Maynard aims for ‘feel-good’ factor to return at Notts
HEAD coach Stuart Maynard says Notts County need “to build momentum and take it into next season” as he aims for a strong finish to the League Two campaign.
The Magpies’ board of directors issued a statement reflecting on this season, the club’s first back in the EFL after promotion from the National League.
After a promising start under previous head coach Luke Williams, inconsistencies started to creep in as the season progressed and the general poor form since Maynard’s arrival in January has resulted in a finish which will be below the original expectations of the board.
While the board expressed their disappointment with the campaign overall, the belief is that the team is not far away from where it needs to be, as long as certain improvements are made.
Part of the statement read: “While we’re all dissatisfied with recent results and the outcome of the season, our analysis shows that performance levels over the course of the campaign have merited a much better league position – and therefore the improvement required for us to compete for promotion next season, as will be our aim, isn’t as large as the table would suggest.
“Clearly, our weakness this season has been the high number of goals we’ve conceded – but it would be unfair to blame this only on our defensive players.
“As you would expect, Stuart Maynard and his team are working hard on this and we believe we’re on track to build a team with the right balance between attack and defence, which will concede far fewer goals and bring an improved level of performance next season.
“While we have ambitious plans to improve the club’s standing in the pyramid, these are long-term and based on financial sustainability and valuebased decision-making.”
It seems the owners are committed to giving Maynard the chance to build the squad in his image this summer.
The general form since Maynard’s arrival has not been great but, speaking after his first home win last Saturday, the head coach was confident about the club’s future.
“We’ve continued to work the way we’ve wanted to,” said Maynard. “As a management team, we believe in getting the performances right and the results will follow.
“The statement was from the owners and their model is something that we believe in, which is why we came, and that model has been hugely successful over the last 18 months or so.
“We want to continue that success. We’ve had many different conversations and are building towards the next season now. We need to make sure we add the right people in the summer to combat all the teams we come up against in League Two.
“We’ve had a taste of the league now, so we know what it takes moving forward, and that is what the conversations (with the owners) have revolved around. I don’t worry about anything but coming to work and focusing on my job and that is preparing for the next game.
“We need to build momentum and take it into next season, so it’s massive that we finish strong this term to get that feel-good factor back around the place, which is something we’re aiming to do.”