What the game showed me today....like I didn;t allready know

[LaxtonLad]

Ardley won't get us there, promotion that is.

How long has Thomas been out of action? Ardley has brought in Sam who is not the type of player to partner Wooton. He brought in Knowles and he's in and out like a Catherine wheel. Osborne would have fitted into place but dear leader knew best. None of our other players have what it takes to be an out and out striker and although sometimes they advance into enemy territory they are not good enough to be considered for regular choice in the role.

Ardley would like to transform Notts into the 'total football' style of the Dutch national teams of thirty or forty years ago where any player could play in any position but you can't make a silk ear out of a sow's purse when your team consists of non-league players.

Other managers at our level manage by playing lower league players in a lower league style.

[laddo]

The first sentence is odds on with the bookies.

The final sentence I whole heartedly agree with. Trying to get promoted from NL playing anything close to total football is a very difficult task. He's chosen an uphill battle unfortunately.

As for the middle bits. I believe Thomas has been out since early October. I hear Osborne who would have fitted into place is performing excellently for Leamington Spa who are currently 10th in National League North.

[MAD_MAGPIE]

So Pedro wants to get rid of a manager part way through the season. I'm sure there are a few others who feel the same but I doubt it's worth another Ardley sack or stay poll.

In my opinion the current situation doesn't warrant a sacking, I don't conclude that the owners aren't ambitious at all. If they are then we've had lots of ambitious owners who we have declined under prior to the brothers.

I don't believe a new manager will massively increase our chances of a playoff position and possible promotion. However it may improve the chances to get promotion next season as it gives the manager a nice run up to the new season.

If I were the owners I would be considering potential managers throughout the second half of the season ready to make appoaches if he fails.

This is where I'm at.

Yes during the games it can be annoying and frustrating and yesterday was a typical example but looking at it from a distance it would be pointless to sack the manager at this point in time. I know that people will talk about the relegation season, the playoff defeat and whilst that means that the managers stock is low in some fans eyes we need to look forward to what the next six months could bring.

I am of the understanding that the manager is under contract until the end of the season? So the most prudent thing to do being a sensible owner is to let the manager have the remainder of the season. Whilst I want us to get and aim for automatic promotion like a lot of fans probably do and whilst it is running away from us we are in the mix.

If we were to miss out on a play-off place or lose another playoff final then of course it raises questions.

Relegation out of the football league hurt very hard and the playoff defeat which also hurt. For this reason unless we get back to where we started when the manager arrived there will always be fans that have made their minds up and the debate will go on and on until such time comes that the manager leaves and the door is closed on that dark period of our history.

As history tells us it's very easy and quite costly to sack managers, but it's who is brought in as the replacement that is even harder. I'm not saying we should stick with any manager for the sake of it, but we should only sack managers going forward if they are deemed by the owners to be seriously underperforming by their expectations not the fans, and only if a better replacement is available.

We are the biggest club in the National League and as long as we remain in this league there will always be the pressure and expectation from the fans to be right up at the top.

[Davy500]

You like everyone have no idea of what the owners expect. I assume like most owners at the start of the season they want promotion or else what’s the point? There are 2 ways to get promoted out of this league.
We are currently sat in the playoffs which is for me the minimum expectation at the end of the season. We have done so with arguably our best player injured, with one of or most important forwards injured and our current main forward not scoring enough. Get all 3 back firing and who knows.
Also we have more than half of our games to go and given the form we showed in the run up to COVID last March there is cause for optimism that we can do that again.
Finally, Ardley brought in a couple of good signings last January. If he does the same this January then it could allow the team performances to progress further. I honestly think we are desperate for a centre forward who can get 10-15 goals in the games remaining.
IMO there is no point speculating as to whether Ardley will take us up this season as we simply don’t know. He has us there or thereabouts at the minute. Let’s see where we are come May before we restart the managerial merry go round.

Speculating whether Ardley will take us up this season, think based on the evidense so far, automatic is ruled out already, so we have to go for the lottery of play offs, again based on current evidense, with our poor starts, and inability to finish teams off unlikely we will win
AS for having a centre forward , Ardley should have known this was a weakness in our squad having been at the club for 2 years, Dennis went and was not replaced, Roberts is injured, mind you we had both for the play off match against Harragate and was still trounced

[SwalePie]

Speculating whether Ardley will take us up this season, think based on the evidense so far, automatic is ruled out already, so we have to go for the lottery of play offs, again based on current evidense, with our poor starts, and inability to finish teams off unlikely we will win
AS for having a centre forward , Ardley should have known this was a weakness in our squad having been at the club for 2 years, Dennis went and was not replaced, Roberts is injured, mind you we had both for the play off match against Harragate and was still trounced

Automatic is not ruled out already. It is unlikely but far from ruled out.

[Notts78]

Speculating whether Ardley will take us up this season, think based on the evidense so far, automatic is ruled out already, so we have to go for the lottery of play offs, again based on current evidense, with our poor starts, and inability to finish teams off unlikely we will win
AS for having a centre forward , Ardley should have known this was a weakness in our squad having been at the club for 2 years, Dennis went and was not replaced, Roberts is injured, mind you we had both for the play off match against Harragate and was still trounced

Maybe it is a weakness BUT Ardley could not have speculated on having 2 of our key attacking players unavailable. Wes Thomas was brilliant against Barnet in what was his last match. I think some fans need to understand we are still in the hunt despite these set backs.
As for being trounced by Harrogate, I would agree with you on the Wembley defeat.

[durhampie]

So Pedro wants to get rid of a manager part way through the season. I'm sure there are a few others who feel the same but I doubt it's worth another Ardley sack or stay poll.

In my opinion the current situation doesn't warrant a sacking, I don't conclude that the owners aren't ambitious at all. If they are then we've had lots of ambitious owners who we have declined under prior to the brothers.

I don't believe a new manager will massively increase our chances of a playoff position and possible promotion. However it may improve the chances to get promotion next season as it gives the manager a nice run up to the new season.

If I were the owners I would be considering potential managers throughout the second half of the season ready to make appoaches if he fails.

We have a backroom staff, inc a football analyst that most EFL clubs would be proud of. We have the best medical/ physio equipment and training facilities which is most likely the envy of all the NL clubs. We have the best stadium, We are the best supported club, We have the best squad of players and no doubt have the highest budget. I would think the owners ought to be demanding we get promoted this season...I dont for one minute believe that they would be satisfied with the results to date against some very poor opposition..

[Davy500]

Maybe it is a weakness BUT Ardley could not have speculated on having 2 of our key attacking players unavailable. Wes Thomas was brilliant against Barnet in what was his last match. I think some fans need to understand we are still in the hunt despite these set backs.
As for being trounced by Harrogate, I would agree with you on the Wembley defeat.

I agree we are still in the hunt, promotion is promotion, by whatever means, at this moment in time the evidense so far suggests play offs, unless Notts win 15 to 20 matches on the bounce like Barrow last year, or Torquay collapse

Each season in the end comes down to a couple of key games that determine a clubs future

L2 - Key matches were Macclesfield at Home, and Swindon away
Last season - Key matches Barrow at Home, Harragate Play off Final
This Season - should be 2 or 3 games in the play offs, where our future will be decided

[laddo]

That's all true and I hope you are right about the owners but durhampie would you sack Ardley now at the turn of the year after 14 games?

[Davy500]

That is an interesting question laddo,
At this stage ,i am not sure ? . how will another manager do better than Ardley??
Will they recruit better players in January, or make us a better outfit to succeed in the play offs?? If yes a case could be made for a new manager, if not stick with Ardley