Where would we be if ...

[slack_pie]

... we hadn't sacked:

a) Nolan
b) Kewell

I know this is a pointless exercise, but do you reckon we'd be any better off in the two scenarios above? Would Nolan have rediscovered than winning touch, or would his losing streak have continued? Would Kewell have done better in the games since his sacking than Ardley has done?

I think Nolan had totally lost his way. He threw away a successful formula and built a team that he didn't seem to understand. I doubt he would have turned it around, not with those players. We'd probably still be playing Hewitt and Vaughan/Husin in a 442 and watching teams cut through us like butter.

Kewell is a different story altogether. I actually got a pretty sorry group of footballers playing like a team for a few games, and he certainly didn't deserve the sack at the time - at least not based on results/performances. I wonder what he would have done in the January transfer window if given the chance. I guess we'll never know, but the fact that his stats are about the same as Ardley's, despite not being blessed with the opportunity to bring in 8 players (some of whom must be on a fair bit), says something.

I still have question marks over Ardley. It's hard to know if he's holding this team back, or if he's getting as much out of them as is possible. I'd say the former, simply because a team with players like Enzio, Hemmings, CMS, etc. should manage to create more than one chance at home against Morcambe.

[LaxtonLad]

"I still have question marks over Ardley. It's hard to know if he's holding this team back, or if he's getting as much out of them as is possible. I'd say the former, simply because a team with players like Enzio, Hemmings, CMS, etc. should manage to create more than one chance at home against Morcambe."

In my opinion those three should be popping the goals in with regularity. Also in my op Ardley is at a loss when it comes to figuring out his best midfield combination to supply them with the chance to pop.

[jscarr]

I think we'd be in a similar situation to what we're in now. I saw nothing to suggest otherwise.

[countygump]

I think we'd be in a similar situation to what we're in now. I saw nothing to suggest otherwise.

As above. Most prob about the same, tho Kewellio seemed to be more 'attack minded' than the other 2 managers. Would that have made a difference? Who knows?

[durhampie]

As above. Most prob about the same, tho Kewellio seemed to be more 'attack minded' than the other 2 managers. Would that have made a difference? Who knows?

They are all has bad as each other...

[jackal2]

I think we'd be in a similar situation to what we're in now. I saw nothing to suggest otherwise.

Agreed.

Make no mistake about it, the lion's share of responsibility for this disaster of a season lies with Kevin Nolan, whose signings since January 2018 have proven to be largely abysmal, and who presided over a sloppy pre-season from which we have never recovered.

Kewell is probably the unluckiest to have been associated with this mess and wasn't here long enough to have any major influence positive or negative, although his signings didn't change much.

Ardley has inherited a crock of sh*t and was always going to be up against it, because the course of the season had already been set and the momentum is against him, but his judgement regarding signings has looked far better. No manager hits the jackpot every time with recruitment, but O'Brien, Doyle, Stubbs, Rose and Mackail-Smith (for his goal against Mansfield if nothing else!) have all represented an improvement.

[irishpete]

They are all has bad as each other...

Good old durham.Spot on as usual.No not being sarky

[Davy500]

I said that in August when Nolan was sacked, huge mistake. He was never given any time to sort things out - 5 games? Remember Nolan had proven experience to change things, as he did in 2017 January, when Notts had lost 10 on the bounce

I think as others do, that Nolan was unlikely to change his style of play having been a player under Alladyce, i think the chairman interfered and wanted notts to play attractive football

I also laid out a similar case of history repeating itself as in 1995 when walker was sacked, and we had 2 or 3 other managers , ultimately leading to relegation from the second tier , never to return

Its a poison at the club keep sacking managers at the first sign of trouble, which is the one biggest reason why Notts have never amounted to anything over the last 20 years, to be beaten by much smaller clubs that are run well
Look at Forest green rovers last season struggling near the bottom, but did they sack Mark cooper- course they did not, but Notts would have done, and that is notts counties undoing

Then unbelievably they do it again with Kewell, appoint him for what 10 matches and sack him. To be honest i think Kewell was better than Ardley, and without the benefit of the transfer window. And people say he was arrogant, do i care if he had helped us stay in League 2

Stand by what i said. Nolan should have never been sacked. To all those that will argue, well we have surely ended up better of-not. Tell me we did better when we are in the National league.

[countygump]

OMG, we're gonna abandon our stylish foosball!!!

https://www.nottinghampost.com/sport...d-time-2654894

[upthemaggies]

The fact that no other club has yet to take Nolan on, despite his achievements at Notts, suggests it was inevitable that he was going to be sacked sooner or later. Hope he does find his way back into the game, but I really don't think he could have continued at Notts. Kewell is another matter entirely, not that he was going to be the next Allardyce, but sacking another manager that soon seemed to seriously rock the boat.