Torquay United Fans Forum

Fonda wrote: If Knill was as bad as you suggest, I wonder if he would have had 'years to develop as a manager'? Clubs keep employing him so he must offer something. There are a great many 'football managers' and 'coaches' that spend long periods out of the game. Knill doesn't seem to' which suggests either he was born under lucky sign, or he's actually got more about him than many are prepared to consider.

hector wrote: It's more likely, who was available, in a hurry and who is his mate. I'm sure if he went through a thorough recruitment process he could have come up with someone better but he was in a hurry. What is telling, I suppose, is that the available Alan Knill wasn't actually given the manager's job at Northampton. If he was so fantastic, surely that club should have leapt at the chance of taking him.

However, good to see you are finally giving the actual manager of Northampton a bit of credit for his work. I thought - well the impression you give, at least - he was leaving it all to his assistant who was the true mastermind behind Northampton's revival.

stefano wrote: Chris Wilder is a very good manager at this level. Who did he go for to help him in a difficult job when he was appointed? Alan Knill. Nobody else from the hundreds of football managers and coaches out of work. Alan Knill. Fonda was absolutely right. Being used for his contacts if you are right suggests he has actually built up those contacts from many years in the professional game. Perhaps Mr Wilder, a very good manager, recognised what he could bring to the table.

Well just a thought!

stefano wrote: La Camorra sa molto simpatico Scott. Non preoccupa!

E anche mille grazie a Tassi Signora. Era assolutamente corretto!

stefano wrote: La Camorra sa molto simpatico Scott. Non preoccupa!

E anche mille grazie a Tassi Signora. Era assolutamente corretto!

arcadia wrote: Brian Kidd a prime example a good number 2 but did not have a clue when in the hot seat, Knill is very much the same he had contacts and Wilders using him.

Fonda wrote: If Knill was as bad as you suggest, I wonder if he would have had 'years to develop as a manager'? Clubs keep employing him so he must offer something. There are a great many 'football managers' and 'coaches' that spend long periods out of the game. Knill doesn't seem to' which suggests either he was born under lucky sign, or he's actually got more about him than many are prepared to consider.

Fonda wrote: If Knill was as bad as you suggest, I wonder if he would have had 'years to develop as a manager'? Clubs keep employing him so he must offer something. There are a great many 'football managers' and 'coaches' that spend long periods out of the game. Knill doesn't seem to' which suggests either he was born under lucky sign, or he's actually got more about him than many are prepared to consider.

gullintwoplaces wrote: "Publicly campaigned"? Come off it, he made a few comments whilst he had a job as a media pundit. It seems many on here are determined to lynch CH at a very early stage in his managerial career. Knill has had years to develop as a manager, but still screwed up at Plainmoor. CH has had just three months. Sure he has made mistakes, not least of which was signing Stevens, but he didn't sign the lemons that Knill put on long term contracts.

Sunnysideup wrote: We did have problems with it getting waterlogged fairly regularly. The guys would use astroturf, Plainmoor if possible and sometimes the beach if the tide was out for training.
Hate to think what the racecourse was like after the rain we had this winter.

Mind you, we hadnt spent 250k (or whatever it is) on it, so probably didnt gripe too much because of that....

Gulliball wrote:Does anyone know the latest with our training ground? We used to train at the Racecourse, which probably wasn't ideal, but was never heavily criticised by any of our previous managers.

Scott Brehaut wrote:Anybody going by the name "Stefano" must have links to Italy and, therefore, the Mafia.

Hence why I often ensure that I've not said too much to upset him, in case I should wake up one morning to find a horses head next to my pillow....

stefano wrote:If it has taken him so long as manager to realise the severe financial constraints the club are under and that the expensive training facility is not fit for purpose, one would assume that he had no idea of these factors and the difficulties the previous manager was working under when he publicly campaigned to create a job vacancy from the comfort and safety of a television studio