Piethagoram

@Alex West A nicely written piece. In terms of the squad, it is the piece of the squad that you have not highlighted that has been our downfall, namely the central defence ( and maybe the full backs too). We now have a glut of midfield players but the key elements of the defence were not given sufficient scrutiny. The shopping list last summer had to include a decent tall, no nonsense centre half. All we got was Bennett, which despite of so called good reports from Newport, doesnt really have the stature of what we were really looking for. Amevor, for the Reserves, looks more comfortable as a centre half but whether he gets the chance for the first team, maybe we will never know. Some people have been praising the return of Adams. So when he does return, along with Bennett, they both get played in their secondary positions....midfield..isn't that where we are overloaded with "talent" in those positions? In the Reserves, the defence is working fine, given the number of clean sheets. We just live in hope that Jamie pulls the lever on the one arm bandit and comes up with a winning defensive combination that works. All we have got so far on the machine are the proverbial Melons, with a soft centre

@liampie Chris Iwelumo from Watford I seem to recall. File under Dan Chillingworth, Leroy Lita, and countless others in terms of effect.

http://www.nottinghampost.com/Notts-County-0-AFC-Wimbledon-2-Player-ratings/story-28594338-detail/story.html Elite has already posted elsewhere... I would respect a reporter to at least be objective. If that was a 6/10 performance especially for the likes of Bennett, well I am a Tarkers like damp squib / squid. Amending Jimmy's famous words...The best team always win, the rest is just a Powerpoint presentation (only gossip)

David Clarke ( going back some years for some) although scoring on his debut, I would never have classed it as impressive. In more recent times, Billy Daniels stunner against Crewe.

@notts-joe started me thinking. Hayhurst, an impressive debut?, I think not. Yes, an assist for a goal but isn't that what he is paid to do? Well, players that can be added to such a category... Dadi, McCourt, Fotheringham, Angell... I am sure there are plenty of others over the years

@NorthantsPie One can say The Undertaker has taken the midfield diamond to a new extreme, The Coffin. two upfront, two near them but slightly wider not knowing what to do, the other two a long way back. Tactical plan, hoof it into the box tis a dead giveaway

@Northants Pie You missed his alleged other quote.. "Players that score spectacular goals like the one at Crawley have no place in my side". Perhaps it was edited out

#UndertakerOut

In sarf London talk, @Northants Pie, what I witnessed yesterday, should not be in my "manor" #MonizIn

Very disappointed by Fullerton's interview on Magpie Player. Were we watching the same game? Elite pie posted elsewhere to say it was like an advertising salesman justifying his existence. We would have more respect if he had said that the performance was unacceptable. Klopp at Liverpool says it as he sees it, good or bad and takes the fans with him. To be deluded to say we were in the ascendency, showed utter contempt towards us fans. So disillusioned that the creativity left from Ricardo was left on the bench and even more so out of the match day squad.

@Modern Fan 1862 ???? I believe we did try for Che Adams but the price Ilkeston got for him was way beyond our coffers.

but @Modern Fan 1862 ????, we do scout West Brom, we got Atkinson, Oxford got Roofe, go figure.

@Modern Fan 1862 ???? My argument goes beyond Elliot too, Roofe for Oxford was a free transfer from WBA. Why didn't we persuade him to come to Notts. I thought Izzy was much better today but he failed to convert a good chance. Elliot buried his. I rest my case, your honour

@Modern Fan 1862 ???? well given the choice, Elliot for nothing offers better value than 100k+ Izzy. I am sorry that you interpret the game differently today

Another point which I missed, how come we did not identify their number 9 when he was available? A class above Izzy and a free transfer, I may believe.

Well @ Northants Pie unfortunately has summed it up rather well. I travelled back on the tram to Clifton with a guy from Shrewsbury and his son...he was a "secret shopper" testing our Family Stand ambiance for the Football League. His view that Notts should be "VERY WORRIED". My worse fears of a negative midfield set up brought back nightmares of Paul Hart and Keith Curle's tenure. Wimbledon were streets ahead of us in terms of know how and the easy ability to create openings. A 0-5 scoreline would not have been amiss. On Radio 5, in the car, a Man Utd supporter said he was paying good money "to be entertained". Well we got a "paint dry" performance. What was worrying, is that he waited to 70 minutes to even attempt to change it. It was crying out for change at half time. What would Valencic be thinking? If he can't get on in this game to create something, I hold my head in shame. We were led to believe Jamie prepared with meticulous detail for each game. He got this wrong big time. I feel utterly ashamed. Some people said there was passion, well I didn't see the fight to do or die ( only from Curtis and Milsom). I refuse to pay money to Luton for next week. Harsh but words of truth need to be spoken. To end with the words of Monty Python, He's not the Messiah, he is a very naughty boy.

Ratings: Carroll - 6 Should have caught rather than punched on a few occasions.Milsom - 6 Stuck to his task wellHewitt - 5 positioning sense, not that I noticedHollis - 4 lumbering non performanceAtkinson - 4 Dead ball disaster, defensively betterCampbell - 3 wondered was he playing at times, as Elite says, a passenger for most of the gameAdams - 3 should have scored with that header, but for the people on here shouting for Adams return, well he gave a very poor performance. Creativity zeroThompson - 6 Full of energy but lost the ball too often, one of which cost their second goalBennett - 4 defensively OK but when you need creativity as well, fell at the first hurdleMcLeod - 6 thought for the first time, he was fighting for the cause and should have scored.Stead - 4 held the ball up but lacked the pace to create.Noble - 5 OK but too late to influence matchMurray - 4 Squandered great chance within minutes of coming on. Just not sharp enough.

@notts-joe Alan Smith or Ricard Dryden would be fine with me. Both seem very capable of being a good number 2. I have always disliked the way some managers bring in their best buddy. One needs a number 2 that is objective and not a "yes" man.

I feel sorry for Dave Kevan. Judging by Ricardo's body language, Dave was a number 2 only in name. He (Dave) has not become a bad coach overnight. The least said about Abbott the better

@CliftonMagpie From what we know so far, Fullarton appears meticulous in his preparation. My fear is that he may go too defensively and play the same team as last week...but we do need to "tap in" to the offensive talent we have. Getting that balance right will determine success

The key decision will be if Izzy plays or not. He may well keep Stead up front and support with Nolan and Valencic, goal scoring midfielders.

Liam, Izzy didnt even make it on to the pitch at Crawley. If he is still injured, I would keep Stead and play both Aborah and Valencic

Carroll/LoachAtkinson, Hewitt, Hollis, MilsomThompson, Bennett, NobleAborah/ValencicStead McLeod Need to keep defensive back 4 from Crawley for some sake of continuity. other subs Snijders Spencer Amevor

Notts's central midfield options is where we have an abundance of talent. I would keep Milsom at left back and if Mansfield really want him, they can part with some money.