Maynard interview The Sportsman

[Piethagoram 𝕏 @piethagoram]

Apologies if this has been posted before

A worthy look, even if to revisit

[Robbie 𝕏 @Robbie_NCFC]

I think that this interview is one of the best I've seen involving Stuart Maynard. Very revealing and demonstrates why the Reedtz brothers value him so highly.

He's totally different to what we saw with Luke Williams. Stuart has certainly made big tweaks in the Notts style since Williams left and it is certainly showing dividends defensively.

If Notts hadn't had so many injuries who knows where Notts may have been in the league table after 18 games?

I suspect that Notts would have easily have been in the top two. It is a credit to Stuart and his team that Notts have been able to remain competitive despite the injuries to his key players.

[Fan of Big Tone 𝕏 @mainstandpie]

I agree with @Robbie its a great interview by Stuart and shows he has a great knowledge of the game and talks very well. I believe we have ourselves another great manager who has definitely filled the boots of Luke Williams very admirably, I hope he's here a long time and has lots of success with us.

Thanks for sharing the video @Piethagoram 

[Chris Website URL Visit Site 𝕏 fmcj10 Instagram fmcj10]

Just in time for the Salford game.

This is why I am starting to feel Stuart Maynard isn't the right person to move us forward, if he was paying attention. The first goal Salford scored, that was the time we needed to instruct the players to approach the game differently. I am not one of those people who will boo or call for his head, I will give my support but there's one thing talking about knowing what passes to make before a game is played, and understanding how teams will press - but not adapting in-game shows a weakness. Yes, he's had injuries but Jatta never looked like he would score against Salford. David McGoldrick should have stayed on, Jatta should have been taken off.

Some managers have the ability to rally weakened squads even when things are hard and I just don't see it. I want Maynard to succeed, but I don't think it's likely and my faith in turning this difficult times into a better outcome is slim.

If we are aiming for promotion, by accepting that we are falling out of the playoffs - we are undoing our ambition to progress as a club.

January will be a big factor in Maynard's reign, but if we don't start to pick up points then it's only going to get harder. It's a good interview, but it's talk and right now it doesn't show anything being put into practice. Even with the injuries, we should still be able to avoid some of the poor results we have had. I am concerned that we aren't making the progress we should, but I do hope we can see-out December with better form.

 

[Piethagoram 𝕏 @piethagoram]

Agree @Chris. I don't think Austin should have started, the wing back positions are the real problem and are the weakness in the team. With Jatta, nothing stuck on Saturday for him

[Robbie 𝕏 @Robbie_NCFC]

I agree with lots of things you say @Chris but not regarding Stuart Maynard. He's had up to eight players out which includes four of his best players, including the best player in the lower two leagues out for an extended period.

The players that have come in have done well to keep Notts just three points off the playoffs under Stuart's leadership.

In my opinion, all those calling for his head fail to think about the problems a new manager would bring half way through a season.

Sometimes changing a manager does work but a lot of the time it doesn't.

In my opinion, the best time to change a manager is in the summer, when there is a chance for the new manager to get to know the players and work with the recruiters to bring in the new players that he wants.

Changing in the summer, the team would become the new Manager's team. Changing mid season, the team would still be the previous Manager's.

[Chris Website URL Visit Site 𝕏 fmcj10 Instagram fmcj10]

1 hour ago, Robbie said:

I agree with lots of things you say @Chris but not regarding Stuart Maynard. He's had up to eight players out which includes four of his best players, including the best player in the lower two leagues out for an extended period.

We do have a competitive squad, and I think Stuart Maynard is still learning, but he's very guilty of making poor decisions. Decisions which are costing us right now, whilst it's natural to struggle when losing key players, I just don't think Maynard has pulled the players together.

Instead, he's relying on players to the point they become injured themselves.

1 hour ago, Robbie said:

The players that have come in have done well to keep Notts just three points off the playoffs under Stuart's leadership.

The players have done well, to an extent so has Maynard but the current form is very poor and unless that improves it - I just don't think his leadership will take us in the right direction. Of course, there's plenty that can change but at the same time if we continue the current form then it would sooner (rather than later) fall within sacking form.

1 hour ago, Robbie said:

In my opinion, all those calling for his head fail to think about the problems a new manager would bring half way through a season.

To some extent I would agree with you, however, there are people who are rationally seeing the current situation and I believe a lot of boards would be putting a manager in the form we are right now - under some form of 'review'. Simply based on the poor results, and again, I agree injuries don't help, but I think Maynard would benefit from focusing on trying to change outcomes during games, instead of leaving decisions until games are out of reach from salvaging.

This doesn't always mean you have to make subs, but instructing the players to adapt tactically and positionally. I personally wouldn't shout for his head, but I am comfortable discussing it.

1 hour ago, Robbie said:

Sometimes changing a manager does work but a lot of the time it doesn't.

In my opinion, the best time to change a manager is in the summer, when there is a chance for the new manager to get to know the players and work with the recruiters to bring in the new players that he wants.

Changing in the summer, the team would become the new Manager's team. Changing mid season, the team would still be the previous Manager's.

Well, I think Stuart Maynard is to be let go. Notts will have some form of list of potential replacements, and I think the decision, which will be a tough call either way, should come down on the availability of someone being able to take over. If there's not at least 3 good candidates, or one perfect who is realistically likely to join then I think sacking a manager can be a massive gamble.

Personally, I believe an experienced manager would be able to handle the situation right now much better. Unlike Maynard haters, I do hope it works out for him and that he continues to learn on his feet.

I just feel unlike other periods where we have sacked managers, and we wonder who in the right mind would come in. We have a squad now that a lot of managers/head coaches would see only needs some improvements. I don't think someone looking to come in would want to change much, but I think it would be more inline with what Steve Cotterill did when he arrived during the Munto era.

The January period is where the Notts board should be thinking is Maynard a good fit, if they believe we can further strengthen and allow him more time so be it. But how many games until then should we win? How many points gain or lost would it take for fans to rethink where we are right now?

From now until the away game against Grimsby, 11th January 2024 - I think Notts are likely to pick up 8 points. Two wins, two draws, and the rest losses.

Our current form is on par with struggling Barrow, the 3rd/4th worst form in League Two right now depending on the way you look at it.

[Robbie 𝕏 @Robbie_NCFC]

@Chris You've made a good case with your excellent reply.

There are some good Managers available at this time, & I'm sure that the Reedtz brothers, being as organised as they are, will have a shortlist in preparation for a move if form doesn't pick up.

I just hope that it won't be necessary & the players will respond & fight the good fight for Notts & Stuart over the next few weeks.

[Piethagoram 𝕏 @piethagoram]

Everyone seems to be pointing the finger at SM, but I believe he isn't being helped by the lack of EFL experience of his 2 assistant coaches. We just seem to run out of ideas now

[Robbie 𝕏 @Robbie_NCFC]

The two assistant coaches have worked with Stuart some time. They came over with him from Wealdsone.

I think that Stuart and his assistants came over as a package. I think you find that alot now when there is a change of Head Coach or Manager, his assistants come with him 

We don't know how rigid, the owners, want to be in enforcing the style of play that they believe in. Is Stuart allowed to deviate from that style of play depending on the opposition or not.

I think that's an important question to ask, because it seems to me that the owners want Notts to play out from the back no matter who they play.

As I've said before, there needs to be some flexibility in style to combat every different team in league two, depending on lots of things, pitch, weather, & what Notts players are available on that particular day.

 

[Chris Website URL Visit Site 𝕏 fmcj10 Instagram fmcj10]

28 minutes ago, Piethagoram said:

Everyone seems to be pointing the finger at SM, but I believe he isn't being helped by the lack of EFL experience of his 2 assistant coaches. We just seem to run out of ideas now

I mentioned this last season, and I would say that it's valid now.

However, bringing in experience such as a Director of Football isn't going to really help IMO. I said in my post where I touched up on that both the Saunders brothers should have been appointed as coaches, with the club finding an experience assistant - even if this was just whilst Stuart Maynard adjusted to the league. Yet, much of the mistakes we are seeing come down to how games are managed as they unfold.

That makes the head coach more responsible, but I do think the inexperience throughout makes situations like this to be difficult. Notts could start a new unbeaten run, with Maynard pulling everyone together and us finding the form we all want. That would be great, but there are signs from last season creeping back in and again, I think it's more inexperience and a Maynard issue than anything else.

This said, I do think the lack of foresight from the board is a worthwhile point to make (which mistakes happen).

There is no replacement for Macaulay Langstaff's departure.
Allowing Junior Morias to go out on loan, despite a lack of options up top.

That's two strikers down.

Not replacing Aaron Nemane, i.e. having someone aside from Jodi Jones who can take on their man and beat them. We really miss Nemane's pace right now; earlier today our National League Final at Wembley played as I left YouTube to randomly play videos, and it reminded me just how much we miss him. At first, we didn't miss him so much, but we later missed his speed.

Allowing Adam Chicksen to go out on loan has repeated the same mistake as we have seen with Langstaff and Morias.

We don't know how much of a say the club had with the departures out on loan, but considering we haven't recalled them despite being down to bare-bones does show a lack of foresight. I don't want this to seem like things are terribly wrong, because I don't think that is the case. It's more about managing poor form better, and making sure we learn from these types of mistakes. How different could things have been had we replaced the departures? Or, found a way to feature them/recall them???

Plenty of games remain, but these types of questions and thoughts, I think, give a more insightful look into mistakes. I do also acknowledge we might not have been in this situation without the injuries, but that highlights the importance of a balanced squad, especially with an inexperienced EFL head coach.

[Robbie 𝕏 @Robbie_NCFC]

@Chris

Luke Williams had League experience & although he got us promoted from the National League, he did leave Notts in a mess when he went to Swansea, & Luke didn't have a load of injuries to contend with like Stuart has had.

[Chris Website URL Visit Site 𝕏 fmcj10 Instagram fmcj10]

21 minutes ago, Robbie said:

@Chris

Luke Williams had League experience & although he got us promoted from the National League, he did leave Notts in a mess when he went to Swansea, & Luke didn't have a load of injuries to contend with like Stuart has had.

That's true, but our defence was weaker.

Alex Bass, Matty Platt and Jacob Bedau are all massive signings which are starting to suffer from our current tactics. This season, we have improved the squad overall, but failed to make sure the depth is there in the scenario of injuries. That let Stuart Maynard down, but it just shows how complex football is.

[Robbie 𝕏 @Robbie_NCFC]

4 minutes ago, Chris said:

That's true, but our defence was weaker.

Alex Bass, Matty Platt and Jacob Bedau are all massive signings which are starting to suffer from our current tactics. This season, we have improved the squad overall, but failed to make sure the depth is there in the scenario of injuries. That let Stuart Maynard down, but it just shows how complex football is.

And Stuart was behind getting those better players in and removing players that weren't good enough .

Whereas Luke kept those players that proved to be not good enough for league 2.

The next half a dozen matches will be important for Stuart I think. If he comes through it with a reasonable record & think the owners will stick with him.