Despite not having kicked a ball in League One yet, Notts County are already aiming to reach at least the playoffs ahead of their upcoming League One campaign.
Following a season that saw the Magpies hit the headlines as they went dramatically from riches to rags, County are now looking to steal the limelight for all the right reasons by continuing their success on the pitch.
Although County achieved promotion last season to justify their pre-season League two betting odds, they have undergone a number of significant changes following the departure of former manager Steve Cotterill. A total of eight out-of-contract players left the club at the end of last season and these departures have left County with a squad of only 18 individuals following a recent deal to sign two trialists.
The situation has forced chief executive Jim Rodwell to admit that they are yet to replenish their squad to an acceptable level, although he has promised fans that the club will be looking to make further acquisitions before the start of the new season.
Fans of the Magpies could be forgiven for adopting a cautious attitude to these claims, having previously seen promises of Premier League football and an influx of top players fall flat, almost causing the world’s oldest football league club to go bust.
However, after settling a debt with the HMRC that chairman Ray Trew claimed was acting like “a dark cloud hanging over Notts County”, the financial future of the club should seem far more secure for Magpies fans.
Whilst this season will not start with the same fanfare that accompanied the beginning of the last campaign for County, the League one betting odds still fancy them for promotion.
The club is in a far better financial position than many expected following threats of administration, and new manager Craig Short may well feel quietly optimistic ahead of the new season as he continues to make improvements to his squad.
