Is anyone else quite enjoying the National League?

[i961pie]

To answer the original question, NO.

[laddo]

For the record I can't tell if you're actually, on balance, saying anything with this post. The first and second parts seem to contradict and cancel each other out.

Thanks for your input.

[laddo]

Not only that seeing as the reedz brothers have started off at tier 5, how can they ( Notts County) get worse. Even if they get to League 1 they are no better than trew or , or hardy

I don't get it?!?! Surely if they took us to League 1 then they are a huge upgrade on Hardy as they will have two promotions on their records. Compared to Hardy who had no promotions and one relegation on his.

How is that not better? Even Tree manager a promotion albeit in somewhat artificial circumstances.

[slack_pie]

Why should Notts be playing at Championship level? That's where I want to us to be (realistically) playing but as you pointed out its been over 25 years since we have. Then another decade before that.

I'm all for reminiscing about past glory days from any decade, let's be honest it's very much needed at times to keep morale up but over the past quarter of a century we are a L2 (4th tier) club more than any other.

I view us top end of L1 is probably our natural home all things considered. Size wise we are nowhere near Championship level. Need a top manager/owner combo to achieve that nowadays.

Times have changed, the game and industry has moved on.

I agree. I think we should be looking at teams like Lincoln for inspiration. They came back from the dead much stronger and harnessed that momentum to gain another promotion. Now they're knocking on the door of the Championship. If they do manage to go up one more level, chances are they'll come down again a season or two later.

That's pretty much the best a club like Lincoln or Notts can hope for, unless you have a billionaire owner.

The first step is to get out of this league. The second step is to recruit well and use the momentum and excitement to push on. If we had done that after the Munto season, we would have stood a decent chance of another promotion in my opinion.

[Davy500]

I don't get it?!?! Surely if they took us to League 1 then they are a huge upgrade on Hardy as they will have two promotions on their records. Compared to Hardy who had no promotions and one relegation on his.

How is that not better? Even Tree manager a promotion albeit in somewhat artificial circumstances.

Because they are starting from the 5th tier. It almost impossible (or is it to sink lower). Trew was in L1 for 4 or 5 seasons, only relegated because he cut the budget in the season we went down. hardy may well have gained promotion to L1 , if not for the Coventry howler. So in my opinion if they get to L1 its all relative

[Davy500]

I think you need to wilfully ignore all of the evidence to say that.

The club's culture is obviously vastly improved under them. Recruitment is significantly better, both of managers and players. The manner and timing of their dismissal of Ardley is vastly better than any of the dismissals Hardy pulled off. Their social media and/or public relations efforts are all vastly improved.

If you look at results, I would suggest that performances that get you into playoff spots in the NL are better than performances that get you bottom of the table in L2 because there is such a narrow pipeline up and down between these two divisions. That is to say several of the top clubs in this league are playing better than the bottom few in the one above. If it were otherwise you would see a lot of clubs bouncing between the leagues when we see the complete opposite, year after year.

So I would say performances as a whole under the Reedtz brothers have been improved over Hardy's disastrous "achievements" despite the fact that we're in a league below.

Then there's strategy. Hardy for all his heart and bank account were in the right place, never showed any understanding of long term football strategy. These guys prove that they not only get it, but they have a solid strategy they're working to every time they open their mouth or write something publicly. And every time they take action, be it supporting the youth academy, hiring a new manager or finding new players. All of it speaks to serious, carefully considered long term strategy and investment.

They are almost polar opposites of Hardy, man. I just can't agree with you on this one at all.

Well the reedz brothers do not say anything at all on social media, also we do not no how much financial clout the owners have, they may or may not have deeper pockets than trew or hardy.
It looks at present that their dismissals are better than Hardy, not difficult as almost any manager would be an upgrade on Ardley
Trew did achieve Notts playing near the top of L1, and Hardy near the top of L2
As for the better recruitment of players, i must have missed that one, because most of them have been average, either that or they have not played as a unit. Either way they were not good enough to get us promoted

[laddo]

That's an interesting way of looking at it but the fact is Hardy took over at owner in L2 and left with us in NL, so he was clearly in deficit.

I guess Hardy may well have gained promotion if not for the Coventry howler the same way the Reedz Bros may well have gained promotion this season if not for the Torquay howler. Obviously on both occasions there was still a final to play.

Seeing as Hardy was never in charge with us in L1 the best you can suggest is L2 playoffs would be on par and would mean the following season needs forgetting. Which I don't think any Notts fan can do

[Davy500]

I think you need to wilfully ignore all of the evidence to say that.

The club's culture is obviously vastly improved under them. Recruitment is significantly better, both of managers and players. The manner and timing of their dismissal of Ardley is vastly better than any of the dismissals Hardy pulled off. Their social media and/or public relations efforts are all vastly improved.

If you look at results, I would suggest that performances that get you into playoff spots in the NL are better than performances that get you bottom of the table in L2 because there is such a narrow pipeline up and down between these two divisions. That is to say several of the top clubs in this league are playing better than the bottom few in the one above. If it were otherwise you would see a lot of clubs bouncing between the leagues when we see the complete opposite, year after year.

So I would say performances as a whole under the Reedtz brothers have been improved over Hardy's disastrous "achievements" despite the fact that we're in a league below.

Then there's strategy. Hardy for all his heart and bank account were in the right place, never showed any understanding of long term football strategy. These guys prove that they not only get it, but they have a solid strategy they're working to every time they open their mouth or write something publicly. And every time they take action, be it supporting the youth academy, hiring a new manager or finding new players. All of it speaks to serious, carefully considered long term strategy and investment.

They are almost polar opposites of Hardy, man. I just can't agree with you on this one at all.

Also Jampie i would also question why the reedz brothers stuck with Ardley so long, wasted 2 years in my opinion, so there recruitment or judgement was just as bad as Hardy,s as they stuck with him for nearly 2 years

[SwalePie]

Also Jampie i would also question why the reedz brothers stuck with Ardley so long, wasted 2 years in my opinion, so there recruitment or judgement was just as bad as Hardy,s as they stuck with him for nearly 2 years

You didn't like Ardley much then?

(By the way, I'll bite, our owners' name is Reedtz)

[Davy500]

You didn't like Ardley much then?

(By the way, I'll bite, our owners' name is Reedtz)

Don,t think i need to answer that question Swale haha, and ok it is Reedtz