York City are on the search for their third manager of the season after sacking boss Neal Ardley in a bid to avoid relegation.
The club have decided to terminate Ardley’s time in charge at York, with the club currently sitting 20th in the table in the National League. They are just one point clear of the relegation zone, with Dorking Wanderers, 21st, having a game in hand.
The looming threat of returning back to the National League North for York means that the search for a new manager will commence promptly to try and save their season.
They went into the 2023/24 campaign with Michael Morton at the helm, before seeing his depart on the 28th of August 2023, then in came Neal Ardley, but leaves with a 29.4 win percentage, picking up 10 wins in his 34 games in charge.
Club Statement: Neal Ardley.#YCFC 🔴🔵
— York City FC (@YorkCityFC) February 26, 2024
The club said in a brief statement on Monday afternoon: “York City FC have today confirmed the immediate departure of Manager Neal Ardley.
“He will work with the owners on a smooth transition and Tony McMahon will be appointed interim manager. A search is already underway for a permanent replacement.”
Co-Chairs Matt and Julie Anne Uggla said: “We’d like to thank Neal for his contribution to this incredible club both on the pitch and behind the scenes. We wish him well for the future. We now look forward to the next chapter for York City. We are working hard to be able to upstate the fans on the new appointment.”
Ardley said after defeat at Barnet, per York Press: “We have got eleven cup finals, and we can’t play the way we did in that first-half.
“As a manager, I take full responsibility, people can give me stick because it is what the job is.
“My job is to get the players to play with energy, but I’ve just said to them in there that I can take the responsibility, but when you turn up and don’t lay a glove on them, then that is disappointing for me.
“We don’t train that way, we don’t play that way and we haven’t played that way for six or seven games.
“That’s disappointing, we never got going and found ourselves 1-0 down to a team that are third in the league, we had to chase the game.
“The first-half particularly we were really disappointed. What we worked on yesterday was not how we set up to play, I thought we were lethargic, we was tepid, we lacked energy and I don’t know where it has come from. We haven’t played that way in a while.
“It’s really disappointing, in the second-half we changed the shape, we were much better and much more front foot, and when you’re chasing a game against a good team then you need to take your chances.
“We had several of them missed, and we needed to stay tight at the back, we forced them into long ball and then didn’t win those headers.
“They are the two disappointing things with the second-half, we’ve missed our chances and then made a mistake.
“In my half-time team talk, I could have taken any one to eleven players off.
“That’s the most disappointing thing, we worked really hard yesterday on how we were going to tackle the game and be brave, almost play with a front three and be aggressive.
“We never got close, we never closed down with any intensity and let them do whatever they wanted with the ball.
“When you let a good team do it, they pick you apart.
“Our quality, even when we gained it in great areas, our decision-making and quality had no zip about us. It was so painful to watch, I’m sure it was for the fans but it was for me as well.
“That’s nothing like how we worked on, they did get a roasting at half-time and they did get a kick up the backside.”
Ardley said on Ryan Fallowfield’s injury, and the supporters: “I haven’t spoke to the physio in there, just to the general group.
“I don’t know what the situation is.
“Amazing, they kept singing all the way through and they kept going.
“We gave them nothing to shout about in the first-half, I would have been angry if I was them in the first-half and would have been disappointed with the result.
“I would have been a lot more happy with how my team went about in the second-half, but you can’t come away from playing third in the league by playing for 45 minutes.
“We’ve ended up losing the game.”
Twitter users reacted as York City search for their third manager of the season after sack their boss to avoid relegation…
@itslennonmate: @matt_uggla cheers pal, always wanted to go back to Curzon Ashton
@eeevierose: Lol, hope those of you that were calling for this are happy now
@TS_Minstermen: Well… I didn’t really see that coming. I’ve had my reservations about Neal Ardley over the past few weeks and his commitment, motivation and management of the squad. Thought like everyone else we needed to see this season out and then let him get on with things for next season. Massively surprised and slightly suspicious as to what has caused such a knee jerk reaction 🤔 York City FC | #YCFC
@morganzwynne: Everyone calling for ugglas head for this not forgetting if they was running a business that was failing drastically then they wouldn’t make the same decision? Let’s not forget how well ardley has being backed by uggla. Clearly wasn’t working out 👍
@tommyf1996: Genuinely shocked. I know my comments have not always been positive of Uggla but today has hit a new low. Bizarre timing, are we hoping for a new manager bounce? Still have that dream anyway that one day we will be a “normal” club. #ycfc
@Alexhewitt29192: Right decision , plenty of his own signings plenty of time still look shit and only heading one way , back to regional football with them tinpot lot down the road #ycfc
@NicoYork: Askey til end of the season, we stay up and he gets a new contract. Wastes the summer budget on shite (again) and we sack him again. What a club #ycfc
@siddlysid: Do not get askey back. It was right for him to go when he did. Do not go for sentiment. #ycfc
@TheSasquatch74: Right decision, we are painful to watch & needs fresh ideas & a plan
@_TomWilson10: Never a boring day supporting the club
@newbold_matty: What an absolute joke. With a pre season and the chance to build a squad Ardley could’ve done well with us
@alexbe11: every time you hope the club’s made progress it points a shotgun at its own feet and pulls the trigger repeatedly
@finHunter18: Terrible decision, should have at least been given Wealdstone and Fylde games, to sort things out. Hitting the panic button now I feel is going to be a silly decision, which will cost us… #ycfc
@Al_Goforth: This club never makes sense. Who is going to get to grips with this mess that quick to give us any hope of survival? I fear our time is up at the dizzy heights of NL.
@lotslottie16: Jesus wept. The merry go round continues.
@Spencer93971733: All in all honestly think it’s the right decision he wasn’t winning the games that counted and hasn’t implemented a style of play in over 30 games here squad on Saturday was mostly his so can’t make that excuse and he’s excluding players who will have put us on the front foot
@LowleyW: This is Ardley the right time of the season to be doing this??
@0l1v3r_Sp3nc3r: What the fuck is wrong with this football club. This is disgraceful @matt_uggla
@RichTheRed252: I’ve only been watching York for 4 seasons but the Dorking game was the worst I’ve seen them play. No urgency, no plan, no effort and no clue. Players need to shoulder the responsibility but Ardley not blameless and seemed powerless to change games when things were not working.
@JakeScott7744: Hopefully we can get a new manager bounce and stay up, seens a rash decision tho. #ycfc
I’m going to go against the grain here- I can completely see why this decision was made
Obvs wanted Ardley to do well
But there was no clear style at all. Way, way too many draws
In their last 32 games they’ve not scored more than 2 in a single game
Big appointment next #ycfc https://t.co/rsvqYtSSmM
— tomhwilliams23 (@tomhwilliams23) February 26, 2024
You must be logged in to post a comment Login