The Lounge

[Singapore Don]

Agreed Windlesham. It’s a point I’ve made in posts elsewhere. We are really missing Darius Charles’s steadying hand and leadership in our young defence, and the older heads in midfield are so uninspiring in every way that thee is no leadership there. And no blood and guts motivational play up front either. The team is bereft of a real leader. It’s worrying, very worrying. I’m in Plymouth today where the heavens have opened to bucket down the rain for the rest of the day. Rather fits the mood and outlook of the club at the moment. Sunshine is forecast for tomorrow. We can only hope for sunnier times for us Dons. It’s all rather bleak right now.

[liamwimbo]

I’ve given a lot of thought to Wimbledon’s current situation over the last 24 hours, both before and after yesterday’s defeat at Plymouth. Too much time on my hands as a result of jetlag on the way back to Oz! Obviously I am disappointed at our current form and I began to wonder whether it is time for Neil Ardley to be replaced. But then I thought about how long I have been supporting this football club and tried to take a much longer term view. As someone who started watching the Dons in the late 60s, I was lucky enough to see three Southern League championships in a row as well as the excitement of those FA Cup runs. I also experienced the yo-yo years of successive promotions and relegations in the late 70s and early 80s under David Gradi and Harry. Neither of them was sacked when the club got relegated and of course Harry took the club all the way to the top level, from which they were only relegated 14 years later. The criminal decision to steal our club away in 2002 at least allowed us to climb the football pyramid again, celebrating promotion after promotion until we find ourselves where we are now. My very laboured point is that we have only suffered relegation three times in my lifetime, and two of those were swiftly followed by promotion the following season. A much better record than most of the teams scrabbling around in the lower reaches of the Football League. So should the club be relegated this season, does that automatically mean that Ardley should be sacked? With the dream of New Plough Lane soon to be a reality, should we not take a longer term view? I know that sounds like defeatism, but as long as we retain our League status, we will have proved the FA and the three man commission wrong.

I am posting this only on our forum, as I know how many venomous and abusive replies I would get on those other forums, which quite frankly are getting out of hand.

[Windlesham Don]

Interesting thoughts, Liam, and ones I agree with to a certain extent. However, there are other factors to consider here – if sticking with Ardley will take us down, but swapping managers would keep us up then should we stick with Ardley? Also, there is no guarantee that if we were relegated this season then we wouldn’t plummet straight into the Conference, it has happened before and League 2 is no league to enter lacking confidence and resources.

Sadly, our squads seem to have been getting worse rather than better over the last few seasons, despite an increased budget. We have lost all of our on-pitch leaders and not replaced them. The manager stated at the MtM evening that he was going for a ‘young and hungry’ squad this season, but there is very little sign of youth and absolutely no sign of hunger within the group! We are slow of thought (yesterday’s awful goal was yet another example of this) and slow of deed – there is a complete lack of pace in the squad.

Unless Ardley can get this squad playing as a unit, cutting out defensive concentration lapses and becoming more clinical in front of goal, then we are staring down the barrel of relegation. The only way to achieve this unity will be to spend extra hours on the training ground, with the commitment of both management and players. Now is not the time for group discussions, nor the time for team bonding exercises, it is the time for hard graft and hours spent on the training ground…

[Colum]

I wouldn’t compare the leagues of 25 years ago to today. Football is a very different beast.

I unsubscribed from the various online forums a couple of weeks ago. This is the only one I now frequent. This was brought about by the totally unpleasant atmosphere and downright abuse on just about every post. It’s not helpful to anyone, including the players.

Personally I’m not ready (yet) to call for a change of manager, even after the Plymouth game. Ardley still has a chance to get us out of this mess. If he doesn’t do this soon, then maybe he should go.

Just a thought that was mentioned elsewhere. Did anyone seriously expect us to be anywhere else than mid table at best come the end of April? Most would probably have put us as just outside the relegation spot. That’s exactly where we are.

So if I’m right, we can’t really complain. Sure we all want total football, but the reality is we’re not going to get it. If we finish 20th, that’s mission accomplished. It won’t be pretty, but it’s better to win ugly than not win at all.

This all comes down to whether the Board think Ardley has what it takes to achieve at least 20th place, and whether they have the nerve to stick with him if they do. It is a gamble, especially if we’re floating in or around the relegation positions.

[liamwimbo]

Hi John, thanks for the intelligent and reasoned response. We would all agree that preserving our league status is of paramount importance. If that means sacking Ardley, then so be it.

COYDs

[Windlesham Don]

Hi guys, just to make my particular view clear, I am not advocating the sacking of Ardley. However, in recent months I have moved from a firm supporter of his to someone who is not really fussed any more.

If Paul Hurst were to be sacked at Ipswich then I would jump at the chance of recruiting him, but other than that I am not sure whether there are many managers out there who would fit the bill, not just in terms of managerial record, but in terms of the type of character I would want to see as the figurehead of our club.

Sadly, that I am even considering names shows how low my confidence has become in the manager having the ability to keep us up…

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