, but I promise you nothing." I had some touches in other L2 clubs but decided to wait. I took this risk and fifteen days later, I learned the big news while I was at the beach in Ajaccio. The next day I was in Saint-Etienne to sign my contract and I went on an internship in the wake of Annecy.

What was it for you to sign at ASSE?

It was huge, a great pride! For the anecdote, my childhood friend Thibault, had told me a few months ago that he would see me in Saint-Etienne. At the time, however, there was no contact. He had this presentiment, I of course it bugged me but I asked to see ... Finally it was done. I am from Drôme-Ardèche. My ties are in Pierrelatte, my hometown, and in Bourg-Saint-Andeol, which is next door. ASSE is the flagship club of the region. Signing at Saint-Etienne, it was incredible for me. I was very happy. It's better to play a year there than two years anywhere else. When I was a child, my father took me to Geoffroy-Guichard. Small, I saw playing Oswaldo Piazza and then Michel Platini. When I signed at Sainté, it was again my father who took me to the Cauldron. I was struggling to realize, I wondered what I was doing there in this mythical club. After, I quickly put in the mold.

You could have become Stéphane nine years ago!

Pierre Garonnaire had spotted me during the 1992-1993 season when I was loaned to Lorient by Monaco. He told me after a game that I reminded him of Jean-François Larios. When I signed in Beauvais, Garonnaire insisted that I come to give a test in Sainté but with my father we played security. It was my first 4-year pro contract, I was 20 years old ... Garonnaire moved to Pierrelatte at my parents' house to see me, we did not know what to do .. I should perhaps have given him my interests.

What memories do you keep of your unique season in the green jersey collectively and individually?

My memories are mixed because we lived a very complicated season. We have been relegated part of the season. I played a lot of matches, 38 in all competitions including 36 as a holder. I made good matches, I made others less convincing. When the collective does not run smoothly, it's hard to get out of the game. The club was in the trough of the day at the time. He was struggling to recover from the fake passport business and was struggling financially. I'm pretty happy with my performances that season, but I was disappointed to have to play the game. Given the coach and the players we had, I expected much better! I feel that I have not arrived at the right moment in Sainté.

In this rather dull season, the club has started a good story with the Coupe de la Ligue which will end in apotheosis ten years later at the Stade de France.
This competition allowed us to get out of the gray of our very average championship. The Coupe de la Ligue did us good, brought freshness. It is true that we made an honorable course. We first beat Toulouse thanks to a goal scored by Patrice Carteron in extra time, then we eliminated Le Havre after extra time on a Fred Mendy goal. The next lap was Le Mans thanks to the winning goal of Lilian Compan. But our course stopped in the quarterfinals, at home against the OM of Alain Perrin. There was a nice atmosphere, more than 30,000 spectators in the Cauldron, but we did not manage to create the exploit against Marseille.

With Fabio Celestini, your recent unfortunate competitor in the race for the succession of Galette, OM has indeed imposed 2-0, goals of Fernandao and Lamine Sakho. In the league, the Greens were red lantern in February. How did you experience this situation?

It is true that we were last but we were two or three games late because several meetings were postponed in January because of the snow. We did not panic but it really hurt her to be last in Ligue 2. Especially in a luxury club of Saint-Etienne. We were not at best and it was a little hot with the supporters, some of us were throwing pebbles when we arrived at the parking lot. Their anger was understandable, our results were well below their expectations as ours.

You scored your only goal in Green in your first match at Geoffroy-Guichard. Do you remember?

Like it was yesterday ! It was against Istres. Mickaël Dogbé overflowed right side, sent me a great center back, I took the ball directly from a grazing shot to score the third goal of our 3-0 win. It was recently discussed with my father, it is on one of my corners that Vincent Hognon had opened the score early in the game of one of those uncrossed heads he had the secret. Alex had doubled the bet shortly after. I saved a ball on Dominique Casagrande's line when the score was 2-0.

This season was also marked by two routs, in Aurillac and against Gueugnon. After this poor elimination in the Coupe de France, Juju and JJ had expressed their shame and Anto had declared that you were the only one to have played at his level. After the debacle at home against the Blacksmiths, the fans feared the worst for the end of the season ...

Yes, I remember very well these two matches. This Aurillac team played in CFA2 and was coached by Thierry Oleksiak. In the Coupe de France, our team had been a little overhauled. We knew what to expect, we had to prepare psychologically. I do not know if everyone was ready but we could not be surprised, the staff had warned us. We still had some experienced players in the team and despite that we were swept by a team evolving 3 steps below. We take a goal early in the game, they make the break before the break and even find a way to break the nail in the second half. Vincent Hognon reduced the score late in the game. Against Gueugnon, everything was badly pinned, we lost 0-3 in front of a very small room that braved the cold. I remember it was snowing and we had missed two penalties. After this game we really had our heads in the bucket, we were relegated. Fortunately we finished well the last quarter of the championship, to the point of finishing in ninth place.

Which player did you most impressed in Sainté?

I would say Jérémie Janot. He did not go away, it was Dominique Casagrande the goalkeeper number one at the beginning of the season. Following a Dominique injury, Jérémie seized his chance while at the base he did not have the profile of a holder for Frédéric Antonetti. But Jeremy is an explosive and hard-working boy, who was able to win and make his career take off that season. I was next to him, he was a great guy. He's the one who impressed me the most.

With which Etienne players did you have the most affinities?

I was very good with Lilian Compan, Vincent Hognon, Patrice Carteron, Julien Sablé. It was our core, the backbone of the team. I got on well with Alex too.

You did not know him during his best season ...

It's true but that did not stop me from appreciating it. I liked him, he was a generous guy. He invited us to his house several times, he even offered me a jersey. He was important both in the locker room and in the team. He was not at his best because he had not played a lot in his loan to Paris-Saint-Germain the previous season. It took a long time to get back in, it's not easy for a guy of this talent to end up playing the maintenance in Ligue 2. We were happy when he was on the field because he had this little trick in more that could tip a match. A lot of pressure was on him.

You quoted Julien Sablé. What does his fresh appointment to the position of director of the ASSE training center inspire you?

I have not followed in detail his career as a trainer in the youth teams of ASSE but it does not surprise me at all that he takes a position of leadership, he has the appropriate state of mind. Julien, it was an engine in a team, a guy who was always positive, coached others. Besides, he's a good guy. I had a lot of fun playing at his side, we were often associated with the midfielder. I wish him every success in his new role, I believe that he will do good to young people, he will instil in them his positive and combative state of mind.

What memories do you have of your collaboration with Frédéric Antonetti?

I have excellent memories because he is someone who is frank, honest, very clear in what he asks. I had good relations with him because I'm a little like that too. It worked well, I stayed in contact with him later on the phone and it is really someone I would see again with great pleasure. He wanted to keep me in Sainté but alas I had to leave the club.

Can you remind us why?

I had signed a year of contract, the club was not able to offer me more at the time given the uncertain context in terms of finances and management of the club. I hoped to be extended, especially since the coach, renewed in his duties, relied on me. But when I arrived at the end of the contract, in June 2003, Henri Grange had just succeeded Alain Bompard as president of the club. He told us that he could not extend the players at the end of the contract and that he could not recruit. Fred Antonetti told me that we had to keep hope, that the situation might end up unlocking. So I resumed training with the Greens in July. I had to go on an internship but I had the balls to be able to train without the club offers me anything. Maybe I should have been patient and waiting, but in the end they just re-signed Mickaël Citony because they needed a middle right.

How did you experience this forced departure from Sainté?

Very bad. It remains the big regret of my career, especially since the following season the ASSE finished L2 champion. When I left Saint-Etienne, the spring with the football broke. I was disgusted, I did not feel like it anymore. At 31, I was far from finished. I still signed in Laval but the heart was gone. I really hoped to stay in Saint-Etienne and finish my career there. I had already left Ajaccio the summer before when at the base I was told that I was going to stay. In Sainté, I have a very good season, the coach wants to keep me but I have to pack my bags again. It's frustrating and annoying because it was not linked to sporting criteria.

In Laval, you found a guy we like on Square Posts, Fousseni Diawara.

Me too I like the Fouss! He was on loan to Laval but still under contract to ASSE, but he told me he did not want to go back to Saint-Etienne. Fred Antonetti left Sainté and Elie Baup succeeded him. One day I went to see him and I said to him: "Listen Fouss, return quickly to Saint-Etienne!" I told him: "the season is long, we do not know what will happen, you can play again". Fouss was still young at the time, I had more experience. He said, "Yeah, I do not think I'll play." I said to her, "you're good in Laval, go back to Saint-Etienne, you're hardworking, you'll show what you're capable of in training and the wheel will turn." He listened to me and three months later he played at the Greens. I'm glad I advised him. In football, it goes so fast ...

Unlike your former teammates Julien, Lilian, Vincent and Patrice, you did not stay in football after your playing career. Can you enlighten us on this choice?

The spring really broke when I left Saint-Etienne. The disappointment was so strong that I did not want to stay in football. After my Laval season, I played a few months at Roye National, but I had already made my decision to stop. Thanks to Antoine Di Fraya, coach of the team corpo Nicollin group that I knew because he is from Valencia (we have friends in common), I met Olivier Nicollin at La Grande Motte in 2005. It's the son elder of Loulou, who now runs the company. He told me, "do you want to go to football or to the company?" My choice was clear, I wanted to join the corporate world. It did not mean anything to me to start a coaching career or to leave a staff.

Did you have diplomas when discovering the world of business?

No, it was new to me. I stopped at the ferry, which I missed twice. I started playing with the pros at AS Monaco at the age of 17, it was difficult to follow studies in parallel. I learned on the job in the Nicollin group. The first six months I followed a foreman who played with me in the corpo team. When I started, I took care of cleaning the city of Grau-du-Roi. I managed sweepers and machines that clean the communal roads. For eight years, I work in a subsidiary. I am responsible for sector in industrial cleaning. I manage a portfolio. When we win cleaning contracts, we get the staff and I take care of the contract from A to Z: I manage the staff, the client, the specifications, the quotes, the pay.

How did your pro gamer experience help you in the corporate world?

This experience helped me a lot because the human is at the heart of the job. Football, it teaches you a lot about human relationships, synergies within a group. I used a lot of my experience in football in the way of managing my employees. When I was a player, I was in exchange and listening with my teammates but also with my bosses, my coaches and my presidents. I did not have skills in management and computer science, but I learned them little by little. A job can be learned, human management is less obvious if you do not have that in you. In the Nicollin group, I appreciate human relations. I take this opportunity to address a little wink to my Achour Hamoudi, a real git of the Greens!

We imagine that you are very affected by the sudden death of Loulou Nicollin.

Yes, of course! We learned this Thursday night. The next day, at the office, we were all very sad and in shock. I have colleagues crying. We had seen him recently, he had come to visit us. He was someone who was close to his employees. Of course, I know his son Olivier more, I have more direct relations with him. The death of Louis Nicollin, it is a huge loss for the whole group, and it is also a big loss for the world of football. I played four years in corpo in the group Nicollin, Loulou was very attached to our team. He came to see us at all the finals. When we won a final in Paris, he arrived on the field and launched: "Tonight, the evening, it's for me!" He went to see a leader and gave him an envelope of 5,000 euros saying, "It's for them!" The corpo team had a special place in his heart because it was still the amateur football he was really attached to. Loulou was generous and passionate. For 70 years of the group, he invited all employees to his farmhouse Saint-Gabriel located in Marsillargues, near Lunel.

You could visit there his famous museum?

Of course, I have seen it many times. I gave him a jersey for his collection. A rare jersey because it's a green jersey that I wore when I played ... at LOSC. It proves that he was not allergic to the Greens! (laughs) I know that ASSE supporters did not like his anti-Etienne spades but it was more of a game than anything else. Basically, I do not think he was anti-Etienne. He was a football lover and when we love football, we love Saint-Etienne. There are also many green jerseys exhibited in his museum in addition to the collection that had entrusted him with President Roger Rocher.

We hope that this collection will end at the Museum of the Greens, which we strongly recommend you to visit if you have the opportunity to move to Sainté. Have you returned to Geoffroy-Guichard since you left the club?

I went back the following season, it made me strange by the way because I played the coup against the Greens alongside Fouss with Laval. Sainté won 2-0 thanks to goals from Lilian Compan and Nicolas Marin. I went back there a few years later to make the Cauldron fervor known to my children. Fred Emile, who is still intendant there, had received me very well. I had come for a Saint-Etienne-Lille. I had been able to enter the locker room. It always makes me go back. At the same time it makes me happy and at the same time it hurts a bit, I would have liked to stay longer in this club. I loved when we warmed up in front of the kop and he sang "go the Greens". It boosted, it gave me energy. Me it transcended me, it motivated me! And at the same time I said to myself: "It's crazy what I live there! What am I doing here?" It's the song we listened to when we were little, everyone heard and hummed. Except that I was on the ground! I remember when I came back to Geoffroy-Guichard, I came across Bafé. It was I believe in his last season with the Greens. When I met him in Sainté, he was very young, he must have been 17 years old. But like Loïc Perrin, another promising youngster, Bafé sometimes came to train with us. When he recognized me, he promised to send me a shirt for my children. Bafé is a nice guy and nice, he kept promise.
 
Thanks to Anthony for his availability.

Hi all,

I just wanted to say a quick hello here, I think PON is a brilliant website and I look forward to exchanging views.

we are two days a way from the first game of the season, how optimistic are you right now?

i am actually feeling quite nervous but i am excited at the same time. i think coventry will either be one of those games where we battle for a draw or they will show their quality throughout the game. i just hope the fans who attend leave happy and feeling like the players gave their all.

i heard a lot of fans after the 2-0 win against morecambe saying positive things about this season being the real thing, most seemed a little too optimistic for my linking. dont get me wrong i think we should be up there if things continue but the bubble could burst as we all know. the thing i am unsure about is when fans say we are going to walk the league or win it, i think we lack the quality to do either of those especially at such an early point.

what do you think? should we avoid getting carried a way?

Tuesday Night's Fixtures:
Barnsley v Cardiff City
Nottingham Forest v Norwich City
Oxford United v Blackburn Rovers
Plymouth Argyle v Northampton Town
Chesterfield v Forest Green Rovers
Morecambe v Crewe Alexandra

Who was your man of the match for Yeovil Town against Notts County?

A bit late, but here we go:

Fitzsimons 5.5 – a couple of decent saves, but he looks really dodgy on crosses. Got away with one real howler and was caught in no man’s land on a couple of others.
Tootle 6 – more effective first half, didn’t get forward so much in the second.
Duffy 6 – no real alarms, generally competent.
Brisley 7.5 – solid no-nonsense defensively, and a big threat at set pieces.
Dickinson 7 – defended well and produced some dangerous set pieces.
Hawkridge 6.5 – worked hard and provided a good outlet on the right.
Yates 8*- typical 100% performance, stood up well to some very physical challenges and was effective all over the pitch. Helped us win the midfield battle.
Milsom 6.5 – a very capable stand-in for Hewitt, put himself about well.
Grant 7 – a bit peripheral for parts of the game, but his class shone through when he was involved.
Stead 6.5 – not a lot of goal threat, but some good touches to get others in dangerous positions. 
Ameobi 7 – again not much goal threat, but some of his play is a class above for this league.

Subs – not on long enough to rate.

Over the 90 minutes I think 3-1 was a fair scoreline. We defended well as a unit and created some good chances. We got a bit lucky with the deflection to go 2-1 up, but we had done enough to deserve to be in front at that stage. In Stead and Ameobi we have a couple of strikers that probably won’t score too many, but they are creating a lot of chances for our midfield, which Grant in particular is taking advantage of. If we can continue to perform to that level we’ll win more games than we’ll lose.

Who was your man of the match for Notts County against Cheltenham Town?