Torquay United Fans Forum

As others have posted, I too hope that both clubs survive, but it is looking increasingly worrying for Bury especially. Is this the tip of an iceberg, or simply too many clubs in the Manchester area? Another club seemingly in trouble is Macclesfield. Sol Campbell left because he hadn't been paid for two months. I don't know whether or not the players are being paid. However, they've made a good start to the season.

Culmstock - are you suggesting we revert back to Gary Owers mind-numbing defensive play?? Gary Johnson likes to play attacking football as MellowYellow quite rightly posts. Inevitably, this will leave gaps at the back on occasion. You can't have it all ways. I recall at the start of last season, when Pep Guardiola was asked about the number of goals Man City were conceding, he replied "I'm not too concerned as long as we keep scoring more goals than we concede". I think that sums up GJ's approach, and it makes for entertaining football that's worth the entrance money.

As PhilGull posted, since Liam Davis' return, the defence has looked stronger, and Wynter, Koue Niate, Cameron and Davis appear regularly in fans 'top five' after matches. Incidentally, last season we had the meanest defence in the league after Bath. Fans forget that, although the National League will be much more of a challenge of course.

I do agree that a midfield player in the mould of Matt Hockley would be a welcome addition.

Liam Davis - such a skillful player. The team looks better balanced with him back in the side
Jean Niate - answered his critics with a great game
Jamie Reid - put himself about and scored a great goal
Conor Lemonheigh-Evans - another hardworking display in midfield
Kyle Cameron - reliable, and played a captain's game in Asa's absence

But I agree with Plainmoor78. It was a solid team effort and so rather unfair to pick out five.

wivelgull wrote: ↑26 Aug 2019, 17:52 It's a state of mind, really. You have to be fairly ancient (I am 77) and I suppose you have to have seen the Prince of Plainmoor in his prime. Mind you, I didn't arrive in Torquay until I was 20 (saw my first game a fortnight after my arrival) so I missed the era of whom the REAL Codgery call the greatest ever, Don Mills. However, I expect they're all dead now (like we will be soon), so I suppose the Codgery may be defined as old geezers, still alive, who were there in the 60s and who saw Robin in his pomp (and believe me, that was something to see).

Bliddy 'ell, Wivel - I've had a great B.H. weekend with the kids and grandchildren, and a good win against Aldershot, and you've just ruined it by telling me I'll be dead soon! I've signed a pact with the Grim Reaper that he won't come for me until we're back in the Football league. We know that Tony Collins is still with us and that Colin Bettany is still alive and 'kicking' (he made a 50/50 Draw last season). To Dawlishmatt - I posted on here at least two years ago that there must be land 'freed up' by the Kingskerswell bypass where a new stadium, sports facilities and a hotel could be built. I don't think there is any likelihood that it will ever be built at the cutely named 'Nightingale Park' (where no self-respecting nightingale would deem to be seen or heard).

Anyway, back on topic. I thought that was a great team performance on Saturday. There were good performances throughout the side. I like Shuan MacDonald. He gained several points for us last season, but he's had a few dodgy moments this season, notably Maidenhead's first goal, so it was right that Covolan was given a chance. He looks very confident and his distribution was better than Shaun's. The back four looked stronger with Liam Davis back. He was my Player of the Match. But I agree wih the Aldershot fan - they played some nice football in midfield, but looked decidedly weak upfront. Where was Scotty Rendell when they needed him??

Finally, anyone heard from Fred Perry lately? a 2 - 1 home defeat against Eastleight tonight. Ho, hum .... the words 'burst' and 'bubble' spring to mind.

portugull wrote: ↑18 Aug 2019, 14:11 Gary has made it clear to the squad that this season is very much about using the squad and therefore at least 14 of the squad know their place is not guaranteed match to match.

This is a good thing because our bench is strong and a player coming off the bench knows Gary is expecting them to make an impact.

Pro football is more and more about having strength in depth if you want success. Look at the status of some of the players in the Premier League who start the match on the bench.With a quarter of the 46 games coming in August and September I think you will find come October that all of them will have featured in some way barring injury.

I understand all that, but after filling in at left back and showing his class going forward, I still feel that Vincent must count himself unfortunate not being one of the subs. However, with a strong subs bench of Edwards, Lewis, MacDonald, Keating and Touray, who do you leave out? Presumably if Asa's appeal fails, Frankie will get a chance to play in a midfield position against Aldershot. Unless Connor drops back into midfield and either Manny Duku or Touray plays upfront with Jamie Reid. Who'd be a manager, eh??

dawlishmatt wrote: ↑18 Aug 2019, 14:02 If, but, maybe.

Okay with 'Had' ??

lucy6lucy wrote: ↑18 Aug 2019, 03:17 Fantastic result today, if I’m honest I didn’t see us winning at Dover, and not many teams in this league will. Great character from the entire team/management after the negative vibes from Tuesday night. This league or any league will not be won or lost after 5 games. We have to support the lads through thick and thin, as these youngsters are learning all the time but in these youngsters we have appetite and hunger. In Johnson we trust COYY

Spot on, Lucy x 2. If ... oops, Dawlishmatt doesn't like us using the word 'if' ..... had we won on Tuesday night and lost yesterday, most of us would have said we expected to beat Maidenhead and lose at Dover. We should all know by now what an unpredictable game football is! I'm sure we will win more games than we lose this season ..... and no more boo-ing, please !!!

It must have been difficult leaving Frankie Vincent out of the squad yesterday. He has done okay filling in at left back, but he isn't a full back. When he was allowed to go forward, he looked the very good player he is. Does anyone else think he plays like a young Eunan O'Kane?

Not one of Michael Poke's stand-out moments! I don't remember the game - maybe a League Cup match, or whatever it was called seven years ago? Anyone remember what the final score was?

I also fondly remember Tony Collins from the mid fifties when I was just a lad ..... and football was 2 3 5! He was a very good player and played on the left wing with no. 11 on his shirt as all left wingers did then. He had a lot to live up to as he replaced the popular Ernie Edds who moved to Plymouth, but he soon became a fans favourite, providing crosses for Sam Collins head and weighing in with a few goals himself. Happy memories!

portugull wrote: ↑14 Aug 2019, 20:40 I was disappointed with the result but I saw a lot of positives last night.
8 of the starting eleven were aged 19 to 22. Reid is 25, Niate 26 and Hall 32. Average age 23.
If you booed the team you do not understand football.
Gary in his interview was very disappointed that a minority of fans failed to support the team. This is a young side and the mental side of the game is very important and they will learn under one of the best man Managers they are likely to encounter in their careers.
We are 4 games into the season with 42 games to go and it is way to early to get despondent.
Keep the faith and get behind the team. COYY.

Good post Portugull - I fully agree. In fact most, if not all, of the posts on here since Tuesday's defeat have been reasonable, including unanimous condemnation of the the boo-ing at the end of the game.

Southampton Gull wrote: ↑13 Aug 2019, 15:37 Keeping a low profile after 'Teagate'

Surely that should be Teavesham-gate ...... ?

In answer to Bloggy, I had forgotten George Essuman. In the few games I saw him play, I thought he looked a useful acquisition by Gary Owers. He last played for Dulwich Hamlet but he is now shown as an 'unregistered player'. Obviously something not right with him. GJ knows what he's doing!

brucie wrote: ↑14 Aug 2019, 00:07 Some decent performances though - Vincent, Niate, Kalala and the non stop Evans. We should have won Saturday and should have won tonight but the cold hard fact is that we have lost five points due to not having a fit for purpose keeper.

There was some booing at the end which to my mind was ridiculous. The players tried hard but its not just coming off at the moment

We all have different viewpoints at football matches. I think you're too critical on Shaun MacDonald, but their 'keeper did make some excellent saves. For all Kalala's skill, for me there's little end product. So many times he tries to do too much and runs into trouble, and in the second half Wynter was waiting for him to run into space (as Opi Edwards did against Boreham) but he stood waiting for the ball.

I thought the boo-ing at the end was aimed at the Maidenhead team, which if it was, was also ridiculous because they defended well and caught us with two sucker punches. I am told by a mate who supports Stockport that is exactly how they played at their place on the first day of the season. Stockport battered them but they grabbed a goal against the run of play near the end of the game.

desperado wrote: ↑13 Aug 2019, 22:35 Bullied by Maidenhead ?? What game were you watching !? We battered them for most of the first half and all the second. One of those farcical games you get from time to time, Maidenhead defended for the entire match frantically at times and their goal led a charmed life. Two breakaway goals. .With a bit of luck we could have been 4 up before they scored . Freak result.

Yep - that's the game I watched, desperado. We played some great football for most of the first half but didn't get a break for that vital first goal. However, I do believe we are missing Saiko Janneh big time. Playing Jamie Reid as a lone striker with Connor Evans just behind is not the answer, and I'm yet to be convinced that Manny Duku is the answer. I'm not sure I'd blame MacDonald for their first goal. He made a decent save but the ball ran out to their unmarked forward. Maybe at this level he should have hung on to the ball, but at the other end Jamie Reid and Conor Evans missed some good chances.

I was surprised Niate was replaced by Joe Lewis. To me, it seemed more obvious to take off Kalala and bring on Opi Edwards. Edwards and Wynter worked well together in the Boreham game. Kalala, for all his skill, doesn't seem to have the same positional sense and there is little end product. He certainly wasn't my Man of the Match tonight.

An earlier poster said that Maidenhead weren't a pretty team to watch, but you have to give credit to their defence in the second half. We just couldn't find a way through. If one of those early chances had gone in, I think we would have gone on to win comfortably. But it didn't happen. A frustrating match for the fans, the players and the manager. I'm sure all of us who have played football at any level have played in similar games where the Football Gods have decided you aint going to score. The defence will look more balanced when Liam Davies returns, but that's taking nothing away from Frankie Vincent who looked very good going forward, but he isn't a left back. Onwards to Dover ...... never an easy place to go. Never fear - GJ will sort it out.

A difficult one, but just because we lost a frustrating game doesn't mean that no one deserve a mention. For me, it would be
Armani Little
Ben Wynter
Frankie Vincent
Kyle Cameron
Jeen Koue-Niate

Say what you will about Gary Owers, but he did bring some good players to Plainmoor which Gary Johnson has used as the base for his team, and the style of foorball he likes to play. GJ soon sussed out the players that weren't 'part of his plan'. I was wondering what happened to some of them.

Three players who looked okay-ish early season last year - Chris Regis finished up playing for Truro at the end of last season (not sure if he is still there), Andre Wright is no longer at Gloucester. He is playing for Irish side, Bohemians. Such a promising player when he first came to Plainmoor on loan from WBA - whatever happened to him?. Samir Nabi played for Hednesford and made it to the Pakistan national side when they beat Nepal in a World Cup qualifying round. Not sure who he is playing for this season.

And what happened to Matt, Ferrarilover, who started this thread?? Some of his posts were, shall we say, controversial but he was an okay guy really - he just liked to stir things up!