First of all, I would like to wish Martin Ling a speedy recovery from his illness and I hope he returns to work at Plainmoor in the near future.
In the meantime Torquay United are on the lookout for an experienced coach to work alongside assistant manager Shaun Taylor after it was announced that manager Ling has been diagnosed with a debilitating illness.
Ling has missed the Gulls’ last four matches with the condition, which were against Exeter, Cheltenham, Fleetwood and Rotherham, and he is set to miss the rest of the season.
Gulls Chairman Simon Baker has stated that the club will be looking for an individual with managerial experience to work with Taylor and his team of coaches.
The ideal candidate for Torquay in this situation would be someone that Taylor would be happy to work alongside and guide him through any difficult situations until the end of the season when, hopefully, Ling will be ready to return to work.
One possible candidate whose credentials might suit the position is former Plymouth Argyle Director of Football John Deehan who worked alongside former Pilgrims boss Carl Fletcher last season.
Deehan has also held similar roles at Lincoln City and Grimsby Town in recent years, working alongside younger managers, and could act as a potential sounding board for Taylor.
Another option for the Gulls could be a third return to Plainmoor for Leroy Rosenior.
During his previous spells with the Gulls, Leroy guided Torquay to their first automatic promotion for 38 years before returning for his infamous 'ten minute' spell in 2007.
Leroy is currently working as a pundit on the BBC’s Football League Show, but could he be persuaded to return to Torquay for a temporary spell in charge.
His footballing philosophies not to differ greatly from that of Ling and with his punditry work, he would not be looking for a return to management in the long term and he also briefly worked alongside Taylor at Bristol City.
Also, it would not be the first time that a pundit has stepped into a managerial position on a temporary basis: Trevor Brooking took charge of West Ham for three games during the 2002-03 season after Glenn Roeder was diagnosed with a brain tumour.
