Outlaws finish on 173/5 after 20 overs.

Can they defend this total?

A win for Notts Outlaws by 8 runs.

6 hours ago, Fan of Big Tone said:

It’s that long ago I can’t remember. 

 Happy birthday ,young man. Aren't you lucky  @Fan of Big Tone  I've already wished you a happy birthday on Facebook. but I suppose you'll have  forgotten, so I've done it again here  with a slight amendment. There ,does that meet with your approval..Hope the England game didn't spoil your day..

7 hours ago, super_ram said:

 Happy birthday ,young man. Aren't you lucky  @Fan of Big Tone  I've already wished you a happy birthday on Facebook. but I suppose you'll have  forgotten, so I've done it again here  with a slight amendment. There ,does that meet with your approval..Hope the England game didn't spoil your day..

A much better birthday greeting @super_ram, although I read it with the voice of Brian Clough. 

Double birthday wishes from my favourite Ram, as a thank you here is a photo of one of your relations we saw whilst on holiday.

@DeadlyMacca I thought a B Day was something you washed your Bum with?

The current tunnel walkout music is to my liking, yet I’m open to change. If we want a new tune, perhaps we should speak to Andy Stokes, as he’s responsible for the music selection.

I like the music they play just before the team walk out I think it helps to build up the atmosphere really well.

One Piece of Music I Enjoyed Down the Lane was The Great Escape Theme played before the Home Matches in the latter part of the Season in which the Magpies survived the Drop under Shaun Derry's Leadership. My Sons still have a Poster from that time. Sitting in my seat listening to the first Cords of the Music begin then the whole P.A System Blasting Out The Theme certainly gave me Goosebumps.

Securing this player is a remarkable achievement. It’s a testament to our ambition that he would choose us over a team moving up to League One. I’m hopeful we’ll bring in a few more players to bolster our squad. With added depth, we’ll be well-prepared to face the challenges of League Two.

I’m curious whether he’ll reach 100 appearances for us and what those moments of brilliance will be like in our squad. The signing has truly impressed me.

From what I’ve gathered, Crawley supporters hold him in high regard, which is often a positive indicator. His rapport with them suggests he’ll quickly adapt to our team. The atmosphere at Meadow Lane is already electrifying, but the roar of the Kop in full voice is truly extraordinary.

It's the players, perhaps Gareth Southgate could work on the formation but I would safely assume this is fine during training. It's easy to blame just one person, but it's the players who make poor in-game decisions. The passing hasn't been good enough, we are not direct enough. So far, Southgate has tried to inject energy and a bit more fight.

It seems to be having an impact, but I believe we are a very nervous nation - that over thinks every aspect of our play (from the players perspective). Which the players just need a bit of confidence.

We are setup to not be easily beaten, but that doesn't stop poor passes - that leads to interceptions from going into the back of our net. However, our weakest area on the pitch is the defence.

England supporters could learn from Scottish fans, who show unwavering passion and support for their team. Criticising in such a public manner is all too common among England fans. They need to consider the effects of their words. The team’s uninspiring performances are a let down, and Gareth Southgate needs to broaden England’s approach beyond a narrow, defensive mindset.

I agree @BromPie that England's recent performances have been uninspiring, but the fans shouldn't have need to criticise if the team played with passion & commitment in the second biggest tournament they will ever play in.

If they can't play like that they shouldn't be wearing the England shirt.

Just remember these players get millions of pounds in wages every year. We must expect much more from them and the Head Coach.

No, we must sign the right players, not just those with League Two experience. Quality surpasses league experience, and some players simply need time to adapt. Players of higher quality are more likely to progress with the club than those with only League Two experience. Often, players stay in a division due to their skill level, which is what Notts should focus on when assessing. Statistics can be misleading and shouldn’t be the sole factor.

@Robbie

You can't fault the signings Notts have made so far, on Paper anyway the Magpies have a Good Look about them. I would  however like to see the signing of a Experienced Player in the Jim O'Brien Mould, someone in the 29-31 year old age group, who's been around the Leagues, who can keep a Cool Head in Times of Stress and Pressure, who knows how to game manage and be a Calming Influence to the Younger Players in the Team. Someone Players Can Learn From and Respect.

Notts are bringing in more players from League Two who not only have experience but also the potential to play at a higher level. The team seems poised to develop significantly over the next two to three seasons. It’s an exciting and very positive prospect!

Do you think it would be sensible to make another defensive signing? If Connell Rawlinson were to leave on loan or as a free transfer, it could potentially create some room. Personally, I wouldn’t oppose bringing in someone like Lewis Macari, who could be a promising addition for the future.

@StanfordPie I think I would sign one more centre-back, who is right footed. I heard we were interested in Riley Harbottle 

t

On 21/05/2024 at 13:39, Simon Clark said:

A bit of context to that tweet from Tom Williams. We scored 4 that day, should have had double that and Colchester were shocking defensively.

So were we, which is why we let in 5 and should have let in 10.

this is spot on, it was one of those games where both teams knew they would score but it was a matter of who would out score the other. i thought it would be a draw at one point but colchester pushed for the win. defensively both teams were a real nightmare.

I've now made this into a thread

@ARLukomski✅ 

✅

On 18/05/2024 at 22:07, Piethagoram said:

Thought Ryan Schofield was a disaster for Notts in our relegation season

i dont think there is much difference between him and archie mair, both keepers never seemed comfortable enough.

Trouble is as you say @Robbie, If a player doesn't play in the Top Six Clubs a Great Deal of the Time Southgate will over look a player. He's always had his favourites and that on occasion as Cost England.

@Wheelbarrow repair man the only concern  i have is losing talented english youngsters to teams like germany. we have more going overseas which brings something different to the team and plenty of very good players coming through premier league teams. championship and league one wise, clubs are looking to by english talent. teams like liverpool though do overlook them and allow their own good prospects to go which is disappointing.

it just gives another team the chance to pick them up, we are producing some of the very best players but internationally we are not always the best.

I also think that there could be a time when owners of the richest clubs buy some clubs in the lower leagues and use them as feeder clubs to allow younger players to get regular game time.

I've read that in English football  the operation of an external feeder team is prohibited, and so the agreements are more informal, and usually between local teams.

"Teams may have a feeder club for a number of reasons, including the ability to loan out inexperienced youngsters, to allow young, foreign players to gain a work permit, or for business purposes, such as merchandising".

So teams like Man City, Man Utd, Spurs & other English clubs have informal agreements with foreign clubs to be able to conduct this type of business. 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_feeder_teams_in_football#:~:text=In English football the operation,and usually between local teams.

Looks like the number of feeder clubs is much more wide spread than I realised.

How long before the FA make it legal in the UK to have large clubs "married" to smaller clubs?

While the potential signing could have been beneficial, it appears that Notts County might miss out due to competing interests. It would be a positive development if we could match teams like Peterborough in terms of our ability to attract and sign promising players.

There was potential for him to align well with James Sanderson, but Peterborough might loan him out before he gets a chance to join their first team. Hopefully, Rochdale will receive some benefit from this. He’s a promising young talent

I remember @GrannyPie threatening to call up my work place, so that she could give them a piece of her mind, but I was young - I just wanted to work and get on with things. It wasn't a great place to work, and the experience above wasn't the worst thing I experienced there. It made me more determined though. At the last restaurant/hotel that I worked, regular Championship and some League One/Two (depending on Notts) teams would stay. They were far more professional than the Australian Cricket team.

@Fan of Big Tone The manager, he was off work for 8 months prior to me leaving. Allegedly, he used a chair to change a light bulb and fell. ????

@Chris

Regarding your Manager Falling of a Chair, in the Words of BSM Williams.

OH DEAR HOW SAD. NEVER MIND.

i hope the manager was a forest fans, as that time old question of how many forest fans does it take to change a light bulb would be valid. ????

Leicester Aston Villa Nottingham Forest and Wolves. Are currently the only teams from the Midlands who are in the Premier League. Leicester and Forest are the only two in the East Midlands and as one as just come up from the Championship and the other has struggled, since their return to the English Top Tier is it any wonder the East Midlands have failed to produce a Regular England International Player? And any outstanding English player outside of the Premier League as more chance platting sand  than getting into the England Squad. Add  the fact that most Premier Clubs will sooner buy Mediocre Foreign Players for Millions of Pounds to fill their Squads, than bring on their own talent from their Academies, 

We know why there is no East Midlands players in the England squad. Unless a player plays for the big six or plays for an established PL club they have no chance of getting picked by Southgate.

And some of these players in the squad play abroad for big foreign Clubs.

Morgan Gibbs-White was touted to be close to an England call but he will have to move from Forest to a bigger club, then he might will be noticed by Southgate.

Some of the players picked for England don't even play 38 games because they are used as squad players for their Clubs.

Personally I would like to see a cap on foreign players in a PL squad to a maximum of 8 & no more than 5 foreign players in a team at any one time.

This would help give home players the opportunity to get more experience of first team football, which in turn would help the national side too.

Well, Nottingham Forest actually has a good academy and that will help to produce future talent. I wished Notts could figure a way that would give our own youngsters a fair chance to gain experience. Sending them out on loan is only part of it, they need to get to grips playing with and against better players. Unfortunately, the East Midlands hasn't produced many high calibre players for a while, despite the training ground for the England camp being near Burton.

This doesn't mean there's no good players, it's just their potential ends up being swallowed and overlooked by areas where the experience is a lot easier to gain.

I’m curious to see how Bass will perform with better teammates and our squad’s depth. It might be too soon to talk about promotion, but these signings should really support Stuart Maynard in his role.

Alex Bass is an excellent acquisition. He’s a first-rate goalkeeper who could have a long future at Notts if he performs well. It’s time for a keeper to establish himself for the future. Sam Slocombe has been reliable with his experience, but it’s time to move forward.

It’s good to have a keeper like Alex Bass who has a lot to offer. I do feel for Aiden Stone, though; he didn’t seize his opportunity. With Sam Slocombe’s injury issues, Tiernan Brooks could be the right backup. Brooks might still get game time this season, and having experienced players is always beneficial.

i liked ed francis, but i thought he did better when he had michael doyles guidance and after doyle left with ian burchnall he seemed to struggle to take his chances. i always felt it he would attract interest from teams higher up, gateshead are a good team for working with players who just need a little more time to get to their best.

it would be great to see him stepping up and doing well.

Well, I think it made sense as to why we allowed Ed Francis to go.

He slipped too far down the pecking order and didn't really progress as we did; I remember saying at the time he was a few seasons off being ready for League Two. He's got there by playing regularly and in a side which does push players to perform well. He really needed a fresh change, but I would be cautious against him making a jump just to play at a higher level too soon because he could find himself out of favour for more experienced players.

Good player but with more game time under his belt, I believe he'll only get better. I would hate to see him end up being one of those players who constantly get loaned out for experience, yet never really settle.

Technically he's a very good player but I agree he did struggle with the physicality at times. I'm sure playing more regularly at Gateshead will have helped him improve. It didn't help he was a similar player to Matty Palmer, just not as good, and it never really made sense to play both of them. I always thought his positional awareness off the ball wasn't great either and to make it worse he was pretty slow so had a tendency to be caught out.

When the Olympic games come around, there are always many people who ask the Question. Why isn't there an Olympic GB Football team.

The answer to that is very simple. The Home FAs can never come to an agreement regarding a GB team, and the other big reason is this.

Unlike the World Cup & Euros, the Olympics are run by the I.O.C & if GB entered a team, there would be a concern that it would damage the Home FAs image with FIFA & UEFA, & there would be a push to have a UK team rather than allow four UK teams to compete separately.

It is down to football politics. Would I like to see a GB football team in the Olympics? Yes I would. Will it ever happen? No it won't.

Yes, but support is very loosely based on what it is.

I haven't watched our Olympic team for years, but I wish them all the best, and I am delighted when I read about how they have done. That's quite a passive way to support them, but in my younger years I did find it easier to be excited about watching it.

@Robbie

There have been GB Olympic teams in the past they won Gold on three separate occasions in the .early 20th Century, 1900, 1908 and 1912. They have been more attempts at forming a GB Olympic team in recent years which included some Professional Players but the GB team failed to  qualify for the competition. 

Over the years I think it can be said England have had the most success in qualifying and playing in Major Tournaments, but would a Great Britain been a better choice? Players like George Best, Dennis Law, Kenny Dalglish John Toshack would have easily got into the England team of their era. Billy Bremner Pat Jennings Terry Hennessey and Gareth Bale are  players from other UK Countries who would have benefitted playing in a Combined GB or UK Team. There must be a long list of Players (other than Englishmen) who would make it into a Great Britain Side a side capable of Winning a Euro's or World Cup Final.

On 14/06/2024 at 22:41, Wheelbarrow repair man said:

All the talent he has available England should have Won a Major Tournament by Now. But the further England advance in a Tournament Southgate reverts back to his negative tactics instead of letting his players play with flare and use their Natural Abilities.

he brought success to the england u21s, the squad lacked direction and fight prior to gareth southgates appointment. allowing the england manager to work with the young players, building them up and giving experience to those who are future first team stars was the best decision the english fa have done. it allowed southgate to bring in players who would have gone over looked.

the biggest failure team wise is the golden generation.

i disagree somewhat about we should have won, i have always felt we have overachieved team wise. it was not long ago that harry kane had no competition for his place. the midfield only had individual stars and not a team. every manager tends to have negative tactics, but southgate is proving himself to be one of the best.

he did well with middlesborough too.

@liampie

What a Boring Web Site PON would be if we all Agreed about everything, would it Not?  You and I it seems Agree to Disagree about Southgate. His success with the England Under21's I was not fully aware of, however as they say You Can't Keep Living On Past Glories. And while his Results Record is Good his Legacy will reflect the fact like a lot of England Managers before him he failed to Win a Major Tournament.  Yes I know the Euro's are still being played at the moment, but Hand On Heart I Can't See England Winning the Competition. I would be more than happy to be proven Wrong.

And even if Southgate's England Team are Crowned Europe's Best. He's a Million Miles Away From being the G.O.A.T. Which is what this topic was all about and which seems we've wondered off.

@liampie @Wheelbarrow repair man

I agree with you liampie to a certain extent regarding Southgate and his involvement with the under 21s.

However,  Peter Taylor has a good record as England under 21 Manager too. Over two periods & one match as caretaker he only had 3 defeats in 31 games as manager.

He knew lots of young players who went on to play for the senior England side, but Peter Taylor was continually overlooked for the Senior England Manager role.

Stuart Pearce had a great record as England under 21 Manager too, just 5 defeats in 41 matches.

That's why I wouldn't say that Southgate's experience as an under 21 Manager was a factor in him getting the senior role.

To be honest, I think Peter Taylor was a better Manager than Southgate, but again, I think politics was involved again why Taylor wasn't considered for England Manager.

@Wheelbarrow repair man

If the Football associations of the four Countries agreed to reinstate the home internationals of course I would watch them, so would any other home football fan.

For the Scotland game they would fill Wembley, but if they did reinstate the Scottish & England teams would probably be from the B or C squads.

I think doing it that way would be probably the only way the English and Scottish FAs would agree to their reinstatement.

The Football calendar is far too congested nowadays to what it was when the Home internationals reigned supreme.

@Robbie

Yes you're probably right, however I think the  case for their reinstatement  is they would be more meaningful than all these second rate so called Friendlies, that the 3 Lions play. I mean I don't know about you but I would sooner watch an England vs Scotland Match than England vs Iceland or England vs Norway or Luxembourg Match. I think Matches against  a fellow UK country would Generate More Interest than against some Mediocre European Side.

You make as good point there @Wheelbarrow repair man just a matter of convincing the home FAs. I suspect that the friendlies are more than just friendlies.

I suspect lots of footballing politics between the different Countries FAs are going off like smaller FAs getting a slice of the match revenue and also publicity for their Country.

There is always an angle involved somewhere to be seen in football politics.

I like Aaron too. He is an integral part of our attacking unit, and I am sure he will play a big part next season.

I do like Dan Crowley, He is a very important part of the Notts team. Many good attacking moves that Notts did last season was orchestrated by Dan.

Dan may not have had the number of assists that Jodi had, but he did much of the good groundwork that led to those assists & scored many vital goals himself.

Macca and Jodi, & to a lesser extent Didzy, rightly took the plaudits but Dan was the man that helped those players get the opportunity to do what they did last season.

I'm sure Dan will carry on in the same vein this season too, & with Robertson & with Matt Palmer back for selection, Dan may be able to impress even more.

Neither Aaron Nemane nor Jodi Jones are particularly strong in defence, as they are wingers and excel when moving forward. Both are key contributors to the team. Nemane’s quiet nature can be both a strength and a weakness. If he’s not performing well, does he feel comfortable confiding in his teammates? If he becomes aware of harsh criticism from fans, can he disregard it and concentrate on the team’s needs? He’s an exceptional player. With the right manager, there’s no doubt he could play at a higher level. However, I believe his mental approach might be what’s holding him back.

aaron nemane is a great player, but we need to make sure he is not over played because i think that causes his inconsistencies because he is tired. i dont think hes as quiet as will randall, but nemane does have spells where he is quiet on the pitch but he always offers something special. without him we would not have gained promotion from the national league. his bursts of pace and direct play can win us games because teams cant defend against his skill.

thats a great thing to have.

What happens if the hand contact is accidental? Will VAR be used to determine if there was an unnatural movement that constitutes handball? If the system works efficiently and the referee makes the final call, that seems fair. However, if the game is delayed because a chip detects an accidental handball, it could lead to more problems.

@allardyces tash

That's the point. 

"What happens if the hand contact is accidental"?

The FA and UEFA interpret  handball rules differently.

The Belgian player was running and his arm came up naturally to keep him in balance like we all do when we are running.

The pundits after the match thought it was accidental handball. But they were following FA rules not UEFA rules 

it sounds like a good idea but just like var it needs better handling, the rules on handball needs to be clearer and accidental handball either becomes a thing of the past and every contact is a foul or they work it better in. i think accidental handball is not fair to punish but the rules can make things easier to abide by.

a lot of the modern tactics and playing styles are coming from south america right now. how they set themselves up to be less risky and you can see that with how england are setup for the euros. the movement is great at times but we need to remember the urgency. i prefer faster paced football, i think its more open.

British football, with its physicality and speed, is quite different from the continental style, which focuses more on technique and tactics. Both styles have their own strengths.

British football is exciting to watch because of its fast-paced nature and physical challenges. Players are often praised for their stamina and strength, making the game intense and thrilling. This style can be especially effective in high-pressure situations where quick goals are needed.

On the other hand, continental football is admired for its emphasis on skill and strategic play. Teams focus on maintaining possession and precise passing, creating a more controlled and thoughtful game. This style allows for creative plays and often results in beautiful goals that showcase players' technical abilities.

Both styles have their merits. British football's energy and passion can overwhelm opponents, while continental football's focus on finesse and strategy can outsmart them. Each brings something unique to the sport, making football a diverse and captivating game.

@DangerousSausage 

Nice post.

You've made a great case for Notts to mix it up more next season.

Of course both styles have their merits 

I just wish the powers that be at Notts would recognise that too, and be much more flexible in their footballing philosophy.

Stuart Maynard has to have the  freedom to employ the British style much more to keep Notts opponents guessing.

@DangerousSausage I think you'll find the reason why England have won nothing is the Team have Never Been Good Enough. Even the So Called Golden Generation failed to Win any thing. It seems when the Chips are down England tend to Bottle It. Some if Not a Large slice of that Failure is down to the FA and their choice of Manager. It would seem obvious that in the 1970's to 19180's the man for the England Job was  Old Big 'Ed himself Brain Clough. But the FA had a pure Distain for Cloughie, that instead of offering the job to the right candidate who probably would have Won Trophies, they decided to go with Managers who were out of their depth when it came to leading the National Team.

The Continental Style is what you see down the Lane  trying to be copied, that is build up from the back and play Tippy Tappy Football. Continental sides can play that way, England can't but instead of trying to  counter that type of Football with their own ideas, they try and copy it and fail Miserably at it.

And before anyone says most Premier Teams play that way, most Premier League Teams have a Continental Manager and are full of Continental Players, who are already familiar with that Style of Play.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2012/oct/11/forgotten-story-joe-mercer-england-manager

A comment on football at the end of Alf Ramsey's reign.

England has seen many capable managers, yet for various reasons, few have consistently brought out the best in their teams, with the exception of Sir Alf Ramsey. Gareth Southgate demonstrates a solid grasp of his team, although some outsiders might have their doubts. Watching Terry Venables lead England was delightful, as was observing Sir Bobby Robson at the helm. It's challenging and perhaps unfair to name the greatest, but as mentioned, we've had a host of commendable managers.

We had a lovely Sunday lunch at the nearest pub to the cottage we are staying in, unfortunately the country lanes are very narrow round here and no pavements we didn’t feel safe walking so we had to drive the 1.5 miles, which meant one pint of weak beer for me.

I have to admit it has been a lazy weekend somewhat, Still managing to do my daily two mile walks, have cut it down from three..

I've watched the Euros and some Nottingham Tennis online. Nice that England have won their first match, and Notts have sold out places at the Nest.

Time for a nice night cap I think.

if the scottish players had marked and actually watched the ball, they may have defended better. they just did not keep up with the german movement and ended up making them look far superior by looking like a team who were happy to invite chances towards their own half. the germans felt so sorry for them that they gave the goal. it was quite embarrassing but disappointing because had scotland tried to keep the ball and marked better they may have made a game of it. very one sided the way it ended.

Things just didn't work out for Brinds last season, but we know he's a decent player.

He proved to be a valuable player for us in the National League promotion season, so I think he could do well for a new club.

A new club will bring new challenges and that might help him excel with a fresh start.

Good luck to him

A new club and a fresh start could be just what Brinds needs to resurrect his career, I wish him well.

at 31, he needs to make sure this next club lasts as long as his time here because its unlikely he will get to where he hoped without gaining promotion. hes a good player, very good going forward and decent as a right back. he could make do as a cb but i never really preferred that role. his natural position was the best. i hope he finds the right club to restart his career after making 130+ appearances for us.