Can someone explain to me [Burchnall vs. Ardley]

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Originally Posted by jackal2

Fair comment.

The only thing I would add is that IB needs to recognise - or certainly communicate more assertively to his players - that results matter more than style. If opponents are allowing us to pass them off the park and win 6-1 then great, but if a team comes to press and disrupt with intensity, like Chesterfield did last night, we've got to engage in that battle and use more direct tactics to relieve the pressure. There's no point repeatedly trying to play out from the back if you can't retain possession and you're losing the ball in dangerous areas. Get the ball out of your own half and away from your goal as fast as possible, and then play your football in your opponents' half. Simple as that.

IB isn't under any significant 'pressure' yet, but we've reached the stage where these obvious lessons must be learned and applied, otherwise patience will wear thin, with the fans if not the owners. This will be the key to determining whether Burchnall is a better manager than Ardley, or whether we've employed two managers in a row with the same fundamental weakness.

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This.

There has to be scope in some matches, especially away from home when we are being pressed, to get the ball forward quicker to exploit the space in behind that the opposition's high-press affords us. I have heard IB even allude to this in post-match comments. With the attacking players we have and the presence of Wootton surely the occasional direct ball up to him to hold it up with the likes of Roberts, Rodrigues & Sam running off is going to cause enough problems for the opposition that they either ditch the high press in which case we go back to plan A or they continue and enough chances are going to be created that Plan B in itself is enough to win the game.

Pragmatism is key here. I don't want to watch Notts as a long-ball side but certainly away from home against the better sides in the division Plan A seems not to be working.

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Originally Posted by GranthamPie

Really?
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As I didnt attend or hear that game I cant give you 100% assurance but weren't we in control until we threw it away and crumbled...?

That result (vs Woking home) was described to me as a 'freak result' by a Woking fan on Saturday who was in attendance that day at Meadow Lane. It was my understanding that until the 70th minute there were no signs of a heavy home defeat when leading 1-0. Just another classic Notts version of a middle order collapse.

Ardley finished 3rd in this league and was sacked whilst 5th and having 5 games in hand. He also got to two trophy semi finals.

Burchnall finished 5th and lost the easiest semi final. He didn’t make the semi this season and is on course to finish outside the playoffs.

Ardley currently higher with a smaller club.

There is no comparison - Ardley is better and this managerial change a huge mistake

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Originally Posted by magpie2k4

Ardley finished 3rd in this league and was sacked whilst 5th and having 5 games in hand. He also got to two trophy semi finals.

Burchnall finished 5th and lost the easiest semi final. He didn’t make the semi this season and is on course to finish outside the playoffs.

Ardley currently higher with a smaller club.

There is no comparison - Ardley is better and this managerial change a huge mistake

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Bit of an extreme post. At the time Ardley had a full complement of players, and was throwing points away left right and centre. He also did not have 5 games in hand. There was also growing discontent about his style of play. He also had 2 years of EFL money to play with and a number of high earning star type players, think Boldjewinn Dennis etc etc etc and did not get the best out of them. Ardley has done really well at Solihull so far. I do not think the managerial change was a huge mistake. However it is certainly not a glowing success to date. I would also say I don't reckon Solihulls player budget will be massively dissimilar to ours. Smaller club and support base yes but that is meaningless in this division as proven by Barrow, Sutton blah blah blah we have been over this 8000 times.

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Originally Posted by Elite_Pie

I don't think we are even close to being a top* team. When we are good we are very good, but we throw in far too many poor performances. I think we have a few issues to address before we can compete for the automatic place.

* That's based on 'top' meaning top, and not top 7 which is where we are now.

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We could be a "top" team if we had a more flexible approach to each opponent's style of play. As it is we are glaringly one dimensional. It soon becomes obvious to the enemy manager (if he wasn't aware before) that we have no way to cope with a high press, never practise shooting and have a hesitant style of teamwork. The whole league must now be aware we NEVER have a plan B. If plan A isn't working, well, as General Melchett might say, "Stick at it lads, that's the last thing they'll expect!".

I think Solihull will get promoted this season, their form since January is the best in the league.

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Originally Posted by magpie2k4

I think Solihull will get promoted this season, their form since January is the best in the league.

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I think Wrexham will be too strong for anyone they meet in the play-offs, if indeed they don't catch Stockport, but Neal Ardley has certainly done a fine job for Solihull, considering their resources. As with Wimbledon maybe he thrives on managing teams who aren't amongst the favourites for promotion.

Ardleys teams were poor but at least they showed heart and desire something Burchnalls team never display so on that note I have to give it to Ardley

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Originally Posted by jackal2

I think Wrexham will be too strong for anyone they meet in the play-offs, if indeed they don't catch Stockport, but Neal Ardley has certainly done a fine job for Solihull, considering their resources. As with Wimbledon maybe he thrives on managing teams who aren't amongst the favourites for promotion.

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I think he was under pressure from the owners to what they wanted to see on the pitch ala nob jockey & Nolan