excuses

[supergulls]

I'm sick of hearing from the king of spin about wait until next season when I have my own team, it's pretty much his own team now and with the budget cuts planned for next season it's only going to get worse. Chris's record with us as a manager is poor but in front of the cameras he will twist and turn to manipulate the situation when the truth is his team selections have been dubious on numerous occasions and when it doesn't work out he blames everyone apart from himself. I think he needs to look a bit closer to home.

[SuperNickyWroe]

I'm sick of hearing from the king of spin about wait until next season when I have my own team, it's pretty much his own team now and with the budget cuts planned for next season it's only going to get worse. Chris's record with us as a manager is poor but in front of the cameras will twist and turn to manipulate the situation when the truth is his team selections have been dubious on numerous occasions and when it doesn't work out he blames everyone apart from himself. I think he needs to look a bit closer to home.

He can't - he's too far up his own ar*e.

[Gloomy Gull]

So many on here have banged on about how Hargreaves has had the legacy of Knill's signings.

Of the players in today's squad, including substitutes, 75% of those were Hargreaves signings.........for me that does not bode well for next season

Unfortunately, I agree that the club is not in a position to dispense of his services now, and with reducing income probable next season, will not be able to do so until his contract expires.

I think I recollect that he was signed on a 2.5 year deal - the remaining 6 months of last season and 2 full seasons? If so we need to start looking in Jan/Feb 2016 for his replacement....unless there is a sudden, and SUSTAINED uplift in his results.

[Burnhamgull]

Like SNW, I was also shot down last season when questioning CH's ability. He took a scatter gun approach to recruitment and we had revolving doors in reception as a number of players came in on loan and did nothing.

The man has no idea, is tactically inept and yet comes across as quite nonchalent during interviews.

[Gulliball]

I think the general point with that is that 75% of the team today was his own, but not 75% of his budget was free to spend as he wished last summer. When you have to sign 4 players from trials on the wages of one departing player, then there is going to be a drop in quality. As it is MacDonald, Ajala, Richards and Ofori-Acheampong have been among our better performers this season. It is the senior players who have not contributed according to their share of the budget, and most of these have been inherited (Tonge, Harding, Benyon and to a lesser extent Cameron and Pearce). Downes (when not suspended), Young, Bowman and Briscoe are the only senior players (in terms of wages) who are contributing regularly, and three of those were signings this summer.

Take out the expensive deadwood and we would have scope to add proven experience to a young squad. That is the frustration.

[lucy6lucy]

I think the general point with that is that 75% of the team today was his own, but not 75% of his budget was free to spend as he wished last summer. When you have to sign 4 players from trials on the wages of one departing player, then there is going to be a drop in quality. As it is MacDonald, Ajala, Richards and Ofori-Acheampong have been among our better performers this season. It is the senior players who have not contributed according to their share of the budget, and most of these have been inherited (Tonge, Harding, Benyon and to a lesser extent Cameron and Pearce). Downes (when not suspended), Young, Bowman and Briscoe are the only senior players (in terms of wages) who are contributing regularly, and three of those were signings this summer.

Take out the expensive deadwood and we would have scope to add proven experience to a young squad. That is the frustration.

[supergulls]

I give you Tonge, Harding and Benyon but downes starts whenever he is available and at the beginning of the season Hargreaves was bigging up Cameron as if he was the next ronaldo and his treatment of Pearce who was voted player of the year last season is nothing short of comical. But if you believe that once Hargreaves gets these players of the wage bill Torquay will now become a force and we will regain our league status it's time to call in the men in the white costs as the lunatics have taken over the asylum

[Gloomy Gull]

I think the general point with that is that 75% of the team today was his own, but not 75% of his budget was free to spend as he wished last summer. When you have to sign 4 players from trials on the wages of one departing player, then there is going to be a drop in quality. As it is MacDonald, Ajala, Richards and Ofori-Acheampong have been among our better performers this season. It is the senior players who have not contributed according to their share of the budget, and most of these have been inherited (Tonge, Harding, Benyon and to a lesser extent Cameron and Pearce). Downes (when not suspended), Young, Bowman and Briscoe are the only senior players (in terms of wages) who are contributing regularly, and three of those were signings this summer.

Take out the expensive deadwood and we would have scope to add proven experience to a young squad. That is the frustration.

The return of the Rose Tinters has begun. I genuinely and sincerely hope that your synopsis of the current debacle is proven to be correct.

[Gulliball]

Downes was transfer listed for the entire summer. Had anyone else wanted him he would have been off, that is how desperate Hargreaves was to make room to make his mark on the squad. As it was, with 8 transfer listed, we couldn't sell anyone, had to pay Hawley to leave, and only Downes has made a regular mark on the first team.

The rest of this season is important for us to get back into the top half and challenge for the play-offs. Then we will at least have a base to improve where needed over the summer when we have another chance. I don't think 6th-10th would be anything but in line with expectations, even if we did start the season well. Hargreaves has another year under contract and we will be free to make a judgement at the end of next season. He is fighting for his own future as well.

[supergulls]

He was transfer listed because of wages, not at all because of performance. IE if downes was on £600 a week he would never have been put on the list but because he was nearer to the magical £1000 he was put on the list. So the reality is Hargreaves is saying judge me on my players, but the truth is if downes was on less money he would be one oh his players as he has constantly picked him unlike benyon who is on more money. But hey crack away and be drawn in by the dilusionsal rubbish being put out and I don't have a crystal ball but I can't wait to say hey I told you so.

[Gulliball]

If Downes was on less money then it would not be an issue. The point is that 8 players were transfer listed but could not be sold. We were therefore left with a massive chunk of our budget going to players that the manager would rather not have around. The room he did have to work with had to be spent on three proven players and the rest made up from the best of the trialists. We've since been down the route of not paying players, that is how desperate we are to recruit but have nothing left to spend.

The squad now is no different than it was in September, it is just that we currently on a losing one run rather than a winning one. The players that Hargreaves has brought in have been our best performers this year, it is the remnants leftover from Knill that are taking up valuable space in the budget and offering literally nothing in return.

That does not excuse the performances at times this season, or a lack of discipline and fight - but it is the landscape that the manager is working in. I do think that with more room to work with, he will be judged as a manager over the next 15 months. If it doesn't go well, it may well be his last management job.

[PlainmoorRoar]

Gulliball is spot on

[nickbrod]

I expect, and hope, Chris Hargreaves will be our manager next season as with his own team I believe, with the experience of this season behind him, he will turn the club around.
I agree, though, that the remaining 13 league games will define his outcome. Surely a home win next Saturday against bottom club Telford should be a home banker. After today the players owe themselves and not least the supporters a decent performance.

[Scott Brehaut]

I agree with Gulliball.

[supergulls]

I agree with Gulliball.

I agree with gulliball and Scott
Hargreaves will ruin this club !