Maynard 'confident' on future - but will Notts boss stay on?

Stuart Maynard took charge of Notts County in January 2024

Notts County head coach Stuart Maynard does not doubt that he will keep his job despite the Magpies missing out on promotion from League Two.

Saturday's 1-0 defeat at AFC Wimbledon in the second leg of their play-off semi-final at Plough Lane, which was a repeat of the result in the opening tie at Meadow Lane a week earlier, was Notts' sixth loss in eight games to finish the season.

Maynard's side had ended the regular season to the sounds of boos earlier in May when beaten by League Two champions Doncaster Rovers at Meadow Lane. It was a game they needed to win to have any chance of snatching automatic promotion on the final day.

Their two defeats over two legs of the play-off semi-finals did not generate jeers, but the 44-year-old will be under pressure after failing to get them up in two attempts in his 16 months at the helm.

When asked by BBC Radio Nottingham if he expected to have a third shot at getting Notts promoted, Maynard replied: "Yeah, I'm confident."

Former Notts County striker Mark Stallard says the club's hierarchy "have a decision to make" about the future of Maynard – who only moved into full-time management with Notts in January last year when he left non-league side Wealdstone to replace National League promotion-winning Notts boss Luke Williams.

Within his first few months in the job at Meadow Lane, the five wins and 11 losses Notts suffered in the 19 games he oversaw last term had sections of Notts supporters calling for him to leave with banners of 'Maynard Out' appearing in the crowd.

A sixth-place finish and play-off semi-final exit in his first full season is an improvement, but Stallard points out that the head coach continues to divide supporters.

"When you are at a club like Notts, where the ambitions are clear, of course there are going to be questions asked," Stallard said.

"We know there is a split in the fan base – Maynard in, Maynard out.

"But whatever happens, at board level that is a decision that needs to be made quickly and be made public to unify the fans.

"If Stuart is the man and they believe he is the man that can achieve the promotion and they are going to give him next season, then get that out there. Say that and back him wholeheartedly."

McGoldrick remains in Notts' 'plans'

Notts' season-ending defeat at AFC Wimbledon on Saturday shows that backing needs to come in the form of summer transfers, says Stallard.

He said the Magpies were "left with a bare cupboard" after leading scorers Alassana Jatta and David McGoldrick missed the tie through suspension and injury respectively.

It was an injury that had put McGoldrick's time with his boyhood club in doubt, with his contract expiring in the summer.

But it was confirmed after the game that the former Nottingham Forest, Sheffield United and Ipswich Town forward will be offered a new deal for next season.

"Didzy is in my plans for next season," Maynard said.

"He is incredible, we want him to be at the club. Between all of us we just wanted to make sure we got the play-offs out of the way so we could sit down and plan for next season."

A third successive season in League Two is what Notts will prepare for.

'Could have, should have, but didn't' is how the Magpies' campaign can be summed up in one phrase.

They could have - and many Notts fans might argue that they should have - been promoted automatically, having been in contention for a top-three finish until the final day of a campaign that they started among the favourites to go up.

When asked to reflect on the campaign, Maynard admitted that "of course it's a missed opportunity".

"We were there all the way until the last day of the season," he said.

"And if you look at some of the performances, it probably wasn't quite good enough and we dropped points in certain games. And if you look at refereeing decisions over the course of the season those points, realistically another seven points, and we are automatically promoted.

"We know how close we were, but we also know how far away we were as well."

Dons defeat 'highlighted' shortcomings

More than a few times during the season, Maynard lamented that his side did not get the results that performances warranted.

No game left the former telecommunications engineer more exasperated than their 1-0 play-off first-leg defeat by AFC Wimbledon.

Conor Grant had a late goalbound effort cleared by Josh Neufville, having been repeatedly denied by goalkeeper Owen Goodman before that, while Jodi Jones hit the post in a game that also included two unsuccessful penalty appeals by the Magpies, who ended up finishing with 10 men after leading scorer Jatta was sent off in stoppage time.

They could have, should have, but crucially didn't get the result at Meadow Lane that night.

Instead, the London club did and went on to complete a 2-0 aggregate win with a untroubled victory that could have been more convincing at Plough Lane.

Stallard said their latest defeat has "highlighted" Notts' shortcomings.

"Wimbledon, all over the pitch, were better than Notts," he said.

"They had answers to whatever potential problem Notts looked to create and they fully deserve their place in the play-off final.

"For Notts, it's time to learn and to make decisions and get a united front for next season where they have to have a real go.

"They have seen the level over two seasons in League Two, they have seen what it takes and have to kick on."