Williams is Favourite [New Head Coach speculation thread]

[Mark_Ross]

Not for me. We were already on the slide before he dumped us with little hesitation.

[jackal2]

Not for me. We were already on the slide before he dumped us with little hesitation.

This "on the slide" thing is massively overplayed.

It's true that our form had been patchy in the November and December before he left, but that was after 18 months of mostly outstanding results and entertainment. The weakness of our defence, and perhaps more specifically our defenders (Baldwin, Rawlinson, Cameron) at League Two level was beginning to show in the lead up to Christmas and continued to be evident after Williams left, but Luke's "bad run" wasn't actually that bad at all. It was probably accentuated by the excellence of what had gone previously, and some disgruntlement that he had so readily taken the Swansea job, but that's football.

[durhampie]

No way do we want him back. Ars**ole springs to mind who is full of bull sh*t

[Lullapie]

Please god NO!

[slack_pie]

I don't think going "back" is always wrong.

Scott Lindsay is back at Crawley.
Paul Cook returned to Chesterfield.
Eddie Howe returned to Bournemouth.
Martin Allen managed Barnet on a number of occasions.
Jimmy Sirrel had multiple spells at Notts.

I'm sure there are more examples. The question is whether he's the right man for the job or not. I think he'd help unite the club once again. The players and fans would get behind him. My only issue is the style of play. I know it was successful in the NL, but I was starting to wonder about it int he months leading up to his departure. Harrogate away was one of the worst performances I've seen from any Notts side. Totally devoid of ideas, with both sets of fans doing ironic cheers each time we passed it back to the keeper. I feel like we need to move away from that style rather than further towards it.

That said, it's Luke Williams, and I still love him. I'd be cautiously optimistic and hopeful that he's learned along the way.

[kill_the_drum]

It?s a no for me but would fully support him if he was to return.
The consensus is he played faster and more attacking football than Maynard. IMO the reality is he just had much faster and better attacking players.
Maynard got pelters for having no plan B, but he was far more willing to change things than LW.
My main reason for agreeing it was right to sack Maynard was his position had become untenable.
LW is currently much more liked than SM, but there?d still be a big proportion of fans not willing to accept him back.
It would just feel much more positive to have a manager with a blank canvas.

[the_anticlough]

This "on the slide" thing is massively overplayed.

Yes.

And it was when we lost Palmer, and soon after Bostock, that everything broke down. I was at Harrogate away watching JOB play every pass to him first time back to the goalkeeper. Brindley played 50 passes to Stone in the first half alone because he had no option to pass to. The squad just couldn't cope with losing the players the whole thing went through.

Williams has a great legacy from his time at Notts, that's why he jumped two divisions higher. But it's still the 'never go back' mantra for me.

You win promotion to a difficult new league, which is a significant step up, and then you suddenly abandon the project and let those fans see us plummet down the league and watch absolute dross. The momentum of the club was completely lost and we hurtled backwards, because the leader we gave the opportunity to, suddenly wanted out. And Montague was left with appointing a real long shot mid-season, but someone who might be capable of carrying on his work.
I saw LW, Harley, Lawtey walking around Harrogate town centre before that match, something seemed off to me.
Some fans seem to want that crew back, but I don't.

[Could'vebeenacontender]

Ironically Maynard got the decent defenders and keeper that Luke was begging for
I wonder what he'd have done with the side which started last season?
I wouldn't be against Luke returning but it's unlikely to happen
It will probably be a left field appointment
Maybe a senior coach in the EFL being given his first job as manager

[Observerpie]

It's a no from me.

[OchPie]

The consensus is he played faster and more attacking football than Maynard. IMO the reality is he just had much faster and better attacking players.

While I think there's truth in this, I also think it was very evident in the way the team was coached. Part of me feels that getting a NL team to do this required a focus on Plan A to the extent there couldn't be a Plan B. But I also feel he didn't have time to adjust the system to the loss of Palmer and the way the defence was being exposed.

Even so losing 5-4 DID feel better than losing 1-0.

I think it was very clear that the coaching, after the brothers left, just wasn't there. I'm wondering whether Maynard reassured the owners he didn't need help.

I'd love Williams back as a number 2. I think I'd be wary as our head coach.