Match Thread vs Eastleigh FC 03.08.19

[MAD_MAGPIE]

Hang on. Only Bakayoko and Slocombe didn't participate in preseason. The rest have been playing together for a month or longer. Turner didn't start.

Exactly which means those other signings like Turner need to get match fit and maybe things will start to come together and the tactics and formation you allude to will start to look stronger. Plus we will probably sign a couple more players.

It is a fair comment what you say about pre season but we are still talking about a main position of goalkeeper who doesn’t know his defence yet and likewise a defender who doesn’t know his other two/three counterparts.

I do empathise with your frustrations just trying to keep a balanced view with regards to the manager and the massive task he has faced to build a squad in a couple of days. We nearly did not have a club a week ago and could easily have started the day on -10 points. I know it’s only small things but to be in amongst all the others instead of being adrift I’m thankful.

With regards to pre season last week at York our weaknesses were laid bare. We might have done alright against teams that let us play such as Walsall and Ipswich but against York who are physical it showed us what we need at this level.

I’m just glad it wasn’t a worse defeat today. A one nil defeat away from home against a good team at this level with 9 men is not that bad. What I would say is not acceptable is the captain being sent off when we and he knows how short we are of bodies. Likewise the second sending off although that seems one that can and may successfully be appealed.

[nottsun]

The thing is, Ardley wasn't trialling centre backs and target men. If that's what he thinks he needs, then why not? Let's hope Richard Montague can come up with some suggestions, because I don't entirely trust Ardley's judgement.

Very true:

I don't trust his judgement at all. He and the players were getting paid throughout their tepid relegation performance. Of course some say 'ooh, but things were so upsetting behind the scenes' bollox.

[BigFatPie]

How like Notts fans - straight in on the manager despite the fact that he's had next to no time with a static situation. So many on this board talk about patience and accepting small progress but they don't mean it.
What they mean is 'why aren't we winning this crap league from the word go?'
Have some respect - for the league and your manager. He is well aware of the need for more physicality but that will take time to address.
With a mardy lot like some of the posters on here, yep, I'll be better off at the KC stadium.

You’re right Sid, after everything he’s done, I can’t understand why the new owners haven’t given Ards a 10 year contract. People getting on the back of a manager who over saw 30 ish games of our first ever relegation from the league is bang out of order.

Everyone knows how our problems stem from sacking too many managers and are absolutely f00k all to do with appointing crap ones in the first place.

[Elite_Pie]

It needs time and patience.

It doesn't, it needs an end to these pitiful performances. I know it's only one game, and I know just over a week ago many of us feared we could be 13 points from the top today, but these excuses about 'new squad' and 'time to gel' need to end very quickly. Once the takeover became official there was a huge surge of positivity around the club. Was it too much to ask that Ardley and his players feed off that positivity and take the field determined to bust a gut to repay the fantastic support they have had in the last week and especially the numbers today? Seemingly it was. What we got was a seamless continuation of last season's ineptness. We can continue to limp along blaming Alan Hardy for the mess he left us in, or we can f@cking man up and start to show a bit of pride and fight. I'm concerned that under Ardley we won't do the latter. I would love him to succeed, but he's not shown me anything yet to suggest he can organise and motivate a team.

I'm off to a party now with the aim of drinking enough to make me pretend that Notts County aren't really that important.

[slack_pie]

I have think we all need to calm down a bit. We'll know more about our manager and his team at the end of the month, but one game simply isn't enough.

The problem is that today was just like last season. We still don't know if Ardley is capable of putting out a team to consistently win matches. He has to prove himself, but we have to let him try.

We're obviously not going up this season. Hopefully we won't go down either. But let's wait a month or two before we start calling for anyone's head.

[ancientpie]

A lot of fans thought he was a mistaken appointment after the performances last season. It's little wonder it's carried over to this. Yes I agree, you'd be far better off at the KC....................

And a lot of fans were & are again shouting for a managers head without any thought as to who is likely to come next!! see you Tuesday mate.

[nw6pie]

Because the squad only met each for the first time yesterday? I don’t know what you were expecting when we sign 7 players on a Thursday, they have one day together and then have to go out and play against a team that got to the playoff semi finals in the previous season.

It takes time to work on shape, formation tactics and making a team gel. Most of these players will be lucky if they know each other’s name.

Of the XI out there today, I think Bakayogo and the keeper were the only ones who didn’t play for us at least once in pre-season, so that argument is, for want of a better phrase, fake news.

What I don’t understand about Ardley is he knows it’s a physical league but signs a 5’5” full back and I’m not quite sure what McCrory is. Also struggling to see how having a starting XI containing two 37-year-olds is going to give us legs around the pitch.

I really like NA every time I hear him speak before a game, and he has earned some time because of this summer’s farce, but he has got to get this week’s signings right and start getting some points on the board. That might be unfair, but that’s football. We also need to try to trim the wage bill - but who’s going to take the likes of Dennis, Enzio and the rest of last season’s failures?

[mickeymag]

Football season back again for Notts fans.All the blame and excuses comming out.Don't they realize it's a scratched team together only two days ago.Credit to all those fans that travelled but what was disappointing was the booing of some of those fans at the end when the players came over.We don't need them stay at home.Things Will get better early days.

[KCNotts]

I have think we all need to calm down a bit. We'll know more about our manager and his team at the end of the month, but one game simply isn't enough.

The problem is that today was just like last season. We still don't know if Ardley is capable of putting out a team to consistently win matches. He has to prove himself, but we have to let him try.

We're obviously not going up this season. Hopefully we won't go down either. But let's wait a month or two before we start calling for anyone's head.

What also bothers me is that he is quite happy to dig his players out for creating factions in the dressing room...but at the end of the day, whose fault was that? Say what you like about Hardy, but wrongly or rightly he allowed Ardley to sign nearly a whole new team in Jan. Make no mistake, the team that got relegated, was his. It's his fault that we have no physicality and his fault for not managing his team properly and allowing morale to slip.

He is softly spoken, calm and 'nice', but i fear that this just masks his misgivings. Performances under him have been abysmal. That's a fact.

[nottsun]

How like Notts fans - straight in on the manager despite the fact that he's had next to no time with a static situation. So many on this board talk about patience and accepting small progress but they don't mean it.
What they mean is 'why aren't we winning this crap league from the word go?'
Have some respect - for the league and your manager. He is well aware of the need for more physicality but that will take time to address.
With a mardy lot like some of the posters on here, yep, I'll be better off at the KC stadium.

But Sid, this manager, given more than ample backing and time; took us out of the football league! He brought eight players in of his choosing, but still failed at several key moments.

Here we are again, reviewing a shambles. Not a win, not a draw, not a 'the lads tried, they just need time to gel', but a nine man loss. On the first day, with near on eight hundred Notts fans making the journey. It's taking the piss, that's what it is.