Notts County must've thought they had Neil Warnock 2.0 but he left without delivering promotion | OneFootball

Magpies fans must have thought lightning had struck twice when Warnock's ex-assistant arrived at Meadow Lane, but unfortunately, it wasn't to be.

When Keith Curle arrived at Notts County to take the managerial job in 2012, Magpies fans were excited over the prospect of history repeating itself.

The Bristolian had previously spent four-and-a-half years on English footballing icon Neil Warnock's coaching staff at Crystal Palace and Queens Park Rangers. The pair had previously worked together, with Curle playing under Warnock at Sheffield United in the early-2000s.

Warnock is revered at Meadow Lane, after his almost-five-year spell there saw the club win successive promotions and reach the First Division for the 1991/92 season.

Although he was dismissed in early 1993 following immediate relegation, a former Warnock apprentice in the Meadow Lane dugout gave Magpies fans new optimism after a rollercoaster few years before 2012. Here, however, Football League World explores Curle's time in Nottingham and its ultimate failure to live up to that of Warnock's.

Keith Curle's background and relationship with Warnock

As a player, Curle was a centre-back. Although he began at his hometown club Bristol Rovers, he would make a bigger name for himself in the West Country after joining city rivals Bristol City in 1984 - broken up by a spell at Torquay United.

He became part of the Crazy Gang in 1988 after joining FA Cup holders Wimbledon from Reading, before becoming Manchester City's record signing in 1991. After 186 appearances in sky blue - and a similarly lengthy period at Wolverhampton Wanderers, he joined Warnock's Blades in 2000 and retired after spells at Barnsley and Mansfield Town.

Curle went on to become the Stags' manager and later spent time at Chester City and back at Torquay. In 2007, however, his old boss Warnock came calling, and he joined the Crystal Palace coaching staff.

He followed him across London after Warnock was appointed QPR boss in 2010. Under Warnock, the R's returned to the Premier League for the first time in 15 years, but he and the staff, including Curle, were dismissed in January 2012. Curle and Warnock parted ways thereafter, with the latter going back to his native Yorkshire to manage Leeds United, whilst the former headed to Nottingham.

The split was nonetheless amicable and Warnock spoke highly of him. He described Curle as a "very well-organised, meticulous and ambitious young manager who knows the game inside out."

Curle's spell at Meadow Lane

Curle arrived at Notts County with the club emerging from a turbulent few years on and off the pitch. The Magpies won League Two in the 2009/10 season, despite the farce of a proposed takeover that left the club at serious financial risk.

Ray Trew, however, steered the club away from administration and, in February 2012, brought Curle in to push the club towards promotion to the Championship. After winning his first four games in charge without conceding a goal, he led the club towards a late charge for the play-offs, where they equalled a 41-year-old record of going unbeaten in 10 away games.

Sadly for the Meadow Lane faithful, they narrowly missed out on the play-offs on goal difference, but fans were optimistic the club could go one better the next season. Because of Curle's time previously working under a Magpies legend, it felt like the Second Coming of Warnock had arrived at Notts County.

The impressive away form continued in the 2012/13 season, going 22 games without losing. However, the end of the run - a 2-1 defeat at Leyton Orient in January 2013, coincided with a period of general poor form. Despite being tough to beat away from home, they struggled to win both at home and away, with only one in their previous eight before the Orient defeat.

Although they beat Portsmouth a few days later, Curle was given his P45 following defeat to Hartlepool United in the next game. He departed the club having won just two of his last 11 games, with the Magpies sitting five points off the play-offs in 10th. The dream of a former Warnock apprentice replicating his master and winning promotion at Meadow Lane thus failed to deliver.

His replacement, Chris Kiwomya, couldn't kickstart a late-season surge and the Magpies finished nine points off the play-offs in 12th.

Curle's time in Robin Hood Country felt very much like a highly-anticipated film sequel which failed to live up to expectations.

It is always difficult for those who take up the Magpies job to live up to the standards set by Neil Warnock. However, Curle's time spent working for him immediately before joining the club and learning the Warnock way straight from the horse's mouth had many at Meadow Lane feeling like lightning would strike twice.

His impressive start as Magpies boss vindicated those feelings almost immediately, but it soon became clear the Bristolian had come down with a case of second-season syndrome by the end of 2012. Sadly, no amount of unbeaten away games could keep his position tenable in the eyes of Ray Trew, as the club seemed desperate for a winning spark.

It therefore wasn't to be for Curle at Notts County, but his immediate successor proved the grass isn't always greener, as the club eventually finished lower than where they had been when he left. Despite sporadic echoes of the Warnock days at Meadow Lane under Curle, perhaps the weight of his former boss meant fans expected too much from him, and his time at the club was jinxed from the start.