Injuries.

[Cheddargull]

A new manager may not guarantee succes but his appointment would be an indication that the board regard the current situation as unacceptable.

[culmstockgull]

Johnson and injured players are so closely linked that there has to be a simple explanation or a number of simple explanations, obviously signing players without full medicals and carrying long histories of injuries, offering contracts to players that should have retired, a non existent scouting system, the method of weekly training that also seems to incur far too many injuries and all to ensure a so called full time team can run for 90 minutes plus,this season we have lost 10 league games , eight of them against part timers whose managers have out thought us,whose players have out fought us and showed the part time tag means nothing in this league. and in numerous games their levels of fitness have been superior to ours.
The squad on paper contains 7 back four players,two are long term injured and one who only plays when the bench has been cleared, we have 8 midfielders , three are long term injured and significantly are the only ones that can tackle and hold the midfield together, supposedly we have 3 out and out strikers, all of which are long term injured and four wingers who all have to play at wing back or central midfield because of johnsons one system of playing, the last person to be an genuine wing back was sparkes.
Is this just bad luck,then it has been with us for nearly three seasons, in my book this is poor management and even poorer recruitment.

[desperado]

Agree the signings of Dawson, Hall, Lapslie and Martin have been pretty disastrous
Jarvis crashing into advertising boards and damaging his knee and other impact injuries during matches such as Ash are just bad luck though.

[The Eternal Optimist]

It sounds as though some Torquay fans will expect any new manager to get instant success. In other words promotion in the first season. If he doesn't achieve that, he will be subjected to the same treatment that Johnson is getting now. Fans won't wait for him to recruit all those players who are going to get us promotion out of this league. All managers here have struggled to recruit the players they really wanted, because we are too far away etc - we've heard this complaint from nearly all our managers for years. So how long will it take for any new manager to get the team he wants in his first season? It won't happen. As I've said before Torquay fans need to get real.
Think Owers, it didn't take long for him to become unpopular. Who knows, given time, ie. two or three seasons, he may have achieved something here - we'll never know.

[Cheddargull]

It sounds as though some Torquay fans will expect any new manager to get instant success. In other words promotion in the first season. If he doesn't achieve that, he will be subjected to the same treatment that Johnson is getting now. Fans won't wait for him to recruit all those players who are going to get us promotion out of this league. All managers here have struggled to recruit the players they really wanted, because we are too far away etc - we've heard this complaint from nearly all our managers for years. So how long will it take for any new manager to get the team he wants in his first season? It won't happen. As I've said before Torquay fans need to get real.
Think Owers, it didn't take long for him to become unpopular. Who knows, given time, ie. two or three seasons, he may have achieved something here - we'll never know.

So basically we should just settle for what we've got. What's the point, it's not working out under Johnson time to roll the dice. None of the recent posters said a new manager would bring instant success but we've got to try something different or the club will just stagnate.

[Skillsy]

As previously mentioned, as soon as we lose a couple of games everybody wants GJ out again. Two weeks ago we were second and it all went very quiet. He hasn't suddenly become a terrible manager, just as he wasn't brilliant two weeks ago.

The injuries continue to be a major problem, it has concerned me for a long time why we suffer more than other clubs. The following would be 'almost certain' starters in our best eleven........

Stobbs
Dawson
Hall
Lapslie
Ash
Jarvis

The team that started against Truro included eight almost certain starters......

Halstead
Marshall
Tomlinson
Moxey
Harris
Archer
McGavin
Collins

In total that is fourteen almost certain starters. Depending on what is our strongest eleven, we fielded between five and eight of our strongest team against Truro. Depending on viewpoints, if we are starting with only five of our best team GJ is doing a good job......if we are starting with eight of our best team then we should be doing much better that we are currently.

[Skillsy]

In theory our fringe players should still be good enough to be near the top of this league, but that is wishful thinking. I think it would have been a miracle if we were top of the league given the number of injuries we've suffered. The biggest problem is, I repeat, the cause of endless injuries. It happens so often I don't think it can be down to bad luck.

[JimNichol'sdog]

No disrespect to the last post but one.

However, if Ross Marshall is considered an 'almost certain starter' that, in my opinion, sums up the club's current predicament. He may be an honest trier who gives 100% commitment but also appears to be a liability who, judging by previous posts, evidently doesn't have the skills or acumen to be a professional footballer.

[Skillsy]

Fair enough, we all have opinions but Marshall is the best right back currently on the playing staff. I wouldn't argue that we have long needed a specialist right back, but I think Marshall has filled the gap fairly well.

[Dazza]

It not just the injuries. The balance of the side that is equally important . The current team might try very hard but it has to .be full of similarly aged youngsters who will lack the consistency needed. As we get little injury news we can only assume there is little good news. To achieve a consistency that would see us into the best play off place we need some more experienced players and they can only be delivered if the owners are prepared to fund that. It’s going to be an interesting few weeks.

[toastkid]

I've been critical of Ross Marshall in the past. His attitude and decision making has been dire. Playing him at left back has proved a good move. He's no worse than Donellan and the odd mistake there doesn't go as punished as when playing at centre half.

To say he's not good enough to be a professional footballer is harsh. He's still only a kid and will improve if he can learn.

Look forwards rather than back, I say.

[toastkid]

Right back. Doh!

[GULL 67]

We could have a few more days for injuries to recover. Saturdays game must be doubtful.

[PL21gull]

Injuries or not the basic facts are that we started the season with much the same squad as got us relegated, and with the same long ball tactics which saw us relegated. Without Jarvis we cannot play long ball, but spent all the first half v Truro passing between the backline and the goalkeeper, then a 40-yard wonder ball which went for a goalkick.
Injuries or not, the team is set up to play by the coaching staff;when I was learning the game I was told to know what I wanted to do with the ball before getting it - that doesn't seem to be the way now; you want the ball, get it, then just pass it backwards.
Injuries or not, the individual players must take more responsibility for creative teamwork.

[SuperNickyWroe]

No disrespect to the last post but one.

However, if Ross Marshall is considered an 'almost certain starter' that, in my opinion, sums up the club's current predicament. He may be an honest trier who gives 100% commitment but also appears to be a liability who, judging by previous posts, evidently doesn't have the skills or acumen to be a professional footballer.

Thats extremely unfair as well as being total b*llocks.