Do you think Ling will be here next year?

[taunton_gull]

spot on andy.

[Dave_Pougher]

I so hope what ever Martin has illness wise is not serious and he makes a full recovery, that goes without saying but i have watched him gradually grind down this team ( who still have some really good players IMO ) week by week, game by game. It has been such a laboured process of rot that i can't blame many of you for not panicking. Please get better Martin but for Gods sakes please don't come back to manage our football club. I say that as a disgruntled fan and from a purely footballing perspective and i have no qualms in laying most of the blame for this absolute horror show of a season on his shoulders. I'm trying to be as diplomatic and respectful as i can but that is the way i see it and if any of disagree then that's your business and you are entitled to your opinion. The future of this club is at stake and with the outlay for the bench and everything else so positive, why did we appoint a manager so negative. I've truly never seen the likes in all honesty.

hear what your saying andy and I don't for the large part disagree, but you have to wonder if he was prevented form doing some of the things he would have liked to have done past what is reasonably exceptable.

[SuperNickyWroe]

hear what your saying andy and I don't for the large part disagree, but you have to wonder if he was prevented form doing some of the things he would have liked to have done past what is reasonably exceptable.

well, dave if that was the case he should have discussed with the board and then if he wasnt satisfied, should have resigned - like mark robins did at barnsley!

[lucy6lucy]

Cambridge fans, please comment, I can now see your frustrations and reservations with ML

[Southampton Gull]

Cambridge fans, please comment, I can now see your frustrations and reservations with ML

Can you now?

When was he last in charge of one of our games? Where were we in the table when that occurred?

Do you think he was happy with the backing from the Board?

Do the opinions of Cambridge fans bear any relevance to what's happened here?

[AustrianAndyGull]

Dave, i respect the fact that you are defending Ling and that is fine but we've only won 1 league game ( under Taylor ) in 3 months, from a penalty and we have the current joint worse scoring record away from home this season. A season which Ling has managed us for the most part, performances have been poor to shocking on a weekly basis with the odd nugget chucked in to break the monotony. It has been obvious and i can see that there are other factors to take into account whether it be the players, the board or whatever and i take that into account, anyway i know we're all angry and once we've calmed down we can look to Knill to hope he has a way forward with this team. I don't want any issues with anyone.

[AustrianAndyGull]

Dave, i don't know what is wrong with Martin and don't know if anyone else does, it's none of my business and he needs to forget about football and Torquay for now and concentrate on getting better. I'm sure he has got bigger issues to worry about re his health rather than what i think about the job he has done. I am sorry if my posts upset anyone as that wasn't my intention, i accept that i am not really that knowledgable about the workings of the football club and everything about Torquay in general but i can't make apologies for that. I was just saying what i thought. Sorry Dave.

[Southampton Gull]

Andy, I'm not angry, far from it. Having lost some very close friends recently and having a family member being seriously ill there are few things football related that could get me angry.

It's easy to blame Martin Ling for what appears to be a backwards step this season.....................unless you look deeper into the situation. I was disappointed in the post you made on the other thread because you called into question the professionalism and desire of an honourable man, I find that pretty distasteful truth be told.

What I also find distasteful is having to read the foul-mouthed rant of a so-called fan who admits to placing a pretty decent wager on us to get relegated. People like that get nothing but contempt from me.

I respect your right to your opinion but if I disagree with it you can bet your life I'll let it be known. That doesn't stem from anger, just the conviction of my beliefs, no different to you save being a little less "emotional"

[AustrianAndyGull]

Fair enough Dave, i can't disagree. I'm just glad it wasn't me that put the bet on and it was somebody else! :P Not guilty.

I don't know Ling so obviously if i have questioned his integrity then it is remiss of me. I think things have come to head and people are looking for scapegoats i suppose but you are right, i should stick to footballing matters which i have generally tried to do.

[cambgull]

I think you should put the bet on, Andy. We'll definitely stay up then!

[hector]

I seriously doubt Martin Ling will be here anyway. I suspect his illness will be long-term and he may well be finished with football. The important thing is that he recovers and can be healthy.

If he were to regain full fitness and be in a position to return, I am not sure his return would be wholly welcomed anyway, considering the position his team and his style of football has left us in. We may have lost these games since he has been away but to be fair, we had not looked like winning games while he was here and had only won 2 since october before he was taken ill anyway. This slide of defeats was possibly the natural course of events considering the form before.

[Dave Caldwell]

to be honest i was concerned on the appointment of knill based on his cv, having now lost the new manager advantage he needs to install belief. Without seeing the game the score line and the time and wayvthe team folded would be down to one ofthe 3 things, changes to the team and formation had an inpact, lack of concentration, fitness. Art of good management and solid coaching is to get your team organised to cope under pressure with any situation, you can bring players in, but they will only perform to the level of the players around them, you need to raise that standard and demand more from them, making them mentally tough in the face of pressure is what is required at this time, teams that fold like a pack of cards will be in trouble. Lets hope it turns around quickly.

[brucie]

On last night peformance Knill won't get us out of this mess I am afraid. That said he was unlucky to be missing his best defender and best midfielder last night. I think we actually would have won the game had Downes and Mansell played.
As for Martin Ling - I wish him well of course, but he isn't blameless as far as this debacle is concerned and I wouldn't want him back.

[AustrianAndyGull]

It is true that he now has lost that 'new manager comes in and everything changes for the better' period, sadly it seems to work for most clubs but not us. Typical that. What Danny said last night was extremely concerning though, the fact that Knill brought on Oastler in midfield and didn't even bring on Macklin or Thompson. Totally bizarre. These players are what we needed to add the impetus and go for the second goal. I'm sure most Gulls fans there last night would have accepted a draw if we had chased the second and got punished. We actually lost the game by not bringing on players who could give the Wycombe defence something to think about. I know Knill has only been here a few weeks but he sees in training that Thommo and Macklin are quick and tricky and he sees that Oastler isn't, so last nights selections makes it all the more odd.

[Dave Caldwell]

managers if it is ling, knill or any other is responsible for team performances and results, its a harsh reality to football and lets accept that fact, you live and die by your results and in many cases your team is what you are, if you tough and uncompromising they are, if your weak and unsure then they are, lead by example as behavour breeds behavour. So when u take thr job on you cross the line si accept responsibility for it and drive on with passion and structure.