As a 49-year supporter of Notts County Football Club, you’ll appreciate that over the years, I’ve seen managers come in to this club; and I’ve seen managers go!
Truth is, with our past record, if you’ve been a Notts supporter for more than five minutes, you’ll probably have seen your fair share, too!
However, having thoroughly enjoyed the ‘stability’ brought to the club over the past 18 months, and all that’s come with it, I openly admit to being more-than slightly phased that anyone’s thinking (or believing) we should start again on the “Gaffer-Merry-Go-Round”!
After all, it’s ‘worked’ so well for us, in the past, hasn’t it?!
So, I’ll admit here and now, that the cries of “Nolan Out!” - from some of our supporters in this “results-today-results-tomorrow-results-results-results” World of football - just fills me with dread!
Seeing quotes too, of “eight wins in eight months” - which of course, takes in the summer recess and no account of incoming new players – and “#OutByChristmas” another, almost gleeful, mantra from a fan, slightly throw me!
As well, there are those fans – many of them – who give absolutely no credit whatever for all that was achieved by Nolan taking on a ‘team’ losing ten-on-the-trot to playoffs, with their #lookhowfarwevecome chides.
I can fully understand, as a supporter, being ‘concerned’ that the summer spend hasn’t yet seen our players, with anything ‘real’ to come out ‘fighting’ like other teams have. I can understand too, that the dreadful debacle of last Friday night, despite seeing some FANTASTIC initial play in the first 20 minutes, has left folk ‘worried’. I also ‘get’ too, that everyone wants to see good results and be part of a winning club!
WHAT I DON’T UNDERSTAND is that with so many new players in the side, so many new options of play and the understanding, time and practice necessary for everything to ‘gel’ – even though some people forget KN’s NOT yet had a fully fit side since pre-season – why there would be any calls for him to go?
With KN’s commitment to the club of moving his family here to a newly-bought home locally, I doubt he’d have done that if he’d hadn’t seen a long-term career with Notts.
Additionally, it’s clear that he, AH, DF and the Board have an excellent, professional relationship that, to me, sees a clear, shared vision for our club over the next five years.
And whilst it’s been made plain by AH that he wants promotion this season, is and can that now be an option, when there are such huge, gaping holes in our defence that need to be plugged?
Forty-nine years has taught me to be patient. Very patient. And I certainly don’t want ‘promotion this year, only to come down next’ simply because, I believe there are solid foundations here to be built, first. And, we’re far from there, just Y-E-T!
What was clear from Friday, is that when these players do gel and get it together, we’re going to experience edge-of-the-seat football, that’s long-missing at Meadow Lane… and I’m excited for it.
In conclusion then, I’m a huge “Nolan IN” fan. Truthfully, I’m not even wanting to just ‘give it ten games’ either because I’m mindful of the fact that it took a Sir Alex Ferguson, to go from 11th/11th/facing the sack-F.A. Cup Winner over three seasons, before he even started to look like the Super-Manager, he became.
And I believe KN CAN DO IT for us, so like all good things, I’m prepared to wait. COYP!
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