Getting your excuse set up

I quite agree with you Rob. There's nothing in that article to suggest that Buckle is not focused on the Oxford game. To me its just a re-iteration of what Colin Lee said earlier in the day.

Personally I think that Mr David Shaw has had too much Thai sun or has spend too much Baht on the local firewater or has overdone it on the Jungle Curry.

Fonda, chill out a little. You're looking at all the negatives. Next you'll be asking for Leroy back or resigning Danny Wring.

There was no misfortune at Kettering. We didn't turn up. Buckle was right if the ref hadn't've given the penalty we would've got away with minimal punishment after a shite opening 10-15 mins.

As for Forest Green, Buckle's version of events seems to tally up with Chris Hargreaves blog. Two crap goals and a ridiculous penalty decision. Then again I wasn't there.....

Yep, it's a fair comment. I've always been somewhat 'half glass empty' where TUFC are concerned (apart from that wonderful period when our football was sublime... )

But aren't these comments from the manager just a little downbeat too? Perhaps someone justified to do so could tell us how the players and supporters are expected to find inspiration from them? Because to me, feeling sorry for ourselves, and discussing misfortune and poor officials isn't sending the right messages at this stage. These are all things we can bemoan if we fail to reach our target, not right now.

And this isn't just me having another dig at the manager, it happens to be how i view the situation. As much as it's percieved otherwise, i don't have some big agenda, i'm just concerned about our current situation.

In PB's time here both as a player and a manager I've never got the impression that he's one of these inspirational "General Patton" type leaders, but more of a measured and quieter leader of men. To be honest with you if he comes out and tries a Churcillian type speech full of fight and resolve then I would be more worried than reassured. To externally focus on Weymouth could be a measured move to take some of the external focus away from his players. Let's face it PB is a professional football manager, you and I are just amateur spectators.

Fonda. I've seen us play one season of sublime football in 28 years. To blind your judgement on all things Torquay on this one season is like a husband not admitting his wife is a cheating whorebag for 27 years because there's one year when she actually treats him in a manner becoming a decent wife.

Leigh that is the first real lesson in life and one that you just have to except and move on from. I learned the hard way on the entertainment circuit that very lesson, spending so much time perfecting my show and performance and knowing full well, I had got it to a good high standard.

One night a superstar(well they all loved me ) and then the odd night coming home in the car, telling Carol I did not want to perform again, or that I needed to change my show. But then the next night on stage again I would have the sort of response that was part of the reason I loved performing.

I can understand where Shane is coming from to a point and I will explain that shorty, but one thing I have always said about football is it needs to be entertaining and as someone who spent 10 years doing just that, I do feel qualified to speak on it, I'll give up for now speaking about Refs and leave that to those who know far more about it.

I will be a bit big headed here and say that nearly every hotel I played in would say the best nights bar takings were on the nights I performed. People will always vote with their feet, if they do not like the entertainment on offer and believe me it can hurt if people start walking out from a show, you are putting everything into.

One thing I did learn was that in hotels, many guests would have been out during the day and found some pub or venue they may have wanted to go to. They have their evening meal and most will then have a drink at the bar, they probably only plan to watch the entertainer for 30 Min's before they go out.

I would work my socks of during the first part of any show, sing my best songs and get those jokes flowing and hope they would stay a bit longer and even buy another drink. Then as time went on they would be having a good night and would decide to stay in. Job done I keep a good size audience, the bar does well and I go home a happy man as I did what I set out to do.

I only ever want to do anything a full 100% and do it perfectly, but I have made mistakes, maybe trying out a new song, that really my voice was not suited too, or telling a joke that did not go down well, but that was all part of the leaning process that we all need to go through at times. Yet it could be song I loved and really wanted to perform, but far better to put my hands up and admit that I was killing it and putting it in the show was the wrong thing to do.

The point of all that was to try and show that at times we need to be honest and look at what is working for us and what is not and then do something about it. Bucks has to look at the positives about the players performances, how they have done their best in games and as someone who needs to motivate others, has to put a positive spin on most things.

Some fans will see what they see as the failings in the team, they will have their views on why a game was lost and many times the blame(if they feel the need to blame anyone) will always fall on Buckles shoulders. Some will want him to state what those failings were and be open about them and then say what he plans to do to address them.

Looking to blame the refs, or start worrying about the situation at Weymouth, is not what some fans want their manager to be talking about, saying maybe that playing three up front that left Nico to exposed did not work out as hoped, or we were not tight at the back and we need to sort that out, will give fans a better sense that the manager sees the problems they see and is not going to just try and say nothing and cover them up with a blanket.

Yes Leigh, practice makes perfect in most cases ;D there will be times what that is not true I will leave to decide your own fate as a singer and joke teller.

You have hit the nail on the head, Paul Buckle is a young and learning manager and that often has worked against him and the club. many have questioned if in fact he has leaned from his mistakes and have questioned if he does indeed put his hand up and admit them.

The views I hear often is that the clubs best chance of going back up was last season and the second best one is this season. Given all the resources available to try and achieve those ends, fans have rightly or wrong asked should the task have been entrusted to a more experienced manager with a proven track record. That is why some will want to get on Buckles back as he will be seem as the one who has been given the tools to get the job done.

I would want only honestly from a manager at the club, admit what was got wrong and say how it was going to be addressed. What we don't want is the sort of manager we have had before, who came out with the same lame excuses after every single game, as to why he lost or did not perform.

Bucks well may be the type of man who is more shy, but that is one thing that needs to be worked on as he is in a job that he is unable to hide away from the spotlight. Still like we have agreed we all have to learn, but while we do that, expectations will always be high from fans and there will come times when if we do not learn fast enough, it may well be too late.

I make the popular side sound like the Vienna Boys Choir!!

I haven't had the pleasure of meeting Leigh yet, but what height must he be for DAVE to be calling him "shorty"?