Wednesday 14th October

Hello everyone and welcome to my blog on all things League 2. I hope you enjoy it!

Ian McParland's dismissal from Notts County this week has saddened me I have to say. County might not have enjoyed the runaway start that many predicted but they have been doing steadily well and I thought Ian, who is nicknamed 'Charlie' was doing a great job.

Money doesn't guarantee you success in football but in County's case I do still expect them to be promoted as long as the money continues to roll in. They have bought quality players and with time (and a bit more cash from their owners) the team will likely click and go on a nice winning run. The pressure is on them big time but they have the squad to handle it.

I'll be amazed if they don't appoint a high profile manager now. If the incoming manager doesn't know Coca-Cola League 2 very well, he will quickly realise it's a hard, hard league. Getting out of it requires a lot of hard work and determination, as I found out when I took Huddersfield Town up a few years back.

But League 2 is not the kick and rush, long ball league some football snobs occasionally make it out to be! Most teams try and play good passing football (aside from one or two exceptions) and the general standard is higher than you think. Some Premier League fans may assume the lads all wear long shorts and no shin pads in League 2 but if they watched a game they may be surprised at the level of sophistication on show!

Notts County are not the only good side in League 2 this year. I've been hugely impressed by Bournemouth who are operating in difficult circumstances, Dagenham & Redbridge are doing marvellously on a small budget, Rochdale are flying high under Keith Hill, Chesterfield are coming into some fine form and of course Rotherham United, buoyed by the return of Ronnie Moore, are also among the favourites to go up. It's a strong division.

My one hope is that the club chairmen in League 2 stick with their managers a little longer than they have been doing of late. When I started out in management in 1996 the average life span was two years and three months but that's down to little over a year now.

The emergence of the internet is a great thing but with all the discussion boards on the web nowadays it does put managers under even more added pressure. The problem as I see it, is that board members read these pages and form opinions on the basis of them and that can make life extra difficult for the managers! Three defeats on the trot and you're looking over your shoulder nervously at what's being said about you.

The TV coverage is far more intense nowadays too. I was featured as the 'manager under pressure' on the TV after Lincoln's defeat to Accrington Stanley in our third match of this season and sat there watching in a state of bemusement. A few days later I was sacked. I know I'm biased but I think it's completely wrong.

Good teams are often stable teams, so my advice to League 2 boards would be to give their current managers a bit longer to achieve the success they crave.

They may be pleasantly surprised at the outcome.

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COMMENTS

1. From Steve Hircoe, Lincoln (Co-op Stand Season Ticket Holder):