Nicholson sacked 17/08

[wivelgull]

Our problem is solved, for if Mr. Nicholson departs then we have a ready-made replacement: our own Garry Bigot!

[Northampton gull]

Our problem is solved, for if Mr. Nicholson departs then we have a ready-made replacement: our own Garry Bigot!

[lucy6lucy]

Well! These opinions outdo (almost, not quite) last season's desperate rants. Not having seen United for the past three and a half seasons I don't have the gall to make pontifical pronouncements, so I have to go - more or less - on what is written on this forum. However, what I do read doesn't seem at all promising for the forthcoming season. Of course, the usual - always part-time - nutters come and go while the true supporters remain (which is why I always pay attention to brucie's opinions). For all that, the forum continues to provide light relief and, in this case, wild hilarity, for no-one in the universe could have conjured up such a figure as GARRY BIGOT. There must be a scriptwriter or a purveyor of jokes to a comedian who can do something with this wondrous creation. Garry Bigot - I salute you!

The only problem I have with you taking brucies opinions on matches, is that he doesn't go to them.

[Jeff]

The only problem I have with you taking brucies opinions on matches, is that he doesn't go to them.

And that is the exact reason I stopped writing lengthy match reports (although new-season optimism led to me writing one post Aldershot). People on here would rather read about the opinions of those who didn't go to a match, than those who did

[tomogull]

What is wrong with people, this is not a bad start to the season it is a dreadful start. Pre-season was awful and so were the last two seasons. Those who don't feel the ongoing pain and frustration can not be real Torquay fans. We have been outperformed for three years by part time clubs, those who say no one can replace KN are deluded. There are literally thousands and thousands of players and managers available in the lower leagues and we currently continue to under achieve for a club our side. Even if we beat BW on Tues we will have 4 from 12 points which is a poor start, when will people finally stand up and say enough is enough.

You have to look at the club as a whole - not just the manager. As someone posted earlier on this thread, Torquay United is a 'basket case' and has been for four or five seasons. My opinion is that Kevin Nicholson has kept us in the National League against all odds. We know that the club was on the verge of going into administration last season. When our best player, Angus MacDonald, left for Barnsley, Nico wasn't allowed any funds to bring in a replacement. That's how bad things were. When Nathan Blissett went to Plymouth, we were told that Nico wanted to sign Kieffer Moore, out of favour at Forest Green, but David Phillips farted around and Ipswich nipped in and signed him. Nico's budget only allowed him to bring in players rejected by other clubs. He did well to bring Sean McGinty, Dan Sparkes and, yes, even Brett Williams with his attitude problems to the club. We cannot even dream about getting out of this league until things off the field become more secure and stabilised. It will happen ...... in time. It has happened at other clubs that have equally been badly run off the field. Bristol Rovers being an example that springs to mind.

Now, some posters - e.g. Merse - take a different view. Personally, I think their views are too negative, but time will tell. The signs are that Nicho has been allowed an improved budget this season which has allowed him to bring in experienced players. Kevgull's post is, I feel, a reasoned approach. If after, say, 10 games (or i would say at the end of August) things haven't improved and we are dropping points to lowly clubs, then the spotlight has to fall on Nicho's future. I'm sure that he is well aware of this. I do agree with Arcadia that there is a question mark over Nicho's technical ability. Oh by the way, Alsager - there are not 'thousands and thousands of players and managers available'. Remember all those pigs ears of players that Paul Cox brought in (because he had no money to bring in anyone else) and tried to turn them into silk purses? Where are they all now? I can tell you - playing for the likes of Frickley Athletic, Alfreton, Stafford Rangers, Nantwith etc etc. Fairhurst, Hawley, Briscoe, Speiss - check 'em out on wiki.

[tomogull]

The only problem I have with you taking brucies opinions on matches, is that he doesn't go to them.

And that is the exact reason I stopped writing lengthy match reports (although new-season optimism led to me writing one post Aldershot). People on here would rather read about the opinions of those who didn't go to a match, than those who did
[/quote]

Ah - not true, Jeff. i am unable to get to away games and because of health issues this season, I shall be missing from some home games (I went to every home game last season) so i look out for your match reports, and those of others, because I feel they give a far more accurate and objective account than Dave Thomas of the Herald Express. Brucie gives me a smile but most of the time you can't take him seriously (he does post sensibly at times!) because he's a wind-up merchant, and he's very good at it !

[tomogull]

Before I delete my account ......

YEAHHHH ! It's true what they say - if you dig deep enough, you can always find good news !

[lucy6lucy]

I was one of the 80 odd away fans that witnessed yesterday's dross. Despite coming away bitterly disappointed and furious. There is an old cliche in football, Look at the league table after 10 games it, it generally balances out after 10 games. On this basis with our forecoming next 5 fixtures. We will be wise to assess this thread then. I got hung, cut and slaughtered last season when I said after we lost at guiesley away 2-0, we would be relegated.( I wasn't far off). Brucie for one, had a go at me for making that remark, and now he and many others are making similar remarks after 3 tough opening matches. This is not a dig at brucie. But let's re-evaluate our opinions after 10 games. On this basis Huddersfield are the newly crowned premiership champions

[sgf]

Lucy, I don't often agree with some of what you say, however, I do agree with some of your points.

Sadly, I believe that, even with a bigger budget Nico would not be the man to take us forward. A manager is about managing a game, not just players. I think it would not be unfair to say that some of his tactics and substitutions have cost us games, which can't be entirely blamed on his playing budget. He isn't a novice anymore....

[Neal]

And that is the exact reason I stopped writing lengthy match reports (although new-season optimism led to me writing one post Aldershot). People on here would rather read about the opinions of those who didn't go to a match, than those who did

[desperado]

I would love to see it Portugul but 11 points after 8 games ? I honestly cant see us winning 3 and drawing
1 of the next 5. Go on players prove me wrong and show some fight and guts instead of strolling around
and giving up when something goes against you

[notnow]

sgf, ok, put aside location as an obstacle, Nicho still managed to build a side that kept us in the NL at a critical time in the clubs long proud history, yes it hurts to see, it hurts to see any football league club to be in such dire situations, brought about by bad management mostly, so even if we changed the manager (which I don't agree with as I feel Nicho is good albeit still learning but certainly has the makings of a good one given the time and resources) there is no guarantee as we all know. I say give him a bit longer at a time where the club certainly looks more stable, the gate with Tranmere was huge relatively speaking in recent times which just shows that the fans are still there and are still prepared to hand over there hard earned cash and want to be entertained, with the benefit of this income the board will be prepared to give more, small steps.....

[portugull]

Well desperado more in hope than expectation I took the view that the next 3 home games are winnable. Boreham Wood, Solihull Moors and Chester. A point at Guisley and defeat at Woking.
If we end up with only say 6 points out of 24 then the writing is surely on the wall for Nicholson.

[Caldwellanddobson]

When we went 2-0 down yesterday my first thought was, reluctantly, that it was time to show Nicholson the door. He's had long enough to build a team, instil tactics and a winning ethos - I'm not just talking about this season before anyone pipes up about judging him after three games. Nobody can deny he's faced numerous challenges throughout his tenure. He's played many games for us (but even at his 'peak' I never really rated him as a defender),he is clearly committed to his role and he seems like a nice bloke BUT his
primary role is to win football matches and in this he has singularly failed. It is for this reason that I say thank you Kevin, but regrettably it's time for a change.

[Arrywithnobrain]

I read about Melchester Rovers in The Tiger every week, following them up and down the country and in and out of Europe, when they were a legendary team and/or a team of legends, but this current set up is a shambolic shadow of a once great club. I haven’t missed a game in over forty years but I haven’t watched one either - preferring to pontificate about matters in a way that demonstrates my complete ignorance of the finer points of football.
Following the retirement of the immortal Roy Race, when “Tubby” Moreton filled his beaming face with a pasty for the last time and “Blackie” Blacksomething hung up his boots and “Ginger” Nutmeg (or whatever his name was) transferred to fierce local rivals Eggshitter City, I knew that the future was bleak for the pantheon of dreams that The Rovers had always been.
New management corrupted all that was important about the club: the talismatic red shirts with yellow sleeves changed every year to accommodate the god of Sponsorship and the array of yellow and red stripes, hoops and polka dots worn by the fans in emulation of their team made the Melchester Kop (which is uniquely along the length of the pitch rather than behind a goal) seem like a counter at a jumble sale; the stadium changed its name every time the local double glazing firm went bust and the traditional wooden stands with their time honoured fire risks were replaced by concrete edifices built to the latest Subbuteo designs that transformed into skating rinks whenever rain fell.
If things were bad off the pitch they were worse on it. Magnificent Melchester slid rapidly down the League and out of it, into a godforsaken non-league collection of part-timers and hasbeens which bore the name of something sinister like a betting syndicate or insurance company and were heading for extinction in a way that justified their new nickname of “The Dodos”.
Managers came and went more rapidly than the physio could treat an injured player and the latest recruit arrived with the club staring at the abyss of Sunday League soccer. He was a complete tyro with no previous managerial experience but he performed miracles and saved the club from relegation on the last day of two successive seasons. As a manager he was a novice but he did have some football pedigree for he was ... Roy Race: a one-club hero who as a player had amassed more England caps than Shilton, Charlton, Rooney and Moore combined and who had won more trophies with Melchester Rovers than Real Madrid, Celtic and Newton Heath could jointly lay claim to.
Players queued to play in trials for the club: two former European Footballers of the Year and an ex Golden Boot winner begged for the chance to play for free and Joe Hart indicated that he was available whilst resting from making shampoo commercials but Roy stuck to his time worn principles of hiring journeymen on extortionate wages that easily overspent his huge Sky money Budget.
Of course as soon as the club failed to win three successive games it was clear that this founder member of the Inter-Galactic Football Hall of Fame had absolutely no knowledge or tactical awareness of the practicalities of non-league football and that he should be replaced immediately by either an embittered youth coach living in a parallel universe or by an inveterate thread starter who is unsure of the spelling of his own name.