As so often happens in our sport, what in pre-season felt like the beginning of an exciting new era — with the arrival of 17 new signings, now feels much closer to a nightmare. Rather than injecting the team with enough squad depth to push on for promotion, the Minstermen are now winless in eight and staring down the barrel of relegation.
In the last three weeks alone, I’ve had the pleasure of speaking to three different York City managers, none of whom have been able to hold down a positive result. First up was boyhood City fan and head coach since February, Micheal Morton. At the start of the summer, Morton made headlines for building up a strong relationship with Matt Uggla immediately after the takeover. Unfortunately, it was the squad’s performance on the field that ultimately strained that relationship. I spoke with Morton on the 24th of August when City were only four without a win. At that point he still was confident of a turnaround, encouraging patience from the fan base.
“Obviously we didn’t ever suggest we’d be fighting for promotion this season, we’re looking to improve on last season and to achieve a strong top half finish […] I’m still confident we’ll have a successful season.”
He wouldn’t be afforded the time to oversee the turnaround himself, after failing to beat either of Dorking or Rochdale over the bank holiday weekend, Morton was relieved of duty — to be replaced by his assistant, Tony McMahon on an interim basis.
The intense calendar of National League football wasn’t waiting around for the Minstermen to regain their stability, as the Rochdale defeat was quickly followed up by a huge away fixture down in Ebbsfleet. Three days before kick-off, I had the opportunity to ask McMahon a couple of quick questions. Compared to Morton, his response was more focused and less ambitious — ‘To be honest I’m just targeting tomorrow.’
In the end McMahon’s spell in charge would last less than a week, a thumping 4-1 defeat suggested to the owners that a permanent appointment would be the only path to stability.
If there was one glimmer of hope to emerge from all the chaos— it was the arrival of Ardley on a three-year deal.
Late on the 6th of September the club did just that — appointing number three, as the vastly experienced Neal Ardley signed a three-year deal. If there was one glimmer of hope to emerge from all the chaos— it was the arrival of Ardley on a three-year deal.
City looked much more confident on his managerial debut, a 2-2 draw at home to Boreham Wood, — as The Minstermen took the lead twice only to be pegged back. I managed to grab a quick word with Mr Ardley, on his own ambitions and targets for the season.
‘I don’t think, at the moment, the team is capable of getting in the playoffs. That’s where I’ll look and that’s where I’ll aim, but the realism of it is that I need to just try and get some structure in place — show the players how to pick up some points.’
“I’m confident in mine and my coaching staff’s coaching ability, I’m confident in my tactics on teaching players how to play, because the way I’ve played across the last 3/4 years has ended up with two play off finals.”
Stay tuned on our website for regular updates as Ardley attempts to get York City back on track.
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