Another player who was signed by the Magpies, but hardly played for the First team, being Loaned out Season after Season so never got the Chance to show his abilities, then was realised by the Club at the end of his Contract. That seems to be the Lot of many Academy Players at Notts repeatedly Loaned out season following season, not given much of a chance to play first team Football, then moved on once their contract is up.

Despite the Fact that the Head of Recruitment insists that he wants players in the Notts First XI who have come through the Academy. Unless he gets his chance this season Tiernan Brookes may be another player on his way, once his contract ends. 

good luck to him, the national league south is a difficult league to escape from but that applies for the north and main division. i just hope he enjoys his time there and does well. i always thought he was okay at notts, nothing amazing but reliable enough.

At present, England appears to be a team that slowly builds momentum, relying on things going right to play with confidence. This is surprising given the talent within the squad, but talent alone doesn’t necessarily create a great team. I believe some players are getting caught up in their own hype, yet they fail to perform on the international stage. This leads me to think they are overrated by a significant portion of our fans.

On paper, we should be dominating the group and we certainly have some real talent. It’s hard to understand why this squad wouldn’t be expected to be in contention for the Euros, but their current style of play makes it difficult to see that happening. I don’t think it’s fair to place all the blame on Gareth Southgate. Some are quick to blame the manager at the expense of the players. Once the players step onto the pitch, they should be capable enough to figure out their opposition. Tactics are more of a guideline, so it’s harsh to blame Southgate entirely.

What I would like to see from Southgate is a starting squad where players are playing in their strongest roles. Perhaps someone like Jude Bellingham could drop back and allow someone else to play further up the pitch. Phil Foden might benefit from this switch, but our real strength lies in our wingers. Bukayo Saka seems to focus more on his frustration with being fouled than on getting on with the game. He has the ability to take on players, but so far he has repeatedly made poor decisions when attempting this. He has been very disappointing, as he doesn’t link well with anyone on that side of the pitch. I would be curious to see if he could link up with Trent Alexander Arnold, who our fans seem to be experts on, but who does perform better out wide.

@CliftonMagpie

No Leadership On Or  Off The Pitch.

@CliftonMagpie I agree with much of what you have said, however I don't agree regarding Southgate.

Southgate is the Manager, he picks the players, he also has to take responsibility for shape, style, tactics and how the team is playing.

Southgate has had plenty of time to know who is strongest side is, but I don't believe he does know even at this stage of the tournament.

The buck has to stop with the Manager and if he cannot get the performance out of such a talented squad like he has here, then it is very fair for the press and the fans to question his tram selection and tactics.

yes, i think so. i think goalkeeper coaches dont get noticed as much as others but even then its a fair point to highlight the academy ones. they spend so much time nurturing talent. years and years with the same players from a young age until some sign schooler deals or even first year pros. i am thankful the reedtz have invested properly in all of our coaching team.

I hadn't appreciated that our new GK coach, coached at Rochdale when they were promoted to EFL1

https://www.nottscountyfc.co.uk/news/2024/june/steve-collis-appointment-050624/

I continue to feel a sense of disappointment for Tom Weal. He appeared to be quite competent in his role, and it’s not his fault that he couldn’t turn around Aidan Stone’s fortunes. I believe that goalkeeping coaches often don’t receive the recognition they deserve, mainly because their role lacks the glamour associated with other positions. However, their contribution is just as crucial.

i barely remember him, but he was one of those signings that never looked ready to be a part of a first team sqaud imo. i am not surprised he fell so far.

If you weren’t observant, you might have overlooked him. I believe there was a fair amount of buzz about him from the club during the Trew era, if my memory serves me correctly. I can’t quite recall his performance, but according to his Wikipedia page, it appears his career has been on a decline since then.

https://www.nottscountyfc.co.uk/news/2013/february/leicester-frontman-arrives-on-loan/

https://www.nottscountyfc.co.uk/news/2013/february/blyth-up-for-the-challenge/

good experienced coach, i was not aware keith downing had played for us until i read one of the tweets from pon about him. he seems to have had a wealth of experience, it makes me wonder why he has not tried to manage a team.

I’m not well-acquainted with him, apart from his involvement with the England team. I believe it was the U19s where I saw a video of him with the “future” England players a while back. A move to Blackburn seems like a positive step for his coaching career.

Hello, @Thomas Cotton. Welcome! I wish you all the best and hope to see you join in.

Welcome to PON, @Thomas Cotton. It's good to be welcoming you. 

Hello, @Thomas Cotton. Welcome to PON! Don't be a stranger, first step is to register, second is to login and third is to get invovled. We would love to see your thoughts on Notts.

Hello, @TruroPieSi. Welcome to the Pride of Nottingham! Pleased to see you joining our ranks.

Welcome to PON @TruroPieSi. ????????

Hello, @TruroPieSi. Don't be a stranger, I know you have been signed up for awhile now but I thought I would welcome you. Do get involved in the community.  

A warm hello, from across the pond @Callumpie. Keep joining in with your thoughts.

Hello, @Callumpie. Welcome to PON. I hope to see you continue to join in.

Hello, @Callumpie. It was great to see you joining in, please don't be a stranger and come back soon. Welcome to the community from me.  

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.