Is it too late to put my joker on Crewe v Wimbledon?

That’ll teach me to pay attention when on holiday. 

The results:

Burton Albion 0-1 Port Vale
Barrow 1-0 Newport County
Crewe Alexandra 1-1 AFC Wimbledon
Morecambe 2-3 Gillingham
Tranmere Rovers 1-3 Crawley Town
Aldershot 1-1 Solihull Moors
Altrincham 2-3 Gateshead
Dagenham & Redbridge 0-0 Oldham Athletic

---

Congrats to this round's winner @4everapie! @Fan of Big Tone might also have made double figures, but he was too busy sipping cocktails on his cruise ship to add his joker

@4everapie - 12
@Fan of Big Tone - 7
@ARLukomski, @Robbie - 6
@super_ram - 5
@cheeky~k8, @DangerousSausage, @DonnyNotts, @Harry Buckley, @magpiejue, @william1984 - 3
@gtownjohnno - 2
@Megan_Elizax - 1
@Dan - nul points

---

@ARLukomski opens up a bit of a gap at the top and @4everapie climbs a couple of places...

ARLukomski - 191
gtownjohnno - 184
william1984 - 175
cheeky~k8 - 172
Fan of Big Tone - 172
super_ram - 171
4everapie - 170
magpiejue - 166
DangerousSausage - 162
Dan - 153
Megan_Elizax - 143
nottsnutter - 129
DonnyNotts - 128
Chris - 123
liampie - 119
upthepies - 90
Joshua - 86
allardyces tash - 70
TheSkipper - 67
KingWilliams - 66
Robbie - 66
CliftonMagpie - 55
Harry Buckley - 54
thommo - 49
OoooooTommy - 45
NottsCountyKev - 41
JIMBO - 40
jimbob - 38
Nocturnal-Magpie - 38
AmericanPie - 36
KB1862 - 22
George L - 6
Canadian - 4

---

Our next round of matches is on Good Friday, and they're online now! Insert egg pun here.

On 26/03/2024 at 20:47, DangerousSausage said:

@Fan of Big Tone might also have made double figures, but he was too busy sipping cocktails on his cruise ship to add his joker

I keep spilling my blooming cocktails, to say this cruise has been a bumpy would be an understatement.  

I Agree with some of your points menzinho , but I think the new contracts handed out in the Summer, were done so with the Heart Ruling the Head. As I have stated many times on this site, Luke Williams Man Management skills were much more Superior than Stuart Maynard's and he could get good performances out of mediocre players. Once Williams departed the Rot that had started to set in during the latter part of his tenure spread at an Alarming Rate under Maynard. It is wrong to lay all of Notts problems at Maynard's door, but Football is a Results game and Maynard hasn't got them hence all the backlash from Fans.

To be Honest I never read or heard about the players you mentioned that Notts tried to sign. But then again there must have been more than just two Defenders to be looked at? Anyway I expect a Massive Shake Up at the Lane this Summer.

When I'm watching on iFollow, there tends to be a goal when I leave the room. So around the 85th minute, and with us still looking the likelier team to score, I went for a toilet break. Soon after I hear Dave Bracegirdle raise his voice - it's a goal! I do a little fist pump, finish up, wash my hands and go back to my computer. Oh. Sorry about costing us the point, but I doubt it'll count for much now anyway.

I don't think we were as good as SM described (if we were playing so well, why change the formation at half time?), but nor were we terrible. We looked very purposeful at the start of the second half, but missed a few chances to take the lead and instead let ourselves down thanks to a moment of utter naivety at the end (coupled with the mystical powers of my toilet breaks). I'm not going to mention the defence because I'm just bored of it now. Going forwards, Jones has been excellent but we've become over-reliant on him now, which makes us predictable. And once again we get a changed selection and a different formation even coming off the back of a win, with Jatta and Langstaff evidently confused about who should be standing where. How can our players play as a fluid unit when they don't know what they're supposed to be doing? There's no wonder we can't build any momentum.

Five home defeats on the bounce is the worst since the implosion of John Sheridan's tenure (have we ever lost six?). I'm finding it increasingly difficult to envisage Maynard leading us into next season. We badly need some leadership and organisation at the back next season if we're to avoid getting dragged into the mire and potentially doing a Hartlepool next season.

the biggest issue i felt is that we did not threaten them enough, salford were poor but they controlled things and when they could pounce they did. their opening goal, it came from us being too casual on the ball. people are singling out kyle cameron who has not been great, but we should not be so sloppy to gift the ball away. we had every opportunity to make a game of it and get goals, but we are very cut throat. we over play it and rely on almost walking the ball into the net, we need to stop allowing teams to pack their goal with players because that just makes it unlikely for this to be successful.

there are times when we move the ball around and look very good, attacking with pace and determination but the moment we hit a defensive wall it just becomes a problem.

My man of the match for Notts is Cowley. I would say his best match under Maynard, Jatta and Macari were close 2nd. Jones his usual self being influential. Langstaff never stops running. I think he can strike a good partnership with Jatta.

Ashley-Hamnond came in and did well enough, his distribution stood out too. Robertson consistent once again and Nemane looked confident, much more than late.

That 20 minute spell in the second half was the best we've seen from Notts this year.

I don't think we can expect our defence to improve in the last 8 games. It will be a case of just trying to keep the goals conceded less than the goals scored.

But this win will be a confidence booster for the match on Saturday at home to Salford. If the teams confident, they can beat anyone in this league.

the performance against bradford was very good to see, but they are a poor team. pleased that we kept a clean sheet, dan crowley was the main player for us he was all over it.

Maynard - 3 - Got the tactics all wrong in the first half. Should have kept with the same side that played Bradford, O'Brien in for Nemane.

Slocombe - 5 - Doesn't command his area, is distribution is poor in my opinion. Another good shop stopper may have saved one of the goals.

Cameron - 4 - League 2 a step too far.

Warner - 5 - Poor today but with decent defenders beside him would be better.

Macari - 7 - Best defender Notts have. 

Jones - 6 - Played on his weaker side. Not his fault. Better in second half on the left side.

Chicksen - 3 - . League 2 a step to far.

Robertson - 6 - Always consistent, currently our best midfielder.

Austin - 5 - Steady performer but not one of his better matches, but no more than a squad player.

Crowley - 6 - I rate him 6 for the goal but below his best.

Langstaff - 5 - Missed opportunities that he would have buried earlier in the season.

Jatta - 5 -  Wasn't used in a way that shows him at his best today. Shouldn't have been substituted.

O'Brien  (sub) - 5 -  Should have played from the start.

McGoldrick (sub) - 4 - Not the same player he was earlier in the season. Thought he would bring more to the side when he signed for us.

the first part of the season we could have 6 or more contenders for this, unfortunately the way performances have been as of late. i think dan crowley is the stand out player. i love jodi jones but hes not always at his best, defensively he has been poor for the most part of the season. hes not the only one and yes, he should be in the running for this but for me there are things that just bump his impact down.

I'm 95% sure Jodi Jones will win it when it comes to a supporters vote (and equally importantly the PON Poll!). A record breaking season of assists is hard to argue with really.

Interestingly FotMob has Crowley as our highest rated player with an average score of 7.54 across the season so far. Second is McGoldrick with 7.43. Then Jones with 7.38 and Macca on 7.23. I think these are the main four contenders that will be vying for the award too.

I agree that those are the leading 4 @menzinho 

It may finish up as a very close decision between Cowley, Jones and Langstaff for the award.

If Langstaff get another 5 to make it 30, but he could be Jodi doing the assisting.

Personally, I do hope that Jodi gets it, he has been phenomenal for us this season.

What would be the answer you'd get from people who moan and groan about Notts? I pay my money and I'm entitled to my opinion. Yes of course you are but screaming for  the Managers head and being Toxic towards players helps No One. Do you remember back in the day, before the internet? Your team lost what would you do ? You and your mates would trudge down to the Pub, you'd have a couple of beers and questions would be asked. Why did we sign that defender? Couldn't tackle a wet paper bag.  Did you see that penalty? Twelve yards out and he puts it over the bar, my Granny could have scored from there. That's it I'm finished I'm not going to another match.  But the next Saturday home match you're there cheering your team on why? Because you've had time to calm down, look at things with a balanced view and with a bit of luck we might have won.

Then comes the Internet and the (Un) Social Media platforms arrive. Now after a match your emotions are running high the Red Mist comes down and you have your phone onto which you can Vent Your Anger at the Manager at certain players and at the Owners. All of your reason goes out of the  door and unfortunately that's the way things are now days and it's something we all have to live with, sometimes advanced technology is a Curse as well as a  Boon. 

Sorry for rambling on guys but there are times when I need to get stuff off my chest.

2 hours ago, DangerousSausage said:

Winning is everything in football - string three wins together and everyone is smiling again. It is that simple.

People will always go over the top in their criticism, sometimes they're emotional and sometimes they get a kick out of it. But not all criticism is unjustified - we've gathered four points in eight games under SM, and our points average was very poor before that as well. We're relying on the points we gathered in September and October to keep us out of a relegation fight. To put that into perspective, since promotion was introduced from the Conference in 1987, no team has EVER gone straight back down. In fact, several have gone up again. Staying in League Two isn't an achievement, it's the barest of bare minimums.

This isn't a blip, we've had relegation form for half a season now. Stuart Maynard's job is to find a way to get us picking up points regularly, which in turn would give us something to build on for next season. It doesn't matter what he or anyone else says in interviews, when you reach a certain point you've heard it all before. Only wins will save his job and turn things around again.

We played well enough against Wimbledon to get a result out of that game. Two defensive errors cost us once again. It's obvious we need a "Killer Kilcline'" clone or two in our defence, to boss opposing forwards at this level. 

Just imagine the two Brians, Brian Stubbs and a Brian Kilcline would do for this team.

If we beat Salford that would be two wins on the bounce and three games unbeaten. A little run would do no end for the atmosphere at the Lane. This place would be rocking again.

First game I haven`t watched live on stream this season. I watched the replay now and I`m a very happy man! Great result on a terrible pitch. Jatta brings something else.

COYP!

What a relief that was! You can see how much that meant from the celebrations at the end of the match. I feel chuffed for Stuart Maynard in particular. But now a lot will depend on the manner in which we follow it up - whether we grow in confidence or fall back into the same pattern as before. Saturday could go a long way to telling us where the journey will take us.

I'm not getting carried away about the play-offs though. I'd be happy with a top ten position and something to build on for next season.

On 20/03/2024 at 08:31, Dripsey3 said:

A last word on the pitch. When Jatta is celebrating his first goal, bits of the surface were flying around his ankles. You couldn't call it turf. It was more like clay. I doubt there's much drainage there. When I was in France visiting the WW1 battlefields, I picked up some soil. It was clay. Exactly like Bradford's surface. Maybe I'm too obsessed with soil but I put that down to being Irish, land and soil are engrained in our DNA. 

I understand that it has been laid over a concrete bed, not immediately below the surface, but close enough to mean it won't drain.  The cost to remediate it is prohibitive, so they (and everyone else) will be living with it for a few seasons yet.

Lets be Honest we can all sit at our keyboards and debate about what's gone wrong at Notts, and how we think it should be put right, but in the end it's down to the Club's owners their decision is what counts in the end. That's why I don't think they'll get rid of Stuart Maynard (yet) because it's been clear that he was the man the Brothers wanted to take over from Luke Williams, and to replace him would be an admission they got it wrong, and it's Human Nature nobody likes to admit their wrong. I would hope that the Owners and Recruitment Team are even now working on which players need to be released from their contracts, ( my thoughts on this I've expressed in another comment section on the PON site) and who should remain at the Lane for next season. And once this season is finished Stuart Maynard ( or who ever is in the Dug Out) will also have a say in which players he wants playing in the Black & White Stripes next season.  

Other than the coaching staff being looked into it would appear the Recruitment team also needs a shake up and a new head honcho be brought in, because for how many seasons have the Notts defence been a major Bug Bear with the Fans? We can see it so why can't the Recruitment team see it? But then again we can only express our opinions, the Be All and End All lies with the the Owners and So Far the Brothers haven't let the Fans down, they may have made some decisions we fans have found odd but everything has come good and I for one have faith in what they do and what ever needs doing at Notts to put things right they will do it.

@Wheelbarrow repair man I believe Maynard will still be Head Coach at the beginning of next season. This squad is not his squad so I do expect a big rebuild for next season.

Favourites may well be sold on, but they will raise finance for rebuilding a squad that is a league 2 squad and not a National League squad. 

I think there are a lot of issues at play here.  It is very rarely just one big thing that goes wrong in these situations.  Injuries have left us without some of our best players, we have been unable to rotate when fatigue or loss of form sets in. The disruption of having LW leave, and SM come in.  An inexperienced coaching team learning their trade, and some transfers not coming off as hoped.  Also losing Jason Turner changed the culture at the club (I'm not saying for better or worse, but a change at the top always leads to a change in culture).  The more I think about it, the more I think SM is the least of the issues. He must have shown something in the recruitment process - it wasn't a hurried process. So I  think he will be given every opportunity to show what he can do. Sadly, given a large section of the fanbase have already decided he has to go (indeed many did before he even arrived), the pressure is already really high which can't help.  Our current owners don't seem to be the panicking types, and Trew and Hardy show what happens when the owner flips and flops, so I don't think there will be changes there for a while. 

A couple of wins and a clean sheet will do wonders for fatigue and confidence, lets hope that starts tomorrow.

On 14/03/2024 at 13:53, Fan of Big Tone said:

Birmingham City 2-1 Watford

Plymouth Argyle 1-1 Preston North End

Derby County 1-0 Bolton Wanderers

Peterborough United 3-2/Portsmouth

Forest Green Rovers 3-0 Sutton United (joker)

Swindon Town 0-1 Doncaster Rovers

AFC Fylde 1-2 Wealdstone

Eastleigh 2-0 Rochdale

Say 'thank you'then!!!!

4 minutes ago, super_ram said:

Say 'thank you'then!!!!

Thank you then.

The results:

Birmingham City 0-1 Watford
Plymouth Argyle 0-1 Preston North End
Derby County 1-0 Bolton Wanderers
Peterborough United 0-1 Portsmouth
Forest Green Rovers 0-1 Sutton United
Swindon Town 1-2 Doncaster Rovers
AFC Fylde 1-2 Wealdstone
Eastleigh 1-4 Rochdale

---

@Megan_Elizax leads the pack this round!

@Megan_Elizax - 8
@Fan of Big Tone, @Harry Buckley, @william1984 - 7
@magpiejue - 5
@ARLukomski, @liampie, @Robbie - 4
@4everapie, @DangerousSausage - 3
@Dan, @gtownjohnno, @nottsnutter - 2
@cheeky~k8, @super_ram - 1

---

@william1984 moves third and is now 13 points off top spot having cut @ARLukomski's lead by 17 points in the last six rounds. Could there be a late challenge to the top two?

ARLukomski - 185
gtownjohnno - 182
william1984 - 172
cheeky~k8 - 169
super_ram - 166
Fan of Big Tone - 165
magpiejue - 163
DangerousSausage - 159
4everapie - 158
Dan - 153
Megan_Elizax - 142
nottsnutter - 129
DonnyNotts - 125
Chris - 123
liampie - 119
upthepies - 90
Joshua - 86
allardyces tash - 70
TheSkipper - 67
KingWilliams - 66
Robbie - 60
CliftonMagpie - 55
Harry Buckley - 51
thommo - 49
OoooooTommy - 45
NottsCountyKev - 41
JIMBO - 40
jimbob - 38
Nocturnal-Magpie - 38
AmericanPie - 36
KB1862 - 22
George L - 6
Canadian - 4

---

And that's our lot for another week. Feel free to check by from Wednesday onwards, which is when I'll be posting Saturday's fixtures. Congratulations/commiserations and hopefully I'll see you next time!

i am going to watch notts tomorrow, i will be by myself again and i dont really enjoy the games as much. its not a nice feeling going to games and hearing people who just complain about things we cant change. i am going to distance myself from those who just constantly put the club down if i can. its not everyone, just certain groups of fans but its annoying.

sunday, i will most likely be doing my shopping routine for my mum. i have no plans after that as shes going out with my aunt and my dads up in scotland right now.

Enjoy your cruise @Fan of Big Tone! I promise we won't run riot while you're gone

I've had a taxing week with a job interview and not a lot of sleep. I was planning on going to a medieval market (the first of the year), but I think I'll probably take it easy instead. Maybe I'll have a bike ride if the weather holds up. 

23 hours ago, DangerousSausage said:

Enjoy your cruise @Fan of Big Tone! I promise we won't run riot while you're gone

Thanks mate, we are in our hotel at the moment waiting to embark the ship at around 3.30pm, it’s our 49th Anniversary while we are away also the anniversary of the death of our son so a few good memories and a few sad ones.

See you all on my return.

glad to have you back, @CliftonMagpie. i am glad you took time and feel better for doing it. we just need the gaffer back now.

to members reading this, please set your status as a way if you have not left but wont be posting. we do care about everyone and it shows us you are coming back.  

I hope your break away from PoN was beneficial for you  @CliftonMagpie .Welcome back from the old Ram.

I’ve marked myself away for two weeks but I may be able to get online occasionally during that period.

If anyone on here hasn't watched Sam Slocombe's interview on You tube, before today's game I suggest you go and watch it and all the Nay sayers should also go and watch it. This Guy as a eloquent and professional  attitude regarding the club  his fellow players and knows what is expected of himself and his team mates regarding the Fans expectations. He is also very humble stating his Man of the Match performance at Crawley was what he's paid for. Bravo Sam Bravo.

Once again another individual error cost Notts again today how many times as that happened this season? And the Magpies had two goalkeepers on the Bench, which shows how thin the Notts Squad is. So if it's Not the time to Blood the youngsters Now I don't know when it will be. Notts have nothing to lose just throw caution to the wind and Go For It.  Jatta as shown what he is capable of  with a Goal and an assist more of that please. The Magpies need to get Macca back into his scoring groove. It appears Jodi wasn't very happy being substituted as he disappeared straight down the tunnel I know players want to play the full 90+ minutes, but this sort of attitude only fires up some Fans even more against the Head Coach. At this present moment in time all the Players and the Staff need to show a United Front, and Personal Feeling Need To Be Put To One Side.

I believe Notts are secure in League 2 for another season. Nine games left and we just need to finish has high as we can. 

An encouraging performance from Jatta this afternoon. He's not fully fit but when he is fit he will be a good asset for Notts.

The issues continue to remain in defence, however the squad is too thin to correct these issues & only a squad rebuild in the close season will go towards correcting it 

Notts just need to battle through to the end  of the season, and play the only way this team can.

Stuart may decide to play some of the promising youngsters, but he will probably stick with the strongest side that's available to him to try to finish on the up if possible.

Accrington had 23 attempts overall and in the second half and there was a 30-minute period where we didn’t have a shot. So, I think I can just about count that as fluking something!

First half sounded a lot better than the second, when it seemed the ball just kept coming back. It sounded like we played more more long balls and struggled to keep possession for long periods.

Seeing lots of positives about Jatta, he’ll still be settling in but if he can keep his place in the team and keep performing well that’ll be something to be positive about for next season. I also read that Jodi went straight down the tunnel when he was subbed, no idea if it’s injury related or just frustration. By all accounts him and Nemane were managed quite well by Accrington for most of the game.

I’ll take a point after the run of losses. Hopefully it’ll provide a little boost for the players. Just playing for pride (and some of them contracts) for the few remaining games now. Let’s hope that can start a little bit of good form (but not to the extent where we miss out on the play-offs by a point or goal difference cos that would be bloody annoying!)

Tuesday's results:

Northampton Town 0-1 Blackpool
Shrewsbury Town 0-3 Exeter City
Wycombe Wanderers 1-0 Wigan Athletic
AFC Wimbledon 2-0 Gillingham
Newport County 5-3 Morecambe
Walsall 1-1 Barrow
Halifax Town P-P Oldham Athletic
Maidenhead United P-P Hartlepool United

---

This round's winner is @super_ram, congrats!

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

---

There's just one point in it at the top! Or could one of the chasing pack get in on the act?

ARLukomski - 181
gtownjohnno - 180
cheeky~k8 - 168
super_ram - 165
william1984 - 165
Fan of Big Tone - 158
magpiejue - 158
DangerousSausage - 156
4everapie - 155
Dan - 151
Megan_Elizax - 134
nottsnutter - 127
DonnyNotts - 125
Chris - 123
liampie - 115
upthepies - 90
Joshua - 86
allardyces tash - 70
TheSkipper - 67
KingWilliams - 66
Robbie - 56
CliftonMagpie - 55
thommo - 49
OoooooTommy - 45
Harry Buckley - 44
NottsCountyKev - 41
JIMBO - 40
jimbob - 38
Nocturnal-Magpie - 38
AmericanPie - 36
KB1862 - 22
George L - 6
Canadian - 4

---

Saturday's round is up and running - don't miss out!

Blooming eck @super_ram having you been eating three shredded wheat again?

Well done mate (he said through gritted teeth). 

59 minutes ago, Fan of Big Tone said:

Blooming eck @super_ram having you been eating three shredded wheat again?

Well done mate (he said through gritted teeth). 

I think we'll all have to watch my youngest grandson , @Harry Buckley. next season .He was late joining in with the predictions but looks like a genuine future title contender.

It’ll be like a new signing when Matty is fit to play again, I can’t wait.

It’s encouraging to hear that he’s returned to training more closely with the team and has resumed outdoor training. This is a significant progress in his recovery from injury, and I hope the team can gain a lift from having him around the camp and training regularly.

This is a positive move for Matt Palmer. The approach should be gradual and cautious to prepare him for the upcoming season. He plays a significant role in Notts’ success, so his return will certainly make a difference. He’s a rare gem for a club like ours - a highly skilled footballer who consistently delivers steady performances.

It may not be the largest space, but it could serve well as a fan zone. It’s important that all profits go back to Notts, as this will support improvements in other areas. The club is taking on a very ambitious project.

The club has embarked on an ambitious project, but I believe they can make it work. Having a central fan zone is a fantastic idea, and I don’t think it will significantly affect other businesses. It simply means that other places will be less crowded. I’m looking forward to its unveiling. It would have been an excellent spot to celebrate our promotion last season.

If executed correctly, this could provide a lift to the club and an additional source of income. The club might want to think about dedicating sections of the fan zone to the club shop. Various types of food could be offered, but it should all be managed in-house and be club-related, rather than involving third-party vendors.

@Wheelbarrow repair man The premier league clubs, a few days ago, failed to agree on a plan to distribute more money down to the lower leagues. If they don't finalise an agreement, the government will impose an agreement on them.

And just look whose at the top of the Championship, the three teams that got relegated from the Premier league last season. All down to the unfair parachute payments allowing all three to pay their players much more than other clubs in the Championship can afford.

This means they don't get the best players and the result is those 21 other clubs cannot complete.

The whole current league structure is controlled by the Premier League clubs that decide what finance they'll hand down. It's all wrong in my opinion.

Torquay made a hefty investment before we snatched their top players for our own promotion drive. I believe that’s a huge risk, and it makes me appreciate our own owners who cautiously financed the club’s advancement after the turmoil caused by our last two owners. Clubs should spend within their budget, fans need to consider this, and if people truly cared about their football, they would make a sensible decision. Sadly, some owners seek immediate success with a gamble, and fans are all too eager to support it.

its saddening to see but i cant see it stopping any time soon. southend have their issues which are similar to torquay. its hard to build strong clubs in smaller areas where the amount of fans you can attract is very limited.  

This place is one of two places you can have a sensible conversation about Notts, the other is the Notts County mailing list but sadly that’s not very active now.

I do have a Twitter and Facebook account but to be honest it’s depressing trying to have a sensible conversation with some Notts fans on those platforms so I don’t generally bother.

I will always try to promote PoN whenever I can.

I prefer PON because you can have a sensible and grown up conversation on here and everyone treats each other with respect. Something that is sadly lacking at times on X & Facebook.

More than anything else I just love being part of this Community and I'm always looking to contribute to the site.

I'm on X and Facebook and am active on those two social media sites, but it can be a minefield at times and I know they are not everyone's cup of tea.

I will always try to promote PON on those sites too.

I’m really happy to be a member and I enjoy having meaningful chats and debates about Notts. It’s great that we can discuss topics beyond the club, without objections from those who believe a site should only focus on its main subject. I don’t use social media much, I keep it for personal matters and I wouldn’t think about discussing the club there, considering how some people can behave. It’s just not worth the trouble.

i thought notts played well for most parts, sam austin has come into the team determined and he looks eager to stay within the mix. this is exactly what you want to see from players who have not started much but have been on the bench. you want them to take the chance they get, so i am also pleased for austin. robertson is a bit clumsy with his challenges, i could see him walking so i think we need to make quicker decision to pull anyone who may get a red card. normally you can trust players on a yellow to avoid making silly decisions.

sam slocombe was brilliant and its fair to say he did keep notts in the game. he should not take any faults for the two goals that went in, we needed to defend more bravely and plug the gap robertson left by getting sent off. you either lose attacking prowess or defensive cover. we seemed to lose both.  

I don’t think Maynard should be blamed for not subbing Robertson, the player was on a yellow card so common sense should tell him not to pull a player down, it’s not rocket science, as I said in a previous post he is young and will learn but that doesn’t help Notts, they’d done well up to that point, the sending off was definitely a game changer.

As a manager or head coach, you have to be cautious about certain decisions. I wouldn’t entirely blame Maynard, but there’s a point to be made. Robertson came with a fiery reputation, and if you see players losing their cool in games, it’s best to substitute them. The sending off was Robertson’s fault, and it turned the result against us. However, Maynard might need to consider these situations.

If several players are already on a yellow card, it’s harder to decide who to take off to avoid suspensions. If you leave someone on who has a yellow card, then you risk them being sent off. Notts had three players on a yellow card: Robertson, O’Brien, and Slocombe. O’Brien is experienced enough to ensure he won’t be sent off, despite his physical style of play. Slocombe wasn’t likely to see red. Robertson, being young and fiery, always seemed a risk that would warrant a tactical decision to take him out of the game.

Crawley had five yellow cards. Forster and Gordon, who both looked highly likely to receive another card, were taken out of the game. Lolos and Mukena remained, and then Maguire received a yellow card after coming on. I repeat, I wouldn’t completely point the finger at Maynard, but it’s a fair argument that we should have considered substituting Robertson.

1 hour ago, Simon Clark said:

I think we're safe without another point. Sutton need to win 7 of their last 8 to catch up and Forest Green need 5 wins from 9 to catch us but still have to play all of the current top 5, 3 of them away. Although I hope it isn;t a winner takes all final day!!

Play offs have gone which may take some pressure off Maynard and he can work with the recruitment team in assessing which players are good enough to stay next season and where do we need new faces.

We were pretty carefree in issuing contracts last summer so we may need to negotiate to get some players out.

My one concern is that Maynard is just the unluckiest manager. Disallowed 'goals' at Mansfield and Wrexham, Macca missing chances he'd normally convert, etc.

The issuing of those contracts apart from, for example, Jodi Jones & Macari, has proved a costly mistake. Langstaff missed two guilt head chances against Crawley too

Robbie 

Yes they are just rumours but as the saying goes there's No Smoke without Fire. Luke Williams departure started as a rumour and there have been rumours over the  years that have turned out to be true, so we'll have to wait and see what happens.  Having attacking players such as Jodi and Macca  defending is wrong they shouldn't have to defend that's what the defence is for and hand on heart, there are players at Notts who are Not League 2 standard. Yes getting rid of Stuart Maynard will cost the club, but only in the short term, because if  Fans start deserting in their thousands then that could cost the Club in the long term and we certainly don't want a repeat of the Hardy  era. Like it or not there are a lot of fair weather fans that have jumped on the Notts success band wagon and now the Magpies are not winning matches they will start to trickle away and unless things are sorted and quickly that trickle could turn into a flood. I don't like sounding all Doom and Gloom but this is how I see things at the Lane at the moment.

@Wheelbarrow repair man I agree with you that there are players who are not good enough for this league, I would estimate half the squad isn't good enough which is a large amount.

It was a big mistake by Luke to retain players last summer who were not good enough. That has proved to come back to bite Notts big time.

I believe Stuart should be retained until he has been allowed to rebuild the squad in the summer and only dismissed if results are poor at the beginning of next season.

As far as the fans are concerned, the club welcomes everyone, however the true fan who sticks with Notts thru thick and thin will always be the core of it's support & Notts will want to build on that core support which will always remain stable.

I’m only acquainted with one person here, so I feel a bit on the outskirts, but numerous members have given me a warm welcome. This welcoming attitude is clearly ingrained in the existing community, but it can still be intimidating for newcomers. You need to keep an open mind, as there’s a learning curve when using any website, and I believe it’s worth persevering here.

The team members I’ve interacted with have all been fantastic. I aspire to become fully integrated within the community and will do my part to make that happen.

I've been part of forums before, and they often make you feel invisible, with just one or two friendly folks. Even on small sites, like a niche one for long-distance drivers with around 50 active members, it was unexpectedly hostile and unfriendly to beginners. I eventually gave up on it. Community matters, as does a positive online environment (PON), and I miss posting when I can't be online. While I may not know many well, those I feel acquainted with are the ones who contribute to making this site a welcoming place.

I find it refreshing that even if a member on the PON site disagrees with your opinion they don't jump down your throat, you can have a sensible conversation a back and forward chat . As being fairly new to the site it's been nice that I have been afforded a warm welcome by everyone and the comments regarding my article Loan Players Good or Bad ? was most pleasing. Thankyou One and All.

I didn't realise until the news app of my preference sent me a push notification saying Facebook was down, as if it were major news or something. A reminder for us all to get away from social media!

It’s significant news mainly because so many people have Facebook accounts and it’s one of the biggest websites online. Aside from that, the overreaction and the teasing on Twitter just show how much some people are fixated on social media.

Meta and Facebook, although still popular, aren't very trusted, and Elon Musk is making x.com feel similarly. In the part of Texas where I reside, we have our own community site, a blend of PON and Facebook. I wouldn't mind if the mainstream platforms faded away; I never got into MySpace, so having a local alternative is quite ideal.

note to self, watch youtube!

i am so pleased for the womens team, points can change a season and lift everyones confidence. i want to see our teams playing at the highest levels possible, so i am delighted to see this. well done pies!

Fantastic outcome for the women’s team and a clean sheet as well, a positive sign for them. I sincerely hope they carry on their journey and make their mark in the league.

Congratulations, ladies! A proud victory, and hopefully the first of many in your upcoming games.

great goal, i have seen it a few times before when pon has done the otd. great piece of history.

Enjoy your fancy Sunday dinner!

I bought a bicycle yesterday and took it on a maiden voyage home, then I had go go out and buy a suit (my other suit is six years old and has been worn precisely once, and appears to have shrunk in the wardrobe...).

i enjoyed the weekend even despite the notts result, i enjoyed the game but left frustrated because of wimbledon. notts players did mostly well but did not quite manage the ending all the well. far more positive than negative tho.

sunday i did the usual and fetched my mums shopping, she prefers it hand picked and fresh. some might wonder why she does not get home delivery but shes very old school and would do this herself without transport if it was not for me. i quite like doing it to help her and on occasions to top up what i need. after fetching the shopping i had sunday dinner with my mum and aunt.