Torquay United Fans Forum

tomogull wrote:Yes, that is true Sunnysideup. I (through gritted teeth) included him in my list of best managers but he was never a great favourite with the fans because he was seen as being arrogant. It was the same when he was a player, notably when he played for Exeter against us. His departure also left a nasty taste. It was a well known fact that he had agreed to fill the Bristol Rvrs managerial vacancy that play off semi finals at Old Trafford against Stevenage. But we can't all be perfect and against all odds, he did get us out of the Conference after just a couple of seasons

Trojan 67 wrote:
Best - Paul Buckle ( ) - for TWO visits to Wembley AND a promotion while in charge.

ferrarilover wrote: It must be horrible being wrong 100% of the time.

I'm "quiet" on these threads because I haven't seen anything like the number of players that the majority here have, so I can add nothing either useful, worthy or amusing (go on, someone say it). That said, I happen not to think that Ling was a bad manager, it's just his style happens to be unappealing to fans. There are plenty here telling us that Leroy was useless because he had a brilliant squad to play with. By that same logic, Ling must be one of the best ever, since he had a pretty ordinary gaggle of players and made the Playoffs.

Buckle's lack of a plan B is what costs him. His talent for taking the oppo by surprise is demonstrated by his success with us in the Cups. However, once his primary has failed to work, he struggles to change things and get the win anyway.

Criticising anyone from the Roberts era is meaningless. SAF couldn't have kept us up, nor a front line of Messi and Ronaldo. Lubos is a big fish in the USMNT pond (the Yanks will elaborate), he can't be all that bad.

To the future, I'm hoping Knill will be as exciting with us as he was with Bury a few years ago (which, judging from the contents of an email I got a while ago, seems likely). That side featuring Nicky Ajose is still one of the most thrilling performances I've ever seen from visitors to Plainmoor.

Matt.

by hector=
We had a few loanees that season. Simon Milton from Ipswich, Alan (forgotten surname) who starred against Wrexham and later played fro Wales, on loan from Swindon.

Banging_Them_In wrote:Cyril Knowles is my personal favourite. He transformed a poor side that had almost been relegated from the League the previous season, taking them to the brink of play-offs in his first season and the final of the Sherpa Van Trophy the following year. On top of that he provided great little cup runs and developed the talent of Lee Sharpe. He didn't win anything in terms of silverware , but he delivered to the whole club a renewed belief in a short time.

I believe he did this with mostly players he inherited, although he did bring in Dave Caldwell I think. A great coach and motivator, but still (even he) could not get Kenny Allen to kick goal kicks straight, and not out of play all the time.

Nice one Cyril !

jonnyfive wrote:Brucie, you are right only in the sense that Leroy's signings weren't the best, but the football, oh the football! Glorious times.

Ferrarilover is quiet on these threads. Let me guess: Buckle worst ever, Ling best ever?

tomogull wrote:Not quite true, Brucie. Leroy inherited some good players .... but an awful team. It was Leroy who got them playing attractive attacking football.

In my view, McFarland was one of the worst managers we've had at Plainmoor. Yes - he brought in some good players like Woods, Russell and Fowler but the ultra-defensive football he adopted was excrutiatingly mind numbing. David Graham was left on the bench more than he played ! Under McFarland, we finished next to bottom - saved by Halifax who were well adrift. I think we had less points than when we were relegated to the Conference and rather than re-building the team, they were playing worse towards the end of the season than earlier. I remember a home game against Halifax on a grey winter's day. The football was gloomier than the weather and Halifax beat us - I think their only away win all season. In over fifty years, there are just two periods when I've stopped going to Plainmoor - one, when Dave Webb was manager and the other after we were humiliated in a home game against Exeter in McFarland's season (Brabin was sent off after a horrific tackle - I think it was on Dean Edwards.
Best managers for me are Frank O'Farrell (by a mile), Leroy Rosenior, Kevin Hodges, Eric Webber and ..... I say it through gritted teeth - Buckle. And not forgetting the trouble-shooters who saved us - Ian Atkins and Neil Warnock.