Torquay United Fans Forum

Tom told me that he agreed to sign for Torquay because it is a two year contract. I also think he is very talented and I like the way he swishes his hair !

[quote="ferrarilover"]Sorry, I've missed this, did the Revolution (is that right, NE Revolution?) try to sign him?

Matt.[/quote]

He had a two-week trial. I believe they wanted to take him on but it would have been difficult; not only financially (the Revs pay terribly, even compared with other MLS teams), but practically speaking - it would have been really had to get a green card for him. Lack of international experience, profile etc. To be honest I was surprised they even bothered giving him a trial, but I guess as he was looking for a club it didn't hurt them. I've spoken people closer to the team than me (I have a press pass for there but I don't go that often - it's 3 hours drive) and they seem to suggest the management and players were quite impressed.

Think MLS would be a really good place for young players to give it a go were it not for the tricky situations with immigration. Kerrea Gilbert (ex of Arsenal) had agreed a deal with Portland but they wouldn't let him in thanks to his criminal record (think it was a drink-drive thing).

Sorry, I've missed this, did the Revolution (is that right, NE Revolution?) try to sign him?

Matt.

[quote="ferrarilover"]Blimey, I thought I was alone in realising the quality that Cruise has, glady, it appears not.

Matt.[/quote]

No, you're not alone. Spoken to a few people at New England and they said he was great, they just couldn't guarantee him anything. (there are some bloody stupid contracts in MLS). Always thought he'd make a good player.

Blimey, I thought I was alone in realising the quality that Cruise has, glady, it appears not.

Matt.

[quote="forevertufc"]Please forgive me, I had not meant to suggest Cruise was a waste of money due to the player having a lack of quality or not being good enough. Us fans have talked a lot this season on the clubs lack of budget, and as we all know clubs in our position need squads with a fair number of flexible players in it, players that can cover two positions if needed of course.

In Thomas Cruise we could well have the most expensive left back in waiting in league 2, if our budget is so small then we simply cant have a quality young left back in the squad waiting for the player infont of him to retire, and thats is why I suggest he is a waste of money. Just to go off at a tangent here, think Nicho has had some very good games also think he has had his fair share of bad games aswell, Cruise surely could have/or can come in and give Nicho a rest.[/quote]

No offence meant towards you Dave!
I suspect Nico will be given a rest if our form continues to be so poor. Not singling him out but in Cruise we have a more than adequate replacement waiting in the wings and it could be time to bring fresh faces (not that we have many!) into a side who are not performing.

Please forgive me, I had not meant to suggest Cruise was a waste of money due to the player having a lack of quality or not being good enough. Us fans have talked a lot this season on the clubs lack of budget, and as we all know clubs in our position need squads with a fair number of flexible players in it, players that can cover two positions if needed of course.

In Thomas Cruise we could well have the most expensive left back in waiting in league 2, if our budget is so small then we simply cant have a quality young left back in the squad waiting for the player infont of him to retire, and thats is why I suggest he is a waste of money. Just to go off at a tangent here, think Nicho has had some very good games also think he has had his fair share of bad games aswell, Cruise surely could have/or can come in and give Nicho a rest.

Richins that is exactly what I'm hearing and the lad is just biding his time and maybe out of loyalty the change hasn't been made as yet but it will come and as Tom is a young lad he has time on he's hands. As you stated you only have to watch the reserve matches and I've spoken to a few of the players and he is very well thought of .

[quote="supergulls"]I don't agree with Tom cruise being a waste of money, when I have spoken to people at the club they all say he is a top quality player and I think he will be a fantastic aquirement for the future. From what I have been told he will start to become more prominent soon as nicho isn't getting any younger.[/quote]

Agree - Nico (rightly so) is holding that spot down but anybody who knows something from reserve games and from training will tell you Cruise is quality and Ling thinks very highly of him.

I don't agree with Tom cruise being a waste of money, when I have spoken to people at the club they all say he is a top quality player and I think he will be a fantastic aquirement for the future. From what I have been told he will start to become more prominent soon as nicho isn't getting any younger.

Yep understand cash flow, the biggest blow was losing the Exeter game it's likely we would have seen a 5000+ crowd for that game the club will have to factor in the cost of the postponement and take into account shift wokers and exiles who may not be able to attend the new date. However as said this game will be played and with an unexpected £10,000 (sky)coming in from City away any losses from this game will be in part made up.

[color=#FF0000]Mav[/color]Get excatly where your coming from, I dont intent this thread to turn into another "what can the club do to increase gates figures" They have that in hand, bristows bench should have helped increase gate figures up to now it has not in fact our current ave gates are about the same as Jan 2011 and 2012. This could well be down to the standard of football being played, the worry is if this continues the attendances will fall further, it's not all about winning or achieving 80% possession, but atleast dominate long periods of the game, force a number of corners, sting the gloves of the other teams keeper, overall we are not doing that no where near enough.

I have said it a number of times and mean it, I am no fan of bringing in loan signings for the sheer sake of it, however we have gone through the season with a large number of injuries mainly to our attacking options, thats when clubs in our postion that can not go out and sign players permanently here there and everywhere need to go into the loan market. Another problem to me is we as a club seemed to have wasted a large chuck of our budget signing Thomas Cruise what on earth was to point, he seems to offer nothing to the squad, he cant play at centre back, Nicho's had an up and down season, Cruise cant seem to challenge him for the left berth either, had we signed a left back /stroke centre back the money thats was allways in the pot for loan top ups could have brought in an attacking option for December rather than Angus McDonald.

Finaly I feel the chairman, Directors and team manager must get over the same message publicly, we have seen Simon Baker talking things up and the same time Lingy talking things down. Chairman says the clubs ready to move on to the next level, team manager says we cant we have no money..huh? We must stop as a club right through the management and down to the fans feeling so sorry for ourseves and constantly bleeting on about having no money, look at the likes of Aldershot, Morecambe and others who are working of the same even lower gate figures than us, dont see them bleeting on, just getting on with the job doing the best they can with what they have. We have to do the same.

I agree with Mr. Mav. It's the [i]quality[/i] of the football this season which is the main point here. Surely the management can serve up something better than this? Having to drive a one hundred mile round trip to games I rarely question making the journey, but the performances this season have been so uniformly awful (with one or two exceptions) that I'm really doubting my motivation to go the Exeter game. Yes, we all like to win, but if, in losing, we have served up some good quality and exciting football, then even the most critical supporter will grudgingly admit to having seen a good game. Winning brings in the crowds, yes, but knowing that you're going to see a good game even if we lose keeps the floating fan (of which I am NOT one) at Plainmoor; In April I will celebrate my fiftieth anniversary of coming to Plainmoor and supporting United.

I would suggest what is probably more disturbing is that with the current level of football being played(bloody awful at that). If this continues along this vain for the rest of the season, the downturn in supporters coming through the gate will continue in a downward trend. Surely it would be wise to invest in wages to bring in a couple of loan players and turn the teams fortune around with a view to keeping these supporters at games. I'm a season ticket holder and i find myself increasingly not wanting to bother going to games due to the current tripe we are playing. I would suggest I am more likely to not renew my season ticket next year, but pick and choose which games I wish to attend rather than forking out £500+

Sometimes it could be just a cash flow problem with two recent home games called off in December we have had no money coming in but wages still have to be paid. I don't see it being a long term problem as once the games are replayed we will gain the revenue back.

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