Thank You Board

[Trojan 67]

Wild Bill Phillips

I wish I'd said that

Better than Wild Bill C*ckup is

Buffalo Bill Phillips

Smell it ?

[wodger of awabia]

Yes Dave I agree.
We have lost a very capable manager who did very well for the club, before his illness, people were critical of his style of football, but you can only play to the strengths & abilities of the players you have available at the club. It takes time for a manager to recruit the right players to play more expansive football, at least more than a season or two, especially if transfer funds are non existent.
M.L. (I.M.O.) should have been given a chance, say 10-15 games to prove that he was fully fit & up to the job. We are now in almost "panic stations" to sign a new manager, other clubs may be keen to prize away our out of contract players before our new manager gets a chance to make them an offer.

[Fonda]

Take your points Dave, and I'm not knowledgeable about the goings-on within the boardroom. I'll take your word for who has and who hasn't behaved appropriately in there. I know enough to say that the focus of the club as a whole was wrong this season. There was evident complacency, resulting in total disregard for the quality of the playing squad. But what I can also say, as a watcher of the football team, is that the manager got plenty wrong too. His squad building last summer (when he was given funds) was poor. Overloaded with average wingers and pragmatic midfielders, and only two strikers in the squad? The football he preached was dreary. Score one and defend for your lives - it affected attendances and would have continued to do so. I personally think they had to make the change, in the hope a new man would re-inspire the supporters.

[Plymouth Gull]

Yes Dave I agree.
We have lost a very capable manager who did very well for the club, before his illness, people were critical of his style of football, but you can only play to the strengths & abilities of the players you have available at the club. It takes time for a manager to recruit the right players to play more expansive football, at least more than a season or two, especially if transfer funds are non existent.
M.L. (I.M.O.) should have been given a chance, say 10-15 games to prove that he was fully fit & up to the job. We are now in almost "panic stations" to sign a new manager, other clubs may be keen to prize away our out of contract players before our new manager gets a chance to make them an offer.

Re: the bolded bit. You have to admit though that some of the "entertainment" served up was rubbish, wasn't it? The fact that Knill has come in and got the same squad of players playing more attacking football and scoring goals is the difference. Part of me wonders just when the first effects of illness took it's toll on Ling, but I guess it's something we'll never know.

I think the decision was right, and we should thank the board for making a decision early, but at the same time if we lose lots of time now then we could be going into pre-season with no real squad, which would not be a good situation.

[hector]

Yes Dave I agree.
We have lost a very capable manager who did very well for the club, before his illness, people were critical of his style of football, but you can only play to the strengths & abilities of the players you have available at the club. It takes time for a manager to recruit the right players to play more expansive football, at least more than a season or two, especially if transfer funds are non existent.
M.L. (I.M.O.) should have been given a chance, say 10-15 games to prove that he was fully fit & up to the job. We are now in almost "panic stations" to sign a new manager, other clubs may be keen to prize away our out of contract players before our new manager gets a chance to make them an offer.

The board could not have waited 10-15 games - possibly a 3rd of the season - to see if Ling might fail. The crowds would have vanished, the season, other than another battle for relegation, would have been over. There was no other option but to part company with Martin Ling because, really he had been away too long. People had moved on and had decided they didn't miss him or his style of football. Harsh on him perhaps, and I do feel sorry for him but the reality of the situation was that with so many people pro-Knill, it meant by default they were anti-Ling and it would have been cruel to put him through that. He would have been on a losing wicket before he started.

At least the board have acted when it felt like they were sitting watching the club go down the pan.

AS for Ling being denied funds, I would love to know if this is true and who has said this. Or is it all conjecture? In the same vein I was told that the board offered Ling funds for players but he wanted to use his own players and not create disharmony by bringing others in. That came from one of the directors so I don't know who to believe.

[wodger of awabia]

This is what I think hector,
I.M.O. the board have acted at the wrong time altogether. We are without a manager to organize the retained list & re sign our out of contract players ( unless of course the board have already appointed a manager who is working on it behind the scenes ). It is possible that Saah, Downes & Howe to just name three, are considering offers from other clubs, & getting a few phone calls. Leadbitter is on the PFA available list so it would appear that he considers that his future is not with T.U.F.C. pity, I felt that he was going to break into the team next season.
The better out of contract players from other clubs could be receiving offers, & where are we ?...........without a blo##y manager!!...U S C without a paddle!.......left behind at the starting post whilst other clubs are getting first dibs! In addition M.L. compensation money may have to come out of the new player budget.

[hector]

This is what I think hector,
I.M.O. the board have acted at the wrong time altogether. We are without a manager to organize the retained list & re sign our out of contract players ( unless of course the board have already appointed a manager who is working on it behind the scenes ). It is possible that Saah, Downes & Howe to just name three, are considering offers from other clubs, & getting a few phone calls. Leadbitter is on the PFA available list so it would appear that he considers that his future is not with T.U.F.C. pity, I felt that he was going to break into the team next season.
The better out of contract players from other clubs could be receiving offers, & where are we ?...........without a blo##y manager!!...U S C without a paddle!.......left behind at the starting post whilst other clubs are getting first dibs! In addition M.L. compensation money may have to come out of the new player budget.

Well, the fact that the club have acted quickly to sort the managerial issue should please you. They couldn't persist with a manager they didn't want simply to sort out the retained list. Had this been under Mike Bateson we would have been waiting until June/July for our new manager.

[ROADRUNNER]

well hopefully if knilly agrees he will be installed by the weekend

[nickbrod]

According to DT in today's online WMN Alan Knill has been offered the job and a decision is expected in the next 48 hours. The delay could be because the Board are keen for the new manager to live locally.
Perhaps Knill and his wife need to visit a few estate agents and properties first before agreeing a deal.

[brucie]

Ling was saying himself around Christmas time that there was room in his budget for loan signings so its a question of who you believe really.

[Plymouth Gull]

Well, the fact that the club have acted quickly to sort the managerial issue should please you. They couldn't persist with a manager they didn't want simply to sort out the retained list. Had this been under Mike Bateson we would have been waiting until June/July for our new manager.

Exactly. We're in a better position now than we were two years ago after Buckle ditched us.

[tufcbrett]

Knill only stayed in Torquay for a week for the reason of looking for a home. He wouldn't be on holiday here after living there for the last few months. I could be wrong but doesnt add up to me.

In honestly think most players already know there futures with the club, with the ones we want the deals are trying to be done asap.

He will be manager by the end of the week

[Alpine Joe]

brucie

Ling was saying himself around Christmas time that there was room in his budget for loan signings so its a question of who you believe really.

Not just who you believe, but it can sometimes seem that we'll believe some things a person says when it suits us, and prefer not to believe them if it doesn't tally with the case we're trying to make.

I was a little surprised by Brucie telling us on Monday that Lingy "didn't seem at all bothered" in his post match interview after our F.A Cup defeat versus Harrogate, and it really does just come down to whether you are willing to dismiss the words someone is saying and draw a totally different conclusion. From the same interview the BBC got the impression that Ling was "angry" while brucie got the impression that Ling "didn't seem at all bothered"

At the time when Ling stated he was "Massively disappointed" I probably believed him. Should anyone wish to re-listen and draw their own conclusion whether Ling really didn't care less, or whether it's an attempted hatchet job by brucie then here's a link http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/20205318

[Behind-the-Gulls]

According to DT in today's online WMN Alan Knill has been offered the job and a decision is expected in the next 48 hours. The delay could be because the Board are keen for the new manager to live locally.
Perhaps Knill and his wife need to visit a few estate agents and properties first before agreeing a deal.

Choice between living in Sheffield or moving to Torbay.................difficult one that !

[wodger of awabia]

According to DT in today's online WMN Alan Knill has been offered the job and a decision is expected in the next 48 hours. The delay could be because the Board are keen for the new manager to live locally.

Perhaps Knill and his wife need to visit a few estate agents and properties first before agreeing a deal.

We should never sold the club houses all those years ago. There were several owned by TUFC in & around Drake Ave. There would be no problems attracting managers/players if a house was supplied with the job. It's no good expecting somebody to sell their detached house (with stables & paddock ) up North, & find that a similar property down here is three times the price!