Grayson has won promotion from League One on THREE occasions.

Wroe, 27, said: “He’s got a good reputation for getting out of League One, so we are listening to him.

“He’s done well at Leeds, Huddersfield and Blackpool.”

Previous boss Graham Westley had overseen 23 transfers in and out of the club since May.

Wroe added: “We could have done with being a bit more settled.”

At various stages in the history of TUFC, this kind of scenario has been all-too familiar. We most recently experienced it during our return season in League Two back in 2009-10, with relegation looming large before a late revival. Successive play-off campaigns wiped away the trauma. Another horror-show (and one your correspondent has previously likened to this season) was our solitary year under the guidance of Roy MacFarland in 2001-02, where a squad brimming with talent found itself in an ugly scrap at the bottom of the table. Or the 1998-99 season, our first under Wes Saunders, where only the considerable frame of Neville Southall kept us off the bottom of the table.

I could go on, but I won’t. If Martin Ling and the players wonder why the fans seem so despairing, it is because the events of the past few months are depressingly familiar to all Gulls no longer attending secondary school. This is why we cry out for the manager to acknowledge the perilous nature of our slide down the table, and why hope in vain that he will take steps to strengthen the squad before it is too late.

In the winter of 2010, Paul Buckle took a similar gamble that the quality of our squad would see us out of trouble. He was proven right, and to be fair a first XI including Chris Zebroski, Elliot Benyon, Scott Rendell, Muzzy Carayol, Nicky Wroe, Chris Robertson, Eunan O’Kane and Mark Ellis seems pretty useful in hindsight. Yet (and I can only apologise for any military cliches I may be about to drop) it took the addition of a seasoned warrior like Guy Branston to galvanise the talent wearing yellow jerseys.

Nothing would give me greater pleasure than to see Martin Ling’s Yellow Army storm up to St James’s Park, spank Exeter and march away with three points tomorrow night. But if it doesn’t, the need for the right catalyst to spark our own talent (Rene Howe, Nathan Craig, Billy Bodin) will grow ever greater. And that means a midfielder who can create as well as hustle and bustle.

Shrewsbury Town will be proud of their season and finished with 88 points

Graham Turner had just won the April manager of the month award and would have been hoping to end the season on a high but it wasn’t to be and he will be looking forward to competing in a higher division next year. He will be proud of his team’s home record this year as they have gone unbeaten and won 18 of their 23 games while only conceding 12 goals. It was their home form that has got them promoted with their away form being slightly inconsistent, only winning eight games and losing 10 of them so if they want to succeed next year and avoid relegation they will need to improve on this, although if they win eight games away from home next year I would expect them to stay up.

But onto the players and they need all the experience they can get as moving up a division is never easy and there could be some strong teams in League 1 next year although the club will be happy that both Charlton Athletic and Sheffield Wednesday got promoted. Maybe the fans and players were hoping they would not as they would love to visit those stadiums. But they do have players that have been there and done it before like defender Shane Cansdell-Sheriff who came through the Leeds United academy and went on to play for Tranmere Rovers for a couple of seasons. He has played 36 of their league games this season and his versatility could be very important next season with him able to play at both left back and centre back. Also three goals from him this season have been an added bonus.

Midfielder Nicky Wroe has impressed me whenever I have seen him play this season and I remember him coming through at Barnsley where I thought he would become a mainstay of their side for many years to come especially after playing 35 times for them in the 2004-05 season. But unfortunately it didn’t quite work out for him, so now the 26 year old is working his way back up the leagues and scored four goals in his 37 appearances this season. He can grab a goal from midfield and he may be slightly disappointed with his return but if he gets the chance next season I think he will get a few more goals.

The top scorer James Collins will be looking forward to next season as he has proved that sometimes leaving a Premier League side, in Aston Villa, where he was never going to get a chance and joining a team in the Football League can really kick start your career. He has impressed this season and will be hoping to build on his growing reputation next year and show even more teams they should have took a risk on him.

It will be difficult for Shrewsbury next year but they have the foundations of a good squad as I haven’t even given a mention to winger Mark Wright who can grab goals from the midfield and also Matt Richards who is too good for League 2. Also adding the firepower of Marvin Morgan there is a real chance they will surprise a few teams next season and they have the experience of Graham Turner in charge and he will not allow his team to give up without a fight and will make them battle for every point.

Close season

It has certainly been an eventful few months. The departure of Paul Buckle to Bristol Rovers came as no surprise, but was nonetheless hugely impactful. It meant the loss of Shaun North and John Milton from the backroom staff, as well as the likes of Zebroski, Bevan and Branston.

Martin Ling arrived to a chorus of disappointed grumbling from TUFC fans, but since the appointment of Shaun Taylor as his assistant has quickly and quietly stamped his authority on proceedings at Plainmoor. Few supporters expected to feel this satisfied going into the season opener, but an impressive pre-season (wins over Tiverton, Exeter, Bristol City, Weston-super-Mare and Truro, with only one defeat to Burnley) has everyone in high spirits.

The only negative is the situation with Plainmoor itself, and problems with the new Grandstand: to play half a season with only three sides is disappointing, but an entire campaign without the Grandstand is a real shame. Let’s hope this isn’t the start of a more protracted delay to construction.

Transfer activity

Well, it has been busy, and not all of it good. First and foremost, the losses of Guy Branston, Chris Zebroski and on-loan Craig Stanley robbed Ling of a ready-made spine of the team. But that was not the only challenge he faced. January departures Elliot Benyon and Nicky Wroe were never properly replaced by Buckle, and with Jake Robinson, Gavin Tomlin, Scott Bevan and Danny Potter also heading elsewhere, the new boss was required to draw up a lengthy shopping list.

It would seem he has bought well. New strikers Taiwo Atieno and Rene Howe have done well in pre-season, as has new fans’ favourite goalkeeper Bobby Olejnik. Ian Morris and Brian Saah both appear sold signings, and even the most cynical Torquay fans can surely see the logic in filling out the squad with cheap, local players like Chris McPhee and Martin Rice. Yet the signing which may turn out to be his most astute is last year’s loanee from QPR, Joe Oastler, who appears to have claimed the right-back slot with a storming pre-season.

One to watch

No surprises here: Eunan O’Kane. Undoubtedly our most creative player, and at his best now starting to reproduce the type of form shown by Alex Russell circa 2003. The failure to sign Stanley may prove a blessing, if Eunan is able to kick on. If so, he will surely become one of the stars of the division.

Prospects

Hard to say. Last year, this blog predicted, “Steady progress. A strong start, but fading later in the season due to a lack of squad depth – finishing 11th,” and was nearly proved right. We flew out of the traps before stuttering in the winter. Were it not for the late surge, led by the form of Zebs, Stanley, Tomlin etc, we were destined for mid-table. However, I suspect this season may follow the prediction more closely.

It is odd to hear fans of other clubs claim Torquay United to be one of the more fancied teams, having lost almost an entire first team in little more than six months, but such praise is testament to Martin Ling’s efforts in the close season. The team plays good passing football, which should be able to see a fair few sides off, so a top half finish is definitely possible. However, with big clubs like Bradford, Crewe and Swindon, plus big-spenders Bristol Rovers and Crawley, any higher than 6/7th is surely unlikely.

The start to the season is tough, but if a few younger players (O’Kane, Macklin, Kee and Oastler in particular) are able to step up, and if the new strikers provide the firepower, the play-off will hopefully remain a possibility until the business end of the campaign.

Prediction

In all probably the mooted “transitional season”. Some good results and the odd spanking due to player inexperience, finishing around 10th spot just outside the play-offs.

Only four players – Lee Thorpe, Steve Woods, Kevin Hill and Lee Mansell, if memory serves correct – were under contract at the time, with no backroom staff to speak of and overwhelming supporter disillusionment. TUFC has seen a few lean spells, especially in the 80s, but this was the all-time low. Buoyed by the arrival of a new consortium and the departure of the Bateson clan, your correspondent enthusiastically proclaimed: “Buckle strikes this Gull as the right man for the job: young, enthusiastic, ambitious, local, a former TUFC player, and experience of the BSP.”

Buckle came to Plainmoor with a superb reputation as a coach of younger players, as well as a knowledge of the dreaded fifth-tier for which we were headed. His early squad building was fantastic, forming an instant backbone with signings such as Chris Todd, Chris Hargreaves, Kevin Nicholson and Tim Sills. The speed with which that first squad was assembled – don’t forget the likes of Elliot Benyon, Danny Stevens, Chris Robertson and Chris Zebroski – was undoubtedly one of Buckle’s most lasting achievements, establishing ourselves immediately as Conference contenders.

Yet, for all the unexpected success of that first season (including an FA Cup run and BBC1 victory over Yeovil Town), within a year Bucks had alienated a large proportion of fans who would never quite forgive him. His general manner – abrupt, confident bordering on arrogant, and utterly unsentimental – did not help. A series of player bust-ups with players like Simon Rayner and Lee Phillips would come to light, while club legend Kevin Hill was treated abysmally. Fans also felt aggrieved with the style of play, with lots of long balls flying forwards towards Sills. And of course, there was that traumatic 1-4 reverse at home to Exeter City in the play-offs, and the limp 0-1 defeat in the FA Trophy at Wembley.

The critics’ knives were out after a poor start to the 08/09 season, but it was during this campaign that Bucks showed his most useful quality: adaptability. It is tougher than it sounds, and the skill most likely to see him progress through the leagues – who ever heard of Leroy shifting to chip ‘n’ chase, or Ian Atkins switching to pass ‘n’ move? Having realised pure long-ball would fail, he bought Nicky Wroe and Wayne Carlisle and set about evolving to a more passing style. Despite only scraping into the play-offs, it proved a successful switch and meant we were more likely to beat the better sides in the division. The wonderful day at Wembley beating Cambridge will never be forgotten.

A promotion-winning manager at Torquay can normally expect reverential treatment for life, but the return to League Two had the critics (including, at times, this blog) ranting and raving. In attempting to steady our place in the League, Bucks returned to high-controversy, jettisoning club legends Todd, Hargreaves and Sills and bringing in no replacements. To this day, I for one believe the manager made the wrong call – it was more luck than judgement that the likes of Benyon, Scott Rendell and Muzzy Carayol stepped up to the plate. Far too many dreadful loanees passed through our doors, and there were times when Buckle looks genuinely out of his depth. But all good managers need a bit of luck from time to time.

The fourth season was, again, positive – at its best the team played superb football, class players like Eunan O’Kane blossomed, the club earned money from the sale of Wroe and Benyon, and another FA Cup run to the Fourth Round. At times automatic promotion looked a possibility, while reaching the play-offs was hugely commendable, even if it went wrong at the last. But there we are again – wrong at the last. For all the personal gripes with Buckle’s character, it is largely due to the big-game failures that some TUFC fans always held a grudge. First with the Exeter tie, then the FA Trophy defeat to Ebbsfleet, and more latterly in those depressing losses to Crawley and Stevenage, more often than not Buckle’s Torquay sides raced to the final hurdle before tripping over. Only the Cambridge win stands tall as an out-and-out success.

The argument will rage for years to come, as it has done with Leroy – is Buckle one of the best managers we’ve ever had, or just lucky to receive the support of the most generous Torquay boards in history? The evidence is plentiful in support of both claim. He enjoyed the greatest resources of any TUFC boss for generations and a once-in-a-lifetime clean slate when he was able to impose his will. His antagonistic and cold nature alienated some fans and players alike, and it remains to be seen how others will respond to his dictatorial style in the future.

For what it is worth, your correspondent rates Bucks as a good, if not a great, manager. Success is never a pre-requisite at Torquay United, no matter the circumstances, and the escape from the Conference trapdoor saved us a likely long-term spell in the non-league. He showed himself capable of developing younger players, and the ability to improve as a manager is a rare skill indeed. His decision to join Rovers feels unnecessarily risky, but then it must have seemed equally baffling to onlookers when Bucks joined lowly Torquay. He may not have been everybody’s cup of tea, but he can genuinely lay claim to a legacy, and not many coaches can say that.

Shrewsbury 1-0 Stevenage (Wroe 38)

Not good. Five games it is now without a win and it’s a run that looks like it has a while to go yet before it gets better. A solitary goal from Nicky Wroe was enough to give the Shrews the victory today. Boro didn’t play well, but did create some chances late on as they pushed for a point. Again though, a lack of quality in the final third proved to be our downfall. After 2 difficult away games, a tricky home game awaits on Tuesday night against in-form Oxford.

In keeping with recent team selections, Graham Westley made another load of changes and switched the formation again. In came Ronnie Henry, Joel Byrom, Craig Reid and new signing Taiwo Atieno. However, Henry was played in centre midfield alongside Byrom with Sinclair in the hole. Beardsley and Reid played wide of Atieno, who looked isolated for large spells of the game. Shrewsbury started hat-trick hero from midweek Lionel Ainsworth up top alongside Matt Harrold.

It was a fairly even affair for the first 20 minutes. Shrewsbury looked the more dangerous side, but Ashton and Roberts were on their toes to keep Harrold and Ainsworth at bay. Joel Byrom went close for Boro with a free-kick that missed everyone before glancing past the post. Shrewsbury finished the half the stronger though and Nicky Wroe was becoming a threat. He first hit a shot from outside the box which was well tipped over by Day, with the sun in his eyes.

Wroe wasn’t to be denied though. Lionel Ainsworth broke clear on the left wing before cutting in and getting a shot on goal. Ainsworth’s effort was blocked, but the rebound came out to Wroe, who adjusted well to the high ball and lofted the ball over Day and into the net. A well taken finish from the former Torquay midfielder.

The game opened up in the second half. Boro had a good chance to equalise when a cross from the left hand side was met by Beardsley, but he headed wide with the goal beckoning. It looked like Shrewsbury’s plan was to soak up the pressure and then hit us on the counter using the space of Mark Wright and Ainsworth. They used the width of the pitch very well and nearly made it 2-0 when Shane Cansdell-Sheriff headed the ball against the bar.

That second Shrewsbury goal was proving elusive and with Harrison and Daley now on, Boro felt they could nick a point from the Greenhous Meadow. Daley looked good on the ball, but his final ball left a lot to be desired. There was one run that ended with him slicing the ball into the North Stand, where the 141 travelling Boro fans were situated.

It wasn’t until injury time where Boro finally got it together and looked threatening in front of goal. The best chance for the visitors came when Mark Roberts found himself with space in the box. Instead of shooting, he teed up Craig Reid with just the keeper to beat, but Reid took a touch instead of hitting it first time and the chance was gone. I wasn’t impressed with Reid. He didn’t seem to have much impact on the game and lacked any movement. I don’t think sticking him out on the left wing for the majority of the game helped, but what I’ve seen so far has not been good.

Luke Daley had the last shot for Boro, but his effort flew wide of the Shrewsbury goal. It just wasn’t going to be Boro’s day. Another disappointing result away from home leaves Boro in 15th position in League 2. They seem a bit short of confidence at the moment and the lack of consistency in the team and tactics has to be a factor in the recent slump in form. The sooner we get back to basics, the better.

The close season

Pre-season preparations have gone pretty well. The team has showed some great form in the friendlies, and any wins over higher league opposition (Plymouth, Bristol City and Yeovil) are hugely enjoyable. Buckle seems to have got the players fit and raring to go, although I suppose we’ll only be able to tell once the season kicks off against Northampton on Saturday.

However, pre-season form is just about one of the only positives to emerge. The tragic and untimely death of TUFC vice-chairman Paul Bristow, who spent a great deal of his own money sustaining the club, shocked everyone associated with Torquay United and will have left the board needing to reconsider the club’s finanaces without the safety net of his generosity. The club also shocked fans by dispensing with the services of chief executive Colin Lee, with chairman Simon Baker citing a huge loss registered by TUFC over the 09/10 campaign.

Nevertheless, there were other things to be pleased with. The move to the new training facilities at Seale Hayne is a plus, as is the appointment of Geoff Harrop to head up the youth programme.

Transfer activity

In terms of transfer activity, the biggest signing must be that of Northern Irish U-21 striker Billy Kee from Leicester, who looks capable of scoring a hatful of goals. The return of Guy Branston is also hugely welcome, as is the loan signing of TUFC promotion-winning legend (yes I use that word) Martin Gritton. Gritts may be a few years older, but he combines physical presence and work rate with the ability to bring other players into the game.

Other signings are less impressive. Damon Lathrope may or may not be a prospect for the future, but he is unlikely to be able to cope as a League Two first-teamer this season, while your correspondent remains unconvinced by Lathaniel Rowe-Turner. In terms of departing personnel, Bucks has arguably lost/released our two star performers from last season in Mustapha Carayol and Wayne Carlisle. Both players will leave a massive gap in the side, while the failure to re-sign Scott Rendell puts a dent in our ambitions.

One to watch

It has to be Billy Kee. This Gull has heard various descriptions of Kee, from the bizarre (“the next Dean Windass”) to the flattering (“the closest we’ll ever come to Wayne Rooney”). He certainly seems strong, aggressive and intimidating, and has a keen eye for goal. Not since Jamie Ward in 2005 has a striker arrived at Plainmoor and made such an immediate impact. Of course, the major question will be who Buckle chooses to partner in attack, and whether Kee can make a go of it with Benyon or Gritton (should he stay). But the signs point to a successful campaign for Kee.

Prospects

I won’t be repeating last season’s over-optimism, when I predicted a late charge into the play-offs. But despite the absolute car crash of a campaign all Torquay United fans had to endure, until March at least, our end-of-season form was hugely encouraging and suggested certain key first teamers were getting to grips with life in League Two. The likes of Ellis, Robertson, Wroe and Benyon will have gained a great deal of experience from last year’s toils, and should be better players for it.

That said, there remain significant holes in our team. Neither Bevan nor new keeper Danny Potter inspire me in the way Michael Poke did, while minus the pace of Carayol and the invention of Rendell we lack the goal threat which put so many sides to the sword over the final eight games in 09/10. And as much as Kevin Nicholson should be feted for the hard work he has put in to reinvent himself as a League footballer, his limitations are clear for all to see.

Yet this patchwork side contains some great young talent and a clutch of experienced heads, and Buckle is unlikely to be taken by surprise by the standard of the division again. If he can quickly find his best line up, and respond to any setbacks such as injuries (our lack of depth in central midfield is especially concerning), then we can be a match for any side in the division. This season won’t be easy, but it shouldn’t be nearly as hard as last year.

Prediction

Steady progress. A strong start, but fading later in the season due to a lack of squad depth – finishing 11th

First things first – it was saddening to hear of the death of veteran lower-league manager Keith Alexander. I remember some great tustles between Leroy-era TUFC and Alexander's Lincoln City, and he has been a great pioneer for prospective black managers in the Football League. He will be sorely missed.

Back to all things Torquay, and your correspondent was struck by the story on the club's official website in which captain Nicky Wroe voted Guy Branston his player of the month. Nothing wrong with choosing the Pickler, of course, he has been a revelation since arriving from Burton. It was more the "Club Captain Nicky Wroe" which grabbed my attention.

I'm aware that Wroe has been wearing the armband over the past few weeks, but in amongst the hubbub of the departure of Chris Hargreaves the significance of Wroe's promotion was rather lost. Here is a young central midfielder, still finding his game, and only a year-and-a-half into his career at Torquay United, who has been made club captain.

Maybe we're all looking too far into captaincy – Fabio Capello certainly seems to find it an English peculiarity. But for the fans the captain is not just the organiser of the team, but their on-field leader taking them into battle, hence the popularity of Greavsie.

There were several more predicable candidates for Buckle to choose from - take Branston, or even Lee Mansell and Wayne Carlisle. But Bucks has obviously decided that a dose of responsibility will be good for Wroe, and will help him to develop his game further. It's a gamble, but one that could reap huge rewards.

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It was interesting hearing West Ham's new owner, David Sullivan, explaining today why the beleaguered East London club won't be rushing into the transfer market to sort out their on-field problems: "January is not the best time to buy players – you don't get many bargains." Well, Paul Buckle seems to think otherwise.

It is common knowledge that January is the month when struggling Premier League sides pay massively over the odds for players, as they desperately strive to reach their season aim (the Top Four, Europe, or avoiding relegation). But it is a different story in the lower leagues, which is why Buckle is taking the risky step of completely overhauling his squad half way through the season.

Bucks has largely struggled in the summer transfer markets, and since his first few months his transfer record in June, July and August has been patchy to say the least. Other than Nicky Wroe and Keiran Charnock, the manager's summer signings have ended in disappointment – think Matt Green, Tyrone Thompson, Lee Hodges or Mustapha Caryol. Prices are higher, and optimistic players can be more picky.

The bleak month of January is different. You have reams of dissatisfied players, either not playing first team football or worried about only having six months left on their contract (take Tim Sills). Players are fidgetier and less demanding, especially for season-long loan deals. And once a player has spent months on loan at Plainmoor, they are much more likely to move down for good. 

In fact, other than the 07/08 pre-season, it is hard to remember the last pivotal player to arrive in the summer months. Perhaps Alex Russell in 2001. After all, the likes of David Graham, Jo Kuffour, Jason Fowler and Brian McGlinchey all arrived mid-season. So rather than taking a gamble, Bucks is actually playing the system perfectly and building his squad when the higher quality players are available.

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