Aldershot v Torquay United Sat 4th March KO 3pm

[Chelston TUFC]

I'd rather have Aaron Downes coaching defenders than people sat in armchairs who never played pro football in their life all thinking that they could do better.

LOL....clueless

[DevonBee]

Didn't say anything about the crap defending did I?
I mentioned your point about Jarvis, which - in all honesty - you haven't really answered.
Is his role an attacker in the final third or a recognised defender at set pieces we are defending???
And the goal was conceded from nowhere near the penalty spot.....
If you are asking for one player to be the be all and end all for goalscoring from set-pieces, then we really are in trouble.

As for your question is Jarvis role of an attacker or to defend set pieces…. Only the pi33 poor management can answer that.
I am sure Jarvis would not venture back to the penalty spot unless instructed to by the Comedians .
Personally I would keep one up, which we fail to do.
Consequently the ball falls to the opposition and is launched back in , putting us under pressure once again.
As was proven from what I witnessed at Aldershot on Saturday

[desperado]

Toastkid is right, you would have thought that Aaron Downes would know a thing or two about defending set pieces. He was a superb defender in his time and one of best headers of a ball in both boxes I've seen from a defender in a Torquay shirt , probably second to Jim McNichol. Perhaps it's a case of the players not listening and learning, incapable of acting on the instructions or simply not good enough.

[brucie]

Downes was actually terrible. Yes he was good in the air, but had the turning circle of an ox. Wasnt a very good defender at all.

[UnitedinDevon]

Downes was actually terrible. Yes he was good in the air, but had the turning circle of an ox. Wasnt a very good defender at all.

Just shows how the toxicity spreads

Now we take aim at Downes as a former player for being 'terrible'

I think was voted player of the season in 2012/2013 for us, played over 300 games of professional football and won promotion under GJ with Cheltenham out of the NL

Yeah pretty terrible - you speak a load of arse Brucie!

[budegull1954]

Hear hear! Downes was excellent in every game I saw him play - how we could do with him playing now!

[desperado]

Don't think he would have played 180 games for Chesterfield in Leagues 1 and 2 and been captain if he wasn't any good.
His knee injuries laterly impacted on his game here but overall he was excellent for us . Read the play very well too.

[Taelee73]

Certainly agree we need to have one player at least up field for opposition corners. Having no one outside the 18 yard box is asking for trouble.
Another moan, a bit of variety on kickoff would be nice. Play the ball back, launch it to the left and see it headed on by us to no one or played back to goalie. Can't remember it working once for us. And in that game we conceded 5 at home, to actually see the same routine fail 6 times is demoralising.

[desperado]

Another tactic which we are using relentlessly is the long throw, I don't think I've seen us create a chance let alone score from one yet or even flick on the throw. First it was just Moxey, but now we see Donnellan, Hanson and Wyatt doing them. Too much ball in the air generally, which surely doesn't suit Evans, McGavin
and Lapslie or Jarvis, Fadahunsi and Collins up front. We do not play anything like a Gary Johnson side, no high energy pressing, quick wing play any more.

[brucie]

Saw him play enough times for us - granted he was good in the air in both boxes but he was awful on the ground - turned and beaten for pace regularly - anyway whatever as a coach hes clearly useless.

Not arguing that his knee problems impacted on his performances but they did so lets not pretend he was anything specials as a player for us cause he wasnt.

[UnitedinDevon]

Saw him play enough times for us - granted he was good in the air in both boxes but he was awful on the ground - turned and beaten for pace regularly - anyway whatever as a coach hes clearly useless.

Not arguing that his knee problems impacted on his performances but they did so lets not pretend he was anything specials as a player for us cause he wasnt.

Trying to turn around your post above, still more crap from you

[DevonBee]

Another tactic which we are using relentlessly is the long throw, I don't think I've seen us create a chance let alone score from one yet or even flick on the throw. First it was just Moxey, but now we see Donnellan, Hanson and Wyatt doing them. Too much ball in the air generally, which surely doesn't suit Evans, McGavin
and Lapslie or Jarvis, Fadahunsi and Collins up front. We do not play anything like a Gary Johnson side, no high energy pressing, quick wing play any more.

Totally agree Desperado, I am pleased you have mentioned the long throws. Not once can I recall anything coming of them, so you have to varie it,which we don't. Surely the Comedians realise this ...or are they watching a different game ?
Johnson should sit high in the stands 1st half, he might see a different game and react to stuff quicker.

[toastkid]

Anyone who says Downes was uselss, isn't worth listening to in my book. Quality through and through. If you had him alongside someone like Steve Woods, I couldn't think of a better fantasy centre half pairing for the Gulls.

[happytorq]

Anyone who says Downes was uselss, isn't worth listening to in my book. Quality through and through. If you had him alongside someone like Steve Woods, I couldn't think of a better fantasy centre half pairing for the Gulls.

I don't think anybody is disputing that. Unfortunately, we don't have a 28 year old Aaron Downes able to play centre half.

He's the assistant manager. And we've been terrible defending set pieces for pretty much all of the season. Is it Downes' job to coach the defence? It may or may not be, but somebody should be doing it and he'd be the obvious candidate, no?