"Won us 5-7 points" - Notts County lauded for one particular summer deal | OneFootball

FLW's Notts County fan pundit has been impressed by goalkeeper Alex Bass following his summer move from Sunderland.

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 has been an excellent start to the season for Notts County in League Two.

Notts County made an impressive start to life back in League Two last season following their promotion from the National League, but they endured an incredibly disappointing second half of the campaign after Stuart Maynard replaced Luke Williams as head coach in January after his move to Swansea City, and they eventually finished 14th in the table.

However, after a strong summer transfer window that saw the arrival of 14 new signings, the Magpies are among the early front-runners in the fourth tier this season.

Notts extended their unbeaten run to four league games with a 1-0 win over Harrogate Town at Meadow Lane on Saturday, with Alessana Jatta's second half goal sealing all three points, and they currently sit third in the table.

Notts County fan pundit makes Alex Bass claim

When asked which player he believes is currently the first name on Maynard's team sheet, FLW's Notts County fan pundit Thomas Wagstaff said that goalkeeper Alex Bass has made himself undroppable since his arrival from Sunderland.

Bass kept 17 clean sheets in 48 games during his loan spell at AFC Wimbledon last season before making a permanent move to Meadow Lane this summer.

The 26-year-old has made an outstanding start to life with the Magpies, recording five clean sheets in his first 14 appearances for the club, and Thomas believes he has already cemented his place in the team.

"First name on the team sheet is easy, it's goalkeeper Alex Bass," Thomas said.

"He had the most clean sheets in League Two last year at Wimbledon, we signed him, and he's probably already won us five to seven points with his performances so far this season.

"He has to start every single game.

"We've got almost as many clean sheets already as we did in the whole of last season, which is obviously not only testament to him, but the defence.

"He's very calm from corners and claims crosses, whereas last year goalkeepers were punching it or dropping it, really erratic.

"His communication with his defenders and distribution is decent as well, which is important as a Notts County goalkeeper."

Stuart Maynard recruitment has been crucial to Notts County success

It is difficult to disagree with Thomas that Bass is currently one of the first names on the Notts team sheet, and Maynard should be praised for convincing the goalkeeper to make the move to Meadow Lane this summer.

The Magpies conceded an alarming 86 league goals last season, which made it near impossible for them to seriously challenge for promotion, but they have tightened up significantly in the early weeks of the new campaign.

That increased solidity is largely down to the arrivals of Bass and defenders Matty Platt and Jacob Bedeau, and Notts have the joint-third best defensive record in League Two this season along with Crewe Alexandra and Gillingham, with only Wimbledon and Barrow conceding fewer goals.