Can someone explain to me [Burchnall vs. Ardley]

I think they're both quite capable managers at this level.

If you look at the club's strategy we aren't desperately trying to get out of this league like some other clubs we're up against. I won't get into whether it's the right strategy or not, but ours seems to be to get closer to financial break-even by treating players as assets - hire younger players with a lot of potential, and develop them so the club's networth rises with them.

Financially speaking that's the only way to get even close to break-even in this league so there's some merit to it.

As a coach, IB has proven himself more than capable of implementing that strategy, and based on the players we have, the strategy seems to be working, at least to an extent.

As a football club through, it means we will likely see the playoffs but in any given year (especially the first full season that strategy is in play), we're unlikely to go up. Not while there's teams spending hand over fist to get promoted above us. Still, there's a bunch of random that goes into any football match, and the fact is if you keep making the playoffs, sooner or later you will go up.

All of that said, there will be years where that strategy means we're really strong. I mean we're hiring kids whose potential exceeds this league, so if we have enough of those in the squad at the right point in their development, we'll be very strong. I don't think we're quite there this year.

The financial numbers look a lot better in league 2, and better still in league 1 etc. So it's all tradeoffs. Plenty of clubs seem to go bust chasing promotion with silly money though.

I don't want to re-litigate the debate, but I think judging Ardley by the relegation year is misleading, and I'm not at all surprised by how sillyhill's done under his leadership. But IB is probably a better fit for the club's current strategy.

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Originally Posted by optipez

I think Dave Challinor, James Rowe , Pete Wild, Paul Cook and Phil Parkinson would all get us a hell of a lot closer with this squad. Probably Andy Wildman and Luke Garrard too.

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Employing someone like that totally defeats what we are about though. Perhaps they would for a season or two. We have to have faith in the way we are going about things but radar needs to step up now and find us some players in the Bishop / harding mentality who can kick some ass when required as others have mentioned. We have to be able to mix it up away from home and give as good as we get when teams start to get physical. It has cost us dozens and dozens of points since our relegation that we cannot do this. Personally I won't cry if Wootton and Rodders leave at the end of the season. Sign Sam up now for next season and get a couple of hard men in. The fact we have not had a man sent off this season is not a stat to be proud of.

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Originally Posted by queenslandpie

Employing someone like that totally defeats what we are about though. Perhaps they would for a season or two. We have to have faith in the way we are going about things but radar needs to step up now and find us some players in the Bishop / harding mentality who can kick some ass when required as others have mentioned. We have to be able to mix it up away from home and give as good as we get when teams start to get physical. It has cost us dozens and dozens of points since our relegation that we cannot do this. Personally I won't cry if Wootton and Rodders leave at the end of the season. Sign Sam up now for next season and get a couple of hard men in. The fact we have not had a man sent off this season is not a stat to be proud of.

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JOB is the only one to put a foot in and he ain't getting any younger. Wonder what Doyle's input is.

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Originally Posted by uysapie

JOB is the only one to put a foot in and he ain't getting any younger. Wonder what Doyle's input is.

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Implements what he is told to implement I would imagine. Not a lot more than that. He was never in the running for the job until he got it by accident when Ross was booted out. Birchnall probably thought - he knows the squad, he has a lot of experience playing, I get on with him, I will give him a go. And not a lot more than that.

We are a gnats knacker away from being a top team.
Ardley is meant to be an experienced manager where as IB is a new inexperienced manager and seems to be getting more from a squad with less funds.
We and IB are work in progress , I see enough in the squad and IB to see a succesful conclusion.
Yes we need a monster at centre back and a hardman in midfield but to me it's fine tinkering.The framework is there we just need a couple of additions.

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Originally Posted by keldsyke

He’s not, biggest mistake sacking him when we did, we certainly would have done better in the play-offs. As a number of us have said, you can’t pass your way out this league it’s a mix.

Funnily when Stockport appointed Challioner there were some on here who said he wouldn’t do anything, he seems to be doing ok? Experience of this league is one of the key things, however, the infuriating thing is that if we had a plan ‘B’ to get results at places like Chesterfield then IB would be in a class of his own.

Unfortunately, if this is a IB demand of how we play then ultimately it will be his undoing, if it’s a demand from the board then this blinkered experiment needs reassessing as it feels some are losing patience, and some of us thought at the beginning it was a bad idea.

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‘We certainly would have done better in the play offs’ All entitled to our opinions, but ‘certainly’? How can you be certain? Not having a dig at your opinion, genuine question.

I think Dave Smith Rules gives a fairly balanced summary.

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Originally Posted by PedroTheFisherman66

We are a gnats knacker away from being a top team.
Ardley is meant to be an experienced manager where as IB is a new inexperienced manager and seems to be getting more from a squad with less funds.
We and IB are work in progress , I see enough in the squad and IB to see a succesful conclusion.
Yes we need a monster at centre back and a hardman in midfield but to me it's fine tinkering.The framework is there we just need a couple of additions.

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Good post Pedro

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Originally Posted by PedroTheFisherman66

We are a gnats knacker away from being a top team.
Ardley is meant to be an experienced manager where as IB is a new inexperienced manager and seems to be getting more from a squad with less funds.
We and IB are work in progress , I see enough in the squad and IB to see a succesful conclusion.
Yes we need a monster at centre back and a hardman in midfield but to me it's fine tinkering.The framework is there we just need a couple of additions.

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I agree to a point, but how is he getting more out of less than Ardley did?
I’m not suggesting Ardley is better, or that IB should be sacked, but I’m pretty sure IB’s primary objective when taking the job was to get us out of this league. Although the football is more attractive I would say, at this moment, that we look further away from that objective.
I agree we’re a couple of players away from a top team, but that shouldn’t be the case, IB has virtually a full squad to pick from.

I do think Pedro is right, if we don't go up and we add the right players then think we could win the league next year. The football we play now is better than we've seen for years but we have a soft underbelly and go missing in big games. If this can be addressed though then we'll blow teams away. Ardley is doing well with SM but I prefer the style of play now to watching his Notts team, just wish we were tougher.

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Originally Posted by Killerkline

‘We certainly would have done better in the play offs’ All entitled to our opinions, but ‘certainly’? How can you be certain? Not having a dig at your opinion, genuine question.

I think Dave Smith Rules gives a fairly balanced summary.

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Swap 'certainly' with 'I think'.... poor English on my part