Mansfield Town v Torquay United - 26/4/14

[Gloomy Gull]

Just listened to the post match comments from CH.

Disturbing to hear him say that he "will keep the players who want to stay with him" - fearful that means we will be seeing Mansell, Nicholson, Stevens pulling on first team shirts next season.

The general consensus is that we need a good clear out - that was not what I read into CH's comments. Already anxious about next season .

[gullintwoplaces]

It all seems a little bizarre that some amongst us are slating an inexperienced manager who has won 35% of his 20 games, but forgiving an experienced manager who only won 17% of the 24 league games he was in charge for. Add to that the fact that the experienced manager signed some donkeys and left the inexperienced manager with said donkeys and it becomes even more bizarre.

[Scott Brehaut]

fearful that means we will be seeing Mansell, Nicholson, Stevens pulling on first team shirts next season.

No need - he hasn't played Nico or started with Stevens for a while now.

No of the three named will be here next season if my source is correct.

[taunton_gull]

Hmm, didn't hear the interview but I also don't like the sound of that at all. I suppose when Hargreaves was appointed there was always the risk this was going to happen. The signing of Stevens was especially alarming. There are a good number of factors as the why we are getting relegated and some are bigger than others. However for me it cannot be overlooked that Mansell and Nicholson stayed playing league football here for far too long when they were not up to the task - this is largely due to their status at the club as it seemed they had become untouchable. If CH has the bottle to clear out those who shouldn't be there he'll have my support and I imagine the support of most if not all fans. If however he keeps these players on and we are subjected to yet another season of Nicholson getting done by wingers week in week out Plainmoor will become more of a morgue than ever.

EDIT - Just seen your reply Scott so I hope your source is correct!

[hector]

have you actually bothered to read posts?

there were better candidtates than CH that appiled.

he constantly played the wrong team,tactics etc.

eg yeoman scores, gets dropped....plays stevens instead of top goalscorer. brings stevens on instead of top goalscorer....

CH has no idea.

I wouldn't disagree with you that there may have been more suitable candidates - however that argument has nothing to do with trying to suggest that we would have been better off with Alan Knill when facts plainly suggest otherwise.

[hector]

It all seems a little bizarre that some amongst us are slating an inexperienced manager who has won 35% of his 20 games, but forgiving an experienced manager who only won 17% of the 24 league games he was in charge for. Add to that the fact that the experienced manager signed some donkeys and left the inexperienced manager with said donkeys and it becomes even more bizarre.

[Dave]

Firstly congratulations to CH and the team on todays result and performance, at least they made a fight of it, albeit to late. Chris Hargreaves for the point of view of keeping the club in the league was the wrong appointment, not saying that with hindsight either, Sturrock showed at Southend what he could do with no money, I fully believe Sturrock would have kept us up.

That said, I fully understand why the board appointed CH, they took a long term view, unfortunately risking the club league status at the same time, but is was a gamble that could have paid off. Don't think sticking with Martin Ling would have made as crap of difference, he'd have been working off the same peanuts as Knill and to be fair CH, and there simple is no cure for depression, yep you can control it, the pressure would have heaped up on Lingy and I will always wonder if we'd have stuck with him, would it have ended up with the same outcome.

[Burnhamgull]

have you actually bothered to read posts?

there were better candidtates than CH that appiled.

he constantly played the wrong team,tactics etc.

eg yeoman scores, gets dropped....plays stevens instead of top goalscorer. brings stevens on instead of top goalscorer....

CH has no idea.

He brought Yeoman back from Bideford (good move), played him, watched him score.............then dropped him.
He persisted with Benyon who for me has been alongside Tonge as our worst two players this season.
Chapell has been left to rot on the bench.
He continued with his mates until finally even he had to concede Nico can't cut it anymore.
He brought in Stevens...............why?
He brought in Cooper................don't even know what he looks like.
Even when he brought in Coulthirst, he played him on the wing when he looks far better suited to playing up front.

Let's not gloss over this season by thinking the last 3 away wins mean we'll be ok. Half the squad will be gone by August and who knows who we'll have.

If CH wants to keep people who want to play for us, we'll be stuck with the clique again next year.

[arcadia]

It's no good blaming Knill or Hargreaves the people that should be blamed are the directors who should have sacked Knill in October when you could see he had no idea. This would have given Hargreaves the time to assess then build but this took to long after Christmas, which you can only put down to experience. It looks like we've now got a winning side now that will be split up at the end of the season. The one thing to come out of this is Hargreaves can put a side together so keep the faith.

[tommyg]

On way back. Typical for us to produce arguably our best performance of the season the day we are relegated. Could and should have been six or seven. Second half we were fantastic even though we only drew it 1-1 against 10 men. I was really impressed with our four-man attack. Cameron played on the left, with Benyon and Coulthirst taking it turns to play on the right/up front alongside Yeoman. Chappell also did well when he came on. All goals came from crosses. I think Cameron supplied the first two and Chappell the third. Mansfield's goal was from a corner with their first attack of the second half.

There were no weak links today. Benyon, Tonge and Mansell have all taken plenty of flak this season but they all played well. Our most impressive players were our loanees though and I can only see Cargill possibly being here next season. O'Connor was outstanding, while Cargill and Coulthirst were full of beans. If Coulthirst had arrived in January we'd have stayed up. Yeoman's all-round game is improving - that's the best I've seen him. Cameron also looked lively and could be a key player next season. Pearce was steady as usual, Lathrope tidy and Rice didn't have much to do.

On that performance it's hard to see how we're the worst team in the division but we've just left it too late. The players all gave their shirts away at the end - not sure that's sensible given how tight money is at the club! Hargreaves also came over and shook hands with the fans and the atmosphere was fantastic all afternoon. There was a real sense of togetherness but I imagine we won't be seeing half of these players next season.

Didn't think I'd be this upset because the writing has been on the wall for ages. Never easy being a Torquay fan.

[Pea]

For those pedants amongst us, she means GH

Damnit Scott, I was hoping nobody would notice!!

have you actually bothered to read posts?

there were better candidtates than CH that appiled.

he constantly played the wrong team,tactics etc.

eg yeoman scores, gets dropped....plays stevens instead of top goalscorer. brings stevens on instead of top goalscorer....

CH has no idea.

Supes, I have read the posts, and I know where you're coming from in some respects, but, there most be a reason CH made these decisions. Whether that be something he saw in training (lets just say hypothetically here, that he was reluctant to put Yeoman in the team, not because he saw him score and held no credit to it, but because Yeoman had a small injury that he'd rather miss a game for and mend in time for the next instead of aggravating further. It's hypothetical, but not impossible).

We don't know the ins and outs of the goings on at training and in the changing rooms. Given the amount of correct decisions that CH has made along the way, I'd suggest it's more than chance or luck. Sometimes he might drop the ball, but don't we all?

Steven's hasn't done anything wrong for us since his return either, so I think that might be a little unfair.

As for the signings CH has made, he's done the best he can with a bad deal.

Look at it from the point of view from potential signings: By the time CH got hold of us, we were in a state of disrepair, we could barely string a pass together, let alone back to back wins (or even draws). The morale of the team must have been shot (I say that like we didn't see it on the pitch every game, the hang of everybody's shoulders and head when the opposition, inevitably scored despite Torquay doing their very best). The team looked set for relegation, sliding further and further down the table. As a signing, would that inspire you to come and play for us?

As much as we like to think these young men are driven by a passion for playing football, money plays a big part too, now, if they're happy to do very little for their money, then they'll be happy to stay with their parent club and do very little, rather than muck in down the bottom, and take the inevitable flack if and when it all goes wrong from supporters who simply expected that little bit more from their new shiny toy.

CH made a really good choice in Coulthirst, and the boy has worked his socks off. Somebody said about CH putting him on the wing rather than the centre which he prefers, again, I'd quibble there's a reason for that. I know CH is new to the managing game, but we seem to be forgetting he played a lot of football, and captained Torquay, so he should probably know a bit more about managing a team than we're giving him credit for.

I don't know, maybe the bloke is an idiot and I'm trying to see good in everybody, or maybe there's a whole lot more going on that all of us haven't the first clue about.......







As for better candidates, maybe there were better people, but could we realistically afford them? And another point to consider, would they have actually done any better than CH, or did they just have a better CV? On paper, my A-Levels say I'm as thick as nine short planks, yet in a months time, I'll be able to present you with another piece of paper which says I'm a clever 2:1 BSc Hons degree holder.

[brucie]

Its a sad day thats for certain. We have found some form,found a striker,found another one who was already here in the first place.
We started winning when it was far too late. But for six lousy points we would have stayed up. In a way what Hargreaves says is true - certain things have conspired against us, injuries,suspensions,sendings off bad refereeing decisions.
We have alspo been quite frankly appalling for most of the season. Trying to dissect it all is nigh on an impossibility.
Maybe its time to give Hargreaves the chance to see what he can do next season? - there doesn't appear to be any other option.

[Rjc70]

My feelings to that

Sorry you got your wish, but at least it seems you can see the funny side after our relegation.

[hector]

Its a sad day thats for certain. We have found some form,found a striker,found another one who was already here in the first place.
We started winning when it was far too late. But for six lousy points we would have stayed up. In a way what Hargreaves says is true - certain things have conspired against us, injuries,suspensions,sendings off bad refereeing decisions.
We have alspo been quite frankly appalling for most of the season. Trying to dissect it all is nigh on an impossibility.
Maybe its time to give Hargreaves the chance to see what he can do next season? - there doesn't appear to be any other option.

I think you are right, Brucie. Hargreaves deserves a chance to build his own team. He has had to meddle with the remnants of Knill/Ling. In fact, he still has a residue of Knill's folly in signing the likes of Benyon, Harding, Hawley, Tonge et al on 2 years to contend with next season.

[SuperNickyWroe]

I think you are right, Brucie. Hargreaves deserves a chance to build his own team. He has had to meddle with the remnants of Knill/Ling. In fact, he still has a residue of Knill's folly in signing the likes of Benyon, Harding, Hawley, Tonge et al on 2 years to contend with next season.

in the cold light of day, and relegation, i am now willing to give CH the chance...

however if by Xmas 2014 we are underperforming, then he has to go.