THE Ardley In/Out Thread [Multiple threads merged]

[countygump]

Thinking about it - When could the owners have sacked Ardley? He's always just done enough and put a few results on the board whenever the heat has been turned up on social media. They didn't have time to replace him at the start of last season and even though narrowly missing out on promotion often results in a terrible hangover and, in our case at least, relegation battles the following term, it never looks good sacking a manager who's just got you to a play-off final.

We may have got carried away with this idea that they aren't the sacking type. Compared to Trew and Hardy, any chairman is going to look as though they have the patience of a Zen Buddhist.

This is true. One of the main reasons Hardly kept his job was down to circumstance.

[laddo]

Or this could be just one fan's guesswork.

Pure speculation but a relatively entertaining alternative view.

[MAD_MAGPIE]

Yes he's abandoned the passing game and built a direct, physical side and it seems to be serving him well, although his managerial career with several clubs has been one of good starts followed by a tail-off in form, so it will be interesting to see if he has more sustained success at Northampton or whether the previous pattern continues.

Curle was the most frustrating of all recent managers for me. He had immense success playing a 4-2-3-1 system away from home, but then insisted on playing the same tactics in home matches even though it consistently failed to get results. It was obvious that in home games we should have played a more attacking formation with two strikers, and he could have achieved that simply by tweaking his existing system to a 4-1-3-2 at home, which is exactly what Martin Allen subsequently did with success, but Curle stubbornly refused to mix up his tactics and it seemed to become a matter of pig-headed pride that he knew better than the fans who were pleading for a second striker. It eventually cost him his job, denied us a really good chance of promotion, and probably blew Curle's chance of becoming anything more than a lower league manager.

It’s no easy achievement to go an entire calendar year unbeaten away from home. That’s what happened during Keith Curles tenure. He got it completely spot on away from home with the 4-2-3-1. Those who went to away games would have seen for themselves we were a tough resolute and difficult team to beat.

What a lot of fans did see was a similar set up at home that wasn’t as successful and where the emphasis is on the home team to attack. This is what led to the calls for his dismissal in Feb 2013 10th in league one and five points off the playoffs. What we would give to be that high in the pyramid now.

We may as well have stuck with Keith Curle for the rest of the season. Again it was another sacking whereby his replacement was no better. Plus the sacking was not popular with some senior players either. It was said at the time we would regret it and didn’t we just.

It’s interesting you mention the 4-1-3-2 that Martin Allen adopted at home. I liked that formation and the link provided by Gavin Mahon with the defence and midfield. I’ve recently wondered if we adopted that formation if Doyle playing that role would have any merit and how and if that would work with the players we have? That’s one for the experts.

[laddo]

It was indeed another poor premature sacking, one of the best examples of it.

Replacing Keith Curle with Chris Kiwomya.

Yikes !!

[upthemaggies]

Replacing Keith Curle with Chris Kiwomya.

If that had been on the table before it happened, who would have taken it?

But was there a clause in Curle's contract that meant he was paid off less money if Trew sacked him before he'd been here a year? That would make sense because his honeymoon was clearly over and falling gates was the reason given in the official statement at the time, we'd had 5,325 for the Bank Holiday fixture, 3,409 for Curle's final home game, going into which we'd won 1 of the previous 9 home league games and were 14th. Couldn't afford an expensive failure so may as well employ a cheap one seems to have been the logic, but it probably was the prime example of their incredibly bad judgment, from which they learned nothing and would go on to repeat.

[jonnyt1]

Woeful against part timers and players chucked together at the last minute.

Time to change already from what I’ve seen.

[Supporter since 1951]

Dover win. What a surprise.

[countygump]

Not worth talking about as it's not gonna happen.

[Davy500]

Woeful against part timers and players chucked together at the last minute.

Time to change already from what I’ve seen.

Tell that to all these pro Ardley supporters

Nothing ever changes
Always concede poor golas from set pieces, Ransom was left unmarked and allowed to wander 3 or 4 yards in the notts penelty are , what the hell were the defenders doing?
Ardley never changes the formation earlier in the game, total waste of time bringing enzio on , at 85 mins
No cutting edge up front

[Biker9999]

Why is Curle and others being discussed here what on earth has got to do with todays shambles and the desperate need to get a manger who actuallt manages his team