Notts Hopeful Of Solid Campaign

Despite being edged out of the Carabao (League) Cup at home to Burnley, on penalties, last weekend, Martin Paterson’s Notts County side will be looking to push on from last season’s successful, promotion winning campaign.

Having finished fifth in League Two, and gaining promotion via the playoffs, a 3-0 win over Salford City at Wembley in late May, the Magpies have made a few changes going into the new campaign.

Having taken Burnley the distance before losing 4-3 on penalties, Paterson and company will be hoping to start the new season with a bang, they welcoming former Premier League champions, Leicester City, to Meadow Lane this coming Saturday (15 August) lunch-time.

Heading into Meadow Lane are a dozen new signings for the assault on League One, manager Paterson strengthening in every department, especially through the middle of the park.

Across midfield the Magpies have brought in a pair of loan-signing, attacking midfielders, in Swansea City’s Ollie Cooper, and Crystal Palace’s Hindolo Mustapha, whilst also signing a pair of defensive midfielders in Jack Evans (Harrogate Town) and Dean Campbell (Northampton Town), and another two central midfielders in Darius Lipsuic (Stoke City) and Max Sanders (Crewe Alexandra).

Lipsuic in an Irishman, hailing from Dunboyne, and a Republic of Ireland U21 international, he spent last season on loan at Solihull Moors; whilst Sussex-born Sanders brings experience from spells at AFC Wimbledon, Lincoln City, Leyton Orient, and Crewe Alexandra.

Initially well-travelled, Evans has racked up appearances over the past few seasons at Hereford, Halifax, and Harrogate, whilst Campbell began his playing career north o’ the border, in the Scottish Premiership with Aberdeen, before spells with Barrow and Northampton; Cooper has been a bit of a stalwart at Stockport, the Welsh international making 117 appearances in the Championship, whilst Mustapha will be looking to gain valued experience at the Lane.

In addition to that midfield menagerie of youth and experience, Paterson has brought in a couple of defenders, Callum Roberts (Scunthorpe United), Matt Baker (Newport County), and the loan signing of Ishe Samuels-Smith (Chelsea), and a couple of forwards that’ll replace the outgoing pairing of Matthew Dennis and Alassana Jatta.

Dennis has moved to Burton Albion, whilst Jatta has jetted off to sunnier climes, and Portugal’s Casa Pia, in the Portuguese top flight; their replacements are Emile Acquah, and Luke Smyth, both of whom will be expected to hit the ground running when they host the former Premier League champions, Leicester City.

Come the festive fixtures, County aim should be sitting around mid-table, anything higher a bonus, and will follow the Halloween clash at Nottinghamshire rivals Mansfield Town, with winter games at home to Cambridge United (26 December), away to Wigan Athletic (29 December), before ringing in the New Year on the road at Barnsley (1 January).

Alongside two other frontmen in Maziar Kouhyar and Lee Ndlovu, and that plethora of midfield talent, manager Paterson will be hoping his other two strikers, Acquah and Smyth, will have bagged plenty of goals themselves.

Acquah arrived in early July from Scottish Premiership side, Dundee, having had previous League One and League Two experience with both Southend United and Barrow respectively, whilst Australian Smyth, he joined in late July from Finnish top flight outfit, VPS (Vaasan Palloseura), following spells at clubs back home in Australia.

A first season at this level in a little over a decade, the Magpies were relegated to league Two back in 2015, then to the National League in 2019, before a steady rise back to whence they came, their 2026/27 campaign concludes with an interesting couple of matches.

Hoping to be clear of the relegation places, and pushing to the top half, at least, Martin Paterson’s side will finish at home to MK Dons (1 May) before travelling south to face AFC Wimbledon a week later (8 May) on the final day.

Peter-Mann Notts Hopeful Of Solid Campaign