Keith Curle sacked again

[i961pie]

What I remember from Curle's home games was 4-3-3 but all 3 midfielders held and the full-backs didn't get forward either. It was probably the most boring and frustrating stuff I've ever watched at Meadow Lane

Yet we got to the dizzy heights of 7th in league one under him, what we would give to be there again.
His football was boring though.

[ncfcog]

If I remember correctly it was under KC that we probably saw the first use of stats to assess player performance. Problem was this focussed on passes, qty of passes per player and completion/success rate.

This meant the players spent ages aimlessly passing the ball to each other in order to get their stats up.

[Elite_Pie]

Yes. But look at the talent gulf….Curle had the likes of Campbell-Ryce, Judge, Hughes, Liddle, Bishop, Sheehan, Bart…..

McParland had……Canham, Tann, Strachan, Mayo, Hamshaw…..

Curle certainly had a better squad at his disposal, but that wasn't the question. The most boring season I've ever witnessed at Meadow Lane was when McParland was in charge. Thordarson would come second, Curle would be among the also-rans.

[applepie2]

If I remember correctly it was under KC that we probably saw the first use of stats to assess player performance. Problem was this focussed on passes, qty of passes per player and completion/success rate.

This meant the players spent ages aimlessly passing the ball to each other in order to get their stats up.

Exactly my experience of “metrics” in an entirely different field. Metrics were in fashion, so they were introduced in a typically half-baked manner, and predictably had unpredicted side effects.

[laddo]

Those 3 would probably be my podium finishes, with Thordarson taking the gold medal for sheer dullness at Meadow Lane.

Curle certainly had far better players at his disposal that he wasted (a criticism correctly aimed at Ardley more recently).

Thankfully away from the home faithful we were very effective and I saw a couple of beauties under Keith's stewardship in various away ends. The best being that 4-3 win at Adams Park to conclude that season and very narrowly miss out on the play offs. At Meadow Lane as we all know it was dire stuff.

[chedozie]

I remember that day well, cracking game only spoilt a few hours later by Stevenage getting a point at Shef Utd.
Shrek & the banana being tackled by the coppers in our goal mouth when the 4th went in… priceless.

[jackal2]

What I remember from Curle's home games was 4-3-3 but all 3 midfielders held and the full-backs didn't get forward either. It was probably the most boring and frustrating stuff I've ever watched at Meadow Lane

I think it's being generous to say he played with three forwards at home. All I remember is a lot of slow sideways passing, and when we did get the ball into the box, Yoann Arquin was often the lone target. Away from home, parking the bus and hitting teams on the counter worked well and we built up an extraordinary away record, but Curle's stubborn refusal to play a second striker rather than a midfielder at home cost us many results. With an away record like we had, even a moderately good home record would have rocketed us towards the top of the table, but he wouldn't budge and it cost him his job.

[irishpete]

Curle certainly had a better squad at his disposal, but that wasn't the question. The most boring season I've ever witnessed at Meadow Lane was when McParland was in charge. Thordarson would come second, Curle would be among the also-rans.

No Colin Murphy? Jeez he was awful in his last season, would have rather watched paint dry

[upthemaggies]

Murphy was responsible for me not renewing my season ticket for the first time. We were then relegated with the worst season's set of results ever. I didn't go regularly again until Sam got us back up.

Curle was the reason my son lost interest in Notts. I was bored stiff as well but didn't complain too much on here at the time because results always come first. The performances however eventually caught up with us and the falling gates forced Trew's hand. Appointing a manager previously sacked by Mansfield Town still, to this day, seems unbelievable to me, but I think it was always destined to end in tears under the Trews whoever the manager was. Ideally we should try and forget who's running the club as much as possible and not identify the club with the owners too much, otherwise it begins to make supporting the club difficult when the the owners turn out to be so unpleasant. The Trews got the position they deserved in the end, sadly the fans had to suffer as well.

Curle might have done much better and been far more entertaining under competent owners, but he hasn't exactly set the football world on fire since he left. I think it is safe to say by now that he isn't L1 standard, fairly decent in L2 with a stable club, but no higher.