The Bros and an alternative view

[Mud Pie]

The Bros have stabilised the club and built solid foundations both on and off the pitch. As a fan for over 50 years I have feared several times if the club had a future, thankfully due to their diligence those days seem a distant memory.
However, I hope that alongside their analytical approach, they are also learning that supporters need to be entertained and it does take certain characteristics to climb out of this division. Primarily, more physicality than Notts possess currently. Also a more professional (cynical) approach is needed. No teams play by Queensbury rules. We need clear leadership on and off the pitch when games are in.play. I don't see that from Manager or Captain ( though it was with Saunders before he departed) and it can't just be coincidence that home form particularly has been insipid since he was dismissed.
In Bass Bedau and Platt we have a magnificent defensive platform, but outside of that only McGoldrick of our own players matches them for contribution this season.
The rest have flattered to deceive, though I felt Austin prior to his injury had raised his game to L2 level.
And yes I include Jatta who has been truly awful in the last month or so.
I've omitted Abbott as it's his absence next season that is my greatest concern. He has been magnificent. Whilst I'd give Bedau POY, Abbott is a close second IMO
Even fit, Robertson and Edwards come nowhere near to Abbotts speed around the pitch, ability to read and break play up and be able to play a progressive game. That is the recruitment teams biggest conundrum and will have the biggest impact on how we do next season.
Lots of challenges ahead for the Bros to and some questions to be answered.
One being the number of injuries. Another season with anywhere near as many should see them querying the training and fitness team if it's not being looked at already.
I do trust them to get most of it right and have already renewed my season ticket (I will always be a ST holder irrespective) but I'm more interested in being entertained, having a team that play with passion and intensity, that in turn creates a positive atmosphere at ML.
My concern currently is that despite excellent gates, the style of play at home is dull, fans are not being entertained, which most would overlook if the team were winning. But they are not, and less committed fans may choose not to come which would be disappointing given the platform that's been created

lots of really smart points on the OP's whole thread tbh.

New to the league owners, new to pro football coach and assistants, new to the league DOF - there's highly likely going to be steep learning curves in all departments. It shouldn't be surprising if some mistakes have been made. Frustrating, but really inevitable.

I've been on the fence about Maynard, wanting to give him, the system, and the club the benefit of the doubt. I'm pretty sure now though that his rate of growth is slower than the club's potential rate of growth (even if we do get promoted).

From what I've seen of the people pulling the strings at Notts, I'd say there's good reason to be optimistic they'll keep moving us forward. And tbf, there's the nucleus of a really strong squad already in place that will likely grow together if they stay together. Maybe not strong enough to get us up this season, although still possible, but highly likely in the next season or two given our level and performance trends.

How quick our likely rise will be, or should be given our budget (or our entitlement to a "natural level") will depend on lots of things, not least the other clubs. This has been a very unusual season for lots of our peer clubs, not just us.

We are doing most things almost right, I'd say, and progress through the leagues is either by very rich benefactors, or very fine margins. Despite what some fans expect from even smart owners, there's nothing simples about promotion through the leagues.

[Jampie]

As to the entertainment factor...

Has anyone ever commented on this forum something like "ok so we won that match 3-1 but it was sooooo boring"?

I suspect if we win more matches the "this is boring" narrative will evaporate. Of course I could be wrong but I don't think so.

[the_anticlough]

A big positive for me is that gone are the days I'd rip my hair out due to a manager's defensive approach.

There's nothing worse than watching your team when you know they do not have enough on the pitch to take the game to the opposition (actually doing that is another matter). Like going out for the day in underwear 2 or 3 sizes too small for you. You just can't breathe!

Most owners, DoFs, managers will say they want to see entertaining, attacking football, especially when they just get started.
Under owners like Trew though, over time through slippage, managers like Curle and Derry would con them and the fans by putting out teams that were all about job preservation, 5 or 6 defenders, 3 holding midfielders, unwatchable stuff like that.

The Bros come from a football background though, through the Radar, and employ people that understand what's being put out on the pitch. The last time I saw ultra-negative, job-preserving tendencies was under Ardley and they got shot of him (IB did a fair bit too).

Style of play, schemes of play, players' effectiveness are all different questions and fans will always have their different tastes.
But at least you don't have to watch games where you know you won't be able to do anything apart from scrape a 0-0, 1-1 or if you're very lucky a 1-0. And negative football leads to the opposition getting on top and defeats, but narrow-ish ones, as the coaches know they won't get sacked quickly for those.

Problems under SM are...a slow pace of play, constant team changes so no continuity, low confidence and low-level, poorly-performing players etc. but I'm satisfied they haven't been cheating the paying supporters with a negative approach overall.