Can we do a Luton?

[Fan of Big Tone]

I watched Luton v Sunderland tonight and in the prelude to the match they showed a graph showing Luton’s progress from the conference league (now national league) in 2012/13 to the brink of the Premiership now.

Could we emulate that feat? I don’t see why not with the current set up of owners and management. Or am I getting ahead of myself? Thoughts.

[JIMBO]

It’s not impossible to imagine Notts achieving back-to-back promotions. The question is, how will the club cope and manage life in League One? It’s a much tougher league and we would likely need to bring in many more reinforcements if we were to push for the Championship.

League One could be where we start to sell players for higher fees than we paid for them. This would allow the club to spend money, but it comes at the cost of establishing a settled squad.

I’m not sure if Notts can replicate Luton’s achievement. We have moved between divisions and I’m uncertain if I would prefer to see us build steadily like Brentford, Bournemouth, Watford and other clubs have done.

[yelobeli]

Luton - the other team who went down with us and have never played in the Prem... Coventry - who we saved from the drop by beating Luton on the last day of that season (let's not go into more recent history)... Or Middlesbrough, who we beat on the way up in 91?  I know who I'd like to see go up.  And we can dream.

 

[KB1862]

I sincerely hope we can replicate something similar. Under this management and ownership, I can't see why it wouldn't be possible. 

Luton's rise has been unbelievable. I remember them being in the Conference on -30 points. 

Just think 5 years ago, we were playing both Luton and Coventry in League 2. They both have a chance to gain promotion to the Premier League. 

We can only dream of replicating something similar, although I feel like it needs to be gradual. 

[liampie]

it would be nice if notts could ride the waves of this promotion and go again, to eventually return to the championship. we are a family club, which sometimes is overlooked but it would be great to see us playing at the highest possible level. i dont think the premier league is all that realistic with the amount of money it takes, but several clubs have managed to do it on a very tight budget. i am just cautious about it leading to instability after all our work to avoid it.

i am quite happy bouncing from the championship to league one.

[DangerousSausage]

That's the dream. Over the years we've seen a lot of teams surge up the leagues once they finally get their ducks in a row. Wouldn't it be nice if it could be us for once? 

We are getting a little bit ahead of ourselves though, we'll have to acclimatise to League Two again, and it's much more evenly matched and competitive than the National League. We'll lose more matches and we won't always have it our way. Doing a Luton is the dream, but right now I'd settle for doing a Lincoln. 

[4everapie]

Let's walk before we can run, but why not

[Chris]

I think we are in a good chance to be up in the promotion places next season, if our squad can continue to play in the style of how we performed in the National League. That style is universal and would adapt well in League Two. It would also be quite effective with the right players in League One, only concern is the defending. We need to be better by the point we do gain promotion from League Two.

It might take some time, we don't know. Or, it could be back-to-back but for now I think realistically we need to prepare for life in League Two.

@Fan of Big Tone: Have you had a chance to read this?

[CliftonMagpie]

My focus is on becoming a strong League Two team. While it’s tempting to discuss the possibility of achieving promotion in our first season back, I believe it would be more advantageous to concentrate on building towards that goal. This approach increases the likelihood of us remaining a League One team without slipping back down.

[Fan of Big Tone]

30 minutes ago, Chris said:

I think we are in a good chance to be up in the promotion places next season, if our squad can continue to play in the style of how we performed in the National League. That style is universal and would adapt well in League Two. It would also be quite effective with the right players in League One, only concern is the defending. We need to be better by the point we do gain promotion from League Two.

It might take some time, we don't know. Or, it could be back-to-back but for now I think realistically we need to prepare for life in League Two.

@Fan of Big Tone: Have you had a chance to read this?

I have now, good article @Chris

 

[allardyces tash]

I believe we’re on the rise and will become a solid League Two team. Next season will be revealing - if we start off strong, we might even start dreaming of back-to-back promotions. Whether we can do it beyond League One is another question, but I have a feeling we’re on the brink of happier times.

[upthepies]

Anything is possible. I believe the focus should be on becoming a strong League Two team and then progressing from there. Losing key players will be a challenge that Luke Williams will have to navigate along with the club’s recruitment policy. If the majority of this squad is maintained, there’s a good chance that Notts could be promoted to League One next season. I hope it won’t be through the playoffs though - I don’t think I could handle it.

[Joshua]

I believe Notts will be in a promotion spot next season. We have a very strong team and other clubs are releasing players left, right and centre as always. We have a steady squad that just needs strengthening and replacements for areas where some players may leave due to being out of contract. For me, I can see it being between us and Wrexham again.

[TheSkipper]

Can we do a Luton? It’s possible. As others have said, it’s not unlikely. We can’t rule anything out, but I want fans to be calm with their expectations, especially if the club struggles. Football is never straightforward - we know this - but I fear that some will complain if we aren’t running away with League Two or in a promotion spot. Let’s take the season as it comes and not complain for the sake of it. Make valid points and discuss, but there’s no room for constant complaining if we don’t hit the ground running in League Two. I think we’ll be fine, but some people threw their dummies out after we lost for the first and second time this season, which was just crazy.

[themightymagpies]

I really don’t know. I don’t want to get carried away or promote unhealthy expectations because we need to be aware that things might not be easy when adapting to life back in League Two.

[eighteensixtytwo]

It’s going to be interesting to see if the outstanding football can continue in League Two. Fans thought you couldn’t play attractive football in the National League and do well, but that’s been proven false. Who knows what next season holds for Notts?

[BESTpie]

I hope that Notts can do a Luton or even replicate what Neil Warnock did for Notts when he joined as manager.

[thommo]

I hope that this group of players can give it a good go and see if they have what it takes to achieve back-to-back promotions. I’m not going to complain if the club does struggle because I believe we have a squad that will fight and do their best. Finally, we have a squad that just needs a few additions. Provided we can retain the players Luke Williams wants, we should be much stronger, at least on paper.

[yelobeli]

Top of League Two five years ago. One of these teams will be in the top flight next season. Of course we can dream.

[ExiledPie]

It would be great if we could follow in the footsteps of Luton and build a strong team. They had a few spells where it didn’t seem likely, but they persevered. Whatever Notts does, it will be special and unique to us. I hope we can retain some of this squad for that special journey. I especially hope that Jim O’Brien sticks around. Notts needs to get him on their books in terms of coaching.

[heraldmagpie]

I don’t want to be a party pooper, but I think we’ll make the playoffs and then experience a few years where we either lose in the final or get knocked out before. It would be amazing to get back-to-back promotions and I think Luke Williams has what it takes to guide us to success, but we may need to build a little further.

[Countyman]

I hope we can follow in Luton’s footsteps or find our own way back to League One. The club’s potential is much greater than League Two and even the National League. If we can stay the course and keep building, who knows what we can achieve?

[RetroPie]

It would be beneficial if Notts could emulate what Luton has accomplished. I believe Bournemouth is slightly closer in terms of their recruitment policy being similar to Notts.

Personally, I wouldn’t want to see the club lose its identity by becoming too large. I am content with fluctuating between divisions, as long as we reach a middle ground as a respectable League One club.

[AmericanPie]

@yelobeli Both Coventry and Luton have shown that building a strong foundation in League Two before moving up to League One is a successful strategy. For Notts County, it's crucial to follow a similar path if they are to establish themselves as a decent League One team. However, to do that, the club needs to sell around 6-7000 season tickets, a task that seems achievable this season given the club's recent success. 

It's important to avoid overspending to stay in a league, as it can lead to short-term success but long-term financial issues. Instead, Notts County needs to build thoughtfully and strategically, investing in player recruitment and development, and building a strong squad that can compete year after year. If the club continues to follow this path, I have no doubt that Notts will continue to rise through the ranks of the football league.

[JohnTheBost]

I'm not sure if it's possible, but I worry that the players might not be as kind or friendly as we progress further. It would be brilliant to see Notts playing in the Championship, no doubt. Perhaps even one day in the Premier League, but I'd hate for us to lose the wonderful family club atmosphere that we all like.