Proof of progress?

[durhampie]

Let’s hope we are saying the same next season.

I dont think we are as good as the team that played in the first season of the National League. So on that basis we have regressed....

[slack_pie]

Personally I don’t feel that progression can be clearly defined. Has the standard of football improved? For many of us that would be a yes. However, points gained and league position is IMO subjective. As shown during this thread. Ultimately if we finish in the playoffs and don’t go up I would see that as the same as the last 2 seasons. If we do go up, then clearly that would be a success. We can do that finishing 7th, our worst position in history.

I think it can to some degree.

Is the football better? Yes, clearly
Is the points-per-game better? Yes, just.
Is the current league more competitive than the previous two seasons? Yes, clearly.

In my opinion, if we had this team and manager in our first NL season, we would have gone up. It just so happens that IB's first full season coincided with the National League being the most competitive it has ever been. We've made progress, but the top teams around us have made more. Ultimately, all that matters is getting promotoed, and any season we fail to do that is a massive failure.

[laddo]

I dont think we are as good as the team that played in the first season of the National League. So on that basis we have regressed....

Possibly true, whether you view it as better (progression) or not as good (regression), I'd strongly suggest it's a marginal call either way.

[durhampie]

I would say it's more noticeable than marginal. We had a better defence, there was aggression and experience in the midfield and we also had 2 really good strikers.Todays team lacks all of those qualities. Playing pretty football is good to watch, but it doesn't always get you the right results..

[laddo]

And still they moaned about lack of creativity, lack of goals and wanted the manager sacked come the end of the season#pitchforks

If the vast majority agree with you in terms of that side being noticeably better than the current one, then we must have a noticeably better manager right?

[durhampie]

We got to the playoff final. We would have won the league if the season wasn't halted through covid. We had just outplayed Barrow at their ground and then thumped Easliegh 4.0. We were unstoppable..

[jacobncfc]

We got to the playoff final. We would have won the league if the season wasn't halted through covid. We had just outplayed Barrow at their ground and then thumped Easliegh 4.0. We were unstoppable..

Slight rewriting of history. We were in great form, but we were seven points behind Barrow having played a game more with just eight games left. Odds were very much against us catching them, let alone Harrogate who were also above us with a game in hand and in just as good form.

The team in that first season was good, but only really after the signing of Roberts. It was extremely low on creativity before he pitched up.

Weak ass division that year too imo. Personally think our current team is much stronger than anything the league had to offer, was a big opportunity missed (although unlucky with the Covid stuff).

[laddo]

We got to the playoff final. We would have won the league if the season wasn't halted through covid. We had just outplayed Barrow at their ground and then thumped Easliegh 4.0. We were unstoppable..

Wow! Simply wow! Unless of course that's said with tongue firmly in cheek. Very unlikely but never say never.

Didn't answer my question :/

[durhampie]

Wow! Simply wow! Unless of course that's said with tongue firmly in cheek. Very unlikely but never say never.

Didn't answer my question :/

Yes Wow ! Dont forget the year we won the league we were 14 points behind Rochdale. Yes WOW!... Barrow were stumbling, we had already beaten Harrogate at their ground and we were on a roll . But due to circumstances we will never know.. Oh and I dont make tongue in cheek statements...

[laddo]

Yes Wow ! Dont forget the year we won the league we were 14 points behind Rochdale. Yes WOW!... Barrow were stumbling, we had already beaten Harrogate at their ground and we were on a roll . But due to circumstances we will never know.. Oh and I dont make tongue in cheek statements...

You certainly don't ..... bold statements, negative statements yes but never tongue in cheek

I remember that season it's when we had the best squad we've had in 20 years bought with the money we didn't actually have lol. Unintentional cheating? Hmmmmm

We beat Harrogate in August so not sure what weight you can put on that, it would be like me referencing the Barrow home game that season. We had momentum for sure, we had good form, but I'd rather have had the points on the board because every slip up when you are chasing and trying to close a points deficit is very costly.

Oh and we had to not only catch up and overtake the league leaders but also Harrogate who were also in fine form and not stumbling and proved it by outplaying us and comfortably beat us in the final. A big ask IMO.

I, like all Notts fans I imagine, was frustrated that the season was cut short and we will never know. But saying "we would have won the league" is a BIG statement but as it can't be proven either way I applaud it.

I certainly prefer it to sitting meekly on the fence drinking a weak lemon drink and waiting to see what happens to then comment. Where's the fun in that, bold crazy predictions are better than no prediction at all in my book.

So if the 2019/20 squad is noticeably better than the 2021/22 squad, then we must have a better manager now right?