What would it take for Ardley to change his midfield?

[Elite_Pie]

Plus surely that only supports my claims of this OTT overreaction to any defeat as being ludicrous?

Except that in my case it isn't an OTT overreaction to a single defeat, it's an opinion I've held for a long time. I don't think Ardley is the man for the job. Ever since he's been in charge we have struggled to create chances. This season we have scored quite a few 'worldies', which I think masks the problem to a degree. We rarely put teams under sustained pressure and due to Ardley's tippy-tappy sideways and backwards approach we don't give our potent (at this level) strikers much to feed on. The way we piss about with the ball in our own half creates more chances for the opposition than it does for us. I'd love to have this thrown back in my face at the end of the season because I really want Ardley to take us up, but at the moment I just don't think he's making the best use of a good squad.

[uysapie]

Except that in my case it isn't an OTT overreaction to a single defeat, it's an opinion I've held for a long time. I don't think Ardley is the man for the job. Ever since he's been in charge we have struggled to create chances. This season we have scored quite a few 'worldies', which I think masks the problem to a degree. We rarely put teams under sustained pressure and due to Ardley's tippy-tappy sideways and backwards approach we don't give our potent (at this level) strikers much to feed on. The way we piss about with the ball in our own half creates more chances for the opposition than it does for us. I'd love to have this thrown back in my face at the end of the season because I really want Ardley to take us up, but at the moment I just don't think he's making the best use of a good squad.

Most of the time we play sideways and are set up to defend. Where is the bleddy ambition to win games?

[LaxtonLad]

For us to get promotion this season we will have to beat teams that have already beaten us and teams above us. After Saturday's horrorshow any manager of any team above or below us watching that will have seen our stand-out weak players and know who to block and who is so ineffective as to assume he will give the ball away without much pressure anyway. He will be aware of Ardley's regular use of the same unambitious sideways passers and his unimaginative style - they won't be too worried about Notts County.

[laddo]

But only 3 sides have scored more than us this season?! So we can't be that defensive, unless the stat lies.

Obviously as Notts fans we are pretty much programmed to direct often long ball football. Probably more likely to get out the league playing it but it makes a nice change. If we swap to that style we will need another new manager and more players be it permanent or loan to fit that style.

Personally, it's nice that we are keeping possssion, passing the ball, passing the ball on the deck. We are all used to going direct which when it works is great but often is little more than the classic aimless punt forward , for usually an average forward to try and beat the centre half, he often can't. If he does, then we can at least feed off scrapes in the opposition's territory.

I'm bored of playing off scraps with little thought to any attack except 'get it forward' and the ball continually in the air.

If that's the approach fans want then boy have we got the wrong manager. So that's on the chairman at the time, and now the current owners.

[TSANHO]

Except that in my case it isn't an OTT overreaction to a single defeat, it's an opinion I've held for a long time. I don't think Ardley is the man for the job. Ever since he's been in charge we have struggled to create chances. This season we have scored quite a few 'worldies', which I think masks the problem to a degree. We rarely put teams under sustained pressure and due to Ardley's tippy-tappy sideways and backwards approach we don't give our potent (at this level) strikers much to feed on. The way we piss about with the ball in our own half creates more chances for the opposition than it does for us. I'd love to have this thrown back in my face at the end of the season because I really want Ardley to take us up, but at the moment I just don't think he's making the best use of a good squad.

Jeez, I actually agree with that.

Fair play to Ardley in wanting to instill a possession based style, and whilst I'm sure he is working on it, Elite is right in saying that our worldie goals are masking over the fact that we create very few chances that don't involve all the wider players cutting inside and trying their luck - and occasionally getting rebounds.

I keep saying it but we've the players to really turn defenders around and get good balls into Wootton in the box but we seem determined not to attack the byline... It is rather frustrating when you can see all that space to play into but we'd rather just keep the ball safe by playing sideways or backwards (and even that doesn't work with Rose in his current form!).

Neal has worked relative wonders in building a squad from where we were in August but unless he finds a way to dominate teams then I think more and more fans will start to wonder why things aren't being hanged from one game to another when it is apparent we are in danger of sleep walking into mid table.

[i961pie]

A bit drastic hanging the midfielders mate?

[TSANHO]

A bit drastic hanging the midfielders mate?

��....maybe, maybe not!

[durhampie]

Except that in my case it isn't an OTT overreaction to a single defeat, it's an opinion I've held for a long time. I don't think Ardley is the man for the job. Ever since he's been in charge we have struggled to create chances. This season we have scored quite a few 'worldies', which I think masks the problem to a degree. We rarely put teams under sustained pressure and due to Ardley's tippy-tappy sideways and backwards approach we don't give our potent (at this level) strikers much to feed on. The way we piss about with the ball in our own half creates more chances for the opposition than it does for us. I'd love to have this thrown back in my face at the end of the season because I really want Ardley to take us up, but at the moment I just don't think he's making the best use of a good squad.

Spot on assessment, but im afraid he will stick to his current style of play and team selection...

[BigFatPie]

Except that in my case it isn't an OTT overreaction to a single defeat, it's an opinion I've held for a long time. I don't think Ardley is the man for the job. Ever since he's been in charge we have struggled to create chances. This season we have scored quite a few 'worldies', which I think masks the problem to a degree. We rarely put teams under sustained pressure and due to Ardley's tippy-tappy sideways and backwards approach we don't give our potent (at this level) strikers much to feed on. The way we piss about with the ball in our own half creates more chances for the opposition than it does for us. I'd love to have this thrown back in my face at the end of the season because I really want Ardley to take us up, but at the moment I just don't think he's making the best use of a good squad.

The worldy goal thing is bang on. Despite all the passing, we rarely get in behind teams and when we do our crossing is woeful.

Thomas and Wooton were our best players on Saturday but they had to come so deep to get the ball they hardly got a sniff of a decent chance. The players we have just aren’t good enough to play the way Ardley wants them to. Hardly any would be at this level. We need to get the ball into dangerous positions far quicker and far more often to make the most of the players we have and take the pressure off our midfield.

[laddo]

Have we got the strikers to play long?
Wooton yes, but what about the other three?

Great we are scoring so many great goals, we aren't struggling for goals so far this season