Torquay United Fans Forum

[quote="lucy6lucy"]Both will go down in Torquay folk law. But when you compare the nitty gritty of the 2 great escapes. I'm afraid nicho wins by a landslide. The turmoil of this season, the points deficit we faced in February, the player exodus ,it's not a great escape it's a miracle and should be made into a Hollywood blockbuster. However, as nicho stated its not just him that achieved this, it's the entire club infrastructure.[/quote]

I think it's important to remeber, Nico didn't just get rid of the dross, he also kept seeing top scorers disappearing out the door. Each time we all wondered just where the goals were going to come from but Nicho always managed to find someone else to take the reigns.

I can barely choose between the two. Both magnificent achievements, but each in their own way.

Nicho had to come from a lot further back and had to sustain it over a longer period during the lowest point in our clubs history. I therefore think he just about shades it. Atkins' escape should not be downplayed though. Going to top of the league Carlisle and spoiling their promotion celebration party was the shizzle!

Good question and one I've thought about posting myself.

Love the piece in the Lecistershire Pink about comparing Nicholson to Ranieri, not sure either could have done the others job to be honest. Not really a fair comparison, Atkins had so little time and Nicholson had so little anything really to work with, so on that basis if I had to choose it would be Nicholson because he's done something with virtually nothing and I like that in a football manager. For me though Nicholsons fortunes changed when he could stop playing and concentrate on managing. I understand he played sometimes because he had no other option but he can play for the last three now then hang up his boots :) Job well done.

Both will go down in Torquay folk law. But when you compare the nitty gritty of the 2 great escapes. I'm afraid nicho wins by a landslide. The turmoil of this season, the points deficit we faced in February, the player exodus ,it's not a great escape it's a miracle and should be made into a Hollywood blockbuster. However, as nicho stated its not just him that achieved this, it's the entire club infrastructure.

Unfair to choose between the two 'cos they have both achieved something remarkable. But for me, it has to be Nicho. He's the better minibus driver ......

[quote="chunkygull"]Atkins was a bigger achievement. It was league 2. Had only a few games to do it in, didnt have the luxury of time, patience and changing half the squad to do it. He did it with the players he inherited without excuses they werent his players that so many seem to make.[/quote]

The flip side of this is that he had some decent players in the squad and it was a totally different challenge to lift them to get 5 wins. I don't think Atkins would have come here in October and immediately won 5 on the spin with the squad we had then - it was a huge job to rebuild before any progress could be made.

Having said that, I would agree that comparing them is pointless. They were both the perfect men for the situations they were in and saved us, against the odds. Atkins built a very nice squad for the following season but any roots were destroyed when the club was sold to someone only interested in a stadium deal and Atkins was forced out... This is where their legacies will hopefully be different - Nicholson will be the manager who saved us and then took us forward.

Nicholson without a doubt. It's not an excuse when you have to ship out players who have no appetite to play for a club and bring in better ones on a shoestring and from much further back too. A short run of results is far easier to obtain than a sustained run as we've just witnessed. No doubts at all which was the better achievement.

Atkins was a bigger achievement. It was league 2. Had only a few games to do it in, didnt have the luxury of time, patience and changing half the squad to do it. He did it with the players he inherited without excuses they werent his players that so many seem to make.

bit unfair to compare....Both done managed to do what seemed like the impossible and keep us safe

Still Atkins for me. The fact that it was League 2, and in such a short space of time made me think that the possibility of survival was far less likely. What I will say though is I was at every game during the great escape that year, and I have attended none during this one, and that may have swayed my opinion and emotional attachment to the events

Not taking away anything from what Kev and the boys have done, of course, it was a marvellous achievement and I hope they build on it next year.

Onwards and upwards lads.

Vastly different situations. Atkins had 6 games to firefight, which was remarkable in a totally different way. It was a brilliant escape, when all looked lost.

For me, Nicholson's is greater because of the size of the job. He had to ship out the substandard and disinterested, THEN replace them with quality players, on a shoestring budget AND THEN make up the 12 point gap to safety. 30 points from our last 15 games would be 92 points over a full season - enough to win the title in a lot of years. That's over a sustained period as well, one third of the season. With the size of the task and resources at hand, over that length of time, I think it's got to be the greatest of great escapes. This is to avoid relegation to regional football and possible part-time status as well. Nicholson is a hero.

[quote="Timmytwonames"].I don't get it....everyone's saying TUFC are safe...but if they lose the last two, Bore
ham can catch up and have a better goal difference>>???[/quote]

Boreham word play guiseley next week, so as they both can't win they can't both catch us.

.I don't get it....everyone's saying TUFC are safe...but if they lose the last two, Bore
ham can catch up and have a better goal difference>>???

Here's a question for you, Atkins or Nicholson?

I remember the scenes when Ian Atkins saved us from relegation to the conference years ago. But believe what Nicho has achieved is miles above this when you consider the budget, team he inherited, low morale and general turbulence.