Torquay United v Dagenham & Redbridge 21/09/19

[Porky]

I thought it was a penalty, I stand on the pop side fairly near the penalty box. People around me said the defender took the ball. Referee was well-positioned (a rarity in this league) so got to go with the majority.

Thought the ref had a good game, Young guy will go far if he keeps at it. Apart from the advantage, goes to Reidy who is marked out of the game, goes to them....foul their free kick. But I don't remember swearing about the ref, so he must have been ok.

[Louis]

https://x.com/natobspod/status/1175431690958888961?s=21

[gullsflyinghigh]

Sounds like (given general feedback from the last few games) we’re really missing a solid partner for Reid, both in terms of sharing the goal scoring burden and how it affects our general play by often not going with our well versed (from last season) 4-4-2 formation.

Do we think there’s any chance of the old partner in crime Janneh returning on loan once fit? Not sure how his recovery from injury is progressing but noticed in one of Johnson’s recent interviews that he said we’ve got 5 out of the maximum 6 loanees already, and 3 of max 4 from one particular club... and that anyone taken on loan now would have to be for the rest of the season. Could he be keeping that final slot open for the possibility of having Janneh back should that opportunity arise?

[culmstockgull]

In reply to portogull , yes, we need a target man, Johnson wishes Reid to play at centre forward, its a position he is not designed or comfortable with and plays far better when there is someone to play off, remember that Johnson chased Duku for a season to get him to plainmoor, an out and out centre forward who in his last two plainmoor starts has played as an outside right, now he cannot even get a start. Playing one up front at home to me sends the wrong message to both fans and the opposition. Ignoring any suggestions about his quality for the moment we need a few more players like Keating, if he had been on for longer we would have undoubtedly got something more than a draw, the opposition teams who have visited us this season have many players in the Keating mould who rough up and unsettle defences. shame we have only one and then only a fringe player.

[Dave]

Haven't been able to post, reply page wasn't working, don't know if anyone else has the same problem. Kind of lost the tread of what I was going to post, just add really, no one at the club or amongst the support should beat themselves up over the last few games.

To lose 1 vital player to injury is hard to take, but when most of a real key players are out right it's always going to be tough at this level, there was a real lack of quality yesterday from us, but understandable, we're not in a bad place, players will come back.

My man of the match was Colovan, Dagenham were afforded far to many shots on target for it to be any defender, not to sure what game our match sponsors were watching. Reid yes he was top scorer in the NLS playing off Janneh, but he's spent most of this season as a lone front man, and is joint 2nd highest goal scorer in the league, and has the stand alone second highest goals per game ratio, he was working off no service yesterday, when your missing CLE, Little, Edwards etc, as much as Buse and Whitfield worked hard, against a big strong Dagenham back 4, was always going to be a hard afternoon for Reid, he isn't the part of the team that's broken, as doesn't need fixing.

Playing one up front at has nothing to do with sending out the wrong message, you play to the strengths you have available, after all Martin Ling played one up for most of 2012 season home and away, spent most of it in second place Swindon, and if he'd been to freshen the squad like most of promotion rivals did that Season, no doubt would have taken us up to league 1 automatically.

[Louis]

Yeah the posting page broke for a couple hours today after I did some security updates, I fixed it as soon as I noticed.

[JSP]

Cant disagree with Porky's post.

I thought our first half formation is just not effective. Reid becomes isolated and our patterns of play become long ball and dis-jointed. Wynter was poor today. I also thought Cameron was poor, how he was given mom was a complete joke. Dagenham to me were far the better side in the 1st half, organised and strong. I thought Lewis,Whitfield and Liam Davies were good in the 1st half.
Second half starts and we go back to a 4-4-2 with a tactical switch with Lewis coming off and Keating on next to Reid. Does that suggest that Duko is down the pecking order?? Anyway it was a positive step as Keating provides that urgency and intensity. It was an improvement on the 1st half. There was a close shout for a penalty, it looked like one from where I was standing, interesting to hear what anybody else thought??
Anyway I thought our keeper was the busier and did well, their keeper made one save and Andrews hit the bar. So for me I was happy with the point considering, I really didn't think we did enough.
GJ has to work hard with Kalvin, he has to be one of the most frustrating players to watch. He basically did nothing today and GJ lost his patience and replaced him. That lad has so much ability but what do you do with him. With performances like today its like playing with 10 men.
Dagenham are a good organised team which I expected and as others have suggested they will be right up there.

[desperado]

I think Keating deserves to start tomorrow night
He is full of running, energy, commitment which should be a given for all 11 players but he gives more than some and unsettles and hurries defenders He can also pick out some very good passes. I think he can finish but hasn't really come up with the goods in that area yet not that he's had a decent run in the side.
Lewis was very unlucky to be the one to be sacrificed on Saturday. Covolan impresses me more each time I see him, going to be very difficult for MacDonald to get his place back.Wasnt too unhappy with a point Saturday against a good side but anything less than three tomorrow will not be acceptable.