TorquayFans.com | Torquay United Fans Forum

Hello.... Walsall fan here. I have been told by a friend of mine who is unfortunatly a Plymouth fan *cough* that we are being linked with your striker Rene Howe. How true this is I dont know, obviously due to normal rumour mill! I guess it would make sense with our top scorer Will Grigg looking set to leave us for Brentford and also losing another forward Febien Brandy to Sheffield United yesterday. Just wondered if you guys had heard anything? and your thoughts of the player in question.

Must admit I love a away trip to Torquay, lovely area and what appears to be a good football club. I found your sacking of Martin Ling strange as a outsider.... but what hopes do you have for the new season under Alan Knill and Chris Brass? Especially now super Ryan Jarvis has left!!! Jarvis did'nt do much for us but is he going to leave a gap in your team in any way?

Really hope to see you guys promoted come next year.

All the best for the new season


Edited the title for confirmation - Danny

Howe will probably do quite well for you, for a few months! my hopes for the season is that we have 11 players capable of playing league 2 level!

He's a talented player. Doesn't appear to have the fitness you'd expect of a professional athlete, but is plenty fit enough for lower league football. If you make chances, he'll score goals. Will throw in a few spectacular efforts over the course of a season too. Would be a decent signing for any club in the bottom 2 divisions. Good luck for the season.

Rene is a strong centre-forward who will create a few goals himself but mostly relies on a good supply from midfield. He spent the majority of his time with us as the spearhead in a 4-5-1/4-3-3 formation.
As others have said he would be a good signing for most clubs at our level. Hadn't enjoyed the best of careers before joing us but does seem to have settled down and matured over the last two years.

Thing is Lukeyboy, Rene Howe rejected a new contract here and so far has been linked with a load of clubs from Plymouth to Oxford plus others, and as it has been rumoured that Rene has spent some time in the summer up around the North East Carlisle even Hartlepool have been mentioned, so who knows at the moment. Personaly hope he does sign for a League 1 club, for him to sign for aother League 2 club would be a waste and suggestion he has gone for nothing other than a few extra bob, a fit and up for Rene Howe will do well for you, bit of problem with red and yellow cards though.

As for the Martin Ling sacking not all Torquay fans agreed with the way it was done, however I didn't find it strange nor did many others, had we kept him season ticket sales and attendances figures any have dropped, mainly due to style of play, our club simply can not afford for gates to drop nay further and think that may well have been the main reason behind it.

As for hopes for the new season anywhere safely above the drop zone after last season, however until we have squad together can't really say.

forevertufc wrote:Thing is Lukeyboy, Rene Howe rejected a new contract here and so far has been linked with a load of clubs from Plymouth to Oxford plus others, and as it has been rumoured that Rene has spent some time in the summer up around the North East Carlisle even Hartlepool have been mentioned, so who knows at the moment. Personaly hope he does sign for a League 1 club, for him to sign for aother League 2 club would be a waste and suggestion he has gone for nothing other than a few extra bob, a fit and up for Rene Howe will do well for you, bit of problem with red and yellow cards though.

As for the Martin Ling sacking not all Torquay fans agreed with the way it was done, however I didn't find it strange nor did many others, had we kept him season ticket sales and attendances figures any have dropped, mainly due to style of play, our club simply can not afford for gates to drop nay further and think that may well have been the main reason behind it.

As for hopes for the new season anywhere safely above the drop zone after last season, however until we have squad together can't really say.

To be honest a lot of rumours fly around at this stage of the season. The feeling is the same with our striker Will Grigg who would be going to Brentford for simply more money and maybe a better contract.... can you blame the players though? I'm well aware Rene Howe has knocked a fair few in for Torquay over the last 2 or 3 seasons and also seen he clocks up the cards! For us it could be a "realistic" signing.

Your right Lukeyboy, you can't blame players for wanting more money, part of me as a gulls would like to think that Rene was moving not just to get more money but also to further his career aswell, and the proof of that will come when he finally signs for a club, personaly think he is a realistic signing for Walsall and as a gulls would be delighted if he joined your club.

When Rene is fit and up for it, he can be at times unplayable, however a lot of his goals have come from the penalty spot, does not score perhaps as much as he should from open play.

Its the same with our man Grigg... if a player steps up to a higher league, you hold your hands up and say fair enough. There is no loyality in the game now unfortunatly. So how did Ryan Jarvis do for you last season?

Ryan jarvis in the first half of the season was only ever played as a lone front man in instead of Rene Howe, clearly a role that did not suit him. Towards the end of the season when AK came in he brought into the side as a wide foward and to be fair did pretty well, scoring some very important goals including the winner against York that went along way to helping stay in the league.

Lukeyboy WFC wrote: To be honest a lot of rumours fly around at this stage of the season. The feeling is the same with our striker Will Grigg who would be going to Brentford for simply more money and maybe a better contract.... can you blame the players though? I'm well aware Rene Howe has knocked a fair few in for Torquay over the last 2 or 3 seasons and also seen he clocks up the cards! For us it could be a "realistic" signing.

I must have missed those seasons...

Not going to rehash the old arguments, but if you're expecting a competent number one forward looking at 20 goals a season, you'll be disappointed. In the division above, if he doesn't take the penalties, he'll be lucky to get double figures.

Matt.

I actually think that a manager who can constantly keep him on edge and believing his job is on the line could get the best out of him. I do love how fickle our fans are sometimes though. At Christmas and before, Howe was the best thing since sliced bread and at times his goals kept the club's points tally ticking over single-handedly. Now, after a spell of poor form when he knew he was leaving and he's a terrible player who is full of inadequacies.

The simple fact is this, Howe was a fan favourite who was used in a formation which meant he was up top on his own for 89 minutes of a game. He played very well in that role but would often become frustrated towards the end of games when he wasn't getting the service from our midfield. This would lead to the silly bookings he got. He's a player who can pull something out of nothing and turn a game completely on it's head, but he has to be in the right frame of mind to do that, as we saw at the end of last season where his form massively dropped. If played regularly in a team with good service to the front men, he will be a very good player, but he often seems like the type who has to be happy where he is.

As for his goalscoring record, most of the goals he got this season came before Christmas. He was on form and playing well. Around Christmas, he was offered a contract but he decided not to sign it as he would see what would happen in the Summer. From that point on, he probably started thinking about leaving and the goals dried up, only tallying 4 goals since then. I have no doubt that a fit Rene Howe who wants to stay in a team who gives him good service would be an awesome prospect.

One thing he isn't, is the terrible footballer who relies entirely on penalties that some of the more fickle members of the forum will make him out to be.

Perfectly summarised Luke.

Back in your box then, Ferrarilover!

Lovely, except, I was never calling Howe the best thing since sliced bread. Sure, he hit a decent spell where he scored in 7 straight games and well done to him for that, but he's done startlingly little before or since. Equally, I haven't said he relies on penalties entirely, because he doesn't, so I wouldn't.

So, for the millionth time, nice try, but no.

Matt.

But as you appear determined to prove, a million wrongs don't make a right.

Are you also going to perform a U-turn on Morris now that he's left? Perhaps admit that he was dross all along?

Matt, you're not the only one who suddenly doesn't think he's very good. Please don't think you're important enough for me to base the entirety of a long post on your opinions, no matter how idiotic they might be.