Notts County simply must avoid Dan Gosling transfer blueprint: View | OneFootball

And with time to reflect on their first campaign back in the Football League in four years, lessons will be learned to ensure that the Magpies are fighting towards the top end of the table, rather than settling for mid-table mediocrity.

That can start with a multitude of things, but arguably most importantly, is transfers. The club announced their retained list at the end of last month, with nine players in total seeking opportunities away from Meadow Lane, with a clear focus on a defensive restructure.

But having identified that now, Stuart Maynard, alongside Christoffer and Alexander Reedtz and head of recruitment, Richard Montague, will need to look at last term's transfer failings and how to ensure they don't happen again ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.

Notts County's 2023/24 season transfers

When looking at Notts County's business during the entire season, on paper it looks excellent, especially given the quality of players they were able to bring to Meadow Lane, with most arriving on free transfers.

The likes of Jodi Jones, Dan Crowley, David McGoldrick and Scott Robertson have all been brilliant finds in that area of the transfer market, with all four of those players, along with some that have not been mentioned, pivotal in their 14th-placed finish this term.

But the one area that was overlooked, particularly during the summer, was the defence. Notts lacked an experienced, no-nonsense League Two defenders, with much of the back-line who had earned the Magpies promotion the term prior kept in the starting line-up for the early parts of the season, which looked to be a good move at first.

But the cracks soon began to show, and County looked vulnerable every time a side went forward against them. Those mistakes that they had got away with in the National League were being punished, and they suffered as a consequence.

The issue was addressed midway through the season as they completed the permanent signing of Lewis Macari from Stoke City, having impressed during the first half of the season on loan, while also welcoming promising defender, Jaden Warner, from Norwich City.

But again, it just was not what Notts needed. Yes, they have the opportunity to help develop these young players, but to ensure they do not repeat a slide down the table this season, the right balance of experience and youth is needed.

But while experience can help Notts overcome their underwhelming second half of the season, they will want to ensure that future players for the club will have a better impact than one player that was signed as a free agent following Matty Palmer's season-ending injury.

Notts County must ensure Dan Gosling transfer is not repeated

Having arrived at Meadow Lane with a wealth of experience, having made nearly 200 Premier League appearances across spells with the likes of Everton, Bournemouth and Newcastle, many were excited about what Gosling could bring to this Notts side.

The rest of his career to date has been spent in the Championship, most recently with Watford, for whom he played 17 times last season. The deal was rather risk-free, signing until the start of January to help cover the injuries sustained in midfield.

But just because a player has plenty of experience, does not always necessarily mean he is the right man for the job, as Magpies supporters found out during the 33-year-old's time in the East Midlands.

In eight appearances in all competitions for the Magpies, Gosling played just 181 minutes and wasn't able to provide the desired impact that so many predicted he would bring.

This upcoming transfer window seems an important one, not only for the club, but for the owners and recruitment team also. It has been the first time since the Danish brothers took over the club in 2019 that their transfer strategy has been questioned, and it seems likely that a defensive overhaul will soon be in full flow.

But for the Magpies, it is about finding a player with that right blend of experience and ability to aid them in their quest for League One football next term. Gosling's time at the club was a prime example of just picking someone up for their experience can sometimes not aid your cause at all. It's a fine balance to strike, but one that must be hit first time.