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When he was last here, as Colin Murphy's number two, the theory was that the management duo were tactically inept, and it is beginning to be proved again as the first year of his three year deal draws to a close.
Against the Stags, in a largely un-entertaining, faith-destroying end of season encounter, Thompson made some strange decisions.
Decision One. Mike Edwards, Notts' best defender, though young Stephen Hunt is emerging as a real threat to that title, was again employed as a central midfielder. Edwards' strengths are tackling, heading, organisation of the backline, solid defensive positional sense and direct balls. He is not the type to put his foot on the ball, pick out a pass, charge around the field or create chances. It makes the decision to place him as a holding midfielder a strange one, particularly given Alan White's poor form.
Decision Two. Ian Ross, an attacking minded central midfield playmaker was asked to play as a right-winger. Thompson has long been an admirer of wing-play, where he expects the wide men to hog the touchline and run at the defender and get to the by-line. Therefore, why is Ross who isn't known for his pace or trickery, then asked to do that job. It's almost a wasted position.
Decision Three. Lawrie Dudfield, a centre-forward wasn't employed entirely as such, with him more of a right-winger on several occasions, meaning he couldn't be in the box to sniff out the chances he was trying to create for others. Dudfield is at his best inside the box, feeding off the scraps, but Thompson's insistence that he draw wide left a lack of bodies in the penalty area, and stopped Dudfield's best attribute.
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Decision Four. Andy Parkinson was employed as the most inside forward, meaning all the direct football Notts consistently employ, head towards the smallest player on the pitch. It is a role he can play, if the right ball is played to him. He had no chance in all the aerial tussles with the towering defenders.
Decision Five. He started with Junior Mendes, a striker by trade, as a left winger, and it was actually working a treat. Mendes, who always looks dangerous but so often fails to finish his chances, was attacking Mansfield full-back Johnny Mullins with ease, skipping past him several times and creating good openings. So Thompson decides to move him up front at half-time and he doesn't get another sniff.
NCM are of the belief that it is the tactics to blame for another uninspiring performance, and another week without a win to smile about.