Kevin Nolan plays down suggestions of Notts County title challenge

Kevin Nolan has poured cold water on suggestions that Notts County can be considered title challengers in League Two next season.

Sky Bet has put the Magpies joint-fourth to win the championship outright, while promotion is at a mere 3/1.

This is following the resurrection of the club following Alan Hardy's takeover and Nolan's shrewd management, culminating in a 16th-placed finish just weeks after being on the brink of relegation.

However, Nolan insists that there is a lot of work to be carried out at Meadow Lane after a tough couple of seasons.

"It's about managing expectations and I can't get carried away with people thinking that I have a team that is worthy of finishing in the promotion places or winning the league," he told the Nottingham Post. "This club has been in disarray for a long, long, time.

"Yes we have had three months in which there has been a massive lift and everybody gets carried along the crest of the wave. But there will be some bumpy waves along the way and we have to be ready for that.

"That could be for the first couple of the months of the season when we don't have a good start or so on. But we are hoping it won't be like that because we want to ride the crest of the wave for as long as we can.

"However, you would be mad, silly or stupid not to expect a rocky patch, and it's how we handle that between myself, Thommo (Richard Thomas) and Norm (Mark Crossley). It's been a great few months, but it's nothing to get carried away about.

"We finished the season in 16th in League Two. Just because we had a decent end to the season, because we needed to by the way or we would have got relegated, doesn't automatically mean we will be one of the top teams in the division.

"We would be naïve to think I will come in next year and think everything is fine, but because of the mentality we have, we'll make sure our standards never slip."

Share your thoughts about this news story on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans.