Just how bad is our start?

[Gullscorer]

Torquay United will be promoted this season.

[frenchgull]

Never mind in by end of October, I have a feeling we will be in the bottom two on Saturday night.Love the attitude of AustrianAndy,giving it everything at Wycombe and as he says whatever the result you can at least say I did my bit.I hope AK just goes up there and as Jose says just park the bus,let's just get a point.

[Dave]

With the exception of Pokey up until the last couple of games AK has picked his favoured 11 in every game. This is what has caused so much of the displeasure aimed at him.

We've only played 10 games, thats makes only 8 games (hardly panic stations) with any thing like Knill's best 11, from those 8 games we picked up 9 pts which I admit isn't good, also not as bad as some make out, however since then, we played away at newport with no Downes and an unwell Pearce( who convinced people he was fit). According at least 3 fans I know, there is no way we would have lost there with a fully fit Pearce and Downes playing, and lost Harding before half time against York who up to that point had control of the midfield, and turned the game in York's favour.

[Dave]

I admire your positivity Forever and yes, we do have to remain positive. I think we will be okay although not finishing in the top half of the table as I thought we would at the start of the season. You talk about team stability/illness etc and yes, it is a factor. But look a few miles up the road - Exeter have had injury problems since day 1 and where are they in the league? It's more than team stability. Ten games in, I have two major concerns - (1) Alan Knill's seeming inability to change things around when the game plan isn't working (i.e. no Plan B) and (2) Lack of team spirit/working for each other - I don't quite know how to put it into words, but something is lacking. I was reading a bit yesterday written by Harry Redknapp about last season at QPR. He said "It doesn't matter how good a player is technically, without desire, he is nothing". Maybe that's what I'm seeing this season - no desire. But we will remain positive and hope this mythical corner we're going to turn will arrive soon

Know where your coming from Tommo, AK has shown himself by and large to be a manager who seems to prefer making like for like subsitutions, and there does seems to be a lack of real go about the team, that can come from a lack of confidence, when your not winning games some times it doesn;t matter what the manager does or says.

However I am not trying to bring about blind optimism or asking people to bang the TUFC drum for the sake of it. Just suggesting there are some mittigating circumstances, us fans must realise that we are not even a 3rd of the way throught he season yet, no doubt there are clubs and fans saying, while Torquay and Accrinton are down there we have nothing to worry about, however we are the clubs along with a couple of others that have hit problems early, and we are the clubs more than likely to fix things in good time, the club does need it's fans on side.

[Modgull]

I agree wholeheartedly with Forever. In most seasons there is one club which languishes at the bottom all season and the second club relegated usually falls from midtable like a stone late on in the campaign when they have no time to do anything about it.

We have hit problems early - particularly with injuries - but there is time to put things right (it IS a marathon, not a sprint) and we need to hold our nerve and keep supporting the team and management.

As mentioned elsewhere, there is no money for a different approach, so lets get behind the club rather than sniping from the sidelines!

[AustrianAndyGull]

This and what forever dave said too. Phil is right here, with a fully fit squad (as we had for the first however many games) Knill is opting for the wrong players here and there IMO which makes a huge difference and someone else said there is room for change. There is and if Knill sees this quick enough and we get lucky with injuries then we'll be absolutely fine. Like Matt says on another thread, we are creating chances now but are wasting them whilst other teams are punishing us with what few chances they have. So there is plenty of scope for improvement and I think we will improve just enough but like I've said before, the reason I am so critical of Knill is because IMO he is making everything 10 times more harder than it need be.

I don't know the reason for this but I just hope he takes a bit step back and sees the bigger picture, the whole squad and what each can bring positive and negative and begins to change things a little and not wait until they are enforced upon him. I'm not saying i'd be any better as manager and why do I think i'm right? I'm not right, but if he doesn't try things then we'll never know. Like was levelled at Ling, if it isn't working why continue to pick the same players/ formation? It may be something as simple as replacing one player for another in certain areas and something may click. I'm not saying we need wholesale changes, just a bit of an open mind and flexibility from Knill.

Oh and thanks for the kind words frenchgull. I hope my throat holds up on Saturday, plenty of cough sweets I think!

[wodger of awabia]

This and what forever dave said too. Phil is right here, with a fully fit squad (as we had for the first however many games) Knill is opting for the wrong players here and there IMO which makes a huge difference and someone else said there is room for change. There is and if Knill sees this quick enough and we get lucky with injuries then we'll be absolutely fine. Like Matt says on another thread, we are creating chances now but are wasting them whilst other teams are punishing us with what few chances they have. So there is plenty of scope for improvement and I think we will improve just enough but like I've said before, the reason I am so critical of Knill is because IMO he is making everything 10 times more harder than it need be.

I don't know the reason for this but I just hope he takes a bit step back and sees the bigger picture, the whole squad and what each can bring positive and negative and begins to change things a little and not wait until they are enforced upon him. I'm not saying i'd be any better as manager and why do I think i'm right? I'm not right, but if he doesn't try things then we'll never know. Like was levelled at Ling, if it isn't working why continue to pick the same players/ formation? It may be something as simple as replacing one player for another in certain areas and something may click. I'm not saying we need wholesale changes, just a bit of an open mind and flexibility from Knill.

Oh and thanks for the kind words frenchgull. I hope my throat holds up on Saturday, plenty of cough sweets I think!

Don't be so silly, of course you would!!.

[arcadia]

Thomo your post is the best I've read today spot on