It ends in defeat to a very good team who will most likely be promoted.

Manager, Brian Dunleavy speaks following the defeat at home to Loughborough.

If Macca really wanted to leave he would've turned our contract offer down and either asked the club to sell him or he'd just wait until he could leave on a free. So I too think he's quite happy to stay for the time being.

No-one knows if his contract has a release clause in or what the valuation is. The £1.5m figure was banded about over the summer, he's likely to finish the season on 25 goals (hopefully more) so yes there probably will be interest in him and I think the valuation won't be far off that. However we're under no pressure to sell him and he won't be cheap if clubs are serious about signing him. We won't sell to league 2 club and the only way most league 1 clubs will be able to sign him is if they sell a player for a couple of million. And it's probably still a bit of risk for Championship clubs with him jumping two levels. I think a lot of it all comes down to who moves where over the summer, and which clubs ultimately have the finances to buy him.

I would be amazed if we got a £2m offer for Macca, well not without a lot of add ons such as appearances and goals scored. He’s 27 now, not proven above League 2 and doesn’t have a great goal scoring record against the top sides this season, in fact I don’t remember him scoring against any of the top 7 sides this season in the league.

I can see him staying as Notts won’t get the money they’ll want.

Jodi could possibly go to a league 1 club, but I doubt he would go higher as he doesn’t have the pace needed now. I think he enjoys playing every week rather than warming a bench, so he might also stay.

@Fozzy it would give me much pleasure to see Macaulay sign an extension to his contract with Notts & for Jodi and Dan to stay too.

In the attacking department including the Strikers & attacking Midfielders we have no problem if they all stay.

That makes recruitment much easier with a new goalie, who can command his area, good at distributing & a good shot stopper in addition to Stone & Brooks.

Two tall, strong and physical defenders in addition to a strong, tenacious & hard defensive midfielder.

Out of the defenders we have I'd keep Cameron, Chicksen, Baldwin & of course we have Macari too.

In midfield I'd retain, Palmer,  Austin, Bostock, O'Brien as player coach and Robertson.

Those players, including Nemane, Jones, Scott, Langstaff, Jatta, Didzy and Crowley would make the basis of a good side to make a challenge next season.

On another aspect, Jaden Warner isn't the "star" he was made out to be. I believe he played them on for their 3rd goal and although he has pace, L2 physicality has shown him wanting. 

If Norwich observers are onlooking, they may decide that he is not what they thought they had, as a player

The team must function as a unit. We launch attacks collectively, but our defence is often disorganised. It’s simple to pinpoint errors, but there’s a lack of quick reaction to prevent the recurring mistakes that Notts commit. MK Dons wouldn’t have been close to a point had there been more awareness in the game.

I heard numerous complaints about the defence that led to their first goal, but it was an excellent piece of play. I believe we allow too much space behind the ball, with players content to leave the defending to those ahead of the ball, which is part of the problem we encounter. However, there was nothing that the goalkeeper could have done about it and defensively, you have to accept these types of goals.

The second goal for MK Dons was a bit unfortunate due to the deflection and bounce of the ball. However, there was a lack of defending and their third goal was extremely straightforward considering their player was clean through. Notts should show resilience in getting back into the game.

I found the game enjoyable. MK Dons took their opportunities, even though they didn’t seem particularly impressive until they scored. Their goal was beautiful, but it was a pity that their player behaved so unprofessionally with his celebrations and antics. He should have been sent off, not just for that, but also for several fouls he committed during the game.

I didn’t see them causing us any trouble, and I thought that us scoring a goal just before the end of the first half would give us a boost going into the second half. It seemed like the players had been spoken to, as they came out with more determination. I also disagree with Stuart Maynard. I thought we performed better in the second half than in the first, but overall it was a good performance.

Aaron Nemane can be a shadow of himself, but when he gets into the game, he’s unstoppable. I wish Jodi Jones would work on his crossing, as many of them tend to be overhit and end up being wasteful. Adam Chicksen setting up Jatta was a real highlight. That was a great goal to celebrate.

It was typical of Notts to collapse at crucial moments, with individual mistakes costing us the full amount of points. The players should take confidence from having played well against MK Dons, a team that believes they are much bigger than they actually are.

Interesting because Rock Band Kiss had to change the double S in their logo while on tour in Germany for more or less the same reason, the two S's it was stated looked like the double lightning bolt emblem used by German combat units during the War. Despite the fact two members of Kiss being Jewish and they said they had No Problem with the original Logo.

The shirt appears very nice, though the font used for the numbers is quite unsatisfactory. I don’t believe this was done intentionally. What would be the point of that? I attribute it to a simple mistake, human error.

There seems to be a lot of people stating this was An April Fools Joke! If that's the case there must be One Twisted S.O.B working at Adidas.

The press conference is usually the day before the match, but yesterday was Easter Sunday. There's also no fancy matchday pic on Facebook today.

There would have been no point sacking anyone in the middle of the Easter weekend. If we lose again today, I wouldn't be surprised if something happened during the week though. 

Usually, press conferences take place on a Wednesday or Thursday, and sometimes it’s up to the reporters rather than the club itself. However, since Notts’ form has declined, their media team has delayed them. The club should continue to operate as usual, as deviating from this only diminishes the openness and unity that the club emphasised at the beginning of this season.

Very revealing data @Piethagoram Does put it into context how Notts did so well to push Wrexham as far as they did last season.

Also interesting that another on the list Chesterfield, has won the National League by a cantor too this season.

Southend were docked points so should have been in the playoff positions too without that deduction.

Oldham have disappointed this season but still have an outside chance of making the playoffs.

It does look as though investment in a club with good crowds and good sponsorship does pay when wanting success.

But a good Manager can add to that success to and that's why Notts did so well last season even though Wrexham had a big financial advantage.

All the teams you mention are still around @Robbie 

Dynamo Dresden never made much of an impact at the very top level, in the last few years they've been jumping between the second and third divisions and have just slipped out of the promotion places in the third division. They're a big club, averaging north of 25,000 at their matches, and take big followings away too. Think Sheffield Wednesday. Dresden is a big city that could easily support a top-flight club if they get their house in order.

Dynamo Berlin (known here as BFC Dynamo) are also still around, but never had much in the way of support as they were the Stasi's favoured club in East Germany. This brought them league titles and European Cup runs back in the day, but now they're stuck in the regional fourth division and play to paltry crowds. Hertha are a different club based in the former West Germany; they played in the Champions League in the recent past but got relegated last season and aren't pulling up any trees this time. They play at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin - they rarely fill it, but are still the capital's best-supported club.

I've been to Cologne's ground before, brilliant experience. Lukas Podolski played for them. They're in the Bundesliga but are struggling right now. This season they sacked their "animated" manager Steffen Baumgart, who then joined Hamburg, a former Bundesliga stalwart that got relegated a few seasons back and keep finding new and amusing ways to not get promoted. Here he is when forced to watch them at home when he was in quarantine.

The finances of football are a bit different due to the rule that club members must have a majority of voting rights in their clubs (with a couple of exceptions), so instead of owners you've got investors and very big sponsors. In the lower leagues, clubs need to apply to the German FA for a licence every season - the FA look at the projected crowds and sponsorship income as well as the planned budget, and can accept it or demand improvements. If no licence is granted, the club is ejected from the league. In the third division, this has led to a situation where none of the teams that finished in the relegation zone were actually relegated - they all got a reprieve as other clubs were expelled instead!

Thanks for the well detailed info @DangerousSausage 

I'm fascinated by the German football finances.

Do you think that the financial rules for the German leagues are good rules and do they prevent league clubs going out of business?

Do the fans get a bigger say in the running of clubs over there too?

Could the German financial model work here for our lower leagues?

Yes and no @Robbie. The licensing system is designed to stop clubs going bust mid-season and threatening the integrity of the competition. Yet in recent years we've still had a couple of clubs go into administration (which means automatic relegation) despite all the safeguards.

In the lower divisions, clubs are just as unsustainable as they are in England. Very few clubs can break even on gate receipts and TV money of €800k in the third division, so they're dependent on a benefactor or a major sponsor to write off the losses. One example among many is Saarbrücken's main sponsor, the locally based Victor's hotel chain, which pumps more than €2 million into the club every season. In theory, club members have a controlling interest and could kick them out if they wanted. In practice, they know that would be the end of professional football in Saarbrücken if they did. On top of that, the German FA imposes silly and expensive ground requirements on third division clubs such as under-soil heating.

Clubs are answerable to their members and hold annual general meetings and the like, so there is more transparency and fans' voices can be heard. But ultimately, he who pays the piper calls the tune.

I think a licensing system was being considered in England, and the more club owners are held to account the better. But in both countries, if you want to compete at a professional level, you'd better have someone in the background who's paying for it. 

18 hours ago, Robbie said:

I've got a feeling now that the brothers will stick with Maynard if the last 5 games have positive outcomes.

I think you are spot on and I think they will stick with him for a good 3 months next season, regardless of results. 

18 points gained though @Robbie instead of 9. 9 points in 14 games, you can’t get away from the fact that is an awful return and a damning verdict on the head coach, it is not just relegation form, it is cast adrift form and has made Notts the worst EFL side in the country.
If a new coach cannot make a side better (or at least as good) after a third of the season, look for someone better. 

4 minutes ago, Fozzy said:

18 points gained though @Robbie instead of 9. 9 points in 14 games, you can’t get away from the fact that is an awful return and a damning verdict on the head coach, it is not just relegation form, it is cast adrift form and has made Notts the worst EFL side in the country.
If a new coach cannot make a side better (or at least as good) after a third of the season, look for someone better. 

I totally understand what you are saying @Fozzy and statistics don't lie. I'm just putting my self in the shoes of the Reedtz brothers who always seem to take the pragmatic approach to things.

I just think they will keep Maynard till the end of the season and through the summer, to build a changed side, and will give him 10 games at the beginning of next season. 

The results:

Plymouth Argyle 0-1 Bristol City
Stoke City 1-1 Huddersfield Town
Bristol Rovers 0-0 Shrewsbury Town
Charlton Athletic 0-0 Stevenage
Newport County 0-4 Crawley Town
Sutton United 3-1 Swindon Town
Altrincham 1-0 Oldham Athletic
Eastleigh 2-3 Maidenhead United

---

For the second time in four rounds, our winner is @Megan_Elizax! Congrats!

@Megan_Elizax - 7
@DangerousSausage - 6
@super_ram - 5
@cheeky~k8, @Robbie - 4
@ARLukomski, @Fan of Big Tone, @liampie, @magpiejue, @william1984 - 3
@4everapie, @Dan, @DonnyNotts, @gtownjohnno, @nottsnutter - 2
@Harry Buckley - 1

---

With four rounds to go, it's pretty much as you were at the top, while @super_ram rises to fourth...

ARLukomski - 198
gtownjohnno - 194
william1984 - 186
super_ram - 180
cheeky~k8 - 179
Fan of Big Tone - 179
magpiejue - 175
4everapie - 174
DangerousSausage - 170
Dan - 162
Megan_Elizax - 156
DonnyNotts - 136
nottsnutter - 131
liampie - 126
Chris - 123
upthepies - 90
Joshua - 86
Robbie - 73
allardyces tash - 70
TheSkipper - 67
KingWilliams - 66
Harry Buckley - 60
CliftonMagpie - 55
thommo - 49
OoooooTommy - 45
NottsCountyKev - 41
JIMBO - 40
jimbob - 38
Nocturnal-Magpie - 38
AmericanPie - 36
KB1862 - 22
George L - 6
Canadian - 4

---

We're back to Saturday afternoons now, so next weekend's fixtures will be posted tomorrow. Thanks for playing, see you all then!

Pleased with how things are going. Bottom of the league late December now safe in the middle.

43 minutes ago, DangerousSausage said:

With four rounds to go, it's pretty much as you were at the top, while @super_ram rises to fourth...

What! He’s above me? We can’t have that, time to get serious.  

I'd prefer to highlight the fact that after 41 games we have scored 80 goals which is currently the highest in league 2.

Notts have now scored 197 league goals and are on course to score over 200 league goals in two consecutive seasons.

That is a phenomenal effort from the Notts County Team.

Well done Jodi.

Supporting Notts for 57 years is a remarkable accomplishment, demonstrating both loyalty and commitment. I’m pleased you’ve returned. Your influence and conversational abilities are much needed on this site.

i have been worried @Piethagoram, but i am glad you are back. i understood you had more going on but i was really hoping we would see you return. seeing you online made me happier because i really appreciate what you do for pon.

please take care.  

Just catching up as I’ve been away, on my return I was so happy to read that you are back @Piethagoram you have been missed. It’s no doubt been a very worrying time for you but I’m glad to hear the cysts were non cancerous.

Let's hear from the hat trick hero Takiah Burnett.

Let's here what Manager Adam Dunleavy made of the huge win.

i will be sleeping for an extra hour to make up for the one lost.

i am hoping we have more sunnier days soon because today was the first time in awhile i managed to get out on my bike and just enjoy the day without it turning gloomy.

I woke up at my usual Time this Morning . Then Oh Gosh I Forgot To Put The Clocks Forward. What a Silly Billy I am the wife said the same, But Not in so many Words.

I've been good this year and changed all the clocks already. Some years I just leave them - they'll be correct again in six months anyway

Cardiff City 2-0 Sunderland

Queens Park Rangers 1-0 Birmingham City Joker

Fleetwood Town 0-0 Cheltenham Town

Lincoln City 2-1 Leyton Orient

Gillingham 0-1 Crewe Alexandra

Wrexham 3-1 Mansfield Town

Solihull Moors 0-1 Barnet

Woking 1-1 Eastleigh

Here are my predictions. By the way, keep your eyes peeled for Easter Monday's round, which will go live after the final whistle today!

Cardiff City 2-1 Sunderland

Queens Park Rangers 2-0 Birmingham City

Fleetwood Town 1-1 Cheltenham Town

Lincoln City 3-1 Leyton Orient

Gillingham 2-0 Crewe Alexandra

Wrexham 2-2 Mansfield Town

Solihull Moors 1-2 Barnet

Woking 2-0 Eastleigh (joker)

Good Friday's results:

Cardiff City 0-2 Sunderland
Queens Park Rangers 2-1 Birmingham City
Fleetwood Town 1-2 Cheltenham Town
Lincoln City 1-0 Leyton Orient
Gillingham 0-0 Crewe Alexandra
Wrexham 2-0 Mansfield Town
Solihull Moors 2-2 Barnet
Woking 0-1 Eastleigh

---

Congrats to Friday's winners @gtownjohnno and @william1984!

@gtownjohnno, @william1984 - 8
@Dan - 7
@DonnyNotts, @magpiejue, @Megan_Elizax - 6
@Harry Buckley - 5
@ARLukomski, @Fan of Big Tone, @liampie, @super_ram - 4
@cheeky~k8, @Robbie - 3
@4everapie, @DangerousSausage - 2

---

Things are getting tighter at the top again...

ARLukomski - 195
gtownjohnno - 192
william1984 - 183
Fan of Big Tone - 176
cheeky~k8 - 175
super_ram - 175
4everapie - 172
magpiejue - 172
DangerousSausage - 164
Dan - 160
Megan_Elizax - 149
DonnyNotts - 134
nottsnutter - 129
Chris - 123
liampie - 123
upthepies - 90
Joshua - 86
allardyces tash - 70
Robbie - 69
TheSkipper - 67
KingWilliams - 66
Harry Buckley - 59
CliftonMagpie - 55
thommo - 49
OoooooTommy - 45
NottsCountyKev - 41
JIMBO - 40
jimbob - 38
Nocturnal-Magpie - 38
AmericanPie - 36
KB1862 - 22
George L - 6
Canadian - 4

---

If you haven't already, pop over here to predict Easter Monday's games. Thanks for playing everyone!

Maynard has destroyed our attackers and actually done the impossible, he has made the defence worse.
If a question of sport was still on, Notts could fill a whole series with “what happens next”. The side has become a laughing stock of the league and they’re really not trying to do anything to address it.

It would be nice for our Chief Exec to actually open his office door, and watch what is happening. We have heard nothing from him in months but I bet we will when it comes to the club wanting us to renew our season tickets!

its all confidence at this stage and the fact the season is one we must grind out, i see errors and issues happening. i still dont blame stuart maynard, the players cant help themselves and until we have the time to really strengthen and sort out some of the obvious gaps then things are what they are. its really disappointing to see some fans, a very small minority seem to take joy at away games that we are so poor. maybe its their way of coping but its just hostile and very atmosphere ruining to hear silly comments throughout a game. I enjoyed the game itself more than hearing them.

the goals we gave away were extremely poor, i dont think we should be too harsh on scott robertson because hes still young and has largely done well.

if we were winning people would be overlooking some of these mistakes and the majority i think would be less critical, its a real shame how this season has ended up but sometimes it happens when you realise you are not good enough for the higher end. the fact some people still believe we should be we are good enough for promotion to league one, but say we are rubbish makes me want to pull my hair out.

we are not ready, there is a chance we could have been but not since luke williams left and even then we seemed to coasting out of the frame of it.

Good evening,

Hope you are all well.

I thought your away following was excellent yesterday but you were given little to enthuse over. It made me smile when your were cheering back passes to your own keeper culminating in our second goal.

Previous post mentions Scott Robertson who seemed to just run around whilst in posession without any real purpose. Generally sideways and back. We have been playing like that for seasons ironically starting under Luke Williams.

Our demise this season began at Meadow Lane when our then manager "bigged" you up so much that our unbeaten start would inevitably end. We have sunk slowly to what is probably going to be our lowest ever league finish.

Having said that we put together our best team performance for ages yesterday but you still showed up our frailties and could (should?) easily have got something from the match.

It is what it is and let's all hope for better times next season.

Best wishes,

Mickey

AMEN.

i still feel we are seeing the different jason turner made around the club, the fact players are still mentioning him says a lot too.

RIP Jason Turner.

i caught this but forgot to look to see if it had been mentioned here, its great to see two of our youngsters get selected and i hope it gets them some experience. it makes it promising from our front because international football can be a huge benefit to moulding all rounded players.

27 minutes ago, Ohh Tommy Johnson said:

Anything shorter than a 5 day test is a slog fest!!

I think "Bazball" is changing that.

It needs to be stopped... you can beat a 4 hour long 50 from Geoff Boycott!  England tests have often been only 3 days, but generally that was because we were so easily beaten!

i could not watch a long cricket game but t20 games are generally entertaining and watchable when two teams are really going for it. proper test matches bore the life out of me, it took me awhile to get into football but cricket just is not the sport that does for me.

i can understand why scotland would want to make things shorter with their weather.

they are being ambitious and can see that what is currently working might see them gain promotion to league one. after all their years in the national league, its good to see a club like them doing well. rather than the likes of salford city and mk dons.

provided they can handle the debts and dont risk the clubs future too much so be it.

before not to have your head cut off when visiting that medieval market.

i have no plans for easter, i dont really buy the eggs anymore. they are just chocolate and something nice for kids.

He's a significant presence in the team. When he plays, he does all the things you would expect from a more experienced player. I think his absence has also been similar to that of Matt Palmer, because of how quietly he goes about doing all the right things. His return will be a big deal for the club. Some players do much more than you see, and when they're injured, you notice it more easily.

Finally! I have been waiting a long time to see positive news about Cedwyn (double check that) Scott.

He's a fantastic player, someone who should be featuring more than he has - I mean in terms of starts prior to his injury. With him leading the way, our presence became more vibrant and intimidating. I can't wait to see him 100% and ready to feature.

The story in the spoiler is well worth the laugh at my expense.  

Nice to see Cedwyn back on the grass.