Picture the scene. Torquay United vs Nortwich Victoria. It's 1-1, at home, and stoppage time is almost up. After a dreadful start to the season, three points are absolutely crucial if we're to keep in touch with the chasing pack. So when we get a last gasp penalty to be slotted home by Tim Sills to seal the three points, you can imagine my relief. I was jumping for joy like the rest of the Pop Side. Right?
Wrong.
Part of me was indeed happy to see it go in. I want to see my football team win, don't we all?
But part of me wanted Sillsy to miss that penalty, because it would have probably spelt the end for Paul Buckle. But as it stands, Buckle is still the man in charge. Which prolongs the agony for us Gulls fans further.
Why should he go?
You see, if it's not the baffling team selections, it's the questionable tactics. Recent team selections have been nothing short of ludicrious, with many players playing out of position. The Hargreaves experiement was doomed to failure from the start, yet Buckle persisted with it. We still dont have a recodnized right-back at the club. Robertson and Mansell are short term fixes, not long term solutions. The fact that this problem has been left unresolved since last season is nothing short of a shambles. And why are we still deploying the direct style which saw us found out by many in January? A change to a more expansive style of play was lauded by many, but so far it has failed to materialize. Now dont get me wrong, I have no problem with direct football - with the players at our disposal last season, it made sense, and it was effective. However, with the signings made in the summer, this is no longer the case. The players we brought in are being left isolated and unable to show their obvious talents - on and off the pitch.
Today saw Michael Brough and Roscoe Dsane made available for loan. Both players came with glowing reputations from their previous clubs, yet for us they cannot get a game. This is strange to say the least. Nicky Wroe has arrived for £17,000 with a big reputation, and is nowhere near the team with Buckle persisting with the hard-working but uninspiring Chris Hargreaves and Lee Mansell in midfield.
Rumours are also circulating of dressing room unrest. Rumours of players handing in transfer requests, in-fighting, and storming off after games remain unconfirmed, but it is clear all is not well in the Torquay camp. The strong team spirit and work ethic that was key so often last season has evaporated.
One thing is abundently clear however. Buckle has lost the fans. They no longer believe he's the man to take us back into the league, and you feel he's lost the dressing room too. You cant support or play for a man who no longer inspires, and thats the position we now find ourselves in.
When the inevitable does happen (and I believe it will sooner rather than later), I will ultimately be thankful to Paul Buckle for his tenure at Torquay United. He came to the club when we were at its lowest ebb, and helped the club back onto its feet. He helped bring the pride back into our football club when we were a total shambles from top to bottom. He came close to taking us to the Football League last season, and he took us to Wembley for a day I will never forget. I will always be grateful to him for that.
Unfortunately we need to reach the next level, and he isnt the man to deliver that. His time is now up.
3 comments:
There aren't many clubs in the country that give mangers a chance even when they are clearly under-performing, and that is refreshing to see
sacking him after a victory would b unheard of so u may have to wait a few more games b4 he gets the boot
u say rumours of dressing room unrest? if the team aren't winning then of course there is dressing room unrest if there wasn't id find that more of a problem
it means the side are trying to sort out there problems, there not doing that by not saying anything
i agree that he has lost the fans with his weird tactics and constant poor selection, but at the end of the day all he can do to answer the critics is win games and even if it is through a last minute penalty many people will tell u it doesn't matter how it comes
the squad's confidence is clearly low, winning games is the way to change that
Hmm. Perhaps I should clarify a few things.
I agree with your very first point wholeheartedly, I really do. Far too often these days managers arent given time to turn things round - just look at Man United. They gave Ferguson time and it paid dividends. Crewe's patience over the past 20 years has been so refreshing to see. And no doubt Barnet will give Paul Fairclough as much time as he needs at Barnet to turn it round. It's the way it should be. It's not a decision I took lightly - I've always been one to back managers and give them time.
However, if a manager isnt good enough, he has to go. It's as simple as that. The Northwich win papered over the cracks that some would say have been appearing since last season. A crowd of 1800 said it all. Last season we were getting almost double that figure.
It's really not a case of 'give him time and things will improve' - he isnt good enough to change things. A new man is needed.
i can only put over my opinion by using a famous quote
"Dutch women should be punnished for having big boobs...NOW YOU DONT PUNISH SOMEONE FOR HAVING BIG BOOBS"
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