Match Thread vs. Hartlepool 22..02.20

[uysapie]

Ha - I know - we agree on several things but I know we differ here. Maybe you sit with some more enlightened folk around you, but I still see the thirst for drama far too much, on here more than anywhere. Having just had two chairmen who went through a couple of managers a season, I just feel like the fanbase as a body is addicted to the need for change... or just gossip.

Just analyse a few of the messes we have seen in the last few years. Every season there is moaning because we haven't signed players within the first few days of the offseason. Yet when Ray Trew would come on here and say something was close, he was pilloried when nothing happened. If he said nothing, then "there's a culture of secrecy / he doesn't care about the fans / he's not trying to invest". Relationships break down, he's gone. So we get another one who wants to appease the fans, and we do the same cycle over and over - apart from that one season where Nolan was winning pretty much every week (and the football was still "boring"), which is the only thing that shuts Notts fans up for a while. I mean, we even had posts on here about how could the Danes possibly leave us all guessing as to whether they had made a bid back in the summer, why couldn't they just tweet something to let everyone feel good.

Another example is the amount of guff on here about what managers say to the press. Who the hell cares? Steve Thompson made jokes on the radio, so what? He was useless the first time, and we reappointed him to be useless again. Keith Curle was boring and had nothing to say. So what? He had our best league finish in god knows how long.

Tonight we have Ardley not saying that we will crush Fylde as some massive issue. I ask again, so what?? I've been very lucky to be a fan of the New England Patriots in the NFL for 20 odd years. Go watch clips of our Head Coach's press conferences on YouTube sometime. They are legendary, because he says NOTHING. Nothing that the other team can use as motivation, nothing that could be used as information, he doesn't even use it to big up his own players - he just coaches them up, makes great game plans, and then kicks seven shades out of teams. We've won 6 Superbowls and he's generally credited with being the best coach there has ever been. Similar stuff with Gregg Popovich with San Antonio in the NBA; he borders on being rude when interviewed. It doesn't matter, it's all just tosh to fill airtime. I'm not saying Ardley is Belichick or Popovich, far, far, FAR from it, but look at how much people are getting their knickers in a twist over what he says to Radio Nottingham. He should tell the players to go out there, believe they are the best, and to rip the other team to pieces... when he's with them.

But he obviously doesn't tell them that, he is too defensive with a "try not to lose" approach.

[pingu_pie]

That's fine when talking about some of the most successful manager/coaches in their respective fields but this is a manager of our club who is under pressure from the fans (rightly or wrongly) partly for being so negative. Using negative language in pressers does nothing to aid his cause.

You are right, of course, that what he says in public may not make any difference to performances but you have to admit, it doesn't inspire fans.

Fair enough; it matters little to me, but I take your point. If anything, I think he uses it to avoid "bulletin board material" for the other team, or maybe to try and take the pressure off the players, but I see what you mean.

For anyone thinking I give him a pass on everything, I was shouting blue murder at Crawley last year when he settled for a point when Brisley got the red card; I'd rather have gone down fighting than try and hope Macclesfield would slip up.

[countygump]

[countygump]

[pingu_pie]

You're right mate. I've seen the error of my ways. We should stick to passing around the back and creating 2 shots per match. Total football.

Ah, sarcasm, lovely. I'm not trying to say it's brilliant as it is, but you and others are suggesting that it's an easy fix. Two questions and you've stopped making anything like a real strategy to be better or more attacking.

If the game was as easy as "hit it out to Enzio and Roberts", we would all be making a lot more money.

[navypie]

Sorry, I don't have anyone telling me to shut the **** up when I'm typing...

Big respect to you for going up there in this weather, sounded like a terrible performance as a reward. Last time I went there, I remember everyone doing the conga when we were 4-0 down. Think we might have been relegated that day - it's hard to tell relegations about, really.

I'll shurrup now, hope you get to have a pint or six to make up for the journey!

It wasn't a dig.

[laddo]

We only have a Plan A at present, there is no Plan B. We are very inflexible.

We do play possession football with a lot of short passing, triangles in non threatening areas. We don't mix it up enough.

But I can't take the thought of going back to territory based aerial football. Not direct football like under Warnock and Big Sam (both great Notts managers) I'm talking the ineffective long ball, hoof ball, aimless, neck aching , aerial tennis that has the single aim to feed off knock-downs and scraps with a bit of luck but has no pattern of play, nothing really planned as such, not really football. It's good of its successful with a talented manager and players but the vast majority of the time we haven't seen that.

There is grass for a reason. It's nice to see the football knocked out on it for a change. May only be this one full season then we can revert to type but nice to change it up and give the neck muscles a rest.

Gerrrritttt Forrwarrdd

[pingu_pie]

It wasn't a dig.

It would have been a fair one

[navypie]

I really hope those lads didn't drink and drive today.

[Elite_Pie]

Ah, sarcasm, lovely. I'm not trying to say it's brilliant as it is, but you and others are suggesting that it's an easy fix. Two questions and you've stopped making anything like a real strategy to be better or more attacking.

If the game was as easy as "hit it out to Enzio and Roberts", we would all be making a lot more money.

The simple and very basic question is "Do you think Neal Ardleys's managerial and tactical approach gets the best from his squad?

My answer is a resounding NO.