Football Season Guide

Notts County spent the majority of the previous season inside the relegation zone, but managed to save themselves from the drop following a superb run of form late in the campaign. The club took a major gamble when appointing Shaun Derry, who had no previous managerial experience, as their boss, but their choice was eventually vindicated, as the young manager managed to turn around the fortunes of a side that looked certain to go down before he took over. However, it is clear from the Magpies' summer transfer activity that Derry was not happy with the squad he had at his disposal, as Notts County had a remarkable summer transfer window that saw ten players joining and many more leaving the club. Out of the players who left, the likes of Bartosz Bialkowski, Jamal Campbell-Ryce, Gary Liddle and Alan Sheehan all played key roles last season, and their departures are likely to represent significant blows for the side. Moreover, loanees Jack Grealish and Callum McGregor, who both played major roles last season, are no longer with the club, and their departures are additional blows to Notts County. The list of arrivals might be lengthy, but does not contain any really eye-catching signings. Arguably the most promising summer capture is the one of Jake Cassidy, who joins from Wolverhampton on loan. The striker had a troubled 2013/14 season, but could turn out to be a key player for Derry's side if he manages to rediscover the form he showed in the 2012/13 campaign while on loan at Tranmere. The likes of Blair Adams, Garry Thompson, Zeli Ismail, Liam Noble and Nicky Wroe are all proven League One players, and will need to try and fill the shoes of the players who left. Hayden Mullins played an important role during the Magpies' great escape last season and has now been signed on a permanent deal, and the veteran holding midfielder is certain to be a regular starter in the new campaign, having been named the new club captain. All in all, Notts County are one of the sides that changed the most over the summer and seem to be a touch weaker than they were last season, but we should wait and see what Derry can get out of the side after having a full pre-season with them before branding them relegation candidates.