Spot on @Simon Clark It's all about the wage demands. After yesterday, he is improving as a team player. You need that player that can shoot from the edge of the box. Something that Grant doesn't seem to have in his locker.

I would offer him a contract now. He's adjusted very well during the last few weeks, & he certainly gives us something in the attacking midfield area.

He has always shown great promise since joining, and has made it clear we don't need to worry about losing Dan Crowley. Our play from the back is now less predictable compared to when Crowley was in the team, though there are aspects of his game we still miss. Charlie Whitaker is proving he has a good eye for goal and the potential to become an important first-team player. It would be a mistake to overlook extending his contract. Now, it’s up to Notts to maximise his development and continue shaping him into a professional footballer.

I liked Carl Dickinson; I thought he would be a good player for us, but I don't think he was all that good.

He had an attitude, and he just seemed like a bit of a ***khead. Both he and Richard Duffy used to swagger around like they thought they were something special. Both were terrible at defending, though Dickson could be good, to give him credit. He was part of Kevin Nolan's laddish drinking culture and became very much disliked among the fans who witnessed his off-the-field antics.

I remember the season when we finished 5th and lost to Coventry in the playoffs. He knew he was being released, and started refusing to give young fans his signature or even pose for a photo. He would be quite argumentative, in my opinion, when there was never any point. I can also remember him calling a lad, about the age of 17, a pr*ck for telling him that he needed to defend better.

Hartlepool might benefit from his coaching, but I am not really sure. I think he could help them be tougher, but I hope he's lost that chip he had on his shoulder, and I never really liked him after seeing his behaviour.

Pools Announce New Management Team – Hartlepool United

WWW.HARTLEPOOLUNITED.CO.UK

Darren Sarll brought in Carl Dickinson as 1st team coach in June 2024. By November 2024, Lennie Lawrence moved Carl to a strength and conditioning role?

Unsure whether he is still at Hartlepool?

Edit...as an aside, Duffy is manager at Congleton Town!

@Piethagoram I really should ban the mentioning of Richard Duffy, but then I wouldn't be able to complain about him. If members like @menzinho are aware of why I dislike Richard Duffy, then I can't commit to banning Duffy, as we have had better players during the Reedtz era who have been shockingly treated in comparison to that beever.

I hope he's a better manager than he was a defender for us, all those pass-backs and errors which led to goals.

I do like the long light evenings, the sun shining at 7pm in the summer is a magical feeling. I'm looking forward to the phone call from my dad tomorrow telling me how amazing that his phone, computer, central heating etc all changed time automatically! He'll soon realise it's 2025 and not 1975 one day!

@menzinho whereas mine will be telling me and asking if they have been reset around the house. Though to be fair with Super Ram, he does always remind me about the Prediction League; I just tend to be easily distracted at the moment.

It's really nice right now, with the warmer weather and nicer breeze at times. There's not so much rain or heavy wind, to the point it just makes you feel like it's never going to be nice out. Though my house is positioned to catch the sunlight, I find it blinds me around 3–4:30, at which time I have to put my blind down. Though, I would much rather it be like this than too hot or freezing cold.

The media team probably aren't obliged to share it, and quite possibly don't want Jodi Jones to be in this manner when he's not making the team selection. You know, avoid those fans who think this will be a sign that he should be back. Though there's nothing to say when it was filmed, I understand why it wouldn't be shared.

Interesting video; I found it amusing at times, and I'm not sure it is supposed to be. 😅

Jodi Jones left-footed long pass, which David McGoldrick got out of the way of for the presenter to try to control the ball with his left foot. Also, having done it in the past. EA Sports asks fans to rate the players ability and review the stats collected. It's not so much based on the players being watched, but on what the developers believe are fair ratings from the people providing the stats.

The video quality is very good, though I find the presenter to be a bit annoying. Almost reminds me of Rob Beckett; talks too much and makes it more about him.

people also try to make out that they dont have enough money and want to sell the club, when it seems the billionaire who joined them in the ownership of wrexham is just future proofing their ambitions of reaching the premier league. 

Are they still peddling the true underdog story tagline! These finances won’t include this season’s transfers; 500k on Rathbone, 590k on Faal, 300k on Scarr, 350k on Revan, 400k on Brent, 500k on Longman, 2 Mil on Smith and Jay Rodrigues on 15k per week!

Their turnover is high but they are still making a loss and with their high spending it won't have improved. Yes getting to Championship will be a big boost but they'll need to stay there to get the benefits. They've been very fortunate and that’s putting it diplomatically, I’m mean who else has 5 first-team goalkeepers!

Good morning thanks for starting the weekly chat @Robbie.

The weather has definitely improved as we cruise around the Canary Islands, so far we’ve done Gran Canaria, Tenerife and Fuerteventura, today we’ve just arrive in Lanzarote. Yesterday it was warm enough for me to have a dip in the sea. Today is forecast another sunny day and temperatures around 21 degrees.

Our holiday is half way through and tomorrow we’ll be sailing back north to Madeira then a day at sea before we reach Vigo in Spain followed by two days at sea and back to Southampton on Tuesday next week but we aren’t thinking about that yet there’s still plenty of good times to be had yet.

It's been a lovely day here. Wonderful spring sunshine. It was a beautiful day too have a long walk.

A two & a half hour walk & 15K steps later it was worth it. Getting some Sun too was a bonus.

It will be back in the garden tomorrow, if it is fine to mow the lawn & some hoeing too.

Nice to switch off the heating off for a change as it has been so pleasant today.

Lovely morning here. Having a nice sit our in the garden Spring flowers are blooming.

Looking forward to the Notts match this afternoon. Hope they can get a positive result today.

i dont think a lot of the stick sam slocombe gets is fair, i can understand why people might think hes past his best or prone to mistakes but much of this is caused by us not playing to his strengths. expecting him to be comfortable to pass the ball with his feet, when this has never been a strong point is just a flaw in the tactics and i have been much happier to see that slocombe does not have to play it out like this. the mistake he made in the last game came from him being passed the ball, blame should be on both him and the defender, i think it was lewis macari and even though slocombe had time with a wandering striker its not the best idea when limited options are on.

as backup and to fill in, hes completely fine. he should be encouraged not constantly dismissed or called out for his lack of ability because hes has been a good servant and some fans just dont like him for whatever reason but it does become a player easily blamed.

I don't think it's constructive to pick at a keeper who's covering; the club clearly have faith, and I don't think all of the blame Sam Slocombe gets is fair.

Notts treated Aidan Stone awfully; some fans did, and somehow Slocombe has proved he can be called upon when he's needed. Two players like Alex Bass would be a luxury, but I agree with the sentiment that he's good enough to be back-up. I also echo that we should ensure that we play to his strengths. When you put your focus on tactics over ability, it will always lead to weaknesses.

Strengths must be factored in before you come up with a strategy and game plan. Under Luke Williams, Notts insisted that he had to play the ball out from the back, using his feet, and the problem more than anything is the players in front of him not making space. Bass becomes very vocal and annoyed when this happens; it's also part of why we concede because nobody is focusing on going forward.

Modern football sees good players who are approaching the end of their playing days disregarded and treated poorly. Slocombe is perfectly fine as a League Two keeper, and looks much better with our defensive improvements, but we need to stop this backward passing when teams are wise to the movement. It's just asking for mistakes, and whilst Slocombe might have plenty of time, we need to remember he's not comfortable in this scenerio.

You'd never insist a right-footed winger should use their left foot. Nor would you tell a striker to spend most of his time defending, at the cost of attacking. As I say, it's all about strengths, making space and working as a team.

We are supposedly in talks to sign another goalkeeper, Tyler Miller I think is a name that has been mentioned. If that does happen I would find it strange if we singed a new keeper and then didn't play him.

To be fair I thought Slocombe did really well when he came on at Grimsby but he wasn't really that tested against Crewe. But I do only see him as a back-up keeper, his shot stopping is decent but he can't command his area in the same way Bass does and that has proved vital this season and taken a lot of pressure off the defenders.

i am glad that notts gave him time and i think its good that he has managed to move closer to home, i wished he was still here because i thought he was a good player and someone who could get goals if played as a striker. i hope hes happier in carlisle.

I read it when it was first published, and I am pleased by how open Cedwyn Scott is when talking about it. Dealing with depression is hard; if you spend more time locking it up, finding a way to let it out can be hard. Sometimes it can be dismissed as "attention-seeking" when it's just the person trying to find release. This is why I feel it's important for Scott to speak so forthrightly. I am also pleased Notts did everything they could to support him, because it's one of the better parts of the club's handling of the players, and it shows just how important mental health is.

I'm still disappointed he left, but that's more because I rated and liked him as a player. I do wish him all the best with Carlisle and understand that he's closer to a support network up there.

He always played with the passion that we wanted from the team, so I hope it works out for him.

The club did the right thing with Ceds, but I can’t help but feel he put a lot of pressure on himself taking the number 9 shirt and wanting to be the main man so soon after a massive injury.

Obviously a big reason he moved to Carlisle would have also been to play under Mike Williamson again but that is no longer the case now. He could well be playing in the National League again next season, that might feel like another step back in his career, but it might enable him to get scoring again.

The injury was something that was totally out of his control, I really hope he can get back to his best with Carlisle soon.

It was a reasonable performance from England tonight against a Latvian side that were content to get 10 men behind the ball and make it difficult for England.

Latvia only managed one shot on goal in the whole match such was England's dominance.

In the first half England's build up play was ok, but time after time the final ball wasn't good.

It took a fantastic free kick from around 25 yards out from James to break the deadlock, that went over the wall & into the top right hand corner of the goal after 35 minutes.

In the second half England's passing was much slicker & they managed to get behind the Latvian defence for Kane to tap in from a cross after 70 minutes, his 71st goal for England.

Five minutes later Eze cut inside on the left & his shot was deflected into the net off a Latvian defender. This was a goal on his debut for England.

So a comfortable win in the end for England & 3 points to begin their World Cup qualifying campaign. Tuchel will be pleased with the win but I'm sure he'll want that final ball to be much better.

Post match thoughts from Tuchel.

the opening goal from the free kick from reece james was class, i did not know he was capable of taking them or placing them so well into an area no keeper would be able to save. it was the perfect opening goal, and i think the performance was quite good. a couple of moments such as the near miss when jordan pickford called for the ball but the defender continued and it led to latvia shooting wide but acceptable.

Great to see he's back on form and having a good season. However, for me it's tinged with a little sadness that he's playing at that level - he looked an unbelievable player at times in the NL and I'd have loved to see how he'd get on in League Two or higher.

Cal Roberts is a great player; it's a shame his injuries have impacted his career so much, but it's great to see him doing well. Scunthorpe have had a lot of problems in recent years; how they splashed the cash when they didn't really have it impacted the club. I hope with Robert's form, things are picking up for them and that he can help them gain promotion back to the EFL in the near future.

It would be nice to see him playing at that level, but it's more important to just see him enjoying football.

he is a game changing player who could help lift scunthorpe back to the efl, when hes in form hes just on a different level and was always a joy to watch when he played for us. hopefully his injuries are lessening and he is managing to find this consistency through staying injury free.

This is a very strange one. Shrewsbury are bottom of League 1 & look as though they will be back in League 2 next season.

Very strange for a Club to appoint a Head Coach who was about to see his present club on the way to being relegated.

Gillingham must be seeing something in him that most of the rest of football lovers don't. It has been confirmed in the last hour that he has become Gillingham first Team Manager.

I wish him luck with his new position. Very clever move from Ainsworth, jumping ship before being forced to walk the plank.

An effective manager for lower-league teams. I feel Shrewsbury have made a sensible appointment to replace Gareth Ainsworth. I can understand why Gillingham wanted him; it hasn't worked out with Shrewsbury this season, but at Gillingham it should be smoother to transition into what their potential is.

maybe they should have waited for him to get the axe? unless shrewsbury were desperate to avoid paying compo and let him go without a fee. 😅

The Manager merry go round continues with this appointment of Appleton. Kudos to Appleton for taking the job with Shrewsbury who are routed to the bottom of League 1 with just 9 games left to save themselves.

So he's been appointed till the end of the season. Looks like his long term future at Shrewsbury depends on whether he can save save them from relegation or not. It's going bto be very tough, however I wish him the best of luck.

Michael Appleton has been on the bounce in recent years, and if he is able to settle for the long term at Shrewsbury Town, I do think he will turn out to be a very good appointment. I rate him as a coach; he's a decent manager, but he seems attracted to clubs where I feel he would never be seen as a long-term solution unless he were finding things a breeze.

Personally, I think Shrewsbury is the right kind of club for him to succeed with.

No reason why they shouldn't be allowed to have an international football team playing on the World stage

They do have a domestic football tournament which is a prerequisite to having an international team.

Football in Greenland - Wikipedia

EN.M.WIKIPEDIA.ORG

I agree, there are smaller countries that struggle to put together a national team and still find approval. I can't say I know why they aren't already recognised as an international football team, but they should be.

http://carousel.royalwebhosting.net/utm/maggies00.html

My go to website for data, by season though

On 11/06/2024 at 17:08, Piethagoram said:

http://carousel.royalwebhosting.net/utm/maggies00.html

My go to website for data, by season though

I'm so sorry, I've only just seen your reply!! Thank you, that's a great help.

On 11/06/2024 at 17:08, Piethagoram said:

http://carousel.royalwebhosting.net/utm/maggies00.html

My go to website for data, by season though

when did the site start working again? it had been on the nottinghamshire football site instead. i dont know the fan who created it but its well researched. its good to see it back.

Crawley Town 2-2 Bristol Rovers

Wrexham 1-1 Stockport County

Bradford City 1-1 Colchester United (Joker)

Carlisle United 1-1 Bromley

Chesterfield 2-1 Harrogate Town

Oldham Athletic 1-1 Halifax Town

Solihull Moors 1-0 Yeovil Town 

Wealdstone 1-2 Woking 

Crawley Town 0-1 Bristol Rovers

Wrexham 2-1 Stockport County (joker)

Bradford City 1-1 Colchester United 

Carlisle United 1-1 Bromley

Chesterfield 2-0 Harrogate Town

Oldham Athletic 1-0 Halifax Town 

Solihull Moors 2-1 Yeovil Town 

Wealdstone 0-1 Woking 

The results:

Crawley Town 1-0 Bristol Rovers
Wrexham 1-0 Stockport County
Bradford City 4-1 Colchester United
Carlisle United 2-1 Bromley
Chesterfield 0-0 Harrogate Town
Oldham Athletic 2-0 Halifax Town
Solihull Moors 0-3 Yeovil Town
Wealdstone 1-0 Woking

---

Most of you managed to beat me, so well done. Congrats to this round's glorious winners @Dan and @super_ram!

---

There's little change in our table overall, but @super_ram is now within striking distance of @ARLukomski at the top...

---

That's it for now, but on Saturday we will have another round, so keep your eyes peeled for the next fixtures tomorrow. Thanks for playing!  

Interestingly at Norwich he has played as their left-back in a back 4. But we played him as part of our back 3, maybe this was a mistake. Should he have been utilised at wingback for us? When you hear he used to play as a winger as a kid it makes you think…

Like I said before I’d never seen him play for us but I’ve seen him on the EFL highlights show for Norwich and he’s very slim, I know looks can be deceiving but he definitely seems to be lacking that physicality you associate with most centre-backs.

I guess in a way even if he had got into our team, if he’s championship quality/ready, it’s likely he’d have attracted bids and moved up at some point. We’d have made more money I guess but it makes it less heart-breaking for us fans.

On 24/02/2025 at 11:04, Piethagoram said:

Further thoughts, we had a situation last season where Norwich loaned us Warner...who when playing for Notts, maybe exposed that he wasnt the next best thing to sliced bread. We perhaps should have blooded Mahovo as the defence could not get any worse?

Or maybe we damaged his confidence by putting him into such a leaky defence? 

I watched Aston Villa U21 v Norwich U21 earlier this season - excellent game, good pace and great technique as you'd expect. Both Mahovo and Warner played, and our by looked by far the better.

I think there has to be a limit to covering our players in the proverbial cotton wall. I remember one preseason game where Rawlo seemingly failed to talk and help Mahovo through the game. 

I still believe Mahovo should have been given a chance last season but with Bedeau coming in, the LCB spot was taken. 

Bit of a come down if he finishes up going there. Personally, they are welcome to him.

All out attack but a leaky defence isn't going to get a club out of league 2.

Then if somewhere better comes along he'll probably be off.

It's about right for MK Dons; they'll be hoping Luke Williams can do what he did for us, but I don't think the platform they offer is a suitable one. Williams would be wise to avoid rushing to jump into his next appointment, as tempting as the offer might be. If he truly wanted to be closer to his home, I fail to see how MK Dons is any better. The clubs have got bigger issues than who's in charge of the team; they really need to allow the next manager to help settle things down, and the club needs to start working together. The impression I get is that the owner and other people involved have too much say in the operation of the club.

I want that player; I want that manager. Sign them; they are doing well for X club. Without any real plans.

I don't think Notts would need a major overhaul after promotion. The hardest challenge will be managing realistic expectations and dealing with the pessimists. The club can't win with some fans. If they're near the top, people will expect them to stay there. A mid-table position will lead to claims that they're not good enough for promotion, along with fears of relegation. If Notts struggle, some supporters will react dramatically.

I'd rather see the team earn promotion by being ready and deserving it. If we go up this season, it will be because of that. However, our current form makes me think we might struggle, especially as automatic promotion seems unlikely now. Play-offs are a big gamble. Still, if most of the squad is kept and improved with extra quality, we'll be in a strong position next season to push for League One.

The lack of any news on a DoF really concerns me. Are we ready for EFL1, no. Look at Crawley.

How can we prepare for next season without a DoF?

I think we could put together a half decent L1 team, but feel we're miles away from a L1 squad. 

Our best 11 each week could do ok, I think but our overall squad strength has been shown up in L2, even accepting this seems to have been a worse than normal season for injuries.

That also makes it even harder for academy lads to make the breakthrough, so I think we'd be kicking that one several years down the line if you do go up, although we do have some useful prospects. Having watched the U18 and B sides a few times this season, it's been good to see the progress of some of them as well.

The first half for Notts wasn't too bad, though some clearer chances could have been made. The long wait for a shot on target made me wonder if it might be one of those games. The second half was decent, with a bit more intent and some exciting moments. Notts became much livelier around the 70th minute. Stuart Maynard's substitutions seemed a bit unusual. For me, Charlie Whitaker should have stayed on. Mai Traore feels like playing with ten men. He's struggling with EFL football, and it's even harder when he comes on as a sub. He had one or two exciting runs, but I don't think he was what Notts needed at that moment. Nick Tsaroulla showed why he should have started, as he was the only change that made a real difference. Kellan Gordon didn't do much. Most of his crosses were blocked, and he tended to avoid situations where a tackle might occur. Overall, it was a very standard performance from Notts, without the momentum to score from open play.

Blaming the referee distracts from the fact that Notts simply wasn't clinical in front of goal. If Notts had created more chances or converted some of them, the referee's decisions wouldn't have been such a talking point. While there were some questionable calls, we need to win matches by scoring goals, not relying on penalties. At times, it felt like the focus was too much on drawing fouls in the penalty area instead of taking shots. Notts weren't terrible, but they looked more like a mid-table team than one pushing for promotion.

2 penalties denied