Stay or go?

[OldMagpie60]

In January we signed 5 players

Robertson
Ashby Hammond
Warner
Colkett
Jatta

Unless he wanted 3 new defenders in which we didn't have room in the squad. We replaced Bajrami and Palmer with Robertson and Colkett, I think we signed Jatta to give some cover for Macca as Scott is still some way off so only left Warner unless we could ship out the likes of Brindley and Rawlinson and I can't see a massive queue for them

The defensive frailties were self evident at Wembley and we’ve wasted two transfer windows. The owners have been dreadful on that issue and there are no excuses. If LW had asked for more quality defenders then he will have seen the writing in the wall, and it’s all played out - we are losing games to very poor sides because they know exactly how to turn us over. I’ve been following Notts for 55 years and I can’t recall worse defending than what we’ve seen since Xmas - schoolboy or worse tbh.

[slack_pie]

In January we signed 5 players

Robertson
Ashby Hammond
Warner
Colkett
Jatta

Unless he wanted 3 new defenders in which we didn't have room in the squad. We replaced Bajrami and Palmer with Robertson and Colkett, I think we signed Jatta to give some cover for Macca as Scott is still some way off so only left Warner unless we could ship out the likes of Brindley and Rawlinson and I can't see a massive queue for them

The problem is, we desperately needed to fix some massive issues in the squad and add real quality for what we thought might be a playoff/promotion push. Of those five, only one has made an impact (Robbo).

[Chicken Balti Pie]

The defensive frailties were self evident at Wembley and we’ve wasted two transfer windows. The owners have been dreadful on that issue and there are no excuses. If LW had asked for more quality defenders then he will have seen the writing in the wall, and it’s all played out - we are losing games to very poor sides because they know exactly how to turn us over. I’ve been following Notts for 55 years and I can’t recall worse defending than what we’ve seen since Xmas - schoolboy or worse tbh.

I don't think you realise we can only register a certain number of players. Yes, a mistake was made (and LW was a part of that decision) to give the defenders two year contracts. We knew we had a problem with the defence but the problem is that when people know you have a problem area, the price goes up and if the quality players were deemed too high, then you don't just pay inflated prices hence why we ended up with basically academy players. The transfer windows also don't help, in January you only get cast offs, so players who haven't played so it takes time for them to get up and running. Unless you pay silly money, you don't get established first teamers in January!

I suspect the owners took a gamble that Maynard could tweak us and keep us going forward well whilst tightening up at the back and then sort the issues out in the summer. The problem is Maynard has regressed us going forward and not fixed the defence and hence we now have major issues, the gamble failed!

[Chicken Balti Pie]

The problem is, we desperately needed to fix some massive issues in the squad and add real quality for what we thought might be a playoff/promotion push. Of those five, only one has made an impact (Robbo).

You're right, but you don't really get quality in January. Robertson took a while to get up to match fitness and we seemingly have a good player, but no one really lets a quality player go in January unless they can get a replacement in themselves, this in itself bumps up the prices. Ironically, under a Hardy/Trew style owner, we'd have gone and got them but put ourselves at financial risk

[eastwoodmagpie]

The problem is, we desperately needed to fix some massive issues in the squad and add real quality for what we thought might be a playoff/promotion push. Of those five, only one has made an impact (Robbo).

Yes he certainly made a impact on Tuesday!

[1955pie]

I don't think you realise we can only register a certain number of players. Yes, a mistake was made (and LW was a part of that decision) to give the defenders two year contracts. We knew we had a problem with the defence but the problem is that when people know you have a problem area, the price goes up and if the quality players were deemed too high, then you don't just pay inflated prices hence why we ended up with basically academy players. The transfer windows also don't help, in January you only get cast offs, so players who haven't played so it takes time for them to get up and running. Unless you pay silly money, you don't get established first teamers in January!

I suspect the owners took a gamble that Maynard could tweak us and keep us going forward well whilst tightening up at the back and then sort the issues out in the summer. The problem is Maynard has regressed us going forward and not fixed the defence and hence we now have major issues, the gamble failed!

OK we may have paid an inflated price.
But what are the consequences of not doing so in that situation.
Reduced attendances for the rest of the season.
I suspect much reduced season ticket sales next year.
The outside possibility that we could get relegated this season.
Reduced morale amongst the playing staff increasing the chance of players leaving.
Much reduced transfer value of our top players.
Lack of appeal to any new players.
Vastly reduced morale amongst the fans.
So next season is probably a write off (or worse) already.

So would they have been inflated prices? Clubs, players and agents still know we are desperate for decent defenders/goalkeepers and will still inflate the price.

I dont think we have a recruitment team, it is probably just RM himself (possibly in consultation with the owners)
What is his background?
His judgement, along with the "model", is flawed and he needs to be removed now and start looking for his replacement.

[Kent Magpie]

OK we may have paid an inflated price.
But what are the consequences of not doing so in that situation.
Reduced attendances for the rest of the season.
I suspect much reduced season ticket sales next year.
The outside possibility that we could get relegated this season.
Reduced morale amongst the playing staff increasing the chance of players leaving.
Much reduced transfer value of our top players.
Lack of appeal to any new players.
Vastly reduced morale amongst the fans.
So next season is probably a write off (or worse) already.

So would they have been inflated prices? Clubs, players and agents still know we are desperate for decent defenders/goalkeepers and will still inflate the price.

I dont think we have a recruitment team, it is probably just RM himself (possibly in consultation with the owners)
What is his background?
His judgement, along with the "model", is flawed and he needs to be removed now and start looking for his replacement.

That's an interesting discussion - basically the logical conclusion is that you need to spend above and beyond the budget. If clubs inflate their prices as we get more desperate, then eventually we either go bust trying to keep up, or get relegated and fail in that way. That's where Trew and Hardy went wrong, increasingly desperately paying out for players.

I would love to know where you get your information that RM is working alone. They have always mentioned a committee, so what has changed? Surely we have people who go and look at these players and talk to them? RM couldn't do it all himself.

[1955pie]

That's an interesting discussion - basically the logical conclusion is that you need to spend above and beyond the budget. If clubs inflate their prices as we get more desperate, then eventually we either go bust trying to keep up, or get relegated and fail in that way. That's where Trew and Hardy went wrong, increasingly desperately paying out for players.

I would love to know where you get your information that RM is working alone. They have always mentioned a committee, so what has changed? Surely we have people who go and look at these players and talk to them? RM couldn't do it all himself.

The point is that if we had recruited what was needed in the summer window and not wasted the money on new 2 year contracts for players who were struggling at NL level at times, then we could have used that same money for better.
Having seen that ship sail we then compounded it many times over in January by thinking one young lad from Norwich was going to be the answer. If our attendances for our remaining 5 games is possibly 2000 down on average at say £15 a pop that is £150000. That alone would have gone a long way towards a decent defender.
Either the judgement and / or the model is flawed. Something has to change. It is no good people trying to make excuses / give reasons for the club hierarchy getting it wrong (and they are) by saying they haven't been here long. It is nearly 5 years now.
If a mistake has been made then it should be admitted and corrected as soon as possible. Not sitting there wringing hands and hoping for the best.
The problem is recruitment - full stop. Compounded of course by appointing a manager of limited experience having to deal with a difficult problem. Who recommended him? Who made the decision to appoint him?
If the season after next (or even possibly next) we are in the NL or right down in a relegation dogfight we will be back up for sale again.

[matt_magpie]

It was only last season we were lauding our signings and so too were fans of other clubs, Langstaff, scott, austin, Bostock, jones. Clubs don’t get it right all the time. We c0cked up in the summer and that’s that, Jan was never going to bring anything, to say it’s broken is nuts, if it’s bad in the summer then it’s time to criticise.

[legs77]

OK we may have paid an inflated price.
But what are the consequences of not doing so in that situation.
Reduced attendances for the rest of the season.
I suspect much reduced season ticket sales next year.
The outside possibility that we could get relegated this season.
Reduced morale amongst the playing staff increasing the chance of players leaving.
Much reduced transfer value of our top players.
Lack of appeal to any new players.
Vastly reduced morale amongst the fans.
So next season is probably a write off (or worse) already.

So would they have been inflated prices? Clubs, players and agents still know we are desperate for decent defenders/goalkeepers and will still inflate the price.

I dont think we have a recruitment team, it is probably just RM himself (possibly in consultation with the owners)
What is his background?
His judgement, along with the "model", is flawed and he needs to be removed now and start looking for his replacement.

We are back to this again knew as soon as we hit a bad patch this old chestnut would come out.

We did this under Hardy remember and guess what it didnt work we had egghead on the pitch at Swindon crying.

You should NEVER overpay for anyone and we wont under these.

Seen a few "Lets see what the owners are made of" comments interested to know what that means ??? I already know what they are made of they saved us and we are in a better place than when they bought us.