Torquay United Fans Forum

Oh yes there is!!!

In all seriousness, why does it take so long to get an answer from a player? Take Joss Labadie. Just say for arguments sake we are 'in talks' with him with a view to bringing him to Plainmoor. Surely it's just a matter of asking him, 'do you want to come here Joss?' and then when he answers in the affirmative just iron out the creases, cross the t's and dot the i's and bingo. Why does it take so long? I mean after all it's only for a couple of months, it's nothing concrete or set in stone. It's a couple of months work and take it from there. I obviously know the player (whoever it may be ) has to discuss things with his family and this that and the other but i would have thought the player would have done that before heading down to Torquay and upon hearing the news that we were interested in signing them. Again, i like to keep things simple and striaght forward so i just don't see why we are having all these hold ups and lack of information from the club. Once a player has been identified, the protocols and procedures should be a piece of p*ss yes?

It's wednesday afternoon peoples and still no additions.

Well I can only talk for Bristol City here, but can talk with some authority, and some of you with dreams of playing league football in your youth may find this startling.

They have a host of players , and I mean a host, unwilling to to go on loan to a lower league club. The club have something like 36 Senior professional footballers (plus several more youngesters on 1 or 2 year contracts), many of whom do not even get on the bench for the ressies and yet several would never contemplate a loan move to a lower standard club. Before anyone comes on here and says they should do what their club want's it just does not work that way nowadays. They have it tied up in their contracts that they choose who they play for other than their parent club.

That leaves youngesters as the main target for smaller league clubs, this works for Bristol City as they get players some experience, keep them grounded and lessen the impact a massive squad has on day to day running (how does anyone manage the egos of 36 profesional footballers?) and O'Driscoll has indicated that he is looking to move younger players out on loan, but interestingly has made no mention of older players with any real experiance.

With clubs like Bristol City £41M in debt you would think they would want to thin their squad and lower their wage bill, but these excess players are more likely to be on £50K a week as appose to £50K a year so the impact Little old Torquay could have on wage costs is so minimmal it really does not count!

I can only assume most senior clubs are in similar positions and someone coming to us on loan is more likely to be a wippersnapper at a bigger club or a player in league 1 or 2 who's contact runs out at the end of the season and has a point to prove

Is there any reason why we can't contact relatively nearby clubs like Southampton, Bournemouth, Yeovil, Bristol City and get some players in on loan from them? They wouldn't have to move, just get them to train as normal with their clubs and join up with the Torquay squad on a matchday. I know it's a barmy scenario but it gets players in and negates the issue for players to move down to Torquay.

We have been in similar even worse positions in the past, and the club has allways managed to attract loan signings, yes location, current form is a factor, however I do think one vital point has been missed, timing.

The club has allways acted quicker, early in the season in the past, in January you get a lot of players open to a loan move, many are already aware/believe they going to be released by the parent club, so want to secure a new club or put themselves in the shop window.

Trouble is when you get to march most of those players have been snapped up, and the sort of experienced player you are looking for is either not availible or quite happy to sit tight and wait for the summer, at this time of the seaosn the best bet is premier league youth loans and it appears Alan Knill does not want that.

Even if you take the huge factor of location out of the equation it still doesn't look an attractive proposition to a possible incoming player.

"Hey, I know you haven't been playing for your mediocre League One club but rather than collecting your wages by going to training every week do you fancy joining a side that has had an alarming slump and could very well be relegated? I mean, that would be a great thing to have on your CV!"

"No thanks."

I always thought it would do. It's a totally different ball game trying to get people in when we're doing well!!

Last week we asked 10 players to come in on loan and we got a big fat no from every one of them. I think location is having a bigger impact than mr knill ever thought.

forevertufc wrote:Nile Ranger, rather see us sign a Ford Ranger, and yes I use to own such a heap of junk.

Rather we sign a local...a Corbett

Nile Ranger, rather see us sign a Ford Ranger, and yes I use to own such a heap of junk.

(#wasteofdataallowance)

How about Pele or Maradona? Lol lol lol

Free agents Nile Ranger, Papa Bouba Diop any takers?

Can't we get Ryan Giggs on loan..? He seems to be a promising young player, and the experience should be a boost for his career..

You maybe would have thought the board might have broached the subject of what players Knill was able/likely to bring in before they appointed him. Knill/Taylor scratching around at a Bristol City Under 21 game had alarm bells ringing in my ears. It seems that we cannot get anything right.