Transfer listed trio

Mills listed the trio as a final straw on Tuesday afternoon, after some dreadful performances from the team of late. And the under-fire Notts manager has decided that the above three players were amongst the worst culprits.

Whitlow: He's available, Arsene!

Defender Whitlow has enjoyed a career at the highest level for clubs such as Leicester City, Bolton Wanderers and Leeds Utd, and was immediately installed as club captain by Mills after the 36-year-old penned a two-year deal at the club.

But the ageing centre back has struggled to make any impression, or at least a positive one, at Meadow Lane. After originally struggling with an injury, on his return Whitlow hardly looked like a player who had played professionally at the top level. Or even professionally at all.

The final straw came when the defender was embarrased time and again by Mansfield's pint-size striker Derek Asamoah during Saturday's disgraceful derby defeat at Field Mill.

The Notts fans may also applaud Mills on his decision to make Gill available for transfer. The midfielder also signed a two-year deal in the summer, joining from Peterborough United.

But the 25-year-old has, like Whitlow, had little or no positive impression on the Magpie faithful and it is hard to disagree that he too has been one of the worst culprits for Notts' poor form. Gill's future at the club looks bleak, after he was left out of the squad altogether for last night's clash at home to Darlington.

Gill: He's available, too!

The one surprise out of the trio, and the one most Notts fans seem to disagree with, is that of David Pipe.

Pipe signed a two-year deal at the back end of last season after a hugely succesful loan spell at the club from Coventry. A spell so succesful that, in just three months, it saw Pipe come within a whisker of the player of the season award.

However, the pacey Welsh Under-21 captain has failed to live up to those admitedly lofty expectations this season and now finds himself facing an uncertain future at the club.

The right-sider is far more likely to attract interest from other clubs than the other two, and some might feel it may just have been a little too hasty of Mills to transfer-list an extremely talented player going through a bad run of form.

Mills will have been delighted with the response last night, though. Although Gill and Pipe were left out, Whitlow enjoyed his best game of the season so far.

"The decision I made wasn't just intended to provide them with a little motivation," the Notts manager told the NEP.

"They were put on the transfer list because I felt it was the right thing to do. The three players had not been good enough this season, we expected better from them.

"But Mike responded in exactly the right manner. I thought he was superb."

More on the transfer-listed trio to come.