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ClevedonRoger wrote: ↑03 Feb 2024, 22:51 Hi All,

Bristol City supporter here who is a big fan of GJ (hence following you guys).

I'm an outsider but, from what I can see, you can't blame the manager for the current predicament. Injuries have been an issue. And, as much as I hate to say it, the squad isn't up to the challenge. Yes, Torquay deserves more but changing the manager isn't always the answer (Bristol City sacked Nigel P and the results have got worse).

Would like to see you challenging for a play off place but you can only work with what you've got ..... Bristol City being a prime example.

I was at Wembley for the 1-0 defeat to Hull in 2008 and I can assure you that this is a different GJ.

Long gone are the days of “bounce around the ground”. He is a broken man, barely able to describe the match he has just witnessed without getting confused between the scorers and the order of events.

If you have followed Torquay closely you will have noticed that some of our biggest and most expensive players have barely featured this season and the loan signings are erratic and rarely add value to the squad.

I feel for the guy. He came to Torquay with great fanfare and initially did very well but as has been the case with virtually each club in his career, he seems unable to bounce back from a disappointing end to a season and it has been a rapid decline ever since.

Very hard to draw parallels with BCFC who have a billionaire owner, a large fan base, good geographical links into London and Birmingham and fantastic youth and scouting setups. BCFC are perennial underachievers given the resources available. Torquay have much more fundamental issues.

Clevedon, fair enough.

ClevedonRoger wrote: ↑03 Feb 2024, 22:51 Hi All,

Bristol City supporter here who is a big fan of GJ (hence following you guys).

I'm an outsider but, from what I can see, you can't blame the manager for the current predicament. Injuries have been an issue. And, as much as I hate to say it, the squad isn't up to the challenge. Yes, Torquay deserves more but changing the manager isn't always the answer (Bristol City sacked Nigel P and the results have got worse).

Would like to see you challenging for a play off place but you can only work with what you've got ..... Bristol City being a prime example.

Not going to take the opinion of someone who hasn't watched any games

There is no direction/ tactics / fight, he is done and should have gone months ago

Not interested in hearing the nonsense of injuries, his players & training methods - The buck stops for the onfield matters at GJ

You cant blame anybody else but the manager.

Terrible recruitment. Gaping holes in the squad due to him offering big contracts to injury prone players who are past their sell by date. Thought he would walk this league without doing any work and has been found out big time for the fraud he is.

ClevedonRoger wrote: ↑03 Feb 2024, 22:51 Hi All,

Bristol City supporter here who is a big fan of GJ (hence following you guys).

I'm an outsider but, from what I can see, you can't blame the manager for the current predicament. Injuries have been an issue. And, as much as I hate to say it, the squad isn't up to the challenge. Yes, Torquay deserves more but changing the manager isn't always the answer (Bristol City sacked Nigel P and the results have got worse).

Would like to see you challenging for a play off place but you can only work with what you've got ..... Bristol City being a prime example.

If we'd seen the assembly of a balanced squad as much as possible with in the confines of an NLS club, if we'd not seen injury crisis, after injury crisis for 5 straight seasons, if we'd not seen 3 seasons of constant regression, cumulating in what was one of the most avoidable relegations I'd witnessed anywhere last season, if this season had brought about an injury crisis through pure horrendous bad luck, then there would be a great degree of sympathy.

But it's not the case, far too many hamstrings and muscle breakdowns, and when we lose players, it gets to the point where we tie a yellow ribbon to the old oak tree, in the hope we'll see these players again, it seems to take an age get anyone fit.

The whole thing has gone stale here for many reasons, we've been in need of new energy, new direction since November 2022, if things are left unchecked we'll regress further and further, GJ has been a great servant to football, but his continued employment here is just becoming embarrassing for all concerned.

brucie wrote: ↑04 Feb 2024, 16:51 You cant blame anybody else but the manager.

Terrible recruitment. Gaping holes in the squad due to him offering big contracts to injury prone players who are past their sell by date. Thought he would walk this league without doing any work and has been found out big time for the fraud he is.

The ownership is to blame.

We have been relegated twice to this level under their tenure.

They choose the manager. The give him the budget. They decide whether to stick or twist with him. They have let this situation fester for two years and done nothing. They let the issue of a fictitious stadium distract them from what matters to supporters.

It’s madness really. If they did something to make things go well on the pitch, they could be doing all their plotting in the background unseen, but when things are as bad as they are, it draws attention to their real motives.

I presume as the performance was SO POOR that is why there is no MOM thread?

If there was the crossbar would be a nomination from me as that saved us from a 0 - 7 thrashing !!

Hector, I appreciate it is all about personal opinion but Brucie has the right of it, if you run a company, you delegate to a manager and let them get on with it, if they do not come up to scratch you sit them down and say improve or else, in one respect you are right ,the owner has not been seen to be effective and continues to reward failure, however, this is johnsons budget, Johnsons players, johnsons style of play even as far as johnsons style of training which seems to bring with it an unusually high attrition rate in terms of injury. I just do not see how it is anyone else's fault that we are in this position, yes ,the new stadium talk, lack of effective communication are all background noise, they effect the supporters more than the manager or the players.

Johnson is not going yet I suspect!

Brucie/culmstock gull,


I would’ve agreed with you about a year ago that this was Johnson‘s fault, I respectfully cannot agree with you now.

It’s Mr. Edwards was doing his job. He would’ve told Mr. Osborne (someone who openly admits he knows nothing about football, nor cares) “this guys got to go.”

Mr. Edwards didn’t do his job or if he did, he wasn’t listened to. At that point
and from there after moving forward the responsibility rests ENTIRELY on them. Please don’t let them off the hook. They are the problem.

Osborne won't sack Johnson, they are too pally though
hopefully can persuade him to retire if the pay offs not too big.
Surely Edwards has suggested it , he didn't take long to sack Owers once it was clear we weren't progressing under him. He can't still be under the illusion that Johnson is the best manager in the league !

Robert Kraft is still “pals” with Bill Belichick, a guy who led the Patriots to 6 Super Bowls. Arguably consider the GOAT OF ALL NFL coaches
He still fired him
He said he hated doing it but he had to think about what’s best for the Patriots.
Nobody is immune from this in sports unless there is something else going on

Who knows though. The thing is that noone actually knows what contract Johnson is on.

Maybe he is contracted until the end of the season? Could it be that Osborne doesnt want to waste money sacking him now?

There is no chance of getting promotion now - even bringing in someone new. The squad is hopeless. The likes of Jarvis and Dawson will take the rest of the season to get fit even if they do return soon.

At the seasons end I guess most of the rubbish signed by the manager will be out of contract so then that might give a new man some scope to sort out this squad.

Just a scenario but I really have no idea. It just seems to me that this season has been written off, and has been for sometime.

isnt it worrying times when Truro can sign 2 promising loan players, we get none

Osborne doesn’t want Johnson gone. He is doing exactly as he hoped.