If you were the gaffer....

SBP · Post by **SBP** » 23 Feb 2014, 10:08

I would be interested in seeing some of your thoughts if you were the gaffer today and what you would do to try and salvage our football league status.
If you are a regular match day supporter, coach, arm chair fanatic or just someone with an interest in TUFC, what would you do starting from today.

Ok me first.

I would have had all the players in today. I would have a 1 min meeting individually with each player and it would go something like this.
Are you up for this battle? Of course they will probably say yes boss.
If you dont give me 100% in training and on match day then you will not play for me. I expect no less than 100% attitude and commitment.

I would then send back loanees Wilkinson and Obrien. I would then get on the blower and get Nathan Craig and Yoeman back.

I would then get Jordan Chappell in and tell him he is the best player i have ever seen and try and get his confidence up.

After a short training session of sorting any injuries etc out. My final meeting would be to try and get them motivated for the cause, demanding a response, a battle cry whatever you wish to call it.

Tomorrow's training, tactics. I dont give a stuff about how the opponents play its all about us and how we play at home. We play football on the ground, we pass and move with tempo and purpose.
When we do not have the ball we press high. We fight for every tackle. We have to think and improve our decision making. Can we shoot??

My team based on a good training session and no one walking out.

Poke(you will not hoof the ball unless you have no options)(you will come for crosses and demand your area)
Oconnor Pearce Downes

Chappell Joss L Lathrope Nathan C Goodwin

Yoeman Benners

We are playing at home, we need to win, attack attack attack, dont bother coming off this pitch unless you give 100%

hector · Post by **hector** » 23 Feb 2014, 10:53

I think that team you pick would get hammered. Would you really only play THREE in defence? Whilst I might go with your midfield, that forward line - well you may as well not bother. Torquay NIL is how the game would finish.

leetufc · Post by **leetufc** » 23 Feb 2014, 11:10

To be fair that defence is probably as effective as having O'Connor Pearce Downes Crusie/Nicholson given how ineffective both our left backs have been this season

brucie · Post by **brucie** » 23 Feb 2014, 11:27

Hector - Did you see the matches against Rotherham and Wimbledon (or indeed Morecambe away) last year).
Yeoman was excellent in the first half against Rotherham - he caused them all manner of problems playing in the hole behind the striker.
Is he a worse player than Wilkinson or O'Brien? - just because these players are attached to higher league clubs doesn't make them better players. They will probably end up getting released.
Yeoman and Benyon played up front in the last game of the season against Bristol Rovers last year.
Similarly in the pre season against Tiverton Niall Thompson and Nathan Craig were the best two Torquay players on the pithc. Yeoman and Thompson just have not been managed correctly.

Oil Beef Hooked · Post by **Oil Beef Hooked** » 23 Feb 2014, 11:32

SBP's team isn't too bad.

Yes there's 3 in defence, but with Lathrope as the holding midfielder and being ably supported by Chappell and Goodwin, we should have enough cover when defending.

Yeoman is definitely worth a run in the team, you never know he may be up for it and more hungry than some of the other strikers we've got. At least he's not any worse than what we already have.

I'll probably get shot down in flames for suggesting this but maybe, just maybe, Yeoman and Benners is the strike partnership that we have desperately needed all season.

gullintwoplaces · Post by **gullintwoplaces** » 23 Feb 2014, 11:34

Have to say that I agree with Brucie. Yeoman and Craig are better bets than some of the disinterested dross that have come here on loan. I would recall them immediately. The idea that we play the little lad in preference to Craig is also utter madness.

SBP · Post by **SBP** » 23 Feb 2014, 12:49

hector wrote:I think that team you pick would get hammered. Would you really only play THREE in defence? Whilst I might go with your midfield, that forward line - well you may as well not bother. Torquay NIL is how the game would finish.

What would you do then Hector??

We are not winning or gaining points.

My thinking is an attacking approach, i would rather loose attacking then watch what i have seen for the last 2 seasons.

hector · Post by **hector** » 23 Feb 2014, 12:56

I really don't know - none are good enough and that is the problem facing Hargreaves. He can pick whoever he likes but they simply are not good enough. Yeoman and Benyon are Conference South forwards. You are right in that they may or may not be preferable to what we have but they won't get us many goals. I wouldn't disagree about Nathan Craig, I like him and think he has been unlucky but I am hoping that Cooper and Harper will add some much needed experience and composure to what we are seeing.

But then saying that, we had Dean Gordan - a player who once cost £800,000 - around the team when we went down last time.

Fonda · Post by **Fonda** » 23 Feb 2014, 13:12

I don't see a lot of the problems others are seeing (in terms of quality). For me, it's a case of instilling some kind of belief and desire in this group of players. The only players that (in terms of ability) give real cause for concern are the full-backs and the evidently un-droppable captain. Instead of signing countless strikers, I'd try hard to find a left-back of league quality. If we need to save some cash, send one of the strikers back - take your pick which one, they're all seemingly much of a muchness (I'd keep Goodwin though). If we could sign a LB, and were able to put a team on the pitch like this, for the majority of the rest of the season, I'd at least see a plan - even if it does rely on players we've not yet seen in our kit!

Poke
O'Conner Pearce Cooper LB
Chappell Labadie Harper Bodin
Benyon Goodwin

Whilst it seems folly to put our hopes in Cooper and Harper (as none of us can say for sure at this stage how good they might be) - they do at least have a degree of experience and would have more at stake than yet more loanee's for whom success or failure of TUFC means nothing. At least the players in that team have a vested interest in our fate - they won't want to be playing non-league football next season!

Post by **Colorado Gull** » 23 Feb 2014, 13:13

I'd take them all to the bloody Ladies game and tell them:

"THIS IS HOW YOU PLAY FOOTBALL!!! THIS IS HOW TO MAKE THE FOOTBALL CLUB HAPPY! THIS IS HOW TO MAKE THE CLUB THAT YOUR FANS LOVE, I LOVE AND YOU SHOULD BLOODY WELL LOVE TOO HAPPY!! BECAUSE THE NAME ON THE FRONT OF THE SHIRT IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE NAME ON THE BACK!!! NOW GET YOUR ARSES INTO GEAR, WORK YOUR SOCKS OFF, 110% EVERY SINGLE DAY IN TRAINING AND EVERY SINGLE MATCHDAY!! THIS CAN WORK TWO WAYS! WORK WITH ME AND WE CAN BE REMEMBERED AS HEROES SAVING THIS BEAUTIFUL FOOTBALL CLUB, OR WE CAN ALWAYS BE REMEMBERED AS COMPLETLE INCOMPETENT LAZY IDIOTS WHO FAILED. FAILED THEMSELVES AND FAILED THE FANS WHO WILL REMEMBER YOU ALWAYS! A 1/3 OF THE SEASON LEFT, SO COMMMMMMMMMMMEEEEEEEEEEE ONNNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

PlainmoorRoar · Post by **PlainmoorRoar** » 23 Feb 2014, 13:26

I'd revert to the 4-3-3 thats done well for us in the recent past

(if all fit)

---------------Poke
Oconner Downes Pearce Cooper
------Mansell Harding---------
----------- Labadie-----------
Chappel - Benyon - Bodin

Subs
Craig (for the labadie role)
Yeoman/Hawley (for Benyon)
Goodwin (for a winger when tired)

I think i'd be tempted to show the door to Obrien/wilkinson and Stockley and try and get 1 other striker in McCallum?

nickbrod · Post by **nickbrod** » 23 Feb 2014, 13:29

You can't pick Labadie as he's suspended.
On another thread last night I said recall Downes and move O'Connor to right back. Recall Craig from Dorchester, he helped them win away yesterday. He can replace Mansell who hopefully is injured looking at how he left the pitch when subbed. Or use Harding or even better sign Harper,even on non-contract terms (surely a half fit ex-Premier player could make a difference). Use Goodwin as a striker instead of Wilkinson.
Attack, attack let's go down fighting. I'd rather lose 3-4 than pussyfoot around like yesterday.
My team:
Poke
O'Connor Downes Pearce Cruise (was he injured yesterday to go off at h-t?)
Chappel Lathrope Harding/Harper Craig
Goodwin Benyon

Gloomy Gull · Post by **Gloomy Gull** » 23 Feb 2014, 14:00

I would suspend all wage payments and revise the pay structure to a commision based approach:

Back 4 - paid per block achieved and/or forward PASS (not hoof) completed successfully
Midfield - paid per successful tackle and/or forward PASS (not hoof) completed succesfully
Forwards - paid per pass received and retained and/or attempts on target.

That should improve the club finances !!!!

Mattpuma · Post by **Mattpuma** » 23 Feb 2014, 14:29

Depending on fitness this needs to be the team on Tuesday;
GK Poke
LB New Signing desperately required
CB Downes
CB Pearce (Capt.)
RB O'Connor
MF Harding
MF Lathrope
MF Chapell
MF Bodin
CF Goodwin
CF Stockley

Subs: Rice Wilkinson Cameron Hawley Harper + new CB and FB

Our full backs and midfield have been atrocious all season. O'connor was immense at right back and simply must play there. Hopefully Cooper can regain fitness and shore up the left back position. Nico Cruise and Tonge have been so poor its untrue. I am a big Mansell fan but its time for him to take a break and recharge his batteries. As for Stevens words fail me. How he is a better option than Niall Thompson is strange. He just doesnt offer anything.
Come on Chris our future is on the line so make those tough decisions. We can survive but not if we continue on the same path.

PL21gull · Post by **PL21gull** » 23 Feb 2014, 15:05

It is sad to see CH making the same basic mistake as AK in playing only two in midfield with two wingers - fine if the wingers are actually taking on and beating their man, but they are not - fine if the wingers can go both ways and actually kick a ball with both feet, but they can not (apparently). Fine if the wingers can cut in from the touchline and have the opportunity to cross the ball either short or long, either high or low - but we do not seem to recognise that goals can be scored from the near-post area as we nearly always look to loft the ball to or past the far post.
We need to bolster the midfield in order to create more chances from open play, especially as we seem to revert to hoofball just because we have a tall front man - but when the high ball goes loose we do not have enough players around to pick up the play. The Northampton game was a true example of that when they had a line of 6 at the back for much of the second half for us to hoof the ball to.

But more than anything we need to be solid in the centre and impose ourselves upon the opposition - 2 wins from 15 home games shows clearly that we fail to impose ourselves and that any away team has only a 10% chance of losing, especially if they put a line of 4 or 5 across the middle of the park and control the pattern of the match.

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