Defeatism will get us nowhere.

[bengull]

Quarter of the season to go. 12 massive games to come. It isn't over until the 90th minute of the 27th of April.

It reminds me of our first season back in the football league, back then everyone was convinced we were dead certainties to go down. All we needed was a result, we duly got that and our form turned. Now I am not saying there will be a gargantuan turning of our fortunes and a meteoric rise, but I do still maintain the belief that 13 points out of 36 is well within our capabilities.

But not if we have all given up.

If we spent as much time getting behind the 11 who are out on the pitch instead of calling for their retirement, or calling for their replacements they may actually play with some confidence. Negative support breeds negative playing environment. To the fans credit they stuck with the team throughout what has to be the worst opening half of football all season and got rewarded with a goal. As soon as we conceded however there was no support behind the team, the incessant vitriolic abuse was predictable. Not one positive chant in the final 10 minutes to try and raise the team, just a competition of who could call Knill clueless loudest. It's not the players fault if reinforcements aren't brought in, yet they still cop all the stick.

The new manager is still getting to grips with the players at his disposal, and whilst he may not play the players you perceive to be the best (IE the ones you chat about football boots to on twitter) he still has enough games in hand to work out how best to get the points needed. Those players will play their part.

Tonight was grim, 7 consecutive defeats are grim, the season as a whole has been grim. It is not over though, far from it. If you truly think it is over, and you have lost all faith, then fair enough, stay away. That may seem counter productive but I would rather stand amongst 1000 fans trying to raise the team instead of 2000 fans bashing it.

Not missing any of the last 12 games. I still believe in the power of TUFC. I have seen all this before and I know we can do it.

[AustrianAndyGull]

I'm having difficulties at the minute Ben trying to balance things out in my head but if i choose to take the positive proactive pathway rather than the negative one then your post is brilliant. I am learning to change my ways of thinking and my attitude with help and i want to allow myself to take the positive routes which is, like you say, carry on supporting and carry on being confident that it will all be ok in the end. That does make your post brilliant then i guess. :~D

Nobody can argue that this has been a traumatic season that could yet get worse but we'll deal with that if it happens. In the meantime, i'll bust a gut to get to Accy if i feel a bit better although i reckon you'll have to do without my singing for this one as my throat is in a right mess.

[tufcbrett]

Its all far to close now, I can't see 13 points being enough. 4 and a draw. If everyone else got 5 wins which is capable on 12 games. We need to win our own games first and see what the others don't first.

I still believe we will stay up, as Torquay always do things the hard way. We always leave everything to the last game that's just our club.

Also if we go down, so be it as we will deserve it. Frankly gut the squad and start again but then the same will happen if we stay up.

Out of interest and this is open to anyone. Would you keep different players to if we was to go down or stay up. If we had the choice and all the players would sign in what ever league, would you sign up the same players or different depending on the league status

[bengull]

I should add, before anyone decides to label me some sort of 'happy clappy, rose-tinted, blind to the truths, overly positive, deluded, head in the clouds tubthumper' that I will be as angry as anyone if the worst eventuality happens this season, and will be looking for some truthful answers to some deep cutting questions to find out how our stagnation happened.

But whilst that eventuality continues to be a mere possibility instead of a cut and dried formality, I will continue to lend my support to our football club and maintain the belief that we can do it and the next game will be the cornerstone. Survival is all that matters and if I get that then in my mind it will be a successful season.

[lankyben]

I am positive the team can perform.... however I don't believe the fans will allow the team to show their potential before the torrid abuse nicho jarvis and easton starts like always.

[ROADRUNNER]

some of the crtisicm aimed at players from people on the popside was discraceful, i was embarressed to be amongst these morons, and the t-at along from me who shouted to alan knill calling him a w-nker needs to take a long hard look at himself in the mirror this morning, im ashamed to be a torquay fan today, not because the team is not doing well, its because the morons i have to stand next to in these sad times. get a life you idiots or piss off up the road and support someone else, TORQUAY TIL I DIE!

[Lloyder5]

Agreed some of the reaction was really poor. I do think that Knill needs to have a long look at some of those on the pitch last night and take a view as to what value they bring to the team.

[royalgull]

Quarter of the season to go. 12 massive games to come. It isn't over until the 90th minute of the 27th of April.

It reminds me of our first season back in the football league, back then everyone was convinced we were dead certainties to go down. All we needed was a result, we duly got that and our form turned. Now I am not saying there will be a gargantuan turning of our fortunes and a meteoric rise, but I do still maintain the belief that 13 points out of 36 is well within our capabilities.

But not if we have all given up.

If we spent as much time getting behind the 11 who are out on the pitch instead of calling for their retirement, or calling for their replacements they may actually play with some confidence. Negative support breeds negative playing environment. To the fans credit they stuck with the team throughout what has to be the worst opening half of football all season and got rewarded with a goal. As soon as we conceded however there was no support behind the team, the incessant vitriolic abuse was predictable. Not one positive chant in the final 10 minutes to try and raise the team, just a competition of who could call Knill clueless loudest. It's not the players fault if reinforcements aren't brought in, yet they still cop all the stick.

The new manager is still getting to grips with the players at his disposal, and whilst he may not play the players you perceive to be the best (IE the ones you chat about football boots to on twitter) he still has enough games in hand to work out how best to get the points needed. Those players will play their part.

Tonight was grim, 7 consecutive defeats are grim, the season as a whole has been grim. It is not over though, far from it. If you truly think it is over, and you have lost all faith, then fair enough, stay away. That may seem counter productive but I would rather stand amongst 1000 fans trying to raise the team instead of 2000 fans bashing it.

Not missing any of the last 12 games. I still believe in the power of TUFC. I have seen all this before and I know we can do it.

coupled with some good loan signings to sort our defense and central midfield out plus having Carayol, Zebroski, Benyon and Rendell in the side.

[hector]

The club have a simple choice - invest or go down.

Comparisons were drawn with Macclesfield when we were still 12 points ahead of the drop zone with games in hand just after Christmas. It was plain back then what could happen and I would make us favourites to be relegated with the position we are in and the form we are displaying.

And what a waste if we do. What a squandering of that was done to rebuild this club, if we fall again because that will be it. So many, I should imagine would turn their back on the club and not be prepared to endure non-league football again that the club will just sink. This is almost more worrying that the season under Roberts because then you could almost understand why it happened and just appreciated the chance of a new start once he and Bateson went. This would just be so terribly tragic if what felt like a progressive club fell into the abyss again.

[brucie]

Nice words ben - but be sure of one thing, and that is we are going down. That peformance was inexcusable against a pretty lame Wycombe side who lost their best player Grant half way through the game. Still not enough for us - having committed daylight robbery leading 1-0 at half time we managed somehow to contrive to toss another three points away.
Alan Knill looked a forlorn figure on the touchline - he looked like a man who had just come to terms with something ie he has an impossible task and isn't going to save us.
On to Accrington on Saturday - they have a new manager who has turned things around already winning 3-0 at a side who beat us easily a couple of weeks ago.
When we avoided relegation under Colin Lee we had a crap side but a real collective purpose fans and team united with a common cause - to keep us up.
This is lacking this time around I'm afraid. Rene Howe spent ten minutes during the pre match warm up chatting to a Wycombe player - that wouldn't have happened under Lee.
The blame for this predicament lies firmly with Martin Ling and the Board.
We have been pretty much abyssmal all season. Out of every cup in the first round, beaten by Harrogate. Beaten by the likes of Wycombe,Barnet and Wimbledon earlier in the season - teams that couldn't buy a win at that stage.The response to this was that oh well - its ok, the players know they are better than that. The players have an easy ride in training by all accounts. Ling is a lazy manager who spent to much time basking in last years success.
Onto last nights abject surrender.
My heart sank on the way to the ground when I heard that Mansell was out. The issue with this team all season is that we have no quality once our best players are missing.

Any combination of Easton (pathetic last night) Lathrope and latterley Oastler offered us absolutely nothing in midfield. A forward line of Howe,Benyon and Bodin ought to be more than enough at this level but they never got a pass all night and again we created precious little.

Macdonald - No replacement for Downes at all. Missed nearly every header in the second half last night.

Nicholson - roasted by Ainsworth (how old is he 40?) continually when he came on. Nico needs a rest. Trouble is Cruise is his replacement and he looks a liability.

So urgently needed by saturday

A warrior centre half.

A left back who can run up and down the pitch.

A ball playing central midfield player who can tackle.

A decent right winger.

And thats just for starters.

Anyone that seriously thinks that Knill is going to muster these kind of reinforcements must be seriously barking.

Anyone who was not at the game last night probably has no conception of just how much shit we are actually in. Five wins needed in twelve games. Its fantasy island stuff.

[Lloyder5]

Despite the usual intemperate language I agree with much of what is said, although I did laugh at their best player being replaced by one that went on to be their best player roasting Nicholson. However, I still have hope that if three decent (ish) players can be brought into the positions mentioned then combined with what we have, we will give ourselves a chance.

[yellow]

Brucie

You are in grave danger of revealing the truth about our situation.

In the immortal words of General Sir Anthony Cecil Hogmanay Melchett

“If nothing else works, a total pig-headed unwillingness to look facts in the face will see us through.”

[Lloyder5]

Baaah!

[AustrianAndyGull]

We've been playing like a cluster of colourblind hedgehogs.....................................................in a bag!

[royalgull]

Fancy going to Accrington v Torquay?

"I'd rather spend an evening on top of a stepladder in No Man's Land smoking endless cigarettes through a luminous balaclava"