A new era has begun at Notts County with the hiring of Martin Paterson as the club’s new head coach.
The bookmakers linked a number of names to the Meadow Lane position, including Jack Wilshere, Joao Alves, Adam Hinshelwood, and Tobias Solberg, but after a lengthy search, the Magpies appointed ex-Burton Albion manager Martin Paterson as Maynard’s replacement on Sunday night.
Paterson has previously coached the Tampa Bay Rowdies, Fort Lauderdale, Inter Miami, Barnsley, Swansea City, and Huddersfield Town, but the news of his appointment has not gone over well with the Notts fans.
Martin Paterson faces an instant fight to win over Notts County fans.
Paterson took over for Dino Maamria at Burton in January 2024, with the team just outside the League One relegation zone, and he made a good start, scooping up 10 points in his first six games to temporarily lift his side out of danger.
However, the Brewers were dragged back into trouble after a horrendous run of form in which they collected only two points out of a possible 30, and while crucial late-season victories over Stevenage and Reading eventually secured their place in the third tier, they only remained up by two points.
It was therefore not surprising when Burton chose not to renew Paterson’s short-term contract at the end of the season, and he departed after little over four months in command.
| Martin Paterson’s record as Burton Albion manager (as per Transfermarkt) | |
| Games | 20 |
| Won | 5 |
| Drawn | 3 |
| Lost | 12 |
| Win percentage | 25% |
In Paterson’s defense, he inherited a struggling team before his arrival, and while he did achieve his goal of keeping the club in the division, his record of only five wins in 20 games is not encouraging, and he also had a strained relationship with the Brewers fan base.
Many Burton fans felt Paterson’s tactics were often too negative, despite his team’s desperate need for wins to avoid relegation, and some questionable comments in interviews did little to persuade doubters that he was the right man for the job.
Paterson enraged Brewers fans after his final game in charge, a 3-0 defeat at Fleetwood Town on the final day of the 2023-24 season, for appearing to take much of the credit for keeping the club in League One, despite the fact that his team would have been relegated if Cheltenham Town won at Stevenage.
Of all, Burton was Paterson’s first management post, and he may have benefited from the experience, but based on his stint at the Pirelli Stadium, the 38-year-old is a dangerous decision for Notts County.
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Many Notts County fans are understandably anxious about Paterson’s appointment, and the ex-Burnley and Huddersfield Town forward just needs to look at his predecessor, Maynard, to see how difficult it will be to win over a dissatisfied fanbase.
Maynard joined non-league side Wealdstone in January 2024 to replace popular head coach Luke Williams, who had moved to Swansea City, and he endured a nightmare start to his tenure, with his side finishing 14th in the 2023-24 season, having been sixth when he arrived.
The Magpies stuck with Maynard last summer despite calls from supporters for him to be fired, and even though his side only missed out on automatic promotion on the final day of last season prior to the play-off defeat to AFC Wimbledon, many still had reservations about the 44-year-old, believing that he was holding a talented team back from reaching its full potential.
Maynard came to Meadow Lane with decent managerial credentials after establishing part-time Wealdstone in the National League, but Paterson’s only previous dugout experience was his ill-fated 20-game spell at Burton, so Notts fans may be even less patient with him than they were with their former head coach.
In addition to Paterson’s appointment, the Magpies announced the formation of a new Technical Board, which will include Paterson, coaches Andy Edwards and Sam Slocombe, Director of Football Roberto Gagliardi, Director of Performance Dr David Rhodes, and owners Christoffer and Alexander Reedtz.
The board will “share views relating to tactical approach and team selection” ahead of each match, with Paterson ultimately having the final say, as well as holding post-match meetings to allow “the coaching team to explain in-game decisions and for a data-led review of the match to be presented,” while a process is being developed to assist the coaching staff in making more “effective in-game decisions.”
Some have questioned whether the introduction of the Technical Board has discouraged better-qualified candidates from taking the role, while others have suggested that Paterson will simply be a yes man if he is willing to accept such a high level of interference from those above him. Nevertheless, considering the size of the club and the strength of their squad, Notts should be one of the most attractive jobs in League Two.
It’s safe to say that the Magpies have changed since the Reedtz brothers took over six years ago. They have made many audacious choices since then, but Paterson’s hiring is undoubtedly their most contentious choice to date, and fans will quickly turn if his team has a bad start to the upcoming campaign.
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