Notts County Players United Behind Manager Stuart Maynard, Says Striker David McGoldrick

Notts County striker David McGoldrick, who has netted seven goals in 17 appearances this season, affirmed that manager Stuart Maynard retains the full support of his players. McGoldrick also maintained that the team’s current dip in performance is not comparable to the one that ultimately cost them a play-off position last season. Maynard had issued an apology to the club’s supporters following their 3-0 defeat at Salford last week, a result that caused Notts to drop to 11th place in the League Two table. This loss marked their fourth within a five-game winless streak across all competitions. “We are all behind the manager here and his ideas,” McGoldrick told BBC Radio Nottingham. He added, “There is only so much the manager can take the blame. The players knew it wasn’t good enough.” Notts is scheduled to host Bradford City on Saturday and will be seeking their first league victory in 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 positioned third in the table when they secured their last win against Harrogate on 26 October. McGoldrick responded assertively when asked if the current decline in form and subsequent fall in the standings felt similar to what Notts experienced last season, when they were among the front-runners in early December before a sequence of three wins in 17 matches until mid-March ultimately denied them a spot in the top seven. “It’s a different kind of feel at the minute,” he said. McGoldrick elaborated, “Last year we had a change of manager, and I think it kind of started to slip away with new ideas.” He further added, “It doesn’t feel like it’s slipping away at all, and I’m not saying that for the sake of it.” The previous season’s managerial change at Meadow Lane saw Maynard assume the role from promotion-winning manager Luke Williams, who had departed to take charge at Swansea City. Maynard expressed that he does “not have any worries” about Notts experiencing a similar decline, noting that the Magpies possess greater defensive solidity and “have a different mentality within the group.” He did, however, indicate that Notts would need to strengthen their squad during the winter transfer market, as the team continues to be without key players Jodi Jones, Curtis Edwards, Conor Grant, and Scott Robertson. Maynard stated, “I look at it that we are six points way from the automatic promotion places.” He further commented, “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.”