upthepies

This situation precisely illustrates the challenges that football clubs like Oxford United face in their quest for advancement. The inability to retain their key players and losing their manager, Liam Manning, to Bristol City, significantly hampers their progress. The departure of a manager can destabilise a team, and the appointment of Manning's successor will be a crucial decision. The new manager will have the arduous task of ensuring the team maintains its current form, which is no easy feat. Manning's departure must have been anticipated, given that Oxford United's hold on the 2nd position was always going to be contested. Regarding Luke Williams, his decision to potentially move to Oxford United seems somewhat perplexing. It appears to be a gamble, as he would be banking on the prospect of playing Championship football with Oxford. However, this is a risky move considering the likelihood of Oxford United struggling in the event of a promotion. The upcoming season could prove challenging for the team, casting doubt on the wisdom of Williams' potential decision. It remains to be seen how these changes will impact both the players and the club's future.

Coventry City 0-2 Stoke City Southampton 1-0 West Bromwich Albion Derby County 1-1 Barnsley Wycombe Wanderers 2-1 Stevenage Joker AFC Wimbledon 2-0 Doncaster Rovers Tranmere Rovers 0-0 Forest Green Rovers AFC Fylde 0-1 York City Altrincham 0-1 Southend United

Zoumana Bakayogo and Thierry Audel are two ex players of both teams.

It’s encouraging to see the enhancements and updates, @Chris. Your dedication to this community is commendable, and I hope that everyone will return as they did during the previous issue. You are certainly deserving of a holiday.

I was quite fond of Will Patching, who appeared to be superior to Ed Francis. Both seemed to have the potential to become excellent players, but Patching simply appeared to be the more promising of the two. I wish him success in his current endeavours and hope that he can make a return to the Football League.

Welcome @Callumpie! It's great to be welcoming you to the community here, PON is a great site. Enjoy!

Welcome! It's good to be welcoming you to PON @Samuel Morris. Everyone here is great!

The addition of Dan Gosling into Notts is a significant milestone that sends a strong statement about the club’s intent to compete. Gosling, a seasoned Premier League veteran, brings in the necessary strength, experience, and acumen that could give a much-needed adrenaline rush to the team. As a fervent supporter, I am ecstatic and can't wait to see the magical difference he might make on and off the pitch. Onwards and upwards, Notts County!

Huddersfield Town 1-2 Cardiff City Swansea City 2-1 Watford Lincoln City 0-3 Charlton Athletic Northampton Town 0-1 Leyton Orient AFC Wimbledon 2-1 Accrington Stanley Crewe Alexandra 0-1 Stockport County Joker Dagenham & Redbridge 1-2 Boreham Wood Eastleigh 1-0 Woking

Luke Williams' candid approach and commitment to strengthening the defence are praiseworthy. The honesty about the team's ongoing journey of adapting to the competitive environment of League Two underscores the resilience of Notts County. Here's hoping for the team to overcome challenges and rise!

This marks a historic event not only for Notts County, but also for the whole football fraternity. As a football enthusiast, I am thrilled for tomorrow’s showdown. Come on Notts!

McGoldrick embodies the fighting spirit we fans truly appreciate. His dedication and loyalty to the team stirs up pride in all of us. The emotional connection he shares with the club resonates with us, it bleeds real passion into his actions both on and off the pitch. It's exactly what the club needs to bounce back. Looking forward to some big wins in the near future!

It wouldn’t take long for everyone on PON to regroup, it’s the kind of site that deserves the time we all invest and it’s nice to see everyone back. Now that we have had some time off, we can proceed with discussions because that time did make me miss the site.

Going into the match, I hope there has been a strong emphasis on defence but also on our play when teams make it hard to find room, it’s all about being more courageous in my view, creativity isn’t something that vanishes, it just needs practice. As others have mentioned, John Bostock is crucial, he’s the pillar that makes everything much smoother. Whoever is in the wingback positions, they need to ensure crosses and balls are going into the opposition’s penalty area. Macaulay Langstaff can’t do much if he isn’t provided with the service, he works hard and tries but we need to give him the chance to put the ball in the back of the net.

It’s a great number of matches for any team, but being included in them is an honour. Notts are part of an exclusive group, as a founding member of the Football League we will always have this piece of history to show people that we are not a minor team. Let’s hope the 5,000th match brings a positive result so we can truly celebrate it.

Bristol City 2-1 Coventry City Hull City 0-3 Southampton Burton Albion 1-0 Bristol Rovers Peterborough United 2-0 Wycombe Wanderers Bradford City 2-2 Wrexham Joker Colchester United 1-0 Harrogate Town Rochdale 0-0 Oldham Athletic Southend United 0-1 Solihull Moors

James Belshaw is a fair goalkeeper, I’m uncertain if he’s quite up to the Football League standard but I always wish a former Notts player well. I hope he performs well with Forest Green.

There are too many missing drain covers, the police should do more to ensure those who steal them are apprehended.

It’s reassuring to know that Jimmy Spencer is out there playing, despite our supporters believing his injury at Arnold Town was our downfall. I believe Jimmy Spencer would have eventually been injured, some players are just prone to that but he’s a skilled forward.

I’m not worried, it’s just football and I don’t believe the loss alters anything. We’re a strong team, we simply need to examine the goals we let in and strive harder to stop Swindon Town from creating opportunities. I’d be inclined to let Sam Slocombe step in, mainly to shield Aidan Stone but also to see if Slocombe can use his experience to navigate this match. Apart from that, we don’t need to alter anything.

There's no denying that we let in more goals than we should have. However, this defeat does not define the team's potential. I believe Luke Williams's comments hold much truth, we did show a strong offensive game, and the team spirit was commendable. The struggle lies in our defensive strength. We allowed the opposition to score easy goals, which certainly tipped the scales. If we want to keep our winning momentum, bolstering our defence without losing sight of our attacking potential should be our primary goal.

I wouldn’t say Jimmy Sirrel thought of me as a friend, but I considered him one and I’m fortunate to have known him quite well. I had chats with him during the years he spent at Meadow Lane, that’s just how the club was back then. The place now known as Lawton’s Bar, or whatever it’s called, as I don’t frequent there now, was once a spot where you’d always see the players or Jimmy. He’d always get a round in, have a natter with fans and then get back to work. If you bumped into him, he’d talk to you. That’s just how Jimmy was, you didn’t need to greet him, you just had to be in his vicinity or catch his eye.

“Salvage” is indeed an apt term given that we were directly accountable for all the goals conceded. One could argue that their free kick, which resulted in a goal, was a brilliant strike, but the tackle leading up to it was simply reckless.

The match was a disaster, we permitted far too much room in the centre of the field. Notts required a more compact formation at times, whilst avoiding unnecessary passes. I initially sympathised with Aidan Stone, but now I attribute his shortcomings to him. He’s directly responsible for at least 3 of the goals, regardless of how many he saves, it’s simply disheartening.

Alan White anyone?