2019/20 shan off the gaffa race

[Who Needs Mourinho]

They should probably be doing better, big budget and decent squad plus one of very few genuine goal scorers. Collapsed from title contenders to the bottom half after Christmas last season as well.

Who should they be realistically be in front of in the top six?

 

[Soup Ladle]

Tactics are everything at this level. Pragmatic hard work and team spirit will get you into the top half. Fill the team with giant fit tough-guys, and just lump it, will get you into the playoffs. Not so sure about the neat passing game.
I do know that it’s frustrating for these top- badge coaches to have to work with professional bottom- feeders.

That's exactly where the challenge comes in, players are here for a reason be it attitude or ability and if you ask too much of them it falls apart.

Challinor's favoured 4231/433 setup had its pitfalls as that relies on a lot of tactical nous, teamwork and clever movement. At higher levels, it's a brilliant setup whereas here, yeah there was some good football at times but players weren't making the right runs and the forward just got isolated, partly because of the lack of support but also in that setup the striker needs to be pretty much good at everything, you don't get that in the 5th tier. We've since moved to 532, a more rigid setup and we've done well since.

Keep it simple at this level, work hard and build around the players strengths and you'll get results. Relying on data and thinking out the box gets you nowhere.

 

[jacobncfc]

What a good man he is.

 

[TonyM]

I don't think good comes close. Absolute class and whilst many County fans on here have been critical of his tactics at times this season, this confirms what virtually all of them have said about him as a man.

 

[Optipez]

Really sorry it didn't work out for Neal Ardley and having taken 8 from the last 12 and the expectation of a win on Saturday to take us to a cup final i think he's been unlucky.
The stand out thing with Ardley is that he's been unlucky all the way through with us. He joined the club then a week later the owner flops his knob out on the internet and goes bankrupt. He then gets no pre season as we have no owners to buy a squad, gets it all running smoothly then Covid hits, losing all our momentum.
Following season three of our top four strikers can't play for various reasons and he has had to keep us competitive with the expectation of being top, not playoffs, with around half the goals in the squad gone. I also don't believe he was entirely in charge of recruitment this year but gets to carry the can when Sam, Rodriguess and Sloth don't work out overly well.
Class act, brilliant organiser and I think if I were an owner with a budget and thinking of going continental Neal Ardley would be ideal as a D.O.F. I'm sure he'll get a chance somewhere else and I really hope he gets success as he's a very hard working, clear sighted and dignified man.

 

[jacobncfc]

Totally agree with him being unlucky. I think we’d have pushed Barrow fairly close at least without the season randomly just ending last season, and even this year as much as we’ve been poor for quite a lot of it, Roberts being fit would’ve made up a lot of that gap to Sutton.

 

[TheEndIsNigh]

K

I don't think good comes close. Absolute class and whilst many County fans on here have been critical of his tactics at times this season, this confirms what virtually all of them have said about him as a man.

100% correct, and that statement demonstrates why no one has a bad word to say about the bloke. Do decent blokes succeed in management? I’ve no idea, but our two most successful managers since I’ve supported Notts have been Neil Warnock and Sam Allardyce so I’ll leave it at that...

 

[DarkSithLord]

Andy Woodman named as new Bromley manager

 

[#Beebot]

Andy Woodman named as new Bromley manager

What a bizarre appointment. Very little experience. Was that worth sacking Smith for?

 

[JaredSUFC]

What a bizarre appointment. Very little experience. Was that worth sacking Smith for?

Trying to copy Sutton. Lots of coaching experience but first role as manager. He’s even bald like Matt Gray.

 

[#Beebot]

Trying to copy Sutton. Lots of coaching experience but first role as manager. He’s even bald like Matt Gray.

GK specialist coach though. I haven't seen a long term GK coach walk into a manager's job before, especially not somewhere stable like Bromley. Is his experience too niche?

 

[John Still]

Bizarre appointment, my guess is he knows someone at Bromley or lives local etc, to get a job like that at his age is a huge gamble by them and my guess is that it fails.

 

[Stoney Ground]

What a bizarre appointment. Very little experience. Was that worth sacking Smith for?

Nearly as bizarre as having a head of performance running the club.

 

[TheShayWay]

Bizarre appointment, my guess is he knows someone at Bromley or lives local etc, to get a job like that at his age is a huge gamble by them and my guess is that it fails.

It doesn't always need to be a recognised name to be a cracking appointment.
21 months ago we appointed a manager 9 days before the start of the season with not above 10 games managerial experience at first team level. He's turned us from perennial relegation battle fodder to play off challenges in both his seasons.

A gamble might be all they can afford

 

[#Beebot]

Nearly as bizarre as having a head of performance running the club.

Still better than Flowers.

 

[Stoney Ground]

Still better than Flowers.

And you have really pushed the boat out Simon Bassey no real experience and Dave Anderson who has spent the last 2 years drinking with Dean Brennan in the Wealdstone boardroom. Next incoming Ardley or Brennan, Kleanthous is spending big on Wine and Guinness

 

[BornUnderTheElmslie]

And you have really pushed the boat out Simon Bassey no real experience and Dave Anderson who has spent the last 2 years drinking with Dean Brennan in the Wealdstone boardroom. Next incoming Ardley or Brennan, Kleanthous is spending big on Wine and Guinness

Bizarre statement from TK with their appointment tucked away as an after thought. Anderson retired a few years ago, last job was at Chertsey. A good bloke but he’ll run a mile when he sees TK in full force.

Bassey has only ever coached at Wimbledon, from their Combined Counties days into the EFL. Never been a manager. But reading that statement and how TK now won’t be letting managers sign their own players without his involvement, I think he’s going to be pulling the strings anyway so they don’t actually need a gaffer!

 

[Urban]

TK is involved in most signings anyway, this comes as no surprise.

The statement is absolutely farcical but I expected little else. He’s an absolute ego-maniac and lives in his own world of power trips.

This was an opportunity for him to address things in a semi decent manner and somehow he has managed to make things worse. He has completely misread the room.

 

[Stoney Ground]

TK is involved in most signings anyway, this comes as no surprise.

The statement is absolutely farcical but I expected little else. He’s an absolute ego-maniac and lives in his own world of power trips.

This was an opportunity for him to address things in a semi decent manner and somehow he has managed to make things worse. He has completely misread the room.

I fear for you things can only get worse.

 

[BornUnderTheElmslie]

TK is involved in most signings anyway, this comes as no surprise.

The statement is absolutely farcical but I expected little else. He’s an absolute ego-maniac and lives in his own world of power trips.

This was an opportunity for him to address things in a semi decent manner and somehow he has managed to make things worse. He has completely misread the room.

Sounds like Jamie Fullarton coming in as director of football too. Sacked by Notts County, resigned from Halifax.

 

[Urban]

I fear for you things can only get worse.

Ive been proclaiming this for nigh on 3 years now. Things will almost certainly continue to get worse.

 

[AJS]

Sounds like Jamie Fullarton coming in as director of football too. Sacked by Notts County, resigned from Halifax.

Don’t involve him in anything on the pitch. Most boring manager we’ve had. Played for a 0-0 every game. Was so dull and uninspiring to watch.

He did some good things off the field though, particularly with our training facilities.

 

[BeeSting]

Fullarton to be appointed DoF. Bassey keeping the seat warm for Ardley in the summer according to sources. Has contractual agreements with Notts Co to adhere to and doesn’t want to put his name to this shower of sh*t group of players.

 

[#Beebot]

State of this.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1379550398554443781

 

[Pinner Stones]

Fullarton to be appointed DoF. Bassey keeping the seat warm for Ardley in the summer according to sources. Has contractual agreements with Notts Co to adhere to and doesn’t want to put his name to this shower of sh*t group of players.

I am surprised they even appointed anyone until the summer in any of the roles, but equally, I have heard that Gary Anderson only agreed to look after the team for one game and is fed up with it, as he isn’t a football manager. He was UK bobsleigh coach though.

Strange re Dave Anderson as he was coming in as Brennan’s number two, who in turn spoke out of turn to TK and was off the list, now DA is your goalkeeping coach.

If Ardley does come in the summer, he will be a decent appointment.

 

[Droo]

If Jamie Fullerton said today was Wednesday, I'd check.

Dreadful "manager" - avoid, avoid, avoid.

 

[jacobncfc]

Ardley would be a brilliant appointment for Barnet, but I’d want him as manager rather than head coach and to be in charge of signings. He did the kind of rebuilding job that Barnet will need this summer with us when we first came down, and he did it extremely well. I don’t think his strengths really lend themselves to just a head coach role, which is partly why he was never going to be at Notts into the long term with our new structure.

Fullarton was a disaster at Notts, but not all (or even most) of that was his own making, so I’m not sure we can take much of a view on what kind of role he’d do as DoF.

 

[Urban]

DoF at Barnet:

‘Tony we have scored 5 goals in 15 games. I have found these 10 targets and scoped them out - they all want to sign’

‘They’re too expensive’

‘Boss they’ve even said they’re happy to pay for their own water and parking at the Hive. You know how pissed off the players get when they first find that out’

‘Not happening. Instead i went to the only agent friend I have and he has a striker who I’ve signed instead’

‘Boss, he’s 37, currently has a torn ACL and was last playing for Hillingdon Borough’

‘Yeah but I only have to pay him £150 a week. Now push him over to the training ground or find a new job’

 

[Bee sting]

The only reason we have such a large squad of players is because of no income at the Hive, TK needed more car park money from players to maintain his personal 131 million wealth.

 

[Optipez]

Why on earth would Ardley want to have Fullarton working above him?
Being a manager's tough enough, turning Barnet around tougher still but carrying Fullarton for extra ballast is just going to wreck Ardley's chances.