The Future

After an astonishing end to the previous season, all the signs pointed towards Keith Curle developing Notts into strong play-off contenders, perhaps even more. But just as quickly as the leafs fell from the trees, Notts sleepwalked into an abyss. The confident squad, filled with match winners such as Zoko, Judge, Liddle and Leacock turned into draw specialists. Notts managed only one win, a surprise 1-0 victory against Swindon, in an eleven match streak which saw the month of December go by without a single victory. Thrown into the mix was a thorough drumming by Rotherham in the FA Cup.

We sit here now with the season over and summer on the horizon. Fans get ready for a month without the worry of the next home match or whether they will have to endure one of the woeful sausage rolls in the Kop. Unlike most normal seasons however, something does not feel quite finished yet at Notts. Normally we would talk about new signings towards mid-June and the list of those released would normally be about as surprising as the mud laden state of our pitch. This time however, the war drum is being thoroughly beaten by Chairman Trew. Reports of a slash in our budget of 30-40% strike a distinct fear into the hearts of those who want to see Notts sign proven goal scorers and recognisable, quality names in midfield. Whilst fans understand that cuts need to be made in order to comply with the new Financial Football League legislation and to secure the long-term future of our club, one cannot lose the initiative on progression.

Who couldn’t be happier to see Romello Nangle and Tyrell Waite grab a goal each in our final two matches of the season? Curtis Thompson and Haydn Hollis look sure to feature heavily in the Black and White stripes and no one would deny that bringing through the youth is a great strategy and investment. But one mustn’t lose touch with reality. The quality of League One this season has been bitterly poor; many fans saw this as a very big opportunity missed. Next season, larger clubs will be entering through the Championship trap door and strong teams from League Two will also be gracing our League. The idea that League One will be anything but stronger next year is totally incomprehensible. But why is this important?

This is important because if speculation is to be believed, Judge is as good as gone. Bishop, Zoko, Arquin, Showumni, Bencherif all look to be shown the door and even Jeff Hughes could potentially be on his way out. It is hard to see how our budget can be slashed by 40% without nearly all of these players leaving. Even the likes of Campbell-Ryce could be heading on the next train out of Nottingham should finances not permit an extension of his stay. If the majority of these players were to leave, it would be naïve to believe we could replace them with matching quality on significantly less money.

So with some of our best talent on the way out, the introduction of more youth players and a far stronger League on the horizon next season, can Notts realistically aim for anything higher than where we lay now in 12th? The answer is no.

No fan wants to see their team turned into mid-table fodder, it is not in Notts County’s nature to be in 12th spot. It doesn’t feel right not being on the edge of our seats right until the last game of the season either trying to avoid relegation or seal promotion. So what are we looking for as a club over the summer and into the new season?

The answer to this question will vary widely from those who want to see money invested from the top down to buy in the talent for promotion compared with those who are happy to wait for bottom up results from the youth. Next season will be decided in the months June to August. Chairman Trew cannot rely solely on more youth to create a squad with top 12 credentials next season, nor can he allow the likes of Hughes or Liddle to leave and not expect us to slip down the table. The obvious gamble being taken may result in dwindling attendances and the need for even more cutbacks should the youth fail to bring in attractive, goal scoring football and most importantly, wins. Conversely, we can neither expect more investment from the top, something Trew has ruled out more times than a monorail.

So with all things considered, our conclusions on next season’s predicament are not the exciting and plentiful paths to glory as we may hope. The first phase is likely to see Rodwell filling out P45’s with a large proportion of our squad on the way out. Rodwell’s pen will be out again in drawing up numerous contracts for new youth players set to turn pro. Along with the exit of current players and the restocking of the shelves with young pro’s, Kiwomya will come into his own as he searches for players to complement the youth. His first target must surely be a striker, or three. Notts’ tragic failure to score has undermined what is largely unnoticed as one of our best defences in years. Sheehan, Liddle, Leacock and Kelly with Bart in behind has surely got to be one of the strongest back fives in the League.

If Kiwomya can galvanise this defence, bring in some reliable and committed players with proven records at a similar level to our current position, progress is very realistic. Trew’s vision of a home-grown player fully establishing himself as a first team pro will take time, equally time worth waiting for. If Kiwomya can find the balance between the long term youth vision and next season’s viability as a competitive and prosperous team, then we really could be in for better times. If he misjudges this though, it could be quite catastrophic.

For all that has been said, let’s enjoy the very weeks that our blood pressure doesn’t sky rocket and hope that a sensible and cohesive plan is in place to bring the best out of our club. You Pies.

By James Constantine