Nicky Law...feeling old now!

I feel like a lot of our youngsters over the years have ended up at Alfreton due to how close it is. I'll pick one of them...  Pierce Bird

Nick Fenton played for Notts 13 times in the 1999/2000 season, & played for Alfreton in the 2013/14 season 32 times.

"I've got seven months to prove to these people that I am who I think I am." Ian Holloway 

Head Coaches have input with the type of players that they want & the positions that need filling. Head Coaches & recruiters rightly take the plaudits when things go right, & the players that have been recruited settle well, & play to the standard expected, & the team is performing well as a result.

But alternatively, if things don't go to plan & players either haven't been brought in, or players that should have been let go but were mistakingly retained, or players that were brought in but haven't performed, & as a result the team performs poorly, then it is right that the Head Coach & recruiters should be admonished or possibly lose their jobs, if the team doesn't improve.

Recruitment is the one of the most important parts of football and if you get it badly wrong in the summer, you’re basically fighting against the tide all season.

We made the wrong decision to not strengthen our defence when we went up, was that the head coaches decision or recruitment? Our recruitment this summer has accounted for that now though. We are quite lucky as ever since the Bros came in it’s something that has massively improved, you are never going to get every signing right but we seem to get a lot more good players than bad.

I would not be surprised if Mansfield came back with an offer for Crowley come January. Could Callum play that Dan Crowley role for Notts?

Cal Robert's departure came at the right time for us, and him. Even though I felt gutted that he was leaving, Aberdeen was such a huge step-up for him and the fee we obtained no matter how much would have helped Notts. It's great to see him playing so well, plus scoring.

I still believe he could play EFL football, but with his injuries and being 27-years-old. I think Notts would want to find someone a bit younger, and less likely to suffer setbacks.

We already have a fair few on our books, so it wouldn't be a wise thing in my opinion. Despite this, I would welcome Roberts back in a heartbeat - I just don't believe he fits what we would be seeking now though.

It’s great to see he his doing well again, albeit kind of back where he started before he joined us.

I still think Cal is a good player but where would he play in our team? Wasn’t this the issue we had before we eventually sold him… We don't play wingers and I'm pretty sure we tried him at wingback against Kings Lynn or Altrincham away and it just didn't work.

It was great to see us play in a way that allowed Notts to create good chances. The only real difference was the excellent saves from James Belshaw. I thought we could have scored more, but the performance was what we needed, and the result showed that.

Belshaw was Harrogate's best player, by a mile. I wonder if he'll have any regrets about not getting to ever play for us though as I'm 99% sure he also supports us! At 34 and with Bass looking like he could be our No.1 for a good few seasons now I think the chance might have just passed him.

@menzinhoBelshaw's dad is a Notts season ticket holder. Bass with Belshaw as back up would be ideal. Sorry Sam, your time is up

Oh, this just sounds like something that people in science speculated on as a joke to see if anyone would buy into it. It has that conspiracy theory feeling, just like the idea that the Earth is flat, the Moon is occupied by aliens, and the Earth is hollow.

Ah, the multiverse. It's like a never-ending Marvel movie marathon. And let's be real, who doesn't love a good superhero flick? I mean, you've got Iron Man with his snarky one-liners and fancy suit. Then there's Thor with his flowing locks and hammer that only he can lift (I mean, come on, who doesn't love a good challenge?). And let's not forget about Spider-Man and his web-slinging abilities. But let's be real, the real MVP is Deadpool. I mean, have you seen those movies? Pure gold. Oh, there are so many more superheroes in the Marvel universe. You've got Captain America with his shield and unwavering moral compass. Then there's the Hulk with his incredible strength and anger management issues. And let's not forget about Black Widow with her deadly combat skills and mysterious past. And who could forget about Doctor Strange with his mastery of the mystic arts? The list goes on and on. It's like a never-ending buffet of superhero goodness. Wrong multiverse? Oh no, my friend. There’s only one multiverse and it’s chock-full of Marvel goodness. The real world? Pfft, that’s just a figment of our imagination. A place where we have to pay taxes and wear pants. No thank you. I’ll stick to the multiverse where I can fly and shoot lasers from my eyes. Now that’s living.

A very interesting subject & thread @TheSkipper

I believed that there is just one Universe with no end to it, with countless galaxies that together make up the Universe.

Well that's what I've been taught when I was at school & until reading this article, I have never really gave it much thought.

We saw on programmes like Star Trek that a possibility of a positive & negative universe could exist or even a universe in another dimension that we can see but is all around us.

But going back to the Universe, what would be a Universe to the smallest living organism, the microbe Nanoarchaeum equitans, which is 200 to 500 nanometers (billionth of a metre) in diameter.

So the possibility of a entire space within a space is entirely possible I suppose we can't rule anything out when it comes to science. New things are being discovered all the time.

All this happened long before I was allowed to drink @Chris, which might indicate how long ago it was! I've had a virtual walk around on Google Maps and I'm fairly certain it was Smith's. The picture on Google is exactly how I remember it and it's down the road from the caravan park. Is it still there?

On 22/10/2024 at 19:34, DangerousSausage said:

All this happened long before I was allowed to drink @Chris, which might indicate how long ago it was! I've had a virtual walk around on Google Maps and I'm fairly certain it was Smith's. The picture on Google is exactly how I remember it and it's down the road from the caravan park. Is it still there?

Yes, it’s still there.

It remains exactly the same as it was when I was younger, except the pub attached to it burned down a few years ago. You might remember a small gift shop that stood opposite. It always had knick-knacks, but the elderly lady who owned it sold up and retired. The Smiths purchased it, along with the Derbyshire Miners' Welfare building and the lifeguard watchtower that the shop was part of. It’s now a fancy pub, with fancy prices, fancy chairs, and even fancier clientele. The café that used to be behind the shop is now the outdoor seating area for that posh pub, complete with glass windbreaks for an even more upscale effect. There’s even a stylish outdoor bar, which they’re too pretentious to use, but it looks good nonetheless.

Unfortunately, with the Dunes pub having burned down, one of the owners has been forced back into working in the arcade. She sits at the change booth, looking quite miserable and rather stuck-up. If you politely ask her for change, and manage to avoid any fuss, she tells you to use one of the many change machines, which rarely work. She even once frog-marched Jake to one, only to eat humble pie when it wouldn’t function, despite her trying twenty times.

I used to love the arcade; I hold it dear to my heart and have so many childhood memories associated with it. The old attendants were like friends, and one still remains. He used to look a lot like the actor who voiced the character in "Bill and Ben, the Flowerpot Men." I think he was also in "Cold Feet," though I can’t recall the actor's name, but he still resembles him. Working with the owner, he’s bound to see some changes over the years.

@DangerousSausage: I took some pictures this past Saturday, as we went to Winthorpe to escape a busy Skegness. Yet we planned to visit some of GP's favourite locations, which my eldest daughter finally managed to walk under one of the underpasses in the area.

One of the last times she did, she was sat on my mum's knee - whilst Super pushed her into a deep pool of water.

We had a storm, where the drains filled, and it left one end with a large body of water. For some reason, Super thought it would be a great idea to push her electric wheelchair through it. Obviously, the electric side had been disengaged but remarkably silly considering it could have caused issues for the battery. I can still hear my mum shouting "Barry" and "stop". ????

Poor Ellie lost one of her trainers as Kate focused on walking through it - so Jake and Ellie didn't get wet.

Whilst I just pushed my mum completely through the water, without giving much thought to me getting soaked. I remember it reaching just above my socks, and thankfully mum's battery wasn't damaged. This gave us all a good laugh over the years, despite Super sometimes not showing much of a funny bone. Since GP's passing, we have tried to walk through it, but it's always been flooded. The last time we tried, it was more flooded than the time I have just shared. I could imagine, @Fan of Big Tone laughing his head off at this story. He might even find himself wet from all the laughter. ????????????

Imagine Barrow v Notts being played on a Tuesday night in Newfoundland?

Barrow: The EFL outpost and their unlikely partnership with Canadian province Newfoundland and Labrador

WWW.BBC.CO.UK

---

With an unconventional shirt sponsor, Barrow go into their EFL Cup tie with Chelsea hoping to promote themselves and a Canadian province.

It would be bad move for Notts & any other club that would even think of wanting to play league games abroad. I would be totally against it & so would the vast majority of fans 

This cannot be allowed, it's a slap in the face for the loyal supporters of both clubs.

Just imagine if we do a Bournemouth, we're in the Premier League and then our owners start pushing to play league games halfway across the world...

A much better second half by the Notts ladies, but it ends in defeat today 

Table after the latest set of matches.Notts in 6th place.

Last word from the Manager.

Nick Tsaroulla played exceptionally well, and it's wonderful to see him showing such confidence at the moment. He looked like a great signing when he arrived, so it's pleasing to see him settle in and start to earn our applause.

I think Allasana Jatta's talent and importance are being somewhat overlooked, so I am voting for him.

The Poll has now closed.

Thank you to all of you that voted.

Eight of the Nine Players on the shortlist were given at least a vote by PON members reflecting the great performance by the Notts team on Saturday.

I am delighted to announce that Nick Tsaroulla has been chosen as your Pride of Nottingham Man of the Match for his excellent performance against Harrogate. This win makes it two consecutive PON Man of the Match wins for Nick.

"The club also declared a strategic plan based on the pillars of financial consolidation, strengthening the academy, innovation and infrastructure and a "love for this city and its values"...." Very much what is happening now at #Notts

Good morning all.

Have a nice time away @Fan of Big Tone. Don't forget to vote on the man of the match at the weekend????

Well it's been raining again overnight here & it's been on and off this morning. Pleased I got a lot of garden work done when I had the opportunity.

We have moles that lives under a few gardens on my close. Every now and then they make a few Mole hills on my lawn. 

This mole family & their generations have been doing their thing under the soil for as long as we've been here, 

Thanks @Robbie we got here safely and enjoyed a night of eating a lovely curry made by Mrs. T and drinking some nice beer from Magpie brewery, our son brought a keg with him.

I’m not sure how I can vote for tomorrows man of the match when I won’t have seen the game or listened to it. 

Morning all, I did a different parkrun today with my son and daughter in law, it was a tough course with hills so I’ll feel that tomorrow.

The rented house we are staying in is very comfortable and can sleep 8 people so it’s perfect for the six of us. We are off the a wander round the town later, then tonight we are going to play some games, the house has “Guitar Hero” on play station (whatever that is) and grandson Fred is keen to try it.

He could achieve great things if he took charge of a lower Premier League team, but I wouldn’t expect miracles. I doubt he could replicate what Claudio Ranieri did at Leicester City. A mid-table finish is possible, with improvements over the years, but he would need to spend money. However, I can’t see him or Pep doing that.

I don't think either option would work. 

Players might be more open to signing, but they would have wage limitations and other factors to consider. Managers like Jose would find this quite difficult.

There's a bit of an assumption that top managers have had gilded careers. But Mourinho played in the fifth tier of Portuguese football and was a PE teacher before joining Bobby Robson's staff at Sporting Lisbon. All the same, he'll have better options than Carlisle...

Plenty of managers from the top flight have ended up falling down the leagues though, mainly due to a lack of success. That orange bloke who took Hull to the Premier League (edit: Phil Brown) is one of them, he's now the manager of Kidderminster. Brian Little managed Aston Villa in the UEFA Cup, but ended up at Gainsborough Trinity. And more recently Mark Hughes, once an established Premier League manager, got the sack from Bradford. And former internationals like Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Sol Campbell and Edgar Davids have got their hands dirty in charge of small clubs with mixed results. Even Harry Kewell ????

So it does happen!

One thing I’ve particularly noticed about Stuart Maynard’s tenure is the sense of unity within the squad. The players seem more cohesive, and there's a noticeable uptick in morale. Each match feels like a fresh opportunity, and the boys are genuinely playing for each other. It's a stark contrast to the disarray from last season. Maynard's tactical flexibility, especially with our backline, has brought a real sense of assurance. I believe he's creating a solid blueprint that will serve us well in the long run. And it's not just about this season; Maynard seems focused on laying the groundwork for sustained success. It's been a pleasure seeing this transformation unfold, and there's hope for even more improvements.

Stuart Maynard has shown significant growth in his management style. Initially met with scepticism, his strategic decisions have proved pivotal in transforming the team’s dynamics. By focusing on building a robust defence and fostering squad depth, he’s created a foundation for sustainable success. The ability to adapt and introduce different styles of play, depending on opponents, shows he's learning quickly. Maynard's management of young talents, alongside veteran players, paints a promising picture for the club's future. It's this balance of innovation and tradition that’s making a real difference on the pitch.

Stuart Maynard’s approach to management has brought a refreshing change to Notts. His adaptability and courage in making tough decisions have been evident. The emphasis on strong defensive play, combined with giving young talents a chance, is a strategy that can take the club far. The initial scepticism around his appointment has faded, thanks to the solid foundation he’s building. Like any good manager, he’s learning from past mistakes and implementing changes that benefit the team. Injuries are always a concern, and while they've affected us, Maynard’s handling of these challenges has been impressive. As we move ahead, the focus will be on maintaining momentum. With continued support from the fans and management, the sky’s the limit for Notts.

It's the stuff of dreams. You'd never expect them to do well, but credit to them.

Fiorentina are a good team, not as good as they were in the 90s but still to only win by 2 goals, that alone for The New Saints is a great achievement. You would expect them to be thrashed, but the defeat is very respectable.

Fantastic result for TNS. They win their first ever game in the UEFA Conference League.

Looks like they're all unemployed.

He'll soon get snapped up just like his other colleagues.

Maybe Burton.

Everything that seemed likely to turn the game in our favour came through Nick Tsaroulla. 

He was instrumental in creating opportunities and making things happen on the pitch. His contributions were key to our attacking play, and it felt like we were more dangerous whenever he was involved.

I thought David McGoldrick put a lot of effort into his performance, and for the most part, he looked the most likely to create anything noteworthy. He gave the ball away a few times, but on one instance he had won it back. He went on to win it back, I thought he played very well.

The poll is now closed. Thank you to all who have voted.

We have a clear winner this evening.

I am pleased to announce that Nick Tsaroulla is the Pride of Nottingham's Man of the Match  for his excellent performance against Barrow.

I agree that good players can make an average coach look good, & the ability of a club that can buy the best players can make an average Coach look good too.

I that's my point when it comes to the top sides in the PL.They can recruit the best players that can make Coaches like Guardiola look good.

I'm not saying that a coaches like Guardiola are bad, I'm making a point that Guardiola & his ilk would do no better with the players that are at Swansea right now than anyone else.

It Still Rankles with Me and other Magpie Fans I know, with Richard Montague Beating His Chest Declaring It will take a Massive Offer for Macca to Leave the Lane. Yeah Blah Blah Blah. I still think there's more to Macca's leaving than We Fans are being told. The whole Truth of the situation May Never Come Out. I think I heard there was an Agreement that Luke Williams wouldn't Poach any players from Notts when he went to Swansea. But I Couldn't see how such an Agreement would Stand Up in a Court of Law. Interestingly Enough Macca was full of Praise for his Head Coach at Gateshead and before William's appointment wasn't there a rumor that the Gateshead  Coach at the time was on Notts Radar? Before they settled on Luke Williams. So both the Gateshead Coach and Luke Williams got the Best out of Macca, by playing to his Strengths, while it appears the Head Coach at Millwall doesn't seem Bothered about trying to Get the Best Out Of Macca.

I also remember after Macca's Departure there was a Rumor that Leeds had flown Macca back to the UK from Millwall's Spanish training Camp to sign for them, only for him to be Loaned Straight back to the Lions for this Season. Rumors Rumors they abound some have some form of truth to them. Such has the Strong Rumor that I stated on the PON Site that Jodi could be out for up to Six weeks, which was Confirmed by the Club Days Later. We'll get the Truth of Macca's Leeds Rumor at the End of this season or maybe even January.  Because Leeds play more in the way that Macca has become used to  so is Millwall just a Stop Gap and this is  Why Macca doesn't seem to be getting a Regular Starting Spot? We'll have to wait and See.

I was upset when Macca left, but I think the Notts team have moved on now. Of course Macca's goal scoring exploits are going to be missed, however, the Notts defence is much more water tight than it was when Macca was scoring all those goals last season.

I still believe that we need another specialist striker in the January window to take the pressure off Jatta and Didzy. Hopefully Scott may return too, as soon as he feels well enough.

I think it is also incumbent on Macca to try to adapt to the way Millwall play. I am sure that he is good enough to give it a good go. 

We also have to bear in mind that Notts play a little differently to how they played when Macca was here. Notts have more emphasis on defence now, & we even see Crowley tracking back in defence, so it might not have been so easy for Macca at Notts this season.

Now I know You Young 'Un's' Will Think I'm Daft. But Once Upon A Time, a Football Team had Players called a Center Half, a Left Half and a Right Half and these Players used help out the Defense, in Particular the Center Half who used to Mark and try and Keep the Opposing Center Forward from Getting the Ball and Scoring a Goal Against his team. the other Left Half and Right Half would help out the Defense and along with a Left and a Right Full Back would form the Defensive unit along with the Goalkeeper.

Now once a member of the Defense got the ball, he would sometimes Kick the Ball straight back up the Pitch ( I Know Crazy Isn't It) while another time he would Pass the Ball to a Player called a Winger, who would take the ball along the side of the Pitch skipping past the Opponents Defenders, then he would do what was called Center the Ball he'd kick the ball High across the Penalty Box so His Team's Center Forward would Jump the Highest and Score with a Header. Other times the Winger would pass the ball to either the Inside Right or Inside Left (depending on which side of the Pitch the Winger was on) who would then have a Shot at Goal, sometimes from a Great Distance and sometimes the Winger would also have a Shot at Goal, once they were on the Edge of the Penalty Box and they would either Score a Goal or the Goal keeper would make a Save, or a Defender would get in the way and the Attackers (for that is what they were Called) shot and the Ball would hit the Defender on some part of his Body and the Ball would Bounce away from the Goal or might be Deflected into the Goal after it had Hit the Defender. So that meant the Attackers usually Scored the Goals while the Defenders stopped Attackers from scoring by tackling them, each player had a Job to do and each player did it the Attackers attacked the Goal and tried to Score while the Defenders, defended the Ball and tried to Stop the opposition scoring in their Goal. And just like Nowadays the Team who put the Ball into the Net more than the other Team were Declared the Winners, after exactly 90 minutes of Football. Not 90+4 or 90+6 or even 90+9 Minutes.  That's Just 45 minutes in Each Half, then the Game came to an End.

And that's the Truth. Honest. And No I've Not Had A Bang On The Head, it Happened just Like That.

When I started watching football there was no such thing as a "midfielder" The term "midfielder" began to be used especially after the early 1970s, when the term "half-back" fell out of use.

Before then, the goalkeeper would, 99% of the time, punt the ball as far as he could, & the same with a goal kick. 

It was after then that the continental influence took hold as far as I can see.

But getting back onto topic, do PON members think that the inverted wingback tactic is a good tactic for Notts to use especially with Jodi being out till the new year?

Interestingly, Gareth Southgate used a similar Inverted Wingback tactic  earlier this year in the European Championship.

For the inverted wingbacks I’ll say it’s not been a disaster because Tsaroulla had a good game against Barrow and likewise Gordon against Chesterfield, but it’s not exactly been a revelation either. There have been games where they have struggled too. Personally, I’m still not too sure, I think Jodi is a bit of an exception as his skill level far exceeds our other wide players and he spent his whole career playing as a right-sided attacker before he came to us.

I just can’t get past how they have to do so much more with their weaker foot at times, especially crossing. It's a lot harder to try and dribble down the wing using your weaker foot too. Being able to come inside and shoot is good, and I get that makes sense when you play inverted wingers/inside forwards but is the main role of a wingback to try and score?

Looks like the new owners are impatient for success. Why can't clubs give the Head Coach time to turn things around?

A new Head Coach will take time to settle in, & get to know his players. After he's settled in, the new Coach may not gel with his players, or the players may not like the new coaching methods.

Changing the coach is not always successful. But nowadays these owners want instant success.

I'm pleased that we have owners at Notts who don't have that mindset. Stuart Maynard start at Notts wasn't the best, but just look at Notts now.

His coaching credentials looked strong, maybe it was the recruitment that went awry?

I would think the recruitment has had a big effect; in that they bought in 23 new players this season ????

The players can probably just about remember each other’s names by now!

Hold On, Hold On. If the Team is Based in Dronfield Derbyshire. How the Hell Can they be called Sheffield FC?

The Last time I looked Sheffield was in Yorkshire. Do you Remember the HOOAH  Wimbledon Faced when they moved to Milton Keynes, and they wanted to Keep Wimbledon's Heritage and History, the same Club just a Different Name something Fans Still Rage About to the Present Day. So surely that means Sheffield FC  No Longer Exist and Notts County are the Oldest Football Club in the World? You Can't have it Both Ways, that Being Wimbledon once they moved to Milton Keynes, became MK Dons, a Club with No Footballing History, But Dronfield FC or Whatever can still class themselves Sheffield FC and still carry the Monika, of the World First Football Club, when Technically the Club Doesn't Exist.

@Wheelbarrow repair man

The Club is domestically (FA) &  internationally (FIFA) recognised as the oldest official football club, but they never became a league club because they didn't recognise the FAs football rules quickly enough to help found the Football League.

"Sheffield Football Club (Sheffield F.C.) moved to Dronfield in 2001 to have a permanent home ground. Before then, the club played on borrowed pitches, including Sandygate in Sheffield & Abbeydale Sports Club".

Source Google.

5 hours ago, Robbie said:

Sheffield FC compete in the 8th tier of the football pyramid, in the Isthmian Northeast Division one.

Here's their story on wiki. Interesting read.

It seems that their reluctance to adhere to FA rules until 1878, prevented them from being one of the founder members of the football league.

Sheffield F.C. - Wikipedia

EN.M.WIKIPEDIA.ORG

 

Notts also played under Sheffield rules in the early days. Sheffield missed out on the Football League because they stayed amateur while other clubs were (illegally) hiring professional players. In the space of about a decade they went from being one of the country's leading clubs to being on the receiving end of regular spankings from Notts and the Lancashire clubs and were in serious decline by the 1880s.

As for Dronfield, it's right outside of Sheffield, so not comparable with MK being 80 miles from Wimbledon. They're currently building a permanent home in Sheffield. I think we should arrange a friendly when it's finished. Maybe even in retro kits?

With all the international attention they get, I can't help wondering if someone very rich will try to do a Salford with them one day. We'll have to take some signage down if they do! 

@Wheelbarrow repair man

I agree we don't have the fire power this season. And Notts must vary their tactics too instead of playing out of the back constantly. 

The opposition have found a way to combat it, & Notts need to try to do things differently to keep the opposition guessing.

I also think that Dan Crowley is less effective without Jodi in the side. Jodi can create space by taking defenders with him. 

No one else is doing that at the moment although Tsaroulla did well last night & could help create more space for Crowley in future games.

I found the game a bit disjointed at times, particularly in the first half. Barrow were well-structured and capitalised on their opportunity effectively. We seemed to struggle with our precision in the final third, which prevented us from gaining momentum before the break.

However, the second half was a significant improvement. We applied more pressure, moved the ball more swiftly, and created some solid opportunities. McGoldrick's equaliser was definitely deserved, and I felt we had a chance to claim victory after that. Overall, a draw feels justifiable. It adds another point to our tally, and we continue to progress.