*Knee jerk*

[TSANHO]

Fresh from last night thought I’d make a knee jerk post in wondering what the owners are thinking of this current run of performances. Yes, we’ve lost only once in 11, but the manner of those results and performances have been in steady decline for well over a month now.

The owners have shown admirable restraint so far whereas some owners may have fired 2 or 3 managers already since the start of last season. The one thing different in last nights performance from the other ones is the apparent like of determination or desire.....or are the players knackered?

I’ve always said as long as Ardley has the dressing room he should stay in charge. Does he still have the dressing room?

Do the owners fancy themselves to appoint a new manager? Are they happy with proceedings?

Do you feel lucky, punk?

[Elite_Pie]

Ardley will be here for the rest of the season at least.

We had a lot in our favour, but I can't see us taking advantage.

[TSANHO]

Ardley will be here for the rest of the season at least.

We had a lot in our favour, but I can't see us taking advantage.

I thought so too but I’m not so sure now. The owners will have undoubtedly seen the recent matches and will also realise we’ve only just passed the half way point in the season....if in the next 5 games we haven’t ‘turned a corner’ so to speak then will they back themselves to find someone who could make a difference?

How important promotion to them this season will probably determine what happens. We look pretty ****e.

[jackal2]

Ardley will be here for the rest of the season at least.

I'm sure that will be the case, but I think it's telling that there has been no talk whatsoever yet about contract extensions, when if owners are fully confident in a manager they will usually try to tie them down to a new contract well before an existing one expires.

If we win promotion and the FA Trophy then I think Ardley will be virtually guaranteed a new deal. If we win the FA Trophy and miss promotion in the play-offs then that might still be enough in the owners' eyes to justify giving him at least an extra year and another chance if the salary is right, but if we miss out on both I'd be surprised if Ardley was still here next season.

As I've always said though, I respect the new owners and what they've done to stabilise the club, and I'm willing to back their judgement on the manager whatever they decide, because they seem to be well-grounded people who don't make short-term, emotional decisions like some of their predecessors did. And that's a good thing.

[matt_magpie]

The strange thing for me last night was that I could accept the first half more than the second. I think they were bunch of players happy about still playing, got a great goal then played out of their skins, there is absolutely no way they are playing like that every week. We managed to get a grip for the last 10 mins and obviously luck was shining on us to go in 2-1 up.
The fact we started the second half reasonably well and they had gone down a couple of levels was an invitation to get another and put it to bed, but obviously we didn’t. I think we’re crying out for another CF of real quality but can’t see it happening with us having 4 and more pressing is a CB. I get a feeling both CBs were carrying niggles last night. On top of that LB currently looks a problem now too.
It does feel like a crossroads at the moment, can’t see Ardley getting sacked so probably needs a rally call internally with coaching staff and players.

[MAD_MAGPIE]

The strange thing for me last night was that I could accept the first half more than the second. I think they were bunch of players happy about still playing, got a great goal then played out of their skins, there is absolutely no way they are playing like that every week. We managed to get a grip for the last 10 mins and obviously luck was shining on us to go in 2-1 up.
The fact we started the second half reasonably well and they had gone down a couple of levels was an invitation to get another and put it to bed, but obviously we didn’t. I think we’re crying out for another CF of real quality but can’t see it happening with us having 4 and more pressing is a CB. I get a feeling both CBs were carrying niggles last night. On top of that LB currently looks a problem now too.
It does feel like a crossroads at the moment, can’t see Ardley getting sacked so probably needs a rally call internally with coaching staff and players.

For me last night was the most disappointing performance since we have played in the National League because performance wise it was a culmination of what we have seen in the previous three home games, and we've missed another opportunity to close in on those above us.

In the past three home games the opposition have appeared to me to have had more intensity, energy, have pressed us, asked questions and displayed more threat in the final third and created more chances than what we have. Not to mention a high number of set pieces like corners. How Chesterfield, Oxford City and Kings Lynn played at Meadow Lane against us is how I would like us to be approaching games certainly at home. I don't expect us to to beat every team 5-0 playing champagne football, but neither should we be showing such little creativity and quality in the final third. As a team we have had to rely on individual moments of brilliance to scrape wins and get points and mask what have been typically substandard performances in these games.

Despite of our recent short term dip I would be very surprised if our manager was dismissed at this stage of the season and fully expect the manager to be given the remainder of the season to see where we end up. At the end of the season a more balanced decision would be able to be made by the owners as the manager would have had two full seasons under their stewardship, and a half a season under the previous owner (which may or may not carry weight as they were not here then) which would allow them to make a full judgement of whether their expectations are being / or have been met.

[legs77]

As our owners say very little its hard to predict what they think.

They are football fans though so they know points mean prizes and its their money on the line.

Ardley will get the season for sure but if he doesnt take us up then he has to go but do our owners feel the same ?

[upthemaggies]

The one defeat in eleven stat, which Ardley quoted in his post match, includes three FA Trophy fixtures, so it's 1 in 8 in the league - W4 D3 L1 since the turn of the year, which is still decent at 1.88 PPG but not good enough for top 2.

The owners might be confident we can go one better in the play-offs this time around but Ardley has sounded pretty flat for a while now. Has he lost the dressing room? Probably not, but it must have dawned on him that we're not a better side than last season (particularly without Roberts at his best, which we might not see this side of summer) and that there's a reasonably high probability that we're going to miss out again.

[Mapperleypie]

There is nothing knee-jerk about many fans thoughts on Ardley. He has had over 100 games in charge. It's pretty easy to see the style of play he prefers. It's a style of play that is conservative first and foremost and whilst that's not a fault in itself it does need to come with results otherwise it's atrocious to watch. I have said on another fred that I just don't think he is the right man to lead a team with a large budget for their division - it appears wasted on him.

[St Kitts Magpie]

There is nothing knee-jerk about many fans thoughts on Ardley. He has had over 100 games in charge. It's pretty easy to see the style of play he prefers. It's a style of play that is conservative first and foremost and whilst that's not a fault in itself it does need to come with results otherwise it's atrocious to watch. I have said on another fred that I just don't think he is the right man to lead a team with a large budget for their division - it appears wasted on him.

That's the thing now. Its not Knee Jerk now is it? I think the 100 games milestone is significant. I , like everyone else wants Notts to do well, and if that's with Ardley then great , if not, then great. But as others have said, its no guarantee by any means that we are gonna go up. Everyone talks about games in hand on Torquay but we are now 8 points behind Sutton on the same games aswell. If we were playing well and being unlucky then you could make a case for him. But in my humble opinion performances have been in decline since NY.
Also recruitment is looking more hit and miss as the season goes by. for Every Wootton we have an Effiong. For every Roberts we have a Walker. Not to mention Chicksen , Miller , Barnett and more who have either not brought anything to the party or at best the jury is still out...