Absolutely bang on the nail. My fear is that Torquay are a club living on past glories (well past memories, we haven't has much glory) and set ups like Worthing represent a new breed of clubs coming up to supplant us and the likes of Oldham and Rochdale.Keithsson wrote: 13 Aug 2023, 11:51
Its an interesting dilemma innit... were you to embrace the same organic growth model/ethos and build from an Academy with a single focus of producing and developing your own players playing an attractive, attacking and passing game it would undoubtedly yield fruit...
...but could your club, your fans, be patient enough to stomach a five year+ project?
I suspect the answer is empatically no. Because from the outside you appear to still be in a football league mindset, a mindset that requires almost instant gratification. Its born out for me by your pre-season, every one an EFL club.
You're not in the league though, you'd have been better served spending the summer properly understanding the level you are at, not the level you aspire to. You have now fallen to regional non-league football, what is your plan for getting out of it? More ex EFL players, more EFL loanees?
Some hard truths need to be learnt at Plainmoor and some hard choices need to be made, getting out of this league either ain't cheap or ain't easy. Either spend a fortune (Ebbsfleet) or understand where you are and work bloody hard.
Its not just gonna happen... and its not simply about changing a manager. Changing your mindset and getting everyone on board with it, that's the challenge I feel. I really don't envy it.
I don't think our current owners have any interest in building a proper infrastructure whereby we can emulate the likes of Worthing or even locally Exeter.