Strikers. We need one urgently.

[usagullmichigan]

Fox in the box is what we need. We play with one up front because thats the best formation with the players we have. Maybe if we got a poacher we can play with 2 up front. It would at least give us a different dimension to our play.

[JamieE]

We need a right forward, not a striker. Ian Morris is a good player, but he's not a right winger. We haven't replaced Billy Bodin, and it's now showing. Our system is reliant on our wingers being goal scoring threats with pace, we need someone like Howe to bring them and Eunan into play.

Give Rene a run of games again and he'll get up to speed. Remember the furore about Howe's four game suspension and how important he was to the team? He's the same player, he's quality. He just needs games.

[stevegull]

We need a right forward, not a striker. Ian Morris is a good player, but he's not a right winger. We haven't replaced Billy Bodin, and it's now showing. Our system is reliant on our wingers being goal scoring threats with pace, we need someone like Howe to bring them and Eunan into play.

Give Rene a run of games again and he'll get up to speed. Remember the furore about Howe's four game suspension and how important he was to the team? He's the same player, he's quality. He just needs games.

Nail hit on head!

[Jeff]

My thoughts immediately after the game were that we need 3 players :- a right back to cover Oastlers suspension, a winger/forward in the Bodin mould and an impact forward to come from the bench who is comfortable playing in a front two.

Having seemingly confirmed that it was Saah and not Oastler who should have been sent off, I assume that mistake will be corrected. As such, I expect to see McDonald cover the CB position, with LRT offering back up from the bench. So no need for a player there now.

We desperately need a pacy wide player, just like Billy. I won't cover the same ground that others have. I am starting to like Morris as a player, but he doesn't look totally comfortable in that role.

As for getting in a player as "impact sub", you might find this a waste of money. But at the moment, we have no plan B. we know our current system can work, but when it doesn't we have no fall back. Tai and Rene do not look like a strike partnership. So I think we need someone who can come in, predominantly start on the bench and be used when we are either chasing the game or need to change shape. I think that would work.

A left sided quick winger and a penalty box striker - not the most specialised of positions to fill so I don't think we're asking the earth.

[bc-gull]

Fox in the box is what we need. We play with one up front because thats the best formation with the players we have. Maybe if we got a poacher we can play with 2 up front. It would at least give us a different dimension to our play.

We could do that.. but that means dropping 1 of lathrope, mansell or O'kane??

And also, why would you want to change something which has served us so well recently?? If we were to go back to 442, then that means Stevens has to play a more defensive role, so really a 'fox in the box' really wouldn't be as good as we think.

[royalgull]

Nail hit on head!

i agreee with this, Ideally I'd actually have 2 forwards (1 being the right winger forward) added to the squad but realistically we can only add the one. We are set up to win games 1-0 and if we go behind we look desperately short of pace and naturally attack minded players to haul it back. Eunan very good on the ball creates things, Howe I like but the only forward player we have with pace and a mindset of running at players and attacking people is Stevens. Morris is more of a traditional left midfielder than a winger and has good quality on the ball but doesn't really ever attack players. We do miss Bodin and more importantly we lack a plan B.

Howe will get goals and he is the sort of person we need in this formation. We shouldn't just bin it because it's the reason we are 6th and 8 points in front of 8th, but what we could do with is a Tomlin or Robinson type player that likes to run at people as well as offering a goal threat from wide to play on the other side to Stevens. They would also be capable of playing through the middle if we needed to change to 4-4-2. By the sounds of it Ling is on the lookout and he's done pretty well for us so far in that aspect.

[Dave]

I surpose a "fox in the box" would be better than a "mole in the hole " As we all know loans are not free, this will depend on just how room Lingy has move in the loan market, I am not sure we will see the number or the sort of players talked about.

[usagullmichigan]

I am hoping we can get a toad in a hole personally.

[Dave]

I am hoping we can get a toad in a hole personally.

Chris McPhee

Dissclaimer...this reply was meant soley as a joke not meant to offend our fine player, no animals were hurt in the posting of this reply

[ferrarilover]

I don't see the need for anyone other than a guy to put the ball in the net. All this talk of wingers etc really seems, genuinely without wishing to sound rude, plain wrong. We play better football than any other side in this division. Even Cheltenham are a kick and rush outfit. We are the only side I have seen this season capable of putting together a whole season of actual football. All we are missing is someone to finish the chances we create.
Saturday is a prime example. 1000s of wingers and lovely approach men on the pitch, no one happy to take a punt with confidence. For all the good work we do getting up to the edge of the opposition penalty area, we have precious few shots on goal. Even Rene Howe refused to shoot when 6 yards out and with just the keeper to beat. Can you see anyone, even Akinfattwat, or that Fagan geezer from Bradford, passing up an opportunity like that?

As for whoever it was suggesting that Howe is the perfect man in this system, he very evidently is not, which is why we've played it all season and he's managed a paltry 8 league goals (I think).

We haven't had a reliable striker since Sillsy, and even he was limited to taking his headed chances rather than having a pop with his feet.

I know top strikers demand top dollar, and I'm not asking for us to sign or find the next ALF, but it might be nice for a change not to see us spend 40 minutes of each half pointlessly and fruitlessly passing the ball square along the opposition 18 yard line for the want of a guy with the stones to take a pop from that range.

Matt.

[Plymouth Gull]

I don't see the need for anyone other than a guy to put the ball in the net. All this talk of wingers etc really seems, genuinely without wishing to sound rude, plain wrong. We play better football than any other side in this division. Even Cheltenham are a kick and rush outfit. We are the only side I have seen this season capable of putting together a whole season of actual football. All we are missing is someone to finish the chances we create.
Saturday is a prime example. 1000s of wingers and lovely approach men on the pitch, no one happy to take a punt with confidence. For all the good work we do getting up to the edge of the opposition penalty area, we have precious few shots on goal. Even Rene Howe refused to shoot when 6 yards out and with just the keeper to beat. Can you see anyone, even Akinfattwat, or that Fagan geezer from Bradford, passing up an opportunity like that?

As for whoever it was suggesting that Howe is the perfect man in this system, he very evidently is not, which is why we've played it all season and he's managed a paltry 8 league goals (I think).

We haven't had a reliable striker since Sillsy, and even he was limited to taking his headed chances rather than having a pop with his feet.

I know top strikers demand top dollar, and I'm not asking for us to sign or find the next ALF, but it might be nice for a change not to see us spend 40 minutes of each half pointlessly and fruitlessly passing the ball square along the opposition 18 yard line for the want of a guy with the stones to take a pop from that range.

Matt.

Regarding the bolded bit, I disagree entirely. We all know we don't have the biggest squad in the league, far from it, but to suggest that our squad is enough, apart from a striker is crazy talk. If anything, the position we need to strengthen is midfield. We were without Lathrope for Bradford, and I don't think it's coincidence we were shocking. I'm not saying he makes everything click, but he can pass the ball accurately, unlike his replacement. He does the dirty work, which, again, McPhee struggled to do. O'Kane looks knackered, he could do with a rest otherwise he'll suffer from burnout! Mansell is Mansell, non-stop energy and commitment, but we lose one of that trio, and we struggle. If we can get another defence-minded midfielder in on loan for the remainder of the season, I think that needs to be Ling's priority. Someone who can come in and sit in the Lathrope role. We have Morris who can cover in the centre on occasions, but as we have no other wingers, we can't rest O'Kane/Mansell. McPhee isn't up to scratch in my opinion, would be surprised to see him here next year personally.

We may need a striker but it isn't as high a priority as a defensive-midfielder and/or another winger in my mind. I'd much, much rather us put money towards two players who provide a bit of cover, instead of paying x amount of wages for someone like Jake Robinson.

[ferrarilover]

How can we need more defenders? We concede precious few goals, but so very, very rarely do we score more than the one.
No coincidence that we every time we concede more than a single goal, we lose the match. We have a fundamental striking problem and that is what needs urgent attention.

Matt.

[Wisconsin_gull]

I'm 100% with Matt on this - let's keep it simple stupid
I'm all at sea with the Dr Zeuss fox in a box, cat in a hat stuff
We need a fella with some shooting boots to take the pressure off
Billy Bunter would do, provided he knew where the goal was
Shouldn't be a surprise that the lads have run out of steam some in Feb - what we have achieved with the squad we have is nothing short of heroic, we need some reinforcements to get us to May....unless there is some conspiracy (dare I mention) not to go up again. TBH at 56pt we can play for snookers until May...nah that ain't happening.
COYY

[Aussie]

Why the urgency for promotion? We all knew the target in summer, we`ve hit it (the target) well early and now everyone wants to spend money that we could do with out spending right now, and yes loans cost money! Perhaps there is a bigger game plan being played out, like making sure we keep key personel on good contracts, lining up some quality summer signings and having a completed ground to go for the real push for promotion and a continued League one existence, not to mention training ground improvements and facilities. Foundations first then the rest of the building can progress so to speak!
If we splash out now, go up without all the building blocks in place, we will more than likely come straight back down, now we all remember that from last time it happened, freefall and the Conference! Lets do it the right way please!

[royalgull]

Actually agree fully with you Aussie. The only thing I'd say is you can't pick and choose when you win promotion or even compete for promotion. The club might not be 'ready' but the table might say otherwise. Especially a club like Torquay that traditionally isn't a consistant player at the top end of any league. it is not completely ridiculous tos ay if we don't do it now we may lose 3 or 4 players and we may have a difficult season next season even though the club is 'ready' for League 1.

Ideal world we tick along go well as we are get ourselves sorted as a club in terms of new stand finished, training ground improved then add to our squad next year and win promotion but it hardly ever works like that.

We're in a position of real strength in the league, 8 points clear of 8th is a fair sized gap at this stage of the season and I think it's fairly evident to either sustain that position or ideally improve on it we do need a couple of reinforcements. 1 minimum to boost our attacking numbers.

For me it's a bit weird i'm not overly fussed about being in League 1 as it's a massively northern biased division and my attendance would be even more limited if we were in League 1, however I want the sense of achievement of finishing in the top 7, and also ideally winning the playoffs this time. If we did all that got a trophy and ended up in League 2 again next year I honestly wouldn't care. Weird eh?!