Ian has been working in this league with two arms tied behind his back but now the shackles are free and he is flourishing Executive chairman Peter Trembling on boss Ian McParland

Notts County manager Ian McParland says winning promotion with the club he served with such distinction as a player would mean "everything to him".

McParland, 48, spent eight years at Meadow Lane as a player from 1980-1988 and took over as boss in 2007.

But his time in the Magpies hotseat has been a struggle - until the summer takeover by Munto Finance.

"Getting promoted would be fantastic. It would mean everything to me," McParland told BBC Radio Nottingham.

"Getting promotion anywhere I would be so proud - but especially at Notts County because I played about 300 games here.

"And considering the state of the club when I came here... it would be fantastic."

But McParland insisted Munto Finance's takeover, the new signings, the arrival of Sven-Goran Eriksson as director of football and the fact the club are now favourites to win promotion from League Two, has not got him in a flap.

He explained: "People say I'm massively under pressure but I'm not as massively under pressure as I was last season or when I had to keep this club in the division two years ago when Mansfield and Wrexham - who went down - had better players than us.

"Pressure is the nature of the game it doesn't matter what you've got money-wise because nobody really cares.

"When the better times come along you realise what you are missing and you savour them.

"We have a good bunch of players here and more will come in hopefully because you need a squad.

"I need to add another few to put other people under pressure in the team so it's not an easy pick. I want the players here looking over their shoulder."

That will certainly be the case up front next season, an area McParland (widely known as Charlie and not Ian) has often said has been a problem.

The acquisition of Luke Rodgers, Lee Hughes and Karl Hawley means competition is healthy.

606: DEBATE Can't wait for the season to start now...I am expecting Notts to return to the good old days of slow start and then pick up points in the second half of the season justpassin1

Executive chairman Peter Trembling has confirmed that more signings are likely to be made between now and the close of the transfer window at the end of August.

And he told BBC East Midlands Today the club are desperate to get the season under way.

"There is a buzz of excitement about the place at the moment," Trembling said. "The fans are really excited but the players are as well; they can't wait to get going.

"The anticipation is like nothing I have seen at the start of the season before.

"This is indicative of a club that has been starved of success for so long."

Trembling knows that the takeover, Eriksson's appointment and the big-name signings that have followed mean living with high expectation levels and all the pressure that brings is something the club must get used to.

But he is certainly not in the business of trying to play down those considerable expectations.

"Everything in this football club is geared to promotion this season - on the field and off the field," he said. "We have to get out of this division this season.

"It's 23 hours a day at the moment. But I don't mind that - that's what I signed up for.

"We have a lot of work to do here. We are in a privileged position, we are running this tremendous football club and are hopefully running it through the divisions."

Eriksson's arrival has led to inevitable talk of being a publicity stunt, with many predicting that the Swede will be off as soon as the first managerial casualty in the Premier League creates a suitable opening.

And should that situation not arise, the possibility of him taking over from McParland should the Scot not enjoy a glorious start to the League Two season.

But Trembling insists Eriksson is settling into his new surroundings, relishing the challenge and says that getting the former England boss is a wonderful coup.

"I think everyone is still pinching themselves both within and outside the club," Trembling said.

"He's a great coach and a great manager and we all knew that but he's a fantastic person as well.

"He's very much at the coalface; he's talking to me all the time. He's absolutely embraced the job, is passionate about football and is loving the role."

And while the more cynical football followers are predicting that Eriksson is simply manager-in-waiting at Meadow Lane and will take over from McParland at some point in the very near future, Trembling has backed his man.

"Ian is a good coach - a very, very good coach," Trembling said. "Potentially he will be a great coach. He's done his apprenticeship and he knows his way around this league.

"He has had a lot of criticism in the past but Ian has been working in this league with two arms tied behind his back but now the shackles are free and he is flourishing.

"He's enjoying it; he's a strong person and he's thriving on this opportunity and the opportunity to work with Sven."

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