Managers Sacked

[Scott Brehaut]

Genuine question.

How long are people willing to give Knill before deciding enough is enough? Lets say, for example, that our form doesn't improve and by January we are rooted to the bottom (or thereabouts) - would there still be Knill supporters, or would he have to go by that point? Would anybody still want him if we looked like we were going to be relegated?

[WestLondonYellow]

the trouble is, has knill been given enough to work with? And who would be able to come here and do a better job in that short space of time, ie if with 10 games to go we're 2/3 points form safety? It's a tough one, but 9 times out of 10 a replacement manager doesn't have time to change things.

We need some stability, the priority this year is to finish higher than last year, and I think we'll manage that. Then we should be able to build on that next season, this will give knill a chance to really make the team his own. That's when we'll be able to judge a lot better.

What would also be nice is if the board can inject some decent funds into the playing budget, however, they don't deserve to be knocked, the club has had a lot of off pitch infrastructure improvements, and that puts us in a much stronger position going forward, also makes for an attractive investment for prospective new owners. Considering where we were a few years ago, they've worked miracles and the two play off seasons were a part of those miracles. Look at the stadium now compared to 10 years ago!

[Richinns]

Genuine question.

How long are people willing to give Knill before deciding enough is enough? Lets say, for example, that our form doesn't improve and by January we are rooted to the bottom (or thereabouts) - would there still be Knill supporters, or would he have to go by that point? Would anybody still want him if we looked like we were going to be relegated?

For me I think January is a fair time for questions to be raised. 12 games is not a right lot so 24 games in and if we are still within immediate danger of relegation then we might need to change something.

However, I see positives currently and I honestly think come January we will not be in the bottom 2 and with more luck than we have had to date - out of immediate danger of being dragged into it.

[wodger of awabia]

the trouble is, has knill been given enough to work with? And who would be able to come here and do a better job in that short space of time, ie if with 10 games to go we're 2/3 points form safety? It's a tough one, but 9 times out of 10 a replacement manager doesn't have time to change things.

We need some stability, the priority this year is to finish higher than last year, and I think we'll manage that. Then we should be able to build on that next season, this will give knill a chance to really make the team his own. That's when we'll be able to judge a lot better.

What would also be nice is if the board can inject some decent funds into the playing budget, however, they don't deserve to be knocked, the club has had a lot of off pitch infrastructure improvements, and that puts us in a much stronger position going forward, also makes for an attractive investment for prospective new owners. Considering where we were a few years ago, they've worked miracles and the two play off seasons were a part of those miracles. Look at the stadium now compared to 10 years ago!

I would guess that they have already, & will need to do so again to pay for all of the loan signings.

[SuperNickyWroe]

And it's posts like that happily convince people you are a village idiot.

If you try reading the "10 game" article on the website, you will see it says "Alan Knill is looking at the first ten games to assess his squad" and "As a manager or a coach, you look at the first ten games to decide where we are and what we need to do".

Because you have problems grasping concepts, it means he was using the first 10 games to decide where things needed improving and what changes need to be made.
What it clearly doesnt mean, though plenty of people seem to trumpet it as fact, is judge the management team after 10 games.

The same applies to your "evidence" you bleat about his previous record. Just total rubbish really.

You seem to think keeping Bury in the top part of the division for the best part of 3 seasons (including the playoffs) just counts as one successful season?

You appear to blame him for Scunny getting relegated from the Championship (a typical L2 team if ever there was one, having spent 30 of the last 40 years in the bottom division) despite him not arriving there till after the loan window was closed, with them in the relegation slots?

He kept Rotherham up despite a 10 point deduction the 1st season, admittedly he couldnt do it a 2nd season running with another 10 point deduction plus having his best players sold from under him. The Rotherhams fans i have asked about his time there (about 5 or 6 of them), blamed the board for their situation, not the manager. How many did you talk to before arriving at your opinion?

funny you say that. i was working in rotherham and was chatting to some of their fans who said the same thing. they said that they rather have knill than fatty evans - but i suppose who wouldnt!
they said that he did ok there with all the crap surrounding the team/club.

[Southampton Gull]

You are entitled to your opinion regarding the manager, the same way I am entitled to mine. But you are unable to put your point forward without using abusive names (e.g. village idiot), or suggesting that anyone who would like a different manager should be an armchair premiership follower.

Could it simply not be the case that the board made a mistake in appointing Knill and that it is very clear to see?

You can wait for him to see if it works out or you can act. You think the former, I think the latter, based on the evidence of his record and what we are seeing now. Yet I have not resorted to calling you names because you have a different point of view. Even Knill gave the 10 game parameter as a mark when his team could be judged and essentially for the bulk of those first ten games he was playing his first choice team, other than Poke.

Do you hear the comments from fellow supporters at Plainmoor? Those frustrated with Alan Knill are not isolated voices. There are plenty on this forum, plenty on the supposedly more 'rational' TFF forum and plenty around the ground. Take out the joke appointments like John Cornforth and Rubik Cube and in my view, Knill is the worst manager we have had since Saunders and back then, people were saying the same thing as you about Saunders, as you are about Knill.

You poor precious little lamb. If you think me calling you the internets village idiot is abusive perhaps you might want to give me a wide berth on matchdays because I can assure you I'm very reserved on here, I wouldn't want to see you running off with tears in your eyes.

Even when you try to put across what you feel is a genuine assessment of the facts you are still more than a little wide of the mark. Knill has consistently been denied the services of players that would definitely be in his starting eleven, that translates to you as just Poke missing which we all know is a pile of crap. I'm fed up trying to paint a bigger picture only for you to get out your crayons and write "I want my Mummy". Stop distorting the facts, start accepting the fact we're little TUFC and do things a little differently to bigger Clubs and wake up to the fact that Knill has hardly had a chance to show his qualities yet but even then feel free to assess the likes of Labadie, Chappell, Pearce, Mozika, Azeez and his other signings. I'd say the signs are promising but it's too early to come out with the pathetic diatribe you seem all too eager to put forward.

Don't worry, your title is still safely yours.

[hector]

Up until Downes was injured, other than Poke, who were all of these other injured players? He pretty much played the, same team every week.

And we lose yet again, with only a last minute collapse from Northampton keeping us out of the bottom two.

How much longer are we meant to put up with this?

[hector]

And it's posts like that happily convince people you are a village idiot.

If you try reading the "10 game" article on the website, you will see it says "Alan Knill is looking at the first ten games to assess his squad" and "As a manager or a coach, you look at the first ten games to decide where we are and what we need to do".

Because you have problems grasping concepts, it means he was using the first 10 games to decide where things needed improving and what changes need to be made.
What it clearly doesnt mean, though plenty of people seem to trumpet it as fact, is judge the management team after 10 games.

The same applies to your "evidence" you bleat about his previous record. Just total rubbish really.

You seem to think keeping Bury in the top part of the division for the best part of 3 seasons (including the playoffs) just counts as one successful season?

You appear to blame him for Scunny getting relegated from the Championship (a typical L2 team if ever there was one, having spent 30 of the last 40 years in the bottom division) despite him not arriving there till after the loan window was closed, with them in the relegation slots?

He kept Rotherham up despite a 10 point deduction the 1st season, admittedly he couldnt do it a 2nd season running with another 10 point deduction plus having his best players sold from under him. The Rotherhams fans i have asked about his time there (about 5 or 6 of them), blamed the board for their situation, not the manager. How many did you talk to before arriving at your opinion?

Ok - just leave out his record at other clubs and just look at it for Torquay. It's dreadful.

[supergulls]

week after week game after game its getting worse

[hector]

You poor precious little lamb. If you think me calling you the internets village idiot is abusive perhaps you might want to give me a wide berth on matchdays because I can assure you I'm very reserved on here, I wouldn't want to see you running off with tears in your eyes.

Even when you try to put across what you feel is a genuine assessment of the facts you are still more than a little wide of the mark. Knill has consistently been denied the services of players that would definitely be in his starting eleven, that translates to you as just Poke missing which we all know is a pile of crap. I'm fed up trying to paint a bigger picture only for you to get out your crayons and write "I want my Mummy". Stop distorting the facts, start accepting the fact we're little TUFC and do things a little differently to bigger Clubs and wake up to the fact that Knill has hardly had a chance to show his qualities yet but even then feel free to assess the likes of Labadie, Chappell, Pearce, Mozika, Azeez and his other signings. I'd say the signs are promising but it's too early to come out with the pathetic diatribe you seem all too eager to put forward.

Don't worry, your title is still safely yours.

I don't need you to paint a bigger picture for me. I know you are a big time administrator but it doesn't make you an authority on everything. I have my opinion. I can state it without having to resort to unpleasantness.

You, because you are obviously the 'big-man' judging by your comments about your abusive prowess on matchdays, seem unable to put a point across without resorting to unpleasantness to anyone who disagrees with you.

Simply because we are TUFC, I do not accept that we should accept being 3rd from bottom and embroiled in a relegation battle already because we have amassed only 10 points out of 39. Simply because we are TUFC, I feel losing 5 games out of 7, not scoring, not winning is not good enough.

Whatever is going on, it is not working - just how long do we wait. Until February when we are rock bottom. How far adrift do we need to be for people to see what is glaringly obvious to others?

[tomogull]

Genuine question.

How long are people willing to give Knill before deciding enough is enough? Lets say, for example, that our form doesn't improve and by January we are rooted to the bottom (or thereabouts) - would there still be Knill supporters, or would he have to go by that point? Would anybody still want him if we looked like we were going to be relegated?

23 games - halfway through the season. If we're not clear of the stragglers by then, the Board will have to think long and hard. We must not get into another relegation dogfight because, quite honestly, I don't see the desire amongst this group of players that would keep us up. I keep looking out for this corner we're supposed to be turning but all I see ahead is a rocky road ......

[wodger of awabia]

Well, nothings changed really, I suspect that the vast majority of us expected that we would lose tonight at Burton. I suppose that the good news is that Knill has at last realised that he has assembled a very poor team, & is trying to get us out of the sh#t by making very heavy use of the loan market. The board may also be pi##ed off with the manager & the results thus far, perhaps they are regretting signing Knill to replace Ling. No doubt they will be even more pi##ed off having to put their hands in their pockets to fund all of these loan players. Can this situation exist for much longer?

[brucie]

Noone is denying that Knill has been unlucky with injuries and sacking him now would not be the right thing to do (it isn't going to happen) but does he really know what he has doing. He signed MaCourt who looks decent to cover for Harding (who is due back this week) and has now signed Mozika as well. We seem to have more forwards and wingers than we ever have.
Ok Burton was always going to be difficult tonight and Portsmouth doesn't look any easier on Saturday. But we have to start winning soon.

[ferrarilover]

Didn't you spend the last two years complaining about our paper thin squad?

Matt.

[ferrarilover]

Just had a look around the interweb. There are at least 4 clubs who are absolutely, 100%, guaranteed, nailed on, irrecoverably relegated already. Quite how the FL plan on accommodating all these clubs, I'm not sure.

Matt.