Negativity, Negativity

nickbrod · Post by **nickbrod** » 01 Jan 2014, 22:06

Ok I'm going to be a lone voice but all the negative threads are worse than driving for eight hours to watch a disappointing 2-0 defeat, not helped by being a Devon derby.
Straight after the game I, too, was resigned to feeling that non-league football is around the corner then something changed.
I pulled into the Shell garage on the A38 to top up and on coming out of the shop a car pulled up next to mine. Out of it stepped Guy Branston, who I 've spoken with before. He came straight up and wished me a Happy New Year to which I said the same but added we are about to go down.
He said no way. Whilst not in the Argyle team at present the Manager asks him to look at future opponents. He says there is no way we are going down naming Mozika, Bodin, Cruise and McCourt as our better players. He reckons there is no way Knill should be sacked as we are not far off from being a decent team. He added that the January transfer window has arrived at the right time. Sacking Knill would cost a lot of wasted money as any new man would spend money on players out and in.
Whilst I don't deny the opinions of us fans, I do respect the opinions of a professional footballer whose genuine comments mean more to me.
Branston's final thought is that calls for Knill to go are borne out of frustration.
With 22 games to play and all teams in the bottom half of the table pretty close together there are going to be more ups and downs over the coming months.

AustrianAndyGull · Post by **AustrianAndyGull** » 01 Jan 2014, 22:17

To be fair he's not going to tell you that everyone is sh*t and that we're going down even if that is what he thought Nick. He doesn't want an argument on the forecourt which he was probably using to turn round.

The calls for Knill to go are borne out of 4 months of total sh*t which shows no sign of improving consistently. If you fail at your job, unless you are a politician or work for the BBC you generally get the boot. Knill is no exception.

nickbrod · Post by **nickbrod** » 01 Jan 2014, 22:28

Sorry, you're wrong. Guy is a genuine bloke and I 've spoken to him before, earlier in the season when he was in the directors' box behind me and told me we were awful that day.
Today he could easily have agreed with me that we are doomed but he didn't.
Stay strong Andy and League football is still possible. At the moment after two consecutive derby defeats not surprisingly emotions are running high.

Post by **SuperNickyWroe** » 01 Jan 2014, 22:40

i admire your positivity nick.

i suppose if you look at it few weeks ago, the two wins on the spin gave our fellow posters a lift and believe.

but of course we have lost to both our big rivals, which makes it a lot worse. and you are right about the pickler, hes seems to come across
as geniue and has honest opinions.

Gullscorer · Post by **Gullscorer** » 01 Jan 2014, 23:21

Guy Branston is someone whose opinion I would respect and seriously consider. So perhaps what he said should give us all pause for thought and wait to see what happens during January. But even if Branston is correct and we stay up under Knill, I feel we will still have grave doubts about the wisdom of keeping him on as manager next season. Unless and until, of course, he keeps us in a promotion place from August through to April...

nickfrench82 · Post by **nickfrench82** » 01 Jan 2014, 23:27

Sorry guys, but Branston was just being polite to someone he doesn't really know. No matter what he thinks, he was being a nice guy to someone on a petrol station forecourt. He would say the same thing 'on the record' to Dave Thomas if he was asked, but that doesn't mean he really thinks it.

diamondgirl · Post by **diamondgirl** » 02 Jan 2014, 00:14

It, also, doesn't make it true just because Guy Branston says it.

Post by **Colorado Gull** » 02 Jan 2014, 00:51

True Diamondgirl.

Guy Branston is a fantastic guy and in my eyes will always be a mini legend and one of the best centre backs that we have ever had here at Torquay United. But what he said to you Nick has no relevance to what is the reality of what is going on. Knill is clueless, the board don't have a clue and the players are way below average, it's a shambles and there needs to be a change.

Gullscorer · Post by **Gullscorer** » 02 Jan 2014, 01:08

Branston may well be right in identifying our better players and in saying we are not far off having a team which can compete. But then it must also be true that they have not been performing to their full potential with Knill in charge. So even if Knill stays and we still avoid the drop, the question mark will still remain over his managerial abilities, until such time as he proves himself, and even then the question must be asked, why were we so poor this season under his managership.

budleigh · Post by **budleigh** » 02 Jan 2014, 09:16

I would suggest that Guy Branston wasn't just being polite.
My belief is he genuinely feels the squad and management at Torquay United are more than capable of staving of relegation.

hector · Post by **hector** » 02 Jan 2014, 09:49

budleigh wrote:I would suggest that Guy Branston wasn't just being polite.
My belief is he genuinely feels the squad and management at Torquay United are more than capable of staving of relegation.

Maybe but the evidence suggests otherwise. We cannot wait any longer for Knill, to break with character and his career so far, and suddenly come good. It's just not going to happen.

diamondgirl · Post by **diamondgirl** » 02 Jan 2014, 10:07

Danny, I dont believe the players are, with one or two exceptions, below par. I believe they lack leadership, from management. Given the correct person in charge I think we would be competative, as we have been, in the recent past.

AustrianAndyGull · Post by **AustrianAndyGull** » 02 Jan 2014, 10:29

I think it's a bit of both diamondgirl in all honesty but in players like Hawley, Cameron, Craig, Tonge, Cruise, Bodin they are clearly not what we need and not going to help us progress. Billy is the most infuriating because many of you think he has a great talent but IMO we have yet to see it in 2 seasons and his contract runs out in the summer. If he were to be offered a contract on the basis that he might have some ability but has been unable to show it for 2 seasons for whatever reason then I will be livid. Craig has a superb delivery but you need more as a footballer, Cameron is young and will do ok somewhere but just not for us, Tonge I just don't know about - looks bang average. Hawley has given up on football thanks to his alarming slide down the leagues, Cruise looks weak and positionally clueless and it goes on.

We have some decent players like Downes, Mansell and O'Connor but I think all of them are finding it tough now and they are getting sloppy. Mansell and Downes already brow beaten from last years relegation battle, do they have it in them for another go this time round? I fear not, I think we need another spark to lift the players and not just another loanee striker.

Mozika is still improving and getting back to normal but it's too late as far as this season is concerned, Pearce is a decent player but never gets a look in due to the afore mentioned poor management. So IMO half the squad shouldn't really be out on the pitch and the ones that are like Downes, Chappell etc have been severely affected by shocking leadership and management and have become shadows of what we know they are. Indecisiveness shown by Knill seems to be manifesting itself in the players and we are making errors all over the place and paying the price whilst the creative players, well, the lights have gone out in all honesty leaving our success in the hands of loanees whose brief stints here are just short enough to not allow the 'Knill effect' to creep into their minds and their play. They can knock in a couple and then go back to their club unaffected by the atmosphere and the way Knill operates.

We have the players to be at least on 30 points. Do Morecambe have a far better side than us? They are on 35 ffs! They have one or two key individuals but so do we, our are just being worn down by Knill.

So after all that it is a case of 50/50 IMO but that is where we need a boss to get the best out of players who aren't the greatest. He isn't getting the best out of players who ARE talented so the bang average ones are going to look like dummies in that case.

AustrianAndyGull · Post by **AustrianAndyGull** » 02 Jan 2014, 10:31

Anyway, all the months of moaning about bad luck and errors begs the question. What the frig is Alan doing in training?! Certainly not working on strategies to try and eradicate these gaffes that is for sure.

Behind-the-Gulls · Post by **Behind-the-Gulls** » 02 Jan 2014, 10:48

Branno made some very good points-could do with his no nonsense style of defending and on-field leadership at the moment.
Was sat near to Simon Baker yesterday who looked totally pissed-off at the end of the match and would have been made well aware of the frustration of the fans as he mingled with us before and during the game.The tone of Dave Thomas's match report in today's Herald suggests he thinks Knill's time is almost up too.

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