how do you feel now compared to this point in time last year?

last season it was kevin nolans first full year in charge of the club, it was also his first active transfer window and alan hardy had the chance to stamp his objects onto the club. building into the season i thought notts signed okay players, the majority just had that sensible factor for the area we are and i felt the team spirit would return/even improve with players who wanted to be at the club.

im more happier with the signings this season, we seem to have identified areas of the squad which need improving and we seem to be building with this in mind.

i thought notts would finish around 8-10th last year, whereas now i feel the club can secure promotion. i feel a few more signings and we could actually be in the running to win the league.

what do you think?

I was more worried than I am now, I thought Kevin Nolan would do well but I was concerned about the ages of Stead and Ameobi.

This year I feel like Notts can push for promotion and provided we finish in the top half I will be happy. I think it makes a different knowing that we have two strikers who can play back to back games if required.

It is vastly different for many reasons.

The squad being built now looks like it could fair well in League One, last year it looked more like a steady league consolidation squad. I thought we would finish around the middle of the table, this upcoming season seems more promising but I think as fans we need to see how things go first. The expectations will be there, as it would with signing players for good fees.

Also last campaign Kevin Nolan would have been learning as he went, so we can expect him to have a better idea this term.

Losing in the playoffs should help the squad and manager to strive for better and I think the club will move forward this upcoming season.

A lot more confident a lot apart of the club and more happy because we are investing in youth.

I think last season the signings was very sensible considering we almost got relegated when Kevin Nolan first came in.

They just looked like good League Two additions and, I felt confident that the club could build on from where Nolan had started. There may have been players the club wanted then but didn't see Notts as an attract club to sign for considering all the turmoil in recent years. We have gone through way too many manages and this has all changed now, we finally have a manager that can push the club back to where we should be.

So I would say the difference between now and then is the way the club looks more attractive on the in and outside.

Nolan has proven that he can do well, so if we can gain promotion or just have another good season. I think the growth would be massive and, I'm very excited about the new seasons more so than I was last year.

 

I hoped to see Notts just have a go at doing well, I never dreamed that they would make the playoffs.

The squad last season looked capable of doing well but I wouldn't say it looked strong enough for promotion. This time we have a great chance because the squad does have enough quality in all the departments. I would feel more comfortable if we had another keeper and a right back to keep Matt Tootle on his toes but there's no doubt that the squad is capable of winning League Two if they work hard enough.

I didn't think Notts would go for it like they have this season, so it's similar to last season in a sense.

Alan Hardy needs to be wise with his investments but it seems like he has been so far, there's little risks unlike the Moniz men and other players brought into Notts in the past.

We have signed players who can operate in league one as well as do well in current situation. Vital imo.

Another vital point is most of the business is complete before a ball is kicked in a friendly. I’ve always berated the fact that we always left it late in the day to pin signings down. Seems Alan Hardynhas learnt well over the past twelve months and the club has got its primary business complete so players can work together for the next month in the knowledge that we have a settled squad.

Last seasons success was a surprise tbf. Especially the first half of the season.

lets hope we can get the season off to a flyer and keep it going this year. Automatic definitely based on the squad on paper. Shame we don’t play on paper! ????

Yes, I would say that last season's signing brought back the experience we lack and appeared to be capable of playing above League Two for us. This year the signings are solid and very impressive.

I think promotion is likely and there should be the need to gut the team after that.

I just think the main difference is the fact this this seasons squad seems fully designed to be the best team in the league, this may have been the case for "team work" before but there was not enough quality for sure.

It's getting exciting and a few more additions and Notts will be complete.

The way I’m feeling is getting better and better so so possitive compared to last season. 

I was confident we could do well last season but wasnt sure about having stead and shola up front 

However this year with kane and Dennis up front and with the pace and power of Thomas and enzio we are deadly up front which works well with the 3rd best defence in the league last season 

Notts have more depth and quality this year, they just need to work well together. I think last season the signings was good but standard ones, this year the clubs gone for it.

On 08/07/2018 at 23:06, hissingdwarf said:

We have signed players who can operate in league one as well as do well in current situation. Vital imo.

Another vital point is most of the business is complete before a ball is kicked in a friendly. I’ve always berated the fact that we always left it late in the day to pin signings down. Seems Alan Hardynhas learnt well over the past twelve months and the club has got its primary business complete so players can work together for the next month in the knowledge that we have a settled squad.

Last seasons success was a surprise tbf. Especially the first half of the season.

lets hope we can get the season off to a flyer and keep it going this year. Automatic definitely based on the squad on paper. Shame we don’t play on paper! ????

This sums things up for me.

I echo what my vertically challenged friend @hissingdwarf says, this year we’ve made most of the signings early on and they are quality signings capable (on paper) of doing really well in this league and above. For that reason I am highly optimistic as opposed to last season being hopefully optimistic.

After several seasons struggling to stay in the league Kevin brought in players to get us on a steady course. Last season we did amazingly well and I was critical that the winter transfer window was not capitalised on, which would have secured promotion. However Alan Hardy was big enough to admit his naivety and has certainly made up for it this closed season.

it all depends upon how quickly the team can gel, as there are so many newcomers. My fear is that Kevin will stick with Stead up front, which in my view is a waste of the potential of a Dennis / Hemmings partnership that should take the league by storm. Many season tickets have been sold on the strength of the promise of a new style of play and exciting players, if Stead is the main striker (and I have nothing against him) I think they will have been sold short.

i think we will finish 3rd. ????