Torquay United v Bath City, Sat 4th Nov. 3pm

[portugull]

I would suggest the "merchants of doom" should study closely the Highlights of yesterdays Match against Bath City who came to Plainmoor in 3rd place.

I was at the Match and we played much more like a team who were finally getting to play like a team all over the pitch. We looked much better defensively and Wilson from Bath who has scored 27 goals in 2023 barely got a kick.

Watch the highlights for a 50 yard pass by Dolan to Stobbs which was pure class. At this level I would like to see Theo Williams start with Dolan who can really pick a pass. Williams is very quick and NLS defenders will struggle to contain him.

Yeovil who have played 9 at home and 5 away are due a loss so I do not rule out a win for United who have only scored 2 goals less than Yeovil. COYY

[Southampton Gull]

Looking at the highlights and reading the report of the game by Culmstockgull I think the doom and gloom fraternity are disappointed that we seemed up for a battle and ground out a decent win while the 'hopeless' defence kept a clean sheet.

I'll gladly take the 3 points and the stick but they seem to forget the real objective is promotion and we're definitely still on course for that. In Gary we trust.

[Southampton Gull]

I thought the same Admiral....you notice how he never pipes up minutes after a defeat?, funny that isn't it,

No need to, you lot are always busy on here after a defeat

Not much to say about our victory yesterday though, strange that......

[jono_Gull209]

We did OK yesterday! Thought we started really well, but the half slowed down especially when Laps took a knock. Bath are alright for this level and had a bit of the ball. But we defended pretty confidently bar the last 10 minutes where we seemed a bit jittery. Most importantly we held out.

Dolan is definitely decent, can actually play on the half turn and has a bit about him. Theo Williams looked a handful as well.

My main criticism is we were very wasteful in the final third - the slide ball through was on time and time again but we wasted it.

On the whole, a good 3 points with a test to come on Tuesday.

[The Eternal Optimist]

When Stobbs is attacking down the right wing his centres usually reach the far post or are even well beyond it. If Ash or someone could position themselves just beyond the back post or thereabouts they would get a stack of goals.
Now that Jarvis is out for a while, perhaps Stobbs ought to try and send in low, hard centres that just need a touch from a player in the box, especially from the goal line where he often delivers the final ball. It could even come off a defender for an own goal. I think a lot of the attacking work he does is wasted with his final ball in. With the players we've got at the moment, high crosses are unreachable. Even Jarvis struggles to reach them, let alone get enough on the ball to score with a header.

[Admiral]

How are we on course for promotion?!

[portugull]

No one gets promoted in early November but April is when the season comes to the boil.

It has been known but rarely for a team that is bottom on Christmas Day to win Promotion. Football is a funny old game and at the end of the day it is 11 men against 11 men.

Admiral it is way to early to judge on 5 November.

[MellowYellow]

How are we on course for promotion?!

Up to fifth in the league and back in the play-off zone - hope that helps!

[DB57]

Looking at the highlights and reading the report of the game by Culmstockgull I think the doom and gloom fraternity are disappointed that we seemed up for a battle and ground out a decent win while the 'hopeless' defence kept a clean sheet.

I'll gladly take the 3 points and the stick but they seem to forget the real objective is promotion and we're definitely still on course for that. In Gary we trust.

It's not about doom and gloom.
Everybody on here wants the very best for our football club. Torquay United F C.
It's just that we have different perspectives and opinions of where we are right now.
For me, a supporter for over 60 years, my Club is currently at rock bottom.
We have an owner and a Chief Executive who have absolutely no regard for the supporters and a Manager who has achieved absolutely nothing since his time in charge here. The 'in Gary we trust ' brigade can bang on as much as they like but the reality of the situation is that whatever he may have done at other clubs in the past he has failed to do here at my club.
We have no scheme in place for the development of young players, the recruitment policy is appalling, the scouting is non existent and tactically we are a shambles.
Despite all this,I really do want us to succeed but if anyone can come come up with a sound argument in support of Gary Johnson being the man to take my club from the place they are now to the EFL I would love to hear from them.
Today I saw Chesterfield beat L1 Portsmouth in the FA Cup. Chesterfield are in the National League and we are light years away from being half as good as they are.
In Gary we trust?
I don't

[Louis]

[Southampton Gull]

We have an owner and a Chief Executive who have absolutely no regard for the supporters and a Manager who has achieved absolutely nothing since his time in charge here.

You like others have a short memory. Achieved nothing? Promotion out of this division and a play off final the following season. Relegation doesn't take away from the fact that he achieved those things or perhaps in your opinion we never got to League One under Leroy because we ended up getting relegated the season after.

Short memory maybe, selective for sure!!

[DB57]

You like others have a short memory. Achieved nothing? Promotion out of this division and a play off final the following season. Relegation doesn't take away from the fact that he achieved those things or perhaps in your opinion we never got to League One under Leroy because we ended up getting relegated the season after.

Short memory maybe, selective for sure!!

I wouldn't expect anything else from the president of the Gary Johnson Appreciation Society!
The truth of the matter is that we are no better off now than we were when he walked through the door.
Your standards and expectations for our club are obviously poles apart from mine and I expect that will always be the case.
You think he is brilliant, I think he isn't and I've yet to hear a point of view to convince me otherwise.
Getting a full time squad promoted from a predominately part time league and taking them back to where they started is not a success in my book. Play of final? Failed. We were clear of the field but Johnson failed to replace an injured Danny Wright and we finished up scrapping in the play offs. Perhaps your selective memory has for gotten that.
I've got a selective memory? Realistic more like
Selective memory? Realistic more like.

[Southampton Gull]

What do you expect from a club owned by Osborne? From day 1 I predicted we'd end up where we are now. You blame Gary Johnson, I don't. Far from realistic your memory is short and way off the mark.

You quote Chesterfield as if they are something we should aspire to. Do you have any idea how littered their history is with financial irregularities? Absolutely ridiculous to compare us to a club that have spent 20 years in tier two.

[DB57]

What do you expect from a club owned by Osborne? From day 1 I predicted we'd end up where we are now. You blame Gary Johnson, I don't. Far from realistic your memory is short and way off the mark.

You quote Chesterfield as if they are something we should aspire to. Do you have any idea how littered their history is with financial irregularities? Absolutely ridiculous to compare us to a club that have spent 20 years in tier two.

I blame Gary Johnson for what goes on on the pitch. You bang on about him being the best man for the job, I disagree and you still haven't said why he is.
Like you I fear for our club, and always have, under the Osborne regime but whatever his motives and however it is financed Johnson has been backed. The fact remains he has failed miserably particularly with recruitment and that can't be denied.
I am well aware of Chesterfield's history thank you. The comparison I was making was the gulf between us in footballing terms
If you want to continue trusting in Gary fair enough that's your choice. As I said at the start of this 'discussion' we all actually want what's best for our Club I don't think you and I will ever agree on the Johnson issue but there we are.

[Southampton Gull]

Chesterfield are a far bigger club than us and you could make an argument that they're under performing to a greater extent than us but if you want to crave their model crack on.

Johnson was backed and got promotion and then came within a whisker of regaining our league status. The players he did that with are mostly all playing levels above us. Do you just think it a coincidence that the only loanees we've managed to secure have been from his son? Injuries have been partly to blame, poor decision making by players are another reason and lack of recruitment another. If you want to make Johnson totally to blame then carry on but I'll defend him while he operates under that clown Edwards and the absent owner. In my opinion this is the best we're going to get and I warned people a long time ago to be careful what they wished for.

Meanwhile my old club Eastleigh are laying solid foundations on and off the pitch and will be a League club long before we regain that status, again just as I predicted. I find it ironic that most fans labelled them a horrid team last season but are now crying out for the type of players they have.

I don't see anyone on the horizon who could come into our club and be any more successful than the current manager who has a track record of gaining promotions. I still see the warning signs from the ownership so let's remain hopeful we get out of this division first time round again.