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Who's your Man of the Match v Wimbledon (2nd)? 2 members have voted

  1. 1. Choose your Notts Player of the Match

    • Alex Bass
      2
    • Lewis Macari
      0
    • Matty Platt
      0
    • Jacob Bedeau
      0
    • Sam Austin
      0
    • George Abbott
      0
    • Matt Palmer
      0
    • Jodi Jones
      0
    • Conor Grant
      0
    • Charlie Whitaker
      0
    • Mai Traoré
      0
    • Will Jarvis
      0

This poll is closed to new votes

Poll closed on 18/05/25 at 20:00

Please sign in or register to vote in this poll.


So the season ends for Notts. They missed Didzy & Jatta big time today. An early goal by Wimbledon was always going to make it hard.

I have chosen the players that started the match for you to choose your Man of the Match plus one substitute.

Those players are:-

Bass, Macari, Platt, Bedeau, Austin, Abbott, Palmer, Jones, Grant, Whittaker, Traore, Jarvis 

  • Show previous comments  1 more
  • @Fan of Big Tone At the very least every member of the PON team should be casting a vote.

    This is the first vote I've missed, however it wouldn't have made a difference to the result because I would have voted for Alex Bass too.

    In the beginning I used to extend the vote, however it was agreed to keep the vote open to 9pm the next day after the match which I have done.

    It may be worth looking to extend the vote a further 24 hours from the start of next season to allow more time to cast a vote 

    I understand members are disappointed because we lost, but even in defeat there can be a good performance like we saw from Bass on Saturday. 

    The players deserve our support whether they win, lose or draw a match.

WWW.BBC.CO.UK

David McGoldrick will miss what remains of Notts County's League Two play-off campaign...

With the news that Didzy will miss the playoff due to injury & Jatta will be suspended, can Traore & Morias step in up front & get Notts to Wembley or will Stuart opt for a different approach?

WWW.BBC.CO.UK

Mark Stallard gives his thoughts on what the board should do next...


 

    The case for Stuart in my opinion.

    The Club has improved from last season. Progress has been made. Defensively much better, 16 clean sheets, 37 less league goals conceded. 14 defeats compared to 21 last season.The owners like him. Guided Notts to the playoffs despite all the injuries.

    The case against.

    Less goals scored compared to last season. Offensively not as potent. Over half the goals scored are by just two players. Relies on a plan A, no plan B & C. One style of play only. Unwilling to change style of play.

    When a player is out of favour, he stays out. Use of substitutes poor & too predictable. He's too cautious, his inclination is too hold on rather than make a game safe. He isn't prepared to gamble. He's too nice.

    The Club's lack of success against the top 10 teams proved to be a big factor with Notts not getting promoted.

    In the end it's up to the owners to decide about the Head Coach's future, & I'll stick with whatever  their decision is. 

Obviously being an old fart my first record was bought many years ago before a lot of you were born. I bought this album second hand from a record stall in Victoria Market, it’s simply called The Rolling Stones and was their debut album in 1964. It started a long love affair between me and the Stones which continues to this day.

IMG_0271.jpeg

  • Show previous comments  3 more
  • 9 hours ago, Robbie said:

    @super_ram  

    My mum liked Adam Faith. We had Lonely Pup in a Xmas Shop. Green finger was on the B side. 

    Won the singing competition at Warner's singing "Green finger" as a 3 year old.

    Never sung in front of a big audience since.

    My dad's youngest brother,my uncle Stan,now sadly no longer with us,took me to see Adam Faith at Derby around 1961.

How cool is this?

Everton have cancelled plans to demolish their old ground, with the women's team instead playing there from next season. Great to see a historic ground being retained and used in the future rather than being turned into housing. Hopefully more clubs will follow their lead!

WWW.BBC.COM

Everton cancel plans to demolish Goodison Park and will make the stadium home to their women's team.

I'm Worried About Macca.

When Macaulay Langstaff left Meadow Lane for Millwall, many if not all Notts Fans were heart broken, a player who had scored 70 goals in his seasons in the Black & White Stripes was leaving for pastures new, on a long term contract for an undisclosed fee, (later estimated at £700,000), despite the fact the then Notts County Head of Recruitment and Board Member Richard Montague telling Fans that Notts County Coffers were equal to clubs in the lower half of the Championship & that there was no Need For the Magpies to sell their top players.

This was obviously not the case as Langstaff was sold despite Montague's assurances. I believe a deal for Macca may have already been sorted in the January transfer window of 2024, on the condition he was kept by Notts until the end of that season, because it seems his transfer went through rather swiftly, despite he was given a Contract extension & the club's captaincy.

What a Disaster that move has turned out to be, in 20 plus appearances for the Lions he has scored a single goal all season, & may end up dropping down the pecking order at the Den.

The reasons for the dramatic fall of a high scoring striker? Well you don't become a bad player over night. It would appear that the Millwall coaching staff didn't play to Macca's strengths, he very rarely got the service he got at the Lane & he struggled to adopt to the Millwall system.

Perhaps another reason for Macca's drop in form was losing the influence of Luke Williams, who's man management skills, brought out the best in Macca who was full of praise for his former head coach. Maybe if Macca had followed Williams to Swansea, instead of Millwall he may still have been scoring plenty of goals, under William's guidance.

During his terrible time at the Den, Macca has been present on a few occasions at the Lane adding to the hope he may return to Notts on loan. This of course didn't materialise and Macca's awful season ran to it's unsatisfactory conclusion.

And that's my worry, will Macca get the chance to prove himself in the Championship with the Lions, or find himself loaned out to other clubs? Spending a season at one club then a season at another club & so on & so forth? Is he destined to become a journeyman for the rest of his Career, playing for an assortment of Clubs, or will the brothers bring him back to Meadow Lane ?

Thoughts?

  • Show previous comments  5 more
  • I think Millwall was never the right fit for Macaulay Langstaff, I said it at the time, and their squad doesn't suit his style of play. The spell in the Championship shouldn't really impact his career options, some other Championship teams might still be interested. I am hearing that Portsmouth are amongst one of the clubs sending scouts out to watch him. A better suite for Macca would be Coventry City or Derby County.

    At least in the Championship, as both those teams have good midfields and room for a striker who will be given time to play.

    That said, I think it's more than likely he will remain playing second fiddle in Millwall's team. The start of their season wasn't all that good, and even whilst signing Macca they were linked with Mihailo Ivanović who made a significant impact upon his signing.

    Millwall are a bit top-heavy with forwards now, so I can only see them allowing Langstaff to go out on loan or sell him if the fee is bigger than they paid, which realistically doesn't seem likely. His stock value has fallen, his time in the Championship is being considered  a flop, so it's important that he takes what chance he gets or looks for an alternative move. Though his wages are allegedly around £12k, so a loan could be tricky because it will limit a lot of League One teams who are not sure he can repeat his magic here at Notts.

    I agree with what you said @Chris Macca had to try himself at a higher level, & he had a big pay rise too when he transferred to Millwall.

    It does demonstrate that the style of play between different clubs can affect how a player performs.

    A lot of football science goes into the recruitment of players & you can understand why. Buying & playing players is an expensive business.

    I'm sure that Millwall checked to see if Macca would integrate successfully nto their style of play, but unfortunately it didn't go the way they planned.

    Macca is a great finisher & he's good at getting into threatening positions, however he does need the right supply.

    Unfortunately he does have a long contract at Millwall so unless some club is prepared to pay close to the fee he cost Millwall, it does look as though a loan period for him would be the best option.

    I do think jumping up from League 2 to the Championship was always going to be a challenge, even more so in team like Millwall that doesn't typically create a lot of chances. Not to disrespect the defenders in League 2 but the standard of defenders he has come up against this season are levels above what he was regularly facing with us.

    Maybe from a footballing perspective he’ll have been disappointed, but like @DangerousSausage says considering not that long ago he was playing in the National League North, he’s secured himself a long-term contract in the Championship which gives him financial security that he probably didn’t expect would ever happen.

  • Show previous comments  4 more
  • I get on the one hand you announce this for us as fans but at the same time it seems a bit daft as now Wimbledon can plan and change their tactics knowing McGoldrick won’t play.

    It's a massive blow though and to be fair we got more out of him than I imagined we would this season. We cannot go into next season and still be in the same situation where McGoldrick, if he stays, carries our main attacking threat though. He is class but if we want to continue to get the best out of him, we’ll need to manage his minutes better.

I love this, can you guess the famous phrase.

 

IMG_0270.jpeg

The Nottingham Forest forward is now in an induced coma after surgery on a stomach injury after he collided with a post in Sundays match against Leicester.

It was only a matter of time before a player was seriously injured due to the stupid off side rule that means the assistant referee can’t put their flag up early.

My thoughts are with him I hope he pulls through.

Play Off Semi - The Dons (H)

Team: AFC Wimbledon

Date: 10/05/2025

Where: Meadow Lane



What line-up should Stuart Maynard 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.

  • Show previous comments  42 more
  • Aye, I know he made contact with the ball.

    I do feel for Jatta, he was clearly distraught and emotional. There's always the chance for things like this to happen, and there really wasn't any need for the Dons' player to pretend he had been caught. It must be frustrating for Jatta, as he will miss the away leg, and that for us as a club could prove crucial. He'll come back stronger, and he'll learn from the experience.

    I am sure we'll see him again for us next season, the incident might deter some of the clubs watching him from bidding to see how he reacts. Or, he could be sold, but I don't think it's likely, personally.

    Notts had plenty of chances to change the outcome well before Jatta was sent off. Conor Grant should have put more power on his chip, that was a huge miss for us and a sign of how unfortunate we would be. I don’t think Wimbledon looked all that strong in their win. They have a good keeper and height in their defence, but I wouldn’t rule Notts out doing better away from home. Still, the loss was disappointing.

    I don’t fault the effort from any player. I just wish some of those close calls had been finished more clinically. Jodi Jones gave me hope when he smashed the post, and Goodman celebrated as if he had saved it.

    To be honest @Joshua, Grant needed to lift his shot over the keeper and if he'd put too much power on it it would have been crossbar bound. It was just a very good clearance. But i agree that Wimbledon looked beatable. I wouldn't count us out yet. 

Barca 4 Real Madrid 3

    Another 3 points should get Barcelona the title. They should achieve that easily in their last three matches.

    Real Madrid will still be in the Champions League so missing out on the title won't be so bad for them.

    Knowing them, the Manager's position might be under threat. They don't like failure even if they have come second.

    The Spanish League, just like the Premier League & Bundesliga are just so predictable. 

    The top five or six Clubs that are the richest get richer & the rest have to manage with the scraps on offer.

    Whilst I don't particularly like either team, it would still be quite the experience to watch this game at either of the teams home grounds. Nou Camp for me, would be quite breathtaking, especially if the weather was super nice.

    I really like that joke about the French Ninja Turtle! It's pretty funny! 🤪

Who's your Man of the Match v Wimbledon? 33 members have voted

  1. 1. Choose your Notts Player of the Match

    • Alex Bass
      3
    • Lewis Macari
      0
    • Matty Platt
      2
    • Jacob Bedeau
      1
    • Sam Austin
      1
    • George Abbott
      3
    • Matt Palmer
      0
    • Jodi Jones
      1
    • Conor Grant
      0
    • Alassana Jatta
      0
    • David McGoldrick
      19
    • Will Jarvis
      3

This poll is closed to new votes

Poll closed on 11/05/25 at 20:00

Please sign in or register to vote in this poll.


Notts very unlucky to lose this match.. Notts created chances but credit to Wimbledon for their great defending.

Notts are not out of it & still have a good opportunity to go through with their excellent away record.

Please choose your PON Man of the match from the following players.

Bass, Macari, Platt,  Bedeau, Austin, Abbott, Palmer, Jones, Grant, Jatta, McGoldrick, Jarvis 

 

Nottinghamshire squad for the match against Hampshire which starts at 11am on Friday 09/05/25

 

Good morning, I t’s a new week, a cool cloudy day here. I’m still feeling under the weather, coughing, sneezing, headache, sore throat etc. but a lot of folk would swap with me, man flu is nothing to what some people have to put up with.

I’m not doing much today, bank holidays don’t mean much when you’re retired it’s just another day, I’m just staying in and keeping warm, I hope everyone else is ok? What are you all up to today?

  • Show previous comments  19 more
  • Dissapointing result last night particularly as Notts played very well & deserved to win the match in my opinion. 

    Notts created plenty of chances & they certainly played to a high level especially in the 2nd half. 

    The way Notts managed to open up the Wimbledon defence on several occasions gives me great hope.

    A one goal deficit going into the 2nd leg means that this playoff semi is not over by any means.

    Notts have the 2nd best away record in league two this season, so they will be hopeful to be able to turn things around in their favour at plough lane.

    I think that a Notts early goal would force Wimbledon to come out & make the running which could give Notts that extra space to exploit upfront.

    I'm still going to believe that Notts can make the playoff final, which would be a great achievement.

    Hoping that Didzy will be fit for next Saturday. His place in the side will be vital for Notts.

    Morning all, I guess we are all a little deflated by yesterdays results, I’ve put my thoughts in the matchday thread.

    It’s another fine day here, we’ve got grandchildren until their mum and dad come home later today.

    Yesterday young Fred was entertaining us showing us his tricks on the skateboard, then he got his virtual reality goggles out which was hilarious watching him walk around the garden doing things which only he could see.

    IMG_7052.jpeg
    IMG_7053.jpeg

    IMG_7058.jpeg

    Another lovely day here. It's going to be warm but it's a bit windy too.

    Was out in the garden early mowing the lawn before it got warm. Mrs wanted it done because she wanted the washing out early too.

    Nice to get the grass cut & tidied up early. Time to get the dried washing in for the Mrs now. 

    My new DVD seems to be working well. It is very small & light too. It's about 10 by 8 inches. My old DVD was twice that size & about 10 times the weight. Three year warranty with it too which is useful.

According to Capology, the Magpies only have the 12th-highest payroll in League Two, with a weekly wage bill of £71,350 & an annual wage bill of £3,710,000, although it should be stressed that those figures are an estimate.

Surprisingly, Carlisle are on top

https://www.capology.com/uk/league-two/payrolls/

  • Show previous comments  6 more
  • I'm not sure where these figures are from, but they seem a bit on the high side. The season we were relegated to the Bananarama Premier, we were League Two's top spenders on 3 million for the year while two or three clubs didn't evenmake seven figures. In League One a few years before, about 2.5 million was enough to place us in mid table in terms of budget.

    I find it hard to believe wages have grown that much, unless these are for overall club expenditure and not just playing staff?

    I don't find it surprising that we're not near the top though. Most of the teams are about where I expected, with the exception of Colchester. 

    It would be interesting to be able to compare clubs finances more equally, as this doesn't really factor in if owners/clubs are overspending or are making smart decisions not to overspend on the payroll. I also assume this only takes into consideration the players wages rather than staff.

    What is interesting is seeing how much each team is spending on the player positions. Notts seem to have focused on attack and midfield, with the defence not all that far behind. If I could access the previous seasons, it would probably paint a picture of why we weren't as strong defensively as we are now. As for Notts being placed where they are, I don't think it means much in the grand scheme of things.

    It does highlight and reflect well on our recruitment because on paper I believe we do have a squad very capable of winning promotion.

    Also, some teams have purchased players and thrown wages on them in a bid to succeed. It really goes to show just how important the right balance is, having a squad that's together and a club focus on moving forward. We are making good progress; we need to remember this.

    you might say that we have overachieved the past two seasons, not being in a relegation battle but tipped for promotion is so much better. i think we spend our resources wisely and that shows when we have spells at the very top. i find it very hard to be dishearten by everything, especially those who want stuart maynard out. i just dont see the point of being so anti maynard when he has done a lot better than luke williams.

    i dont think williams would have wanted defenders this past summer, i think he would have wanted to focus on being top heavy in the attacking department.

    having the 12th highest budget, and finishing 6th looks a lot healthier.

Game 46 - The Rovers (H)

Team: Doncaster Rovers

Date: 03/05/2025

Where: Meadow Lane



What line-up should Stuart Maynard 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.

  • Show previous comments  23 more
  • Last time I looked at the League table Notts finished in sixth place in League 2, despite the injuries to key players for much of the season.

    For Notts to finish in the playoffs is a big improvement from last season's effort & that should be applauded.

    If Notts can get to another Wembley final in front of a 50 K + crowd, it would be a great achievement & another great day out for the Notts fans.

    If we get promoted it would be a fantastic achievement, but if we do or we don't, I'm sure the owners, together with the management, will look to improve the squad for next season.

    We went into that with about a 5% chance of promotion tops. Bradford and Walsall both winning (in doing so rendering our result irrelevant) takes the edge off the disappointment, but it was still a really poor performance and doesn't bode well for the play-offs.

    Mark Stallard frequently commented that Donny were under more pressure, and for us it was a free hit. I'm not sure I quite agree with him - the visitors had already achieved promotion, so for them yesterday was a bit of fun with the aim of winning the title as the cherry on the cake. We hadn't achieved anything yet and our season depended on not conceding early. To me, the team looked more scared of losing than hungry to win. We never truly threw the shackles off even at 2-0 down.

    Once again we were harmless going forwards. Grant and Whitaker were anonymous and should have been replaced sooner than they were. Our only attacking outlet were the wing backs, who were too far away from Jatta. As a result, most of our attacking moves petered out with aimless crosses. The fact that we missed a 37-year-old this badly goes to show how much quality we've lost in this area since last season. We finished the match with three players who have suffered long-term injuries this season, which also tells a story. But why was Palmer taking set pieces even with Jones on the pitch? And if McGoldrick was so unfit he couldn't even play the last 20 minutes, what was he doing on the bench in the first place?

    SM has managed his juggling act well enough to secure a play-off place, but I doub't we have the quality to make the step up this season.

    Doncaster Rovers wanted Notts to look for passes which they could intercept, and it forced Notts to either play long balls or passes which wasn't direct. Whilst they looked dangerous, and perhaps the most organised I have seen by a visiting team at Meadow Lane. I thought even though the start was prone to more mistakes, the pressure came from Doncaster. All this talk of Notts looking uninterested, it's that element of not understanding how football is played to some degree.

    Creatively, it could have been a totally different game, and I personally think defensively lead to the issues which favoured Doncaster.

    Alex Bass had limitations on where to put the ball, due to how much we were being pressed by them. Defensively, we didn't want the ball for very long, and that led to poor decisions. Even George Abbott lost the ball countless times, even after winning it back, and I still can't see how he's being rated insanely high compared to other players.

    Kellan Gordon has the ability to put in fantastic crosses, balls which Notts must learn to be able to attack, but at the same time he's one of the most frustrating players in the squad. I don't doubt that Gordon has the ability to be more consistent and a very important player, but when he limits his runs. Walks the ball out for a throw-in, and doesn't really take on players as he clearly can. It just becomes apparent that he's not pushing himself enough.

    It's the opposite with Jodi Jones, he wasn't very good in the first half, but you have to be constructive and fair. Otherwise, when he plays brilliantly and you jump on the Jodi bandwagon, you seem only interested in when things are going well. He's not ready to be starting games, he's clearly worried and intimidated about suffering another injury. Could he be braver? I don't think many in his exact situation would do any better. He clearly has a love for the game, and football is his livelihood. The fact he has come back from so many setbacks, that has to be taken into consideration. I felt he did much better in the second half, but it's a mistake to be starting him.

    Stuart Maynard and Jodi probably had a discussion, where both are wanting the best outcome, but if Jodi can't play like the final 20 minutes of the Doncaster game against AFC Wimbledon, we should leave him to be an impact sub. I wouldn't be surprised if he took his performance personally, and how does a player come back from that? It's hard, unless people are understanding, and the manager gives the player a bit more time.

    Rod McDonald did very well defensively, I think Matty Platt and Jacob Bedeau both struggled but they tried. It wasn't the best performance by them, but it stems from Doncaster's approach.

    We can call the performance rubbish, but Notts were beaten by the better team who were more organised and had the momentum of winning the title. Had the game been played under different circumstances, and earlier in the season, I think it would have played out differently. I was at their home leg, and I didn't see the same team. I thought they were poor, and not much improved from last season. A season where their fans wanted the manager out, and they looked to have financial issues. How much rosier do we have it now under the Reedtz?

    Alassana Jatta was unlike himself, probably the most underperforming player on the pitch, and it wasn't due to a lack of creativity. He just seemed very off, and considering it's the end of the season, performances can dip. This is why Stuart Maynard, and the players themselves, need to call for more focus.

    Conor Grant and Charlie Whitaker found it challenging to cope with Doncaster's aggressive tactics, particularly their tendency to pull shirts. They were both fouled several times, but no excuses, they could have done better. I personally thought Whitaker looked to be the more productive of the two.

    I am surprised by some of the reactions to Matt Palmer, he seemed the most consistent player on the pitch and very forward-thinking. His performance still stands out as one of the more consistent in my memory.

    For context, Palmer had a 76% pass rate and Abbott only had 40%. The second highest in our team, with Platt being the highest at 78%. Whilst passing isn't the main thing, it does usually give an indication on who performed more consistently throughout a game, and considering Bedeau was the third highest with 43%, it does say something. The issue with Platt, we play the ball out from the back and he could have defended better in key moments. Also, it's worth noting that although Doncaster were very good. Their own passing accuracy wasn't remotely good.

    It would suggest they had the better approach to tactics, and created chances which they were able to finish.

Notts have made the playoffs. We don't know exactly where Notts will finish but it will be either fourth, fifth or sixth depending on results from the last day.

There is even a chance that Notts could sneak into the third automatic promotion spot if Notts beat Doncaster & other results go their way.

It's going to be a very exciting final day of the season, & I'm sure there will be a massive crowd cheering Notts on against Doncaster on Saturday 3rd May.

I believe Stuart Maynard & the team have done well to get where they are despite the large number of injuries  that Notts have suffered to key players this season.

  • Show previous comments  12 more
  • Notts have the 2nd best away record in League 2, so if Notts can get a narrow win at home, or even get a draw, I'm sure Wimbledon will be aware of that Notts good away record.

    Previous fixtures stand for nothing when it comes to playoff matches. The pressure will be all on Wimbledon if we can get a positive result in our home leg.

    Two years ago Notts made the National League playoffs with a record points total for a team finishing 2nd. It was a great achievement.

    In 2025 Notts made the League 2 playoffs which is an even better achievement, even if many Notts fans don't think that is the case.

    On 04/05/2025 at 23:01, Sue Garfield said:

    Agree that playing at home first leg seems a total disadvantage. Ever since  SM referred to Meadow Lane being a fortress, it seems to have had a disastrously opposite effect.

    This is actually a very fair comment, although sad, it is very true.

    Fans told me that they were happy we started at home, and it could be a good thing, but we do play with a higher level of freedom away from home. Both home and away we can be very hit and miss, I think I would feel more confident to have started away from Meadow Lane. I think a positive start to the playoffs could have brought momentum. Whereas the pressure is on us with being at home. AFC Wimbledon are also a very decent team, that have enjoyed success even after needing to come back into games at the Lane.

    Despite all this, and the fact that the club remained in the automatic places for so long. We have made a significant achievement this season, and it does still feel like we are moving forward under the Reedtz.

    At no point in my lifetime did it previously feel genuine that the club has a true potential to push for a higher level of football.

Worksop Town have been promoted to the National League North after beating Guiseley 2-1 in their playoff final.

 

So this is it - as Notts have their final throw of the dice (possibly excluding the play-offs), this season's prediction league also comes to a close. We don't quite know who'll finish where yet, but we do already know that a points record will be set this season...

For one last time, let's gaze into the crystal ball before putting it away for the summer. All the fixtures I've chosen kick off at 3pm on Saturday (hence no Championship), and remember your joker!

 

Bolton Wanderers v Stevenage

Mansfield Town v Exeter City

Northampton Town v Wigan Athletic

Wycombe Wanderers v Stockport County

Colchester United v Barrow

Crewe Alexandra v Walsall

Grimsby Town v AFC Wimbledon

Newport County v Tranmere Rovers

Who's your Man of the Match v Doncaster? 7 members have voted

  1. 1. Choose your Notts Player of the Match

    • Alex Bass
      0
    • Jacob Bedeau
      0
    • Matty Platt
      0
    • Rod McDonald
      0
    • Jodi Jones
      0
    • George Abbott
      6
    • Matt Palmer
      1
    • Kellan Gordon
      0
    • Charlie Whittaker
      0
    • Conor Grant
      0
    • Alassana Jatta
      0
    • Lewis Macari
      0

This poll is closed to new votes

Poll closed on 04/05/25 at 20:00

Please sign in or register to vote in this poll.


A dissapointing end to Notts regular season with a defeat to League 2 Champions Doncaster, who thoroughly deserved their victory today. Congratulations to them.

Notts now go into the playoffs where they will play Wimbledon at ML in the first leg of the semi final next Saturday, 10th May, kick off 8pm.

I have chosen the first 11 plus 1 player off the substitutes bench for you to choose your PON Man of the Match from.

Those players are:-

Bass, Bedeau, Platt, McDonald, Jones, Abbott, Palmer, Gordon, Whittaker, Grant, Jatta, Macari.

  • Show previous comments  7 more
  • 20 hours ago, Chris said:

    I still don't believe Abbott was at his best or performed well enough. That's just my opinion.

    I’m really surprised to read your thought @Chris I genuinely thought Abbott had an excellent game, to me he seemed to be performing far better than any other player. It just goes to show how different people view the same match.

    At the end of the day it doesn’t matter who was man of the match because we lost the game sadly.

    22 hours ago, Fan of Big Tone said:

    I’m really surprised to read your thought @Chris I genuinely thought Abbott had an excellent game, to me he seemed to be performing far better than any other player. It just goes to show how different people view the same match.

    At the end of the day it doesn’t matter who was man of the match because we lost the game sadly.

    I'm pleased for whoever won, and you are right, we all see things differently at times.

    I thought if Will Jarvis had longer on the pitch, he would have warranted more praise in this, and in the short time he was on, I thought he did much better than most of the squad. Unfortunately, Notts fell into Doncaster's game plan in the first half, which was aimed at making us stray passes and lose the ball. I thought George Abbott did okay, but he did lose the ball a lot. I mean, I can remember him winning the ball well, and from nothing, but then passing upfield straight to a Doncaster player. It was just an off day in terms of the players shining with their quality, as a team they did okay and were much better in the second half.

    Notts greatly felt the absence of David McGoldrick, as his presence and leadership elevate the entire team's performance and motivation.

    I thought Austin did well when he came on. I think Notts missed him during his injury & he was playing very well beforehand too.

    I hope Austin will be fit enough to start against Wimbledon. He could make a lot of difference for us.

I am slightly worried that we have a bit issue when it comes to playing at home under Stuart...

Overall in his 33 matches the results have been as follows; W13 D7 L13. Last season we only won 3 matches from 11 at home under Stuart. This season we’ve won 10 from 22, but 6 of these wins have been against the current bottom 7 in the league, we’ve then only managed 4 wins against the rest of the league! (1st-17th!). That’s not good and right now we are currently 20th in the home form table which measures the last 8 matches.

For the majority of Notts fans, this is where we see the team play more often. I’ve always thought generally fans are more lenient if your home form is solid but away form is patchy, but for us under Stuart it’s been the other way round. So now it's starting to put him under a bit of pressure...

Is it just me or do you think our home form is becoming a major issue?

  • Show previous comments  4 more
  • I don't recall any home game this season that I have witnessed Notts being outclassed or not deserving something from the game. I think my biggest concern is how Stuart Maynard doesn't push for a second goal to wrap games up or at least make them easier. This past Monday, it was obvious that we were in control and just needed something a bit different to convert one of the many chances we created.

    Yes, we could have won 1-0 on Easter Monday, but there's always the element that a team might sting us.

    I spoke to Jake (@super_pie) about this, and I told him I would have taken Kellan Gordon off for Jodi Jones instead of Conor Grant. He mentioned that he would rather have brought on Will Jarvis and not play Jodi at all due to fears of injury. I get the point, but we are heading into a crucial stage where he really needs match minutes, and his confidence with a return to form would be massive. Gordon has a decent cross, but he runs himself into danger and becomes a bit frustrating to watch because you know he has the ability to do more.

    I think all season Maynard hasn't particularly used his subs well, but away from home I do think more often it's about positive changes. Except for Carlisle United, where we went defensive beyond a point, it was long balls for Jevani Brown to chase.

    There's a lot of talk by the club on how good a coach Maynard is, but I wish we could see it more during games, and especially at home. We either go defensive, or overload ourselves with attacking options.

    We rescued a point against Fleetwood Town earlier in the season, but I think we started with the wrong XI and I don't believe the changes in the game influenced our comeback. If anything, I felt at the time a change was needed to handle Fleetwood, who wasn't great but deserved their lead. The 0-1 loss to Gillingham, for me, is a prime example of how we could have got more from the game. Their only goal still annoys me, but Notts could have done much better.

    Despite all this, I do think Maynard has done well at times, but I wished I could see more improvements with the changes. I swear he listens to fans, as when he would make 3 to five changes at once, he's now reverted to the 70th minute mark. We would have beaten Cheltenham if we had brought Jodi on earlier and injected a bit more quality.

    There have been factors such as injuries, fitness, and other concerns which haven't helped, and I do believe at this level, most managers have negatives which become irritating, but Notts have played some good football this season at Meadow Lane. The club looks much better defensively, and finally our recruitment strengthened the areas we wished for. I do think it's a juggling act for Maynard though, and I hope we can secure a playoff place because I do think it would be a good achievement. I know we could have kept nearer the top, but with all the injuries and so on, it would have taken more than what this squad has. If we don't get promoted, I firmly believe we will be able to build and strengthen the squad to a point where we will be in the running again in the next campaign.

    I imagine there’s a lot more pressure on Stuart Maynard and the lads at home. I don’t think the KOP has been the same this year compared to our first season back in the EFL. I feel that togetherness left when Luke Williams departed and Maynard came in. I don’t think Maynard is doing much wrong and believe he’ll improve given time.

    It can be frustrating when managers make baffling decisions, but we’re not a million miles away from where we want to be. Our home form is likely due to the pressure of expecting promotion, the dip in form from losing key players, and the constant challenge of avoiding further injuries. I haven’t attended away games, so I can’t comment on the atmosphere this season. However, it felt special when we first came back up, and I feel some areas give half-hearted support.

    Maybe it’s just football and the sensationalism fading after promotion, but some clubs make match days exciting. It feels as though we’ve settled for a normal experience without much effort. From what I’ve seen, Notts have always looked like a promotion-chasing side. At times they’ve seemed lacking or indecisive, but all teams go through these phases.

    I hope that if we make the playoffs, fans will make Meadow Lane vibrant and loud with various chants. The quality of chants and player songs seems to have declined, becoming repetitive. As fans, our role is to give full-hearted support. Tactically, Maynard could sometimes make changes to influence games differently. Still, we need to accept that he’s learning. At this level, unless we spend heavily on a manager which affects the playing budget, we won’t find someone perfect in every aspect of their game.

    Notts have been relatively consistent all season. 

    After 23 games Notts had gained 37 points & stood in seventh place in League 2, & they had won 10 matches up to that point.

    From the next 23 games Notts have gained 35 points & finished in sixth place,& won a further 10 matches.

Notts are in the playoffs & also have a chance of being automatically promoted to League one.

Question is, are Notts fully prepared for League one & with it a higher financial commitment for the Club too?

There is a noticeable difference between League One & League Two, though it's not as stark as the gap between League One & the Championship. 

League One is generally considered to have a higher quality of play, more established clubs, & potentially larger fanbases than League Two. 

Of the four clubs that were promoted last season from League 2, we've seen Crawley relegated back to League 2 after just one season in League 1.

And Mansfield Town have struggled in League one after being promoted,& they are actually celebrating the fact that they avoided relegation.

On the other hand, Wrexham have been promoted to the Championship & Stockport are in the playoffs.

These two clubs have shown that with adequate investment, it is possible to be very competitive at a higher level after promotion.

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