Torquay United Fans Forum

History (League Tables) will show that Nicho kept us up for two seasons and Owers took us down in one!

Don't assume that Solihull, Chester and Guiseley are going down without a whimper. Mark Yates is putting a decent squad together at Solihull and Guiseley under Paul Cox could put a run together. We could catch a team currently above the bottom four but still be overtaken by Solihull or Guiseley which would still leave us in a relegation place.

More drivel I'm afraid from an inexperienced middle aged manager who is completely out of his depth.
He talks a good game but consistently fails to deliver. Once again the players weren't up for the game (v Boreham Wood) today. Whose fault is that? I thought that the Gaffer and his right hand man were supposed to motivate the players to give their all before the game begins
He now recognises the need for an aggressive midfielder as noted on this Forum some weeks ago as well as strikers who can put the ball in the net.
I have read the recent posts from the few remaining optimists who bother to contribute to the Forum and I feel genuinely sorry for them and the rest of us who have supported the Club for many years but the brutal truth is that we have been let down by Osborne and Harrop who appointed another boy when we needed a man. The away support today was excellent as usual but was sadly let down by another poor performance. Sadly I can't see us getting anywhere near the 30+ points that we need from our last 19 games with the current management team who seem to be completely out of their depth.

merse btpir wrote: ↑12 Dec 2017, 22:18 You sure about that?

At least they're fit enough to do that now, unlike under the last piss-poor management.

Typically poor side though ~ OK until they go behind then confidence evaporates down the plughole. So how do you counter that? Bring in a Racchi type figure; a Mal Lucas or John Benson for us older fans; someone who will bark, bollock and bite.

Nicholson didn't like that and let his little ninnies in the squad influence him. Surely Owers (and more pertinently Kuhl) will see that as the way out of this because you can take it from me players like Young, Lathrope and McGinty are no leaders. Unless that is done then forget any conversion on the road to Damascus or whatever else you want to call National South.

At least the manner in which they play the game now shows how fit they are to be taking the game to the other team; sticking at it and coming strong at the end ~ unlike the disgraceful state of affairs when Owers and Kuhl had to come in and clear up Nicholson's mess....and to think; he got a silver salver for it. It should have been a dog shit pooper scooper!

The extent to which they are able to recruit now that so many loan contracts are coming to an end though will determine all; and the gap from safety is six points effectively, so the message is stick at it and keep working hard!

Not sure why you are so obsessed with the past. That was then and this now. The current management team have ben in post long enough to be judged on their performance to date and so far they have struggled to motivate the team. Owners said as much in his post match comments after the Tranmere game.
Some of our relegation rivals have more experienced managers (Justin Edinburgh, Mark Yates, Paul Cox) which puts us at a disadvantage. Like you I hope that we can find a true leader on the pitch but why haven't Owers and Kuhl gone and found him from the ranks of unemployed footballers given that there is such an obvious need?

SuperNickyWroe wrote: ↑12 Dec 2017, 21:38 FT 1-1.
one point better than none.

Not good enough though. We are doomed with the current management in charge. We can't even average a goal a game any more.

SkyBlue Gull wrote: ↑05 Dec 2017, 09:24 That all sounds very good but:

Has there been a significant improvement in Gilberts performance since Owers and Kuhl came in?

Has his fitness improved - does he last the pace of a Saturday afternoon better under the new management?

I seem to recall the Gaffer being quoted somewhere saying that Gilbert the Gull wasn't rubbish any more. He must be significantly fitter now than he was under the previous regime.

lucy6lucy wrote: ↑03 Dec 2017, 17:03 Very small response to this match thread, considering we held our own for a very well earned and deserved draw, to the league leaders. Point gained, moved up a place and we are 3 points from safety. League survival is looking likely if we maintain our current performances. Credit to the management and players.

Sadly Lucy I think that most of us are so disillusioned by the current state of he Club that we have become indifferent to what is happening on the pitch. That is why the Forum is slowly dying from lack of postings
There is no vision for the future that has been shared with fans. We can only assume that the current owners have no long term interest in the Club and as far as I know there are no prospective buyers on the horizon. There is little prospect of community ownership because despite the god intentions of locally based supporters there isn't the drive and skil set amongst them to take on the running of he Club.
If Owers and Kuhl save us from relegation will they get a decent budget for 2018/19 for a promotion push. Who know? Will they go as soon as they get a better offer.
What happens if we go down? Will we be able to afford them?
If Merse btpir knows all the answers perhaps he can enlighten the rest of us as to what the future might be.

Having just read the post from Dave on another thread "Offer of Assistance" the penny has dropped. "The Gaffer" is Patrick Tinkler speak for Geoff Harrop not Gary Owers as I had assumed. Doh!

merse btpir wrote: ↑21 Nov 2017, 13:58 But of course for almost two years now he cannot get a job of his own in football management!

The last time he was at Plainmoor he departed just four days later, after being appointed manager of Yeovil Town on 9th April 2015, with the club all but relegated. Following a poor start to the following season, Yeovil announced on 1st December 2015 that they had parted company with him; he had lasted just eight months. So what exactly are his achievements of late and exactly what is his standing with the game's employers these days?

So Paul Sturrock was manager of Yeovil until December 2015 and Geoff Harop was Academy Manager at Yeovil from summer 2015. Am I i missing something ? Surely they know each other reasonably well?

merse btpir wrote: ↑20 Nov 2017, 06:35 Of course, the answer to that is that he hasn't. He's merely stated the bleedin' obvious which is what has been so obviously missing up until his arrival.

Any team underperforming as the Torquay United side has should both expect this and be able to cope with it. He is ~ after all ~ just doing what we all want him to do isn't he; or do some prefer a relegation fight to a competent squad of players who win their home matches and get a decent haul of points from away games?

During the last two seasons we were shopping for players in the corner shop.
In the close season it seemed we had moved up to aldi/Lidl but it wasn't clear who had the credit card. Harrop? Hedges? Nicho?
We certainly ended up with a bit of a motley crew.
If we are now shopping in Waitrose then that is great news but with the lack of communication from the Boardroom I wouldn't know. However if the Gaffer has money at his disposal he should head for the shops pdq.

When I mischievously set this particular hare running at breakfast time I was hoping to get some reaction and that has been achieved so thanks to all who have contributed.
Sadly this Forum has felt like it's dying on it's feet apart from a few regular contributors so it is good to get a bit of banter going.
Roll on Tuesday and let's hope "The Gaffer" can become "Mr Motivator" and get the team playing for each other even on a plastic pitch!

forevertufc wrote: ↑19 Nov 2017, 18:35 The 8 players in yesterdays 16 man squad, brought to the club by Nicholson maybe ?

Of the 5 players selected for MOTM, 3 were at the Club last season so maybe not.

nickbrod wrote: ↑19 Nov 2017, 17:58 Lumping Hedges and Owers together isn't a level playing field. In this particular debate it would be more accurate to state that five out of yesterday's squad of 16 were brought in by Owers and Kuhl.
Therefore I'm in the camp with those who agree with Owers that some of the serial losers need to move on.

And the serial losers are?

Sadly the majority of players in yesterdays squad were Hedges/Owers signings so if they have signed losers then that's their problem.
I don't think that the Owers/Kulh set up will succeed but I would like to be pleasantly surprised.

We seem to have two extremes don't we? Nicholson who only blamed himself and Owers who blames everybody but himself.