Should the club sack Alan Knill?

AustrianAndyGull · Post by **AustrianAndyGull** » 29 Dec 2013, 17:41

Yes of course we should if we can and if we stay up we still should but we can't so it's not really a debate. If we finish mid table and start playing some scintillating football then he should stay as he will have proved he does have some managerial acumen and isn't that what is needed to be displayed if you are football manager? As well as keepin us up he has to at least prove to us that he has a glimmer of ability to take us forward and we haven't seen that yet. That is an important point i feel. Otherwise sack him off in the summer if we can stump up the cash or face another season of misery and shocking football.

Post by **Colorado Gull** » 29 Dec 2013, 18:43

First time I've said it and I've casted my vote, Alan Knill OUT.

gullno4 · Post by **gullno4** » 29 Dec 2013, 19:07

If we lose at Plymouth, then I'll say knill out!

ROADRUNNER · Post by **ROADRUNNER** » 29 Dec 2013, 19:12

yep, OUT

divingbboy · Post by **divingbboy** » 29 Dec 2013, 19:29

Get rid of him. OUT.

Gullscorer · Post by **Gullscorer** » 29 Dec 2013, 19:49

If the club sacked Martin Ling for 'football reasons', those same reasons surely now apply in Alan Knill's case. So if Knill remains as manager, what other reasons can the club possibly have for not sacking him? Financial perhaps? Or perhaps they realise they were too hasty in sacking Ling and don't want to make the same mistake again? If Knill stays, things may yet improve sufficiently for us to avoid relegation. If he goes, then the managerial musical chair lottery will begin all over again, with no guarantee that we'll end up with a winner..

Fonda · Post by **Fonda** » 29 Dec 2013, 19:53

Nope. Knill did nothing wrong today - he got his tactics spot on, and but for individual errors, the result would have been different. We were the better side throughout the first half, but teams in our position can't afford to be passing up opportunities when they present themselves. Hawley's penalty was among the weakest I've ever seen. Then we're hit on the break and Poke is beaten from distance at his near post. Heads drop, another defensive error and they score again. The move to take off McCourt, whilst booed, was probably the right decision. He had to be sacrificed as we had to chase the game (by going 4-4-2), which resulted in a goal back. Unfortunately, by chasing the game it left us exposed to the counter (and yet another individual error). If that penalty had been scored, we'd probably not have lost, and there wouldn't be this furore again.

EDIT: When I say 'did nothing wrong' - nothing except starting Hawley over Benyon. But that's easy to say in hindsight.

Post by **Dave** » 29 Dec 2013, 20:02

The standard of football played in the first half was very good and if that can be taken forward then I can't see us going down, Shane no ones arguing the need to go 4-4-2 yes that was the right decision, people were booing because the wrong player got taken off, everything good about our midfield today was going through McCourt, him and Bodin by some was were our best players, crass decision, unless McCourt had a knock, which to fair I didn't see.

As for sacking AK, think it will go to Morecambe game to be honest.

Fonda · Post by **Fonda** » 29 Dec 2013, 20:04

forevertufc wrote:The standard of football played in the first half was very good and if that can be taken forward then I can't see us going down, Shane no ones arguing the need to go 4-4-2 yes that was the right decision, people were booing because the wrong player got taken off, everything good about our midfield today was going through McCourt, him and Bodin by some was were our best players, crass decision, unless McCourt had a knock, which to fair I didn't see.

As for sacking AK, think it will go to Morecambe game to be honest.

Don't disagree with this, but he wouldn't have been afforded nearly as much space once we changed to 2 in the middle. Manse and Mozika are simply a more powerful, workmanlike combination.

Dave_Pougher · Post by **Dave_Pougher** » 29 Dec 2013, 20:20

No the club should not sack Alan Knill at the moment, he should have been sacked 24 potential points ago.

knightmaregull · Post by **knightmaregull** » 29 Dec 2013, 20:37

Did anybody who still backs AK listen to his post match interview on Radio Devon? If so then you must be a relative or something - once again he comes out with utter rubbish about us being unlucky, having injuries, playing well, taking lots of positives etc etc and a number of times saying "that's football" to explain why we are continually putting in such poor performances and attacking the reporter for asking "stupid" questions (yes of course they are but all football interviewers ask generic stuff). He also used a weak substitutes bench as an excuse - what utter nonsense, he didn't have to call up the teenager and chose to leave the experience of Nico in the wilderness. It's not as if he ever uses subs until it's too late anyway.

His voice has no energy, no sign of war spirit and is either not revealing his true feelings or seriously deluded.

The 2 x wins were I fear false dawns in which we actually got a bit of luck that has been missing. I personally still hope the Board bite the bullet soon.

Fonda · Post by **Fonda** » 29 Dec 2013, 20:46

He's entitled to say we played well and were unlucky today. We started the game without our two best attacking players, dominated for long periods, and lost because of individual errors.

njgull · Post by **njgull** » 29 Dec 2013, 20:47

Here's a link to an article with Knill quotes. Another one of those "felt like a win" evaluations. We're moving in the right direction despite the fact we just moved into the relegation zone.

http://www1.skysports.com/football/news ... ding-gulls

AustrianAndyGull · Post by **AustrianAndyGull** » 29 Dec 2013, 21:08

I don't think the wins were false dawns more a case of probability. Eventually a team has to win a game unless you are Hyde and it was that we were to win 2 on the spin by playing well against a off colour Southend side and playing a bit rubbish against Daggers who are doing well. We have had two penalties in successive games and not won any of them. It's swings and roundabouts in this league at the moment and even Northampton at some point will win, can we be out of reach by the time they do? I think York are the only ones in the same position as us in terms of them giving their manager a contract that it is doubtful they could honour financially if they gave him the boot. Bury and Northampton have dispensed with their managers and Knill really should have gone weeks ago.

If he continues to show he has no aptitude for football management then we could be in trouble but I don't think it is as bad as it could be because many teams in this division are as bad as us. That in actual fact highlights to me the fact that Knill is doing a much worse job than at first thought. In all seriousness, any of you out there, Dave T, Dave F, Brucie anyone really could have amassed nearly the amount of points we have on the board at the minute even those with no football experience. I truly believe this.

We're stuck with him as the window between the Scunny and Southend games were the time to get rid but we've made our bed now and we have to lie in it and hope we wake up in league 2 next season. The standard of the league just means that good results can come but not necessarily because of good management although I am happy to give Alan credit for the wins. That is why I have come to the conclusion that performances don't matter now, results do.

Fonda is right in essence that we have had no luck but we've had two penalties in the last two games which is a stroke of luck considering we've had none all season, took the lead in one of them and not won either. I'm a gambler and if I rely on luck I win occasionally, if I do the lottery and rely on luck I don't win because the odds are too great. Bemoaning bad luck means that invariably the person doing the moaning is on the receiving end of the bad luck and therefore removing any sense of responsibility for the result. Bristol Rovers could have cursed their bad luck in having an innocuous penalty against us but they got a point and could have won it. We cursed our bad luck again today after having good luck getting the penalty but we lost. There is only so much bad luck can be blamed upon before the man paid to offer us something tangible to move forward with becomes an embarrassment and takes us backwards with excuses for bad results.

Dave_Pougher · Post by **Dave_Pougher** » 29 Dec 2013, 21:18

njgull wrote:Here's a link to an article with Knill quotes. Another one of those "felt like a win" evaluations. We're moving in the right direction despite the fact we just moved into the relegation zone.

http://www1.skysports.com/football/news ... ding-gulls

unbelievable,,,,,,

Knill said: "We are all disappointed with result but I thought we were pretty good, it's just goals that have cost us."
No shit Sherlock

"We are going in the right direction."

Speechless, suffice to say I cannot pay to see this demise of the club I have supported all my life whilst this incompetent remains in charge.

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