To answer my own question I will answer it in two parts.

The big difference between last season is our defence. A bit of a no brainer. 

What's so great about our defence this season is how our defence and defensive midfield have gelled together.

Of the new players, Goalkeeper Alex Bass, & defenders, Matty Platt, & Jacob Bedeau have formed a great understanding in such a short time.

Alex Bass is a rock between the sticks & all three players compliment each other so well.

Loanee, George Abbott has established himself in the centre of midfield & he supports those three players so well.

So of my four best picks, Platt, Bass, Bedeau & Abbott, my number one is simply Matty Platt for his very good consistent performances every match. Although it was very close between them.

Of the other new players, Tsaroulla just missed a top five spot, Edwards & Grant played well till they got injured.

Defenders, McDonald & Ness were injured but are now on their way back, & what we have seen of Ness he could challenge for a back three spot soon.

Of the other players I haven't mentioned the jury is out on whether they will feature except from off the bench.

I think there are four very obvious stand out choices in Bass, Bedeau, Platt and Abbott. All have featured a lot and played very well too.

I think Tsaroulla is a good player, but he’s not quite clicking for us in the final third. We play him like he's Jodi though and I don't think that always plays to his strengths. Gordon is a bit 50/50 for me, possibly being played more on the left isn’t helping but then he played on the right when he came on against Newport and looked average. Could say the same about Jevani Brown, he’s not been terrible, but no goals or assists in the league is poor, especially when you consider his position.

Hard to say much about the rest due to not seeing enough of them. Hinchy looks like a player who’s played a lot of academy football, technically good but a touch off the pace at times in a proper competitive game. He is young and will improve. Edwards was very lively and good on the ball, I liked him when he played just behind the striker. Grant is like an attacking midfield version of Matty Palmer, doesn’t ever really give the ball away and just links play up nicely. Ness has performed well in recently and McDonald looks more than capable from his limited appearances too.

Cundy is possibly a tad unnecessary now, he’s not mobile enough to play in the RCB/LCB roles for me. He is only on a one-year deal, we might even let him go in January. I expect Martin will go in January though as his contract expires then. I think he doesn’t start at wingback because he isn’t trusted defensively, he is more attack minded but the fact we’ve struggled for goals recently and haven’t bought him on is pretty telling.

alex bass for me, hes been a huge relief in goal and his mistakes never seem to cost us. he always makes up for them and he is a very solid keeper who should only get better. i dont think most players have been all that bad, only one or two have fallen short. its good to see jevani brown stepping up, because he always seemed to have the ability but his confidence needed work. matty platty and jacob bedeau are the best centre backs we have had in years.

every nation seems to have a period where they become average, and then find new talent that brings them back to the front line. germany are a good team, with a good league. they were always going to come back as a threat in major competitions. its weirder seeing italy struggle to be successful considering. good read.  

12 hours ago, Piethagoram said:

 

That's rather smug. In the Germany I live in, over 90% of the fire brigade is manned by volunteers.

There’s nothing wrong with paid employees working for a charity. Scientists, councillors, administrators, and others are all needed for its operation. 

However, I don’t agree with paying large amounts to CEOs and other people who earn much more than a reasonable salary. I’m not sure I would feel comfortable donating to a charity that pays non-essential staff more than £200,000 a year, and even then, I feel uneasy about it.

i just support local causes where i can see how the money makes a difference, i have never really been keen to donate to the bigger ones because i am more community minded. i dont think they are all as bad as the media make out, but i do think the ceo roles could be given to people on the way up and not those who want to sit on making silly amounts. it would be a good way for charities to give people a leg up with working.

my aunt and mum volunteer their time at a charity shop in clifton, they have been doing it for over 20 years.

I'm really excited about the plans for safe standing next season. Many fans have been advocating for this change, and it has the potential to significantly enhance the atmosphere at Meadow Lane. I trust the club will collaborate closely with supporters to ensure its proper implementation. 

This initiative highlights the club's responsiveness to feedback, which is always a positive sign. It's heartening to see the club take steps that reflect the desires and suggestions of the fan base.

The overriding impression from the fans forum was the "professionalism" shining through. Joe Palmer having a shopping list of projects but having to prioritise which gets done first and being careful with managing the budget.

What also came across was the EFL2 financial environment where it gave the impression, a lot of teams were spending "big".. can only guess at the likes of MK Dons, Gillingham, Port Vale, Bradford. .maybe even the likes of Carlisle?

5 hours ago, Robbie said:

I hope that if Notts do get promoted, the Club will look to increase the capacity of the stadium as they get higher in the football pyramid.

The real difficulty is with the Jimmy Sirrel stand. It is built over the River Leen so the weight bearing nature means that the stand height cannot be easily increased. 

The only way is for County Road to be diverted through the Cattle Market area to give Notts the extra land needed to support such expansion. A big win for a Notts supporter on Euro millions might help this week!

it would be good if the club continues to look at snapping up land around meadow lane, as increasing the way fans can get out after the games would be a good thing. the kop gets jammed. the times i have sat in the pavis, its much easier.

the fans forum has been a positive thing, i thought most of it was pretty standard but even then its promising.

even after all these years, it seems we are still determined to move forward as a club and we are not diverting from that.

@liampie San Marino beat Leitchtenstein 1:0 in an earlier league game.

Their fortunes seem to be changing. I hope they can keep this form going, as it would be nice to see a nation like San Marino having more luck on the pitch. I watched a film about an American manager taking charge of a nation near New Zealand that had never won, and you tend to root for teams like that.

A belated welcome to PoN from me too @Bren Shep

Welcome to the Pride of Nottingham, this is a great community. Glad to be saying hello to you @Bren Shep.

Hello, @Bren Shep. Welcome to PON, I hope to see you take part in the community here. It's good to have you with us.

you cant find stability changing managers so frequently and signing 22 players almost every season, we know this.

A club needs to have some stability and give players time to help together. Players need to be able to fit into the Carlisle system if they have one. 

Chipping and changing managers and players isn't a good recipe for stability.

No matter who the owner is, they need to have some understanding about association football. If they don't, they need to have a C/O that does.

Paul Simpson probably surprised himself when he defeated Stockport County in the play off final...

EFL1 was always going to be a challenge but the hike in tv distribution monies at EFL1 level should have helped.

Perhaps the turnover of players at a geographically distant club hasn't helped and the costs of finding them accommodation too. It seems obvious the turnover is far too high

Carlisle targeted MK Dons Head of Recruitment but he was persuaded to stay. Presumably the same HoR that targeted Dan Crowley

EFL2 is tougher than most imagine... Accrington winning at Gillingham a case in point.

Sounds like the League of FAI really needs to shape up. I do hope it gets the reform needed to thrive because the Irish leagues are a good area for EFL clubs to pick up talent. It would also benefit them as a nation having better talent, which a troubled financial system might cause problems within.

i cant say i read all the article but i get the jist and it does seem like there needs to be big improvements.

It seems that the only FA that isn't a complete shambles at the moment is the Welsh FA.

Welcome to the Prde of Nottingham, @Richard Eley. We hope to see you join in when you feel like it, it would be good to see your thoughts being shared.

Hello, @Richard Eley. Welcome to the Pride of Nottingham. It’s good to have you here. If you jump into PON, like many others, you will find it fun. It’s a great site and community.

Welcome to the Pride of Nottingham, this is a great community. Glad to be saying hello to you @Richard Eley.

I agree with @Robbie, all the back 3 had good games. Ness did well coming in, Platt solid as always and Macari moved over to the left but didn’t look out of place at all. My only caveat is that Newport didn’t really commit many players forward though, so it was always very manageable for our defence. Not much between Palmer or Abbott for me, other than Palmer looking a bit dead on his feet by the end of the game. So Abbott just shaded it for me too.

The Poll is now closed.

Thank you to all who voted.

I am pleased to announce, that by a large majority of PON members, George Abbott is the Pride of Nottingham's Man of the Match for his outstanding performance against Newport.

Excellent work, George Abbott!

If my memory serves me right, this is his second so far, so it's racking up - I am sure he will have a few more to his name come the end of the season.

@liampie They have improved immeasurably from last season.

@Robbie they do seem to be making the right progress and with the recent fans forum with the talk of bringing all the teams closer, it sounds like something that will only benefit the womens and junior teams.

Up to date League table after today's games. Notts are up to fifth place at the halfway point of the season.

About his departure to Zagreb

there was possibly interest in him but i dont think rumours tend to be all that true. not like we were going to offer him a deal, but was tracking or opening early stages to see if he had interest in us but nothing concrete.

Anyone on here a student a the Uni of Nottingham? Little scouting mission for the week... 

I reckon they could have put some real talent in the spotlight instead. Feels like someone's trying to mix oil with water by pushing influencers into football.

It’s certainly a curious move. They must have some plan up their sleeve, but I'm not sure how it helps the sport.

Let’s be honest, would any bona fide fan be thrilled with this? It’s disappointing to see a familiar yet underwhelming approach. I’d much rather see a new, talented youngster get their chance to shine. Fresh faces bring excitement, energy, and a sense of hope for the future. It’s what keeps the spirit of the game alive and the fans engaged. Giving young players an opportunity can lead to unexpected successes and make the team more dynamic.

Storm Bert, you say?

It feels like the start of the year again, wondering when the summer would come, but now it's winter and much gloomier. It's likely to stay this way for longer, so buckle up, keep warm, and make sure to stay inside when it gets worse if you can.

We created quite a few good chances no on another day could have won easily. I do agree with @menzinho our attack play is too slow, we tend to pass the ball around really prettily but very often it’s a slow patient build up meanwhile the opposition have time to set up their defence and get everyone behind the ball.

It would be nice if once or twice we could break quickly and catch their defence off guard.

However if you can’t win make sure you don’t lose and that’s exactly what we did, fourth in the league isn’t bad but it could be better.

newport came to draw, they had no intention of trying to win. that is disappointing, but there was times when the officials made poor decisions which benefitted them. i dont think they did it on purpose, i just feel they were incompetent. i just wished notts would not insist on walking the ball into the net. i dont mind seeing matt palmer drive an effort over the crossbar because its something different.

the issue is we try to force the opening and we need to gamble a little more at times.

i also would have kept jevani brown on, sam austin did well in spells but we could have afforded him to be subbed sooner than he did. i also think bringing on kellan gordon did not work, he was quite poor. 

We had a chance in the first half. I don't know how Newport County managed to keep it from crossing the line. Had it gone in, the game would have been a lot easier in the second half. I think it was Sam Austin who had an effort that clipped the inner crossbar and deflected out. I agree that we rely on trying to walk the ball into the goal. Notts put on a good performance, but we lacked that cutting edge in the final third. It shows how much Dan Crowley and Jodi Jones both bring to the team with their presence.

@Chris The Monorail seems a bit passe now! Unless one has a one track mind!

23 minutes ago, Piethagoram said:

@Chris The Monorail seems a bit passe now! Unless one has a one track mind!

I'm thankful that I don't actually get the latter part. ????

I don't mind winter games. Supporting a sports team that plays outside is part of it. Last Saturday's game against Newport County is an example of how the cold and the game's outcome can lead to disappointment. It's not about the performance, but sitting in the rainy cold for a goalless draw sums up winter games. You would prefer to see more of an outcome by the end, but that's football for us.

Your Weather for Saturday Afternoon 

Your Saturday Evening Weather 

Your Sunday Afternoon Weather

Good afternoon.

It's been raining all morning here. All the lying snow in the back garden has gone. 

The wind is getting up somewhat. Hopefully it won't be too bad.

Doesn't look like we are going to get any snow as forecast yesterday, here.

Will be tuning into the Radio for the match today. CMON U PIES

Morning all, it’s a wild, wet, windy morning here, I don’t think we’ll be doing much today, although we have been invited to our sons for tea, he’s cooking one of my favourites garlic chicken so I won’t be troubled by vampires tonight. 

Stay warm and dry if you can and take care if travelling.

Back to a drab rainy day this morning . A little windy but looks like we've missed the worse of Storm Bert.

Pleased that Notts got a clean sheet even though they couldn't score even though they had plenty of opportunity.

If Notts keep a clean sheet they are not going to lose in a league match. Then it only needs one goal to win.

A good defence is a prerequisite to have a successful promotion push.

If the defence remains strong, there is every chance of having a successful season.

Sorry to read that you are leaving PON@Wheelbarrow repair man. Over the year that you have been on PON you have made many valuable contributions to the site.

I can certainly say for myself that you have enriched the site in many ways.

Some of your threads have been fun threads & got members to show their funny side.

Your articles have always been well put together & interesting, & have encouraged debate. 

I for one liked to debate with you & looked forward to your articles & posts.

As far as I'm concerned I'm sorry to see you go & will miss your contributions which, as far as I'm concerned, added to the PON site.

Wrap up well if going out. It's going to be cold one 

Good News.

Relief for Pensioners, the Vunerable, and less well off.

Storm Bert is going to sweep away the cold air by Saturday night. 

Got another one.

- Smoke bombs and pyrotechnics in football grounds. Chucking smoke bombs on the pitch is chavvy behaviour and it's about time that trend died a death.

- Related to that, pyro. In Germany, pyrotechnics aren't allowed in football grounds. This has led to a kind of arms race among ultra groups, which try to outdo each other with ever bigger fireworks displays, costing their clubs hundreds of thousands of euros in fines. As well as being dangerous and expensive, lighting up bengalos is lame and low-effort compared to the tifos and displays ultras became known for.

- Related to that, ultras (or at least most of them). The good ones that make an effort to get the rest of the crowd going can stay. The ones that spend all game droning through an obscure song to the tune of Big Big Girl while the rest of the crowd looks on in bored silence can go. You're not the greatest fans just because you're waving flags.

I would implant salary cap 

clubs treating certain fans better than they do the regular fan.

the price involved imo is part of the issue football clubs struggle financially.

making it easier to purchase the shirts you want as part of being a season ticket holder, instead of it being a lottery.

banning those who purchase large amounts to make profit once they are sold out by sticking them up on ebay.

making sure if clubs dont offer a programme that the digital content matches the lost information and media [nothing has increased with notts dropping it].

I echo the need to get things checked out. I had my prostate checked out after ongoing issues & it came through clear.

Best to get things checked out with your GP regularly if there are other issues too.

its wise advice, i hope more actually get checks and dont worry about seeming macho or unmanly. its important we look after ourselves and with the nhs we are fortunate to have the care available to us.

Do yourself a favour and get checked. Listen to people like Sir Hoy, who speak from experience. Don't let something be too late to act on. You will thank yourself in the long term.

There's a Brazilian supporters group that does a fantastic job in their community. 

The international groups are actually more beneficial to us than the ones directly connected to the club. They really help create a strong sense of support and connection among fans.

i love when foreign commentators turn their commentary up from 10 to 100+ just because of a well worked goal. its good coverage, hope our brazillian friends enjoy it.

Actually, the Brazillian Magpies do a lot of live-streaming, but I can't imagine them reacting so livelily as this commentator. I think it's a brilliant clip, it's certainly amusing when they go mental over a goal. It gives that extra bit of sprit to the commentary I think.