Effective or not as you will remember it was horrific to watch, barely football at times. Midfield bypassed completely for most of the game. The tactic was a definitive one that's for sure, centre back or ideally full back launch as far and as high as you can to give Big Jason to get there to challenge (which he often won) and others to pick up the scraps high up the pitch. If we lost it, then try midfielders only job was to get the ball back to repeat the launch.
There were hardly any passes on the ground, no tidy triangles, no patterns of play, no third man runs. Everyone knew the tactic in the stadium. We won games using it, it was probably the best tactic to adopt with that limited squad but it was no fun to watch. Best just finding out the score on Teletext.
My old man's neck never recovered from Thomson's time in charge.
Hoooooofff! Gerrriittt forward.
Limited time only please
I preferred it far more than what followed, which was McParland's idea of "passing football". It was basically pass it repeatedly across the back four, then hoof it aimlessly forward. At least under Thompson we saw goalmouth action at both ends, while under McParland we would often go 45 minutes without getting close to a shot on goal.
Did you see many, if any, passes along the turf to another Notts player during Thommo's time in charge? I mean an intended short range pass that had possibly been worked on in training? I didn't. It was caveman football and that's being very kind.
It was hoofball not football but it could be effective it was just non fun for specators.