NOTTS IN NEED OF A DIFFERENT APPROACH
IT’S been a bleak season for Nottingham Forest, who have manager sacked yet another
in Dougie Freedman. I feel for Dougie. ing, trying He’s been wheeling
to bring players and dealembargo on the in whilst there’s
club. He’s couldn’t don’t a transfer
really understand change his Hasawi, side. I could how the chairman,
possibly judge Fawaz AlIt will be tough him. the situation to attract a top
but, whoever calibre replacement 18-year-old Oliver
it is, they’ll inherit given I first Burke. a great talent
saw him when in 21s and he he came
was exceptional on against my He scored that Cardiff Under
a goal, night. He’s a young worked hard,
Scottish boy showed some marks him great feet. out who plays on
is his pace –it the wing and scares the life is absolutely what
out of defenders. searing and Thanks to the give embargo, Dougie’s
him a chance been forced with in the first team to
a couple of goals and he’s seized plays. and some excellent it
He’s young and disproper raw but there’s
player there who a make it I think to the can
top. SEEING how far Notts County have fallen is very sad. This is the oldest club in League football and it is struggling for existence in League Two.
I was born in Nottingham and started my career at Meadow Lane. We had a great side in those days - Craig Short, Tommy Johnson, Mark Draper.We had Neil Warnock as manager. We even spent a season in the top flight.
But that was 25 years ago and, since then, the club has failed to spark anything like that kind of excitement in fans. Relegations, administration, false dawns.
Last week saw Jamie Fullarton replaced by Mark Cooper, their tenth manager in six years under chairman Ray Trew – a ridiculous amount.
There’s been constant turmoil. And are you really telling me that all of them did a bad job? There must be something fundamentally wrong.
To be fair to Ray, his heart is in the right place. When I was there as a coach in 200809, he pumped a lot of money into improving the infrastructure, the ground and corporate hospitality.
He’s obviously a very astute businessman. I just think he lacks that real insight into football. The appointment of Jamie was a case in point. Jamie is a terrific coach who worked wonders at Forest. But in terms of management he was very inexperienced. He was crying out for a strong, experienced No.2 but that never happened.
What Ray – or whoever buys Notts County – needs is to appoint someone who knows how to build and organise a football club.
I don’t mean a manager. I mean a director who can look at the academy, the training ground, recruitment, and bring all those things together in a grand plan for success.
What won’t change is an exceptionally loyal fanbase. To subject them to life in the lower reaches of League Two is a scandal and something that needs to be addressed.