He misread the corner and tried to come out to punch it away, but realised that his commitment was too early and questions have to be asked of the defence as to why nobody was at the back post. Why everyone followed the movement of the Crewe players, without reflecting on the height of the ball or where it was heading. The cross itself, it was perfectly placed in front of goal, and re-bounced quite high to an open space where Crewe exploited very well, for me there were too many Notts players just watching on in a position in front of the ball as it came in goal wards.

Defensively, Notts needs to get in front of the attacking players and behind the ball.

This said, I have felt like Roos has been improving, and he does seem adequate for this level, but we need to defend his weaknesses better. Crewe took a corner, where Roos perfectly collected the ball, and he intercepted a cross very calmly where he distributed the ball providing Notts a chance to counter.

Alex Bass would have reacted differently, and there's no doubt we would be better off with him, but it's time to start avoiding Roos's weaknesses and defensively better protecting the goal. We don't win as individuals, but as a team. Conceding goals is just the same.

1 hour ago, TheSkipper said:

He misread the corner and tried to come out to punch it away, but realised that his commitment was too early and questions have to be asked of the defence as to why nobody was at the back post. Why everyone followed the movement of the Crewe players, without reflecting on the height of the ball or where it was heading. The cross itself, it was perfectly placed in front of goal, and re-bounced quite high to an open space where Crewe exploited very well, for me there were too many Notts players just watching on in a position in front of the ball as it came in goal wards.

Defensively, Notts needs to get in front of the attacking players and behind the ball.

This said, I have felt like Roos has been improving, and he does seem adequate for this level, but we need to defend his weaknesses better. Crewe took a corner, where Roos perfectly collected the ball, and he intercepted a cross very calmly where he distributed the ball providing Notts a chance to counter.

Alex Bass would have reacted differently, and there's no doubt we would be better off with him, but it's time to start avoiding Roos's weaknesses and defensively better protecting the goal. We don't win as individuals, but as a team. Conceding goals is just the same.

Good comments.

Yes, I thought the defenders defending the 6-yard box were more culpable for the 1st goal. Even Jatta at the near post.

Also that Roos has been improving. I don't have a problem with him but I know it's important for a goalie's presence to spread confidence in front of him. I don't think we have that and that will be a problem even if Roos maintains an OK level.

We have a bigger problem than GK IMO and that's indifferent play from the inside-forward No. 10 positions. Nobody has made one of those shirts their own and we can't build a promotion challenge if that doesn't happen.

the worrying thing is how often roos makes a mistake or a poor decision, his position is very important and these things can cost us. i am not sure he would have been able to save crewes first effort even if he was stood up, he was left unprotected and it would have been a very quick thing for him to react too. he cant be blamed for not saving the penalty, that is just unfair but i dont see him as being all that dependable when it comes to them. i know some did not think sam slocombe could save them but i think he would before roos.

we need to protect him a little better but he does need to reduce the amount of mistakes that happens, it looked like he had and i hope it was just an off game.

Had one of the many chances Notts had gone in, I think the performance would have a fairer reflection as I think Notts did play well. I left disappointed we had lost, but more based on the circumstances rather than the way we played. Our midfield played very well, I think defensively Rod McDonald was good but Lewis Macari and Jacob Bedeau do need to step up.

Tyrese Hall gets my vote, as I liked his attacking mentality and how he was intimidated by Crewe's defence.

It's a shame one of the chances he had didn't go in, it might have put the focus on what was one of his best displays for us. He was involved quite a lot, compared to beating Crawley at home where it was mostly Jayden Luker who got him into his scoring chances.

The poll has now closed. Thank you to all 44 members who voted. It was a close contest, with four players in the running right till the end.

I'm delighted to announce that Jodi Jones has taken the popular vote & is the Pride of Nottingham's Man of the Match against Crewe. Well done Jodi.

Great to see Jodi playing more like himself, and there was times he looked to be getting hot headed and I feared he would be carded (if not sent off) but he put that frustration into playing. Well done, Jodi. 👏🏻

Jacob Bedeau has a lot more to offer. By his usual standard, this was a quiet game. He needs to be stronger at the back, choose his space and stick to it. He should have been more alert for Crewe’s first goal. He didn’t play badly, but he wasn’t at his best either. Outstanding is quite a tinted glasses take on his performance.

I hate to say it, but Crewe move a lot more than we do for set pieces and that is just asking for someone to be manhandled. I wished Notts would defend in front of the opposition, and remembered to keep the ball in front of them when defending. Once it goes beyond, it will always favour the opposition and Crewe's first goal was disappointing because nobody had the back post.

None of the players actually watched the ball, or it's path, just the player they felt needed marking and that can always leave one person free.

The penalty was disappointing, but I can overlook it. Notts has to keep moving in a positive direction, ensuring a good level of performance as a team and the same level of effort when creating chances.

Notts had plenty of chances to win the game, so it's not all doom and gloom, but it is 3 points lost when it should have been ours to win.

Funny how after I posted we had the Crawley match and I feel like that is exactly what Martin Paterson wanted us to be. Aggressive, on the front foot, full of energy but keeping that ability to play good football. Even at Crewe we competed well, looked dangerous and we were unlucky to come away with nothing.

I feel like the expectation level of Martin Paterson is quite low from most fans and in a way, assuming we keep picking up points and putting in good performances, this could help him. Even after 3 matches if felt like some fans were thinking he's going to get us relegated, so even if we only finish mid-table he'll have surpassed a lot of initial scepticism and negativity.

We are now 10 league matches in and I feel more confident about the season than I did at the start. It's funny how just a few changes can make a big difference in football though, all that's really happened is Robertson is back in and Jodi is on the wing, yet we look a far more balanced and better side for it.

I know some fans are still disappointed by the way we were defeated to Crewe, but at least we played well and they didn't outclass us. That says something, because they are a well-organised team that can score freely if they are allowed to control the narrative of the game. Notts looked the far liveliest with plenty of good chances, which came from the hard work. We looked like a team capable of winning, whilst Crewe hung onto countering for the majority of the second half, this performance and some of the more recent ones makes me believe that Martin Paterson is starting to get a standard level from the players.

The way we have played since Crawley, seems to have given the players the self belief that creativity doesn't need to be overthought or limited. That playing, making movement and taking on the opposition will reward them with good chances.

If we focused on the results, Paterson would be under more pressure I feel but when you take into account the pre-season, opening games and how we have returning players from injury it does all seem to lean towards more optimistic point of view. The only thing I will say, I do believe an experienced manager would be able to get the best out of this squad, even with the earlier setbacks and poor performances. However, I do think Paterson is learning.

I just think we need to take a step back after 10 games have been played & just see who Martin is now picking for the starting 11.

Roos, Bedeau, McDonald, Macari, Tsaroula, Palmer, Robertson, Jones, Hall, Iorpenda, Jatta

Out of the 10 outfield players, we have 8 original players from previous seasons playing along with just two new players recruited during the summer transfer window. Both of those players are loan players.

This first 11 is arguably weaker than the first eleven we had just before the playoffs, missing Abbott, Didzy & Bass.

I am still not sure that Paterson knows what his strongest side is even after 10 games. He had our leading scorer on the bench, & Luker could easily have been picked after his 3 assists against Crawley.

@theAnticlough he started losing weight in the middle of May and in 5 weeks lost two and a half stone and because he’d demonstrated he could lose weight by himself the doctor put him on the NHS diet plan in July and by just having four of the special milk shakes a day he’s lost another 3 stone so five and a half in total since May, so your right it’s actually been four months.

Good morning, it’s a bit damp here after overnight rain.

We had a lovely afternoon yesterday watching the play Dear England, it was very good all about Gareth Southgate’s reign as England football manager but goodness me there was a lot of swearing, I guess it was true to life within football but we felt a bit uncomfortable. Our grandchildren are teenagers now and have heard all those words but I felt sorry for anyone taking young children. However it was a good play.

Afterwards we went to an Indian Restaurant Tamatanga which was very busy but the food was good. We haven’t been to Nottingham City centre for ages and certainly not at night, I wouldn’t necessarily want to go again it was so busy with mainly youngsters having a night out, not really our scene these days, we were glad to get home to the sanctuary of our quiet bungalow.

Having been out all day I missed all the football news, shame Notts couldn’t hold on to a point at least.

Another point is that Big Sam gets misrepresented. I watched a lot of his Bolton side, they were skilful and entertaining.

A midfield of Campo, Okocha and Nolan, Diouf ahead, Matty Taylor? They had more of a no nonsense approach at the back though, including the RB Hunt who played for us for a few games. But that midfield was absolute class, they were a joy to watch

Jay-jay Okocha was a joy to watch during his spell at Bolton.

Sam Allardyce was a good manager, and I think there is an element of underestimating what he did. He did wonders for Blackburn Rovers and tended to make teams that were "average" play much better. Both his Blackburn and Bolton teams were made up of hard-working players and supplemented by exceptional talent. I know there's a lot of hot air about Big Sam's dealing with Bolton and how he secured some of the players, but Bolton was the underdog team in the Premier League that made it exciting to watch.

It's inaccurate to claim he had a single style; he constantly blended various influences, keeping things fresh and dynamic. He was one of those old-school managers who would make changes reflecting his strengths and how to counter the opposition.

The drinking and laddish culture is true; he wasn't strict with the players, and that's partly how he tended to get the best out of them.

https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/24654604.sam-allardyces-top-bolton-wanderers-moments-25-years/

Regardless of what people say about Big Sam, his Management Record speaks for it's self. He'd have probably made a Decent England Manager if the Press and certain F.A Officials hadn't set up the Sting to get Rid of Him. His attitude in training his teams also paid Dividends. Nowadays it's Don't do this, Don't eat that, be in Bed by such and such a Time etc etc. Interestingly during his playing Career former Forest and Leeds Player Duncan McKenzie, is reported to have smoked 40 cigarettes a Day.

Neil Warnock also took a more casual attitude to his Training Routine. The night before a Wembley Playoff Final, instead of packing the Notts Players off to Bed early, he played them a Tape of Roy "Chubby" Brown, it must have done some good because the Magpies won 3-1. This even got back to Chubby who in his version of Glen Campbells hit Wichita Lines Man, he sings I am a Linesman for Notts County.

Warwickshire are 79 for 4 and trail Notts by 37 runs.

Durham 133 a/o. Notts need 18 runs to win. Tea has been taken.

Notts have won the match by 10 wickets finishing 20 for 0.

I thought it would just be audio, since that's what a podcast usually is. These days, though, the word seems to be used for videos too. The interview itself is very good. I found the video a bit distracting, so I ended up just listening to the audio.

Chris Gill moves around a lot, which feels a bit much, especially with how shiny his forehead is.

George Lawtey came across really well. He seems suited to his role and spoke nicely about Luke Williams.

Don't need it for Skeggy

Things will feel normal after a while, though it's not something I would worry about. I can understand those who travel being concerned about the data that is wanted and the challenges some of that data could face.

7 minutes ago, super_ram said:

Don't need it for Skeggy

I don't know, haven't you heard of JKEStar? There might be tax implications for you, particularly in Skegness. 😅

Perhaps in a few years, coastal erosion and climate change, Skeggy may become an offshore tax haven. All water under the bridge🤣

It might be a challenge to win once you sign over the ownership by EFL rules: you take on the historical debts, and it's up to you to do your due diligence. 7 million is a lot of money to be concerned about; it does make me wonder if the court challenge is due to the new owner not having the funding to take things on. Alan Hardy claimed that he was subjected to historical debts which weren't covered during the sale, but I always felt that was him lashing out at the childish games between him and the Trews.

At least in my opinion, and he did tweet stuff about considering pursueing action but nothing ever came of it.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out and whether the new owner is successful. If he is, and it does not distract from how the club performs in the league, then it could be worth the effort. It is not a small amount of money involved.

Apparently its possible to take out an insurance policy to cover the possibility of finding hidden unforeseen debts....its happened at Meadow Lane a couple of times in the past !!!!!

I agree it depends on who we’re playing and where that extra attacking player fits best. I don’t always think sticking with three defenders suits us, and the debate about one or two strikers feels similar. I don’t get why no head coach is willing to pick a formation that gives us the best chance to win. I know we’re built around this system, but it really depends on the opposition and how we use our strengths.

I'm worried about what might happen if one of the strikers gets suspended, or worse, if one is suspended and the other gets injured. That could really affect the good run we're on and knock the confidence that's come from winning games.

Alassana Jatta coming back into the starting eleven has made a big difference. It's given the team a lift. Matthew Dennis has shown he can lead the line against certain sides, but in other matches, it might be better to stick with Jatta.

There will be times when playing both makes sense, but unless there's a backup plan in case something goes wrong, I don't think Martin Paterson should rely on it every week. I'd rather see it used as a well-thought-out tactic, something planned to give us more variety up front.

I'm not against using two strikers. The match away at Tranmere Rovers showed it can work, and that was encouraging. But the game against Gillingham reminded us that strikers need service. If both end up dropping into midfield too often, it doesn't help the attack and isn't always the best choice.

I'm worried too @True Magpie if one or both of our two main strikers sustained an injury or got suspended. It would leave Notts very short of striking power.

The positive thing on Saturday were Luker & Hall's performance in the 2nd half when they came on as substitutes, Luker creating three goals & Hall scoring two.

But I do believe that Martin Paterson needs to be able to field an alternative recognised striker to replace Jatta or Dennis off the bench when required.

I still believe that Traoré & Jarvis shouldn't be ruled out completely from coming good in the games ahead. I think that putting one of them on the bench, could still be a good move.

Billy Kee was a player I always hoped we would sign, your classic lower league dependable forward. Given the East Midlands is where he is based it feels like we missed out on a really easy signing here!

I’m not that surprised though it felt like a few seasons ago our scouting and recruitment consisted of putting some names in a hat and drawing them out, let’s not forget we went for Tyrell Waite but not Che Adams 🤦‍♂️

It was real shame that he chose to stop playing professional football, but if it wasn’t making him happy and he was struggling in the end it was the right choice for him. Maybe had he played for us, and therefore would've been much closer to home, his career would've panned out slightly differently.

darren huckerby was one of my early football heroes, born in nottingham and had a stint with forest but one hell of a striker that could have stayed playing in england instead of going off to the us. he was not that injury prone to my knowledge, but did retire early. he would have been fantastic at notts.

imagine him signing the munto season and teaming up with lee hughest, luke rodgers, karl hawley etc

Darren Huckerby would have been some signing @liampie

There is a significantly higher number of Football Managers in the EFL than there are Head Coaches with a Director of Football above them. Head Coaches are much more prevelent in the Premier League.

Notts are in the minority when it comes to having a Manager as opposed to a Head Coach/ Director of Football.

Personally, I prefer the traditional Manager role where the Manager has a broader scope of influence & responsibility, overseeing not just the team's performance but also the wider running of the club.

I think that giving the Manager more responsibility gives the manager the ability to implement a unified club strategy, which is so important, the power to influence player acquisition & development through direct involvement in contracts & transfers,

As far as recruitment is concerned, the Manager can delegate that responsibility to an Assistant Manager who would oversee the scouting personnel at the club.

Managers can also delegate training, development & team tactics to a First Team Coach, however, the manager would be overseeing those operations & have overall responsibility.

Some argue that a Manager has too much responsibility which takes his focus away from team operations, however the Manager can still delegate if he recruits competent staff that report to him.

I don’t always think it’s best for managers to make the signings themselves. Even when the Trews owned Notts, I felt a good director of football could have helped bring more stability and given better advice on recruitment. With the Reedtz brothers, we’re lucky to have access to proper football data, and it’s helped us bring in players from outside the UK. I don’t think a director of football should make every decision, but when it comes to finding players and giving the head coach more time to focus on the team, it’s a smart move.

Getting the Director of Football role sorted before climbing higher in the league feels quite important. Some might see it as a role we don’t really need or as a bit of a luxury, but having stability in key positions can make a big difference in football.

When it comes to networking, I like knowing the Director of Football is the one making contact, looking at players and having those early talks. It means the manager can focus on coaching. Football has changed a lot since the days when managers did everything themselves. While some might still prefer that, it does come with problems, like being less open to feedback.

It depends on the manager’s style. If he enjoys scouting and has a good eye for talent, it can work well. But it’s easy to fall into bad habits, like signing mates or missing what makes a player truly good. Martin Paterson has said he watches the opposition, which makes me think he’s fairly confident when it comes to judging players.

Still, having someone who understands the data side of things and can handle the time-consuming jobs is a real help. I like knowing the head coach has choices and people around him suggesting players. I’d be interested to know how much say Paterson actually has, especially since he asked for reinforcements and nothing came of it.

Was it someone above him who decided not to bring anyone in? The interview with Chris Reedtz made it sound like they were happy enough and maybe thought Paterson was just being cautious because of the injuries. I do think the head coach should have a voice in these matters, and I wonder if Paterson shares the fans’ view about needing another striker.

I’m fine with the head coach not being too involved in the early stages of signings and scouting. But once things move forward, his input should count. It’s about finding the right balance.

On 17/09/2025 at 13:44, McPie said:

I’m with you @Robbie, we need toughen up, but at the same time keep our footballing principles. I don’t accept we have to revert to ‘kick and rush’ football to get promoted from league 2. Teams who play that way often come back down very quickly. We need to embed our playing style in to club and recruit accordingly. It will pay in the long run.

this is how i see it, and i think @McPie sums it up well.

the players coming in need to offer us something different if we need it, but more importantly they have to fit in with the style and identity of the club. some players wont make it, but the majority should and i dont think there is much needed to be changed. i think its more a case of slowly implementing the things we learn, as a way to iron out what does not work.

The Reedtz brothers have done far more than any owner before them. The squad is more consistent, and now it’s just about working hard to get the results we need for promotion.

The club keeps looking at the data and learning from it, and I trust that process. I don’t want Notts to change how we play or how we recruit just for the sake of it. Things have been better in this era, and we should only make changes that help us improve.

It’s a process, isn’t it. You have to make changes that help improve the parts that aren’t quite working. The old saying about not fixing what isn’t broken fits well here. A shift in direction can be a big deal, and maybe we’ve seen signs of that already with how the season has started.

Even though new people have come in and things seem to line up, there might be differences that aren’t easy to spot. For example, the club has changed its coaching setup. A new head coach and assistant have come in, and there’s also a new Director of Football. He might have suggested a different approach to recruitment compared to past seasons.

There were a lot of signings, spread out across the window, and not much time to get the full squad together before pre-season. Martin Paterson will have his own way of doing things, and the players are now adjusting to what they think he wants. The coaching style has changed too.

The whole team no longer trains together before kick-off. It’s just the match day squad, and some players aren’t even part of the warm-up if they’re not on the bench. A new head coach can be hard for players to get used to, and with so much going on this season, some of these changes should have been sorted sooner.

I think Notts should stick to their core values and make small changes where needed. We should avoid too much disruption, because having a settled environment makes a big difference. Players need to come in and know what’s expected of them, beyond what fans might think.

Paterson probably has higher standards than he shows in interviews. Even when things aren’t going to plan, the players will still be trying their best.

It makes you wonder if he did any due diligence and why he didn't think about forming his own group of investors. I would never invest any amount of money in something so risky with a group of people I don't know.

I am surprised Louis Tomlinson didn't have anyone advise him differently on the deal.

There goes my plan to get Jake Bugg to help invest in "buying" Notts from the Reedtz; he will never trust me now.

It's a shame that people who can't afford to lose money were caught out. Even though Louis Tomlinson is in a different position, it's still worrying when someone gets involved in something that doesn't seem safe.

Older people are sadly seen as easy targets. It's not fair, and it happens too often. But when a well-known figure like a popstar is fooled, it makes you wonder how convincing the pitch must have been.

Louis must have really wanted to be part of the ownership. That kind of hope or excitement can make someone overlook warning signs. It's not right that it came to that.

Hello, @Cedric. Welcome to Pride of Nottingham, glad to be saying hello.

Hello, @Cedric. Welcome to the Pride of Nottingham. We are a friendly group, who love to see what people have to say, and I hope you join in at times.

Hello, @Cedric. Welcome to the Pride of Nottingham! Thank you for trying to help the gaffer out. We sure do appreciate it!

Welcome to Pride of Nottingham, glad to be saying hello, @Marks.

Hello, @Marks. Welcome to the Pride of Nottingham. We are a friendly group, who love to see what people have to say, and I hope you join in at times.

Hello, @Marks. Feel free to introduce yourself, but until then welcome to the Pride of Nottingham. Please do reach out if you need any help.

Welcome to Pride of Nottingham @NG10 Pie, glad to be saying hello.

Hello, @NG10 Pie. Welcome to the Pride of Nottingham. We are a friendly group, who love to see what people have to say, and I hope you join in at times.

Hello, @NG10 Pie. It takes a little time to get used to the site, but I hope to see you joining in with the Pride of Nottingham. Until then, welcome to the community.

Welcome to Pride of Nottingham @Eastcoastpie, glad to be saying hello.

Hello, @Eastcoastpie. Welcome to the Pride of Nottingham. We are a friendly group, who love to see what people have to say, and I hope you join in at times.

Hello, @Eastcoastpie. Welcome to PON! The Pride of Nottingham community will be eager and hopeful to see you join in. Please don't drift into the background but contribute as and when you can.

9 of the first 12 games completed. 3 quarters of the way through the first quarter of the season.

Apart from MK and Gillingham looks like the pundits weren't too far off the mark.

Looking forward to reviewing where we are after Crewe, Oldham and Swindon.

@TheSkipper is very close with his predictions. I’m glad MK Dons are struggling, because their way of building a team seems to be spending money on players they think are the best from nearby clubs. It doesn’t look like they do much research into what those players are like or how they’ll fit in. There doesn’t seem to be a proper plan for bringing them together.

Gillingham are the best team I’ve seen so far. It’s not just because they beat us 1-0, but also how they’ve played against other teams who look more settled than we do. They seem well organised and confident.

On 22/09/2025 at 14:40, OoooooTommy said:

@TheSkipper is very close with his predictions.

Yes. Agreed! Looks like the prize money is heading to TheSkipper at the moment. Wonder how he knew about Gillingham? 🤔

21) Mick Waitt's flick on for David Hunt to score v Spurs ,ref unbelievably gave a foul against Mick. Pre match headline in The Sun ( Waitt-watching) 🙃

22) A "Sliding Door" moment to keep and cherish.... Substitution of Slocombe with Mair at Wembley. (Slocombe had never saved a penalty for #Notts)

Wouldn't it be tempting to give a sports betting book, like what Biff had, to someone like Derek Pavis?

He could have invested years of funding into Notts, making us a more established team at the top level. You never know, he could have done what Jack Walker did for Blackburn Rovers. It would have rewritten much of what I had experienced growing up supporting the club, but no doubt other achievements might have come our way such as a League or FA Cup win.

Maybe even a Premier League title or two.

hello, welcome to pon @Nat. join in with the notts talk when you can.

Welcome to Pride of Nottingham, glad to be saying hello, @Nat.

Hello, @Nat. Welcome to the Pride of Nottingham. We are a friendly group, who love to see what people have to say, and I hope you join in at times.