View from the bench

[teeboo100]

an excellent post it seams our special club is in good hands with alan and chris at the helm it seams to be a great time to be a torquay fan

[Yellow4life]

BTW - that is some youth keeper we have.

Who's this?

[Kit_robin]

Can I ask, then, in the absence of concrete names, whether the players mentioned by knill would represent good signings for us? I.e would we have cause for celebration if they signed (a la Pearce), or would we be tearing our hair out at waiting so long for a complete donkey?

[Fonda]

Considering his dealings so far, and his insistence that he won't just sign anybody to fill a gap, what makes you think Knill would sign a 'complete donkey?'

[Kit_robin]

Considering his dealings so far, and his insistence that he won't just sign anybody to fill a gap, what makes you think Knill would sign a 'complete donkey?'

I don't, I was just asking for the person who heard the names' opinion. Would be nice to know if they are established names, young exciting names, or lower division journeyman names.

[ferrarilover]

Young exciting names, old exciting names and depending on who the constrain was with, a couple of others.
Knill is only looking at seriously good players. Royal complains on another thread about our going after Manset. Quite aside from the obvious flaws in his criticism, Royal's argument that chasing Manset (such as we did any meaningful chasing) ought to suggest that we're after this level of player, rather than, say, Craig Easton or Chris McPhee...

Matt.

[exilegull]

Can I ask, then, in the absence of concrete names, whether the players mentioned by knill would represent good signings for us? I.e would we have cause for celebration if they signed (a la Pearce), or would we be tearing our hair out at waiting so long for a complete donkey?

Yes I think we'd be happy.

AK said in the forum he either wants a younger player (but with prior first team experience) with something to prove whose motivation is not money but to put himself in the shop window, or a player in his 30s who wants to enjoy his football.

[Kit_robin]

Thanks for that! Good to hear it. Roll on Saturday, I say...

[royalgull]

Young exciting names, old exciting names and depending on who the constrain was with, a couple of others.
Knill is only looking at seriously good players. Royal complains on another thread about our going after Manset. Quite aside from the obvious flaws in his criticism, Royal's argument that chasing Manset (such as we did any meaningful chasing) ought to suggest that we're after this level of player, rather than, say, Craig Easton or Chris McPhee...

Matt.

There's a middle ground between Manset and McPhee and as ever Matt you don't see shades of grey just black and white.

Not only that I just don't think Manset is a) that good nor b) what we need. We need an experienced team player, proven in this division who will fit in with our group not just in terms of personality but in terms of wages. Manset doesn't tick any of those boxes for me personally.

[ferrarilover]

There is and I do see the grey, but it was a useful comparison between the old manager and the new to mention the names that I did. Manset is that good. He destroyed us on his own that day up at Hereford and he did it with consummate ease. If he comes here, he'll come on wages which do fit and as for personality, we're a club who entertained Lloyd Macklin and Chris Zebro[w]ski.

I do see shades of grey, sometimes as many as 50.

Matt.

[royalgull]

50 is too many. 3 is suffice but was a crap book.

I was there that day and you are absolutely right he did but if 'destroying Torquay' was a credential we could go after 150 players.

Manset hasn't stuck around anywhere, ask yourself why? Unfit, not very good, temperamental and demands a wage. We can't be doing with players like that in my most humble opinion

[Scott Brehaut]

50 is too many. 3 is suffice but was a crap book.

I was there that day and you are absolutely right he did but if 'destroying Torquay' was a credential we could go after 150 players.

Manset hasn't stuck around anywhere, ask yourself why? Unfit, not very good, temperamental and demands a wage. We can't be doing with players like that in my most humble opinion

Six clubs in six years.

Howe, in comparison, has had eleven clubs in thirteen years (including the three years he was playing for his home town club, Bedford)

So, going off what you said, Howe must be one, some or all of the above.

Does that mean that somebody who sticks with one club is amazing?

[royalgull]

Not at all but ask yourself why they don't stick around? Howe's moves were predominantly loan moves as Peterborough deemed him not good enough for them. Which at the time of having Mackail Smith and McLean up front is pretty understandable but he was on a long term contract there. When you are out of a suitcase on the move and not really involved in the first team picture it's easy to lose that bit of sharpness and motivation. We gave Howe the opportunity to rebuild his career.

Six clubs in Six years, all around the world at that age. Alarm Bells.

Having seen Manset play more than 60 minutes against us I could see why Reading got shot asap, he was a million miles from good enough or fit enough to play for them.

This wouldn't just be some young gun we take on like Hereford did as a bit fo a gamble see what happens, you would almost certainly make this bloke your highest earner and in a way pin your season on him. Fancy that?

[ferrarilover]

I only saw Manset for Reading once. He came on in a cup match of some description (against better opposition) and changed the game.
We're not pinning our season on anyone, the days of useless Rene Howe being our only threat (in the loosest possible sense) are long gone. Benyon and Yeoman will both score goals this year, as will whoever else we get in. If that's MM (which it won't be), then so much the better.

Matt.