It could only be Notts to have two players in the League 2 team of the year, including the best player, and be 14th in the table. Don’t give me any BS about metrics being more accurate than league position.
It could only be Notts that have scored more goals than any other team, 88, but have also conceded more than anyone else, 85.
It could only be Notts that have a defence that’s been the laughing stock of the league, even to the point where people were talking about potential match fixing. It’s been so bad.
But the warning signs were there last season. The supporters knew our defence was our achilles heel and so it proved. So why wasn’t this sorted? Of course we don’t know the financial limitations set by the owners or details of the discussions between them and the director responsible for recruitment, Richard Montague.
However, surely this issue should have been addressed before the season or in January, though I accept it’s more difficult then. Why it wasn’t has not been explained. Whilst there have been some notable successes in recruitment, only Macari seems to be a decent buy in defence. We have persevered with players who are simply not up to L2, or they are not capable of handling the demands of the style of play dictated to them. We have brought in players, rookies with limited experience or players with a dubious injury record that haven’t worked. Graeme Souness always says the most important factor in football is recruitment and he’s right.
So, on that basis, I would say that Montague, having failed to do his job this season, has a critically important close season ahead. We can see what’s required from the three promoted sides. The style of play has to be flexed and we need experience, steel and leadership at the back. If that doesn’t happen then we will be in a relegation fight and 10k crowds will be a thing of the past. On a positive note half the team is superb, the challenge is to match that throughout. Over to you then Richard…….