We are a shambles.

[AustrianAndyGull]

No we are not a shambles, very far from it. Portsmouth currently are a shambles, TUFC under Roberts was a shambles, Blockbusters, Jessops, Woolworths were shambles, but we are not, we are just going through a lean spell, something we have experienced on dozens of occasions. Ask any honest long standing fan and they will tell you the good times are less frequent that the bad.

Some people on here just don't seem to grasp the simplest of concepts. Maybe it is purely in their nature to just see the negative in everything or they have massively unrealistic expectations regardless of what the realities are. Football, just like any other walk of life will always go through peaks and troughs. You only have to go back to the 47th minute of the Aldershot home game to get the perfect example of how things can start to change unexpectedly. Nothing is ever certain and if anything it is that air of unpredictability that makes the game as addictive as it can be and why we turbulent creatures relate so well to it and form emotional bonds.

This season has gone from one of potential great promise to sizeable disappointment within the last couple of months. There are many factors contributing to this. There is no doubt that people at the club has made errors of judgement, particularly in terms of not bringing in new signings but that is also clearly not as straightforward as it seems and it is reckless and thoughtless of fans to just look for that easy blame. Last season despite a very slow start and a disappointing ending, in total we massively over achieved. With a limited budget, a new manager in Martin Ling who many questioned the appointment of and a squad of journeymen, kids, last-chancers and relatively unknowns we miraculously put together one of the most amazing seasons in TUFC's history. Our run of 41 points from 16 games at one point is one that will surely never be surpassed in the future. Relying on an incredibly solid goalkeeper in Bobby, the creative flair of O'Kane, a fairly rigid line up that often played for and achieved 1-0s added to the gift of an unheard of lack of injuries and unexpected goal tallies from Mansell, Stevens, Howe and Atieno we came within a whisker of promotion. That was then, this is now...

This season has been more fractious. We had to sell 3 of our best players, the quality spine of the team ripped to shreds. Funds were diverted to much needed infrastructure; the new training ground and a main stand to finally be proud of and stand us in good stead for years to come. Injuries have plagued the squad from day one. Some stalwarts from last year (in particular Oastler, Mansell, Nicho, Stevens) have surprisingly underachieved this year. And now, although the full picture hasn't been revealed, very worryingly it appears our manager is suffering quite seriously with his health. It is all concerning, even baffling in some cases, but it is also all part of the rollercoaster ride that is football.

For us as fans it's the time to stand up and be counted, to weather the storm and get through it together showing unity to the club. Becoming a football fan offers no guarentees. We often just live in hope that a good day or a good season is around the corner and that is so much more likely to happen if us as fans stick with the club, put worthy trust in the players and staff and offer positive support and encouragement. Some of the petty, disloyal, petulent comments on here and on the terraces make a few people look very churlish indeed, and as for one particularly nasty, imbalanced poster's comments of I told you so and I'm out of here, well I guess Torquay United and this forum are probably better of without you.

I take it you are referring to me then BR? No offence and i don't wish to protract an argument but i can understand why some might feel this forum is better off without me but as for the first bit. Who the hell do you actually think you are? I go to most away games and a couple at home each season because of family committments, financial restrictions and the fact i live nearly 300 miles from Plainmoor. I always stand with the singers and if it weren't for i and a handful of others at some northern outposts then the team wouldn't hear any audible support. I am aware that the other fans that go and don't sing are also there in support but choose not to sing, that is their choice and i've no problem with that before i get some more abuse.

Why is TUFC better off without me then when i offer my support all throughout the games i go to and bring in revenue to the club also? Is Torquay United YOUR exclusive club and you can state preferences for who you want supporting them and not? The fact is that you have ZERO control of who supports Torquay and that comment above is just as nasty as you claim some of mine are so welcome to the club mate. We're equals now.

[bengull]

To be fair I don't think the shambles Nick was referring to was entirely about the performance or style of football (which you have been, now seen to be rightly, highlighting for months), awful as it was in the second half last night.

I think it's the fact that a situation has arisen where we don't currently have a manager with the required experience, personality or contacts to halt an increasingly alarming slide. Nobody knows where Martin is, nobody knows when he will back. Instead we have turned up to Plainmoor twice in 3 days, the terraces rife with rumour and speculation, and been subjected to two desperately prosaic performances, orchestrated by a man increasingly out of his depth- or so we have been led to believe. Manse led the warm up last night, who is actually in control?

Some of the football in the first half was incisive and good to watch, it belied our league position. As soon as Rotherham scored though we capitulated, everything that was positive about the first half disappeared. There was nothing anybody could offer to suggest they knew how to turn it round.

I have always had faith in Ling to turn it round, in full health I do believe he could find an antidote with the players at his disposal, these are all players HE wanted at the club after all. I believe he may have catered for Rene's absence better than what we have had to offer in the past two games. Sadly under Taylor the football and decision making has actually got worse.

Second half last night wasn't 'negative' football, negative football implies a capable team not playing to their strengths. Last night was simply inept football, substandard football, elementary errors, crazy decision making, panic, aimless; symptomatic of a team who are as disenchanted by the situation at TQ1 as we are. We looked bereft of morale, confidence, logic and structure in the second half, but I can't ever fault the effort. They look as in the dark as we are, that isn't healthy.

We are in a situation where the club have to act bravely over what is a sensitive and unfortunate issue. If Martin Ling can not continue his duties for the foreseeable future, the board must bring in someone who can, if just until he en of the season, or when Ling is well enough to continue.

The shambles is that the silly 1600 who had kept the faith all know that the board will remain passive and hope that salvation will present itself sooner or later by staying on this current path, instead of taking the necessary action now to ensure that it doesn't have to get any closer to comfort than it already is.

Our league status is of paramount importance and by remaining insouciant to the current situation the board are actually inducing panic instead of calming the ship. This is a situation no one could have predicted 3 months ago, it is almost unprecedented in football, but by not taking positive action now and nipping the threat of relegation in the bud as early as possible by employing required leadership, the board is merely allowing this malaise to set in further. That is what I find shambolic.

I will be at Rochdale. Looking forward to your company as always, Andy. Please remember your 'I told you so' t-shirt

[Plymouth Gull]

Thank you Ben, that is exactly what I am on about.

[Bitchie Renault]

[quote="austrianandygull"]I take it you are referring to me then BR?[quote]

Yes I was obviously refering to you. As with several other posters who rightfully made reference to your horrible gloating and disgust as you announced that you had deserted the trenches I find you can transmit a fairly feeble summary of yourself. Maybe you're not so bad in real life, I've no idea, but you can come across as King of the Plonkers on here. I'm not going to waste much more time on this as I think it is a fruitless task, but what sums you up for me is how for months you have used some really below the belt, cowardly, insulting and unsavoury terminology to describe in particular Billy Bodin, more recently Martin Ling, as well as countless other people involved in TUFC and yet as soon as someone on here quite rightfully picks you up on that and is remotely sarcastic of you once then you spit the dummy, throw the toys out of the pram and cry foul saying you have been forced off the site, it's laughable. Cheerio, maybe try and get some therapy to sort out your issues and come back when you can give and take in equal doses.

Good on you if you are at Rochdale on Saturday, you have one ingredient towards being a good supporter by at least attending the match, you just need to work on a few of your other massive failings.

[royalgull]

Depends how you view 'shambles' really. We aren't a shambles off the pitch in fact we are doing lots to make us a really good lower league club on a very restricted budget, I wouldn't argue we're a shambles on the pitch. There's no pattern to our play, I can't tell you what we're good at. Under Bucks we were a high tempo attacking team, bit of flair, bit of graft and 4 or 5 players that could win us a game. Last year under Ling we were a very defensive team but we were extremely resolute, we had an outstanding golakeeper and although there were fewer matchwinners, a couple of lads had great seasons and we still had Howe/O'Kane who could win us a game with something. We were lucky at times but sometimes we made our own luck.

This year we are like a watered down version of that. We have 1 player in the squad who can win us a game, the rest huff and puff but there's no quality there's no excitement. There's no one you want to pay to watch to say 'look at this lad, look what he can do'. You watch Manse, Easton, Lathrope they are all just battlers. Out wide we've been utterly disgusting all season with Bodin, Stevens, Craig, Jarvis all looking poor. Macklin can't stay fit, Morris doesn't look suited out there.

Defensively we're still reasonable although even stalwarts like Nicho have had bad seasons but there is only so much they can do. If you aren't scoring, don't look like scoring, can't keep the ball then all it does is build and build pressure. We talked about the Exeter game, great 3 points, loved the win but christ were we fortunate. We all said well we won't get away with that all the time, the last 2 games have just proved that.

in times of need and trouble I think you have to make things simple, 4-4-2 is the most simple formation in the world, we aren't blessed with good wide wingers so playing the likes of Craig on the left of a 4 isn't so alien to him as playing wide as part of a front 3.

Get 2 bodies up there instead of 1 and get Rene some help, play some percentage stuff get Elliot to run onto it and get the ball to Rene inside the box. We don't have the players naymore to play this 4-5-1 effectively, we don't get any support to the front man when we do it and our winger/attackers are so rank bad and out of form we need to stop playing a game that in theory suits them rather than the rest of the squad. Simplicity is what we need right now.

[AustrianAndyGull]

Yes I was obviously refering to you. As with several other posters who rightfully made reference to your horrible gloating and disgust as you announced that you had deserted the trenches I find you can transmit a fairly feeble summary of yourself. Maybe you're not so bad in real life, I've no idea, but you can come across as King of the Plonkers on here. I'm not going to waste much more time on this as I think it is a fruitless task, but what sums you up for me is how for months you have used some really below the belt, cowardly, insulting and unsavoury terminology to describe in particular Billy Bodin, more recently Martin Ling, as well as countless other people involved in TUFC and yet as soon as someone on here quite rightfully picks you up on that and is remotely sarcastic of you once then you spit the dummy, throw the toys out of the pram and cry foul saying you have been forced off the site, it's laughable. Cheerio, maybe try and get some therapy to sort out your issues and come back when you can give and take in equal doses.

Good on you if you are at Rochdale on Saturday, you have one ingredient towards being a good supporter by at least attending the match, you just need to work on a few of your other massive failings.[/quote]






Thanks BR

I know we are going over old ground and there are more pressing things to worry about regarding the club at the minute but i regard your comments about me a serious issue and a serious defamation of character for which there are legal channels to explore to protect myself.

Please find the unsavoury terminology i have used in my 4 thousand and odd posts to describe Billy Bodin. If you are referring to my matchday threads then these were intended to be written in humour a bit like the old fashioned fanzines that used to take the michael out of all and sundry but in a jovial manner. I have always said i think Bodin is a rubbish player and unless he improves i don't want him playing for us, how is that unsavoury? Have i said i want him put in a horse burger or anything like that? No.

Please find the unsavoury terminology i have used to describe Martin Ling. To my knowledge the worst i have called him was an arsehole for not changing tactics in October, i didn't call him an arsehole because i don't like him. There is a difference and i also called him a one trick pony to which i still hold this opinion. May i add that i do hope he recovers quickly from whatever illness he has that goes without saying.

Please find the things i am meant to have said about other people at TUFC. Don't quite know what this means but please enlighten me. To my knowledge i may have had a complaint about the lack of professionalism from the ticket office once , the lack of incentive schemes too and the robustness of the stewarding but nobody was ever personally insulted.

All my posts haven't been cowardly as anybody that i may have offended has the right to reply on here so it isn't a one way street.

Also for the millionth time, where did i say i have deserted the trenches? I was simply pointing out that what i had been saying was turning out be correct, i didn't say i'm not a Torquay fan. Again a case of misreading something and just going with what you think anyway.

You have accused me of certain things on here which aren't the truth and which do cause upset and stress and i'd be very careful what you accuse me of next, my inappropriate responses to you were the result of provocation and although inexcusable i have only issued you with personal insults and not a whole accusation on my character which you have just put out in the public domain.

For what it's worth at least you have the balls to come on and have a go despite your incorrect facts but you have tried to give a reason for your beef with me rather than the losers who just call me a sad b*stard and things. They are ridiculous and by doing that have proved they are no better than myself.

[Southampton Gull]

Time to give it a rest now, ladies.

I like a good debate myself occasionally but the forum is descending into tit for tat insults and from now on I will delete posts that go this way or take threads off topic. Leaving you all alone to act like adults is obviously not working so you can have a taste of overzealous moderating for a while and see which method you all prefer.

Andy, I hope you take this as it's intended: Stop acting like a big girl and just stand your ground and defend your opinions without claiming you're being victimised, and then flouncing every couple of days. You either want to be part of the forum or you don't, personally I hope you stay but by continually flouncing you're just damaging your own reputation so man up and take the heat.

[brucie]

Content Removed - Personal Insult

7 Day Suspension of Account

[chunkygull]

can i just say i really enjoy reading this forum and have done for many years. i have only started posting lately because i dont have much to add to what is said with regards to football matters.i have my own football philosophy as do many of you.i neither agree or disagree with any of you, in some respects you are all absolutely right in your opinions.

there are many different circumstances and viewpoints with regards to our clubs results, style of play and prediciment. in all situations there are always 3 sides to any story. one opinion, another opinion and the truth.
who is right, who is wrong,who can say.

it is not helpful that fans are bickering and falling out, just as much as it is not helpful there are those that barrack, berate and slag off the team, the manager or individual players.

i have never found anyone insulting or unfair on this site. everyone is entitled to their opinion. this is a forum to air our views after all. some things are obviously said in fun or to provoke a reaction. fair enough. are we all too precious as not to see that. at times this forum is very entertaining. a lot of people do seem quite intelligent and have shown it in threads like politics.

seeing posters bicker and fall out over their opinions i dont understand.at times like this our team/club needs us more than ever. the negative needs to stop at the ground. on here air your views etc but surely a bit of positive thought is more helpful. as somebody suggested yesterday the club do read this forum so lets show them we are behind them, give them our support and give them some suggestions and tell them what we would like to see in a positive way.

we can pull through these troubled times. we have been through worse.

lets stand true to our name everyone. torquay UNITED.

[Bitchie Renault]

The forum is a bigger joke than the fecking team. Lets be fair Andy probably has a point.

A pat on the head from Brucie, Is this the forum equivilent to the dreaded chairman's vote of confidence! :~D As ever Terry, your views have the murky accuracy of a blind driving instructor.

The forum, like the club is not a joke, just going through choppier waters at the moment, but the problem is only exacerbated when the more eratic members choose to rock the boat rather than steadying the ship.

It is not to say that we shouldn't be concerned, I know I am, but I also know that slagging off everyone involved in the club, excessively bitching on here, spreading unproven gossip, booing players and boycotting the games will ONLY do harm, there is just NO upside to it. If you're a glory fan, then now's the time to stay away, if you're a true fan then now's the time to cheer louder and offer more support than ever before.

And to Andy...I'm not rising to your reply, SG is right that it was getting out of hand and you need to be able to take things on the chin. I'm a reasonable person, but I do equally recognise unreasonable behaviour when I see it and I think that's what you've been displaying an awful lof of over the last few months. Although I don't get to many games nowadays, I'll happily meet you for a beer at the next game I'm at to give you a chance to prove your fractured internet persona is not the full picture...if you really do turn out to be a psychopath then the beers on you!!

[Bitchie Renault]

can i just say i really enjoy reading this forum and have done for many years. i have only started posting lately because i dont have much to add to what is said with regards to football matters.i have my own football philosophy as do many of you.i neither agree or disagree with any of you, in some respects you are all absolutely right in your opinions.

there are many different circumstances and viewpoints with regards to our clubs results, style of play and prediciment. in all situations there are always 3 sides to any story. one opinion, another opinion and the truth.
who is right, who is wrong,who can say.

it is not helpful that fans are bickering and falling out, just as much as it is not helpful there are those that barrack, berate and slag off the team, the manager or individual players.

i have never found anyone insulting or unfair on this site. everyone is entitled to their opinion. this is a forum to air our views after all. some things are obviously said in fun or to provoke a reaction. fair enough. are we all too precious as not to see that. at times this forum is very entertaining. a lot of people do seem quite intelligent and have shown it in threads like politics.

seeing posters bicker and fall out over their opinions i dont understand.at times like this our team/club needs us more than ever. the negative needs to stop at the ground. on here air your views etc but surely a bit of positive thought is more helpful. as somebody suggested yesterday the club do read this forum so lets show them we are behind them, give them our support and give them some suggestions and tell them what we would like to see in a positive way.

we can pull through these troubled times. we have been through worse.

lets stand true to our name everyone. torquay UNITED.

Wise words Chunky

[Scott Brehaut]

Just FYI, I have seen the team play this season.

Let's face facts Brucie, darling, we will rarely agree - it's clear you dislike me....so why not just be the bigger man and get your point across without insulting people....or is that the ONLY way you know how.

[AustrianAndyGull]

That's actually a very kind offer BR and i have no qualms in having a beer with you and debating things. To say that after all we've said to each other is very mature and i can only applaud that. I accept i go ott but it's just my way of reacting to a given situation that i have no control over, it's not really an adult thing to do but it's the way my brain works a lot of the time. I am not intentionally a nasty person and if you met Bengull and myself and compared our opinons and views on things you would think there wasn't a hope in hell that we would both get on, we are polar opposites but get on we do and respect the others views. If i say Bodin is sh*t he will just say no he isn't and we'll laugh about it.

Oh and Dave SG, thanks for the message but i really am out in terms of posting my views, it really isn't worth all the aggro anymore. My recent postings have been to defend myself really and not to post any more of my views so technically i have indeed stopped posting. I'll do the prediction league that Scott very kindly offers us and i'll leave man of the match votes but i can't say any more than that. Thanks anyway Dave.

Brucie, thanks for the support! I never thought i'd sign off by saying that!

Cheers all.

[cambgull]

Wow, haven't checked the forum yet today and I come on to see this! It's gotten a bit pathetic now guys.

Yes, we're doing sh*t. Yes, we're on an awful run of form. Are we a shambles? No! If we were a shambles we'd have to be falling apart from all angles, which we aren't. The problem is fixable and the players need a confidence boost and a change, not of tactics but of style of play. Perhaps even a spot of paintball which kick-started our season last year.

What we don't really need is this totally pointless Neanderthal slagging match. Arguments about a topic is fine, arguments about each other is just stupid. Grow up people.

[stevegull]

Wow, haven't checked the forum yet today and I come on to see this! It's gotten a bit pathetic now guys.

Yes, we're doing sh*t. Yes, we're on an awful run of form. Are we a shambles? No! If we were a shambles we'd have to be falling apart from all angles, which we aren't. The problem is fixable and the players need a confidence boost and a change, not of tactics but of style of play. Perhaps even a spot of paintball which kick-started our season last year.

What we don't really need is this totally pointless Neanderthal slagging match. Arguments about a topic is fine, arguments about each other is just stupid. Grow up people.

I am happy that the problems are only on the pitch. We have had times in the past where it appeared the very core of our club was rotten. I don't get that sense now.