"It could be horrendous" - Claim made on big Notts County, Martin Paterson decision | OneFootball

FLW's Notts County fan pundit has his say on Martin Paterson's arrival at the club

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Notts County's hiring of Martin Paterson has caused mixed reactions across the Magpies fanbase, to say the least.

The former Burton Albion boss won just five of his 20 games at the Pirelli Stadium in the 2023/24 campaign, and spent last season as an assistant coach at Huddersfield Town.

It brought an end to a near-month-long search for a head coach after Stuart Maynard was sacked following their play-off semi-final loss, with many Notts fans speculating that Luke Williams could make a return to the Meadow Lane dugout.

Despite a poor managerial record in the past, however, FLW's Notts County fan pundit, Gareth Parr, feels that his fellow Notts fans should wait and see how Paterson gets on in his new role before they begin to judge his performances.

Parr also rejected the idea of a Luke Williams return, too, despite the former Swansea City boss being the sentimental favourite in many eyes.

Notts County fan pundit rejected Luke Williams' return hopes

Speaking to Football League World, Parr first and foremost seemed relieved that the manager speculation had been put to an end, and that Notts County can focus on pre-season knowing that they have someone in the dugout.

"Any manager or coach is better than none," Parr said. "We have a very specific lineup, so bringing in a seasoned manager to try and work with that set-up is probably very difficult.

"It's important to develop managers here, as well as players."

On the talk among the fanbase regarding a potential Luke Williams return, Parr acknowledged that his comments on how difficult the commute from his home in Wales would drive him away from wanting the former boss to return.

"At the end of the day, do you want to re-employ a coach who publicly identified that he wasn't willing to move his family away from South Wales and complained that the commute was taking its toll on both his personal and work life?

"That's where he'd have fallen down as a potential choice for me."

Fan pundit shows intrigue in Martin Paterson appointment

Despite a large majority of the Notts County fanbase rejecting the arrival of Martin Paterson, Parr is choosing to wait and see what the performances are like on the pitch before he makes a proper decision on how he feels about the new head coach.

Unlike at Paterson's previous club Burton, there is a culture at Notts built on possession-based, attractive football.

Parr continued: "It'll be interesting to see how he merges his coaching style with the philosophy that Notts have over possession.

"I know a lot of the fanbase are saying he'd be no good, but who really knows until he is given a decent run?"

However, with Notts County expected to be one of the League Two frontrunners next season, will there be time for Paterson to implement his style and grow with the side before any pressure sets in?

Parr's making sure that no pressure is put on him immediately from the get-go, however, and he's intrigued to see how things work out with Paterson in the dugout.

"I'm interested to see how it will all pan out," he concluded.

"It could be a great move. It could be horrendous. There's no real way of telling.