Nolan's press conference

[Airborn Pie]

Fair point, made with a lot fewer words than the complacent opinion you were arguing against.

Actually, to add a few more, Alan Hardy will make whatever decision is right at the time it needs to be made, so I have no concerns. The thing is, KN is wedded to 4-4-2. He tried it last year with Hawkridge and Alessandra and he's trying it again with Bouldewijn and Thomas. It still doesn't work.

It does with the right players.

You need quick ball to the wingers or in to the the spaces they will run in to and quick, mobile forwards.

[jackal2]

Nolan as only won 7 games from the last 23 games since January.

Yes, mid-table form, as opposed to the promotion form we showed pretty much the whole time previous to that. Still not remotely a reason for doubting his position though. Overall, his record as Notts manager (so far) is up there with the best we've previously had, which is particularly impressive when you bear in mind how badly the side was struggling when he took over.

[the_anticlough]

Really good discussion on this thread.
I wasn't there on Saturday, looking forward to going to the Yeovil game and away to Newport.
Yes, the expectations are a lot higher and it is a make or break season for KN, who definitely deserves our support and a fair shot at it.
For me, the rigid formation is a concern. Grant was lost for almost half a season out on the left. Any midfield 2 struggled after Yates left. Ideally you have some flexibility, a plan B and C. If you think or say switching formations confuses the players it'll become a self-fulfilling prophecy. For pro-footballers, the expectation should be that they can adapt to a number of different formations.
If you're hitting a brick wall for a hour with 4-4-2, why not go 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3?
Also, the same line-up every game and not changing during games are gifts to the opposition.

Hemmings, Bouldewijn, even Allesandra are players who could operate right across the frontline. It'd be good if they were allowed enough freedom to give the opposition a real headache.

[Bohinen]

Yes, mid-table form, as opposed to the promotion form we showed pretty much the whole time previous to that. Still not remotely a reason for doubting his position though. Overall, his record as Notts manager (so far) is up there with the best we've previously had, which is particularly impressive when you bear in mind how badly the side was struggling when he took over.

7 wins in 23, exactly half a season, gives you 14 wins over a whole season. Last year, only one team had that number of wins, Stevenage, who finished 16th, although it's worth pointing out that Barnet were relegated with 12 wins. So it's slightly below mid table form. Of course, I'm sure that doesn't concern you at all, and whether it concerns me is irrelevant. It probably will concern Alan Hardy, and that's all that matters.

KN has new players now and a chance to improve that record. If he does, that's fine, but if he doesn't, surely AH will look at the money he's invested, he actually acquired the whole wish list KN gave him, and wonder why his investment hasn't reaped rewards. After one game, no-one can judge that, but it would surely help if KN actually played the players he said he wanted rather than just viewing them as 'options' for when Stead gets tired.

[Notts78]

And who should he have played ahead of Stead? Dennis? The same Dennis who has been suffering from injuries throughout preseason? Had he started on Saturday and got an injury that kept him out for 6-8 weeks, it would have been seen as poor management from KN. He made a tough call. One that needed making with the longer term goal in mind, not just ONE game.
Now if in 2-3 weeks the same side is being played and we have no fresh injury concerns then I will start to worry about KN and his loyalty to some of HIS established players. Until then, I can’t see how any of us can challenge the managers thinking.

[jackal2]

7 wins in 23, exactly half a season, gives you 14 wins over a whole season. Last year, only one team had that number of wins, Stevenage, who finished 16th, although it's worth pointing out that Barnet were relegated with 12 wins. So it's slightly below mid table form. Of course, I'm sure that doesn't concern you at all, and whether it concerns me is irrelevant. It probably will concern Alan Hardy, and that's all that matters.

KN has new players now and a chance to improve that record. If he does, that's fine, but if he doesn't, surely AH will look at the money he's invested, he actually acquired the whole wish list KN gave him, and wonder why his investment hasn't reaped rewards. After one game, no-one can judge that, but it would surely help if KN actually played the players he said he wanted rather than just viewing them as 'options' for when Stead gets tired.

I'm certainly not seeking to act as an apologist for Nolan, and as you say, the only opinion that matters is Alan Hardy's. As I understand it, he has already gone on record saying he wants minimum play-offs and ideally automatic promotion, so that gives us a fair idea of where Notts need to be to keep the Chairman happy, and it will indeed require more than 7 wins in 23 games.

However, Nolan's early form as Notts manager means he deserves some trust and patience, and I do get the impression that this Chairman is seeking stability as much as he can, not to mention that he genuinely likes Kevin Nolan. I certainly wouldn't expect to be seeing any knee-jerk reactions from the Chairman if we start the season less well than we hoped. Barring disastrous form which forces a rethink, I think Hardy will stand any placing in the top 10 before Christmas, with an expectation that we kick on thereafter. Last season we had a great start and faded, so if this year we start gradually and then gather speed and momentum in the second half of the season, that's fine. It would be great to lead from the front all the way, but it's not always possible.

Even with a strong squad on paper, there are enough variables and uncontrollables in football to mean nobody can guarantee promotion. What you try to do is insulate yourself as much as possible against injuries and other unexpected bumps in the road, and I think we're in a strong position to do that. I would be disappointed if we did anything less than match last year's play-off finish.