Since my last bout of keyboard clattering, Stuart Maynard has somehow surfed the tsunami of fan outrage without wiping out spectacularly. Astonishingly, Notts managed to snatch the 2nd place spot. Quite the magic trick for a manager who was being booed louder than a pantomime villain just for losing an FA Cup game and an away match against Salford. Given the circumstances, we haven't nosedived into oblivion, which is, frankly, impressive.

I must admit, I was wrong about Dan Crowley before, shocking, I know. But it's crucial not to jump the gun before the ink's dry. Take your eye off the ball, pun fully intended, and you start to slip. As a fan base, perhaps we need to exhibit a tad more faith in the club's ability to adapt to changes without spontaneously combusting.

Losing Dan Crowley won't be the catastrophic event some are prophesying. If he genuinely believes MK Dons, a club with all the rich history of a microwaved lasagna, is his destiny, then perhaps his ambitions lie elsewhere, beyond mere promotion.

Let's not forget that Notts actually beefed up after selling Cal Roberts. At his peak, he was unstoppable, a player who could flip a game on its head faster than you could say "transfer window." Crowley, talented as he is, seemed to have grown a bit too comfortable holding the midfield like a man clutching a lukewarm cup of tea. The first half of the season, he and Jodi Jones were dynamic, until inconsistency and injuries crashed the party.

Twenty-five games in, we're smack dab in the middle of a promotion race. The transfer window swings open, and the club has been busy, snapping up Zak Johnson on loan and the young Everton midfielder Charlie Whitaker. Will Jarvis joins the fray too, an exciting prospect, though I'd personally prefer if a striker waltzed in as well.

Things aren't looking nearly as dire as when I first penned my doom-laden scribbles here on the Pride of Nottingham. Stuart Maynard has steered Notts to some brilliant results, and the form has improved from "abysmal" to "actually quite decent." The recent away win against Accrington Stanley was a solid performance, a rare sight worth celebrating.

We've been boosted by the news that rising Spurs star George Abbott will remain for the rest of the season, despite the rumour mill trying to whip up a frenzy about a potential recall and another Ryan Yates saga. Add to that whispers of Plymouth eyeing Alassana Jatta, and you might think the sky is falling. But again, let's have a little faith in the club's ability to adapt if Jatta decides to pack his bags.

Selling a £400,000 signing for £750,000 isn't exactly a disaster; it's decent business, even if it feels like pawning off the family silver. I get the frustration of offloading our best players. Personally, I'd prefer this sort of wheeling and dealing happened when we're not in the thick of an active campaign, but life seldom bends to our whims.

Naturally, these things can't always be helped. The club likely has every scenario mapped out on a whiteboard somewhere and, fingers crossed, we'll hear news of a new striker sauntering in soon. The fan base seems relatively content at the moment, but if a bump does occur, let's try not to descend into collective hysteria.

If you've supported Notts as long as I have, you'll know that selling players can be a double-edged sword. But when those sales strengthen the existing squad, perhaps it's time to trust in the mysterious "system" everyone keeps mentioning.

A gentle reminder: Notts has to knuckle down for the remainder of the season. The return of Jodi Jones to full fitness will be a massive boon. Yes, the news of Lucas Ness and Scott Robertson likely being out for the rest of the 2024–25 League Two season is a kick in the teeth, but let's pull together, take the rough with the smooth, and see how this rollercoaster ends.

The final run of games looks quite exciting from where I'm sitting, and I still fancy Notts' chances of clinching automatic promotion. We've got everything to play for at this stage, and despite December looking grimmer than a rain-soaked Tuesday, we've come through that dreary period far better than we went into it.