Should the club sack Alan Knill?

royalgull · Post by **royalgull** » 03 Dec 2013, 11:33

P39 W7 D12 L20

Footballing reasons.

LOL

wodger of awabia · Post by **wodger of awabia** » 03 Dec 2013, 11:40

Gullscorer wrote:I didn't say it's a difficult decision, nor an easy decision. I said it's a big decision. An easy one to make for many fans, no doubt, but, with so much at stake, certainly and indisputably a big decision for the club.

Yes I Know, that's why I highlighted " a big decision" you are right, but is is also an easy decision IMO as there are no real alternatives.

royalgull · Post by **royalgull** » 03 Dec 2013, 12:00

I'm looking forward to hearing how Dave Thomas can put a positive spin on all of this in this weeks podcast. If he can then the government will be looking to employ his services asap. don't let me down Dave I know you can do it.

Post by **Scott Brehaut** » 03 Dec 2013, 12:09

Given that nothing happened regarding Mr Knill yesterday, I'm guessing he has had a stay of execution - IF he has (and I have no clue if this is the case), then the Board have made the wrong decision in my opinion and, if he doesn't turn it around (and there is little evidence he will), by the time he is sacked (if ever), I fear it will be too late to turn it around.

ferrarilover · Post by **ferrarilover** » 03 Dec 2013, 12:11

nickbrod wrote:So the 'inside' information suggests Knill moves to Director of Football but what happens to Brass? Knill's move allows a new man to take over team affairs. So what are the options here?
1. 'Promote' from within? Geoff Harrop has taken our youth side to the 3rd Round of the FA Youth Cup with a tie against Arsenal. Surely a great feat. He could be assisted by Robbie Hererra who had a great career.
2. Bring in a young, inexperienced manager who's an ex-player? What about Alex Russell whose name has cropped up on previous occasions?
3. Surely poaching a manager already in post somewhere else is out of the question for financial reasons.
What a dilemma!

No, the made up bullshit information suggests this.

Rest of post good. It's an extremely tough decision,and one which is made easier by our financial position.

Matt.

gullintwoplaces · Post by **gullintwoplaces** » 03 Dec 2013, 12:11

royalgull wrote:P39 W7 D12 L20

Footballing reasons.

LOL

This says it all really. I am saddened to see not a word from the club, not an apology to the fans for the position we are in, nothing at all. Not even a statement backing AK, because at least we would know where we stand. My preference would be a press release saying that AK has left and that an appropriate new manager will be appointed soon. I know that football fans are a moaning bunch, but these results are pitiful and the club has a duty to the fans to tell us what the hell is going on.

ferrarilover · Post by **ferrarilover** » 03 Dec 2013, 12:15

*checks the websites of every other struggling club in England. Finds no evidence of apologies or conciliatory statements from any. Wonders why Torquay United should be any different.*

Matt.

stefano · Post by **stefano** » 03 Dec 2013, 12:22

ferrarilover wrote:*checks the websites of every other struggling club in England. Finds no evidence of apologies or conciliatory statements from any. Wonders why Torquay United should be any different.*

Matt.

Exactly. Nail hit firmly on head there. Also the calls for the club to at least make an announcement is frankly ridiculous. If the club are going to sack Mr Knill then the club will make that announcement when that has taken place. If the club are not going to sack Mr Knill .... well there really is no announcement to make.

gullintwoplaces · Post by **gullintwoplaces** » 03 Dec 2013, 12:32

stefano wrote: Exactly. Nail hit firmly on head there. Also the calls for the club to at least make an announcement is frankly ridiculous. If the club are going to sack Mr Knill then the club will make that announcement when that has taken place. If the club are not going to sack Mr Knill .... well there really is no announcement to make.

Sorry, can't agree with that. It is called keeping in touch with your customers. If any sensible business's products are failing then it would make a statement to its customers to reassure them. We are customers of Torquay United, the miserable product that we pay a lot of money to see is failing badly and I think that a statement either sacking or backing AK SHOULD be made and made quickly. The club can't moan that its customers are disappearing if it does nothing at all to keep in touch with them.

Post by **Scott Brehaut** » 03 Dec 2013, 12:35

ferrarilover wrote:*checks the websites of every other struggling club in England. Finds no evidence of apologies or conciliatory statements from any. Wonders why Torquay United should be any different.*

Matt.

*checks the websites of every other struggling club in England. Notes the sacking of managers. Wonders why Torquay United should be any different.*

:devil:

usagullmichigan · Post by **usagullmichigan** » 03 Dec 2013, 12:41

Sorry Matt but you are wrong. The club owe the paying customers a response to our situation. They know that most of the fans want Knill out so they need to publicly back him so at least some fans might get behind him.

stefano · Post by **stefano** » 03 Dec 2013, 12:44

gullintwoplaces wrote: Sorry, can't agree with that. It is called keeping in touch with your customers. If any sensible business's products are failing then it would make a statement to its customers to reassure them. We are customers of Torquay United, the miserable product that we pay a lot of money to see is failing badly and I think that a statement either sacking or backing AK SHOULD be made and made quickly. The club can't moan that its customers are disappearing if it does nothing at all to keep in touch with them.

Most failing businesses would make announcements for their customers AFTER they have taken steps to rectify matters (ie. using TUFC as an example sacking the manager). Is the business failing though? As far as I can see League Two football is still available at Plainmoor and is still attracting the same number of people as we normally get. The number is not realistically enough to sustain a club in the Football League, but we have struggled on like that for years. Ok we are bottom. Somebody has to be. As far as I can see there is little to choose between the teams in League 2 this season other than a handful at the top. We have got a decent set of players for the budget we have available and it is without doubt that any manager would find it difficult to manage on the resources we have available. Bottom in the first week in December is disappointing, but it does not automatically mean bottom in the first week of May.

So no an announcement should only be made IF Mr Knill is sacked (or there is some re-structuring to bring somebody else in to help). If this is not going to happen then there is NO announcement to make. Everybody knows that the Board of Directors publicly saying the manager has the full backing of the board means absolutely nothing in football.

AustrianAndyGull · Post by **AustrianAndyGull** » 03 Dec 2013, 12:51

stefano wrote: Exactly. Nail hit firmly on head there. Also the calls for the club to at least make an announcement is frankly ridiculous. If the club are going to sack Mr Knill then the club will make that announcement when that has taken place. If the club are not going to sack Mr Knill .... well there really is no announcement to make.

Technically Matt has a valid point and Stefano finds something that doesn't cost the club anything and can buy them and Knill some more time with a bit less abuse 'frankly ridiculous'.

Like Matt, Stefano is technically correct in saying their is no announcement to be made if a decision has not been arrived at but I totally agree with GITP about this being a matter of customer relations rather than just about protocol. Simply by releasing a statement with the usual guff about how they fully support Alan in his work blah blah blah and that he is still the man to take TUFC forward will stop a lot of people from getting more frustrated at not knowing the situation and make some accept that Knill is still sh*t and taking us down but there isn't anything further that can be done about it.

It's a no brainer IMO and any sort of release from the board would give us an indication that they are even AWARE that we have a huge crappy management problem.

DevonYellow · Post by **DevonYellow** » 03 Dec 2013, 12:58

Thought it might be nice to throw in a smidgen of positivity. Quote from caretaker scunny manager Russ Wilcox:

"It's a tough situation for Torquay, but they certainly don't look like a relegation team to me.

"Of the three games we've played since I've been in charge, this has been up there as the toughest of them."

Jerry · Post by **Jerry** » 03 Dec 2013, 13:00

AustrianAndyGull wrote: Simply by releasing a statement with the usual guff about how they fully support Alan in his work blah blah blah and that he is still the man to take TUFC forward will stop a lot of people from getting more frustrated at not knowing the situation and make some accept that Knill is still sh*t and taking us down but there isn't anything further that can be done about it.

No it wouldn't.

All that would happen is that the unacceptable abuse that has been heaped on the manager would be transfered to the board for their perceived incompetence in not bowing to the demands of hysterical fans.

Anyway, as everyone knows, the "vote of confidence" from a board is usually the death knell for a manager so any such statement would be seen by some to effectively signal the end of his time here.

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