Kevin Nolan

[maddogslater]

Agreed. Something went wrong during Nolan's last summer, and we'll probably never know how much Hardy interfered, but if we look at Nolan's time at Notts as a whole, he did really well. Nolan's one full season in charge was the best we've had in years. It was also the last time this club had a heart and soul; something to be proud of.

Sure, people moaned about the long-ball tactics and it wasn't always pretty, but we had a proper footballing identity and a clear tactical approach. For the most part, it was effective.

The team I saw yesterday is incomparable. It just looked like 11 strangers wondering around the pitch trying to kick the ball somewhere else.

So yeah, I'd take Nolan back. It would be mental, but surely anything is better than this?

I'll go along for this ride, more convincing in one post than a year of Ardley interviews, Nolan in.

[jackal2]

So yeah, I'd take Nolan back. It would be mental, but surely anything is better than this?

You're right in one respect, it would be mental. Regardless of whether you think Kewell or Ardley were/are the right managers to sort it out or not, there's no doubt that the team's decline started with the poor recruitment, pre-season complacency and lack of discipline of Kevin Nolan between January and the summer in 2018. We were looking a dire team before Kewell or Ardley ever came on the scene. If the owners were to sack Ardley, the last thing they should be doing is going back to Nolan.

[Old_pie]

We are eleven strangers to a degree, but our outfield players all wear the same colour shirt. The opposition wore orange shirts yesterday, but many of our players didn't seem to realise it because they kept passing the ball to them.

Several seasons ago when we were in the dizzy heights of League 1 and doing well early in the season my wife, not really a supporter of local football, surprised me by saying she wanted to come to the Walsall game. After about half-an-hour, sat in the Kop surrounded by B&W she started laughing. I asked "What's so funny?". "Don't the B&W team know they're supposed to pass to each other and not the Red players?" She hasn't been since, not her sort of comedy. Needless to say that the promising start deteriorated to a relegation, a typical Notts season.

[upthemaggies]

Bringing Nolan back would be like re-employing Steve Thompson, who also got us to the play-offs before having a dreadful start to the following campaign that got him the sack. Nolan would probably lift us to a 13th place finish (as Thommo did) but longer term, I can hear Nolan now im my head saying "It's going to take time", "look where we were".... Once the feeling of deja vu kicks in we'll be back to square one.

There'd be a real risk of making things worse if he started poorly. Supporters wouldn't have the same amount of patience they'd have for somebody completely new.

[jackal2]

Bringing Nolan back would be like re-employing Steve Thompson, who also got us to the play-offs before having a dreadful start to the following campaign that got him the sack. Nolan would probably lift us to a 13th place finish (as Thommo did) but longer term, I can hear Nolan now im my head saying "It's going to take time", "look where we were".... Once the feeling of deja vu kicks in we'll be back to square one.

There'd be a real risk of making things worse if he started poorly. Supporters wouldn't have the same amount of patience they'd have for somebody completely new.

Oh my God, I'd temporarily forgotten Steve Thompson, but you're right.

[MAD_MAGPIE]

Re Nolan,He should have been given more time ,it was a terrible decision by a man(hardy) who now has proven his mental state as fragile to say the least.in my opinion based on what Nolan achieved during the 17/18 season that bought him until at least until Christmas of the previous season.i would have him back , he’s far from perfect but even as a rookie manager he has showed more than what Ardley has ever has.

I agree about the fact that Nolan was not given enough time. Because we had got to the playoffs he deserved until Christmas at least to see what he could do. But once again we had a gung ho chairman who wanted promotion and after five games that was already looking in danger so he pulled the trigger.

I really liked Nolan. I thought it was like having a fan as manager in that he wore his heart on his sleeve, was passionate and had that never say die attitude. This reflected in his teams.

But this doesn’t tell the full story.

Our problems under Nolan started in January 2018. We lost Ryan Yates and were either naive, arrogant or complacent in that January transfer window to adequately bring in a replacement and strengthen in other areas to maintain our promotion place. Both Nolan and Hardy are responsible for that. Hardy then publicly fell out with Forest.

The FA Cup defeat against Swansea destroyed confidence and brought to light all our weaknesses. Everyone in the country saw it and we faded and finished in the playoffs. There is no doubt we were victims of some shocking decisions in those games by the officials.

It all hit Nolan hard and basically in my opinion he lost his spark and went off the rails. Then in the Summer of 2018 we allegedly spent £150,000 each on Hemmings and Dennis. Not forgetting Enzio’s transfer fee and Vaughan’s wages.

Also we are hearing of alleged interference from Hardy. When I look back on some of those signings it does for me give me a sense of “no smoke without fire”. Some smell of “glamour” signings and have that Virtue Thick life long ambition about them. Also winding up Mansfield fans by signing Hemmings.

Nolan in hindsight was probably put in a difficult position as Hardy was the owner but we should have kept Collins and O’Connor and got a replacement for Shola and Stead, and got a Grant type on loan. That’s all it needed instead of an overhaul, and that’s what I believe Nolan would have pushed for.

Then Hardy goes and sacks Nolan, but not only that he pays compensation for Kewell who in hindsight may have stood the best chance of saving us, to then get rid of him because he was straight talking and told it how it was and upset underperforming or not good enough players. Probably he didn’t want to be mates with the chairman either and had an ego like him, so he was booted out. So that was madness to get rid of him. He may not have been liked but who would have cared if he had drained the swamp and kept us up.

In conclusion whilst Nolan is a good character and I really like him, and he gave us our best season since Munto, he cannot he immune from being partly responsible for us going out of the football league and why we are where we are today.

[Glad2BeAPie]

Quite embarrassing at the end of the game him being interviewed next to some fit blonde, the comments coming from the Pavis we’re a mixture of you started this to if you was still here we wouldn’t be here now.

No idea what the outcome would have been all I know is today was about as low as I’ve been watching this club for 45 years....

I didn't hear anything, only applause for him.

[GranthamPie]

Agreed. Something went wrong during Nolan's last summer, and we'll probably never know how much Hardy interfered, but if we look at Nolan's time at Notts as a whole, he did really well. Nolan's one full season in charge was the best we've had in years. It was also the last time this club had a heart and soul; something to be proud of.

Sure, people moaned about the long-ball tactics and it wasn't always pretty, but we had a proper footballing identity and a clear tactical approach. For the most part, it was effective.

The team I saw yesterday is incomparable. It just looked like 11 strangers wondering around the pitch trying to kick the ball somewhere else.

So yeah, I'd take Nolan back. It would be mental, but surely anything is better than this?

Yes, something went very wrong in Nolan’s last summer.... he couldn’t keep out of the bars.

[BigFatPie]

Whatever the rights and wrongs of his first time in charge, Nolan would be a terrible appointment in the National League.

[Davy500]

No its Ardley that is responsible for taking out of the football league.

He came in November, he did not even have the new managers bounce. Just started losing straight away, and carried on ever since. Had a huge amount of money to spend in January compared to macclesfield, and still blew it.

.Its him that should pack his bags, and never return