And So It Begins

[Wheelbarrow repair man]

After Notts Extremely Poor Performance at FGR the Knives are out for Stuart Maynard. Here is a Selection of Social media comments on the Notts Boss. 

I wont be going to Meadow Lane if SM is still there.

No Passion. No Improvement in Defence and getting worse in Attack.

SM moved Jodi the top assister into several positions which in Turn Killed Macca's chances in scoring 30+ goals this Season.

Failed to fix the Defence while Breaking the Attack.

Fans deserve so much more. 1,200 fans show their loyalty and the players Don't even break into a sweat. FGR game.

We had the makings of a League 1 team, but with Maynard in charge the NL Beckons.

The Spirit built by LW as been Destroyed.

That is just a small selection of the Fans feelings regarding Stuart Maynard are they fair or unfair? 

I have Produced this Piece in hope it Encourages  Debate and we can all have our Say and Express our feelings as to the goings on at the Lane.

 

[Fan of Big Tone]

To be honest I take very little notice of things that are posted on social media, I find that people on this forum have a more balanced view, let’s face it these same fans will be singing his name if we win the first game of the season.

Fickle, fickle, fickle.

[Robbie]

First things first. 

A minority of the fans are being unfair to Stuart.

We lost on Saturday for a variety of reasons 

Individual errors once again. Did the players already know who were to be retained & who were to be let go? That would have affected performance too.

Our recent improvement in results did show passion & commitment. The last match was flat, we probably no why, as above.

Of course the fans deserve more, that's why Notts will have a clear out and new players brought in.

The poor form began under Luke Williams, the defence was clearly not good enough, Luke had involvement in extending contracts/recruitment during the 23 summer & Jan 24. That's where he & recruiters got things  wrong. Then Williams left.

The team were clearly not good enough for League 1 under Luke Williams & the spirit of the promotion season was clearly going down under him.

Stuart came into the club and cudos to him for taking the job on halfway through a season. The team he inherited was Luke Williams team, they were playing to his methods and system, which basically believed in scoring more than the opposition & ignoring the mistakes at the back.

Luke refused to change this system or deal with the defensive frailties. 

Stuart has tried to tweak things here & there & it has worked to a certain extent, but it was evident new players were needed & Stuart was left with the players he inherited & he had to continue to use them.

Now the season has ended he will be able to work with a changed squad & the team will be his team.

The fans need to draw a line now the season has ended, & look forward to exciting days to come with new players, a changed squad, & Stuart building a squad that will challenge next session with HIS team.

 

 

[Wheelbarrow repair man]

@Fan of Big Tone and @Robbie

That's very  True there tends to be a more Balanced view on this site. However I've quoted these remarks above to express there are also Fans out there are Not Happy with Stuart Maynard and Fear the Return of Notts back to the National League and personally there one or two remarks I'm in agreement with. Moving Jodi into unfamiliar positions may have robbed both Macca the chance to score more goals and  Notts of More Wins. Fans Deserve more. Absolutely the 1,200 Fans who made the trip to Forest Green  spent their Hard Earned Cash travelling to Support the Magpies, end up being treated with such a Poor Display by Notts.

Realistically even though he inherited Luke Williams side surely by now Maynard should know  those players and what makes them tick? And how to get better performances out of them, because it would seem a lot of these players are still going to be at the Club at the Start of next season, and wasn't Maynard hired because he played the same sort of System to Williams? Hand on Heart I Don't think Maynard was ready to take the Leap into Full Time Management, but then again he wasn't going to Turn Down a Three and Half year contract with all it's Financial Benefits. Fickle Fans perhaps but there are a lot of regular Fans (season ticket holders) who've been going to Lane for many a year that I know who are highly Critical of Stuart Maynard. So the Club needs to be aware there are unhappy Loyal Fans out there.  I also think if Notts had beaten FGR and by a good score then the Maynard criticism would have been less. You are after all only as Good as your Last Result. 

[Robbie]

@Wheelbarrow repair man

I agree with you that there are much more balanced views on this site and I agree that there are some unhappy fans out there, but I believe they are in the minority.

Were there fans critical of Williams, if course there were? There will always be those who are critical no matter what the circumstances.

But some fans have given Williams a pass because he got us promoted. Let's remember that things could have been quite different in the playoff semifinal & final. In that final Notts were second best on the day. 

I for one, am very critical of Williams for not having a plan B or a plan C. He was getting hot under the collar during the latter stages of his tenure.

I want impressed that he ran out of the Club, when he should have seen it through to the end of the season.

One thing you can say about Maynard , he might get frustrated but he doesn't show it. I like a Manager that can keep calm no matter what. Better decisions are made that way.

As for Jodi, he can play in a variety of positions either on the left or right. (He's not comfortable playing as an orthodox wing back though).

It's a good thing tactics wise when Notts have a winger that can play on the left or right. Lots of teams do it.

Stuart would have asked the player himself if he were comfortable playing on the right occasionally, so I don't see any problem there.

 

 

 

[Wheelbarrow repair man]

@Robbie

I'm in full agreement with you regarding Williams and since he's gone back to Swansea he certainly, hasn't torn up any trees it will be interesting to see what happens to him, if the Swans only have or seem to be heading for  another mediocre season next season.

There maybe another problem for Maynard, that's interference from above from the likes of Richard Montague and any "Professional" annalists which may or may not be behind the scenes at Notts. Plus if he's been told to Stick to the playing "Model" (I've really Gotten to Hate that term) System no matter what,  then that will hamper his Coaching Methods. And if the Recruitment isn't Spot on and Notts start losing matches, then Maynard is Left as the scapegoat and takes All the Flak from the Fans. After all friend Montague isn't going to put his hand up and Say Publicly "The Recruitment Team Got It Wrong" 

What I think would be Interesting is Getting One of the Anti- Stuart Maynard Notts Fans on this Platform and Discuss why they think Maynard shouldn't be in the Meadow Lane Dug Out. Hello Any One Out There? Ready to Debate?

[Robbie]

@Wheelbarrow repair man

We can agree that the current playing model just cannot be rigid.

If Notts are going to get promotion next year they are going to have to modify that playing model in a few ways.

We've discussed this before but Notts need a plan B, C and maybe D to deal with different teams and pitches that they play on.

They need to be able to battle at times, harry and grind results out, they have to employ safety first at the back, deal with free kicks, corners & Crosses, they have to learn to defend in numbers, counter attack when necessary and they have to be strong, physical and mean.

I will be looking with interest in the type of players that they bring in. If it's more of the same type of player, or a different type to what they have had over the last few years.

For me, the pre season friendlies, followed  by the first five league games will tell us a lot about Notts's new season playing style, any modifications to that style, possible plan B or C.

We should  have a good idea by then if Maynard will succeed or not.