Gordan Sparks interview with Martin Ling just now

[Gullscorer]

Diamonds are forever.. :~D

[Swanny]

Maybe then Hargreaves as the manager and Ling in some sort of director of football role as his mentor. We had our best spell when Colin Lee was there to assist Buckle but I suppose it all comes down to cost again. I do hope the club puts in a better structure and thinks more long term and try to avoid this high turnover of managers.

[Alpine Joe]

Brucie

Insane

People will go equally insane if they follow Gullscorer's advice to go 1m 49s in to hear the interview. You end up listening to over and hour and three quarters of flood warnings before the interview starts !! :~D

[Gullscorer]

Brucie People will go equally insane if they follow Gullscorer's advice to go 1m 49s in to hear the interview. You end up listening to over and hour and three quarters of flood warnings before the interview starts !! :~D

How do you know..?? =D
Anyway, can't you use the pointer and mouse to simply slide the thingy over to the required time..??

[nickfrench82]

I think the point he was trying to make, is that you might want to go to 1hr 49m in order to listen, rather than 1m 49s

[Gullscorer]

I think the point he was trying to make, is that you might want to go to 1hr 49m in order to listen, rather than 1m 49s

Oh.. Oops.. :Oops:

[nickfrench82]

I'm not overly keen on Ling's return, as I don't think we were very good and played some awful football, however compare the record of him last season with Knill this term.......


Played 27 Won 9 Drew 10 Lost 8 Scored 35 Conceded 33 POS 13th
Played 24 Won 5 Drew 7 Lost 12 Scored 24 Conceded 39 POS 22nd

We were cruising with the chance of a crack at the play offs, Ling went sick and the rest of the club came careering down the table. We were distinctly average last season, however right now, I'd love to be disctinctly average.

[gullintwoplaces]

I'm not overly keen on Ling's return, as I don't think we were very good and played some awful football, however compare the record of him last season with Knill this term.......


Played 27 Won 9 Drew 10 Lost 8 Scored 35 Conceded 33 POS 13th
Played 24 Won 5 Drew 7 Lost 12 Scored 24 Conceded 39 POS 22nd

We were cruising with the chance of a crack at the play offs, Ling went sick and the rest of the club came careering down the table. We were distinctly average last season, however right now, I'd love to be disctinctly average.

Puts this season into an even clearer perspective. Not saying I would like to see Martin Ling back, but his record was far better than Alan Knill, even when he was, in the eyes of some, doing "badly".

[Gullscorer]

Doesn't matter who our manager was, we could be on the edge of the play-offs and there would still be a few 'fans' coming out to criticise the manager and to say he's doing things wrong..

[hector]

When there was speculation towards the end of last season, as to whether Ling would return or whether he would leave and Knill replaced him, I remember at the time feeling that it was probably for the best that Ling left (not that I wanted Knill) but because I felt, that because people were swept up in the supposed euphoria of staying up and were clamouring for Knill to stay, I felt that Ling would never get a fair crack of the whip if he did return. That it would only take a couple of results for people to get on his back.

However, over the last couple of months, I had felt, I would gladly take Ling back because of the absolute horror-show that was Alan Knill's management. If Ling came back, perhaps people would be more appreciative of what he did and see that the grass isn't always greener.

I would worry about his 'stress-related illness' re-emerging and seeing as the club sacked him for 'footballing reasons' it would be difficult for them to reappoint him on for the same reasons. So I would imagine it unlikely that he would return but for me, it wouldn't be the end of the world if he was reappointed.

However, things were starting to turn before he even went sick. The team was chucking away leads and around this time last year we conceded goals after the 85th minute for about 6 games running. Some clubs would have sacked their managers anyway for the run of form we were having under ling at that time.

There is an element of what he says that is true - someone who knows the players and club, could be good. A short-term contract until the end of the season and if it works out, a renewal, perhaps.

But then if it went wrong, they would have to sack him a second time, so it is probably best that we appoint someone new.

However, whatever people's opinion of Ling, I think it is quite magnanimous of him to even consider applying again for a job he had been sacked in and by a club he perhaps is entitled to feel, treated him harshly. I know I couldn't. Plus, he is opening himself up to further disappointment by publicly announcing he will be applying and then perhaps not getting it. He may have been better served keeping quiet for now.

He is a decent bloke by all accounts and a knowledgable football man. I probably wouldn't discount him completely.

[Fonda]

Lingy wants to come back? Ah, that's nice. Presumably he wasn't quite as badly treated by the club as he was so keen to suggest previously then? No thanks, he had his chance.

[footster]

Lingy is talking alot of sense although I feel he won,t get the job because as has been said already why pay him off and then reemploy him. Chris Hargreaves would be a good appointment if we were mid table but I feel it does need an experienced head to get us out of this hole we are in.Knill was never the right appointment so you have to question the boards ability to pick and employ the right man for the job. Whilst Paul Sturrock did leave Plymouth in a fix when they were in the championship he does have the knowledge and know how on how to get out of this division on a shoe string budget but would he come at a cost with his wages alone.
Anything is possible in football and boards decisions do seem to be baffling at times and I don't think this situation will be anything new. Whoever throws their hat in the ring is in with a shout.

[Fonda]

I'm loving all this 'Knill was never the right man' stuff. There are obviously some that never wanted him here, but I'd suggest the majority did. Hindsight is a wonderful thing.

[Gullscorer]

[Richinns]

Ling wants to recall all loan players who are the heart of the club?

Yeoman, Thompson, McKenzie and Hutchings all of whom he barely ever played?

Lathrope more so but are they really the answer when you almost ignored them first time round??