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brucie wrote:We don't need a winger though as we have four and they are all way better than Stevens. So we don't need a fifth winger (and a useless one at that)
Be realistic - he isn't good enough - some people have lost the plot in trying to justify this.

absolutely agree with this.

SuperNickyWroe wrote: absolutely agree with this.

We guessed you would.. :~D

Gullscorer wrote: We guessed you would.. :~D

why?

i hardly agree with brucie - think you are confusing me with wivelgull..............

if you examine the fact that stevens couldnt get a gig with the shots - why would he be deemed good enough to rejoin us?
and as been pointed out by several posters we appear to have enough wingers already.

SuperNickyWroe wrote: why?
i hardly agree with brucie - think you are confusing me with wivelgull..............
if you examine the fact that stevens couldnt get a gig with the shots - why would he be deemed good enough to rejoin us?
and as been pointed out by several posters we appear to have enough wingers already.

SuperNickyWroe wrote:in response to the OP, dont talk wet.

bengull wrote:Not the most exciting transfer news but Danny is far from the worst player we have ever seen. Extremely technically gifted, it's full credit to him that he had a couple of extremely good Football league campaigns with us despite being told that due to his physique he never would.

No-one should be expecting 10 goals and 10 assists by the end of the season, but if we could utilise him for 20 minutes here or there, against tired legs, he could be an asset. If it's a weekly contract then we really have nothing to lose. When match fit a better option that Cameron, Sullivan and possibly Thompson at this point in time, in this situation, and more likely to notch a goal than the ever prone to panicking Bodin.

Out of contract, with it all to prove, looking to resurrect his footballing career. As long as he has kept himself fit then I see no problems with this. Players with the unique TUFC mentality and are what we need.

I'm keen to find out more about this 'unique TUFC mentality'...?

Being situated at the arse end of the country and most away games being overnight stops or at the very least huge portions of the weekend spent travelling or recovering from travel. Danny has been doing that with us for 6 years now so understands the implications of that, I do think it takes some players some getting used to. You may say that these guys are professionals and it shouldn't be an issue but I think it can be sapping. In the conference particularly our schedule was ridiculous, players like Danny will know better than others how important it is not to return there. I think he was unfairly written off and binned last season, he has a point to prove.

No matter how far we have to travel, TUFC are well supported wherever we go, you only have to look at Morecambe's paltry 30 odd last week, or the 40 Andy remembers AC Northampton brought last season to realise Torquay's support is special, regardless of whether we're top, middle or bottom. Some managers and players don't appreciate or understand this, Danny does, I think in some small way this contributes to unity and togetherness. I think Danny has been around our club long enough to know we're perennial strugglers, who take massive triumph in small victories, who for finishing 22nd is a massive achievement. To that end, he cares about the future of the club, rather than seeing it as just another stop on a long journey, or just another paycheque.

You make some fair points, and to give some credit to ex-manager Alan Knill he said similar when he took the job - he wanted players to come down and experience the town and the club, and fully embrace what playing to TUFC involves before committing. To those that have spent their careers in London, or the Midlands or the North West, our remoteness probably does come as a surprise.

Having said that, of utmost importance remains what a player can do on the pitch. Stevens ticks a lot of boxes - he knows about the specifics of playing for TUFC, he's a hard worker, has en excellent attitude and I'm sure is a thoroughly personable chap. But it looked like a natural time for him and the club to go their separate ways last summer. If we sign him, I'll be interested to see what he's added to his game in the last 8 months.

I agree its a risk, but given our finances and the fact that it's likely to be a weekly contract or less, I think its a gamble worth taking. He should be chomping at the bit to impress and give himself a second chance. Given his 250 appearances for the club (more than half in the league) I think he's a better option than Cameron, Thompson, Sullivan, Chaney and anyone else currently above him in the pecking order.

He had a decent first season under Ling, and was useful in the first half of Ling's second season. His complete decline, perhaps tellingly, coincided with Ling's disappearance. Regardless, he has still scored as many goals this season as 75% of our squad.

If he turns out to be rubbish then we haven't really lost anything as none of those aforementioned have made a difference this year either.

bengull wrote:I agree its a risk, but given our finances and the fact that it's likely to be a weekly contract or less, I think its a gamble worth taking. He should be chomping at the bit to impress and give himself a second chance. Given his 250 appearances for the club (more than half in the league) I think he's a better option than Cameron, Thompson, Sullivan, Chaney and anyone else currently above him in the pecking order.

He had a decent first season under Ling, and was useful in the first half of Ling's second season. His complete decline, perhaps tellingly, coincided with Ling's disappearance. Regardless, he has still scored as many goals this season as 75% of our squad.

If he turns out to be rubbish then we haven't really lost anything as none of those aforementioned have made a difference this year either.

I guess we'll just have to see how it develops. I've expressed my doubts but will give him a good welcome if the time comes.

Everyone has clearly lost the plot completely over this. People are talking as though he is going to end up the pitch (god help us if he does cause we are going down).
Compare him to Chapple and Bodin - well you can't, he is nowhere near these two. Compare him to Cameron and Thompson - he isn't as good as either of them even.
Cameron played well against Exeter - he is able to beat a man, is stronger,quicker than Stevens.
The inconsistent Thompson is still miles better than Steven despite what anyone else says.
Thompsons pace for starters is means he is able trouble his full back.
Stevens err hasn'tgot any pace - he would struggle to beat Nico in a footrace.
So there you have it a player who got rejected by Aldershot,hasn't got played for anyone for the past eighth months, and was quite frankly awful during the last year of his contract here.
Add to that he isn't as good as the four wingers we have here already then there isn't one justifiable reason why he should be here.
Its a complete waste of time.

Brucie, others may or may not have lost the plot completely, but you have completely missed the point, which is that Danny Stevens is a top quality player who would not be out of place in the Championship if he had a first-class manager, a good team around him, and a little growth hormone.. :~D

I do love it when Brucie pops in for a chat. Nial Thompson failed to command a first team place towards the end of his stint at Worcester City, not sure this makes him any more deserving of a place on the bench than Danny Stevens. Courtney Cameron gave a better performance against Exeter but was still ineffective. I don't think he has been managed right at all and I certainly don't want to write him off or abuse a youngster in his formative years trying to make his way in the game but I have seen little to suggest he is going to make a massive difference in our second half of the season relegation scrap. Danny has made 200 more appearances, scored more goals and got more assists than both of those 2 put together. If used right he has shown himself to be useful.

I am not doubting that he fails in comparison to Bodin and Chappell, but think some people are far too harsh with their criticism of Stevens because he is so slight. He possesses superb technical ability, the lack of match action and being 'unemployed' for the last 8 months is a concern (though no different to recovering from long term injury) but what have his suitors actually given us in that time by way of end product?

All joking aside, I absolutely agree with that, Bengull..

Am I enthused that Danny is back on trial after 8 months out of football? No.

BUT Chris Hargreaves played and trained with Danny for three and half years and if he deems him capable of doing a job to help keep our club in the league from this trial, then that is enough for me and Danny will get my full backing whilst on the pitch for our club.

We cannot question nor seek to undermine a new managers decisions (who by the way has won his first match in charge least we not forget). This can only produce a negative effect and will be detrimental to our plight.

The gloom has been lifted by his and Lee's appointments - let’s not let settle in again over TQ1.