What would it take for Ardley to change his midfield?

[BigFatPie]

When did we all of a sudden strongly believe this season was going to a promotion seasom let alone an automatic promotion. Hope yes but seeing as we had next to no pre season and were weeks behind all the other sides in the league plus the history books don't really support an immediate return I have no idea where this has come from???!!!! Anyone know? The biggest budget is my only guess.

Amazes me why football fans in Lower league and Non League wonder why so many crap managers are appointed. There's a big clue right there got ya.

https://amp.theguardian.com/football...nty-league-two

Yeah, no idea why anyone thinks we should be challenging for promotion this season...

[crazyfists]

Why wouldn't we expect promotion this season? We have a good squad, league class manager, good ground, good support, good owners. Even if you say lets take off the first 10 games after the summer then that's still 36 games which is 108 points if we won them all, plenty of points left to play for to get promoted. Sorry but anything other than playoffs this season is a fail. We're already there abouts and it's November, are you saying after another 5 months we shouldn't be just above where we are or better? If we weren't then that's either a massive decline or no real improvement which is what we should be seeing week on week if you buy into the no pre season argument.

I think we need to set our sights a little higher than mid table non league, big whoop.

[TSANHO]

I still think Rose would be a better fit out wide on the right where his pace and physicality would be like a new signing. When he drives at defenders he looks a different player to the one we've seen so far this season. It'd also mean we would t have to play Shields or Osbourne who have neither looked up to the job out wide.

Rose playing out wide would also leave a position free in the middle for someone who is more comfortable on the ball in intricate situations like Booty or O'Brien. There is still a place for Rose, but not in the middle under the tactics Ardley is preferring at present

Rose in the middle has been a disaster waiting to happen since week one of the season.

[jackal2]

Why wouldn't we expect promotion this season? We have a good squad, league class manager, good ground, good support, good owners. Even if you say lets take off the first 10 games after the summer then that's still 36 games which is 108 points if we won them all, plenty of points left to play for to get promoted. Sorry but anything other than playoffs this season is a fail. We're already there abouts and it's November, are you saying after another 5 months we shouldn't be just above where we are or better? If we weren't then that's either a massive decline or no real improvement which is what we should be seeing week on week if you buy into the no pre season argument.

I think we need to set our sights a little higher than mid table non league, big whoop.

At the start of the season, given the circumstances the Reedtz brothers inherited and the lack of a proper pre-season, nobody really knew where this season would take us. It is to Neal Ardley's credit that by the turn of October/November we were already placed in the play-offs, and I don't believe a poor performance at Chesterfield and a defeat to a very good Barrow team is any cause to "throw the baby out with the bathwater". We're not in the play-off zone right now, but we're still in the promotion picture and we've had more good results than bad ones.

I don't mind hoping/aiming for promotion, but that shouldn't be used as a stick with which to beat the manager whenever we have a setback. If we ultimately go up this season, then great, but if we don't, then we should be in a strong position to do it next year when we will hopefully have had the benefit of a settled summer and a proper pre-season. Keep calm and carry on.

[laddo]

Being late to the party is detrimental to the season ahead but losing a pre season almost entirely is disastrous!

Of course we want promotion, hope for promotion but I can't remember anyone on here expecting the automatics. Many were seeking some consolidation and stability. Others expecting playoffs, who thought autos?

Naturally, being Notts , others want at least two managers every season cos that has a tendancy to work.

The bookmakers (pstt who don't care about non league football) and maybe the odd national journalist may have expected it. But us fans and supporters have an advantage we know how much of a **** show not only last season was but the whole of pre season.

Totally agree less than play offs would be a failure but I expect us to be in the play offs. Sadly that means televised games and we all know what that means.

So we are basically there or there abouts now even after a huge disadvantage at the start so why would we be doubting playoffs now after every defeat? I really don't understand the mild panic after a setback. Anybody who thinks the no pre season doesnt have an impact on the start of the season should be laughed at.
Anyone wish to put their name to such a view?

Plus this whole Ardley took us down when we were a complete circus behind the scenes and were being run by a egomaniac clown is a complete joke. He's part to blame , naturally , but never the main reason or even close.

[crazyfists]

At the start of the season, given the circumstances the Reedtz brothers inherited and the lack of a proper pre-season, nobody really knew where this season would take us. It is to Neal Ardley's credit that by the turn of October/November we were already placed in the play-offs, and I don't believe a poor performance at Chesterfield and a defeat to a very good Barrow team is any cause to "throw the baby out with the bathwater". We're not in the play-off zone right now, but we're still in the promotion picture and we've had more good results than bad ones.

I don't mind hoping/aiming for promotion, but that shouldn't be used as a stick with which to beat the manager whenever we have a setback. If we ultimately go up this season, then great, but if we don't, then we should be in a strong position to do it next year when we will hopefully have had the benefit of a settled summer and a proper pre-season. Keep calm and carry on.

I think if we don't get in the playoffs this season then we should have a serious look at getting rid of Ardley. I'm not one for changing him now, I actually think he's doing ok as are we. I do worry though we've chopped and changed so much we're worried it will go wrong if we do and I don't want that fear keeping someone in the job when they're holding us back.

[Elite_Pie]

Of course we want promotion, hope for promotion but I can't remember anyone on here expecting the automatics. Many were seeking some consolidation and stability. Others expecting playoffs, who thought autos?

Two different scenarios here. When we had an owner who simply wanted to get rid and very few confirmed players I think survival in the National League was as much as we could reasonably hope for. However, things changed dramatically when the Reedtz brothers took charge. They gave the manager fantastic backing and provided him with a squad that was the envy of the vast majority of clubs at this level. Even allowing for the 'they need time to gel' excuse, the bar has been raised considerably.

Plus this whole Ardley took us down when we were a complete circus behind the scenes and were being run by a egomaniac clown is a complete joke. He's part to blame , naturally , but never the main reason or even close.

This is where we disagree. Ardley might not have been the main reason for taking us down, but he was certainly a major one. Macclesfield were also a complete circus (and still are), but a rookie manager managed to keep them up. Despite what was going on behind the scenes, Ardley had plenty of time to keep us up. He just wasn't good enough.

[Davy500]

Being late to the party is detrimental to the season ahead but losing a pre season almost entirely is disastrous!

Of course we want promotion, hope for promotion but I can't remember anyone on here expecting the automatics. Many were seeking some consolidation and stability. Others expecting playoffs, who thought autos?

Naturally, being Notts , others want at least two managers every season cos that has a tendancy to work.

The bookmakers (pstt who don't care about non league football) and maybe the odd national journalist may have expected it. But us fans and supporters have an advantage we know how much of a **** show not only last season was but the whole of pre season.

Totally agree less than play offs would be a failure but I expect us to be in the play offs. Sadly that means televised games and we all know what that means.

So we are basically there or there abouts now even after a huge disadvantage at the start so why would we be doubting playoffs now after every defeat? I really don't understand the mild panic after a setback. Anybody who thinks the no pre season doesnt have an impact on the start of the season should be laughed at.
Anyone wish to put their name to such a view?

Plus this whole Ardley took us down when we were a complete circus behind the scenes and were being run by a egomaniac clown is a complete joke. He's part to blame , naturally , but never the main reason or even close.

Plus this whole Ardley Thing... Ardley is to blame totally for our relegation,. Out of the bottom 2 when he arrived, and huge amounts of money compared to other clubs. Other mangers kept clubs up in far worse circumstances, take macclesfield and wimbledon for starters

This season however, Arley was at a huge disadvantage with the pre season chous. And the position at the moment is fair considering
However as the season progresses we should get stronger, and nothing less than a play off place will be satisfactory

[BigFatPie]

Being late to the party is detrimental to the season ahead but losing a pre season almost entirely is disastrous!

So we are basically there or there abouts now even after a huge disadvantage at the start so why would we be doubting playoffs now after every defeat? I really don't understand the mild panic after a setback. Anybody who thinks the no pre season doesnt have an impact on the start of the season should be laughed at.
Anyone wish to put their name to such a view?.

Mark Stallard for one said only the other week that the disrupted pre season could no longer be used as an excuse for sub-par performances. So your obsession is somewhat misplaced. He and Charlie Slater were also speculating only yesterday that winning the league was very much a possibility. Obviously pre match.

It wasn’t down to pre season that we were battered by a team with maybe half our resources.

[laddo]

No longer, totally agree with Stall but massively impacted teh first 2 months. The evidence of that was all to see, Barnet the best example. 2 months behind eveyone else puts you seriously behind where you should be in the total points column if for a normal standard pre season.

Of course they were speculating on automatics due to the recent form, and continued improved performances and points return. That says it all, so why the panic? Since those early setbacks cos of pre season, we've been on play off form.

As for half our resources, evidence of that in every league , every single season. Leicester Vs Arsenal the other day on TV. Accrington versus almost everyone they play. Stags this season battered at home against poor resourced opposition. None of this is new. Burnley another example. It's not hard to identify them.