A Perfect Storm

[magpie_mania]

It depends what people want, I guess. We are probably the absolute archetype of the opposite approach to what our owners are trying to put in place.

The way Notts have been run for the last 20 years (and probably longer, that’s just what I can remember) means that most seasons will be bad. Occasionally, maybe once a decade, you stumble on a great manager or team and have an amazing season.

The new approach doesn’t mean that every season will be a promotion, or an amazing one. But if you look at the other clubs doing it, when done properly it seems to mean that the vast majority of seasons are at worst pretty decent.

The only time this century was when we stumbled on a fantastic takeover and a cast iron guarantee!

[Old_pie]

The only time this century was when we stumbled on a fantastic takeover and a cast iron guarantee!

He should have cashed the cheque in and run off with the money

[laddo]

"What you need to do though is convince the supporters who want instant success. You can be sure that if we aren't top next season, or play-offs at the very worst, they will be bringing out the usual 'Give him 10 games' "

Sadly "Some men, you just can't reach"

[laddo]

Interesting thoughts and viewpoint on the head coach model.

[magpie_mania]

Exactly - any manager who can do that is quickly going to be off to a bigger club as they’re so hard to find.

This is why the head coach model is becoming so attractive to clubs. If they’re just one part of a successful structure rather than running the whole show, then they’re much easier to replace without huge upheaval if one either does so well that they’re poached or so badly that they’re sacked.

You really need a very strong set-up, hopefully we have that.

Do you think though that managers 'run the whole show'? Some might, some might think they do, and some Chairmen and women try to play the role.

A difficulty with this model is that you say they do badly so they are sacked. What happens though if the ones doing the other parts of the usual manager's role do badly.?

[jacobncfc]

You really need a very strong set-up, hopefully we have that.

Do you think though that managers 'run the whole show'? Some might, some might think they do, and some Chairmen and women try to play the role.

A difficulty with this model is that you say they do badly so they are sacked. What happens though if the ones doing the other parts of the usual manager's role do badly.?

Not everywhere. Some do, and I think the ones we were talking about earlier in the thread tend to fall into that category.

Everyone in the structure needs to have the same accountability as the manager does really. It’s hard to judge at Notts at the minute, because we don’t yet have a clear sense of who does what. We know that the owners/their company has had some input into transfers, but from the snippets we heard from NA that seemed to be more recommending people for him to look at and evaluating names he put forward rather than setting the whole strategy. I think we’ve seen the limits of the kind of blended approach we’ve gone for so far in the squad that we’ve ended up with, which feels like a messy amalgamation of players NA wanted and players the owners wanted, rather than anything coherent. Which is probably one of the reasons why we now have a head coach who seemingly shared the same philosophy as the owners.

What it’s currently missing really is someone in that sporting director role. I think Richard Montague seems to be the lead from Football Radar in the recruitment stuff, but that’s not the same role.

[laddo]

If it's one thing the past twenty years has taught us is short term thinking and x number of years plans do not work. Likewise boom and bust has nearly killed the club on more than one occasion. It is simply not sustainable and another way and path has to be taken for the club to rise again.

There is a common phrase that the road to hell is paved with good intentions and is that not fitting for where this club has ended up in the National League? From Scardino/Storrie all the way through to the Reedtz brothers I think all the owners had good intentions to take the club forward and I don't think either had malice but at the end of each tenure the club was in a worst place than where it was either on or off the field or both.

The problem is this culture of consistent hire and fire of managers, players, coaches turnover, complete changes in style and methods and financial boom and bust is engrained in the culture of the club after so long it became the norm. Like an addiction it is going to take some time for the habit to be broken.

Fan expectation is high at this club because of the level we are at and that is going to be the biggest source of friction while we are in this league. We are like when Man City, Leeds, Sheff Utd and Wed, Forest (and currently Sunderland) were in League One. I do believe we will get back to the football league hopefully at the earliest opportunity so that non-league tag and noose is removed.

A beautiful post.

Our continuing failed boom and bust short term approach has indeed become the norm at Meadow Lane.

If we are going to fail it would be nice to fail a different way. A slower fail. It is after all the hope (and false promises) that kill you.

[magpie_mania]

Not everywhere. Some do, and I think the ones we were talking about earlier in the thread tend to fall into that category.

Everyone in the structure needs to have the same accountability as the manager does really. It’s hard to judge at Notts at the minute, because we don’t yet have a clear sense of who does what. We know that the owners/their company has had some input into transfers, but from the snippets we heard from NA that seemed to be more recommending people for him to look at and evaluating names he put forward rather than setting the whole strategy. I think we’ve seen the limits of the kind of blended approach we’ve gone for so far in the squad that we’ve ended up with, which feels like a messy amalgamation of players NA wanted and players the owners wanted, rather than anything coherent. Which is probably one of the reasons why we now have a head coach who seemingly shared the same philosophy as the owners.

What it’s currently missing really is someone in that sporting director role. I think Richard Montague seems to be the lead from Football Radar in the recruitment stuff, but that’s not the same role.

Agree with your comments, but they don't answer my last question.

[jacobncfc]

Agree with your comments, but they don't answer my last question.

They get moved on. Brentford, as the obvious comparison, have changed their Director of Football a few times on their journey up the leagues.

If you keep signing bad players, you change whoever’s got ultimate responsibility for recruitment. Etc etc.

[MAD_MAGPIE]

They get moved on. Brentford, as the obvious comparison, have changed their Director of Football a few times on their journey up the leagues.

If you keep signing bad players, you change whoever’s got ultimate responsibility for recruitment. Etc etc.

I completely agree with this stance. The recruitment is the foundation to how successful the team will ultimately be and how it will evolve and is key to everything. The rest follows on from this. Get that wrong or make mistakes on that and you have put yourself at a disadvantage from the first game of the season and that is regardless of who the manager or head coach is as they can only do so much with tactics and players that they have got to work with.