Torquay United Fans Forum

brucie wrote:Blimey Michael Brough and Tyrone Thompson - two of the stars of the conference Bloody hell Brough was useless. I had forgotten about him. Buckle signed some good players but he signed some dross as well - Brough,Thompson,Adams,Dsane, Hodges,Banim,Christie - absolutely useless - the lot of them.

Ahahaha, what a motley crew that lot are. You're right though, Tezza, 7 absolute rotters there. Jody Banim the fattest man on Earth, with the exception of Eyesdown Christie. Hodges was at least 140 years old when he arrived. Roscoe D'Sane was a man so ironically named, it beggars belief. Adams "The Ghoul", excellent taste in cars (I bought a Focus off him, via a third party, it was a brilliant motor) but hopeless player. Michael Brough brought about an amusing song, but nothing more and Tommo, well, Tommo, Jesus Christ.
Still, you can't make an omelette without breaking a few eggs, so I'll forgive the spineless little weasel, but only just.

Matt.

Blimey Michael Brough and Tyrone Thompson - two of the stars of the conference Bloody hell Brough was useless. I had forgotten about him. Buckle signed some good players but he signed some dross as well - Brough,Thompson,Adams,Dsane, Hodges,Banim,Christie - absolutely useless - the lot of them.

PhilGull wrote: Ah, those were glorious times! I think I remember us signing 5 club captains from other BSP sides in the space of about a week?

With hindsight though, those players (Michael Brough from FGR and Tyrone Thompson from Halifax) who joined in May played a relatively small part in our promotion.

As CP Gull as already highlighted, holding out for the right players is a gamble. My biggest concern is that we haven't signed anyone, if ALL players are haggling over the money then it would suggest that the problem is at our end, either financial or the whole process. Pre-season is starting in about 18 hours and we will have half a squad. If we bring in good players over the next 2 weeks, then it will have paid off. If not, then we will be starting at a disadvantage come August.

good old buckle, i always liked him, whatever happened to that man!!??

Fonda wrote:What the ‘Buckle years’ did do is prove that if you have the budget – players will come to the Bay. We hoovered up what were considered at the time the best players in that division in his first summer with us. Unfortunately, no other TUFC manager before that or since has enjoyed such a relatively competitive budget.

Ah, those were glorious times! I think I remember us signing 5 club captains from other BSP sides in the space of about a week?

What the ‘Buckle years’ did do is prove that if you have the budget – players will come to the Bay. We hoovered up what were considered at the time the best players in that division in his first summer with us. Unfortunately, no other TUFC manager before that or since has enjoyed such a relatively competitive budget.

At the moment, I genuinely cannot work out whether Alan Knill is playing a very clever, cagey, waiting game in order to get the best value for the club out of the (relatively) meagre budget he has to play with or whether in fact he really is quite simply struggling to attract players to the club let alone convince them to sign!

It could be a complete masterstroke or it could be a complete disaster. I have no doubt that over time he will bring in the requisite numbers to make up a squad of 20 or so players BUT will these players be of sufficient quality and will they be Knill's first choices or will he have missed the boat on them, perhaps even already.

Unfortunately, given that this is his first close season with us, we really don't know how he operates, all we do know is that he did struggle to add loan players in sufficient numbers at the back end of last season although those that he did bring in (Labadie, Chapell) were undoubtedly impressive in terms of quality.

With the likes of Bury and Southend breaking their "ducks" today in terms of signing their first players this summer,by my reckoning the ONLY teams now left not to have signed a single player during the close season in League 2 are just Dagenham, Exeter (both pleading poverty!) and ourselves! That despite the fact that we have had one of the biggest clearouts in the division with half of our squad departing.

To be fair people around Bury say he left them in fix ail difficulties.

He left them 2nd in the table in league two, that team then finished 10th in league one whilst he wasn't there! Where has he left them in a mess?

Also I was told that team that went up over 50% of them have been sold for £££, or
Progressed back at there parent club.

Joe Skarz
Tom lees
Schumacher
MiKe Jones
David Worrall
Elliot Bennett
Kyle Bennett
Ryan Lowe

That's 8 from one team, I say let him spend what he wants!!

I DO agree with Brucie. The fact speaks for itself. Speculation is fun, but the reality is (as yet, anyway) there are no signings.

ROADRUNNER wrote:dont panic, the jigsaw will all come together. calm down dears!

Any names for us today RR? What insight can you give us to boost hopes?!!

dont panic, the jigsaw will all come together. calm down dears!

brucie wrote:Basically its impossible to judge what is right and what is wrong. The FACT is though that we only have half a squad and that will remain so until someone puts pen to paper. If Knill gets the players he is after that will be fine - if he doesn't then err it maybe panic time. Really we havn't got a clue what is happening.
All we do know is that several players have gone and none have been signed - other than this there isn't any point in pontificating what Knill is or isn't doing because noone really knows.

Yes Brucie, however isn't that the whole point of fans forums. And I am sure Wivel will be along soon to agree with you.. <3 ..

Basically its impossible to judge what is right and what is wrong. The FACT is though that we only have half a squad and that will remain so until someone puts pen to paper. If Knill gets the players he is after that will be fine - if he doesn't then err it maybe panic time. Really we havn't got a clue what is happening.
All we do know is that several players have gone and none have been signed - other than this there isn't any point in pontificating what Knill is or isn't doing because noone really knows.

Do agree Y4L, I also think it's down to pressure/weight of expectation, it's often said Torquay has a midtable League 2 budget so finish midtable League 2 goal achieved, so in terms of managing the pressure, the managers job at Torquay is one of the easier in English football and AK may be less inclined to blow the budget here, where as at Bury and Sc unthorpe greater things may have been expected maybe over and above what those clubs could really afford.

Shane (Fonda), I do in this case agree with AK, for our club to simply agree to an extra £50 week say for 5 new signings AK would have just added £12,000 to the clubs wage bill, maybe leaving no room to cover injuries towards the middle or later part of the season, think it's right to do that on a case by case basis, and young player with potential maybe, like Bobby.O there could be a huge pay back, but the club can't do it for every player, it's right at the moment it is a game of cat and mouse, if some of these players don't get the right offer elsewhere, they will soon be back., if they fair play and our club will have look elsewhere.

Regarding the signings (or lack of them), AK says exactly what you’d expect him to say. It’s about signing the right players, rather than rushing things. And our budget does have to be managed sensibly. But it doesn’t disguise the fact that other clubs ARE signing players – some are open to the right offer, now. Completely understand that players are on the whole, weighing up their options at this time, and let’s be honest if we’re in a bidding war with other interested parties, more often than not we’ll lose. But at some point we’re going to need to start being a bit more flexible with those we identify. It’s a fine-line, but we have to make the players we want feel valued. AK mentions players arguing over £50 – that would suggest we too are arguing over £50, which probably doesn’t come across well in negotiations.

As for the the pre-season friendlies. I guess the question comes down to priorities – is the aim to maximise revenue from people through the turnstiles, or is to actually properly prepare the team for the season ahead? Whilst it’s better financially to play League 1 or Championship level teams, what does the manager learn about the players against opposition that don’t want to play? Seems much better to play warm-up games against teams that want to be there, and want to win.