Ex-Notts Player Signs For...

[slack_pie]

LW succeeded, I think, for reasons they were not expecting, that he had the personality to transcend the restrictions placed upon him and man-manage and inspire the fans as well as the players as if he was a manager in the traditional sense, not just seamlessly filling a space as a cloned jigsaw piece just to hold some corner section together whilst the owners and the recruitment team set about completing the rest of the picture all by themselves.

That the whole thing fell apart once LW was linked and then left for another club revealed the model for what it was and had been since the owners arrived, not adequate to get out of tier 5 (with Ardley and then Burch both failing) and not adequate to challenge in L2 (once LW had left). In that sense the club has fallen short at every step of the current owners reign other than during the period LW was here. LW made all of the difference between success and being left frustrated at missing out.

Clearly they've now had a re-think in terms of recruitment of playing staff, opting for experience. Whether or not they will need to extend the more traditional approach to recruitment to the point of bringing in an experienced manager, or at least one who's played at a professional level, depends on Maynard being able to work with decent L2 standard players (which he hasn't done before) as well as having the nous to navigate the business end of the season and get a promotion challenge over the line (also something he has no prior experience of).

LW definitely had that missing ingredient that our previous coaches didn't - personality and the ability to inspire players and fans alike. Ardley couldn't do that, nor could Birchnall, and I don't think Maynard seems the type either. Whether or not we can be successful without that missing ingredient remains to be seen, but it seems to me that to gain a true edge over promotion rivals and get over the line, you need someone a bit special to lead the group.

[Hoppie]

Ed Francis to Exeter in L1 🧐

[DaveSmithRules]

Ed Francis to Exeter in L1 🧐

It's a good move for him. More details here > https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football...s/c4ng3pz4n0po

If we'd kept hold of him last season he may have got a lot more game time because of Matty Palmer's injury. But good to see him move on and even higher up the pyramid. Also proof that the radar model works, even sometimes indirectly.

There are internet rumours going around that Gateshead might be about to spend a bit of that windfall buying Tiernan Brooks off us. Interesting that they might be becoming a bit of a feeder club for us, which is fair enough when you consider we got Macca and Cedwyn off them for a tiny fraction of what they are worth now. I also have a soft spot for the fact they play in black and white too.

[matt_magpie]

Ed Francis to Exeter in L1 🧐

Pleased for him, he needed to go to get game time and I always thought he was decent for Notts.

[BCnotts18]

Declan Dunn signs for Eastwood CFC. I went to school with him and he was a significantly better footballer than anyone else I played alongside at 16. Just goes to show how ridiculously good the very best players are compared to the average person.

[nw6pie]

Not quite an ex-Notts player, but Tom Weal is the new goalkeeping coach at Franchise FC.

[SwalePie]

Richard Brindley joins Eastleigh

https://eastleighfc.com/2024/07/official-richard-brindley-joins-the-spitfires/

[LeftPeg_Pie]

Macaulay Langstaff to Millwall.

[SwalePie]

Macaulay Langstaff to Millwall.

Blimey that one's slipped under the radar, if you'll pardon the pun!

[LeftPeg_Pie]

Blimey that one's slipped under the radar, if you'll pardon the pun!

I feel for some, it may be too soon for that post…