Knill 3 games in

[Bitchie Renault]

On paper we were probably due 1 point from those last 3 games and that's what we got. We were very unlucky against Port Vale, we hit the post and their goal took a spawny deflection, so it could've been much better, that's football, you've just got to hope the luck evens itself out before the end of the season.
Knill has 300+ games management experience, but he has walked into a club with a heavy cloud hanging over it, not least from the namby-pamby attitude of some of our less character-ridden fans, give the guy a bit of time, maybe you should ask yourselves when was the last time you walked into a job and increased productivity 200% in the first 2 weeks?
Knill is clearly trying to play a more attacking line up, but needs to be watchful not to be too open and leave us too open to conceding demoralising goals against. We are clearly trying to bring players in, but so far they have all said no or maybe. Im sure a yes will come soon and hopefully it'll add a bit of impetus to the squad.
There are still some fans who view football players as commodities that you can just trade freely and move them 300 miles in the blink of an eye, it doesn't work like that, these are human beings. Geographically and financially we have always had a problem attracting quality players. Thanks to Paul Bristows money it became easier to do so for a while but with a more historically conventional TUFC budget/league position now our horizon, so it has become harder again.
I'm concerned about our position but have faith in Knill, shame the same can't be said for some of the more fickle keyboard warriors on here.

[ROADRUNNER]

agree with that, he has to have sometime.

[lucy6lucy]

On paper we were probably due 1 point from those last 3 games and that's what we got. We were very unlucky against Port Vale, we hit the post and their goal took a spawny deflection, so it could've been much better, that's football, you've just got to hope the luck evens itself out before the end of the season.
Knill has 300+ games management experience, but he has walked into a club with a heavy cloud hanging over it, not least from the namby-pamby attitude of some of our less character-ridden fans, give the guy a bit of time, maybe you should ask yourselves when was the last time you walked into a job and increased productivity 200% in the first 2 weeks?
Knill is clearly trying to play a more attacking line up, but needs to be watchful not to be too open and leave us too open to conceding demoralising goals against. We are clearly trying to bring players in, but so far they have all said no or maybe. Im sure a yes will come soon and hopefully it'll add a bit of impetus to the squad.
There are still some fans who view football players as commodities that you can just trade freely and move them 300 miles in the blink of an eye, it doesn't work like that, these are human beings. Geographically and financially we have always had a problem attracting quality players. Thanks to Paul Bristows money it became easier to do so for a while but with a more historically conventional TUFC budget/league position now our horizon, so it has become harder again.
I'm concerned about our position but have faith in Knill, shame the same can't be said for some of the more fickle keyboard warriors on here.

Hit the nail on the head. The guy is trying lets have faith, he now in what i think is critical a whole week
to sort the squad out, hopefully(essential) additions. When he left the field yesterday he clapped at us not really knowing the response he would get, thankfully he got a positive reaction, he seems a genuine guy, lets hope he still has Fergies mob number and get some young raw talent.

[RN Gull]

Knill is saying to the press he needs players that know this league and how to get results. Young raw talent could be a liability for the fight ahead. I hope that he is targeting our CM positions as priority as Rene & Benners are not getting the service. Too many times our defence minded CM play one pass too many and lose the ball. On Tuesday Rene was clearly frustrated and ended up positioning himself far too deep in order to get the ball! This left Benners isolated at times which does not suit his play.

On a positive note i believe we have one of the best strikers in our league in Rene, also our CD pairing. I think Knill also needs to adapt to a more direct style mixed in the play, will only work if Rene stays in position though. I also question Benners - lots of running and chasing but not productive.

I believe that we should stay up provided we can add 2/3 attack minded players.

Onwards & UPwards!

[Plymouth Gull]

Andy, would you rather us had made attacking subs yesterday, gone for the win, and then lost? Or kept it tight and taken the point? Genuine question.

[Dave]

Only seen Port Vale home so far and as a fan most admit was quite pleased with that. Going to do a bit of stating the obviuous here so forgive me, Alan Knill has come into our club under the most difficult circumstances possible, not only is the team totaly out of form and confidence but Martin Ling is still the contracted manager of the club, and Shaun Taylor is Lingys right hand man.

Part of me wonders whether Alan Knill is working with a slight reluctance to act as deeply as he (Alan knill) would have done if he had come as the permanent manager, professional courtesy and all, Knill has already said he knows Lingy and if must be difficult to be the new broom sweeping clean with Shaun Taylor there and knowing that Lingy is still the contracted manager.

That said Alan Knill has set the team up in a more attacking way, and clearly has approached a number of loan targets so he is here and doing his upmost best to keep us in the League, sorry to hash it up again, but all roads continue to lead back to, did the club act in time, the answer may very well be, no.

[AlexGulls]

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.

No subs? Macklin,Thompson, Yeoman and Craig are all more than capable of coming on and causing teams problems at this level. I don't think Andy means go gung ho but if we went for it a bit more yesterday we would of won Accrington were as dire as the ground and town they play in.

[AustrianAndyGull]

Andy, would you rather us had made attacking subs yesterday, gone for the win, and then lost? Or kept it tight and taken the point? Genuine question.

My answer Nick is that i would rather have gone for the win. If we had gone for some wins in our previous away games which i have said we should from day one then we wouldn't be talking about this now. No point in getting a draw at Accrington, we need to win these games. Just say we draw 6 on the spin keeping it tight and lose the rest, would we still stay up?

[Plymouth Gull]

My answer Nick is that i would rather have gone for the win. If we had gone for some wins in our previous away games which i have said we should from day one then we wouldn't be talking about this now. No point in getting a draw at Accrington, we need to win these games. Just say we draw 6 on the spin keeping it tight and lose the rest, would we still stay up?

Bolded bit is irrelevant, really. Bit like saying had we won every game at Plainmoor we'd be in the top 3.

Surely there is a point in getting a draw at Accy, it stopped them taking 3 and us 0, so it keeps them below us. Ideal world, we win the games, but they're also saying that too.

Last point, again, pretty pointless in my opinion. Probably not, but if it adds up to more points than the others then yes.

[AustrianAndyGull]

Ok Nick and i see what you are saying, my argument is flawed and my only back up now is my opinion. I am just saying that if we struggle so badly to trouble an Accrington back line then if we look at the teams we have yet to play it doesn't make comfortable reading. If we can turn it around at home then the Accy point will be a good one but playing as we are away we won't barely get another away point this season and why chuck those points away just to be stronger at home. Three points at home to York is the same as 3 at Morecambe so i just think we need to set about winning games now and get to where we need to be first instead of picking up a point here and a point there by being conservative and then suddenly we have a handful of games on the horizon where we have to win every one. I really don't want to bicker again Nick, i'm tired of it but i do see your point and respect your opinion. All i'm saying is that i would prefer us to start asking questions of teams from the off and see if we can get some points on the board that way. Cheers.

[Gullscorer]

A defensive team may draw two games 0 - 0 and pick up two points. Just as likely, it will lose one of those games and finish with only one point. But if it doesn't score goals it won't win anything.

An attacking team may win one game and lose one, and pick up three points. It is also far more likely to win both those games than it is to lose them, all other things being equal.

So I agree with Andy in this respect, in our position it makes sense to attack not defend, so that we score more more goals. But on Saturday we had two shots on target in the whole game...

[Dave]

Alan Knill has already made it clear he wants experience, so that rules out Nial Tompson some what, and as I have suggested if Alan Knill had come in as permanent manager say with his own assitant, you would have seen more of a new broom sweeps clean effect, however like I suggested Knill knows that Lingy is still the manager here and Taylor is Lingys right hand man, so it is likely that Taylor is still having a fair influence on things and a reluctance to stray to far away from tatics used by Lingy.

It is highly likey that is why Oastler was brought on in that position against Wycombe, as Kenny Veysey and Shaun Taylor would have known he had played there before under Buckle, and maybe why Macklin is not coming in so much, maybe there is something still lingering regards attitude, which Alan Knill would have been made aware of no doubt by Taylor.

[brucie]

I don't think Taylor has any influence at all - whatever his title Knill is the manager. Macklin came on against Vale skinned the full back once and then did precisely nothing else. I don't think its fair to criticise Knill for his subs (or lack of them) yesterday. We just could not afford to lose that game.

[Jerry]

I don't think Taylor has any influence at all - whatever his title Knill is the manager. Macklin came on against Vale skinned the full back once and then did precisely nothing else. I don't think its fair to criticise Knill for his subs (or lack of them) yesterday. We just could not afford to lose that game.

It has been mentioned elsewhere that Taylor wasn't at the Accrington game. Can anybody who went confirm this?

Knill was apparently deep in discussion with his former number 2 Chris Brass.

Also the "interim" title has been removed.

http://www.thisissouthdevon.co.uk/Alan- ... z2MPYFmEKi

[bc-gull]

Since he has joined we have definitely been playing better football and looking like a better team, but we need a new face and some confidence.. hopefully the draw at accrington will bring the team some confidence to build on