It's way too early for anyone to be saying that MK Dons will win the title; they've been throwing money to the wind and have struggled for it. I think they will be more competitive, but I don't think I would have them in my top 3.

I also wonder, how on earth can they spend such amounts?

They seem to have a never-ending transfer budget, and for a club like them with little history, I find it hard to see how they are not breaking FFP rules.

You can't fault the Guy's Confidence, but his statement is Arrogant. Like it's been stated nobody can predict what's going to happen during a Season. Injuries loss of Form and a whole manner of things can happen. Perhaps the Main weapon in his arsenal is, the appointment of Paul Warne as his Head Coach, Warne has an Excellent record in the Lower tiers of the EFL, in fact I was hoping he may have ended up at the Lane. But No Doubt Notts couldn't match what MK Dons are paying him. It will be interesting to see if throwing all this Cash around gets the Plastic Dons Promoted, if it doesn't I predict there will be Hell To Pay.

The Watney Cup. Big business sponsorship & Penalty Shootouts. It was actually very influential in changing football in this Country.

Are these changes for the better? In my opinion, no, because the big six clubs plus the rest of the PL clubs make massive amounts of money from sponsorship deals The more popular the club, the more money that can be made.

As for penalty shootouts. A definite no here too because penalty shootouts are a way of depriving smaller clubs of lucrative replays in cup competitions.

It has also changed the game when it comes to finals that are now decided by penalty shootouts if their is no result after extra time. Some teams actually base their tactics on holding out for deciding a game by penalties.

Penalty Shootouts have basically changed the professional game for the worse in my opinion.

That revived some memories from almost a lifetime ago.I attended all the Rams home games.It was good practice for bigger things to come.

9 minutes ago, super_ram said:

That revived some memories from almost a lifetime ago.I attended all the Rams home games.It was good practice for bigger things to come.

When I looked on Wiki, I noticed the Rams were the first to win it.

I do recall seeing the competition named in some of the Notts OTDs, but none all that memeriable.

He seems like a decent player. I think it's worth taking a chance on him. He could do well and get sold for more money later, or maybe stay and become a proper part of the Notts team.

If he provides a bit more guile and physicality than Jarvis then he’s a decent signing in my view. Need to see him in action before attempting to judge/assess him tbh.

Keanan Bennetts strikes me as one of those overlooked players who’ve slipped through the cracks. British clubs don’t always catch wind of their potential, and I hope joining Notts turns out to be a clever move. It’s still early, so hard to judge him from his time at Cardiff. But I do welcome him to Meadow Lane and I’m hopeful he can grow into an important part of our side.

@Robbie, I suppose until Jatta unceremoniously leaves 😉

@menzinho

I don't think we will see a pound for pound replacement for Crowley now. I think that Notts will be satisfied with the amount of cover they have in that position. Whether the cover in that position is as good as Crowley only time will tell.

As far as replacing Didzy, how can you replace him with a similar amount of skill & experience without opening the chequebook? I think it will be very difficult. But I do expect Notts to recruit a striker before the transfer window closes.

Luker sounds like a direct replacement for Abbott. If he’s 75% as effective he’ll be a useful addition. Will he make the starting XI tho’? Time will tell.

If Macca requires a loan team to go to, I can think of one right away. Someone who is without their main striker for a few games. Bring it on 😀 ⚽

Glad to see he still has the positive mentality to get goals, whoever the opposition are, mind you he always was a natural.

14 minutes ago, Michael D Pie. said:

If Macca requires a loan team to go to, I can think of one right away. Someone who is without their main striker for a few games. Bring it on 😀 ⚽

I would love him back at Notts, but the way things are, I can't see our owners wanting to pay his level of wages. They couldn't agree terms with Didzy which would have been lower than what Macca gets now at Millwall.

We’ll probably get Macca back when he’s 36 and ready for the knackers yard.

You can't throw money at a football club and instantly expect it to be a success.

There can be smart investments where a club is purchased and money is spent, such as Wrexham, that rides the wave of a mixture of expenditure and the excitement that the club is going somewhere or at least is capable of reaching new heights. I think their fan base is very much in harmony with the club's vision, which I personally think we lost halfway through our first season back in League Two.

When clubs foster a strong bond with their fans, it cultivates an atmosphere that enhances the likelihood of achieving promotion.

With smart investments and focused recruitment, success can come, but it's never equally measured. A club can't replicate what another successful team has done because it needs to be tailored and molded around individual clubs.

Those teams spending money without much thought and seeking only short-term success are basically gamblers.

There needs to be equal measure, a strong focus on creating a winning mentality that connects with the club's fans. Fans in nature only think short term, at least a portion. The focus tends to be where we are and where they want to be. It needs to be realistic, reflecting on structure and how the club can progress.

A lot of clubs these days look like they don't have a real strategic outline beyond a season.

It could be a good move for Tyler Miller; Bolton should be among the teams fighting for promotion, and they also have room for someone to establish himself as their number one. I wish him well; it's a shame we never had the chance to see how he could perform.

Given the Bass situation and how it transpired, he would have been a good option as #1

Pity we never got to see how Tyler would perform if given the opportunity at Notts. Sometimes, if someone is given the opportunity, they seize it with both hands & become a fans favourite. I do hope he is given an opportunity at Bolton.

Nice post @Wheelbarrow repair man

I don't think the following songs are minstral songs but they were sung by soldiers when facing battle or when marching to & from a battle.

There were British folk songs that depicted British soldiering in the 18th Century, one being "Over the hills and far away" & another "Hey for the life of a soldier"

In the American civil war the soldiers sang songs like "The Battle Cry of Freedom" & "War song of Dixie". There were scores of songs sung by soldiers in the civil war many to increase moral of the troops.

This is overseas fans means of having a season ticket, which I would hope our wider fan base would take up because it is good value. It keeps you in the loop with visual performance and adds to the club's coffers.

The price for the match streams isn't too bad. It's not the same as watching Notts play live, but fans who live outside the UK might find it really useful. I wonder how many people will get the full bundle, or just pay for the games they want.

He’s good, I’ll enjoy listening to him this season.

Thanks to Dave Brace-Girdle for his stint, I enjoyed his quirky style, and he was a more astute observer of the game than some give him credit for

I liked Dave Bracegirdle, both his commentary and his interviewing. Adam Hassell is okay commentating, but I do think he leads to obvious and negative questions when there seems to be zero need for them. I would much rather a Notts fan do it, and for the long term, so I do wish Adam all the best in stepping into the role full time.

Hopefully, he grows in confidence and asks the right questions at the right time.

I’ve only heard his voice when he’s doing interviews. I think he sounds alright and he doesn’t bother me. I don’t usually listen to the radio commentary, but I might try it this season if I can’t go to the matches.

i liked it when i first saw it, but even more in person. i never got the exclusive link notts mentioned in their article and my season tickets barcode lines look scratched or not complete. disappointed in them aspects, but i got the shirt before the game today. no issue with the general sales.

just wished the click and collcect could have been made for the cardiff game, i mean they dont need to do anything fancy.

Definitely one of the best home shirts we’ve had in a long time, especially seeing it as part of the whole kit as modelled by Nick and Tom it looks really smart. I was looking back over some previous shirts and so many of them have been ruined by bad sponsors (which is unfortunate, because I get the sponsorship provides an easy income for the club). I think this season's home shirt will sell out pretty quickly.

This is a nice shirt, I'll be having one. The sponsor is OK but slightly loud for my taste, and I'm not keen on the black square on the back, but the rest of it is nice. Stripes of different widths keeps it looking modern and traditional at the same time.

The WSL is by far the best female league in the world, and it's reflecting with the improvements made by the English national team.

It's great to see the England Lionesses doing so well, despite not having watched the game my son confirmed we had won (as we played Monopoly as a family). I thought we had won 3-1, but when I checked I realised that it was on pens. Brilliant achievement! It goes to show that if you have a keeper good enough to save them, you should have the qaulity to put them away.

PS. I think some of the Spanish players were a bit cocky leading into the game, claims being far more superior to our ladies.

Lionesses receive Downing Street reception after EURO 2025 win | England Football

https://www.englandfootball.com/articles/2025/Jul/28/england-womens-squad-have-downing-street-reception-after-euro-2025-victory-20252807

The Lionesses had a brilliant open top parade on the Mall this morning. Thousands came out to welcome them home and congratulate them on their European Championship win.

There is a lot of wisdom in those words @Wheelbarrow repair man

I think when most people think of the Vikings they tend to think of them as a war like people who raided other coastal settlements by sea in their longships as depicted in films like "The Long Ships" & "The Vikings"

But when you delve into their history & culture you see they were very skilled craftsmen, fishermen & farmers, they were traders & they had a rich culture that included their own laws, art, & architecture.

The Vikings were ruthless warriors, but they also practised many peaceful pursuits & they have certainly left their mark on European history & culture.

There is still a lot of Viking Influence around today. Certain words place names and the Viking Gods/ Goddesses are still remembered due to certain Days of the Week. The Tribes of Northern Germany worshipped the same Gods has the Norse, but gave them slightly different names, such as the Germanic All Father was named Wotan or Woden, which has a similar sound to the Norse all Father Odin, which is an English version of the Icelandic name Othin. Much as Thor is our present day name for the Norse version Tor. The Viking Gods/Goddesses who's names relate to modern Days of the Week.

Woden (Odin) Woden's Day Wednesday. Thor's Day Thursday. Freya's Day Friday.

Another thing about the Vikings they were said to be a Dirty Race Covered in Filth. This of course is untrue the Norse were very clean, they had a certain day of the week when they would Bathe and bowls of warm water were placed on tables, where a Viking REKKR (Warrior) would wash away grease from hands and Beards during a Feast. Each Warrior would also carry a Comb, which he would use to comb his hair and beard after battle, after removing an enemy's Blood from his skin and clothing. All Norse people would also wear lots of Jewelry Rings Bracelets Torcs and Brooches. and Brightly Coloured Clothing, in their Everyday Life.

Women were also held in high regard, a Woman could own land, have Slaves and Servants and could Divorce their Husbands, very advanced thinking for the time. Women were also taught how to fight and use many weapons, because when their Men were away Raiding, it was up to the Women of a Viking Settlement to defend their Children and homes from any Raiding or Outlaw Band. Perhaps the most Famous Woman Warrior was Lagertha , first wife of Ragnar Lothbrok. It was said her home was protected by a Huge Dog and a Bear which Ragnar had to overcome, before she consented to Marry Him.

Thanks for the information about the Vikings @Wheelbarrow repair man . It's great to learn that Schools are teaching about the Viking origins, their way of life, social hierarchy, & culture. 

A key aspect of the curriculum is the Viking invasion & settlement in England, including the Danelaw region. 

School Children also learn about how the Vikings impacted Anglo-Saxon society, including changes in place names & the development of England. 

This practice is perfectly legal & Everton are the third PL club to do it following Chelsea & Aston Villa, but is it really an ethical thing to be allowed to do?

Today we have Morcambe with a real risk of them going out of business while this sort of transaction by Everton is allowed.

Will the new football administrator look at all of these so called rules that allow this sort of thing or will it even be part of his remit.

There was something Strange on the Bus the other day. I had to Look Twice, because I could have Sworn the Driver Was Shaun Dyche.

I heard that Luke Williams was volunteering at the airport. If that’s true, it says a lot about what kind of person he is.

If he’s actually working there, it doesn’t change much. But choosing to give up his own time shows great character, especially from someone who speaks with such passion.

The image was shared nearly two million times, and lots of articles looked into his private life. It shows both the good and the bad sides of how things like this can spread.

A lot of last season's woes could be laid at Stuart Maynard's door. He just didn't have the same Man management skills as Luke Williams. Williams had the Skill to make poor players average, average players good and Good players Star players as he proved with Chicksen and players who were only really National League Level. Admittedly things were slowly starting to unravel before he went to Swansea, he seemed unable to be flexible and play a different technical game and once the opposition had worked Notts out the results started to go wrong. Still it would have been interesting to see which players had have come in, if Williams had had stayed for that January Transfer window and what may have happened if he had seen the season out.

I may have been a little harsh on Maynard? Maybe. But once the Saunders Brother left he appeared to Crumble under the Pressure, Alves his new second in command was a total Disaster , in each match I saw him in he simply stood in the Technical Area with his arms crossed over his chest like a Garden Statue, he never once shouted encouragement to players or seemed to be interested in helping Maynard out during a game. Automatic Promotion was there for the taking last season, but the Magpies home form was a Total Disgrace, they lost games to teams they shouldn't have at the Lane and certain players form fell off a Cliff after January. Failure to get Promotion cost Stuart Maynard his job I would say the National League is his Coaching Level. So who ever hired him must also take part of the Blame.

Player wise Jatta's form after January was terrible, even though he finished as the Magpies Top Scorer. Perhaps the Interest from other Club's played a little with his mind, because before January the guy seemed unstoppable. Returning from his injury seemed a tough thing for Jodi and in those last few games his head seemed to be all over the place, he also seemed to have added a few pounds to his frame and he appeared a lot slower than before his injury. Still I'm confident he can bounce back this coming season has he's done in the past with his other bad injuries. Matty Palmer needs to be stripped of the Notts Captaincy and be given the chance to find his form without the added pressures which come with being the Club's Captain. I'm sorry to say this but I think Traore is going to be another Junior he doesn't seem to fit with the Notts Model and he's struggling to adopt to the English game.

Tsaroulla and Jarvis are both good players but it struck me neither where given an opportunity to stake a place in the first team, because one week they were in the First XI then out the following match has Stuart Maynard tried stop the Rot at Notts. For this season another Striker is a must but as the Club seem unwilling to Splash the Cash where is such a player going to come from, unless of course the Recruitment Team are going to pull another Macca out of Non League Football. Just don't hold your breath on that one.

Martin Paterson has his work cut out, arriving at the Lane to a lack luster Welcome but he seems to have a decent attitude stating all players will need to prove their worth to get into his First XI a Good No Nonsense Character who will Hopefully be able to Inspire Players Get them fighting for every ball, give them the Belief they are the Best and even Bully some players to get the Best Out of them. Hopefully he'll be left alone to Run and Coach The Squad His Way, Without any interference from our New Director Of Football.

Grant is a class act - massively misused by Maynard. He isn’t a wide player nor a defensive midfielder. He’s creative, astute with good, quick feet and an eye for a pass. He can shoot too yet Maynard hardly ever let him get near the box! He’d walk into any other L2 team, so he should be a regular starter in ours.

Tsaroulla is another, if fit, he’s highly useful and needs to played in the right position, not wide right one game, left back another then filling in as a sub, if needed. He’d start for me but I’ve yet to see Cotter - I guess you don’t/can’t play them both together unless Jones is missing.

Hoping Cotter, Dennis, Iorpenda and Norburn live up to expectations too for that matter.

Re: the thread title - I should add that the player who most needs to “step up” is Palmer. Hopefully, Paterson won’t want him passing sideways and backwards 45 times before he actually makes a telling pass and can sharpen up his first touch diver keep the ball moving rather than dwelling on it.

I need to make it clear from the start that I really like Kellan Gordon, but he frustrates me at the same time because he is clearly a good player. I think when it comes to putting in crosses, he's one of the best at the club, but it's just how lacking we are to attack his good deliveries. He's almost identical in trying to beat his man; it's virtually nonexistent. He came off against Cardiff, and I thought, "Why did we start him?"

He's technically good; he has the ability to defend, but doesn't get stuck in enough for me. I think if he did, he could easily outshine others and prove too good with assists.

The question I found myself asking as he came off against Cardiff is something that frequently pops up when he plays.

Mai Traore, I still feel unsure about whether he will come good.

If he managed to establish himself, he could be exciting to watch. I have seen spells where he has had the ball at his feet and gone forward, looking dangerous. Whereas without it, he looks like a duck out of water. Ability I don't question; it's his effort and the mental side of the game that I question.

If we talk about players who can be good but need to be more consistent. I think the easiest answer would be Jacob Bedeau because, in spells, he sort of lost his way last season. Mostly towards the back, which could be more team-related, but it got to a point where I didn't want to see him lunging forward with the ball. He's perfectly capable of attacking, but if we could get solid performances out of him week in and week out, I think our form would reflect it.

Some fans told me he was their player of the season, and I can't dispute their thoughts, but I didn't agree personally. He had a great season, but it was off the boil at times. I think the first game was Morecambe away, where I questioned whether he was the player I had seen playing brilliantly at Meadow Lane.

Every player has their off days, so this might seem unfair to some, but I think when he's brilliant, we are generally by far the best team on the pitch.

Got to agree @Robbie all ladies football can take inspiration from the England team. I hope to see at least one Notts County ladies match this season.

It was nice to get a visit from @Chris , @cheeky~k8 and their tribe this afternoon,and @CutiePie 's birthday cake too.Followed by The Lionesses.

To carry on from Super, I should have posted half of my post in the new weekly discussion here.

their fans said we cheated when we gained promotion by throwing money at promotion, it seems its exactly the same as what they did but i wonder if they spent more chasing promotion. even now i see chesterfield fans who moan about clubs spending big amounts at this level chasing promotion, but its part of the norm. it just makes them seem silly.

Oldham will be extremely pleased that they were able to navigate their way through the play-offs last season, but promotion to this league isn't a magic fix, they'll still be losing money in League 2. I think Rochdale sold a young player to Brentford for quite a bit of money so that could explain why they had positive figures.

And as for a few opinions from Chesterfield fans, we didn’t throw money at getting promoted though, the club was losing money but we didn’t throw money at getting promoted it was quite the opposite. 5 of our 6 summer signings were from the National League North/South and the 1 that wasn’t was Baldwin who signed as a free-agent! A really odd take considering Wrexham were basically able to offer players in League 1 better contracts than they were on!

Unfortunately, I think it is becoming a fact of life that those clubs in the lower leagues that have the most financial backing are going to be successful.

Just look at Macclesfield who won the Northern Premier League, Premier Division at a canter & are expected to do well in the National League North this season.

Grant looked sharp again. Jatta's tidy finish and brave tackle summed up his commitment. Cardiff started strong, but we settled and matched them after the break. Good test.

Encouraged by that. 2nd half much better than the 1st. Pressing, physical and aggressive in and out of possession.

Iorpenda very impressive in the press, the tackle and his ball carrying. Going to be a very key player for us. I was very pleased with Cotter's attacking output. Always looking to take his man on and giving us some much needed pace, which we lacked last season. More encouraged by Dennis as well. Strong and quick but needed more service.

Got caught out with the ball over the top for the first goal, but I think the trio of Aljofree-Platt-Bedeau is good enough and the back-ups we have are good enough cover.

Still need some quality further forward. A CAM and a striker I would say. A striker, regardless of the Jatta situation. A CAM of quality to help Jones and Grant, as I feel Jarvis is a natural winger and I wouldn't put him there at the moment.

https://tv.cardiffcityfc.co.uk/videos/fb13e428-ed84-449f-87e7-fec56fe5de24

20 hours ago, Wheelbarrow repair man said:

@liampie

I Always thought Jonathan Forte Got A Raw Deal at Notts. He should have played more and I think if he'd had gotten a Decent Run in the Side, he would have scored many more Goals. He's Retired Now I Believe Through Injury.

kevin nolan had it in for jonathan forte, it was a silly decision because when he played he scored.

i totally agree with you @Wheelbarrow repair man, yes he suffered a serious injury and has retired. he now runs a football school and coaches young players.

Didn't exactly have the best time at Crewe last season, but he is 34 now and his pace and power was a big part of his game and that will be fading now. It's an ok signing for Barrow, provides a bit of experience and cover, but I can't see him up at the top of the scoring charts.

Teams that have a slender lead always try to waste time by trying to slow the game down with all sorts of negative tactics.

Some of those well known tactics include, feigning injury, committing lots of fouls to break up play, falling over at every opportunity, substituting players with just a minute or so to go, & taking the ball to the opponents corner flag to waste time.

At the end of the day it worked in England's favour with the extra time that was played. You would think that teams would stop doing this, but it's been part of the game as long as I can remember, & I don't believe it will ever change

It's getting worse if anything, but where there's a will there's a way.

I personally think it's bound to be tackled sooner or later, for this mass viewing age it's just too annoying and unwatchable to be tolerated indefinitely. Or maybe the physio coming on for a playactor will be the cue for ad breaks ;)

I thought it was crazy last season to hear our ex-coach admit that 'Bassy' went down to stop the game. There's 10K+ who have paid to watch football and 1000s more on streams. I wish more people would think 'hey, it's my time your wasting as well! Just through that I'm going to get home at 5:35 instead of 5:30 and that's just the start'

Looking forward to today's final. It'd be great if we could finally beat Spain in a major football final.

I don't think we're favourites though. Our defenders, Hemp and Walsh are outstanding and Agyemang is a real threat. But Spain have strength all round too and then have the real ace to play - Bonmati.

I watched most of the knock-out games and they were usually tight affairs. The deadlock in Spain's matches was broken by pieces of magic, which is what major international competitions should be all about.

Who else would play the back-heel pass to break the deadlock against the the hosts?

Then in the semi against Germany, the focus would be on her finish from the really narrow angle, but it was the trick to throw off the big German defender which made the goal. Pretending to be flat-footed, letting the ball roll thru her legs beat the defender all ends up and despite being twice the size of Bonmati she never made up the ground. Two flashes of genius got Spain to the final, and that's what we're up against.

his distribution looked questionable at times, and he does that european thing where keepers walk up the field too far. a certain keeper that got us relegated used to wonder into no mans land and it does make me nervous. but he did also give me the feeling he would be perfectly fine and once settled into the squad, i think he should flourish. i wanted to see cardiff test him more but they dont seem to have strikers. early signs are promising, he got a nice welcome when he came off.

I still feel sorry for Max Boruc, played well in Germany and deserved a chance at #Notts

Kelle Roos looked alright once the team got into the game against Cardiff. But before that, in the warm-up, he caught everything and seemed like a really good goalie. You need someone like him at our level. Alex Bass was more like a treat to have, but he was really good. I think Roos can be just as strong for us. I liked how the fans welcomed him.

This old fart managed to remember the first two lines of each. I surprised myself, I thought even that was near on impossible.

@Robbie All you have to remember is

The Chazzle with the Frazzle is the

Drazzle with the Plazzle (Eh?)