9 points from a possible 42 under Stuart Maynard. Can he survive?

[Robbie 𝕏 @Robbie_NCFC]

8 points from a possible 39.

A revealing statistic that compounds all the woes for Notts at the moment.

Twelve games under Stuart with just two away wins and two draws combined with 8 defeats.

Sure, our form was deteriorating under Williams & Luke never addressed the problems in defence that has plagued Notts all season.

But we have to be honest, the current Notts form is relegation form & it's only due to our great results up to October that we don't find ourselves in the bottom two.

These last 7 games are going to decide Stuart Maynard's future at Notts in my opinion. He needs to get Notts to finish with a flourish to possibly keep his job.

Can he do it? We should know much more after the last game on 27th April.

 

[menzinho]

It doesn’t help that Luke Williams has jumped up to the Championship and in 14 games he’s got 17 points and moved Swansea up the table. He’s basically gone from managing in the NL to the Championship, Stuart Maynard has only stepped up one level and he’s not been able to hit the ground running. Who knows what would’ve happened had LW stayed maybe we’d have gone on a similar run, but given the fact he’s doing quite well at Swansea I think it shows he was able to get more from this group of players.

In terms of SM I’d like to see us get 4 wins from the remaining 7, I’d take 3 as long as we performed well and picked up something like 3 draws too. When you look at the remaining fixtures we play Swindon who are poor, Harrogate nothing special and it’s at home and the last two are against Colchester and FGR. Yes they’ve potentially got more to play for assuming one/both haven’t been relegated, even so they’ve been down the bottom of the league all season for a reason. We also get to play Stockport and MK at home. If we can play well and got something from either of these that would be a massive boost.

In LW last 2 home games we beat Morecambe 5-0 and Doncaster 3-0. We’ve had some pretty easy home games and off the back of the Bradford game Salford was a massive missed opportunity. If SM can’t get a home win in the next 4 games I would worry for him as that would mean the last home win fans watched was in December…

Edited March 24 by menzinho

[Wheelbarrow repair man]

I honestly don't think so Robbie, even if Notts went a mini run till the end of the season (which hand on heart I can't see happening), I don't think Maynard is up to the job ,the Step Up from Part Time Coach to Full Time with Notts as proven To Much for Him. Lets face facts he was brought in because the Brothers thought he would carry on playing the same system that Luke Williams had adopted which had brought so much success last season, and he was playing a similar type of football at Wealdstone. However has it's been stated repeatedly by other Fans and myself on PON Notts were found out  you only had to look at the Crushing defeat by Mansfield the Magpies suffered at the Lane to prove something wasn't right. But Williams persisted with his You score 3 and We'll score 4 game plan, once Williams left Jim O'Brien's only match in charge produce a 5-5 draw. Once Maynard came in Not only did he arrive when Notts Faced most of the League's top teams he had to find a way to stop the Magpies leaking Goals but still keep them scoring at the other end. It hasn't happened the Defeats Notts have suffered have drained the players enthusiasm and  belief in themselves as proven how good Williams could lift his players (How Fed Up am I writing those words) where as Maynard  can't because he's been trying desperately to prove he can hold down his position as Head Coach and his continual tinkering with the line up e.g playing Sam in goal instead of keeping Luca in the Goal Keeping position for the Salford match, and playing players in their wrong positions e.g. Jodi Jones, in my opinion it's been To Much for Maynard, I don't think he can Cope with everything which as and is being thrown at him.

Maynard of course must carry most of the blame for Notts lack lustre performances, but he certainly hasn't been helped by the Recruitment Team who's Failure to entice EFL standard defenders to Meadow Lane as also added to the Magpies Woes. And of course the tragic Death of Jason Turner ( as stated by your good self Robbie) must have also had a huge effect on every one connected with the Club. So in the Summer Stuart Maynard needs to be replaced with a Manager/Head Coach who knows this League. A Player who is a Leader on the Pitch must be found and appointed Captain. There are in my opinion 14 players worth keeping at the Lane next season. Three of which will probably be signed by teams higher up the Football Pyramid and three are young players who should be promoted to the senior Squad. And Jim O'Brien should be given a coaching role. Notts need to Re Build completely in the Summer or they could end up looking down the Barrel of a Relegation Gun.

[Robbie 𝕏 @Robbie_NCFC]

Some good points there@Wheelbarrow repair man 

Luke has to bare some responsibility for not dealing with the defensive problems, but he was a great leader and was able to get that extra 105% from the team that was flawed defensively.

Performance has definitely gone down during these last 12 matches and I don't see an end to it unfortunately.

But I don't think we will see any changes if any with the management team till the season's end.

 

[Wheelbarrow repair man]

Giving your question regarding Stuart Maynard more thought Robbie, another worrying point is will the Brothers admit to their mistake in hiring Maynard? Because lets face facts their previous gamble regarding Head Coach appointment Ian Burchnall his tenure at the Lane didn't start out all that good either. Will they persist with Maynard hoping he'll come good or bite the Bullet and realize they made mistake and let him go? If it's the former and Notts fail to make any progress at the start of 2024/2025 season this may  cause a drop in Season Ticket Sales and they then could be a Mad Rush finding a New Coach and the wrong guy again may be hired, resulting in a season long Battle trying to avoid Relegation. I think it's time for a Fresh start at Notts during the up coming off season, a New Head Coach needs to be appointed along with a New Head of Recruitment and the Squad rebuilt it will cost money, but this will benefit Notts in the Long Term.

Macca Jodi Jones Dan Crowley David McGoldrick Matt Palmer Scott Robertson Lewis Macari Cedwyn Scott Jatta Sam Austin Geraldo Bajrami Luther Manakandafa James Sanderson and Tiernan Brookes. Are  (in my opinion) worth holding on to, however the first three will probably be signed by teams higher in the Football Pyramid and the last three should be promoted from the Youth Squad.  Jim O'Brien should be offered a Coaching Roll, the remainder should be released. Admittedly that leaves a Big Hole in the Notts Squad, but with the right Cash injection and a New Head of Recruitment plus the right Head Coach being hired hopefully Better and Happier Times will return to The Lane.

[Robbie 𝕏 @Robbie_NCFC]

@Wheelbarrow repair man

I think you are right about Macca, Jodi and Crowley leaving, being snapped up by bigger clubs in League 1 & the Championship.

Although I would be sad to see them leave, the amount of revenue raised by their sale would be a tidy sum to recruit players that will compete well in League 2.

I would like for the Manager/Head Coach to pick the players that he wants rather than recruiters. I still believe the Manager knows best when it comes to recruitment. 

There could even be room for a Director of Football to help the Head Coach in his duties such as recruiting.

And we mentioned the sad loss of Jason Turner. I'm sure he would have had a big influence on who the Club recruited had he still been alive too. Would he have chosen Stuart? We will never know.

[DangerousSausage]

It's often been hard to say to what extent our troubles have been down to SM - it's clear to see that our poor results have been down to a combination of factors, some of them going right back to the reign of the PE teacher. The squad has quality, but is also unbalanced and has obvious weaknesses. All the same, earlier in the season we were swatting teams away that we're now struggling to deal with, and it's becoming increasingly clear that SM is not helping matters with some of his decisions.

Teams that win promotion often have to reinvent themselves to compete at the higher level and I could accept us going through a transition period to get there. However, I don't really see what we're aiming towards right now. If there isn't a big improvement in performances and results, I think it's quite likely we'll be looking for another head coach soon.

2 hours ago, Robbie said:

I still believe the Manager knows best when it comes to recruitment. 

I don't agree. Imagine we hire a manager who's out of his depth, who then fills the squad with sub-standard players on 2- or 3-year contracts before getting sacked. It's happened plenty of times before. I'm happy with the head coach not having the sole say on which players we bring in (which the manager didn't really either in the past).

[Wheelbarrow repair man]

Robbie

The more this Debate goes on the more it seems Fans are starting to come up with similar thoughts and ideas about Notts (well at least we do). The Notts C.E.O. stated before the January Transfer window that the club didn't need to sell players and hopefully, that is still the case however a decent offer coming in for our top players may be to difficult to refuse and I wouldn't think the Owners would stand in the way of say Macca from improving his footballing career in League 1 or the Championship. Then again the Club shouldn't let our top three go for a give away price. The sum of £1.5 million was banded about being how much Macca was worth, which is a Total Insult , reading about Premier League clubs offering to buy untried teenagers for £100 million, then Macca must be worth between £3-5 million. He is after all a proven goal scorer and will score goals at any level (Even the Premier) as long as his new Club play to his strengths. Both Jodi and Dan ( on current transfer payments) must be worth a £1 million a piece. Anybody reading this will think I've has gone off  my rocker, but think on this, there are Championship Clubs who pay over the top for mediocre foreign players an example of which cost Forest in the region of £10 million No Names. At least other Clubs can see what Macca, Jodi and Dan can do and they Don't Need Time To Adjust To The English Game. So £5-£7 million would enable Notts to invest in players to take the Magpies to the next level.

Yes a New Head Coach needs to be part of the Recruitment side of the Club. At the moment it's just this player seems right for the Squad, so we've signed him, Now You get on with Coaching him. That is Wrong.

The idea of a Director of Football is something I've been banging on about in other comment sections on PON for a while. Because of all the Backlash Stuart Maynard as been receiving I've stated a number of times get Neil Warnock back at the Lane in the Director of Football position his wealth of Footballing Knowledge and his Vast Experience could help with Maynard's transition into a Full Time Coach. Unfortunately it seems the Club have missed that Opportunity, But Never Say Never.

[Wheelbarrow repair man]

Dangerous Sausage we have a Manager/ Head Coach who is out of his depth and we have players Not Up To League 2 Standard on two to three year contracts that's why Notts Need A Complete Clear Out and Re build during the Summer off season. Or the Magpies Could Be Heading Back To The National League. Nuff Said.

[Robbie 𝕏 @Robbie_NCFC]

8 minutes ago, DangerousSausage said:

 

I don't agree. Imagine we hire a manager who's out of his depth, who then fills the squad with sub-standard players on 2- or 3-year contracts before getting sacked. 

That's why a Manager should be recruited that has plenty of league experience & a large knowledge of the game and players that play for other clubs

I think you'll find that the Manager used to be backed up by his Assistant Manager, coaching team and a team of scouts that would keep tabs on players that were of interest. The Manager's team would select suitable players with the Manager overseeing that process.

Recruiters don't always get things right, but you can role off on your tongue Management teams in the past being good at recruiting.

As an example, Jimmy Sirrel, Neil Warnock, Clough & Taylor, Alex Ferguson, Bob Paisley, Bill Shankly, Malcolm Allison, & countless others have been successful in building successful teams.

[Ohh Tommy Johnson]

I don't think that it really matters now SM is a dead man walking.  Even if he won the next 7 matches if he loses the first next season the pressure will be huge.  To be fair, I don't think he has really ever had any chance.  Things were stuttering before he joined, but instead of having a pre-season to try stuff out he has had to do it mid season.  Given that LW had been successful and was popular, and the team was still riding quite high, just coming in an making big changes wasn't really an option either.  But none of that matters, he has lost the fan base, and even if he hasn't lost the players, he will always be under pressure to win every match which is basically unachievable.

[menzinho]

I'd avoid looking at the fees if we do sell one of our players over the summer @Wheelbarrow repair man cos I think you'll be very disappointed! We bought Macca for £50k, so if we did sell him for 1.5M we'd have profited £1,450,000. That's a mark up of 2,900% (if I've done the maths correctly). The closet kind of deal we can look at is Al-Hamadi who went to Ipswich from Wimbledon for "a fee of just over £1 million" according to East Anglian Daily Times. Whilst he's not scored as many he's 5 years younger than Macca...

And @Robbie I understand why fans would want a head coach to do the recruitment, like you say it's fine if you've got a head coach with a track record of good recruitment. I'm not sure this was LW's strength when he signed, he just wanted to coach. And with our current approach it allows head coaches to do just that, focus their time and energy on coaching the players and preparing for games. It must be knackering and time consuming to also have to fit the recruitment in. I'm sure our recruitment process is a collaborative effort in that the head coach definitely gets a say it's just he doesn’t spend all the hours researching/looking for players.

A big bonus is that if there’s a stand out player the club can also make an executive decision if there is no head coach in place like they did with Langstaff. If we’d have waited for LW to be appointed and then left the recruitment to him chances are Langstaff would’ve already signed for someone else… Pros and cons to both, but I think it's working well for us so far.

[Wheelbarrow repair man]

menzinho 

I'm not under the illusion that Macca would go for £3-5 million but that's what Notts should ask for him (in my opinion). And should Macca Jodi and Dan Crowley be Sold there should be some sort of inclusion in any Transfer deal, that should any of these players been Sold On  for example Derby buy Macca for £1.5 million then they sell him on to another Championship (should they get promoted) or even Premiership Club for a larger amount, then Notts should also benefit from that Deal. Because  should Macca start scoring 20+ goals a season in the Championship how Long would it be before Premier League Clubs come sniffing around, and Derby would be asking a high price for him, a hell of a lot more than £1.5 million and Notts deserve a piece of that Pie (Pun Intended).

Recruitment should be part of a Managers/Head Coach's job as Robbie mentioned the Clough/Taylor partnership the Mercer/Allison Busby Ferguson and of course Notts own Legend Jimmy Sirrel. There must be players any Coach would like playing for him and yes the recruitment team did buy Macca before LW was appointed Head Coach, but were anymore teams looking at him? Because if they were you'd think they'd try and out bid the Notts £50,000 bid for a Goal scorer of his ability.

[Fozzy]

Personally, I can’t see a bid over £1m coming in for Langstaff now that Maynard has stifled his (and Notts) attacking intent. JJ and Dan will only have a year left, so probably bids of £200-250K would possibly come in for them as only league 1 clubs would probably bid.

SM will go by the end of the season, he has to otherwise season ticket sales will tank. We’re boring to watch, 6 home games and only 7 goals scored whilst conceding 15, plodding up the field with the ball constantly going sideways and backwards, the players look frustrated and clueless as to what they should be doing.

1 goalkeeper and 5 defenders needed in the summer, three new centre halves and a couple of proper wing backs. Another couple of midfielders are also needed and another striker if we can get rid of Morias. 
Three things need prioritising, most new signings will need to be leaders, but they will also need to have pace and physicality.

We won’t get rid of all the deadwood though for another season, so I think 9 new signings are too many, we might sign 6 and any more will depend on who leaves.

[Robbie 𝕏 @Robbie_NCFC]

I think we have to remember @Fozzy that even in a season where we've had defensive problems, Notts have still scored 76 goals with 7 games left and that figure beats every teams scoring record in league 2 last season including promoted clubs.

Macca is the leading goal scorer in league 2, Jodi leads in assists in the EFL and Crowley has scored 15 from midfield.

I think that Jodi and Dan's valuations will be much more than £200/250K each. Has to be at least twice as much, and Macca should be £ 2.5 million at least with add ons. Remember Macca still has 3 years to go on his contract 

Notts don't want to make the mistake of giving these 3 players away if they can help it.

[Ohh Tommy Johnson]

On recruitment, there is always the assumption that if a player goes for £x the £x will be invested in new players.  The truth is that the money available would be £(x-y) where y could include agents fees, legal fees, tax etc etc.  Then there is the amount of money that is put back into the club to cover other costs and projects.  It wouldn't surprise me if less than 50% is reinvested in new players... but the club would be financially more secure for a season or two.  

I can't imagine that the Head Coach isn't part of the recruitment team.  It would be good to know how it works, but I can't imagine that the Head Coach is just told 'here's a player, crack on'.  Even if the Head Coach was totally responsible for recruitment, I can't imagine that he would have the time to watch a lot of players himself and then make contact and negotiate the contracts.  Surely he would rely on scouts and the clubs lawyers etc for the nuts and bolts.  The model we have could be very similar, other than the Head Coach is only one of the ways we identify potential targets.  It has to be a two way street between the Head Coach and Head of Recruitment, otherwise I can't see that it would work.

[Wheelbarrow repair man]

The thing is Ohh Tommy Johnson as stated the Recruitment team signed Macca before LW was appointed Head Coach and I'm not sure if he had any say in the signing of Cedwyn Scott. Plus during one of his interviews Williams seemed  surprised to be asked about what say he as in choosing a player being signed by Notts, all he said was he did have a say but without much conviction. He gave the impression that his job was just to coach the players. Plus Stuart Maynard wouldn't have much to do with any signings Notts brought in the January Transfer Window. That was totally down to the Recruitment team and we all know what kind of a job they made of that. Another thing in Football nowadays the term Manager seems to have been dropped and Head Coach put in it's place, does that also mean that the duties of a Head Coach have also been reduced?

Also think on this  the signing of  Alassana Jatta what say would have SM have in that signing? The Player would have been being looked at a while before SM had been hired and what happened? The Recruitment team showed Maynard a video of Jatta in action and said we're signing him for Notts what's Maynard going to say? No I don't know what he plays like or if he'll fit in with my game plan. Of course Not, the New Coach would say yeah Ok and get on with coaching the players. It seems to me that the Recruitment Team have a bigger say in the signing of players than the Head Coach.

Finally there's an interview with Derek Pavis (somewhere on the Net) and he tells a story about Jimmy Sirrel coming into his office saying he wanted to buy a certain player for Notts (I've forgotten the players name) Derek was convinced that he'd never come to Notts but told Jimmy he could make an approach and Notts ended up getting the player. Which shows the Manager had confidence in his Scouting team and they worked together. That doesn't appear to be happening at Lane. Yes I know the Recruitment team signed Macca, but what would have happened if Macca had been a Dud?

[Robbie 𝕏 @Robbie_NCFC]

@Wheelbarrow repair man Reading your post got me thinking about the power of the Player's agent nowadays. Once upon a time a Manager would be interested in a player, the player would be invited to the club for a meeting, then a contract would be signed.

Now it's the middle man, the agent, that does all the negotiating for a player. That probably explains why clubs have recruitment teams now, however, that doesn't mean that the Manager shouldn't be in charge of the recruitment team and have the final say regarding player recruitment, which I believe the Manager should have.

And I still believe that a Club should have a Manager rather than a Head Coach. Clubs should have a Coach, but in the past the Coach answered to the Manager.

That system worked well enough in the past, why not now?

 

 

[True Magpie]

Notts is demonstrating brave support by not succumbing to the pressure from fans who want Stuart Maynard out. His appointment hasn’t been straightforward. On paper, it seemed perfect, but football doesn’t always unfold like a fairytale. I believe the club’s media team needs to tone down the hype at times. Personally, I feel this has fostered some negative feelings towards Maynard, mainly due to his background and his previous role as a technician at BT. It’s easy to point the finger and declare he’s not up to the task. I think the club will give him the chance to prepare and kick off the next season. The key point will be to address our shortcomings, which can’t be further improved with training or tactics. Having genuine depth and quality in all areas would indicate change. Not much is needed, just more refinement and better quality. The squad being short doesn’t help.

[Robbie 𝕏 @Robbie_NCFC]

( "I think the club will give him the chance to prepare and kick off the next season. The key point will be to address our shortcomings, which can’t be further improved with training or tactics. Having genuine depth and quality in all areas would indicate change. Not much is needed, just more refinement and better quality. The squad being short doesn’t help".)

I agree with what you have said here @True Magpie which is exactly what I think the club will do in the close season, to strengthen the squad and recruit quality players in those areas. Doing this will improve the team, so the team will be able to play in a way the owners want the team to play. 

 

[Wheelbarrow repair man]

True Magpie your remarks regarding the Media are Spot On. After the Magpies fought down to the wire with Wrexham for the National League Title last season, everything was Greatly Hyped Up by the Media as if it was a forgone conclusion that Notts and Wrexham would automatically be promoted to League 1 next season and of course this was lapped up by the Fair Weather Fans Notts had picked up along the way, and when Notts went top of League 2 well their belief went through the Roof. However we older fans knew that Yes it would be Great if the Magpies were Promoted to League 1 but we were also realistic in our expectations Lets build a solid foundation in this League then push on for a go at Promotion next season, because I think a lot of us Regular Fans knew if Notts did get up to League1 this Squad is nowhere near good enough and money would have to be spent, to ensure the Squad was good enough to compete in the League above. Now the Club finds it's self having to spend money to compete at a decent level in League 2.

Regarding Stuart Maynard he was on a loser as soon as he walked through the door at Meadow Lane. How was he going to compete with Luke Williams Record over the 18 months he had before his move to Swansea? If he didn't hit the ground running then the Fans (mainly the  Fair weather crowd) would be on his back. In his first few matches he faced teams at the top and around the top of the League and Notts just couldn't compete, some of the fans  started to realize that certain Players weren't good enough even playing under Williams because even Williams team failed to beat any top team they came up against. And once the Rot set in well Players started losing belief in their ability and the (so called ) Fans started expressing their toxic remarks on the Manager and certain Players on Social Media and has the team have started failing to win matches against teams they should beating then the Venom against Stuart Maynard as Risen, and slowly this Atmosphere  as engulfed more of the Notts Fandom. Maynard  has done himself No Favours with the constant tinkering of the side strange decisions he's made and poor interviews. I honestly think the poor Guy is out of his depth  and should the Owners persist in keeping him at the Lane for next season I can see an awful lot of Fans walking away, and  lets face facts at any other club 8 points out of a possible 36 he'd be gone, Even this close to the End of the Season.

[Robbie 𝕏 @Robbie_NCFC]

Lots of good points raised in your latest post @Wheelbarrow repair man 

Many other clubs may have wanted to change the Head Coach with just 8 points from a possible 36, but I believe Notts will stick with Stuart till at least the end of the season and then make a decision after these last 7 games have been played.

Why? Because Notts are in no danger of being pulled into a relegation fight.

A decision could be made to appoint a Director of Football to assist Stuart at season's end, because I don't think these owners like chopping and changing too much.

[Wheelbarrow repair man]

I agree with you Robbie, Maynard will still be here till the End of the Season then a decision will be made. I just hope it's Sooner rather than Later because  the Brothers don't want to start dithering because if  they do decide to appoint a New Man in the Dug Out, the New Coach will need a full Pre season to sort out any New Players and get his Squad playing the way he wants and hopefully he'll be allowed too do so without any interference 

A Director of Football but who? I'm all in Favour of Neil Warnock (as I've Stated Many Times) But would the Brothers hire him? Fact is Warnock is an Old Fashion type of Footballing Expert and his attitude may not be to the liking of  the "Modern" Game, despite the Fact He Would Be The Perfect Role Model for Stuart Maynard.

Edited March 26 by Wheelbarrow repair man
added dialogue

[Robbie 𝕏 @Robbie_NCFC]

@Wheelbarrow repair man.

I had an idea what the job description for a Director of Football was, but just wanted to be sure.

"Player Recruitment and transfers: One of the primary tasks of a Director of Football is to identify and recruit players who can enhance the team's performance. They work closely with scouts and the club's management to spot potential targets, negotiate transfers, and secure player contracts." (Source Google)

An appointment such as this would be ideal for Notts in their current situation to assist the Head Coach 

John Coleman, for instance, former Accrington Stanley boss could be a fit for a Director of Football position.

Just looked at the list of League 2 Managers/Head Coaches and the vast majority of them have only been installed a matter of months including Maynard. The rest range from a year to over 3 years in the job 

So if Notts wanted to replace Maynard they might find it difficult to recruit a Head Coach from League 2, unless they are out of work.

So recruitment of an employed boss at this level could prove difficult &  looking to recruit from the lower leagues again wouldn't be popular with the fans.

 

[Ohh Tommy Johnson]

@Robbie Recruiting from the NL will be a hugely unpopular move with the fans.  It seems that they are hoping for a 'name', and I can't see that happening.  I have been saying for a while that Maynard should have been given an experienced head as the DoF to help the transition from Part time to Full Time and to allow him to build a rapport with the team. Looking at your definition it would seem that Montague does a lot of that, so I can see how a DoF could be brought in without too much loss of face for anybody at he club.  They could just clarify Montagues role, the Head Coach role and then introduce a DoF. 

I still think there is a good coach / Head Coach in SM, but I am just not sure if it is at Notts where he ahs really been given no quarter since he has arrived. He seems to be able to spot the issues, but I am not sure that he has the tools to correct them or the support from the fanbase to make mistakes here.  I hope we see a big uptick in results to the end of the season, not because I think it will save his job, I believe that ship has sailed, but so that he can get a coaching job elsewhere and show what he can do.  He gave up a lot to join us, so I hope it works out for him in the long term.