Prospect for next season.

[MrNonLeague]

I'd like some opinions from Torquay fans, hence coming to this forum.
The views will be mentioned on #TheNonLeagueHour next Tuesday/Weds/Thurs discussing the drop from League 2 to Skrill Prem.
If anyone could answer:
1. Do you feel Chris Hargreaves is right man for getting the Gulls to bounce straight back, if yes, why?
2. Are you happy with the board/Club and believe they are right people to help drive the club back up?
3. what are your predictions for 2014/15 season?
and Finally,
4. You happy that 6 players have been offered contracts, any other players you would have kept or offered new deals to from last season?

Thank you,
MrNonLeague.

[yellowforever]

I'd like some opinions from Torquay fans, hence coming to this forum.
The views will be mentioned on #TheNonLeagueHour next Tuesday/Weds/Thurs discussing the drop from League 2 to Skrill Prem.
If anyone could answer:
1. Do you feel Chris Hargreaves is right man for getting the Gulls to bounce straight back, if yes, why?
Yes. He's had half a season with someone elses team and has hopefully got to grips with the reality behind management, and that its not all fun and games when you're under the cosh and that sometimes you have to be ruthless with who you keep, and who you play. The first steps of the mass transfer list has set the precedent that if you don't perform, not only will you not be picked, but you'll be gone, and lets be honest - when you leave a club like ours disgraced, finding another professional football outfit is hard, I hope he's made that clear to them.

He's done it as a player too, and has the experience of being one of our best ever managers' (Buckle) Captain, and so will have no illusions about the task ahead of him at this level. Also, aside from the last game of the season, he eventually managed to get us playing decent football when he was able to get the much needed signings of Cargill and Coulthirst that we had been crying out for all year. Unfortunately both joined about 6 months too late.

2. Are you happy with the board/Club and believe they are right people to help drive the club back up?
Unlike many, I'm not completely familiar with the ins and outs at boardroom level, but these were the same guys who saved us a few years ago after the disastrous tenure of Roberts, so I will always be thankful for that. Our Chairwoman, Thea Bristow is a top lady, who is continuing to back us despite the relegation and the death of her husband Paul (of whom our main stand is named after), and is held in high regard by pretty much every supporter. There are a few others on the board who have a poor reputation for their lack of support and bad decision making, but as I don't know the entire picture I won't be able to fully comment.

3. What are your predictions for 2014/15 season?
Its never easy first time down in the Conference, and last time we were down here we were very competitive right from the start. I'm not sure how strong the league now is in comparison to those years, but I think we'll be in and around the playoff positions, and I believe we'll be stronger than a lot of the teams who dropped down in recent years (Barnet, Lincoln, Hereford, Aldershot etc) due to the fact that we probably are financially and structurally better set up than they were. I'm not backing us for the title, and we'll need to see how the squad looks as there will clearly be a massive overhaul, but I think we'll be challenging in and around the top 5.

4. You happy that 6 players have been offered contracts, any other players you would have kept or offered new deals to from last season?
There aren't many I'd really like to keep. A couple of good players such as Pearce, Cameron and Chapell (who has since been transfer listed anyway) are still in contract. I'd be looking to keep Labadie if money allows, who would be a top centre mid at this level, Rice, Lathrope, Yeoman and Thompson. I'm 50/50 over Mansell and Poke, who have been great servants for us over the years, but maybe its time for them to move on and for us to start a new era. Apart from that I'd be happy if they all went, as clearly the majority aren't good enough, and the players mentioned just now would at least give us a core of 8 or so players to build on. The main priority is to add a really quality Striker who we haven't had permanently for a while, someone like Jack Midson who we appear to be in for.

Thank you,
MrNonLeague.