InstaRam

Nah, it was approx 10yrs ago now, surely its time to forgive and forget!?
Anyway, I doubt DC would go down the 'celebrity' manager route unlike his predecessor and as has been highlighted, his lack of English would present a huge problem.
Regardless, I recall this from a few years ago.  Sod manager, sign him up as a player 😛
 
 

What I found most interesting  - and worrying in a way - was his apparent powerlessness about the possible transfer: ‘you realise you have no control over it (the transfer)’; ‘it’s all above my head’
I probably changed jobs about 12 times in my career. On 3 occasions I was headhunted. Every time I moved it was because I decided it was right for me and my family, and when I had a family they were always involved in the decision.  Cash always seems to me to be someone with his head screwed on and I would hate to think that the decision wasn’t his to make, that he didn’t have control over his future and his career, just as when he decided to extend his contract. 

Perhaps football is just different; perhaps players still don’t have quite as much power as we think despite Bosman and agents. I don’t want him to leave but I do hope that if and when he does it is his choice and no one elses even if clubs and agents are part of the process.

I really liked the theory that was laid out in the final couple of years of Mel’s tenure (frightening sentence, I know). The idea that over half the first team would be made up of academy players, with high quality loans to cover shorter term gaps and good signings brought in to cover areas where there were no players coming through. I thought this was quite a good model in the modern day. It would attract youngsters with high ceilings to the club as their was a clear path to the first team, build confidence with other clubs to lend us their best talent, and allow us to spend decent money on players as academy players would be pure profit. It seemed to align academy with first team and present a good vision for a modern sustainable football club. 
 
I think we were maybe a couple of seasons from seeing it come to fruition too. We were looking at having a team/squad with the potential of having Knight, Bird, Sibley, Thompson, Delap, Gordon, Kellyman, Cashin, Ebosele, Buchanan, Whitaker, Plange, and Williams all drawn from our own academy in it. We all know why it never happened, and the initial idea behind it may have been pushed by outside factors, but looking at the idea on paper it showed a club well aligned in philosophy, both in development and recruitment.
At the moment I don’t really know what the plan is. Academy players don’t seem to be anywhere near it. That might be due to the club being gutted and them not being to the standard but they never seem to be given a chance. The recruitment seems to be focused on older players, but they don’t appear to fit a system. Cocu spoke about having all teams playing the same way so younger players can step up, which seems really sensible, but currently our first team doesn’t seem to have a consistent way of playing let alone something aligned through the age groups. I think we could do with really setting out a clear goal and a philosophy and working towards it. It would really allow supporters to buy into the vision and direction. Build trust and patience. And, as I think supporters often back their academy graduates the most, really build a unity between team and fans. 

Don't worry everyone. I've been on holiday for rhe last 2 games, but I'm back on Saturday. 
All will be well.
 

Lost to a 'better' team. So so sad.

OK its a small club in National League South, but for over a hundred years Torquay United has been a stalwart of the the English leagues and now it is in administration and the future looks very bleak.
I'm a Devonian by birth and Torquay was my club, difficult to reach in the 50's/60's from where I lived and Dad had no car. I loved the games and my favourite memory was watching them play Spurs in an FA cup game in 65 that ended 3-3. I watched from halfway up the floodlight pylon. I was 14 years old then. A copper below me told me to get down, gave up, then said if I fell down it'd better not be on him!
Torquay also pioneered Friday evening games due to so many fans being involved in hospitality and Saturday was change over day for tourists. For many years they had the lowest debt ratio of any professional team in England but a gentle slide down to non league ensued and now the current owner has walked.
I feel for the 1700 regular fans (2nd best in that league!).

We rely totally on luck

Only 17 goals up to Cole and Reid as the leagues top scorers! 
I think this could turn out ok if only, fingers crossed, Gayle can stay injury free for the rest of the season. Please let Lady Luck shine upon us for once!

Only 17 goals up to Cole and Reid as the leagues top scorers! 
I think this could turn out ok if only, fingers crossed, Gayle can stay injury free for the rest of the season. Please let Lady Luck shine upon us for once!

1Wildsmith   7
35Nelson     7
5Bradley      7
6Cashin       7
24Nyambe  6.5
11Smith       6.5
8Bird           6.5
32Adams    7.5
20Elder       6.5
2Wilson      6
11Méndez-Laing  6.5
7Barkhuizen         6
17Sibley.               7
 
TV

And they still haven't fully paid the fine the EFL gave them for breaking FFP the season they beat us at Wrmbley. 
Been treated very kindly in comparison to us, imo.

Are we ready to put our case to the EFL?
 

Maybe we can do a Bielsa and start to follow the Peterborough striker scout around the country? 🥸

Maybe we can do a Bielsa and start to follow the Peterborough striker scout around the country? 🥸

Just slap a B4 valuation on him.
He can go, for 25 million.

Bad news, really bad news.

Given one of my criticisms of Sibley (I like him by the way) I’m not totally convinced he wasn’t trying to control it. 
 
… but the avoidance of doubt, that’s supposed to be a joke, but seriously it is an area I think he needs work on. If he could control it quicker and shield it better, we’d have a heck of a player.

Bad news, really bad news.

Bad news, really bad news.

You sexy little albino 😍😍😍😍

Not trying to brag or anything, but I wanted to go back and look at the posts when we scored so I guessed it would be page 20.
Nailed it first time.
That's the real victory today.

Full credit to everyone involved for grinding out that win what was always going to be a difficult game. Brilliant 3 points and the results went in our favour too!! 
It was always going to be an ugly scrap of a game which we stood up to well and limited them to few chances, but if not for Sibley’s 90th minute winner, this post could’ve been very different.
I struggled all game to contain my anger and frustration and this started when drinking a doom bar in the harvester I saw the team news. Now the only caveat is, were the 13 players who played today the only ones fit enough to play a reasonable part in the game? That to me is the only possible justification for the team Warne picked today. Last time I was as disappointed at a team sheet was the 2019 play off final and the selection and tactics were akin to Nigel effectively playing a 4-6-0 at home to Leicester in the freezing cold in the middle of our horrific run in 2011. 
Back 3? Nyambe right wing back? More defensive players on the pitch than attacking ones. No wonder we couldn’t muster a single shot in the first half (or actually until the 76th minute wasn’t it?). The balance was all wrong from minute one. Half time came and went, no changes. Then the first sub, and it’s Smith! Another defensive minded player, although to be fair he got us passing more in midfield and it moved Wilson to wing back (where he should’ve started if we’re playing that system). Then Hallelujah an attacking sub, Sibs is coming on, but it’s like for like, we still have more defensive players than attacking players in the last 15 mins when we’re trying to win the game!! Barks had run himself into the ground, but Tommo could’ve also come on to improve the midfield balance. Then we manage to work a situation good play from Mendez and a great finish from Sibbo. Job done so suppose Warne got it right in the end, and 3 points is all that mattered.
Thought the players did their best today with the tools they were given, Nyambe gave a sterling effort at right wing back, Bradley definitely MOTM, pleased for him but IMO shouldn’t have even started the game. If he wanted a back 3 then surely play Nyambe with Nelson and Cash, Wilson wing back and then either Sibley in a front 3 or Thommo in a midfield 3 with Mendez and Barks up top, would’ve given us more attacking balance and given us a more convincing performance and more comfortable victory against Stevenage who I thought were poor. 
Managers like players can have bad games and personally l thought Warne had a stinker today and got away with one. But I don’t care, 3 points is all that mattered and we’re in a fantastic position which is in my view also very much down to Warne, his understanding of the league and getting the most out of a squad which I still don’t really think is suited to his playing style, people bang on about the players he’s brought in he’s had 18 months etc, we’ve been dealing in freebies for the most part, hes been unable sign the young energetic talents the likes of which Posh have been signing. 
Well done to the lads today but as well as they did, I never want to see that same 11 on the pitch again unless it’s the last 5 mins trying to see out a game. 
The fans today were immense!!! Many times they could’ve turned but didn’t, we’ve got to do everything we can to help these boys over the line.