I wonder what we would save. Would the hire of the training ground from KCL be much cheaper? We'd need most of it for the first team. Do we pay the age group coaches anything more than expenses? I presume the two years of scholars are just on expenses as well. Would SB scrap the U23s too? If so what game time would anyone not getting regular minutes in the first team play? We could get rid of a couple of full time employees but the FA/EFL funding of the academy probably pays for them. We could save on coach/minibus hire. Probably we could almost afford to replace Nightingale, Hartigan and Sibbick with older players who'd get slagged off inside a month.

We have conceded three against Burton, Walsall and Scunthorpe. Wait till we play a decent side!

KD, it isnt the defense that is costing us. We cannot score goals. Last night again we had 20 shots on target. We need Hanson, Appiah, Jervis, Pinnock, Trotter, Wordsworth, Wagstaff to start chipping in.

Ardley's latest summer Big Idea was to reduce the average age of the squad. That he has done, and he was right to because last year's was pushing 30. He has recruited a particularly inexperienced defence, however, and that is going to cost us dear. But the point is it was Ardley's choice to sign them.

Just worth saying in the signings, Ardley signed Pigott and Pinnock who are doing well, he also signed Barcham, Oshilaja etc. He even signed Charles and Parrett. His signings have been as hit and miss as I’d expect considering we shop in the cheap and free transfer shelves and do so on the back of a very limited scouting structure. A new manager will just do what people accuse Ardley of doing and bring in players he has links to already. We’d need to invest more money in our transfer structure to improve the ratio of hits to misses.

Surrey Bob scrapping the youth set up isn’t as simple as just saving that money and the funding isn’t just from us so wouldn’t free up as much cash as it first seems.

Airsy, so was he in the squad last night?

At the end of the day no matter what any individual may think the buck stops with Ardley. The management team are all his people - whilst he didn't appoint Bassey he has happily retained and not replaced him. Ardley appointed Reeves to produce youth players to play the way he wants - this has, in the main, failed. The youth sides should all be scrapped and the not inconsiderable expenditure involved ploughed into the first team. His signings (loan or otherwise) are the ones that have failed and continue to fail in L1. His tactics are those that have failed/are failing on so many occasions in L1. Eventually, someone woke up to the fact that Brown had been retained too long and he was removed. The same should happen to Ardley by the start of November if things do not dramatically improve. No I don't expect a new manager to sky rocket us up L1 - particularly with the players he will inherit. But I would expect him to make a difference and develop us to achieve L1 stability.

Egan doesn't Chiggers. He's out on loan

Then maybe we should look at getting a specialised striker coach? We already have specialised keeper and defensive coaches. There must be loads of ex-pros out there with coaching badges all itching to get a foot on the coaching career ladder. The first thing I do on any Football Manger game with us is use a bit of the budget on coaching, because (in-game) we don't have enough coaches to cover all coaching positions. One more coach means less work for the coaches overall, and more individual time with the coaches for the players. It doesn't even need to be a full-time position.

At the risk of being accused of repeating myself again, making a manager change his assistants is equivalent to giving him his P45.

What I don't get about last night is why no Jervis or Wordsworth, even Appiah could have been on the bench and given more mins. All 3 players need games and Neal said it would be an opportunity for players to make claims for a starting spot at Accrington. So Wood and Egan have a chance on Saturday?

'NA is not achieving on the level of a club much larger and more established than we are so should be sacked' / 'NA is restrained by our small budget so his job should be safe'... Both bollocks.

I think we did that discussion a while back and came to the conclusion that we don’t really know for sure who coaches it.

Haha! No worries. I think you're right. Maybe the backroom team needs an overhaul? If Cox coaches our defence then who coaches our strikers? Bass?

Sorry bushmonkey the last two words was a comment on how Cox comes across not a response to you.

Bushmonkey I think it is too black and white to say lacks motivational ability. There are players who have been going nowhere he has got something out of and Taylor has said some telling things about him. But I’d ask the question is that all down to Ardley. He doesn’t do the coaching as far as I am aware and his assistant, the guy who should be key in all this, comes across as very abrupt and fuck you.

Windlesham fair point I’d forgotten NA publicised that fact. I would say Hartigan potentially (I mean slight possibility) challenges my first point about last night.

Our midfield/forwards seem to have a largely safety first attitude. Save for Pinnock/Piggot they are going through the motions. Does NA tell them to ‘try’ things?

Five straight home defeats in all competitons.

Aye maties, morning me hearties from me as well.

Kyle - if you don't like it then bye :)

I think Ardley's biggest problem (bar the fact he's a rubbish tactician) is that he lacks the necessary motivational skills. How many times have we heard about clear-the-air talks, or team meetings? This is also the reason we often seem so flat when starting the first or second half. We need to hire this guy for team talks: [Link]

Stating the bleeding obvious but Jervis was clearly a panick signing and will no doubt be released in Jan by which time hopefully we invest in a proper striker - maybe looking non league is best option like Pinnock Piggott. Don't need more defenders just better training required.

Lurks, sorry to disagree with your post, but what we actually learnt from last night was that when presented with an opportunity to press for a starting place in the first XI, virtually none of our fringe players had the desire/ability to do it!