The grass isn't always greener ...

[CP Gull]

It occurs to me when there has been all the recent speculation about Branno returning and even talk of Craig Stanley - although that was never likely surely while Eunan was still here - the number of players over the last couple of years that seem to have really enjoyed their time here and yet when they've moved on they've had a pretty torrid time of it and have struggled to hit the "heights" that they enjoyed here.

It's a pretty long list when you think of it! Can anyone honestly say that the likes of Carayol (least not when he first moved to Lincoln) Benyon, Rendell (ok perhaps in patches with Wycombe), Stanley and Branston who have all moved on within a relatively short space of time and Jake Robinson (transfer listed and seemingly not wanted) have enjoyed their times at the clubs they moved to? I would also add that even though they are still there, I'm not sure that Bevan or Zebroski enjoyed last season at BRFC much either!

Even more odd is that even Chris Robertson is under pressure already at PNE, even though he only signed in January! He has, along with a few others signed at the same time, been told in no uncertain terms by Grahwm Westley to shape up or ship out !

http://www.lep.co.uk/sport/football/pre ... -1-4672698

I can only really think of Billy Kee and Nicky Wroe who seemed to have enjoyed success elsewhere and even Wroe has moved on again.

It does make you wonder what might happen to Mark Ellis at Crewe given the seemingly long list of players that have moved on from us in recent times and not enjoyed their new surroundings. I guess our small but friendly club doesn't have the same degree of expectation as some of the other bigger clubs in this league and that may well be a factor in allowing players to perform at their best without the same burden of expectation.

[numpte]

No, not always greener but you can bet your house on the fact they all earned more money which given their limited talent consigning the majority to the lower leagues and relatively short career in football is more than ample compensation.

[bengull]

Excellent post CP, it is something I have thought about regularly, in particular the case of Branston, his fall from grace from League two team of the year to the reserve team at Bradford was pretty spectacular.

I think a lot of the players listed have been fairly dismissive of Torquay as a respectable place to play. We are not the biggest club in size and stature and perhaps not as 'prestigious' as the clubs these players move onto. What they fail to understand though is despite being offered a couple of hundred quid elsewhere, Torquay is a very well run club, and a damn sight more realistic than the relics they choose to join instead.

We are a club that understands and respects the league we are in, knows the perameters and limitations of our capabilities and purposefully never set the bar too high for ourselves, in doing so we have over-achieved in each of the last two seasons. Whereas clubs like Bristol and Northampton fail regularly because they fail to respect league two.

The team spirit here is excellent, one or two long trips north on a battered team-coach quickly builds an 'us against them' mentality, these experiences are seldom replicated by a more centrally based club.

Lastly I must praise us, the fans. We give any new signing a chance to impress, and get behind each and every one of them. We are a friendly and knowledgable group, but also realistic. Last season at Northampton we clapped Jake Robinson off the pitch, his own fans were silent, he gave us bigger acknowledgement than he did theirs. We give our players every chance to become our heroes. Far too many other sets of fans are ready to turn on a player after one bad performance.

I wouldn't take any of the players back that you have listed, why should we show them respect when they have shown our club very little. Kudos to Sir Martin of Ling for ignoring these players who may have been decent for a season two years ago, but no guarantees they could replicate that sort of form, they have all become league two failures, whilst we are signing league one standard talent.

No, the grass isn't greener on the other side, give me a team of Nico's and Manse's any day.

[bobby93]

Agree with a lot of this. Even while Buckle was here, we were a club who, as Ben says, have been realistic and respected the Leagues we've been in.

I also agree that I probably wouldn't have any of those players back again. Not necessarily through any ill feeling, I don't think we can blame the likes of Branno for going on and trying his luck in front of 10,000 people every week or even Robertson/Ellis for wanting to have a go in a higher league. What sometimes does bother us is the manner in which players seem to think they can behave. The likes of Stanley and Carayol are the characters who seem to attract the negative attention because of the way they left.

Loyalty does seem to be a rare quality across football, but I think at our club we do a lot to accept players and give them a chance. Nathan Craig, for example, is probably over the moon to have received such a postive reaction from a group of fans from which the majority have not yet seen him kick a ball. We've never been a club to stand in anyone's way, nor should we be. Football is, after all, a profession. If you were unhappy with a few aspects of your job or wanted to try for a promotion or a wage increase or a relocation, you'd do so and footballers are no different. I think they way Eunan has handled his suitors this summer (and the whole time he's been here) has been exceptional and should be an example to younger players. He's obviously got a very mature head on young shoulders, is in no rush to make a rash decision for money or anything else, and is fully appreciative of the fans and staff at the club he's at. For that reason, when he goes, we'll all wish him luck and remember him fondly, I'm sure.

The reason I wouldn't have most of those players back is because we've moved on. We've wished them well and we've replaced them. I was worried when there were rumours that we'd take Branno back just because he said he was interested, and he seemed like he was assuming he could just walk back into the team. He was fantastic when he was here, don't get me wrong. But Mr Ling has proved he's his own man. It's fine to remember the likes of Branston and what a success they were when they were here but we don't owe anybody anything and there are still plenty of wabbits to come out of the 'at, I'm sure.

I'm not sure if any of that made sense, it was sort of a train of thought exercise...

[brucie]

As has been said, you cannot really blame the likes of Stanley, Zebs and co for earning more money elsewhere. We have got the best out of certain players thats for sure. Branston is a prime example. He got himself fit whilst he was here and we got the best out of him. For whatever reason Zebroski has played his best football when he was here - he has been to other clubs and not done so well. However he was excellent for us especially in his second stint. Same with Benyon really - we got the best out of him.