Notts players back boss Maynard - McGoldrick

David McGoldrick has scored seven goals in 17 appearances for Notts County this season

Striker David McGoldrick says Notts County boss Stuart Maynard has the support of his players, and insists their recent poor run of form is not like the one that cost them a play-off place last season.

Maynard apologised to the club's fans after their 3-0 defeat at Salford last week, which dropped Notts to 11th in the League Two table.

The loss was their fourth in a five-game winless run in all competitions.

"We are all behind the manager here and his ideas," McGoldrick told BBC Radio Nottingham.

"There is only so much the manager can take the blame. The players knew it wasn't good enough."

Notts next host Bradford City on Saturday and will be looking for their first league win for eight weeks.

"Let's not beat around the bush, nothing went right [against Salford]. As players we have to hold our hands up and know we have a big game on Saturday to rectify it and be better," McGoldrick said.

The Magpies were third in the table when they got that last win against Harrogate on 26 October.

And McGoldrick was defiant when asked if the dip in form, and their subsequent tumble down the standings, has felt similar to what happened to Notts last season - having been among the front-runners in early December before a run of three wins in 17 matches up until mid-March cost them a place in the top seven.

"It's a different kind of feel at the minute," he said.

"Last year we had a change of manager, and I think it kind of started to slip away with new ideas.

"It doesn't feel like it's slipping away at all, and I'm not saying that for the sake of it."

The managerial change at Meadow Lane last season had Maynard come in to replace promotion-winning boss Luke Williams after he took over at Swansea City.

Maynard said he does "not have any worries" that Notts will fall away in the same way, and added the Magpies are more defensively resolute and "have a different mentality within the group".

He did, however, say Notts will go into the winter transfer market needing to reinforce a squad the remains without key figures Jodi Jones, Curtis Edwards, Conor Grant and Scott Robertson.

"I look at it that we are six points way from the automatic promotion places," he said.

"And if you look at the injury list we've had, I think we have to look to January to try strengthen, but also we get players back so we'll be able to freshen up the group."