I would like to start by saying I think the club is the best it's has been run in my lifetime (and in a long time in Notts fans' case). They have done wonderful things for this club and there's still more to come. However I need to get things off of my chest about recent decisions.

Firstly is the appointment of Martin Paterson. He's here now, here's our gaffer, there's nothing we can do. However it is understandable why I, and many many others are underwhelmed, disappointed, annoyed and apprehensive about his appointment.

The first thing is his time at Burton where the first thing that stands out is his win percentage. 5 wins from 20. A 25% win ratio. Not just that, but he was noted for arguing with supporters and for being slightly confrontational.

As said before, this isn't anything like Luke Williams. Williams had a low win percentage at Swindon, but Tim Sherwood was pulling the strings from up above and had his fingers in a lot of pies. Williams also had assistant spells at MK and Swansea, being influential in developing their style. Paterson was assistant at Inter Miami to Phil Neville, who failed, assistant to Michael Duff at Huddersfield who failed as they finished 10th with a squad that should've finished in the top 6.

I haven't got the confidence in him to coach us in a possession based style at a high tempo which is "The Notts way" and bring a top mentality like Luke did. Of course I, and many others would love to be proven wrong and it turn out similar to how Gary Caldwell has done at Exeter. He wasn't entirely welcomed as their new gaffer, after 2 poor spells at Partick and Chesterfield, but he seems to have learnt his lessons (like Paterson mentioned about himself in his interview) and has kept them quite stable and competing well in League 1.

Having listened to interviews and taken time to reflect, I think the technical board can work with the right personnel in it, as long as Paterson has the same authority as Maynard, Williams and Burchnall did before him as head coach (which was mentioned in the statement about him having control over the tactics and game plan). However, the two people I have the least faith in to execute this structure to success are occupying the two most important positions within the structure: Paterson (who I've gone over) and Roberto Gagliardi.

Gagliardi was doing fine with recruitment. Dennis is an ok signing, not a starter, but has pace. Iorpenda offers a physical presence in midfield and Norburn brings leadership and experience. All things we were lacking. However, the signing of Maz Kouyhar was when I started to question things and the subsequent appointment (even if that is lead by the Reedtz bros) gives me some apprehension. The signing of Kouyhar is bizarre because whilst he performed well on loan in the National League North, he's 27 and couldn't get in to York's team. If he was 22 or 23, I would understand, but he's 27. It's not a signing that anyone at this level makes and especially one a team chasing promotion from League 2.

This brings me onto the wider scope of recruitment, particularly players that should've been looked at to bolster the squad and improve the quality, but instead them opportunities have been squandered. Macauley Southam-Hales, Ryan Rydel, Vincent Harper, Kian Spence, Robbie Gotts, Dean Campbell, Tyrese Fornah, Reece Smith, Dominic Ball, Adam Senior, Conor McCarthy, Harrison Burke, Tom Bradbury, Nathan Smith, Sean Grehan, Jordan Shipley, Andy Smith and Denver Hume. Players that should be looked at, but instead we sometimes try and be too clever when we really don't need to be. This is another thing I brought up on socials. We don't go for the "obvious standout talents" like Burke, Senior, Reece Smith, Jack Stevens, Charlie McCann, Debrah, Tolaj, Beckwith and Sbarra.

The club is the best it's been in ages and I think the extra annoyance comes from the fact that we have good people at the club, but bizarre decisions on certain matters are stopping us taking that next step.

Couldn't agree more.....ill also add the the coaching appointment of SamSlocombe....no doubt a good Goalkeeper coach but i find it hard to understand his involvement with outfield players...Coaching outfield players is surely a very important position which should be done by a specialist.......

@ARLukomski,We’re going to have to live with the decision. Ultimately if it works then great, if not then they’ll be out the door quicker than a BT engineer

In agreement with @ARLukomski . I don't think the new gaffer has the gravitas / likeableness to connect with the #Notts crowd. My biggest problem is the DoF who may have been outside the English game for too long in recent times. Other EFL2 clubs are strengthening... are we going to be exposed again with a smaller squad. Currently I would rank Notts at the wrong end of the table for next season. I hope I am wrong

Since Notts were relegated to the National League, Notts have reached the playoffs 5 times, four in the National League, including promotion & 1 in League 2 in the last six seasons.

Just one season has seen a dissapointing ending finishing mid table in Notts season back to League 1.

But I think the overall stats demonstrate that the Reedtz brothers have really turned things around for Notts on the field of play.

But it's not just on the field of play, the owners have, with their careful & watchful stewardship, turned things around financially for Notts.

They've improved the facilities at ML with a Premier League style pitch, introduced safe standing, installed better utilities around the ground, launched The Nest, & are improving the training facilities.

We've been used to the owners making all the right decisions, & I think we all need to trust them again regarding their recruitment of the new Coaching & Management staff.

I'm looking forward to the new season with positivity. I think Notts have a team that can challenge for honours. The owners have learned lessons from last season, & the Technical Board should improve the overall decision making.

Hopefully, Notts will make a good start to the season with the new regime that the owners have put together, but if that isn't the case, I'm sure the owners will look to put that right sooner rather than later.

I think the club is very much focused on becoming sustainable and trying to manage when progress is being made without having to further invest money. This could explain why we aren't going for the obvious free agents, which would bring quality. There's this feeling that this season is more about us building upon the squad from last year and doing it in a way where we might be able to spend more at the crucial point in the January transfer window.

Notts does seem to manage the playing budget well, without going all MK Dons with wages and signing in a hope to force promotion.

There are so many 'new' things about which we are unsure, and naturally this is going to lead to concerns. I think once the season does start, it might become clearer, and we could feel like there is hope.

Burton were in a self-destruct mode with how terrible their campaign had become last season; Martin Paterson arguing with their fans seems quite common when teams are struggling, and it's something he needs to learn to avoid. Young coaches will have this, but at the same time I know some of the issues Burton fans were blowing off about were really just them having a classic football meltdown.

I have no knowledge of what our wage budget would look like, or if it's improved from when we were speculated to have a mid-table budget, but good players do come with a price and usually with extra demands. I wonder if we look more closely at players who have potential but are happier to be a squad player than instantly demanding first-team football? Obviously, we all would like signings which we see as "starting XI," but that can cause issues within the camp; it presents a balance for game time and with what squad we have, and the players already wanting minutes. In which areas can we truly sign someone who can be guaranteed to start?

We still have time to make some solid signings, and I really hope we don't splash cash on signing a backup keeper with potential, as I feel this can be more easily solved. I would much rather see us bring in a quality attacking midfielder, though it does seem like Conor Grant is favoured for this role.

Arrivals of players who have a record with scoring would be far better than players who assist or are key in creating chances, as we are good enough at doing so. We need people who show a burst of quality that can make things different.

I don't believe Will Jarvis is the type of signing we would ever have made at the start of the season, and better players tend to become more available in January.

@Piethagoram,Ive less faith in Gagliardi than I have in Maynard, Moniz and Fullerton

The concensus seems we need 2 or maybe 3 quality players to fill the gaps in attack and midfield left by Didsy and Crowley. Not squad players, but starters. If those types of players are signed in the next few weeks we will all feel a lot happier. I don't believe it will be sooner as Paterson will surely want to see what resources he has before he can provide input to the recruitment process. The tour to Germany is another good piece of planning by the Brothers to enable this to happen.

So, who do we get by the end of July? Starters or squad players? That will speak volumes as to how this season will play out.

I think if you going to try something out your best bet is in League 2. It’s quite a safe league in that there are only two relegation spots and then with three teams going up automatically if you can stay near the top of the table eventually your time will come. So I get why they say now is the time in terms of implementing the new structure.

I think had Paterson been appointed a tad quicker it might not have felt like this was possibly plan b/c or whatever, I feel like every time another week passed the expectation levels got higher and higher. Even so I feel the brothers will have dived deeper into Paterson just judging him over 20 matches isn’t always an accurate representation of his abilities. But it isn't just him we've added it’s the first-time since they’ve taken over that a lot of big changes have been made, a lot of new faces have arrived in a short-space of time and we’ve no idea how successful/effective they will be. We could have a great season or equally we could slide down the table, I’ll admit I feel like the latter is more likely too but given how the brother’s decision making in previous seasons has been pretty good I’m happy to see where this new strategy takes us… For now!

I don’t think we are that far off it in terms of squad either, I wouldn’t say it’s amazing but it’s a lot better than other League 2 clubs. And my issue last season, especially as it wore on, was more with the style than the players and how we were really quite basic and uncommitted when it came to how we attacked. I’d say there’s a bit of the unknown in terms of if we are tweaking our formation slightly, part of me thinks we are going to have proper wide attackers this season. So far we’ve let Austin, Didzy and Whitaker go and not replaced them...

Going for proven players all the time would just be like the Wrexham approach. Pay a lot of money to slot in proven players in and bully your way up the leagues. The Notts approach to signings, if I've understood it correctly, is pretty much the opposite, it's to look for hidden value (or at least strong potential value, e.g. Langstaff wasn't exactly hidden when we bought him). More sustainable i.e. you don't need bottomless funds, you actually get some money back from sales. It also means there will be some duds, but that doesn't matter so long as a few work out. So far it's been a massive success if you compare Notts' transfer income over the last five years (well into 7 figures) with the ten years before that (zero).

17 hours ago, Garry Lee said:

@Piethagoram,Ive less faith in Gagliardi than I have in Maynard, Moniz and Fullerton

I will not have Ricardo's name mentioned alongside Maynard and Fullarton . The facts speak for themselves😉

Notts has to continue to be wise about the way it conducts itself. I would like to see a couple more key signings, but I can acknowledge that we are not jeopardising the club by spending big in the hope that it will make us good enough for promotion. We don't know who the club has spoken with in terms of recruitment, and when clubs try to build too quickly, it can have the opposite effect to the success the fans are seeking.

I don't believe we are in any danger; I welcome the careful approach, but I do hope we reflect on the areas already outlined by @Chris.

Matthew Dennis could very well prove himself and thrive in our squad; all we really need is a striker that works hard, makes movements, and has the ability to finish chances. Yet, someone more of the calibre of League One would make life a little easier, I would say.

That, and a good attacking midfielder who can draw defenders on, create space for others, and also hold the ball up without losing it.

There are many reasons why Martin Paterson could succeed with a team like Notts, whereas it's pretty obvious that Burton are in decline compared to where they have been in recent campaigns. I don't think Paterson is going to walk into a new club and start getting into fights with supporters, not when he's seeking their approval to further advance his career. The situation at Burton is typical of teams being relegated; I respect a manager who is able to give what some fans dish out, provided he doesn't tarnish the whole fan base. Kevin Nolan had a way of rubbing fans the wrong way with his criticism, yet somehow, they still have a bit of a soft spot for him despite the ups and downs. It's interesting how that works, right?

We have to take the season as it comes and hope for the best, I am sure the Reedtz will make changes where needed. It's not as if they don't acknowledge where improvements are needed, But they aren't really in a hurry to rush people.

Some interesting points in this thread.

I don't know whether Paterson was truly the first choice (although he may have been first choice following the interviews). From the board's point of view, RG is chiefly responsible for assembling the squad while the head coach's duties don't start until the players report in for pre-season training, so there was no rush. However, I wonder if our lack of a head coach caused us to miss out on transfer targets. If I were a player, I'd ideally want to know who's going to coach me.

So that bugs me. We have some serious quality to replace and we haven't done it yet. However, there's a month to go and what truly matters is the squad we have in August. I'm a bit nervous too but it's too early to write MP and RG off.

Regarding coaches, coaching players who played in a different position to you is part of the job. Our last three head coaches didn't even play professionally. A lot of talk about coaches from fans is just conjecture because from the outside you just don't know. There are former players unable to elicit more than a grunt, and there are people who never played at all who have excellent tactical knowledge. What matters is what happens on the pitch, and we haven't kicked a ball yet.

Some good points made

Financial sustainability yes, but we are now in a league where some clubs now have very deep pockets...MK Dons, Bristol Rovers....even perhaps Salford

Currently I have zero confidence in assuming automatic promotion this season

i think we have to make the most of the good players we have and track replacements a little more, or at least potential players that could fit in if we needed to sell a player. i think what is not helping us right now is that the quality in does not match the quality going out on paper and by the club suggesting that we are aiming for promotion that brings expectations even if some are unrealistic or unhealthy.

now we have sold bass, i hope we can bring in some players who are not free agents and fill the squad with a bit more quality that can help us feel a little more confident about promotion.

A couple of hours after my last post here I suddenly came round to @ARLukomski's thinking.

As I said yesterday, we'll have to see what rabbits RG can pull out of the hat but I'm not feeling very confident so far. And now we've sold the best keeper in the league and are suddenly looking for a replacement just when teams are reporting back for pre-season training. This doesn't look like the carefully planned recruitment that was sold to us.

Also, signing players is never an exact science, sometimes players just don't settle at the club. The more gaps we have to plug, the more likely it becomes.

Players come & players go. It has always been the case in the modern era. I'm sad to see players go. We've seen two big influential players leave, Didzy & Alex in the last few weeks.

But we have to believe in the system & the way the Reedtz brothers are running the club. They, more than anyone else, will be aware which type of players the club needs at this time.

I think we just need to have a little patience & let the powers that be at Notts do their job. I'm sure they are working tirelessly to improve the squad before the start of the season.

Let's just see what transpires over the next four weeks & see who arrives at the Lane. There is still plenty of time for the owners & the management team to put things right.

We aren't promotion contenders as it stands. We have lost key players in key positions. The club has a big month ahead. We need quality. Full stop.

I hope you're proven right @Robbie and we can have a good laugh at this thread once the season's over!

Selling players on for a profit can be a risky strategy as it puts pressure on the club to recruit equally high-quality replacements for less money. I hope we've got some good irons in the fire.