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forevertufc wrote:The reason I think is an increase in the standard of professionalism, players are fitter and playing at a higher level a lot longer than theyw ere 25 years ago, back in the 80's once a player got 34 ish they would drop down a few league's, where as now they are playing at the top level right throught to retirement, so yes the standard has dropped.

For exactly the reasons you mention, I think the quality has improved; players in the top divisions are playing longer, meaning that young talented kids don't have anywhere to play (foreign players in upper echelons also has a bearing on this). It seems that nearly every player we see has been on the books of a Prem or Champ team at some point, but have had to drop down the pyramid to get a game. I'm convinced that the quality of football in League 2 is higher than it used to be; for a start, you don't see as many of a huge clogging teams as used to be the norm (like Stevenage last year). The fact that the pitches are better has most likely meant that teams are better able to play 'better' football, but I don't buy the argument that teams have worsened because people like Giggs are still playing - also the dropping-down-the-leagues doesn't happend as much simply because top players are multi-millionaires by the time they're 25. If Chris Waddle was playing in todays game he'd have been on at least £50k a week for the past 7 years and simply wouldn't need to amble around Plainmoor taking the occasional corner.

oxgull wrote:when you look through the bad times he endured at Cambridge and the fact that he had no support and had his budgets cut then it was obvious that he really was on a hiding to nothing there.

100% incorrect, but don't let the truth get in the way.

His budget here last season was probably bigger than yours is this season, but the stupid cockney fool decided to spunk most of it it on a a few overpaid and very poor players.

Sadly we're still lumbered with a couple of his duff signings, but thankfully have managed to shift the rest.

Good luck to you as a club for the rest of the season, but I will never be able to wish that particular individual any luck for the rest of his career, as we're still paying the price now for his disastrous regime.

Well I am only going on what I was told and that was by a former workmate who lives in Huntingdon and is a CUFC fan. He wasn't very complimentary about ML either but stated that things changed after ML took up the post. I seem to remember Cambridge getting a pasting off of Histon and my mate throwing a right wobbly the following morning poor fella. Not sure if ML was in charge to be honest. I think ML would admit he failed in his time with you and most of us feared the worst when he got the job at Plainmoor but he has done great things so far hence this thread. If we had been in the bottom four then this would be saying something else. Anyway it's about time you guys got back into the league again so best of luck for the rest of the season.

Cheers oxgull, best of luck to you guys as well.

Torquay are always a club I've liked, and the fans I spoke with after the play-off final were a credit to your fine club.

Many managers have blips in their career, I believe that Cambridge was one of them for Martin Ling, in the same way that I believe that BR was one for Paul Buckle.

It does not make them bad managers, as there is no way that you can really judge any manager's ability based on two clubs with very different expectations and fortunes. We are the test for Ling, like Buckle's next club will be the real test of him. Ling is beginning to prove he is a good manager, it's as simple as that.