Interview with Ardley

[ncfcog]

Assuming a play off final would be at a neutral venue, I reckon the semi-final will the be the trickier hurdle. Harrogate have the best home record in the division but you'd imagine their plastic pitch has played a large part in that record. Away from home they are 7th.
Meeting Harrogate on grass would favour us, surely.

I think Barrow are top of the home table on 41pts, Harrogate 2nd and Notts 3rd. It’s no secret away form has done for us over the season but on recent form we all know we were flying. Hopefully the break in play doesn’t affect that too much but I’m not sure Harrogate would even make the play off final. I would be more concerned with Barnet who were in decent form and on the rise. Stockport will be extremely disappointed as like us they were also on a very strong run and to have to relinquish 7th spot to Barnet on PPG will be hard to swallow.

Whatever happens, if we play the play off’s we really have got to fancy our chances.

[ncfcog]

Interesting article in the Non League Paper today;

https://twitter.com/magpiedave/statu...855166469?s=21



Courtesy of @magpiedave on Twitter.

[upthemaggies]

I think Barrow are top of the home table on 41pts, Harrogate 2nd .

Yes, I should check my own site before posting. Bromley, who also have a plastic pitch, are 7th in the home table.

As we'll be BCD, you have to hope it was the pitch or the dressing room that was the key factor in us being much better at home and not the league's best support that gave us the edge. I suspect it was the latter though and that we will lose what would have been an obvious advantage in normal circumstances.

[Kelton]

I believe the EFL have made an initial decision that if play offs take place it will only Involve a maximum of 4 clubs in each respective play off competition (relegation or promotion). If they stick to that proposal We will only be involved in a max of 2 games imo. A single semi final Game at a neutral venue and a final.

[Elite_Pie]

I believe the EFL have made an initial decision that if play offs take place it will only Involve a maximum of 4 clubs in each respective play off competition (relegation or promotion). If they stick to that proposal We will only be involved in a max of 2 games imo. A single semi final Game at a neutral venue and a final.

Even if they stick with the original 6 club playoff format and base the final positions on points per game we would only have a maximum two games to play. A home semi-final and a Wembley final.

[upthemaggies]

Even if they stick with the original 6 club playoff format and base the final positions on points per game we would only have a maximum two games to play. A home semi-final and a Wembley final.

Think they'll have to stick to the originally planned number of teams involved, Barnet could have been level on points with us if they'd had played the same number of games and won all three, it would be rough on them not to be given a shot at it.

[Chicken Balti Pie]

Think they'll have to stick to the originally planned number of teams involved, Barnet could have been level on points with us if they'd had played the same number of games and won all three, it would be rough on them not to be given a shot at it.

PPG would lead to Barnet sneaking in to the last playoff spot. Regardless of how many teams are involved, if the previous format is used, we'd have a single home match, and if we win, a playoff final

[Elite_Pie]

PPG would lead to Barnet sneaking in to the last playoff spot. Regardless of how many teams are involved, if the previous format is used, we'd have a single home match, and if we win, a playoff final

If the EFL go for relegation and the National League table is finalised on PPG, as I understand it the playoff format would be:

1st round

Yeovil v Barnet
Boreham Wood v Halifax

Semi-finals

Harrogate v Boreham Wood / Halifax
Notts County v Yeovil / Barnet

Final

Whoever wins the semi-final games!

[Chicken Balti Pie]

If the EFL go for relegation and the National League table is finalised on PPG, as I understand it the playoff format would be:

1st round

Yeovil v Barnet
Boreham Wood v Halifax

Semi-finals

Harrogate v Boreham Wood / Halifax
Notts County v Yeovil / Barnet

Final

Whoever wins the semi-final games!

That's my understanding as well although I think only us and Yeovil have players to play with? I could be wrong on that but everyone else have contracts that finished in May

[queenslandpie]

I think you confuse doing an 'up' interview with being motivational.
He's taken a husk of a club in the summer, signed a whole squad that is entirely better than the squad he inherited, organised and motivated them to within a whisker of promotion and a cup final .
He along with Jason Turner held the club together over the summer. Everyone should look at the team sheet for our first friendly against Nuneaton , that was the entire squad on the ptch. Bird was the only centre back at the club, no-one was getting paid and we couldn't even muster a bus for the team to travel on.
He was at the helm when we went down but he had a work to rule back four of Tootle, Duffy, Brisley, Jones who collectively didn't give a flying f@@k with Vaughan dragging his pension and no target man for Dennis and Hemmings to play off. Last year's team were a disgrace and they saw off Nolan, Kewell and some decent coaches.
Ardley has turned us right around, got us playing decent football and managed to evolve the squad during the season rather than having his ducks lined up pre season as most clubs do.
His biggest problem is he's unlucky. He copped for Alan Hardy when the cash ran out and he decided to flop his knob out completely ending any sense of professionalism from the top, copped for the most unbalanced squad I've ever seen and now Covid has robbed him of the chance of some personal success after working like a dog for twelve months.
For me he's the most organised, methodical builder of a club we've had since Howard Wilkinson and if the Reedtz brothers stick with him I think he could get us to Div 1 over time.

Great post you present a very strong argument and ultimately I can't disagree with a lot of it. Of course time will tell.