Hello, @Glastoandy. Welcome to the Pride of Nottingham.

I hope you enjoy being a part of our Notts County community, please do visit and join in when you can.

@Glastoandy, hello and welcome to PON.

welcome to pon, @Glastoandy. just another hello from me.

Welcome from me too  @Piesofgreen

@Piesofgreen, hello and welcome to PON.

hello, @Piesofgreen. welcome to pon, its good to have you with us.

Thanks @Piethagoram sadly we won’t be going ashore any time soon. We went on an excursion yesterday and as she was getting off the coach Mrs. T fell awkwardly and twisted her ankle, it is very swollen and she can’t put any weight on it, the crew were very good and we managed to get her back onboard, they given us a wheel chair to use on the ship but we aren’t allowed to take it ashore, so we are ship bound for a while until it gets easier to walk. Hopefully it’s not broke but we’ll keep an eye on it.

3 hours ago, Fan of Big Tone said:

Thanks @Piethagoram sadly we won’t be going ashore any time soon. We went on an excursion yesterday and as she was getting off the coach Mrs. T fell awkwardly and twisted her ankle, it is very swollen and she can’t put any weight on it, the crew were very good and we managed to get her back onboard, they given us a wheel chair to use on the ship but we aren’t allowed to take it ashore, so we are ship bound for a while until it gets easier to walk. Hopefully it’s not broke but we’ll keep an eye on it.

Poor Mrs T. Please tell her I hope she feels better soon.

I dislocated my ankle play fighting with Jake during my holiday on the beach, and from previous times with my knee. I know the sand is an unkind place to hurt yourself.

I hope P is feeling much better now @Fan of Big Tone and her injury hasn't put too much of a dampener on things. She is managing to keep smiling even if she is in pain.

Welcome to the Pride of Nottingham, @JDaykin. It's great to be welcoming you to the community here.

@JDaykin, hello and welcome to PON.

Welcome to PoN @JDaykin

The success of George Abbott last season has taught me to be more patient with these kind of signings and we’re definitely building a reputation as a club to send promising youngsters to develop. Fingers crossed for him, oh and he doesn’t take up one of the over 21 slots either

This is the sort of signing I hoped we’d make, young, talented, and with something to prove. Iorpenda looks like he’s got the attributes to thrive in League Two: strong, quick, and willing to put himself about. That box-to-box style fits well with how we’re trying to play, especially if he’s got the engine to get up and down the pitch. The bonus is that he’s come through two decent academies, and clearly has a solid football education. I think if we manage him well and give him regular game time, he could develop into a really important player for us. If he can chip in with a few goals as well, even better!

I'm pleased with his arrival and hope he is ready to compete for his place in the team. As the season unfolds at Notts, I hope he enjoys his time here. He could become part of a select group of talented players who have been given more opportunities, like Ryan Yates and Jack Grealish.

He has a good head on his shoulders, and when he moves to a higher-level team, he should make sure it’s one that will actually play him and help him develop. Millwall gave up too soon on Macaulay Langstaff. We didn’t need them to prove it by putting him on the transfer list before this season started. Jake Tabor won’t want to end up in that situation, even though Macca is on decent wages.

The EFL is a big step up, but some players just have a natural instinct for scoring goals.

Putting in the hard work and making life difficult for defenders can be enough to succeed. Maybe, in a few years, Jake Tabor will be playing at that level.

good luck to him, i hope he gets a move to the efl and does well.

I haven't been online much in the last few days so I'm yet to discover many of the functions, but I like the look and feel of it, it feels much more modern.

However, I always navigated the site using the dashboard and I'm struggling with the new one. Previously there was a clean overview of the latest forum posts, but now I have to scroll past some very old status updates, frequent posters etc. before I find the forum posts, which are organised by forum and seemingly not in chronological order. I may well be missing something though. Thanks @Chris for your efforts and I'm looking forward to seeing it bed in!

4 minutes ago, DangerousSausage said:

However, I always navigated the site using the dashboard and I'm struggling with the new one. Previously there was a clean overview of the latest forum posts, but now I have to scroll past some very old status updates, frequent posters etc. before I find the forum posts, which are organised by forum and seemingly not in chronological order. I may well be missing something though. Thanks @Chris for your efforts and I'm looking forward to seeing it bed in!

The Latest Discussions widget currently in place, it's just a makeshift feed.

I've mentioned in the discussion about this pending upgrade that Terabyte mentioned that upgrading our custom widget wouldn't be possible with two features, plus a further 2 hooks no longer exist. The team behind the software, they have built this from the ground up, so hooks may return in the future as many have already, but I have revised my plan.

I am not sure when exactly the replacement will be ready at this stage. There are various pending and in the works upgrades.

I know what you mean though, thanks for your comment and feedback.

I was a bit caught off guard when I saw the changes, but after a few seconds to take it in, I’m really impressed. Once everything is fully in place, it will look even better. I appreciate the effort from everyone who made it happen.

Great to have you join us @Simon Jackson ,Welcome aboard.

Hello, @Simon Jackson.

Welcome to the Pride of Nottingham, I also hope to see you contributing to this fine fan driven site.

Hello @Simon Jackson.

Welcome to the Pride of Nottingham, join in and share your thoughts. The dashboard page and all activity stream in the community section of the site are excellent.

Rest in Piece, Uriah Rennie. 😔

A very good referee,rest in peace Uriah Rennie

Uriah Rennie: Sheffield figures...

Uriah Rennie, rest in peace. 🥲

@BradtheMiller, he's one of the managers I'm discreetly wishing for, but not putting a lot of optimism as I don't expect him to come. Yet, I think he would be a superb choice. There's a few which tick the boxes for me, but Leam Richardson is one.

It's nice to see you, matey.

Maybe the club has been trying to sort out the training facilities and the recent updates before turning their full attention to the takeover talks. It’s possible they’ve been working on these things in the background while also sorting out who might come in.

I’m sure there have been talks with head coaches, but it could still be early stages. They might be collecting all the right information before they make a final call. Leam Richardson could be a really good choice.

Do the bookies have it right about who might come in? The odds will probably shift a bit before the new head coach is appointed. I don’t see the Reedtz going for Joao Alves.

Hello, welcome to the Pride of Nottingham. We are pleased to have you here @willallen50.

Hello from me too , @willallen50 ,welcome

Hello, @willallen50.

Welcome to the Pride of Nottingham, I also hope to see you contributing to this fine fan driven site.

I'm not a big fan of the term "plan B", but I know what people mean by it.

Football shouldn't be based on rigid tactics all the time, there should be a general approach, and tactics do generally fall within a system. I just think, if managers or head coaches have tactic A, tactic B, tactic C etc. It takes some adjustment switching, and whilst I would say Stuart Maynard didn't show much understanding of turning games around. I don't think he ever really had the understanding of how being less formal can make the opposition ask questions of how we would play.

It would be nice if we could switch formations much easier, based on the starting XI and the players available on the bench. As such, this might be a fallback plan, but I would hope our next head coach can read how games are actually going.

Usually, there are signs that we will concede. It starts with pressure in controlling the ball at the back and playing it straight to the keeper the moment a player can't make a forward pass.

It would be much easier if instructions were being given, and the moment one of our players is struggling in-game, thoughts are made as to how to overcome it. Some managers sit back, hoping the quality will prevail, but a lot of people say we need a leader on the pitch. I think it starts with who is in charge of the squad.

At our level, every coach will have different abilities in areas of their management style, but I do think a better understanding of how a game is going would help with the mistakes we can make and the lack of concentration. Another point, I would have thought a manager would think about why we don't score from corners often, something which comes from the training ground.

SM in his post match interviews, talked about the focus turning to the next match & it always seemed that there was going to be a tactic & plan against that particular side.

But when it came to it, especially at ML, the plan & tactic always used to be very similar to the previous match, play out from the back & retain possession as much as possible.

When I talk about a plan A, B, & C I'm talking about how Notts should be approaching each game against 23 different teams. For me, there has to be a different approach because every team is different.

It's not all about the style & shape, it's also about which players of the squad you play, what position they play, & how the Notts formation will be for that particular opponent.

What would be the most effective way of playing that particular team. Which players would be the best players to play against that team, What formation would be the best against that team. What style would be the best against that team to win a game of football?

On a poor narrow pitch or against a physical & bullying side, the player line up should be different, compared to a side that will play an open passing game on a good wide pitch. I think that is how a Head Coach should be using his squad.

I think when Notts struggled, the predictability became more obvious. When they played well, the quality in the squad shone, and the creativity was much harder to read. While there are clear patterns, especially with play coming down the flanks, having players like Nick Tsaroulla, Kellan Gordon, and Jodi Jones means we will be heavily focused on the wider areas. Now that Will Jarvis has joined, we have plenty of options out wide and flexibility with Jodi and Jarvis if another wing-back is signed.

Having versatile players is important, as is keeping the back four stable and selecting those in form. However, addressing certain weaknesses goes beyond just predictability. I agree that more creativity through the centre of the park is needed and that the team should look for attacking moves rather than dropping back.

He's still 10/1 on the odds list !🤭 I would like to know who put money on him though, chucking money down the drain would've given you the same return!

i have never even heard of him, but you had me for a few milliseconds @Piethagoram.

@liampie, he was one of the rumour mill head coaches linked to us.

His experience isn't all that bad, but ending up in England and in League Two seemed unlikely. EFL experience would be very nice, but I wish him well with his new role.

i think the head coach should have the final say and have the biggest input into player recruitment, i dont mind that the club have their own way of recruiting because it can give the manager more time to focus on tactics, upcoming games but i think when signings are made without a manager it does not really make much sense. people can clash, and when the head coach has the final say, at least they are agreeing to some level that they can work together.

the togetherness within the squads camp has been very good, so i dont think its much of an issue but i do think signings should be made when a manager is present.

Signings are fine when the player is in demand or of high quality. Some appointments can’t be gambled on, and the club needs a high level of input from the head coach. He’s the professional and must get the best out of the squad. A better understanding of the system could ease concerns from fans. At least the board isn’t signing a striker like Izale McLeod and using most of the budget or taking a gamble on higher wages with someone like Danny Haynes.

I don’t think it’s a massive issue anymore, especially if the recruitment team is really good a head coach won’t complain if they keep providing them with top quality players. And as long as the process is collaborative and the head coach does have some input (which I’m 99% sure happens with us) I think it’s a smart way of doing things. You take a load of the head coach as they don’t actively have to spend anytime scouting, it’s all done for them. They can focus solely on coaching the first-team.

A big positive is that in theory you'll never miss out on signing a good player. We signed Langstaff with no head coach, if we had to wait until Luke had become our head coach he could’ve been snapped up by some other club...

And it does stop managers just signing players who only they like, which sometimes doesn’t always benefit the team. We’ll never end up with players like Jude Stirling or Nicky Hunt who were basically signed because they give a good vibe to the place... I notice Kevin Nolan has signed Fitzsimmons again. If Northampton had a recruitment team I can’t imagine they would’ve signed him because he’s not a League 1 level player.

In a way, those stats from above are what I thought might have been his saving grace as our owners seemingly pay close attention to all the stats and data.

Maybe if we had been more exciting at the expense of conceding a few more goals he might have been ok. But far too often we were reliant on individuals just being better than the oppositions defence when it came to our attacking play. It’s probably why we did fine against the poor teams but more often than not got nothing against the good ones. We didn’t look like a well-coached attacking unit and in my opinion that’s probably what cost him his job.

Both Halifax and Gateshead are looking for a new managers, wouldn't be surprised if he ended up at either. 

Stuart Maynard's dismissal came as a surprise, but I think he was dealt a rough hand by not having his assistant properly replaced. The good and the bad is that he never looked like he was adapting well, and I believe the decision was the right call. His replacement seems to have taken just as long as Maynard would have to make a substitute, which suggests there might be some issues to work through.

I hope, for our sake, that it’s not too late and we can focus on the new season. It’s important that the team gets a fresh start and we can move forward positively.

The disappointment of the last week of the season can be traced back to the departure of Dan Crowley.....not replacing him with a similar player was almost criminal.....and still a replacement isn't in the building.....its hopefully being sorted ASAP.....plus a tough tackling robust midfielder as well....there's only 3 weeks to go until preseason is due to start!!!!!...hopefully this week we'll see quite a bit of transfer activity and a new Head Coach appointed....

It's a sad situation for Sheffield Wednesday. Their current plight is just another example regarding the state of English Football at the moment. Unfortunately, I don't see things getting any better for Clubs like Wednesday who are further down the Football pyramid.

We keep talking about financial caps on players wages, transfer fees & ensuring that potential owners are strictly vetted to ensure that Clubs are in safe hands, but financial problems at clubs continue to surface & there doesn't appear to be an end to it.

Whether a Football Regulator will make any difference remains to be seen, but it is becoming clear that drastic changes in football regulation are needed before it's too late.

i think it shows the importance of getting your finances right in football, but there is always the warning sign about over spending and the fans do need to take into consideration what realistically can be spent. i feel sorry for the owl fans, as they are a good club but are certainly amidst of some very serious trouble.

Most clubs struggle because of financial problems. It’s part of modern football, and quicker changes are needed to ensure clubs operate within their means. Financial Fair Play can only do so much, so hopefully Sheffield Wednesday can sort their situation out.

yes

Hard one based off one signing and no manager. Based on my confidence in the brothers from what they've pulled off previously, I'm optimistic. They saw we were fragile at the back after our first season back in L2 which was thoroughly addressed and have replaced players like Rodrigues and Langstaff with equally good talent. The issue is now, we've had quite a bit of talent go in the last 6 months and it not really been backfilled (Crowley etc). To map where we need to be, we need a creative and technically astute player to play behind the forward (possibly 2 given McGoldrick going).

I think the reason for the lack of comms is that they're trying to figure out how best to opmitise, given they've got a bit of a blank slate with a bit of cash to play about with it. Gagliardi has barely got his feet under the table and has already had to get his hands dirty. Will he look and say that the way we effectively and economically adapt is by changing formation? And these questions all link up to the manager and preferred style of play they bring to the club. Not to mention that we really need a experienced and vast support staff, because we're very much lacking in that department - we effectively fell off a cliff when the Saunders brothers left last season.

I'm waiting for their sort of analysis/season end statement they've mentioned before I start to **** myself.

Just seen JJ starting for Malta today!!!!...i thought their Manager had given up with JJ???...let's hope he doesn't get crocked....

Jay Emmanuel-Thomas was a brilliant prospect and excellent talent, a player who was a real joy to watch. When he signed for Forest, I felt disappointed but he did well in spells for them. It's a shame his career never reached the heights it perhaps should have, and even more saddening to see him fall into a life of crime.

🎶"I just don't think, I'll go to the clink. Just because I took out the backseat."🎵

what a *it, i remember him being a game changer and highly rated when he played for our neighbours. he tended to be on the large looking side, but looked class. how do you go from playing professional football to this. he must be desperate or just into the life style having money brings.

2 hours ago, Fan of Big Tone said:

Who’s to say the new coach/manager isn’t already having a say in recruitment, Matthew Dennis came from Carlisle….. the ex Carlisle manager Mike Williamson is available, just saying. 

You might be onto something there. He's a coach. He's available. He is from the area, well Stoke, but that isn't a million miles from Nottingham. As for his record, he got MK Dons into the playoffs but Crawley smashed them. As for Carlisle, he probably doesn't want to discuss that.....

A very solid first signing for next season. From a Carlisle United fan: "Dennis is a 6ft1, agile, quick, strong, striker, who's technically good and gets into good positions... They aren't common." That’ll do for me!

he looks a good signing, i think it shows that the club thought morias either was not good enough or his height was a concern. i hope we give dennis plenty of chance to showcase what he can do, a natural finisher with pace should thrive in our squad.

Given that Cundy has left I think we'll add one more CB, assuming that we are going to continue with a back 3. I think that would be more than enough and I'm half hoping one of our academy defenders will potentially be in the future squad.

Personally I think right now Macari, Platt & Bedeau would be my choice. I'm hoping Ness can stay injury free for more of next season because I think he's more than good enough to play regularly too.

If we switched to a back four I think I'd still have the three from above but shift them along one and play Tsaroulla at left-back.

i really like lewis macari but sometimes i just think hes playing in the wrong position. he can be fantastic as a centre back but when hes not in great form he just looks out of place. rod mcdonald looks like a good rotational player, but he makes me nervous at times. matty platt and jacob bedeau are class, but sometimes i think we need someone to come in for bedeau. i think if we managed to sign another young centre back that can grown along side the 4 I have mentioned i think we would be stronger.

Did well at Wigan in 20/21 but then was quickly sacked the following year. Followed by 2 wins out of 24 at Rotherham which could explain why he has been out of work for a year.

Just hope the Brothers are true to form and it's somebody way off the radar!

It's an absolutely tiny market with relatively small bets causing big shifts. The presence of Priske and Alves in the top three tells you all you need to know. Priske is literally only there because he's Danish.

Apart from Maynard, every head coach the brothers have appointed has come out of left field. They are good at keeping things quiet and much prefer to appoint a relative unknown on the way up than somebody from the managerial merry-go-round.

Yes I have seen on social media that someone claiming to be in the know has suggested Leam Richardson could well be the next head coach.

I'm not too sure to be honest, he's got a league 1 title to his name so he's certainly got credentials but his style from what I can gather and remember wouldn't really fit with ours. Now, who knows, maybe we'll start to see a shift in that but I think it will be tweaked rather than changed completely.

It is very hard to find out even what stage the club is at, in previous years we had a reporter from the NEP that didn’t give names but knew the time-frame and when the interviews were taking place etc. I’m surprised there’s be nothing from BBCRNS, they probably have the best relationship with the club but they’ve either not got in touch or if they have the club have told them zilch…

The longer the search goes I would think it becomes more plausible the delay is due to a compensation fee needing to be agreed or a VISA needing to be approved for someone abroad... That said I am usually well off when I make predictions so cue Leam Richardson being announced later this evening!

Yeah, he's got potential, his last loan spell at Accrington was his most successful one. Ok, 5 goals in 17 isn't amazing, but in a team like Accrington it is more impressive. He's 22 now, I think his chance to get into the Burnley squad has passed, but he looks more capable of being successful in a League 2 side.

@menzinho i would say he fits the mould of our scouting system, with his age being 22 and how well he did at accrington. for a young striker, 5 goals in 17 games is not that bad. imagine what he could score within a more competitive squad, or the way we play.

At 22, I wouldn't be against us trying to sign him, but I don't think a loan would be suitable. At 22, he needs to settle in a first-team environment, and if Burnley were prepared to let him leave permanently, it could be a good coup for us. That said, it might trigger those wiki fans who believe the stats on the pages say more about the player than giving them a chance in real life.

We might be seeking more experience, mind you, what with the signing of Matthew Dennis.

Much preferred an away day to Southend on Sea!

I had hoped that Oldham Athletic would come up. I had been speaking with a council worker at Skegness who noticed my Notts shirt and during our conversation, he asked who I wanted to come up. I have a soft spot for them, ever since I collected the first Premier League sticker book and I really liked their old badge. It had slipped my mind, due to travelling back, but I bumped into @ARLukomski, which was a really nice surprise, and he told me he had been to watch the game.

When he told me Oldham had won, I was pleased because I think they are most certainly an EFL club and I hope they can survive next season.

Watched the highlights today (on the DAZN SPORT YouTube page if you are interested) a really impressive attendance for what is the 5th level. I think it was something like the 5th time in a row the National League Play-off Final has gone into extra-time. I'd have been happy to see either back, think Southend have had a tougher time with their ownership issues, but nonetheless welcome back Oldham!

EFL3 is the compromised answer to 3 Up and 3 down, with appropriate funding help from the PL

Lots of reasons why there should be an EFL 3.

The National League has a good standard & the top third Clubs of the NL can compare favourably with the bottom half of League 2.

Financial turnover is higher in the NL compared to the past. All NL clubs except just four in 24/25 were full time professional.

Unfortunately, not all NL clubs grounds are EFL ready. Many will have to upgrade their grounds to hold at least 4K & meet more stringent safety requirements to meet EFL standards.

Another issue would be how the extra league would affect the League & FA Cups. Would there need to be a preliminary round for EFL 3 clubs?

Yes there may be existing issues to be ironed out, but the prospect of a new EFL league 3 would be an exciting prospect for football fans across the Country.

Implementation of  three up three down promotion /relegation across those four Divisions of the EFL, (including EFL 3), would be a much fairer system

While York City have been unlucky this season, they've benefitted from the playoffs twice in recent years. They finished sixth when they were promotedfrom the NLN...

But in principle I agree that we need three up, three down between L2 and the Bananarama Conference. Maybe even four. Having fewer promoted teams is a hangover from the days when the FL was a closed shop and can be incredibly cruel for the team finishing second, as we nearly found out ourselves.