Burnhamgull wrote:Listening to the commentary, this sounds like a totally inept performance with no leadership on the pitch.
If we lose Luke in January, our season will be over. If that's the case, we want £500k plus add-ons.............please don't sell him for £40k and free lift to sign for his new team.
He'll go cheap that's for sure we are desperate.
For the first time since the knowers era you have to ask what the feck is going on.
A truly astonishing performance. Astonishingly bad. In years to come I'll certainly look back on today as one of the low points of supporting Torquay. Totally outclassed.
Even in the disaster of last season, I struggle to recall ever going to a game when we failed to have a single clear cut chance or shot on target. Their keeper barely even touched the ball, let alone warm his gloves.
The game, as a spectacle, was pathetic. Aside from a couple of chances at the death, Braintree didn't actually create much else aside from the goals. Ricey also didn't make a save of note.
Both goals were shocking. First goal, floated cross from the right heading to around the penalty spot; Ricey feels the need to come for it, despite quite a few bodies ahead of him. The thuggish Braintree number 9 gets across the front of Pearce and heads it into the empty net. Ricey stays at home and it's a routine catch.
Second goal, questionable free kick on the right is played into a good area across the 6yd box low down, lots of boots fly in and the Braintree Number 15 gets the most contact: not a lot of contact, the ball is straight at Ricey who can only parry it weakly into the net. To be fair it was right at him from point blank range but as he got hands too it you'd expect him to do better.
Our only chances (not best - ONLY!) were a free kick over the top from Ajala and McDonald heading well wide. And also Richards managed to get a shot off at goal but skewed it into the side netting.
Nobody can really come out of the game with any credit. I suppose McDonald didn't do much obviously wrong, and Ajala gave it a good go in the last 15 but otherwise nothing raised a cheer.
Bowman and O'Achie were awful up front - no movement or link up at all. Bowman barely had a kick and Duane was hopeless, barely managing to control the ball. Midfield could barely string two passes together - without Young we are screwed. McQuilkin got injured and neither Cruise or Ives looked comfortable whether they played left or right back.
All in all, it could only have got worse if we'd had someone sent off.
Burnhamgull wrote:Listening to the commentary, this sounds like a totally inept performance with no leadership on the pitch.
No leadership ANYWHERE in the on and off pitch team.
Commentators were commenting early in the first half about the quality of the pitch and how it was not going to suit passing football ........at half time if, having watched the first half from close proximity to the pitch, were the players not advised to adjust their game to manage the condition of the pitch?
Poor result not helped by poor managerial directions.
Without Luke Young this side are devoid of ideas and would finish bottom half of the league, today illustrated this perfectly as from the off Braintree bossed the game, not with particularly good football but just by having a greater desire for 3 points.
The first goal for me is a decent delivery and either Pearce needs to win the header or if Rice is coming he needs to clean out everything in his path (as he was not fast enough off his line, arguably due to the quality of the delivery) this wasn't an option and Rice by half coming meant that as soon as Pearce didn't win the header provided it was on target it was 1-0
The second goal was another dangerous delivery from the right and the number 15 for Braintree wanted it most and that meant it was 2-0.
People in the crowd were claiming the ref was a 'homer' but even if he had reffed it fairly we didn't create any chances so can have no complaints over getting beat.
No ratings as no-one earned one
Rice - Error for first goal, kicking average
Ives - Steady but I feel Conference is his current level despite others seeming to think he can play higher up
Pearce - Didn't lead which as captain he needed to do
McDonald - Arguably best of bad bunch and looked up for the scrap but like ever other player in yellow couldn't pass to a team-mate and sent it long far too often
McQuilkin (Cruise) - Anonymous
Richards - Battled but never looked like bossing the middle of the park
Harding - Anonymous
Ajala - Arguably fouled fairly often but doesn't help himself by spending more time on the deck than upright
Briscoe - Anonymous, as was Chappell who replaced him
Bowman -Anonymous
O'Achie - Awful, replaced by Yeoman who did more but was bland
If Young doesn't play on Boxing Day I can see Hargreaves playing for a 0-0
Team selection Chris keeps getting it wrong Brisco is better for the side off the striker he's a liability out wide. Ping pong should not have started.
You may ask why and I would say that the ball is not held up by Bowman or Ping Pong and keeps coming back.
Lets hope father Christmas brings a keeper. Merry Christmas everyone o:) o:) o:) o:) o:) o:) o:) o:) o:)
"You get what you deserve and not what you want or would like." Absolutely piss poor decisions at board room level going back to the Martin Ling era are coming home to roost with still plenty more sh*t to come to fill the nest.
As for the playing side, half the squad know their worthwhile careers are finished, while the other half are minimum wage earners who are better off getting a proper minimum wage job and topping it up playing for £50 a week in semi-pro/amateur leagues.
Friend of TorquayFans.com Member of the Month November 2020 Southampton Gull: "Well deserved"
That has to go down as the worst Torquay game I have ever witnessed. No passion. No desire. 3 attempts on goal and not one on target says its all. Woeful. Embarrassing. At least the Braintree keeper won't need any new gloves for Crimbo as his are still in pristine condition.
I questioned Hargreaves appointment earlier in the season but was shouted down by the majority. My view is that he has no managerial acumen and has no idea how to make a correction when the play is going wrong. He has no Plan B. Furthermore he seems unable to motivate HIS team. The outlook is not good.
Only listen up to the first goal going in. I then thought it was all over given that we were playing so poorly. I no longer attend games - simply not worth it.
Hargreaves does not seem to have much of a clue. I am fed up with those that say he has not had enough time to build his own team, so it is unfair to judge him. Managers in any walk of life who are new to an organisation have to work with existing personnel and do not have the luxury of getting rid of loads of people. Part of a managers job is to make the people in the organisation BETTER. Hargreaves does not seem to be very good at this. Add to this the fact that some at the game today say his decision making during the game was wrong leads me to conclude we are in serious trouble and have been for a long time.
Perhaps he board will show the leadership required to lead our club back to better times.
Yes it was a poor performance and yes it was a big disappointment but those slagging off CH are wide of the mark. He's built a team for this season which wants to pass and attack hence 45 League goals so far. It's certainly far more enjoyable watching this team compared with last year's. What we don't have is a team which can 'mix it' especially in mid-field against a team like Braintree. As good as he is I'm not convinced had Young played he would have changed the result.
Yes we were outplayed by Braintree Town but for this season I never expected promotion and I believe there are at least four worse teams than us which will be relegated.
I say judge CH on what happens next season.
Now standby for the debate to begin!
PS
4-1 to us for yellow cards is a joke; there is no way we are the dirtiest team in the League.
I entirely agree with Tamargull. AS a Manager in a large corporation I had to put up with whatever staff there was in situ and make the best of it. I couldn't even discharge any which presumably Hargreaves will be able to do at some stage.
This is my first proper post on this site and I'm sad that it's so negative.
Now back from the trip and it was woeful. Absolutely woeful. I've had a strong dislike for Harding ever since I first saw him play for us. The manner in which he sauntered around the field today was shocking (he's not wanted by us for flip sake) the sheer audacity to think he could waltz into the game today and attempt to run it by strolling everywhere infuriated me no end. His passing was shocking and his inability to utilize is physical presence was shocking also. We desperately missed Young's passing. Not only that his calmness on the pitch. We were panicking from the first whistle and this lack of composure ultimately costed us two goals.
However we cannot forget the elbow from their number 9 on Pearce. A disgusting act of violence which should see him banned for a substantial amount of time.
NorfolkGull wrote:This is my first proper post on this site and I'm sad that it's so negative.
Now back from the trip and it was woeful. Absolutely woeful. I've had a strong dislike for Harding ever since I first saw him play for us. The manner in which he sauntered around the field today was shocking (he's not wanted by us for flip sake) the sheer audacity to think he could waltz into the game today and attempt to run it by strolling everywhere infuriated me no end. His passing was shocking and his inability to utilize is physical presence was shocking also. We desperately missed Young's passing. Not only that his calmness on the pitch. We were panicking from the first whistle and this lack of composure ultimately costed us two goals.
However we cannot forget the elbow from their number 9 on Pearce. A disgusting act of violence which should see him banned for a substantial amount of time.
Apologies.
Don't apologise. 1 shot on target against Braintree kind of sums up our level of football. However, we are only a win from a playoff spot. Just where is brucie tonight?
Sesimbra wrote:I questioned Hargreaves appointment earlier in the season but was shouted down by the majority. My view is that he has no managerial acumen and has no idea how to make a correction when the play is going wrong. He has no Plan B. Furthermore he seems unable to motivate HIS team. The outlook is not good.
SNW and I had similar thoughts but everybody was blinded by the returning "legend". I likened it to the return of Wes Saunders as manager and we all know how that ended.
CH, at times, appears too interested in his own media profile and doesn't have the tactical nous that is required.
TUFC never fails to let its fanbase down.
27/08/18 - Time to step back from this shambles and focus on things in life that make me happy. TUFC doesn't.
Merry Christmas everyone o:) o:) o:) o:) o:) o:) o:) o:) o:)
