Tuesday night is when the REAL season starts.

[AustrianAndyGull]

Now is the time for us fans to forget about the total shambles that this season has been thus far and to put all the blame and accusations to one side. That's all water under the bridge now and what has gone has gone and there's nothing we can do about it.

All we can do now is support the team like we mean business and that means those that can adding to the gates for our remaining home games, those that can swelling the away followings and those that can / always wanted to but too embarrassed to do so to sing and cheer through our games.

Two games ago i was 100% convinced we would be relegated and i based this on form obviously but also a lack of aptitude for the task in hand from the players and also the never ending trend of defeats accompanied by atrocious performances which i could not see anybody changing willingly or by default. Despite much fervent opposition to my views i stuck with them and i still feel that should we ever rewind to 3 games back and beyond then we WILL go down. No doubts whatsoever.

Knill doesn't appear to be willing to continue that trend of catastrophic, lame, turgid, dire, hopeless, directionless football as one would hope he has now seen what he has to work with and can now set about moulding the side into one able to battle mentally and physically to the finish line. The last 2 results and importantly, performances have turned me from doom-monger to beacon of light in the space of 5 days and it's ironic because in my view it is mainly down to a simple thing. A thing which many of you say i lack - POSITIVITY.

I've been crying out for positivity in our play for months and months and months and months and i got the same bland unadventurous cack under Ling and Taylor but i'm not going to discuss that now like i said. Playing a positive style of football and wanting to go and attack changes the mindset in players and they get belief and confidence back. We've actually gone behind twice in a week to a couple of tricky sides and NOT LOST.

In the context of what has gone on before this season that is actually a minor miracle. I've been at many games this season when we've gone a goal down and said, "that's it - game over", and it was. Not only was it game over but our performances deteriorated alarmingly after conceding. To rescue 2 draws from losing positions at Dagenham and Southend whilst attempting to win the game doesn't necessarily prove to me that we've turned the corner but it certainly comes close.

Bringing Benyon was a mistake, bringing in Labadie was a masterstroke, bringing in Chappell well, we'll see. What Knill has shown these last couple of games is that he isn't afraid to chop and change and although it sounds as if the selection of Craig in a different position today didn't quite come off, he at least has the bravery to try things. Trying things is what we needed to do, try and then hope these experiments work out. Under Ling we didn't do this unless absolutely necessary and he would have lost us our league status IMO.

What i'm trying to say is that i'm kind of understanding what Knill is trying to do and although there are selections and substitutions i would / wouldn't have made, i'm not the manager and he is and so as long as we are making progress then who am i to argue? It's been really difficult to try and give Knill the benefit of the doubt given the home results and it IS this home hoodoo that does have me extremely concerned as i feel we need to beat either York or Chesterfield this next week as a bare minimum. If one of these games isn't won then i revert back to my original view that we are possibly going down as it's all well and good earning a point at Accrington and a point at Dagenham and a point at Southend but at some point we are going to have to win a game of football. In the meantime some of the other clubs at the bottom are chalking up wins. We NEED a win next week. Nothing else will do.

There are a handful of clubs on 40 points now and it's a race to the finish so i am more than prepared to leave the negativity inside me for this vital run in. It's pointless as things just have to run their course now.The season starts on tuesday night with the visit of the Spireites and EVERYONE must get behind the team regardless. I've accepted the fact that there is a high likelihood that we might be a conference club next season so for me personally, it's not a big deal anymore. I know who i hold responsible should this happen and we move on. I'll still bust a gut to get to as many games as i can and i'll still have a club to support that's the main thing.

[ROADRUNNER]

good post andy, i have stood by knill as i think he needed time to turn us around and i feel that if he keeps us up he will turn this team around next season as he did with bury, the team are now believing and hopefully the fans are as well, as you say the fans now need to get behind the team, i just wish the public of torbay would do there stuff, we now need the fans to do there bit, so come on lets make some bloody noise on tuesday

[lucy6lucy]

Great post Andy. We basically need a win next week, if that means win 1 lose 1 then so be it, I will take that now(and no I havnt got a bet on that). What is a relief is that we are playing well over the last 2 games. COYY..

[AustrianAndyGull]

Unbelievable!!


(Me too )

( but i hate it when people go ott with the language when kids are around so i hope you maintain a certain sense of decorum around the little ones Bix. Oh, you hate kids too but it was worth a try! )

[brucie]

I wouldn't be writing Benyon off just yet. He just needs a goal.

[Scott Brehaut]

I wouldn't be writing Benyon off just yet. He just needs a goal.

I agree with this....and we may need a goal sooner rather than later as the way Howe is going we won't have him for a few matches soon!!

[Wisconsin_gull]

Through my limited lens which is GullPlayer it is possible to see a greater purpose in the team since halftime at D&R. The 2 loanees look to be good additions - well done Mr Knill.
Feels like we may have hit bottom and are now about to build once more
All of a sudden results feel possible again, would like to get to 50pts before the final 3 fixtures - please

COYY

[Gullscorer]

We're going to win. And it'll be the start of a winning run!