Martin ling

[PlainmoorRoar]

supergulls - clearly Martin Ling in disguise

jog on!

[brucie]

I actually think you should stop watching old episodes of the Sweeney :rules: :rules: :rules:

[Gullscorer]

Brucie I've just seen your post regarding his PM. If that's what he PM's, the moderators should discipline him.

[AustrianAndyGull]

I don't understand all this crap about Ling being rebuffed for players and this and that, my point is that even if he could have signed anyone within any budget allowed, his tactics still would have not changed. That is the point. I can send out 11 players onto a pitch to at least have a go and be competetive and try and work to a gameplan regardless of their ability so why couldn't Ling? All he has to do is try to win football matches and if he won 50% of his games and lost 50% of his games then happy days, entertainment and comfortable in the table. He is not a bad manager, i've always said that but it is this refusal to adopt a more frivolous approach to games that rankles with fans. Supergulls says that at Orient his side played some great football and whilst i don't doubt that and not having a go at you Supergulls but why can't he get his players here to at least have a crack at achieving that very same thing despite their inferior talent instead of sh*tting his pants at the sound of the refs whistle and sticking men behind the ball and lumping it up to a lone striker 600 miles up the pitch and surrounded by the opposition? It makes no sense whatsoever and if Ling were to accept this and take on board that most of us want a decent standard of football before success then i'm sure he would do well and improve himself as a manager. Ling makes me want to bang my head against a brick wall because if he just did this one simple thing then i know performances will be unpredictable and exciting again and i'd love to have him back as manager again. I just cannot understand how he cannot realise this.
Change Martin or see fans stay away. Why do they stay away? Because the football on offer on a weekly basis sends them into a coma and it is unecesary and unacceptable.

[brucie]

Yep I am quaking so much I don't think I will be able to sleep tonight.

[brucie]

Perhaps Dave or Scott could iron him out (whatever that means)

[hector]

Ling is a first class n*b lets be honest,

I can't believe this crap with his contract where the threat of a tribunial is quite large if we want to oust him

its that or pay him the years salary which is A LOT OF £ for his 'skills'

Regardless of whether it is Ling, Knill or AN Other that one would want as manager, I do not think there is any call for that sort of comment. The one thing that is generally said about Martin Ling is that he is a decent, likeable bloke. I suspect the players like him and respect him, hence the comments of Eunan O'Kane that time when the crowd were shouting for Alan Knill.

Martin Ling may be the manager we need or he may not but to refer to him in that way is unwarranted. The bloke has been unwell after doing his best for the club, regardless of whether opinion suggests his best was good enough or not.

If Martin Ling stays, which even though I am unsure whether it is the best for the club and in particular him, I will hope he is successful. If he goes, then I will wish him well and hope he meets with success wherever that may be.

[PlainmoorRoar]

Regardless of whether it is Ling, Knill or AN Other that one would want as manager, I do not think there is any call for that sort of comment. The one thing that is generally said about Martin Ling is that he is a decent, likeable bloke. I suspect the players like him and respect him, hence the comments of Eunan O'Kane that time when the crowd were shouting for Alan Knill.

Martin Ling may be the manager we need or he may not but to refer to him in that way is unwarranted. The bloke has been unwell after doing his best for the club, regardless of whether opinion suggests his best was good enough or not.

If Martin Ling stays, which even though I am unsure whether it is the best for the club and in particular him, I will hope he is successful. If he goes, then I will wish him well and hope he meets with success wherever that may be.

Im sorry Hector but just no!

decent and likeable bloke he is not! the times ive had contact with him he is very chauvinist and ego-oriented, people in the club will say the same

He has no passion for the game, look at the sky highlights, Chris brass is literally jumping for joy when it goes 2-2 theres nothing like that from Ling or Taylor. Brass isn't even being paid!!!

The huge problem is that apparently he is 'better' i don't buy that for one second! what happens when it goes wrong again at some point next season - awol for another 3 weeks - i'd rather take the hit and buy him out!!!!

and the sympathy for this 'illness' makes my blood boil - if people really knew....

[hector]

Im sorry Hector but just no!

decent and likeable bloke he is not! the times ive had contact with him he is very chauvinist and ego-oriented, people in the club will say the same

He has no passion for the game, look at the sky highlights, Chris brass is literally jumping for joy when it goes 2-2 theres nothing like that from Ling or Taylor. Brass isn't even being paid!!!

The huge problem is that apparently he is 'better' i don't buy that for one second! what happens when it goes wrong again at some point next season - awol for another 3 weeks - i'd rather take the hit and buy him out!!!!

and the sympathy for this 'illness' makes my blood boil - if people really knew....

Well, you may know things that I don't then, so if you are correct then let's hope the club does the right thing.

[brucie]

I do actually wonder whether Ling does have a passion for the game or indeed the club. Its certainly something that I have often wondered. If you watch him in the dug out you do have to wonder.
That isn't a criticism that you can level against Knill/Brass and that (as well as the brand of football) may well be why the fans have taken to him.
I don't think Knill necessarily comes across that well with the press he certainly isn't tv/radio savvy as such but he talks sense and does seem to be an honest bloke who is grounded and does his best.

[Rach]

Im sorry Hector but just no!

decent and likeable bloke he is not! the times ive had contact with him he is very chauvinist and ego-oriented, people in the club will say the same

He has no passion for the game, look at the sky highlights, Chris brass is literally jumping for joy when it goes 2-2 theres nothing like that from Ling or Taylor. Brass isn't even being paid!!!

The huge problem is that apparently he is 'better' i don't buy that for one second! what happens when it goes wrong again at some point next season - awol for another 3 weeks - i'd rather take the hit and buy him out!!!!

and the sympathy for this 'illness' makes my blood boil - if people really knew....

If we knew what? why don't you tell us, so we could maybe understand your hatred for Ling.

[tauntongull]

It is fair to say that there is definitely a contrast in management styles. Ling fairly inanimate on the touchline compared to Knill / Brass and their open encouragement and dialogue with the players. Personally for me I prefer the latter style of management. I think you need to be involved with your players to get the best out of them. I felt last season we were on the verge of something great with Ling with the potential for automatic promotion and then all of a sudden it fizzled out like a wet party firework. I know this is the past and one shouldn't dwell on it but I do wonder what it would have been like if Knill had been in charge then.

It is interesting that Ling openly told fans to 'get real' and that we had overachieved last season - the self fulfilling prophecy certainly worked its magic this year and this is exactly my point. I want a manager who has highly passionate and positive outlook; wanting the club to be the best it possible can and the players too (just look at Di Canio - for all his faults he does instill passion) without being completely deluded that we are playing brilliant even when we are performing badly (aka Buckle) Open and honest when failures occur and with a reasonable tactical portfolio so we have options - something largely missing from us this season.

I know a previous poster eluded to the fact that there is not a huge amount of different in both managers performance in terms of win ratios. However, for me it is about the football played on the pitch and whether this is both entertaining and positive. I haven't seen much of this from Martin Ling. I lost count of how many matches we came out forlorn, lacking ideas and with very little confidence with no tempo to our play. My only concern is whether Knill has the personality and contacts to attract layers to come to Plainmoor; although in fairness this is the same for both managers and on previous track record you cannot criticise the signings previously made by Martin.

[tauntongull]

Oh and one other thing. Simon Baker was on the BBC immediately after the game to say that he would be speaking with Martin today and stating "He is better now.."

Presumably he didn't just miraculously get better overnight and must have been feeling better for some time now. If this is the case do others feel that it would have been a supportive gesture to at least have published a post via the official website or alternatively via the programme thanking fans for their support and wishing the team all the very best for last game of the season. I appreciate some may say that he may not have wanted to interfere with Knill's management of the team but as they were both friends it seems to me very bizarre that Knill didn't speak to Ling at all - yet Taylor did !? Also I wouldn't have considered this action as interfering with the running of the team and may have eased in his transition back to the club.

[AustrianAndyGull]

It is fair to say that there is definitely a contrast in management styles. Ling fairly inanimate on the touchline compared to Knill / Brass and their open encouragement and dialogue with the players. Personally for me I prefer the latter style of management. I think you need to be involved with your players to get the best out of them. I felt last season we were on the verge of something great with Ling with the potential for automatic promotion and then all of a sudden it fizzled out like a wet party firework. I know this is the past and one shouldn't dwell on it but I do wonder what it would have been like if Knill had been in charge then.

It is interesting that Ling openly told fans to 'get real' and that we had overachieved last season - the self fulfilling prophecy certainly worked its magic this year and this is exactly my point. I want a manager who has highly passionate and positive outlook; wanting the club to be the best it possible can and the players too (just look at Di Canio - for all his faults he does instill passion) without being completely deluded that we are playing brilliant even when we are performing badly (aka Buckle) Open and honest when failures occur and with a reasonable tactical portfolio so we have options - something largely missing from us this season.

I know a previous poster eluded to the fact that there is not a huge amount of different in both managers performance in terms of win ratios. However, for me it is about the football played on the pitch and whether this is both entertaining and positive. I haven't seen much of this from Martin Ling. I lost count of how many matches we came out forlorn, lacking ideas and with very little confidence with no tempo to our play. My only concern is whether Knill has the personality and contacts to attract layers to come to Plainmoor; although in fairness this is the same for both managers and on previous track record you cannot criticise the signings previously made by Martin.

This is the primary reason why most don't want Ling back. I personally couldn't care less what a manager does on the touchline so long as what we're seeing on the pitch is generally acceptable. Take Sean O'Driscoll for example, not a man to rant and rave in the dugout but i wouldn't mind seeing 1% of his approach to the game in a Martin Ling side. That would be an improvement. Take Roy Keane, rants like a loony but failed as a manager. It's not important, what IS important is for somebody at the club to take Martin into a quiet room, explain that his methods are not in the best interests of the club and that he needs to adopt a more proactive, positive approach to matches because i really think he is that stupid and still doesn't realise why most fans are on his back. I have no qualms with his signings, i have no qualms with his management style, i just want him to do something as primitive as ATTEMPTING TO WIN A GAME OF FOOTBALL FROM THE KICK OFF and that would be a mammoth step forward for everyone. If my advice is not taken then i'm afraid Plainmoor will once again become Zombie Nation both on and off the pitch.

[Scott Brehaut]

If my advice is not taken then i'm afraid Plainmoor will once again become Zombie Nation both on and off the pitch.

If the club had listened to the majority of the fans on here, they would have told the players not to bother as the fans have already given up hope and have us down as being relegated....