why did PB never really get the...

[DavetheRave]

support from the fans??

its a point thats often thrown up...I was just wondering why everyone thought this might be??

[diamondgirl]

I think PB had the support of MOST fans Davetherave. Thats why most are miffed that he has left us. I never really had a problem with him, although I sometimes questioned his team selection and the positions he played players in. Billy Kee a winger? I dont think so. But what do I know...

[GulldenBoy]

I also agree that this is an interesting question, he has been one of our most successful managers ever but has been roundly abused by a set of "fans" ever since he started.

Some people might point to the play-off defeat against Exeter but I think it started a lot earlier then that.

What drives me bonkers is that we've had far worse managers who have received full backing from the fans!

Possibly it's just a personality thing.

[ferrarilover]

Because he is a very cold man.

Not a dig, but the truth. He was professional to the last (in his manner, if not necessrily his conduct). He was never your mate, he didn't engage with people. I do wonder if he is shy or lacks in confidence in some way. He would never stop to chat in the manner of Leroy. He would answer your questions and go away.

I didn't mind him, I'm deliberately avoiding the Buckle bashing threads on here. No, he isn't God's gift to management. Yes, perhaps sometimes he comes across as arrogant and cocky, but then, who among us is perfect? If these are his greatest character flaws, then he is just like you or I. He doesn't take nudey pictures of kids, and he doesn't kick puppies (so far as I know), so in my book, he's an ordinary chap.

I wish him well in his future at Brizzle Rovers and beyond. No doubt he has taken on a challenging role. BR are a club in a big hole financially (so I am given to understand) and they may well need to tighten the purse strings to a level which is unacceptable to a large section of their (very reactionary) fans. In addition to this, to my mind, he is in a lose-lose position. If he wins promotion and walks the league, then it is no more than he should be achieving at a club which, to the casual observer, is far too big for the division in which it finds itself (on merit). Should he fail to storm the league, he will be chastised for exactly the same reasons. He stands to gain very little praise for getting them promoted, but a huge amount of flak should they faulter, which they could well do.

Further, he will not be able to afford to have a run as he has had in all four seasons with us where he goes a long period without success. Last year, he failed to guide us to a win for almost two months at the beginning of the season. Do this again and he will almost certainly find himself with plenty of free time to spend with young miss Lowe.

Matt.

[monkeyboy]

Maybe, because he always tried to be so professional, he came across as a bit disingenuous. I personally backed him from day one, even during the few winless streaks that came about time to time. Would like to see a bigger character who has a rapport with the fans next, and somebody with a name that goes well with the chant Yellow Army (e.g. Kevin Hodges' Yellow Army)

[SantaCruzScotty]

I remeber the very first day i joined this forum, and i hated buckle...Anyone remember?

[Richinns]

I remeber the very first day i joined this forum, and i hated buckle...Anyone remember?

How could we forget Scotty

[SantaCruzScotty]

How could we forget Scotty

Lmao, however, i didnt know much about it, BUT i wasnt wrong in him not being trsutworthy... Eh?

[Regiment]

i've never really been PB's biggest fan, but have always supported him 100%. we could've been worse off, but i have gone away from games on too many occasions questioning his tactics etc.

My boy was mascot against Bury last season, and when we arrived in reception, Bucks was there in the office, i said hello, and told him James was gonna be his mascot for the day, expecting him to come over and shake our hands or something, but nothing. he just "acknowledged" us and went about his business. didn't think too much of it really at the time, as my boy was excited about the day ahead, and i know bucks had things to do, but upon reflection i did think it a little rude.

from a football perspective, i've said my piece elsewhere, but as a fan, i want my manager to be committed to the cause, and i'm sure he was to a degree, but FAR too often he used interviews etc to tell the world how ambitious he was, and always gave the impression he was more concerned with Paul Buckle than TUFC. And the way he handled his departure, kinda confirms that. that's my opinion from the outside anyway.

[portugull]

I would rather have a successful manager than a popular manager. Bucks WAS successful!

[Fonda]

He s the least personable of any of the successful managers we ve had. Ambition and determination are important attributes for anyone that wants to make a success of their career, but it s important to acknowledge and show appreciation of those that have helped you along the way. There is a definite arrogance about him, which although an integral part of many successful types, isn t endearing. He hasn t made an effort to get close to the support. I ve rarely got the impression we were in it together – rather, it s felt very much as though he is the leader, and we merely followers.

I think he s actually a better self-publicist, than he is football manager. Anybody that isn t familiar with the circumstances at our club, who listened to him speak, would think him some kind of miracle worker. Dedicating his time to the TUFC charity cause, and winning football matches with his arms and legs tied behind his back. When things go wrong, it s someone else s fault. And when things go well, it s all his doing and has been performed in the face of great adversity.

In all honesty, he s become a better manager than I ever thought he would. He preaches a style of football that is easy on the eye and gets results, and you can t ask for any more than that. But I still struggled to warm to him for the reasons given above. They say nice guys finish last. Perhaps that bodes well for his future.

[A J]

I think ferrarilover and fonda make some great points.

Was it because of his association to City? In a similar way to Wayne Carlisle? Not for me personally. Buckle was a former Torquay player and I was a big fan and admirer of Wayno, it doesnt come into it.

For me, as mentioned, it's Buckle's personality.

Never once did he take the blame for any mistakes he made, when he should of. Yes, he was a successful manager but at times tactically clueless. Exeter in the Play-Offs, Crawley, etc. Some baffling decisions of playing people out of position and never making that killer subsitution. His 'big I am' attitude, including 'my attacking football' at the end of the season, when in fact for long periods he played one up front, which was totally useless and could be seen by most supporters. His treatment of players - Simon Rayner, Steve Woods, Sills, Hargreaves et al. showed a lack in his man-management.

He was a successful manager and he transformed Torquay when the club was on it's knee's - it's what we needed at the time and it should never be forgotton, he changed our history. But there was times he made mistakes and didnt react just enough to take us that extra step, and his cold manner in dealing with the aftermath proved a great let-down.

As for now, will he find out that the grass isnt always greener? Only time will tell.

[Glostergull]

[quote="A J"]I think ferrarilover and fonda make some great points.

Was it because of his association to City? In a similar way to Wayne Carlisle? Not for me personally. Buckle was a former Torquay player and I was a big fan and admirer of Wayno, it doesnt come into it.

For me, as mentioned, it's Buckle's personality.

Although Buckle was a former Torquay Player. (57 games) I think you will find that he played far more for Excretia than us. he played 3 times for them with well over 100 games under his belt. i can see how some say he was more a Grecian than a Gull.
But his attitiude and manner in which he behaves toward others I can see as alienating people. (I know Matt Big words) He can seem distant and aloof. he has an arrogance and air which can be very usefuly in his job but I do wonder if he carried it on too far. I know as boss that it is dangerous to be one of the lads. You are either a boss or You are a player. You have to make up your mind and not sit on the fence. But his manner seemed to go just a little bit further than most and it might yet be his downfall.

[brucie]

Buckle's tactics are really odd at the best of times. Half the time it didn't seem as though he had the first clue what he was doing. Ok he started off with sod all but really was given carte blanch to sign who the hell he wanted in his first season.
Given the circumstances we were entitled surely to have been challenging at the top of the league. We got beaten to the title by a team with a much smaller budget.
Buckle then completely blew the play off second leg against Exeter with his refusal to play Zebs,Phillips and Sills up front. His ridiculous ultra defensive tactics were just asking for trouble in the second half with Exeter attacking towards their own fans - we were defending so deep we were inviting the ref to give them decisons around our box and that lost us the game.
The following year he again signed just about everybody - biggest squad by a mile, but ultimately snuck into the play offs when Burton decided not to play for the last half hour of the game.
We just about snuck past the mighty Histon but did play well in the final.
The next year Buckle could well have got us relegated. His bizarre policy of freezing out the likes of Ellis,Carayol and Nico and playing a whole host of shite in their places.
He then bought them back and we went on an incredible run at the end of the season to save ourselves.
This year Buckle had an on fire forward in Benyon, he has got his critics but there wasn't anyone better in the league at the start of the season.
Buckle then played him up front by himself for some bizarre reason - a tactic which clearly lost us the Crawley game.
Then for no apparent reason he changed from ultra defensive to ulta attacking with four center forwards up front. His persistence in playing Billy Kee on the wing was totally bizarre.
We somehow got into the play offs as every other team around us conspired to lose on the last two weeks of the season.
A cynic might say that Buckle's gung ho approach in those games was due to him wanting to get the Bristol Rovers job on the last day of the season. Did he actually want to win?
In the play off final his daft formation and his daft substitutions lost us another big game but he looked the least worried bloke in the stadium - no doubt pleased that he wasn't seen to be defecting from a team a league higher than the one he could not wait to join.
All in all he has been a bloody lucky manager - for his sake he had better hope that his luck doesn't run out.

[Southampton Gull]

Nothing to do with his managerial ability for me at all. I found him arrogant and totally ignorant and I think he let his personal life cross over far too much into his working life.

Far too stubborn when things aren't going right as well. Seemed to be the last one to realise Benyon up front on his own didn't work, I could easily forgive that if he was more gracious when dealing with people, found him to be a total tosser when i met him, to be honest.