Where did it all go wrong - the mistakes

[upthemaggies]

Warnock did an interview on Central News in January 1993 after he'd been sacked, I still have the recording. He says it was the Rideout sale that changed everything, so there must be something in it. Maybe he knew but hadn't said yes or told Pavis he'd get back to him or something.

I was at that Sunderland game and you knew on the night it was the end for Warnock, nevertheless it was one of the saddest days in my time supporting Notts when he was sacked.

[jackal2]

I was at that Sunderland game and you knew on the night it was the end for Warnock, nevertheless it was one of the saddest days in my time supporting Notts when he was sacked.

I was there too and I agree. There were rumours circulating of fall-outs with players and general discontent within the club, and the performance appeared to reinforce those whispers.

I was young then, so I wasn't so aware that it is standard football fan practice - after a run of bad results - to whip up all sorts of stories about managers losing the dressing room in order to agitate for a change, and nowadays we have social media to further fan the flames. Pavis decided to pull the trigger, but years later said it was his biggest regret not giving Warnock more time.

Some would say Warnock's time at Notts had reached a natural end, but when you consider his career since, it's difficult not to believe he would have turned our fortunes around again at some point if he had stayed. The players appeared to react well to Warnock's dismissal and Mick Walker's arrival, and Warnock commented that Walker had been after his job for months. Suffice to say, there's no doubt, with the benefit of hindsight, about whose managerial career best stood the test of time.

[Davy500]

The target was only top 10 last season

The problem is that because Notts had such a good start its clouded peoples judgement

The main reasons for no promotion last season were not strenghening in transfer window, the chair mans fault
and second the officials shocking decisions in the play offs

Notts must learn to stick with Managers who have shown some level of success, and not sack at the first sign of trouble

People go on about these smaller clubs doing better, they do not sack successful managers
eg Burton Albion -did they sack clough?
Forest Green Rovers - did they sack Cooper after struggling near bottom last season?

Given Nolan had had two previous good seasons, it was madness to sack him after 5 matches. As i have said all along ,that Notts would pay heavily for this , and they will pay heavily

[durhampie]

The target was only top 10 last season

The problem is that because Notts had such a good start its clouded peoples judgement

The main reasons for no promotion last season were not strenghening in transfer window, the chair mans fault
and second the officials shocking decisions in the play offs

Notts must learn to stick with Managers who have shown some level of success, and not sack at the first sign of trouble

People go on about these smaller clubs doing better, they do not sack successful managers
eg Burton Albion -did they sack clough?
Forest Green Rovers - did they sack Cooper after struggling near bottom last season?

Given Nolan had had two previous good seasons, it was madness to sack him after 5 matches. As i have said all along ,that Notts would pay heavily for this , and they will pay heavily

It wasn't just 5 matches. He had lost the plot from january onwards, having failed to strengthen the team during the transfer window
and leaving Forte out of the side to accommodate fall on yer ars* Stead.

He failed again at the beginning of the new season by recruiting midgets in midfield and failing to strengthen the defence... he should have been sacked then...

[Notts78]

If we are talking about our impending fall out of the football league then we can only really base it on the 46 games that contribute to that.
For me 2 people are responsible - Nolan and Hardy.
I will start with Nolan. He was responsible for assembling a squad not fit for purpose. I have no doubt that some of the acquisitions could and should have been successful. It was a case of who wasn’t signed. We lost leaders and didn’t replace them. We didn’t add any physical presence or height to the team in key positions. The spine of the side wasn’t properly addressed. A new keeper, a commanding CB, a physical ball winning midfielder and a genuine target man. All the successful League 2 sides have this. Notts simply don’t. Although to a degree Ardley sorted out the midfield.
Hardy? Where to start? If he had doubts about the future England manager, and he must have, as he sacked his man after 5 games, he should have sacked him at the end of last season. Then the new man could have blown the budget, hopefully not in the same way that Nolan did. His constant social media spats, todger gate and his firing and hiring have plunged us into a downward spiral. His business going bust won’t have helped. I have no doubt that he is more involved with the playing squad than an owner should be.
I have seen in various threads that Ardley is to blame. I understand why some might think that given that he took over when we were not in the bottom 2. However, Macclesfield have improved under Campbell’s guidance, and Yeovil who were above us have fallen further. Ardley took over a sinking ship with an owner in turmoil, who subsequently put the club up for sale, and a bloated squad with players who couldn’t be shifted on. Yes he has several players in now, but the players he got were they all players at the top of the list? I don’t think they were. He did well to attract players like Rose, O’Brien, Stubbs and CMS. Yes he has made mistakes, particularly with tactics IMO, but pointing the finger of blame at him or the players is not something I will be doing.

Hardy and Nolan, this season is on you.

[Bohinen]

Hardy and Nolan, this season is on you.

Whoever we blame, Nolan, Kewell, Ardley or the players, there is one man responsible, above all, for the mess we are in, and that's Alan Hardy. He told Nolan he was the future England manager then sacked him, he sacked Kewell after a ridiculously short time, he appointed Ardley after a disastrous run at Wimbledon. Just maybe Ardley will come good again (for another club), but I think he has been damaged by his experiences and maybe that explains the extreme caution, which has held us back.

Whatever, the buck stops at the top, always. And the utter clown who still owns us who can't stop himself posting on Twitter with ridiculous and childish clapping hands emojis is the one who has caused our downfall. Some would argue that he saved us in the first place, but he didn't even do that with his own money, instead putting the livelihoods of Paragon's employees at risk. We will be far better off without him.

[apieandpint]

Can we really blame Ardley for what appears to be negative tactics, when he took over a side shipping goals quicker than the Titanic shipping water?

Kewell's philosophy of attack attack attack, even though 3 or 4 down, and still conceding and Nolan's woeful team building and start to the season have ultimately killed us off.