Solihull Appoint Ardley

[Mapperleypie]

One would definitely mention the Macclesfield home game on Boxing Day 2018 that's for sure.

In fairness that was terrible.

[laddo]

It was indeed. We were so outclassed on our own patch it was embarrassing!
Although it's a game that the vast majority of Notts fans should try and wipe from their minds for mental health and general well-being reasons..

[Jampie]

I've seen this mentioned several times by several posters, across the pro/anti Ardley spectrum, and it has pretty much entered into folklore now. I don't agree with it.

The performances at the end of Ardley's reign were absolutely dire. Let's not forget that the players themselves called a 'this is not working' crisis meeting not long before he was sacked.

The performances under IB were better almost immediately. Even during the barren spell in his first 8 games or so there were games when the attacking play was way better than what we'd seen before, and we created numerous chances. If it wasn't for the fact that Wootton was missing at least one sitter per game during that time IB would've started with a much better record. I believe ncfcog's xg stats confirmed this at the time.

Yes we marked Doyle's appointment with a great win and performance against Sutton, but to say this was due to a pro-Ardley faction finally accepting IB, or a celebration of Mo Ross being sacked, is fanciful IMO.

Yeah it's pure speculation. I would attest that there's no chance changing managers had no effect, and that there's no chance that not a single player felt that Ardley was hard done by or that performances didn't suffer to some extent. How much of an extent? Likely not even the players know since these kinds of effects take place subconsciously for the most part.

So opinion vs. speculation, IMO what you're saying is at least as valid as what I think.

[ForeignLegion]

JAMPIE.....he's gone, move on.

[Jampie]

Good analysis I think it’s fair to say each manager was set up to fail, how much Nolan was involved in the initial transfers I don’t know but I think Hardy was heavily. The reason people still talk about it is because no one bar on the inside really knew what was going on and I guess as much as it’s in the past a lot of us are intrigued to know how we spectacularly got relegated that season to none league. The one thing we know now is we have the polar opposite as owners who are looking at long term and not short term, I think fans will have to be patient their not going to throw loads of money at us or make knee jerk decisions to appease the fans.

For me it's fascinating not least because we were broadly tipped to be promoted that season. I can't recall off the top of my head if the bookies gave us the best odds of any team, but we were definitely considered right up there. And yet, we didn't just miss out on promotion, or just promotion and the playoff spots, or even finish in a deeply disappointing mid-table slump. We got relegated!

That level of failure takes rare talent, and I think if we could really pick it apart and understand it that would be truly fascinating.

100% agree our new owners are polar opposites from Hardy. I've never seen either of their members for one, but more relevantly their process for changing managers is wildly different. They didn't say goodbye to Ardley until they had someone they thought was much better lined up, and when they did, they specifically said it had little to do with recent results, and everything to do with long term strategy, something that Hardy never showed any comprehension of.

I think IB won't be looking over his shoulder and wondering if he's about to be sacked after every game he loses, and that will let him focus on improving performances.

Best of all, if the Reedtz brothers' strategy doesn't seem to be working, guys like them are much more likely to analyse the issues and adjust their strategy, rather than just blaming the manager, sacking him with no replacement, then panic-hiring whomever springs to mind next.

[Killerkline]

First game of the season …. Solihull away … ?

[upthemaggies]

First game of the season …. Solihull away … ?

I hope it's Dover at home, as likely a guaranteed 3 points as there is possible to get.
Crowd wise, if restrictions were lifted (hahhaha) then Grimsby at home would be fun.

[Killerkline]

I hope it's Dover at home, as likely a guaranteed 3 points as there is possible to get.
Crowd wise, if restrictions were lifted (hahhaha) then Grimsby at home would be fun.

Very good

[Jampie]

JAMPIE.....he's gone, move on.

I have definitely emotionally "moved on" or whatever that means.

This is a thread about his appointment to another club in which multiple people implied he was likely to sink that club's fortunes, and when I brought up the positives in his history, the whole "He GoT Us ReLeGaTeD!!!!1" line came out again.

I've tried to add to that discussion rather than just repeating myself from older posts. If you don't want to read this content I suggest avoiding threads about his career on a notts county forum... A lot of people are never going to let go of that relegation season and blaming it all on Ardley seems to be a coping mechanism for many.

[ForeignLegion]

Coping mechanism! It’s football we’re talking about not a massacre of some kind. Then again, there’s a few that still haven’t recovered, or moved on, from Allardyce leaving.