Notts County promotion boost is better than a new signing: View | OneFootball

Notts received a huge boost to their promotion hopes on Sunday, one which could potentially be better than a new signing.

Key Takeaways

Notts County received a huge boost to their promotion hopes on Sunday with the return of influential midfielder Matty Palmer.

After picking up a knee injury which ultimately ruled him out for the season in Notts’ defeat to Wrexham last October, Palmer finally brought to a close a period of 296 days spent on the sidelines when he replaced Conor Grant in the 63rd minute on Saturday.

Palmer’s return serves as a huge lift for the Magpies and it’s clear that Stuart Maynard knows just how important he is to the side, with the Notts boss saying on Sunday: “I’m so happy for him. It’s been a long, long time and he came on and didn’t look like he’d been off the pitch. He got us ticking and kept us going.”

While fans and coaching staff must be patient with the 29-year-old, who didn’t kick a ball in pre-season before his return on Sunday, the prospect of a fully fit Palmer back in the side will undoubtedly excite everyone connected to Notts.

Matty Palmer's return will be like a new signing

Palmer’s time at Meadow Lane so far has been a huge success.

His phenomenal level of fitness saw him miss just one league game between his arrival from Swindon Town in the summer of 2021 and the game against Wrexham last October.

The former Wigan Athletic and Burton Albion man was an ever-present in the Magpies’ National League promotion season, appearing in every single league game (only starting one from the bench), before playing every minute of Notts’ successful play-off campaign. He even carried a threat in the final third for Luke Williams’ side, finishing the season with two goals and seven assists.

Palmer carried that form into League Two last season, beginning the season with a string of high-quality performances prior to his injury.

The ex-Derby academy graduate has been central to everything good about the Magpies over the last few years and it’s no exaggeration to say that his return will likely have a greater effect on this Notts side than any realistic new signing possibly could have.

When you play with a possession-heavy system, you need a midfielder who is ultra-reliable on the ball and capable of receiving it in almost any situation and retaining possession. Palmer is unquestionably that man.

When you consider the change in fortunes Notts experienced after his injury last year, you realise just how indispensable Palmer is.

Matty Palmer will be key to promotion hopes

Now club captain after the departures of Kyle Cameron and Macaulay Langstaff, Palmer will be as important as ever this season.

He won’t be a particularly vocal captain, more one who leads by example, but his experience and leadership qualities will be invaluable as Notts try to mount a serious challenge to reach League One.

On the pitch, Palmer’s return should tighten Notts up even more in the middle of the park. Calm and dependable in possession, he is the perfect man to help Notts recycle the ball and continue to build pressure after an opposition team have cleared their lines.

This, in turn, should lead to Notts being much less vulnerable on the counter-attack than they were in his absence last season.

That quality on the ball will also help immeasurably when Notts are trying to build out from the back and help them to transition from defence to attack much more smoothly.

Scott Robertson also made his return from injury in Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Fleetwood and the potential to see Robertson’s grit and aggression alongside Palmer’s composure and quality will hugely excite Notts fans.

Throw those two back into the mix and Stuart Maynard looks likely to have the kind of headache that managers dream of.

The returning duo, alongside new arrivals Jack Hinchy, Curtis Edwards, and Conor Grant, mean the competition for places at the base of Notts’ midfield suddenly looks very strong.

This newfound strength in depth will free up Dan Crowley to push higher up the pitch and return to the role that he excelled in last season, which should rectify the lack of support Alassana Jatta had in the first half on Sunday.

As expected, there were signs of rust in his performance on Sunday, but get Palmer back to full fitness and Notts undeniably have one of the division’s very best in their midfield once again.