Kevin Nolan waited over six years to step back into management.
Having been harshly sacked by Leyton Orient and Notts County in his first two experiences in the dugout, Northampton Town enticed Nolan to make his long-awaited return in December.
The Cobblers were at a low ebb. Injury-ravaged to astonishing levels and on a torrid run of form with long-serving boss Jon Brady having resigned, they were in danger of a third relegation to League Two in eight years.
But, over the following five months, Nolan – who had spent four-and-a-half years coaching under David Moyes at West Ham during his time out of the managerial spotlight – stabilised a team that had one win in their previous 10 games and secured Northampton’s League One status with two matches to spare.
‘It’s been great being a number one again,’ Nolan tells Mail Sport. ‘I enjoy making the decisions and having that pressure on you.
‘Management is something I wanted to do again. I had a fantastic opportunity under David at West Ham and learnt so much from him. But I’ve loved every minute of being back, we’ve had some amazing days and getting the job done to keep us up was key.’
Kevin Nolan made his long-awaited return to management with Northampton last December
Nolan inherited a difficult situation, but he helped the Cobblers to secure safety in League One
Nolan spoke exclusively to Mail Sport about coming back to management after six years away
Nolan’s dismissal at Orient in 2016 came after he picked up 23 points in 15 games as player-manager, while he led County to the League Two play-offs in his only full season in charge in 2017-18. Both clubs were relegated to the National League the year after his departure and former County owner Alan Hardy later admitted it was a mistake to dispense with the services of the 42-year-old.
Those two sackings would sink some coaches, but Nolan never wavered and he relished the opportunity to work under Moyes at a club he has a fondness for after captaining and representing them 157 times as a player.
It helped that the Hammers thrived, qualifying for Europe in three successive campaigns before they lifted the Europa Conference League in iconic fashion in 2023, securing the club’s first European trophy in 58 years – and any trophy in 42 – but Moyes and his staff were let go last summer.
‘Being around David day in day out, you don’t realise how much you’ve learned until you step back in,’ says Nolan who took 30 points from 25 games to lead Northampton to 19th place.
‘He’s a legend of the game and someone I want to emulate. If there’s any advice I need I can pick up the phone which is incredible to have. He never stood still, he always wanted to get going again and keep getting better. Sometimes you would find yourself maybe questioning what he was doing and then all of a sudden I’m now doing it so you realise it was the right way.
‘When we first walked into West Ham it was a bit of a pickle and it looked like they were going down, but David kept us up. He pushed us, we pushed the players and we found an amazing group and got into Europe. It’s so incredible when you look back on what we did.’
Nolan’s arrival at Northampton came at a difficult time, with the Cobblers fresh off a 5-0 hammering at home by Charlton.
Confidence was low and an injury list was so long that at one point 17 players were unavailable early in Nolan’s tenure.
Nolan then spent four-and-a-half years as part of David Moyes’ coaching staff at West Ham
The Hammers enjoyed a successful period and won the Europa Conference League in 2023
‘The injuries when we took over were incredible,’ adds Nolan, who is full of praise for Northampton’s medical staff. ‘I’ve never known anything like it.
‘What we did is we kept focus on the target to stay in the league with the squad we had available. The lads did a fantastic job in doing that, as well as working tirelessly to make sure that we got there. And I’m very proud I led us to safety.’
Nolan, who was working with England Under 20s before he came in at Northampton, is engaging company and the determination to succeed that he showed during an impressive playing career for Bolton, Newcastle and West Ham shines through.
The 42-year-old initially set about steadying the Cobblers and restoring confidence. Following a heavy 4-1 defeat at Reading in his first game, Northampton conceded just two goals in their next five.
A crucial part of Nolan’s tenure then came in the January transfer window, on and off the pitch.
Experienced coach Colin Calderwood, who had worked with Nolan during his time at Newcastle and previously led Northampton to promotion as manager in 2006, came in as technical director – and the Scot has been a major source of advice.
The Cobblers were also able to strengthen as Terry Taylor (Charlton), Ben Perry (Nottingham Forest) and Dara Costelloe (Burnley) signed on loan and shone, while Liam Shaw came on a permanent deal from Fleetwood.
‘We needed a bit of youth and robustness and I’m really thankful for what they did for us,’ says Nolan, who wants to make Northampton an ideal destination for young loanees from Premier League clubs in the future.
Nolan relished working under Moyes at West Ham and learnt huge amounts from the Scot
The arrival of veteran coach Colin Calderwood had a big impact for Nolan and Northampton
Nolan subsequently oversaw a run of two losses in nine games to give his side breathing space in the relegation battle.
And throughout that period, Nolan was able to lean on an experienced core which includes Sam Hoskins, Aaron McGowan, Mitch Pinnock and Jon Guthrie – stars pivotal in the Cobblers’ promotion from League Two in 2023.
‘They were hugely important,’ Nolan adds. ‘To get that buy-in from lads who have been here and got a hold of the dressing room was really crucial.’
Elsewhere, the backing of Northampton’s owners Kelvin Thomas, David Bower and Nigel Le Quesne has been vital – with the trio regularly filling the shortfall in Northampton’s budget – and on the day we speak, Nolan has just been in a two-hour meeting discussing future plans. Thomas, who was previously Oxford chairman, acts in the same role at Northampton and there are ambitions to improve the club’s training ground and Sixfields stadium.
‘Kelvin’s been in the game now for a long time and been very successful,’ explains Nolan, who was attracted to the club by the stability behind the scenes after rejecting other jobs during his time away. ‘He’s transparent, he says it how it is, and he’s allowed me to come in and focus on football.’
The Cobblers ultimately secured safety with a 4-1 thumping of Shrewsbury last month, but the high watermark of Nolan’s reign came a few weeks prior when they beat rivals Peterborough 4-0 away from home.
‘It was an incredible day because Peterborough have had the best of us over the years,’ Nolan says. ‘It was great to see the fans that day, who have been fantastic since I walked in the door and I hope we can share more memories like that.’
It promises to be a busy summer for Nolan, who is relishing the chance to be involved in recruitment – and plans are underway.
The Cobblers released 11 players last week and have just nine under contract for next season, although they are in discussions with a further five.
‘We’ve got a good base but it’s up to me to add to that,’ Nolan says. ‘To build a team which is not just going to retain League One status, but one that can push as high as possible and break into the top half.
‘We want to get safe as quickly as possible next season and become more of a team to be feared.
‘It’s a challenge, but I want to push boundaries and take players to where they haven’t been before.’
Nolan was also able to lean on several experienced stars like Sam Hoskins (pictured above)
The 42-year-old is relishing the opportunity to be involved in recruitment in the summer and has big plans to help develop Northampton both on and off the field over the coming years
Is it time for VAR in the play-offs?
It’s a controversial debate, but Leyton Orient’s opening goal against Stockport in the first leg of their play-off semi final on Saturday raised the question of whether VAR should be brought in for these types of games.
Despite being yards offside, Orient forward Charlie Kelman wasn’t flagged in a decision labelled ‘the worst I have ever seen in 15 years of management’ by Stockport boss Dave Challinor.
There’s an argument that the integrity of the competition comes into question if the play-offs are officiated differently to the regular season, but with so much riding on these encounters (Challinor labelled Saturday’s clash ‘the biggest in my managerial career’), more must be done to avoid blunders like this.
Kelman’s goal – which was ultimately pivotal as Orient progressed past Stockport on penalties after the second leg – brought back memories of the two blatant spot kicks Huddersfield were denied in their defeat by Nottingham Forest in the 2022 Championship play-off final.
Three years later and the Terriers are preparing for their second year in League One, while Forest are on their way to Europe.
It’s a nuanced argument, but given the play-offs are often sliding doors moments for several clubs across the pyramid, it raises the question over whether we need further measures in place to support officials.
Charlie Kelman (No 23) scored against Stockport in the first leg despite being clearly offside
Walsall shake off end of season blues
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There’s no question that Walsall’s collapse in League Two is one of the most brutal in recent times, with the Saddlers picking up just two wins in 20 games to slide from runaway leaders to fourth.
They did win on the final day of the campaign though and looked set to get away with their dire form, until Bradford pipped them to automatic promotion via a 96th minute winner.
That would be tough to take for anyone and with a play-off tie next up against Chesterfield, the in-form team in League Two, the baggage from an end of season heartbreak could have easily played a part.
But while Mat Sadler’s side had to soak up significant pressure away at the Spireites, Walsall were resolute and clinical in both boxes – and goals from Taylor Allen and Alfie Chang gave them a vital 2-0 lead heading into Friday’s second leg.
