Goodbye Hargreaves

[tommyg]

If Hargreaves doesn't go, I genuinely think that we will struggle to fill Plainmoor with 1,000 fans on Saturday and that will continue for the rest of the season and into next season if he is still clinging onto his job.

As CP Gull rightly says on another thread, the ONLY reason he might survive this sorry state of affairs is because the club is in a state of limbo. If Thea was committed beyond this season or we had new owners in place, Hargreaves would be down the job centre this morning. Our recent results and performances are simply unacceptable. The atmosphere would be even more toxic if Hargreaves wasn't a former fans' favourite. Can you imagine how ugly it would be if Knill was manager during this wretched run? Supporters have been reluctant to criticise Hargreaves but last night has to be the final nail in the coffin.

[Jerry]

We also need to look at ourselves as destructive fanbase and shoulder some of the responsibility as truly some 'fans' have been nothing short of a poison in an already foul tasting recipe

Utter nonsense!

If anything the problem is that our fans are too nice. At any other club the fanbase would be up in arms at the recent "performances".

After the 8-1 against Scunny the popside were absolutely apoplectic to the extent that Bateson had to come onto the pitch at the end to try to appease them. O'Riordan was (rightly or wrongly) pretty much dismissed on the spot.

There was a similar reaction in the "Roberts season" after the MK Dons (I think) game when Nathan Abbey was taken off in bizarre circumstances.

Our support are now so apathetic that there was hardly even much booing last night, no Hargreaves out chants just a numb acceptance. I stood in absolute disbelief at the end as fans around me actually applauded the team off after that shambolic display.

[Sunnysideup]

Tonge seems finished and hasn't featured for a long time

Just in the interests of accuracy, it appears his season ended with injury against Kiddy.

[MidDevon]

....not 100% sure we have the whole story with Tongue, his performance at Kidderminster was possibly the worse I have seen by a Torquay player ever, as close to gross misconduct as you can see on a football pitch. It all seemed very strange that he "disappeared" after that match.

Ive been told he is sitting out his contract, but that was just from another supporter

[supergulls]

....not 100% sure we have the whole story with Tongue, his performance at Kidderminster was possibly the worse I have seen by a Torquay player ever, as close to gross misconduct as you can see on a football pitch. It all seemed very strange that he "disappeared" after that match.

Ive been told he is sitting out his contract, but that was just from another supporter

Why let the truth get in the way of a good story Jesus Christ who makes this stuff up. Tonge has had surgery on a knee problem and is now back in rehab.

[CP Gull]

Just in the interests of accuracy, it appears his season ended with injury against Kiddy.

Not sure it's been stated anywhere that that injury ended his season. We were however told he was back in training over a month ago - he was in line back then to play in a reserve game I seem to recall? Of course, he may have suffered a setback, we haven't been told (no surprise there then!) but it could just as easily be a refusal on Hargreaves' part to pick him.

Much as I really don't rate Tonge, I'm not sure that he may not be the best option there ( if fit) at this moment in time..... and that really is saying something!

[MidDevon]

to be fair I did question the validity of the information, but also to be fair operations are often brought forward when players are out of favour to ensure they are fit for the next season

[6667GULL]

Spot on posting Jerry.
Every fan left at the end last night should have been screaming 'What a load of rubbish' at the top of their voices.
The team deserved no applause whatsoever.
Too nice is part of the problem as to our response but also being shellshocked as the end of this season is finishing even worse than the last two seasons which nobody could have imagined.
Grow a pair Hargreaves and resign before Saturday.

[Southampton Gull]

Utter nonsense!

If anything the problem is that our fans are too nice. At any other club the fanbase would be up in arms at the recent "performances".

After the 8-1 against Scunny the popside were absolutely apoplectic to the extent that Bateson had to come onto the pitch at the end to try to appease them. O'Riordan was (rightly or wrongly) pretty much dismissed on the spot.

There was a similar reaction in the "Roberts season" after the MK Dons (I think) game when Nathan Abbey was taken off in bizarre circumstances.

Our support are now so apathetic that there was hardly even much booing last night, no Hargreaves out chants just a numb acceptance. I stood in absolute disbelief at the end as fans around me actually applauded the team off after that shambolic display.

Jerry, it isn't very often I can disagree with a viewpoint you present but seriously? Too nice? The atmosphere to me is exactly as described by Rich. Of course that doesn't represent the whole fanbase or even the majority of it but the majority being nice (too nice as you put it) allow the minority to be heard and make no mistake they are heard. It really pisses me off to hear the negativity at games and the crass comments of a few. People can hold whatever opinion of me they like but you will never hear me shouting negative things at any of our players and even reading the comments of one or two on here sometimes makes me feel ashamed to be associated with them by way of the club we support.

I think Rich is spot on in his assessment.

[Dave]

Utter nonsense!

If anything the problem is that our fans are too nice. At any other club the fanbase would be up in arms at the recent "performances".

After the 8-1 against Scunny the popside were absolutely apoplectic to the extent that Bateson had to come onto the pitch at the end to try to appease them. O'Riordan was (rightly or wrongly) pretty much dismissed on the spot.

There was a similar reaction in the "Roberts season" after the MK Dons (I think) game when Nathan Abbey was taken off in bizarre circumstances.

Our support are now so apathetic that there was hardly even much booing last night, no Hargreaves out chants just a numb acceptance. I stood in absolute disbelief at the end as fans around me actually applauded the team off after that shambolic display.

That's a very good post Jerry and agree totally with you. Our fanbase is as tame, as a pet rabbit, also couldn't believe some were actually clapping that performance in some act of blind loyalty I guess, we should have been protesting after that horror show.

[taxilady]

the players look destroyed; think the applause was in sympathy.

[Fonda]

There has to be an element of realism here. Hargreaves won’t be sacked, because why would an outgoing owner/chairwoman, who has already given the club millions, pay more from her own pocket to get rid of him? He’s someone else’s problem now.

As for the idea he’ll resign. Football manager of Torquay United is his job. It provides him with a salary which enables him to put food on his family table. Why should he give that up just because things are going badly?

In an ideal world he’d make just such a grand gesture. His respect for TUFC and its supporters, would result in him making the ultimate sacrifice and walking away. But it’s nothing more than a romantic notion. We’re stuck with him until the new owners walk through the door and make their first big decision...

[Gullscorer]

Truth told - on the face of it he should lose his job but as indicated by SG above the problems at TQ1 run far deeper than the performance of a rookie manager this season.
Last night was desperate and it was a desperate formation that clearly backfired. But that is where we are with this crop of players. The many recent games which have ended so badly for us (where CH stuck to his preferred formation) has forced his hand to try something radical to stop the fall.
The young players were good players for this division in the early stages of the season and dragged the club into the automatic promotion fight. There were some great performances which now seem a million miles away.
However - the confidence has gone and the darkness (which was here before Hargreaves arrival) has re-appeared over the club. Young players massively out of form and the senior pro's (not signed but CH) who got us relegated out the league (who have given up along time ago) has created this new low. Yes - Hargreaves needs to be blamed to a certain extent for not being able to re-find the confidence and form of 'his' signings but for me you need to address other situations before you can wholly blame him for our current reality.
We need to get to the point of safety (I realise there is a danger to this way of thinking on current form), lose the dead wood from the squad and rebuild with fresh faces. We also need to look at ourselves as destructive fanbase and shoulder some of the responsibility as truly some 'fans' have been nothing short of a poison in an already foul tasting recipe. Essentially in all of this we need to hope the rot on the board are replaced with people who can push the club forward - instead of dragging it further down the dark hole.
As said above - desperate times but one man is not to blame and doing so is the easy option and will fix nothing.

[Dave]

Just read the post made by SG, I do totally agree regards personal abuse directed at players, there is no need despite what's going on, on the pitch for that, it's uncalled for.

[brucie]

I think its a relevant point that the fan base is indeed too nice. I havn't heard any abuse directed at the players at all - they were even clapped off the pitch at the Wrexham game.
Mind you I can't hear whats happening on the popside so it may be different there.