O/T:- Them o'er river

[laddo]

Opinions, of course. My opinion, the club is travelling in the opposite direction to the one it was following 2 years ago. Therefore, I believe we’ve turned a corner.

League status aside, is the club in better shape now than when Hardy, and a good few years before that, was in charge?

Yes it is, undeniably in my mind.

We are singing off the same hymn sheet.

[Killerkline]

We are singing off the same hymn sheet.

Yes we are.

Nobody will be happy if where still in the NL in 5 years, least of all our owners. If we are, there will be a number of possible reasons why. I strongly believe we won’t be. I actually believe, maybe blind optimism, we’ll be the right end of L1. I fully on board with the process we have in place.

[applepie2]

Seeing that we've just finished in our lowest ever position in the pyramid and that it was the 3rd season in a row that we've finished lower than the previous year, I'd say we're still very much in decline... but with the proviso that the current owners have managed to apply the breaks to a large extent and that there are signs that they could well turn us around.

Given that it is unusual for a club relegated to the NL from L2 to bounce straight back, and that it is unusual for a club promoted from NL to L2 to be relegated the next season, I would say that there is some evidence of an overlap in ability. So 5th in NL may well be better than 23rd in L2. Yes, technically we’re lower in the pyramid, but in terms of actual footballing ability, I am sure we have turned a corner.

(Indeed, I think we achieved that early in the 2019/2020 season and demonstrated it in March 2020, but that’s very much a matter of opinion.)

[matt_magpie]

Genuine question if you had guaranteed promotion not this season, not next but the season after, would yer take it now or gamble, just interested on views.

[Killerkline]

Genuine question if you had guaranteed promotion not this season, not next but the season after, would yer take it now or gamble, just interested on views.

I’d gamble, because I don’t see it as a gamble. I’m so confident that over the course of a season we’ll have to much for the opposition and accumulate more than enough points for promotion.

[BigFatPie]

It depends on why you think Hughton’s the right man for the job. Will Hughton take Forest forward, possibly not. Therefore, lack of movement in a positive direction is good for Notts.

From a football perspective and taking off my Notts blinkers. He’s probably going to keep them up. Considering the state they appear to be in off the field, this would be an achievement. This point takes me back to Notts.

Due to the off field state of Forest, they’re not likely to move forward e.g. promotion. Contrast that with Notts, the structure is in place to move forward.

Well from a Forest point of view any success they achieve with Hughton in charge will be with crappy, dull football. That’s what he’s always done. Some fans would take that, some wouldn’t, but managers who’ve succeeded him have usually achieved similar success, but with better football. As you say the state of Forest behind the scenes probably means he won’t even be able to achieve that.

The analogy with Ardley is that most Notts fans would take any sort of football to get out of this league and only 2 promotion places mean that managers sometimes have to be pragmatic. Ardley couldn’t even achieve that, but even so loads of Notts fans were still sorry to see him go. Imo what’s happened since has emphasised what a terrible manager he is. Sort of like Hughton but without the success.

[Elite_Pie]

Genuine question if you had guaranteed promotion not this season, not next but the season after, would yer take it now or gamble, just interested on views.

Very interesting question, and not an easy one to answer. After some thought I would take the guaranteed promotion in 3 seasons time, because this league is such a bugger to get out of.

[Killerkline]

Well from a Forest point of view any success they achieve with Hughton in charge will be with crappy, dull football. That’s what he’s always done. Some fans would take that, some wouldn’t, but managers who’ve succeeded him have usually achieved similar success, but with better football. As you say the state of Forest behind the scenes probably means he won’t even be able to achieve that.

The analogy with Ardley is that most Notts fans would take any sort of football to get out of this league and only 2 promotion places mean that managers sometimes have to be pragmatic. Ardley couldn’t even achieve that, but even so loads of Notts fans were still sorry to see him go. Imo what’s happened since has emphasised what a terrible manager he is. Sort of like Hughton but without the success.

But the reason why majority of Notts supporters think Hughton is the man for the Forest job is not because his style of football is like Ardley’s style. As I previously stated the reason is they believe Hughton staying at Forest is good for Notts or he’s right for the situation Forest find themselves in.

In terms of Notts’ decision to get rid of Ardley, I don’t think any Notts fan would now argue this was the wrong decision.

[Elite_Pie]

In terms of Notts’ decision to get rid of Ardley, I don’t think any Notts fan would now argue this was the wrong decision.

Agreed, despite some (or maybe it was one) repeatedly ridiculing anyone who suggested we should get rid!

[laddo]

Personally I preferred to highlight and ridicule the comical and at times frankly absurd comments that were regularly made about our now infamous former manager. It was very easy to do with a seemingly never ending supply.

I like many many others weren't calling for him to be sacked when he was but also like many wasn't upset or surprised when he was. Personally I would have kept him until the end of the season but then again none of us knew about Burchnall and his availability at the time. It have a strong feeling IBs availability was more key than NAs form at the time for the change. That's just my opinion, it's not fact only a few at the club know whether that's the case or not

But that's all in the past now. So much has changed since, and so much for the better.

Onwards and upwards