Paul Wotton - like, not keen or indifferent?

[Southampton Gull]

With your point about Truro’s new manager having Truro ticking along nicely in a fraction of the time Wotton had with them. You could argue that it is quite similar to the situation at Liverpool - albeit at a much lower scale - where Klopp (in this case Wotton) set a lot of the foundations whilst also achieving success and giving Slot (in this case Askey) a good starting place to build even further onwards.

I know I have gone off on a bit of a tangent but I wouldn’t necessarily say that Askey is a ‘better’ manage than Wotton just because Truro are now higher in the table than when Wotton was in charge of them.

I don't disagree with you but just making the point that as of yet he's achieved no managerial success at all. I'm more than happy with the progress made at the club but yet to be convinced he's the right man to take us up a couple of levels and back to the promised land. I'd love nothing more than for him to do it and stick two fingers up to me

[Taelee73]

Wotton did an amazing job at Truro, with no resources or ground and building a successful squad in those circumstances is a big plus for me. As you said, the squad he built is now doing as well as us, I’d say that’s another great advert for his ability as I believe a lot of his players remain. Yes it took time, but I’m amazed they weren’t a basket club.

Anyone thinking we should be running away with the league with a brand new squad, manager, not the top budget, just find it bizarre tbh. It’ll take time, hopefully less than at Truro.

Johnson did an amazing job to begin with, but once we lost at Ashton gate, it was terrible from there on. Spending a huge amount of money on crocks, falling out with players who went onto better things and falling out with a large amount of Torquay supporters, and blaming every one else when things went wrong, can’t remember him ever saying we played poorly, it was always someone else’s fault we lost.

I’d say in the same position we may have been lower down the league with him in charge, as he’d have less money to spend than he was used to here.

[Dave]

I grown to have nothing but utter contempt for Gary Johnson that is true and far from alone in that.

But I can assure all I'm not in need of knitting needles, or tissues or any other help

Just really happy to have gone from boycotting the club, to having a season ticket again, and happy to see the emergence of what could be a bigger and better club than any of us could imagine, it may take time but I can see the work being, and support it's getting.

Oh and while I'm here PW does have a promotion on his CV, just saying

[Southampton Gull]

As many as Gary Johnson?

[UnitedinDevon]

GJ shouldn't be spoken about anymore, complicit in the disgraceful period of ownership

[tufcyellowarmy]

Absolutely perfect for us . He wears his heart on his sleeve and is an integral part our our identity as a dynamic , progressive but sensibly run club.
I love his honesty and enthusiasm. What is there not to like bout him as a bloke or a football manager.

[MoxGull2502]

Gary who ?

[desperado]

"Quick to find excuses for poor results " Southampton Gull ??
I don't think so , sure you're not confusing him with Gary Johnson ?
Wotton one of the most honest and open managers we've had .

[Southampton Gull]

I'm not confusing anything. Listen to his interviews and they're always full of excuses. Latest one was the pitch.

[culmstockgull]

Any comparison between Johnson and Wotton is pointless, as chalk is to cheese, Wotton was a very good footballer, Johnson was never good enough for the pro game, Johnson had numerous clubs as a manager, Wotton so far only one, by the time Johnson arrived at Torquay his career was logically at an end, Wotton is on the way up and learning each day whereas Johnson I believe misguidedly thought he knew it all.
Johnson knew exactly who he was getting into bed with when Osborne came calling, he had no qualms with the arrangement or the background of the owner, it was his last hurrah and topped up his pension fund nicely. Warnock brought Wotton to the club and that would ever have occured if Warnock had had one hint of doubt about the bryn consortium.
Wotton has morals,something very obviously lacking in Johnson.

[Southampton Gull]

And yet just like others you compare him to Johnson.

I make no comparison between the two and it's only others happily doing that . For me he's more akin to Buckle, didn't go much on him either but if Wotton enjoys similar success I'll be more than happy. I'm just not yet convinced he'll be the one to take us any further. What he does have is a great leadership behind him unlike any other manager in our recent history, I just hope he justifies their faith.

[CourtierGull]

So far so good for me. I love his passion and think he’s done a very good job. I would have to say we’re probably exceeding the pre season expectations at the moment, even though deep down we all want and think we should be winning this league.

My only possible negative would be that I know a couple lads who have played for woots in the past, and haven’t had the nicest stuff to say about him, however if you aren’t good enough/don’t do stuff right he will let you know about it and as seen with a handful of players already this season, if you aren’t up too it you’ll be gone.

He’s only done half a season and we’ve been averaging over 4K since Xmas, his name gets chanted every game and we’re challenging for a title. I can see him being here for quite some time and hopefully being quite successful too.

[PL21gull]

Forget making comparisons, let's enjoy having a communicative club now and the buzz around Plainmoor.
PW had little time to cobble together a squad, but made clear his passion and mostly signed players who had some local Westcountry connections, hoping the passion would be in them too.
6 months into the season my concerns are about the tactics - far too many high balls which often lead to giving away possession, lack of leadership and togetherness in midfield which leads to loss of any control of the game, failure to keep hold of the ball in order to see out a match, passing backwards/sideways without apparent intent which shows lack of taking responsibility on the ball.
Maybe this is attributable to having a young squad, but with his higher league playing experience I would like to see our PW team playing more as a team and less as isolated individuals stretched across the park; opposition sides seem to be able to show the basics of teamwork and support for the man on the ball and for the forward players despite being part-timers, and it is frustrating to see us being carved apart with ease at times.
However, we are where we are, and are thankful to be in contention for promotion.

[happytorq]

I don't disagree with you but just making the point that as of yet he's achieved no managerial success at all. I'm more than happy with the progress made at the club but yet to be convinced he's the right man to take us up a couple of levels and back to the promised land. I'd love nothing more than for him to do it and stick two fingers up to me

nobody has any managerial success until...they have managerial success, lol.

I don't know if he'll ultimately be the right man to take us back to the league, but I'd say he's the right man for this season. Coming into a team with one contracted player (who then got banned, remember- yikes), at a club that had been on its arse for a while, he was a perfect man to come in and build a squad to build upon based upon an uncertainty about revenues. He brought in fit-for-purpose players, wtihout breaking the budget. Sure, some of these players are not likely to be earth shattering in the division above, but if you'd said at the beginning of the season that we'd be fighting for the title, I'd have bitten your hand off.

I think it says something about how the club is being run that when it became apparent that gates were going to be strong - and therefore bring with it a larger budget - we went out there and signed players who have elevated the team. Of course, the credit for that goes to the owners, but Wotton has been a steady hand from the off. If we had found ourselves looking at another relegation battle, would the club have pushed the boat out a bit to bring in Jordan Young? I doubt it.

It remains to be seen whether he's going to be the manager long-term, but for now I'm very happy with him.

[Brixham63]

We have team in a 6 way scrap bucking for promotion, a great Board, great support home and away.
Then I remember how far we have fallen and the "big teams" in the National League who can't escape year on year back to the League.
Wotton has blown the doors off as far as I am concerned. Year One keep us up. is mission accomplished
Year Two I would take building a team for the play offs and Year Three going for the title.
I think Wotton has what it takes to get us up to the League. If that happens he will have had, as a young manager, been on the right learning curve to keep us going. We may not be able to keep him.
He needs to smile a bit more is my main criticism and his moaning at times is so droll I keep thinking he's a wind up merchant.
COYY!