Martin Ling

[Regiment]

Without wishing to be rude, Ling is not the most honest individual or manager you're likely to come across.

whereas, the last bloke we had...........................

[diamondgirl]

i'm not sure he said it was a small budget and no resources. my understanding (and i could be wrong) was that he had those things drastically reduced from what he was told he would have, and other promises either broken, or just didn't materialise.

but don't be surprised that Torquay fans, on a Torquay fans forum, are defending our new manager when disgruntled CUFC fans come on here to slate the bloke. personally i don't know about your club enough to comment, but i do know a bit about our club, and can comment on what Ling has done since he's been here. we don't know what will happen down the line, but as things stand, he's started well and there's an optimistic air around the club. Sorry if that fuels your anger, but if you want to openly criticise and slate Martin Ling, you've come to the wrong place.

Well said Brady. Have no idea why other supporters have to come onto our fans banter board and think it's ok to "Dish the dirt" :aww:

[CP Gull]

Can I just inform you all of something?

Ling and Rolls only worked together for about a week, and the rest of his tenure was under the superb Paul Barry, who pretty much gave him what he asked for, including a budget on a par with what he's probably got with you guys. He also inherited a very good squad which was more than capable of obtaining a play-off spot.

His comments have angered me greatly, and as someone who peronally knows people in positions of authority at the club, I can confirm that he's told you a load of bull.

Apologies for my rant, but I feel that I had to get this one of my chest.

Did he though?

Only my take on things, but I'm not so sure that he did "inherit" a squad that was more than capable of challenging for a play off spot.

I think a more realistic assessment is that he "inherited" an ageing squad that was shorn of perhaps it's two best performers from the 2008-9 season in Paul Bolland and loanee Scott Rendell. Take those two out of the side and what were you left with? I think the likes of Carden, Hatswell and Pitt had served you well but had probably lost their "legs" for another tilt at the play offs. Not only that but as often happens to a side that fails in the play offs, it is often difficult to "pick yourselves up" the next season - goodness only knows what it must have felt like to have come so close two seasons running - to then start the next season with some flat performances is perhaps not that surprising.

Looking back at the start of that first season under Ling it's clear that (whether through choice or not) he stuck by and large with the existing squad and made very little in the way of additions with the exception of the excellent ( ) Brian Saah.

Now I don't know what happened but it appears that the "old" squad failed to perform - whether it was just a season too far for some of them (Hatswell, Carden, Pitt, Phillips, Challinor, Parkinson and the always injured Beesley - all of whom would presumably have taken up a big slice of the budget) or whether their form just disappeared ..... whatever happened to the excellent (well he was once upon a time!) Jai Reason ? I see that he is now plying his trade with Braintree ? Seriously what went wrong????

Anyway, whatever went wrong, it appears that Ling made a conscious effort to try and put it right in the January (2010) transfer window when he brought in the likes of David Partridge, Simon Russell, Antonio Murray, Kevin Roberts, Simon Brown and loaned in the likes of Calum Willock and the excellent Scott Neilson. Well whatever went wrong before, it certainly went right from February onwards as in that three month period he got the team playing at a level which would have bagged them a play off spot over the course of a full season .... Nine wins, Five draws and only Four defeats in the three months between February and April is very good in anyone's book surely. It certainly banished any relegation fears ... not that there was ever any real danger of you going down to be honest. You finished a respectable 10th, not great maybe but not too shabby either ... behind the likes of Stevenage, Luton, Oxford, York, Crawley, Wimbledon and Mansfield but ahead of the likes of Wrexham, Kidderminster etc.

So, after the strong finish in 2009-10 I can fully understand that CUFC fans would have approached the 2010-11 season with a good degree of optimism and probably expected big things from Ling after having completed his first season. So what went wrong? I guess one major factor would be the loss of top scorer Danny Crow to Luton ... that was 20 odd goals a season gone and nothing Ling could do about it and the fact that Chris Holroyd had gone for decent money the January before wouldn't have helped matters either. So what did Ling do, he brought in a proven goalscorer at that level in Daryl Clare and a decent target man (at least he always was when I saw him) in Danny Wright from Histon - decent players at that level in my book but for whatever reason they simply failed to deliver - it just happens sometimes. He also brought in what I would also consider decent BSP players in Danny Naisbitt (Histon GK), Conal Platt (ex FGR and Weymouth) and a quality central midielder in Adam Miller (ex Stevenage and Gillingham). Unfortunately not all of his signings worked out (i.e. Clare) and some unfortunately got injured (Miller has been out for nearly a year now?) including the likes of Russell and Saah at key stages during his tenure at the club.

Clearly Martin Ling must take some share of the blame for not being able to successfully replace the likes of Crow and Holroyd with players of a similar quality while some of the others around the squad were probably quite simply past their sell by date (Carden,etc) but by the same token I think it's also fair to say that he added some quality too : Saah, Russell, Wright, Murray, Platt and when fit Miller; all decent players (in my book anyway) at that level.I expect some of the Cambridge fans can perhaps add to that list as I don't know how the likes of Palmer, Partridge, Brown, Roberts and Jennings turned out but I think I'm right in saying that apart from Palmer, they are all still part of your squad now?

Consequently in February 2011 after failing to deliver he lost his job when Cambridge were in 16th position and you were eventually "saved from relegation" by Jez George who turned to youth .... and pulled you out of the mire to the extent that 3 months later you finished comfortably clear of the drop zone in err ................ 17th position.

On top of all of this we are told by Ling, and no reason to disbelieve him given what we know you are now going through with wage capping and having to let some of your better players go .... he was having to do his job against a backdrop of a budget that was constantly being reduced as the income from falling attendences simply meant that the money was no longer there and the owner was (presumably) no longer prepared to keep throwing money at it as he had done in previous years.

Having done some research on CUFC and Ling's time there I think there most definitely is "another side to the story" than the one being portrayed on here by CUFC fans. Certainly it's fair to say that it (Ling and CUFC) didn't work out for either party and I'm sure Ling made plenty of mistakes along the way but (justifiably I think) he (Ling) can also give plenty of reasons why it didn't work out for him there ... which I have tried to do here.

I genuinely wish CUFC all the best for the coming season - you really should be back in the Football League - and I have followed your progress (or not sadly) with interest since we beat you in that 2009 P/O Final and I have always said that as much as it was a disaster for you not getting promoted that year it could have turned out equally as bad for us (probably worse) if we had of failed that day instead of you. We just played better (I hope you'll agree) than you on the day and for that I am forever grateful.

[Jeff]

CP what the hell are you thinking - arguing with what appears to be well researched and reasoned fact?

Quality post

[exilegull]

No more questions for CP Gull m'lord.

The defence calls for acquittal of mr ling

[Trojan 67]

whereas, the last bloke we had...........................

Then there's integrity. The last bloke sold his to the devil to further his own ambition.


"When they have sold their soul to Mammon and served their purpose, O' Nick "smokes" the f'ckers good and proper."

:devil: o:)


The conclusion is, O' Nick is one son of a bitch/mother f'cker not to be messed with.


Swiftly back on topic then. Dinger has charmed us. Will he do more and convince us ?

[Fonda]

A brilliantly reasoned, Knowledgable post CP. Sounds very much as though quite apart from who's 'fault' it was - his record there was never as bad as has been suggesed anyway.

Cheers for your 'concern' Cambs fans, but if it's all the same with you, we'll judge the man on what he does here. Have a good season.

[JamieE]

CP Gull, unbelievable post.

[Dutchgull]

Well up to his usual high standard. Probably my favourite poster on this site as he really knows his stuff !

[CP Gull]

:Oops: Aw thanks guys .... it's only down to having spent a bit of time tonight researching the "Ling years" at Cambridge ... and following up a comment made by Nigel Tabb at the Fans Forum on Monday about ML and his time at CUFC.

[Colorado Gull]

I just want to echo the previous posts.....A quite superb post CP Gull! It seems as if you know CUFC better than most CUFC fans!

Once again great post!

[TCP]

As well worded and lengthy as it was, It's not really accurate and I really do think you'd struggle to find a single CUFC fan who would actually agree with CP's opinion.

Of course if does help no end if you actually witnessed first hand what happened under Ling....

[Scott Brehaut]

What part of it in particular did you not agree with TCP?

[TCP]

Witout writing an equally in-depth response to the OP, I would say that there's far, far more to Ling's abysmal failure at CUFC, than was mentioned in that very well structured post.

The bottom line is simple: He had the tools and full support of everyone at the club, but managed to fail in a more spectacular manner than any other manager in the 26 years since I've supported CUFC.

The Rolls argument doesn't stand up at all as well, as he was working under Paul Barry for 99% of his tenure, so we can instantly discount that.

[CP Gull]

As well worded and lengthy as it was, It's not really accurate and I really do think you'd struggle to find a single CUFC fan who would actually agree with CP's opinion.

Of course if does help no end if you actually witnessed first hand what happened under Ling....

Not really accurate? I would be very interested to know what FACTS I have got wrong? I did my research and I stand by every word of it.

Of course some of what I have posted is just OPINION .... as indeed a lot of what you have had to say about Martin Ling on this forum is!

If there are indeed any inaccuracies I would welcome your input!