Quote Originally Posted by the_anticlough View Post
I've got no time for the fatalistic/superstitious posts on this thread full of gloom about our chances. If the club thought like that they might as well pack up for good.

Notts fans just need to know that if we end up in the play-offs there is more chance of us failing than succeeding. That's just how it is in a 6-team knock-out competition.

And that's even at the most optimistic projections.
Let's be generous and give ourselves a 70% chance of winning the home semi. Then be generous again and give a 60% chance of winning the final - that's a 42% probablity of promotion, 58% of staying NL

But that's as close to controllable as we're ever going to get. Strong management and a strong mentality can get the most of that 42% shot. We're a good, promotion worthy team and we've just got to prove it - any team that has ever achieved anything has had to do the same.
If you're mentally weak, too nervy, fearful and and negative-minded in sports, you're in the wrong game and deserve to lose.
I was being a bit tongue-in-cheek with my post, but the fact is I don't think we'll get promoted. It's not that I don't think we're a great side or that I'm overly pessimistic and defeatist. It's just that I think we're more likely to come second, and that we're then more likely not to win the playoffs than win them.

That doesn't mean I don't hope we win, or that the club should stop trying to win and give up. It's just that my time as a Notts fan has taught me never to expect things to go smoothly or well. Hope for the best, expect the worst.

Zooming out, however, things will still look good even if we don't go up. We've got great owners and a great manager. I don't think we'll suddenly fall into crisis like we did after the failed playoff campaign under Nolan/Hardy.