DangerousSausage

I agree with pretty much all of the above. All season I've had the impression that the percentage of the opposition's shots on goal that end up in the net is far too high. I don't think the defence and either keeper truly have confidence in each other, and it shows in some of the decision making on display. I think it's a given that we'll try to strengthen at the back, but I'm less sure about the goalkeeper position as we've got three senior keepers already. I think Brooks will get his chance soon, but ideally I'd like to see a new face here too.

This is pretty harsh given that the recruitment team has also brought us players like Rodders, Jones, Reeves, Palmer, Wootton, Langstaff, Scott, Crowley etc. Some of whom weren't on anybody else's radar. Gosling was a gamble worth taking, while Morias was injured when he joined us and has struggled for fitness ever since. Signings are always a gamble to an extent, but our record on loanees has been patchy. Maybe the experience of being in and around the first team squad has been good for Ollie Tipton, but it hasn't really benefitted us. We're crying out for competition in a few areas, so we don't need players who aren't really in contention for a spot.

We do need someone experienced at the back to settle us down, organise the other defenders and hopefully to have their composure rub off on the rest of them. However, if we can get a player like this in addition, I'm all for it. We need a proper shake up at the back and I'm not sure one new face would be enough.

We were going to have a trip to the outlaws and celebrate with them, but I caught a cold a few days ago and don't want to pass it on. So it looks like a quiet one at home tonight with a bottle of sparkly we were given five years ago! Have a great time everyone, and don't blow yourselves up

This is very true, League 2 today is a world away from what it was when we were relegated into it in the late 90s. The standard then is more akin to today's National League. Some of the players we have and the football we are playing are out of this world, enjoy every minute of it!

The favourite isn't always the best Craig Short for fighting on the pitch in a suit and tie like a drunk wedding guest. Could have been a decent manager is given the chance too. Neil Warnock for being an all-round legend. Met him away from Notts and football a few years back and he seemed a lovely bloke too. Martin Allen and Sam Allardyce for the way both of them turned the club round during their time in charge and left it on the up. Sam gets a bonus point for the old-school tache. And Luke Williams, no explanation needed!

These matches all kick off at 3pm on New Year's Day - don't miss out! @4everapie, @allardyces tash, @AmericanPie, @ARLukomski, @Canadian, @cheeky~k8, @Chris, @CliftonMagpie, @Dan, @DonnyNotts, @George L, @gtownjohnno, @JIMBO, @jimbob, @Joshua, @KB1862, @KingWilliams, @liampie, @magpiejue, @Nocturnal-Magpie, @NottsCountyKev, @nottsnutter, @OoooooTommy, @TheSkipper, @thommo, @upthepies

The results: Coventry City 2-2 Swansea City Millwall 1-0 Norwich City Bristol Rovers 2-1 Charlton Athletic Burton Albion 1-0 Shrewsbury Town Cheltenham Town 2-2 Reading Harrogate Town 0-2 Tranmere Rovers Newport County 1-1 Crewe Alexandra Salford City 0-3 Grimsby Town --- Congrats to @Dan, who wins this round! @Dan - 10 @gtownjohnno, @super_ram - 9 @DangerousSausage, @magpiejue, @nottsnutter - 4 @ARLukomski, @Fan of Big Tone - 3 @4everapie, @cheeky~k8, @liampie - 2 @Megan_Elizax, @william1984 - 1 @Robbie__64 - nul points --- This is the latest table - @ARLukomski's lead is narrowed a little, and the race for third is on! ARLukomski - 141 gtownjohnno - 132 cheeky~k8 - 121 4everapie - 116 william1984 - 114 DangerousSausage - 112 nottsnutter - 112 Fan of Big Tone - 111 super_ram - 108 Dan - 107 magpiejue - 104 liampie - 97 Chris - 96 Megan_Elizax - 93 upthepies - 90 Joshua - 80 DonnyNotts - 79 allardyces tash - 67 KingWilliams - 66 TheSkipper - 58 CliftonMagpie - 49 thommo - 49 OoooooTommy - 45 NottsCountyKev - 41 JIMBO - 40 jimbob - 38 Nocturnal-Magpie - 38 AmericanPie - 36 KB1862 - 22 George L - 6 Canadian - 4 Robbie_64 - 4 --- We have more fixtures on 1 January, and they're online now. Mark the new year by climbing up the table thanks for playing everyone!

Bristol City 2-0 Millwall Middlesbrough 2-0 Coventry City Cambridge United 2-1 Leyton Orient Derby County 1-1 Peterborough United Crawley Town 1-1 Swindon Town (joker) Stockport County 1-1 Mansfield Town Oxford City 1-2 Dorking Wanderers Wealdstone 2-0 Maidenhead United

In 2024 it'll be the same procedure as every year - send in your predictions before 3pm on Monday, and remember your joker! Bristol City v Millwall Middlesbrough v Coventry City Cambridge United v Leyton Orient Derby County v Peterborough United Crawley Town v Swindon Town Stockport County v Mansfield Town Oxford City v Dorking Wanderers Wealdstone v Maidenhead United

I missed the first half, which was probably why it was so great but that's a fantastic result. Doncaster and Morecambe might not be the best the division has to offer, but you can only beat what's in front of you, and we've done it in style. It was so important to string a couple of results together, and the clean sheets are the cherry on the cake.

As an artist called Whigfield nearly once said, "Friday night I feel the air is getting hot". Mind you, she also said "da ba da dan dee dee dee da nee na na na". Either way, these matches kick off on FRIDAY NIGHT at 7.45pm - don't miss out! @4everapie, @Fan of Big Tone, @Chris, @Megan_Elizax, @upthepies, @Joshua, @DonnyNotts, @allardyces tash, @KingWilliams, @TheSkipper, @CliftonMagpie, @thommo, @OoooooTommy, @NottsCountyKev, @JIMBO, @jimbob, @Nocturnal-Magpie, @AmericanPie, @KB1862, @George L, @Canadian

The loanees you mention have been outstanding. And let us not forget Ryan Yates, Jack Grealish and Callum McGregor. However, we remember them because they were good. For every smash hit there are at least a couple of flops who are quickly left on the sidelines and forgotten about. But as you say, the risk to us is low when they're brought in to complement what we've got and provide a bit of competition - if it doesn't work out, they go back and it's not the end of the world. It's when you absolutely rely on inexperienced loanees that you run into trouble - I still remember trying to stay in the Football League with two loanee centre halves and a loanee keeper, all still in their teens.

You do have the bragging rights of Doncaster though. And there's always the next round

Coventry City 2-1 Swansea City Millwall 0-2 Norwich City Bristol Rovers 1-1 Charlton Athletic Burton Albion 2-0 Shrewsbury Town (joker) Cheltenham Town 1-1 Reading Harrogate Town 1-3 Tranmere Rovers Newport County 1-2 Crewe Alexandra Salford City 0-0 Grimsby Town

I feel sorry for the bloke, and judging what I've seen of them in two games they're doing well to be seven points clear of the relegation zone. For them it's about finishing above two other teams, I don't think they've got the players to do any better than that. That said, calling it a "good start" is wishful thinking.

I find offering my soul up to the devil gets me the odd point or two @Robbie__64. Eternal damnation in the fires of hell is a small price to pay for sixth place in the prediction league. But @cheeky~k8 just guesses hers.

The results: Hull City 0-1 Sunderland Watford 1-4 Bristol City Exeter City 1-0 Wycombe Wanderers Fleetwood Town 1-1 Carlisle United Barrow 2-2 Stockport County Bradford City 2-2 Morecambe Altrincham 1-2 Halifax Town Southend United 0-2 Barnet --- Not many points this round bar two big winners who both landed their jokers. Congratulations @Fan of Big Tone and @william1984! @Fan of Big Tone, @william1984 - 10 @Dan - 5 @4everapie, @liampie, @Robbie__64 - 4 @cheeky~k8, @DangerousSausage - 2 @ARLukomski, @gtownjohnno, @magpiejue, @Megan_Elizax, @super_ram - 1 @DonnyNotts - nul points --- @william1984 jumps into the top five with that result. Welcome also to our new boy @Robbie__64, who starts off propping up the table - but maybe not for long! ARLukomski - 138 gtownjohnno - 123 cheeky~k8 - 119 4everapie - 114 william1984 - 113 DangerousSausage - 108 Fan of Big Tone - 108 nottsnutter - 108 magpiejue - 100 super_ram - 99 Dan - 97 Chris - 96 liampie - 95 Megan_Elizax - 92 upthepies - 90 Joshua - 80 DonnyNotts - 79 allardyces tash - 67 KingWilliams - 66 TheSkipper - 58 CliftonMagpie - 49 thommo - 49 OoooooTommy - 45 NottsCountyKev - 41 JIMBO - 40 jimbob - 38 Nocturnal-Magpie - 38 AmericanPie - 36 KB1862 - 22 George L - 6 Canadian - 4 Robbie_64 - 4 --- If your crystal balls aren't worn out already, the next round is on Friday the 29th and the fixtures are already online! Thanks for playing and see you there...

I was quite taken with the bag of rum truffles Father Christmas brought! I've eaten so many I might need to rename myself DangerousDumpling though...

As we all know, the true meaning of Christmas is to have lots of football. So we have another round of games on Friday! These all kick off at 7.45pm, and don't forget those jokers! Coventry City v Swansea City Millwall v Norwich City Bristol Rovers v Charlton Athletic Burton Albion v Shrewsbury Town Cheltenham Town v Reading Harrogate Town v Tranmere Rovers Newport County v Crewe Alexandra Salford City v Grimsby Town

A belated merry Christmas to you all.

I was wrong, it was just as easy. Yikes, Doncaster are bad. But that was a really accomplished performance from us, we could easily have got 5 or 6. There were a few wobbly moments at the back, but the guests weren't good enough to take advantage. Great to finally win again!

It's going to be a big crowd, hopefully an entertaining game and there'll be a Meat Loaf tribute after the game to boot! I'm jealous of you all Doncaster were desperately poor in the first game, they looked every inch a relegation candidate. I don't expect us to have it nearly as easy today, but we need to put an end to our poor run. If we pick up where we left off at Stockport, I think we will. As for Gosling, he spent another 87 minutes on the bench on Saturday. I suspect that club and player both know they're going separate ways already and I'd be surprised to see him play more than a cameo today.

Hull City 2-0 Sunderland Watford 1-1 Bristol City Exeter City 1-1 Wycombe Wanderers Fleetwood Town 2-1 Carlisle United Barrow 1-1 Stockport County Bradford City 3-1 Morecambe (joker) Altrincham 2-0 Halifax Town Southend United 1-2 Barnet

I think it was a penalty, Richardson was about to pull the trigger and would certainly have scored. Cameron took his heels with no attempt to play the ball. Stockport would have scored either way. Richardson looked a right handful after he came on, but did he spend as much time whingeing and provoking the opposition when he was in a Notts shirt?