Match Thread vs. Stockport County 15.12.20 [NL]

[magpie_mania]

It's hardly "derailing" a matchday thread when the match finished two days ago!

We all know that when you say "move on", you mean "forget how dismal Ardley was in the relegation season". Rather than just the future, I prefer to look at the bigger picture. If we also forget this season the games against Dover, Maidenhead, Aldershot and Boreham Wood, then he's done a great job so far. Let's all hope we can't add King's Lynn to that rather embarrassing list.

I'm sure there will be some with fingers at the ready now on the keyboard in case we should lose v KL. (Not to mention Morpeth).

In the top 3, just beaten the team most are saying are the best in the league, 1 goal conceded in 5 games. I am happy enough (would be better if we were scoring more) going into Christmas, good foundation for a genuine promotion push.

COYP

[Elite_Pie]

I'm sure there will be some with fingers at the ready now on the keyboard in case we should lose v KL. (Not to mention Morpeth).

In the top 3, just beaten the team most are saying are the best in the league, 1 goal conceded in 5 games. I am happy enough (would be better if we were scoring more) going into Christmas, good foundation for a genuine promotion push.

COYP

Agree, we've got a good foundation for a promotion push but when I look at the fixtures we've played I can't help but think we've underachieved a bit so far. Beating Stockport was a definite step in the right direction, and I hope we carry it on. I said after the defeat at Dover on the opening day that I had a nasty feeling that result might be the one to bite us on the arse at the end of the season. I know laddo will say "it's gone, get over it and look to the future", but the league table looks at that game exactly the same as any other.

[Davy500]

Your wasting your time Elite pie, with basically pro Ardley supporters, that will say we are promotion candidates after this marginal win
I said it was essential we won , otherwise automatic would have been over, we are still 9 points behind, we have to play them twice - we could lose twice, they talk as if we will win twice and its points in the bag , then if we get Callum back - who has done nothing this season
It was a good result against Stockport , but another game into the closing stages not decided , and can we beat the poor teams like kings Lynn - if we are promotion hopefuls nothing short of 2 wins against them is acceptable
Yes at the moment it looks as if we should be in the top 4 or 5 , but there are no prises for that, only first gives automatic promotion, i say play offs and i stand by that

[PedroTheFisherman66]

Your wasting your time Elite pie, with basically pro Ardley supporters, that will say we are promotion candidates after this marginal win
I said it was essential we won , otherwise automatic would have been over, we are still 9 points behind, we have to play them twice - we could lose twice, they talk as if we will win twice and its points in the bag , then if we get Callum back - who has done nothing this season
It was a good result against Stockport , but another game into the closing stages not decided , and can we beat the poor teams like kings Lynn - if we are promotion hopefuls nothing short of 2 wins against them is acceptable
Yes at the moment it looks as if we should be in the top 4 or 5 , but there are no prises for that, only first gives automatic promotion, i say play offs and i stand by that

Would the pro Ardley fans still be gloating and waxing so lyrically if we were say 7th in the table?
Which is a possibility if those teams below us win their games in hand.
Ardley is doing what he does.
Safety first at all costs.once he starts going at the lesser teams and becomes more adventurous in his approach against these,we will remain treading water.
Win a few draw a few lose a few..
Yes we beat stockport which is great , but follow this up with a couple of tepid results against lower rated teams and it all counts for nothing..
OH I forgot...
There are no easy games in this league ,
Who do we think we are,we have no devine right to win any game...
We are ravaged by covid we are lucky to even be able to play a game,never mind challenge for promotion.
It's all hardys fault.
Blah blah blah...brigade!!
When it's quite simple.
Since hes arrived he has employed negative tactics and has continued to use them even though they got us relegated and failed to get us promotion.
This season is s copy of last year, which I believe will have the same ending..
Failure

[laddo]

It's hardly "derailing" a matchday thread when the match finished two days ago!

We all know that when you say "move on", you mean "forget how dismal Ardley was in the relegation season". Rather than just the future, I prefer to look at the bigger picture. If we also forget this season the games against Dover, Maidenhead, Aldershot and Boreham Wood, then he's done a great job so far. Let's all hope we can't add King's Lynn to that rather embarrassing list.

Why forget games this season? I have purposefully mentioned disappointing perfomances against Borehamwood and Maidenhead because it's this season, it's relevent.

Ardley was pretty dismal in the relegation season, we know that. So were the large group of players used, so were the previous managers employed and above all so was the chairman. You can't tell me that collectively the players didn't let down all 3 managers that season?

Why can't you take the insightful interview for what it is, and what it highlighted? The manager's pre match talk to the players against a big spending and impressive Stockport, a challenge for them to man up and match them! Which they more than did, yet you choose to go back to 2 seasons ago?

[laddo]

Your wasting your time Elite pie, with basically pro Ardley supporters, that will say we are promotion candidates after this marginal win
I said it was essential we won , otherwise automatic would have been over, we are still 9 points behind, we have to play them twice - we could lose twice, they talk as if we will win twice and its points in the bag , then if we get Callum back - who has done nothing this season
It was a good result against Stockport , but another game into the closing stages not decided , and can we beat the poor teams like kings Lynn - if we are promotion hopefuls nothing short of 2 wins against them is acceptable
Yes at the moment it looks as if we should be in the top 4 or 5 , but there are no prises for that, only first gives automatic promotion, i say play offs and i stand by that

So Davy, we play well against a good side, defensively we were very solid, we win and more so we deservedly win and you still aren't satisfied because we went into last 15 mins with only a one goal lead?? Tough crowd!!!! Lol

#noagenda

Let's be honest if Stockport were still playing now they would have only scored a couple, more than 2 days on.

I say playoffs too as we are far too inconsistent to achieve top spot just like last season. It's tough to finish top after all as obviously all but one will fail.

If as Pedro says this season is a copy cat of last season we will finish in the play offs , lose in final and fail to get promotion.

If that happens we should get rid of Ardley and everyone bar Neal is happy. So I say relax stick on some Ken Bruce and enjoy the day

[drillerpie]

To be fair looking at the league and the current form he's done a great job so far this season either way. Yes it could have been even better, which NA openly acknowledges, but we're doing well.

I'd say he has done a reasonably good job so far.

[Elite_Pie]

I'd say he has done a reasonably good job so far.

Swale said Ardley had done a "great job" so far this season, you say a "reasonably good job", and I said he'd "underachieved a bit", so quite a range of views! Mine was based on the fact we've already lost 4 games with less than 30% of the season gone. If we carry on like that, we will lose at least 13 games over the course of the season. That would rule automatic promotion out, and even a playoff place would would only be around 5th at best. I'm also basing it on the teams we've played so far. Although we can't say where all the teams will finish, I don't think it can be described as a difficult start. I think Torquay and Sutton will struggle to maintain their early season form so there's still plenty to play for, but we need definitely need to improve on what we've done so far.

[magpie_mania]

So Davy, we play well against a good side, defensively we were very solid, we win and more so we deservedly win and you still aren't satisfied because we went into last 15 mins with only a one goal lead?? Tough crowd!!!! Lol

#noagenda

Let's be honest if Stockport were still playing now they would have only scored a couple, more than 2 days on.

I say playoffs too as we are far too inconsistent to achieve top spot just like last season. It's tough to finish top after all as obviously all but one will fail.

If as Pedro says this season is a copy cat of last season we will finish in the play offs , lose in final and fail to get promotion.

If that happens we should get rid of Ardley and everyone bar Neal is happy. So I say relax stick on some Ken Bruce and enjoy the day

It's not worth debating these points with those posters. There's more chance of getting a Brexit deal than any kind of agreement.

Had to smile though that it took two days to find an excuse for us beating Stockport. 'Marginal win'.

I look for excuses when we lose, and celebrate when we win, however we manage it. I really don't care!

[drillerpie]

Swale said Ardley had done a "great job" so far this season, you say a "reasonably good job", and I said he'd "underachieved a bit", so quite a range of views! Mine was based on the fact we've already lost 4 games with less than 30% of the season gone. If we carry on like that, we will lose at least 13 games over the course of the season. That would rule automatic promotion out, and even a playoff place would would only be around 5th at best. I'm also basing it on the teams we've played so far. Although we can't say where all the teams will finish, I don't think it can be described as a difficult start. I think Torquay and Sutton will struggle to maintain their early season form so there's still plenty to play for, but we need definitely need to improve on what we've done so far.

I agree that we've had fairly comfortable fixtures and haven't taken advantage of them, but I've also seen some positive changes that give me hope for the future (haven't got time to write them now but will do later).

Obviously the proof of the pudding will be whether we can put a proper run together. Time will tell!