Knill 3 games in

[AustrianAndyGull]

Just wanted to get your thoughts on how Alan Knill has done in his 3 games i charge. I for one am bitterly disappointed and the initial hope and optimism i had when he was appointed has now well and truly gone. He had a difficult brief admittedly but the one thing he didn't have was time. He obviously has to take a look at the players in a match day scenario, in training and on dvd's of past games and so the Port Vale for him was a no lose situation. Most sane Torquay fans expected a defeat anyway and so by default Knill got a 'free game' as it were with no pressure.

Well now the pressure is well and truly on. I don't what know what happened at the Wycombe game as i wasn't there but we lost again but the positive is that we scored. The most concerning aspects to the last 2 games for me against 2 of the poorest sides in the division are Knills substitutions. Apparently in the Wycombe game he brought on Oastler in the middle and that was it, just the one sub. At Accrington yesterday he brought on Leadbitter and that was it. Some say it was to help preserve what we had in the game. What was that then? A point against one of the worst sides in the league who were there for the taking?

Someone should tell Alan that we've had 6 months of safety first football this season already under Ling and that is why we are in this sh*t. Someone should also point out that it doesn't work. We made safety first subs against Wycombe and managed to turn a win into a loss and we did the same yesterday and managed to turn a potential win into a draw.

Someone should also tell Alan that we need wins, we've had two golden opportunities these last two games and Knill has contributed to throwing them both away. A point from a possible 6 in our predicament is not a big help. I'd rather have slung on Thommo and the others yesterday and got done 1-0 going for the points. If we go for the points in most games there is a high likelihood that we can nick some games. Knill is copying Ling and i'm left scratching my head. Defensive approcahes are not needed right now and neither are defensive substitutions. Get the game won 2-0 and then consider it but defending a 0-0 at a side as devoid of any ability as we are in Accrington suggests to me that we have got in the wrong bloke and he is merely adding a deft helping hand to us on our way down the merry helter skelter into non league obscurity.

I don't wish to appear harsh on Knill but he has come in to do a job and i see zero signs that he is anywhere near capable of achieving what we want. In all honesty i don't reckon any manager could save us now but Knill isn't even giving us a chance. Has he given up already? If he makes ridiculous subs on saturday then get the bloke out and get the tea lady in to pick the team, anybody i'm not fussed, just as long as they understand the vital importance of getting a win when you are top against cack like Accrington instead of accepting a point no good to anyone. ATTACK!! IT'S BEEN 6 MONTHS NOW AND WE LOOK LIKE WE ARE GOING DOWN MR KNILL SO ATTACK!!

[AustrianAndyGull]

I know this post might appear that i'm not giving the man a chance and that i'm a bit impatient but i write it as a desperate fan not wanting to see us go down. We need wins and should be going all out to get them so i'm sorry if people think i,m being a bit unfair but that's the way i feel.

[Scott Brehaut]

Personally I think you are being unfair to the guy

[coley in stripes]

Fair points made Andy, before yesterday, we were in the worst position in the relegation battle as we were in 'Free fall' mode, let's hope that the point gained yesterday will at least install a little confidence. Most of the other basement sides appear to be fighting for there lives and nicking unexpected points.
The test will come next week against Oxford which should be viewed as winable, if we win, I think that our troubles will be mostly over as we will continue to raise.

But I agree, it appears to be the same old senario regarding attacking and shots on target. From last season when score once and 'shut up shop' (which worked until the crucial time). Two matches this season which were fortunate wins v Gillingham and v Dagenham were the results of chance shots on goal, both paid off in different ways.

[coley in stripes]

Sorry forgot to add. I agree with Scott though, give the guy a few more matches. At the end of the day, even if we survive on goal difference, he has done his job !

[AustrianAndyGull]

Personally I think you are being unfair to the guy

I thankyou for your response Scott but what are your reasons behind thinking i'm being unfair?

[exiledgull]

In regards to the Subs, what could we bring on? We have nothing on the bench! No striker or winger of any quality. What can you change?

You go gung ho against a relegation rival that would just be stupid. We were under pressure yesterday at the end and Leadbitter stopped there only real threat. I thought it was a good sub.

3 games in and our captain and best defender have been out injured and only played In 1 game together out of 3.

We need signings that's all. If we stay up on goal difference we are happy. What are out options? Get someone else in?

Lets question this after the season and let's not have any negative posts at thereby as its only going to do us harm. We need to he behind the lads.

[PlainmoorRoar]

Another thread to spread defeatism

bore off

[AustrianAndyGull]

Another thread to spread defeatism

bore off

I don't know if you've been asleep since October but take a look around you just incase. I'd like to say that our support at Accrington yesterday helped the lads to a win but it didn't. So as there is nothing we can do as fans to change things it is pretty much left to those on the pitch. Do you think that if you put a thread up saying 'We'll be fine" then we will? It doesn't matter who thinks positive and who thinks negative as it isn't our thoughts that win football matches. In just see that we can't score goals and we can't win games. We've won 1 game since the beginning of December and now everyone thinks we can win another 3 or 4 in 10 or so. It's not going to happen so by all means keep on believing, nothing wrong with that but belief won't get us the wins we need.

[AustrianAndyGull]

In regards to the Subs, what could we bring on? We have nothing on the bench! No striker or winger of any quality. What can you change?

You go gung ho against a relegation rival that would just be stupid. We were under pressure yesterday at the end and Leadbitter stopped there only real threat. I thought it was a good sub.

3 games in and our captain and best defender have been out injured and only played In 1 game together out of 3.

We need signings that's all. If we stay up on goal difference we are happy. What are out options? Get someone else in?

Lets question this after the season and let's not have any negative posts at thereby as its only going to do us harm. We need to he behind the lads.

I see what you are saying exiledgull but it's another 'let's wait and see until the season is finished' scenario. Why don't we wait and see when it's too late and then we can question him and his job? I don't know if you were at the game yesterday but apart from a period in the first half where they should have scored and any other team in this leageu would have, we were not under pressure at the end. The leadbitter sub was a good one and i said that in the matchday thread but we had 2 others in an attempt to win the game. The key point there is 'attempt to win the game'. Thommo would have been a real threat late on against their appalling defence, it's just more of the same keeping it safe, seeing where it takes us. BSP is where that attitude is taking us and you all want to exchange pleasantries about Knill while our league status blows out the window then please do carry on. I'm not saying bring someone else in, i'm saying that the man we have BROUGHT in won't make a blind bit of difference to the end result because he doesn't appear brave enough to make the decisions required for such a mammoth task to be achieved. There is nothing we can do about it, all i'm doing is passing my opinion and although i'd love to be saying we are going to be safe, which i would have done if we had beaten Accrington and i had seen a thoroughly committed attacking intent from everyone wanting to bust a gut to get this job done. We're sterile and powder puff and it's quite amusing how some of you STILL think we have a really good chance. We only have a chance if a few strikers are added NOW and they can start finding the net, otherwise we may as well go with Thommo, Stevens, Mackers and Yeoman because nothing else is working. Oh i forgot, Knill won't as he stil wants to bring on defensive subs. F*cking marvellous that, loads of points coming our way.

[Scott Brehaut]

It's unfair Andy because we have been told by two excellent sources on this site that at least TEN players have been approached and they have all turned him down.
Hey, we are going in the right direction - most people predicted a loss yesterday and we got a point.
Many people have said that they don't rate most of the squad so why now do people expect Knill to get them playing amazingly well when they are not rated by everybody anyway?!
Many Knill has seen on the training ground quite how poor they are and knows that if he went "gung-ho" we would be annihilated.

[AustrianAndyGull]

Thanks for that Scott. I accept the first three points but not the last. It was clear to see at the game yesterday as it unfolded that a bit more adventure from us ie Thommo coming on or whatever and we would probably have won the game. It was the lack of intuition Knill showed 'in play' if you like and he didn't know which way to go so went safe. He could have got the ball rolling with a few positive introductions. If most of us expected a loss yesterday then i'm sure going all out for the winner and losing would have earned some high praise indeed and confidence too. Now i just see it that if we can't beat Accy who were shocking then who can we beat? I thnak you for your explanations though Scott, at least i have a better understanding now.

[Dave_Pougher]

Can't see how andy is being defeatist in raising concerns esp. when in all bar games we have been well a truely defeated in fact I'm really suprised at peoples complacency on here because we've won "A point."

Given Renes aparent attitude prob. and our lack of strike rate this year I am now concerned that the decision to let TQY slide into non league football was made a long time ago.Just before last Saturdays match Baker was on air saying "I'd be really suprised if we didn't see a couple of additions before next Sat"(yesterday) Meaning they must have discussed it, so was it encouraged, or discouraged? Has to be the later I'm afarid as it has been all season. I can't accept the same old excuse "it's difficult to get people down here" Clubs a lot closer to bankruptcy than us don't seem to have a problem.

Looking at the remainig fixtures and being realistic I just can't see where the required points are comming from.

[Gullscorer]

I agree with Andy's point about substitutions but it's still too soon to be critical of Alan Knill and now is not the time for complaints and negativity, even though, according to BBC stats, we had only two shots on target in the whole ninety minutes yesterday! I'm sure Knill knows as well as anybody what needs to be done, and that he's making every effort to bring in appropriate loan signings to boost the team. We certainly need them now!

And we need to score goals, to be attack-minded not defensive. If you don't score goals you don't win matches:
4 games, 4 goalless draws = 4 points
4 games, 2 wins, 2 defeats = 6 points.
Simple.

[AustrianAndyGull]

I respect your point Mick but how long have we said, Oh i'm sure Ling knows what needs to be done now? I'm sure the board know what need to be done now? I'm sure this and i'm sure that and look where we are mate. We don't need Knill to know what needs to be done, we want him to actually DO what needs to be done and at the moment 8 potential points have slipped away whilst he is still 'knowing' what needs to be done. Sorry for being so negative Mick and i respect your views.