Are we happy with where the club is currently? Some may feel under the Reedtz brothers in their 6-year tenure we have gone backwards. Recruitment has been poor and uninspired by the appointment of Martin Paterson.

We might look at Wrexham and Stockport who were with us in the National League and compare their progress to ours. Personally, I think we have to put our current situation into context. There are significant differences.

For the most part Wrexham and Stockport have had the same manger from the start of their “journey” till now. They play the same style of football but have had the finance to bring in players from higher levels who play that same brand of football. (hence why we couldn’t keep Didzy)

In our case since the Reedtz brothers took over we have had 5 head coaches in 6 years. Two of them were poached by clubs higher up the football pyramid. We have also had our best players poached. Wooton, Roberts, Rodrigues, Langstaff, Crowley and Bass.

With Wrexham and Stockport their so-called best players have been sold to lower-level clubs. They have replaced them with better ones due to their financial status.

In a word these teams have had continuity, but our progress has been hindered by the above. So where does that leave us now? We play a brand of football that when the team is gelling is great to watch. It takes time to achieve. Especially with the interruptions to our progress as already mentioned. We have also had to tweak the way we place to make us more solid at the back without losing our potency in the final third. I thought we started to see signs of that against a very physical Bromley team.

Yes we are not the finished article, but I feel Paterson has the drive and work ethic to make it work. With the transfer window still open and the January one to come, I think in view of the context, our progress report for now doing ok, but there is still more work to be done. COYP!

 

Some interesting points there. Of course we've made progress - when they took over, we'd just been relegated to the National League, had a skeleton squad and were facing oblivion. The fact that we're back in the League and are looking towards L1 (although that might not be realistic this season) shows how far we have come.

More context - before, we had no footballing identity, with managers rarely having a whole season on the job and pretty much doing their own thing when it came to recruitment, culminating in the disaster season. At that time many people were calling for us to adopt a proper philosophy and sign the players that fit into it. This doesn't necessarily mean signing the players the other clubs in our league are chasing.

Of the five head coaches we've had, only one was sacked mid-season (the only one they didn't appoint themselves) and two left of their own accord to manage in a higher division. Whether MP is a good idea remains to be seen.

This isn't the easiest route to success and in a way it reminds me of the season when Ardley was sacked - then too, many of our signings didn't come off and we had trouble fitting them into the team. It took most of the season for us to look like a cohesive unit. But one of those players was Ruben Rodgrigues, who really came good in the couple of seasons that followed.

Of course, even if you've made progress, things can go into reverse with a couple of bad decisions. Not all his signings came off, but Richard Montague did a good job of building the squad and unearthed some real gems. The jury is out on his successor. And the willingness to sell Bass in particular indicates overconfidence in our ability to replace him. But they're problems we'd have been delighted to have just a few years ago.

If you had asked me the question after the loss in the playoff semifinal that despite the loss Notts had made progress, I would have yes, of course we have. The progress was steady from the time that we returned to League 2.

At this very moment I think Notts have regressed slightly after the turn around of 22 players which has made the team a little disjointed & less cohesive.

I do believe that Notts can quickly get back on the right track once again, but I do think it will take a little time for the players to gel together into a well oiled unit.

I've been encouraged by the team when they have played well in parts against Shrewsbury & Bromley, but the mistakes & sloppiness at the back is concerning & needs to be addressed quickly.

At this present time I'd rate the squad 6/10 because Notts haven't been outplayed in any game & the goals we've conceded are more from the mistakes Notts have made rather than great play by our opponents.

Notts have to aim for a rating of 8/10 to have a playoff plus chance so there has to be some improvement especially with the defence. This will come with familiarity & maybe a decent goalkeeper, striker & playmaker being recruited.

We've gone backwards fast since we were led by LW's vision, a squad packed with attacking talent and good ballplayers. and a recruitment team making more hits than misses.

For sure, we're much better off than the Trew and Hardy days. I don't think we're on a track to non-league again - but the great momentum from our promotion has been squandered. We raced to the top of L2 by following the formula that had success in the NL - but step by step, adjustment by adjustment, it's been diluted....we must be more defensive... we mustn't throw players forward, they must be back to cover....we need to be taller, more physical etc Are these adaptations that protect us against relegation? Or do they just put us on track to be an average and more typical L2 side? Does becoming more typical give us a better or worse chance of getting out this league?

Seems to me that we're bedding in for a long stay in this league rather than pushing all our chips in by trusting in our principles.

As MP gets more and more stretched, tested and stressed as the season goes on, his true footballing instincts will come to the fore. Do we want to be more like Bromley so we can battle with these middle-ranking L2 clubs? Or so different that on our day we can steamroller them through superior football? I don't know which way it's going to go.

Personally I Think Notts Have Gone Backwards, since the Heady days under Luke Williams. While it's true that things were starting to unravel at the Lane, under Williams Tenure, just before he left I think if he hadn't been poached by Swansea that January Transfer Window would have seen the Arrival of a Better level of Players, instead of just Jatta. The two Head Coaches who have been succeeded LW have been poor appointments. Stuart Maynard had never Coached on a Professional Basis, so he was on a Massive learning Curve himself, which didn't give him the time to learn his Trade and Coach the Team. In his second season (as I've stated before) SM was slowly getting to Grips with the Notts Model, with a Great Deal of Help from the Saunders Brothers, but once they Departed, his New Assistant (who shouldn't have been appointed in my opinion) was neither Use Nor Ornament, and Maynard eventually crumbled under the Pressure.

The Arrival of the New Director of Football and Martin Patterson certainly haven't helped matters in my opinion. Both I feel are Not Up To The Job (always happy to be proven wrong) and this as been shown with the Magpies gaining 5 points out of a Possible 15 and a League position of 16th. The Brothers need To Stop The Rot and need to take their Share of the Blame, by allowing Top Players To Leave and Not Replacing Them With Like For Like Players. They have only Recruited cheaply with Free Agents and Loanees, which must raise the Question have they spent to much money on the Infrastructure of the Club, which means they can only afford to Bring in Cheap Replacements ?

Bringing on Academy Players at Notts seems to be a Totally Alien Idea, the up and coming Players of tomorrow, get loaned out and once they've gain some Experience, they're Sold. So with Star Players being Sold and Young Talent Being Sold, does this mean the Brothers are content to use Notts has a Feeder Club? (which has been quoted by another PON Member) and they just hope that Notts one day might get Promotion to League 1.

@Wheelbarrow repair man I do question the amount of money spent on the infrastructure, particularly the playing surface at ML. I thought the original pitch was adequate & one of the best in the League.

Up to a £million spent on the new pitch instead of investing in quality players at this level, could have made the difference in getting promoted or not especially last season.

For me, the priority should have been success on the pitch, not a new pitch.

i think we have to remind ourselves of the good jason turner did, and how much his death has left us lacking. i dont know joe palmer, never spoke to him but it does not seem to be his priority to have a good relationship with fans. i never spoke to jason turner, and i took much of what he did for granted. his updates used to always make me feel closer to the club, which with palmers arrival i feel we have gone backwards especially in terms of the recruitment of other staff which he probably has less say on.

i dont judge moving forward based on promotion, but where i feel the club is heading and this season is the first where i truly feel like we have stepped back. i wish nothing more than martin paterson to work, but the club has not helped him at all.

there is more for us to learn from in this season and the one just past, than any of the previous ones because the club seemed to be moving in the right direction.

sacking a manager for failing to gain promotion, then to hire someone with little experience and send the squad to germany without a complete squad or at least the majority seems quite narrow minded to think it would work. we did not seem prepared for this season and paterson will take the brunt of virtually everything and it seems unfair.

the reedtz are doing well, there are areas they could do better but its the head coach position where i feel they should do better. stuart maynard was a somewhat experiemental appointment but with an encouraging cv. now we have gambled on someone who says he wants to win, but is being held back by not signing players in the right areas or priortiesing we are weak such as in goal and up front.

I think part of the problem is the lack of clear objectives that has seen us go from a mission the club is fully behind to something which is a goal, but nobody dared mention until the club sacked Stuart Maynard for failing in the playoffs.

What felt like the club had things in place after the quickness of the Reedtz taking over, and their first season beginning. Everything that took place seemed to have the same end goal, which was promotion back to League Two. Despite things slightly changing, it came across as lessons being learned and still a club moving as a platform toward the target of being an EFL team.

Our first two seasons felt like this approach hadn't changed, but the refusal to acknowledge promotion as a goal and more a forbidden word just seems, in hindsight, something the club used to use to not allow fans to get carried away.

I am all for taking things game by game, with the hope that promotion is the objective, but at the same time factoring in injuries, etc.

The recruitment has always looked like the club's ambition is to get promotion; I think this season is the first where it hasn't quite been at the same level, but most of the signings are encouraging.

The early seasons, I believe, have led the club into thinking we don't need more than two main strikers, with a third being optional from someone in the midfield. It seems like our search for a player who can score 20+ goals per season has come at the cost of realising that it's important to have firepower. Wes Thomas, Kane Hemmings, Kristian Dennis, Kyle Wootton, Nathan Tyson, Scott Wilson, and Ramaye Campbell. They were all on our books in 2019/2020.

Over the following seasons, we would see this fall in numbers, and promotion usually comes to teams who have depth not just in midfield or defence, but in goal and up front.

Whilst Hemmings and Dennis might not have been involved, we still had them as options at the beginning if we needed them.

Some of it might be down to the budget changing and better players taking a higher percentage of the wages we can spend, but it's a dramatic turn from having options there to not having any at all. I won't count 2019, but we did have 3 experienced keepers the following season, and this is a number that has fallen.

I am completely happy with two good options at number one, with a youngster filling in as third. Even at League Two level, anything more is a luxury. Having three strikers, for me, is the minimum, and I don't count Mai Traore. Where is he? I would prefer four, with someone like Traore being that final option since he can cover in midfield. These are things which I think, over time, the club has seen as a means to thin out, but it's at the cost of covering times when depth is needed.

Notts has become very top-heavy in midfield this season, and whilst Notts initially said loans would be seen as a "top-up" solution, I don't mind that we have explored this, but my only concern is that the focus seems to be at the expense of the two crucial areas which have been visible for three seasons now.

Goalkeepers and strikers, selling Alex Bass would always be a difficult decision and hard to truly replace.

From seeing players wanting to be at the club to seeing us more as a stepping stone, I do wonder if the thought of promotion is one of the reasons some have wanted to leave. As with selling, I know it is a necessary evil and part of escaping the lower leagues.

I wished Notts weren't so stubborn as to think they can use stats and data to solve everything, as it's impossible, and I wished they would see that depth means that we have options in all areas and therefore we won't have to rely on one striker. Only to see them taken off in games, replaced by someone less convincing.

Strikers don't grow on trees, but we have improved massively in this area under the Reedtz and I am sure we can find capable players who can work hard without a proven record; that just needs the support and game time to get them.

To sum my thoughts up, Notts are very stubborn to stay within their pre-plans.

Our National League seasons have been impressive, with each campaign surpassing the achievements of the previous one. Back in the EFL, it seems less structured and more focused on wishing for the best. Rather than having a solid commitment to gaining a promotion. Whilst I do feel we have taken a significant step backwards this season, the prior two I felt the club was moving in the right direction.

Martin Paterson still has time for us to improve, even if we fail to reach the playoffs. Provided we move up the table and the signs are showing improvement, I wouldn't be against him being given another full season.

Provided we reflect on what it takes to move forward, and he gets the players in the right areas, it will make the difference needed to get the right results.

If we are going on an American report card, I would say B-.

Last season would have been a B+, and this season seems crucial in terms of making sure we don't undo any good work. Finishing anywhere below 10th would be a major disappointment to me. I would accept it, but I would hope not all lessons would be learned retrospectively, as we tend to see.

Very good comments. I mostly agree with what @liampie and @Chris have said.

We didn’t realise just how important Jason Turner was to Notts until he sadly passed away. It became clear then how much he did for the club. People have said it was like working with three people, because he was so involved and made sure everything was done properly. I’ve never met Joe Palmer, so it’s hard to compare fairly, but the lack of updates from him doesn’t help. The club used to say it wanted to be open, but Palmer seems quite closed off. Maybe he’s more focused on the business side.

The idea of the club having a clear goal and everyone working towards it seemed to fade once we got promoted.

@Robbie made a good point about not tearing apart a promotion-winning squad. Notts does have a habit of doing that, but this time the squad did start off well. There were a few poor signings, but most of them did improve the team.

Does it feel like Notts are going for promotion from League Two in the right way? It doesn’t seem the same as when we went up from the National League.

Most of what the Reedtz brothers are doing off the pitch is spot on. The improvements are brilliant. But when it comes to this season, it feels like we’re not as serious about promotion. The signings are okay, but it does feel like they’re cutting corners now, when before they had folders full of research.

The club and the Reedtz brothers have learnt a lot over time. Most of their time in charge has been positive, and our first season back in League Two followed that same path. I’m pleased with the progress. I don’t expect everything to be perfect, but I do expect steady improvement and for the club to figure out how to handle each level. It took four seasons to get out of the National League, and now we’re in our third season back in the EFL. You’d hope this season or the next will be the one where we go up.

The most important thing is to appreciate what’s happening off the pitch. The club is becoming more stable and better run, which helps Notts stay strong in the long term. Any fan calling for the owners to leave clearly doesn’t realise how lucky we are right now.

Continuity is the word here. Five head coaches in six years has unsettled the squad and the fans. The Reedtz brothers deserve credit for trying to create a plan, but the club needs to stick to it. Selling top players hurts, unless you replace them with better ones quickly. We cannot keep chasing cheaper options; we need quality in key areas, especially goal and attack.

The academy should be a real route, not a revolving door for loans. If MP gets time to build a spine and a clear attacking identity, Notts can grow into a steadier side. It is not a promise of instant promotion, but it is a careful path forward.

Depth wins leagues, and Notts have to prove they can build depth again. The squad looks top heavy and thin in goal and forward positions. We need two reliable strikers and a keeper who can steady games, not just save shots. Loans are fine as top ups, but we cannot rely on them. The club should protect homegrown talent and bring in players who fit the Notts model, not just players with a big name. Communication matters too; fans want honest updates about targets and timelines. If the January window brings a couple of solid signings and some departing players leave on sensible terms, we may see real progress. The goal remains promotion, and we should stay focused on that.

Notts have a strong base to build on, both on and off the pitch.

The off-field work is clear and steady, which helps in the long run. On the pitch, we need to see a clear plan translated into results. The idea of sticking with a manager who shares the club's values is important.

If MP can recruit in the right areas and keep the squad together for a run of games, we’ll see better cohesion. The fans know it takes time and patience. We should not expect miracles, but we should expect a steady climb. That is enough for now if the club stays level and honest about the challenges ahead.

@McPie @theAnticlough

I really liked reading this about Notts and what the Reedtz brothers have done. Loads of great points in there and it makes you feel proud of how far the club’s come.

If I was going to say something too, I’d mention how the start of the season was hard, but there’s still loads of matches left. Things are looking better now and we’re starting to play with more confidence.

I think it’s normal for teams to have a bad patch sometimes. As long as they keep working hard and aiming for promotion, that’s what matters most. You’ve got to stick with it and believe it’ll come good.

At the beginning of the season, things didn’t go very well. It looked like we were going to have a hard time and maybe not win much. But now it feels like we’ve got past that and we’re doing better.

The loan players seem alright. I think they’ve helped the team a lot. I do wish we had signed a few of them properly, though. Still, the players we’ve brought in seem different and could really help us this season. I’m glad with how the club is going. I know not everything will be perfect, but I try to look at the good stuff and not just the bad. That’s what being a fan is all about.

Jodi in the AMC role could work, but it needs a plan. If he is given downtime and protection from a solid midfield, he can influence games more often. The team has looked loose when the shape changes week to week, so consistency matters. MP must build a balanced middle with a hard tackler and a ball player, plus someone who can pick a pass and thread a run.

Our forwards need real service, not hopeful crosses. Fans can see when the system clicks and we gain confidence. It will take time, but with careful recruitment and fewer experiments, Notts can stabilise and push up the table. The league is tough, but steady progress is possible.

There's a good chance he could be on the bench at Gills @Randall. Jatta and Dennis did alright together, including defensively. Maybe MP will want to roll with that again meaning just 1 slot behind and JJ 's got nowhere near Iorpenda's level of performance on Saturday.

What a player JJ would be if he had 20% more strength and 20% more speed (he wouldn't be at Notts 😊) but since he doesn't, he gets a weekly battering playing inside. It's a shame but I feel the slot has been slipping away from him from the first game onwards.

If MP plays with two up front again, it's possible Jodi would play at wing back and replace Gordon. Although with it being an away game at the team top of the league he might go more cautious and just go with one striker.

Solid post. We need steadiness more than big signings. Notts must prioritise continuity under the Reedtz brothers.