Torquay United: Gary Johnson promises changes after poor start
- Published
Gary Johnson has just celebrated three years in charge at Torquay United
Torquay United manager Gary Johnson has apologised for the squad he has put together after a fourth league defeat.
Last season's beaten play-off finalists are 20th in the National League after Tuesday's 2-1 loss at Solihull Moors.
"I've got to a take responsibility and we've got to turn the personnel around as quickly as we can," he said.
"At the moment some of them are proving not quite up to this level and I apologise for that because I'm the one that recruits these people."
Johnson's side have failed to recapture the form which saw them miss out on promotion to League Two when they lost a controversial promotion final on penalties to Hartlepool United in June.
But since then Torquay have won one and drawn one of their opening six games and lost all three matches at home.
"There's a few out there that are not quite up to this level unfortunately and we've got to quickly turn that around," Johnson added to BBC Radio Devon.
"When you've had six games and four defeats in those six games then of course you have to hold your hands up and say 'actually, how long do we go?'
"Now, I don't know how quickly we can turn it around, but I just know that at the moment teams are looking better than us and I can't keep making excuses for them, the supporters are still following us, they've come all this way again, and I keep having to apologise to them, and I'll apologise to them again now."
The Gulls have brought in a host of new faces over the summer but Johnson says he will need more players to improve the side.
"I don't know the budget, I don't need to know the budget, I don't think the club necessarily knows a budget, but of course we can't go out and buy somebody for £200,000-£300,000 like some teams are, and also we can't afford to pay £5,000-£6,000 a week like some people are doing," he said.
"We've still got to keep the club in business to have the chance to turn it around, but we've got to look and keep looking and move some people on, which is not always easy because they're under contract. But some of them will find it difficult to get a group of games in our team."