The Stuart Maynard evaluation

[ARLukomski]

So, played 19, won 5, drew 3, lost 11, gf29, ga34. Not great. It's fair to say we've all got our opinion of Stuart's first few months at the Lane, some more warm and some cold. 

By all means, the results haven't been good enough and neither have quite a few of the performances. However, there is a few things to take encouragement, especially our form from MK onwards and bits said at the fans forum. Overall though, things must pick up if we are to challenge for automatic promotion. Scott Lindsey's record after the season he kept Crawley up was: won 6, drew 6, lost 10, gf22, ga32. Then look at them after he had a summer to recruit and look where they are now. 

To be honest, I've spent the whole month of May evaluating whether Maynard can take us forward. I needed to just forget about the comments on social media in the last few months and pick it apart myself.

He walked into a difficult phase. He took over from a beloved figure at the club, who gave us the season of a lifetime. However, the team had been conceding goals for fun for many months. Sutton (5), Colchester (5), Mansfield (4), Wimbledon (4), Harrogate (3), Tranmere (4), Grimsby (5). Even the games we didn't concede 3 or more in were still silly. 

Donny away. O'Brien, not clearing it in added time, leads to us losing our clean sheet. The 2nd goal against Wrexham (H), both goals against Bradford (H), both goals against Walsall (H). Simple things in the build up or at crucial moments. Even the FGR home game when we won to go top, we were poor, showing the owners were correct at the fans forum about us not performing at a good enough level to challenge for promotion, over the whole season. 

The biggest concern for me, when he was appointed, was the step up. You're coming from a side who were punching above their weight and finishing mid table and flirting with the play-offs on occasions, to a side wanting to challenge for promotion in League 2. It's a big leap. 

In his time at Wealdstone, he helped develop players and improve their game. This includes: George Wickens, Sam Howes, Jed Ward, Harry Isted, Riley Harbottle, Charlie Barker, Miguel Freckleton, Deji Elerewe, Jacob Mendy, Aaron Henry, Ashley Charles, Rhys Browne, Sean Adarkwa, Tahvon Campbell and Josh Umerah. You don't improve players' ability if you're not a good coach. Harbottle is now in the SPL, Howes in League 1, Ward is Bristol Rovers' number 1, Mendy and Isted are both in league 1. Rhys Browne got a move to Woking off of the back of his impressive form.

The signing of Matty Platt offers real encouragement to me. The fact we can take an out of contract player and convince him we are a better place to play football than Bradford shows we have the pull and that Stuart can attract them players, despite only previously managing in non league.

The fact he's not just coached that Wealdstone team to play and finish above where people expect them, but also getting the best out of them whilst being semi-pro and having limited time in training and in video analysis sessions, shows there must be a good motivator in there. A good man manager. This was also mentioned in Tom Williams' interview with Matty Saunders. 

Don't get me wrong, he's got and said things wrong as you'd expect. His subs haven't been great in some games (not helped by poor squad depth due to recruitment) and his post or pre match comments haven't been what I've been seeing on the pitch. I'd just like to see him go into depth a bit more and say when things are poor. I know he wants to protect the players but when we haven't played well (Crewe, Salford, FGR, Gillingham) then say it how it is. 

However, he's right about us not being countered on as much, how we need more structure, how the problems were here before he came in and that we haven't got the required height or physicality to compete.

There is a good head coach in there and I just hope he can succeed. Whether some of us feel good going into next season with him in charge or not, we all want him to succeed because that's what we want for Notts.

[Robbie]

Nice article and good analysis regarding Stuart Maynard @ARLukomski 

There is a good coach in there. The Owners must have done a thorough evaluation of Stuart's coaching record and came to the same conclusion.

The signing of Platt in the transfer window is very encouraging, and it seems he thinks that Maynard can improve him as a player, so it looks like Stuart does have a reputation for improving a player's overall skill level.

Let's hope Stuart can attract more good players that want to improve in the next 4 or 5 weeks, & persuade our good players to stick with Notts for another season too.

 

[Fan of Big Tone]

A great well researched and in depth analysis @ARLukomski it gives me hope for the coming season so thank you.

[Fan of Big Tone]

How odd I tried to share this topic on my Facebook feed and it was removed as spam. 

[Chris]

5 minutes ago, Fan of Big Tone said:

How odd I tried to share this topic on my Facebook feed and it was removed as spam. 

You might want to try again, Facebook can be over sensitive with links at times. Alternatively, copying the URL manually may work out better.

[Fan of Big Tone]

13 minutes ago, Chris said:

You might want to try again, Facebook can be over sensitive with links at times. Alternatively, copying the URL manually may work out better.

Thanks @Chris I’ve shared it again and it’s not been removed……yet.

[Wheelbarrow repair man]

Stuart Maynard's Biggest Weakness and something I hope he's working on is his Man Management Skills. Luke Williams had it in Bucket Loads, he could make Poor Players Average, Average Players Good and Good Players Outstanding. Maynard as the backing of the Owners (despite his appalling record) so with that worry off his mind he should now be able to show the Players and Fans alike his True Coaching / Management Expertise. A full Preseason and the first half dozen matches, will give him the chance prove if he is the Man to take Notts Forward.

[Robbie]

@Wheelbarrow repair man 

I agree that the pre season and the first half dozen matches will be vital for Stuart to show that he is the man to to take Notts forward 

He will have several new players at his disposal, players that he would have had lots of input in choosing.

There will be no more excuses. The Notts team will be his team playing how he wants them to play, by his shape & tactics.

He has the support of the Notts owners & hopefully he will be confident enough now to shine in his role 

If Notts make a good start things will be fine, but if not, after six to 10 games the owners may be looking elsewhere.

Football can be brutal for Managers and Coaches.

[menzinho]

I thought when Stuart Maynard first came in, even though we didn’t really turn the form around, I was actually quite encouraged in some of the games (even if we lost). At Mansfield and Wrexham, both tough away games I thought we actually deserved something from those games and played pretty well. I agree he shouldn’t shoulder too much blame for the defence, he tried a couple of different things and I thought we looked more solid but the continuous individual errors and inability to defend our own box was our downfall and that is more down to the players.

I’ve probably been just as critical of our attacking play at times because I thought we’d been way to slow, predictable and not been brave enough to try more through-balls/crosses. I thought we were a lot more threatening with Jatta on the pitch because we actually crossed the ball more often. Hopefully this continues into next season.

If we keep our better players over pre-season, improve the defence/keeper and Scott, Palmer and Baj are back up to speed and haven’t suffered from their injuries, on paper Stuart Maynard will have very good squad. And for that reason I think he’ll be for the whole season, unless it’s a disaster and we’re close to being bottom of the league (but given the quality of the squad I think that’s unlikely to happen). Even if we were hovering around mid-table for most of the season I don’t think that would get him sacked. I get the impression the owners will give a head-coach “extra-time” in the hope things turn in our favour. I’m thinking about what happened with Doncaster last season, they had a decent squad (so should we come the start of the season) but were poor/average until the last 1/3. It shows sacking manager isn't always the answer.

I'm not going to lie and say I don't have doubts considering his tough start, but I hope he's over that now and he's a massive success for us!

[liampie]

in hindsight it must have taken stuart maynard time to adapt to professional football, i think luke williams left at the worst time for us but i dont believe he should not made that decision. it was a good move for him, however it left us needing someone with a similar vision in coaching the team. some fans were never going to give maynard a chance due to his non league and previous work profession but defensively we did look much better under him than we did williams.

most of the mistakes were individual errors, there is not much you can do about that.

we suffered from a lack of attacking prowess but its a learning thing. some of the same fans calling for maynard to leave were the same that complained about williams. all of our managers since neil ardley have been learning on the job and last season was our biggest lesson. stabilising our league status and pushing on, i dont think maynard will fault. i also praise the owners for standing by him when it was so easy to listen to the supporters that wanted him gone. that was on the form and poor results, but i think that had little to do with maynard, i hope he proves it this season that he can get the teams balance correct.