Williams is Favourite [New Head Coach speculation thread]

[legs77]

I can't see it being LW. Too obvious a choice, and too sentimental.

I can see it being that Shaw bloke, or a weird mixture of Shaw, Alves, and someone else in a new coaching team setup with joint responsibility. What else could they mean by "restructuring the football department"?

I hope I'm wrong, but I just can't see the bros appointing an experienced leader with relevant success at this level.

Well that is going to end in failure if that happens isnt it.

You need to have one person who is boss not a mixture of 3/4 as there is bound to be tactical or selection differences so who carries the can ?

I have seen a few suggest this and I really hope its not the case.

I'll say this all 6 clubs that have had automatic promotion since we've been in L2 had a promotion on their records....that is your starting point imo

[slack_pie]

Well that is going to end in failure if that happens isnt it.

You need to have one person who is boss not a mixture of 3/4 as there is bound to be tactical or selection differences so who carries the can ?

I have seen a few suggest this and I really hope its not the case.

I'll say this all 6 clubs that have had automatic promotion since we've been in L2 had a promotion on their records....that is your starting point imo

I agree, but the owners seem to have a bit of a blind spot when it comes to appointing a successful and effective leader. Either that or stubbornness. As much as I appreciate the fantastic investment they are making in our infrastructure, that money is wasted if we can't get the head coach right and deliver success on the pitch.

It's the leadership aspect that often seems missing. We lacked leaders in the dugout and on the pitch last season. It doesn't matter how talented and hard-working the coach is, if he can't motivate the team and create unity in the club, he won't be a success.

[ManchesterMagpie]

I agree, but the owners seem to have a bit of a blind spot when it comes to appointing a successful and effective leader. Either that or stubbornness. As much as I appreciate the fantastic investment they are making in our infrastructure, that money is wasted if we can't get the head coach right and deliver success on the pitch.

It's the leadership aspect that often seems missing. We lacked leaders in the dugout and on the pitch last season. It doesn't matter how talented and hard-working the coach is, if he can't motivate the team and create unity in the club, he won't be a success.

I think it's less about them having a blind spot to appointing a successful and effective leader, and more about them not being able to attract an experienced coach who is prepared to work in the way that our owners want them to (ie. as a Head Coach and not as a 'traditional' Manager being responsible for recruitment etc). It's clear that these owners will not change their model - which to be fair has been fairly successful to date - so any new Head Coach looking for a new role will have to accept that model if they want to come to Notts. It's a big part of their Job Description and only a certain type of coach would be happy to work that way. Luke Williams, Ian Burchnall and Neal Ardley were happy with these arrangements and it generally worked for them.

I agree with you on the Leadership element though. Luke was the right kind of character, big on discipline and he was respected by the players who would run through walls for him. Remember that 'never say die' attitude which saw us come back so many times during the promotion season, including the infamous Borehamwood play-off game? Luke instilled that mentality in the players. Maynard clearly couldn't inspire them and (with all respect) his interviews used to bore a lot of fans so imagine his influence in the dressing room!

Now if only there was another coach like Luke Williams available....

[durhampie]

I think it's less about them having a blind spot to appointing a successful and effective leader, and more about them not being able to attract an experienced coach who is prepared to work in the way that our owners want them to (ie. as a Head Coach and not as a 'traditional' Manager being responsible for recruitment etc). It's clear that these owners will not change their model - which to be fair has been fairly successful to date - so any new Head Coach looking for a new role will have to accept that model if they want to come to Notts. It's a big part of their Job Description and only a certain type of coach would be happy to work that way. Luke Williams, Ian Burchnall and Neal Ardley were happy with these arrangements and it generally worked for them.

I agree with you on the Leadership element though. Luke was the right kind of character, big on discipline and he was respected by the players who would run through walls for him. Remember that 'never say die' attitude which saw us come back so many times during the promotion season, including the infamous Borehamwood play-off game? Luke instilled that mentality in the players. Maynard clearly couldn't inspire them and (with all respect) his interviews used to bore a lot of fans so imagine his influence in the dressing room!

Now if only there was another coach like Luke Williams available....

I dont get this affection for Williams. He only ever achieved anything at none league level, and then we were very fortunate.. You could say he left us 6th in the division, but so did Maynard.

[ManchesterMagpie]

I dont get this affection for Williams. He only ever achieved anything at none league level, and then we were very fortunate.. You could say he left us 6th in the division, but so did Maynard.

I know you're saying. And the jury is still out for me on whether he'd be a success a second time around (I wouldn't necessarily be against it). But I do think we need to find a similar character with the same attributes he had and who are prepared to work the 'Notts Way'. Easier said than done I guess...

[slack_pie]

I think it's less about them having a blind spot to appointing a successful and effective leader, and more about them not being able to attract an experienced coach who is prepared to work in the way that our owners want them to (ie. as a Head Coach and not as a 'traditional' Manager being responsible for recruitment etc). It's clear that these owners will not change their model - which to be fair has been fairly successful to date - so any new Head Coach looking for a new role will have to accept that model if they want to come to Notts. It's a big part of their Job Description and only a certain type of coach would be happy to work that way. Luke Williams, Ian Burchnall and Neal Ardley were happy with these arrangements and it generally worked for them.

I agree with you on the Leadership element though. Luke was the right kind of character, big on discipline and he was respected by the players who would run through walls for him. Remember that 'never say die' attitude which saw us come back so many times during the promotion season, including the infamous Borehamwood play-off game? Luke instilled that mentality in the players. Maynard clearly couldn't inspire them and (with all respect) his interviews used to bore a lot of fans so imagine his influence in the dressing room!

Now if only there was another coach like Luke Williams available....

Very true. I've said before that the type of character we need is the type of character who will want to come in and run the whole show, including recruitment, so our strategy self-selects for coaches with less dominant personalities.

As you say, it worked with LW, and LW is available and presumably would consider a return on the right terms. It all makes too much sense, which is why it probably won't happen. Our owners will want to find the next Luke Williams, not the Luke Williams.

[MetalMagpie62]

I?m not fussed on who we have as head coach I trust the bros, they haven?t really got anything wrong yes you can say January transfer was bad but was they bad or was it just Maynard not being able to get the best out of them or any of the players for that matter in the bros we trust

[theadissey]

There's somewhat a point about the "type" of manager being a leader. Like others have said, we were lucky to fit the mould of head coach with all the favourable characteristics that the bro's wanted with Williams. I'd even say it was a desirable but not essential that the manager would have to be a motivator, so we were extra lucky there.

But saying that they had/have a blind spot is a bit harsh; I'd say judge that after this next manager, because if you look at it, Maynard was always gonna pale in comparison against Williams, especially as he was a tad dry and never seemed to be personable via his interviews, unlike Williams. Ardley wasn't their appointment, Burchnall was a halfway house between Williams and Maynard - but needed to show umph when needed, so it's hardly 3 an out for leadership, it's more 1.5 - 1.5 evens. I do think they'll have learnt a lot in this last managerial appointment, given they've had to be more hands on with the changing of DOF and that Maynard couldn't motivate them to do anything in the last 5-10 matches. Maybe that desirable quality may have just turn into an essential hiring quality, who knows.