"I do not think" - Notts County: Macaulay Langstaff theory dismissed after Millwall move | OneFootball

The striker made the move to The Den this summer after two prolific seasons at Meadow Lane

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

It seemed only a matter of time before Macaulay Langstaff departed Notts Country over the summer, with Millwall eventually making the striker theirs during the off-season.

The forward had netted 70 league goals during his two seasons at Meadow Lane, and had played a massive part in firing the Magpies back into the EFL during the 22/23 campaign with 42 strikes in the National League.

Having added another 28 League Two goals to his tally in 23/24, there was plenty of speculation surrounding his future, before the Lions forked out a reported £700,000 fee to bring him to The Den.

His departure doesn’t seem to have effected Stuart Maynard’s side all too much though, as they sit in the League Two leading pack at this point in the season. We spoke to Football League World’s County fan pundit Thomas Wagstaff to get a view from the Lane about the current situation.

Notts County continue to thrive despite Macaulay Langstaff departure

While Langstaff’s goals were stripped from Notts over the summer, the League Two side knew they had more than enough firepower to make up for the departure of their chief goal-getter this season.

With Dan Crowley and David McGoldrick both hitting double figures in the previous campaign, and the likes of Alassana Jatta and Jodi Jones chipping in with five goals apiece, Maynard still had the basis of a team that could threaten in the final third, regardless of who was playing up top.

Jones’ ability to supply his teammates on a regular basis was simply breathtaking over the past year, with 23 assists, by far and away, the highest in the division, while Crowley’s creativity and composure on the ball continues to impress.

Jatta has already matched last season’s numbers after joining from Danish side Viborg in January, and looks to be more than an ample replacement in creating and scoring goals, that Wagstaff believes his side aren’t feeling any ill-effects from letting Langstaff head to London.

When asked about the situation, the Notts fan said: “No, I do not think Notts are missing Langstaff, I didn’t think we would miss him when he left, and I don’t think we are missing him now.

“He was a really good goalscorer, but we scored nearly 90 goals last season, so it was always a case of keeping Jodi Jones, and if Langstaff goes - or when Langstaff goes, as it was a matter of time - I think we will be OK without him.

“He did score lots of goals, but other than that, he didn’t bring too much in terms of creation or anything along those lines.

“So we don’t miss him, and we have got adequate replacements and goalscorers all over the pitch.”

Macaulay Langstaff fails to recreate Notts County form at Millwall

Many were expecting Langstaff to hit the ground running when he made the move to the Championship, but the striker has found life in the second tier tougher than first thought.

Trying to get to grips with a Neil Harris side that may not suit his strengths has proven half the issue, with chances coming his way on a less regular occurrence, as compared to when he had the likes of Crowley and Jones supplying the goods in the final third.

It took until the forward’s seventh league match of the season for him to open his account for his new employers, as he added the third in a 3-1 victory over Preston North End at The Den, and get that particular monkey of his back.

While Tom Bradshaw and Josh Coburn face spells on the sidelines, Langstaff will have wanted to prove what he can do, but the battle with Mihailo Ivanovic for minutes continues to rumble on, as the frontman continues to find his way after his two-division leap up the standings.

Not that Notts are worried, with only two sides in the whole division scoring more than they have so far this season, proving they were more than just a one-man team in the first place.