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monkeyboy wrote:There's no way in the world that you'd convince some of the older fans that Frank O'Farrell wasn't the best manager we've ever had.

royalgull wrote:Trying to mould a whole squad together in a month or so is not easy. When you also consider it was his first season as a manager it must have been a fairly daunting task. Also for the first time in the clubs' history there was genuine expectation to do well and win something. We came very close on 2 fronts, but the ground work was done to build on it. You only have to look at much bigger clubs with bigger budgets that have seriously struggled in that league. Wrexham 1st year in playoffs, Oxford took ages, Mansfield haven't made the playoffs since going down, neither Grimsby or Darlo did either. We made playoffs on both occasions, going up in the 2nd.

Always felt with Bucks when he's made big tough decisions that would be unpopular he's done them and not be scared to make them and invariably they've turned out to justify him. Had the Woods saga, he was replaced by Robertson we went up, he let Todd, Sills and Hargreaves go, brought in some young lads we went from relegation fodder to an unbeatable side that set the groundwork for this season. This season carried it on playing a totally different style of football to what we did when he first turned up.

I understand the bitterness, anger about the timing of all of this. It does rankle with me that he's clearly spoken to them before our season is over, that's poor and shows a lack of respect for the people at TUFC who have been so good for him. But ultimately a manager should be judged on results. Love him or hate him you can't deny he gets results?! He's one of our most succesful managers of recent times if not ever. Yes he couldn't quite finish it this year in the final but I don't blame him for that, it's not as if he's told the players to lose, we just didn't play as we could on the day. But overall done a terrific job.

Him, the board, the staff and players have given me and you our club back and given us a team that's worth going to watch and support. For that I'll always be thankful to Paul and the management team as well as the current players. I genuinely wish him well at Bristol Rovers, when he returns I'll applaud him at first before supporting our boys to hopefully put one over him. It's football people move clubs, we'll move on.

royalgull wrote:Pfff sly snake for buying one of our players? Blimey.

All it's done is reinforce what we all knew already about Buckle's contacts list, it could be fit on the back of a pack of fags.

Players/managers move on all the time doesn't mean they are snakes, back stabbers or turncoats was another laughable phrase I read somewhere today.

stevegull wrote:Whilst i think many of us would agree Bucks is a good manager. One area he lacks is in loyalty. I hate to say it, but look at Tisdale at Exeter. He has shown immence loyalty to Exeter and guided them to a fantastic finish last season. Who could honestly say if Buckle was in the exeter job and offered the reading job he would turn it down? Tisdale has been shown loyalty by Exeter and in return he has shown great loyalty towards them. Model pro. (even if it is Exeter... :/ )