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Tiverton Town v Torquay United.

Posted: 16 Jul 2017, 20:25
by arcadia
I am not knocking whats gone on in pre-season but think it would have been better playing against easier teams whilst building a side.
The players would have had two more games playing together. Nicho has strengths but I've felt for some time that he needs a more
experienced person there to hold him back from making the wrong substitutions and timing of them. (This has been a weakness and cost us points.)
I am supporting him, but all managers need to take stock and see what they can improve on. Sometimes a change of the people around you can make all the difference and put the players on their toes.

Tiverton Town v Torquay United.

Posted: 16 Jul 2017, 21:52
by exilegull
I find it hard to look at the signings and squad last year and the signings and squad this year and not think that KN is developing.

Williams is a misfit - a player who clearly has the talent to play at a higher level but for whatever reason - presumably attitude and application - has not progressed beyond conference level and is on his 5th club in 5 years. Presumably KN knew this and took a gamble that he could harness him, but the gamble failed. Williams clearly played a vital role keeping us up, but its simply unfair to put all the blame on Nicholson for the whole season. Williams simply went missing - apart from the odd booking - when the team's struggles got worse towards the end of the Autumn.

I'd say KN has learnt from that gamble and does not seem willing to take the same gamble this year. There appear to be very few questions regarding the attitude of the players signed this year.

Also look at the rest of the signings last year - Dan Sparkes aside, the rest of the signings were very average, either players who had found their level at mid conference or inexperienced players. I think as a club we always need to try and look around the lower conference and for younger players to try and find some talent and ultimately transfer revenue, but the squad last year was far too inexperienced overall - only McGinty really looks to have paid off.

This year he has signed experienced and proven performers at this level and above (Gowling, Clarke, Davis, Pittman, Klukowski) and has combined that with promising potential (Keating, Higgins, Gosling). The teams looks to have a much better balance between experience and youth, with no risk taken around the attitude of the key signings and some leaders in there as well.

Unless we are particularly unlucky with injuries, I simply don't see this year being a struggle - I think the squad is probably a bit short of goals to challenge into the top 8, but perhaps there are a couple more signings to come.

It looks a far safer propostion which for me is Nicho learning.

Tiverton Town v Torquay United.

Posted: 16 Jul 2017, 23:41
by tomogull
exilegull wrote: 16 Jul 2017, 21:52 I find it hard to look at the signings and squad last year and the signings and squad this year and not think that KN is developing.

Williams is a misfit - a player who clearly has the talent to play at a higher level but for whatever reason - presumably attitude and application - has not progressed beyond conference level and is on his 5th club in 5 years. Presumably KN knew this and took a gamble that he could harness him, but the gamble failed. Williams clearly played a vital role keeping us up, but its simply unfair to put all the blame on Nicholson for the whole season. Williams simply went missing - apart from the odd booking - when the team's struggles got worse towards the end of the Autumn.

I'd say KN has learnt from that gamble and does not seem willing to take the same gamble this year. There appear to be very few questions regarding the attitude of the players signed this year.

Also look at the rest of the signings last year - Dan Sparkes aside, the rest of the signings were very average, either players who had found their level at mid conference or inexperienced players. I think as a club we always need to try and look around the lower conference and for younger players to try and find some talent and ultimately transfer revenue, but the squad last year was far too inexperienced overall - only McGinty really looks to have paid off.

This year he has signed experienced and proven performers at this level and above (Gowling, Clarke, Davis, Pittman, Klukowski) and has combined that with promising potential (Keating, Higgins, Gosling). The teams looks to have a much better balance between experience and youth, with no risk taken around the attitude of the key signings and some leaders in there as well.

Unless we are particularly unlucky with injuries, I simply don't see this year being a struggle - I think the squad is probably a bit short of goals to challenge into the top 8, but perhaps there are a couple more signings to come.

It looks a far safer propostion which for me is Nicho learning.
Good post. The only thing I would say is that it appears that Kev has been allowed a bigger players budget than he had last season to be able to bring in those experienced players. I'm sure that some of them, if not all of them, would have been attracting the attention of other clubs.

Tiverton Town v Torquay United.

Posted: 16 Jul 2017, 23:46
by tomogull
desperado wrote: 15 Jul 2017, 08:10 Forgot to add and this will make you laugh Tomogull, the official programme listed two of our players as
Simon Heslop and Karl Hawley ......I am not kidding ! The bloke next to me showed me the programme,
The announcer said, sorry about the Torquay substitutions, 'I haven't got a clue '
Ha ! Looks like someone was trying to do a cut and paste job from a Tiverton pre-season game about two seasons ago. Heslop & Hawley - oh dear. Heslop relegated with York. Hawley will never be forgiven for that powder-puff penalty against Exeter. :@

Tiverton Town v Torquay United.

Posted: 17 Jul 2017, 08:23
by goody2449
:goodpost:
exilegull wrote: 16 Jul 2017, 21:52 I find it hard to look at the signings and squad last year and the signings and squad this year and not think that KN is developing.

Williams is a misfit - a player who clearly has the talent to play at a higher level but for whatever reason - presumably attitude and application - has not progressed beyond conference level and is on his 5th club in 5 years. Presumably KN knew this and took a gamble that he could harness him, but the gamble failed. Williams clearly played a vital role keeping us up, but its simply unfair to put all the blame on Nicholson for the whole season. Williams simply went missing - apart from the odd booking - when the team's struggles got worse towards the end of the Autumn.

I'd say KN has learnt from that gamble and does not seem willing to take the same gamble this year. There appear to be very few questions regarding the attitude of the players signed this year.

Also look at the rest of the signings last year - Dan Sparkes aside, the rest of the signings were very average, either players who had found their level at mid conference or inexperienced players. I think as a club we always need to try and look around the lower conference and for younger players to try and find some talent and ultimately transfer revenue, but the squad last year was far too inexperienced overall - only McGinty really looks to have paid off.

This year he has signed experienced and proven performers at this level and above (Gowling, Clarke, Davis, Pittman, Klukowski) and has combined that with promising potential (Keating, Higgins, Gosling). The teams looks to have a much better balance between experience and youth, with no risk taken around the attitude of the key signings and some leaders in there as well.

Unless we are particularly unlucky with injuries, I simply don't see this year being a struggle - I think the squad is probably a bit short of goals to challenge into the top 8, but perhaps there are a couple more signings to come.

It looks a far safer propostion which for me is Nicho learning.
:goodpost:

Tiverton Town v Torquay United.

Posted: 17 Jul 2017, 11:06
by desperado
I agree pre season results are meaningless, but it was the performance at Tiverton that was a worry
Lets hope it was a one off and all will be fine. However if there is not an improvement in the energy, sharpness
and movement in the team we are in for more of the same. Laborious and predictable build up play and even in a game like that there were balls aimed at Keatings head. No doubt with more time on the ball against Plymouth we will
impress but we wont be playing them and Bristol City u23s in the National League.

Tiverton Town v Torquay United.

Posted: 17 Jul 2017, 11:21
by Southampton Gull
Or Tiverton ;-)