I don’t want to dwell on the Alassana Jatta situation with the back spasm, but it does matter when talking with other Notts fans. We can only guess what really happened, but it seems likely that Jatta felt ready to move on. The fact that Notts turned down a second offer from Plymouth Argyle may have made things more difficult.

All we know for sure is that bids were rejected. Everything else is just talk and guesswork.

Even so, the way things were dealt with behind the scenes seems to show that the club handled it well. People will always want more openness, but keeping the squad settled is just as important if we want to stay focused on our goals for the season.

Jatta’s contract being extended beyond this season shows that the club still values him. It’s also worth pointing out how well he’s been received since coming back. When rumours start flying around, it can damage the relationship between the player, the club and the fans. But Jatta has returned looking sharp and ready, like he was never away.

Whatever was said during that week when Martin Paterson and others spoke with Jatta clearly helped. They found a way to move forward that worked for everyone.

I think the club did a good job with it.

Rumours start flying around when there isn't sufficient communication between Club and supporters.

The Club have been a little wanting with communication especially since Jason Turner sadly passed on.

There are lots of ways where this communication can be improved by using social media, the MS Media & simple press releases, & via the Club's website when it's appropriate.

i would agree that there are some areas where notts handles things well internally, i do think its likely jatta will leave in the summer but the talk has brought him back into the fold and we are better for it. i can understand being unhappy about having bids rejected, or if he has had his head turned. any player worth their salt will be ambitious but its important jatta does not ruin his reputation here.

15 hours ago, BeestonPie said:

Jatta’s contract being extended beyond this season shows that the club still values him

15 hours ago, BeestonPie said:

Whatever was said during that week when Martin Paterson and others spoke with Jatta clearly helped

It could be seen in 2 ways.

The first could be that the people in the club have spoken to him, like you've mentioned, and told him how valuable he still remains within the club and he's took that on board feeling appreciated enough to stay on.

Secondly, it could have been agreed that this club can be used as a stepping stone for him that when the right offer comes a long the club won't be standing in his way and he'd be free to discuss with other clubs providing a fee has been agreed.

It could even be neither of these were had in the discussions, it could be something totally different but whatever was said, as mentioned in this thread, seems to have worked.

I agree that the club sometimes handles matters well behind the scenes. The squad should be respected and players often want to move on when it feels like they have reached their limit here. Many want to win promotion and test themselves at the highest level. The Jatta situation is anyone’s guess, but it did seem there was something to it and it was dealt with quietly and effectively.

Rumours do unsettle things, and I think there should be a level of openness between the club and supporters. This helps keep the trust of the level-headed fans who do not look for misery or thrive on it. The club can handle situations well, and they deserve credit for how they dealt with Alassana Jatta. At the same time, I question why it happened in the first place and why it could not have been resolved before it became a bigger issue. I do not believe Jatta was injured. I think his agent has been in his ear, and it is a tricky situation. We can still be honest with players about how important they are to the club.

The club seemed to handle things well. There were calls for more openness, but it didn’t get out of hand. The extension went through, and now Alassana Jatta is back in the squad. I think Notts are listening to what people are saying. They seem to be trying to respond in a way that’s helpful and not just reactive.

At the time, I wasn’t too happy about it all. But you can’t just charge in and expect the club to deny everything straight away. That would only stir things up more. It’s fair for fans to want better communication. The club does seem willing to talk, but it’s about picking the right moment. We might not always agree with when that is.