Torquay United Fans Forum

Stickingitin wrote: ↑17 Aug 2023, 15:38 It IS a weakness otherwise we wouldn't have to wear glasses or contact lenses. This is logical.
I wear glasses and it is definately a weakness.
What I stated is that you do not "advertise" on mainstream, especially someone who has just come back from an eye operation the fact that he will (naturally) want to protect that eye.
Also, now the fans know that RM has this weakness, that could influence the way the fans act towards him.
Protect your players (and staff).

bobbytanz1963 wrote: ↑16 Aug 2023, 18:56 I wondered whether those saying it was a terrible game last night were actually there ??? I thought it was 100 times a better performance by us. Chippenham weren’t as good as Worthing but still a test.

Plus points were:

4-4-2

Ross Marshall - I’ve been a critic of him but he did well bst the odd loose cannon moment … the barging their No 4 was needless

Ash/Jarvis - they look to link up now

Negatives

Injuries !!!!
No back up forward on bench
Floodlight - naff
Lack of confidence in defence

Let’s hope things continue on the upward trend and maybe sone loans of experienced CB/CM ?

brucie wrote: ↑06 Aug 2023, 10:44 Maybe we cant judge but looking at the blindingly obvious we paraded three centre backs in Craske, Tomlinson and Donnellan. The former 2 are massively short of any experience whatsoever. Yet again we have no back striker on the bench. A midfield of Mcgavin, Hall and Lapslie a desperately short of any legs.

We could do with somebody like Keiron Evans in midfield - someone who can take the game to the opposition. I thought the line up looked a bit weak before the game and it looks like that was the case. It seems that we were out muscled by the reports with is worrying.

We need a couple of really decent loan signings to plug the gaps in the squad ie one bruiser at the back and a back up striker. Our line up looked mid table at best unfortunately yesterday.

Enzo wrote: ↑05 Aug 2023, 20:32 Barring the first 20 minutes on the pitch, that was a horrible away trip.

Dreadful conditions driving down - the last 10 miles or so I was just presuming the match would be called off so bad was the surface water and flooding - credit to the Dover pitch as it held up remarkably well.

No segregation so the couple of hundred or so Gulls were split either end of the ground, most congregating in the area previously used as the away end. Some unpleasant exchanges when the Dover youth came down to that end following the choice of ends. The Gulls fans in general wanted nothing to do with any trouble and moved away, other than one fella who stayed for a bit of banter, pretty much on his own. I think he was just standing his ground rather than being aggressive, but he appeared pissed up and his presence was clearly winding them up and he had outstayed his welcome. If he was with friends then they should have dragged him away as it was only going to end in him either being punched or chucked out by the Police - I think luckily for him it was the Police who moved him away - it may have looked a bit heavy handed, but he was asking to be smacked and then resisted the Police. In fairness to the Police they asked a couple of Torquay fans if they could calm him down. They couldn’t. Hopefully, he just got chucked out. Either way, we are going to have to get used to no segregation.

Anyway, on to the game - as most have stated, first 20 minutes, all good. Two up and Ash had hit the post too. We were cutting through them. The second goal was a good move and a decent finish by Hall and it was a question of how many , surely?
That’s probably what the players thought as we stopped playing. Dover had several chances and it was no surprise when they scored. The ball seemed to ping around and we had several opportunities to clear the danger. Very frustrating. I had hoped this would ensure that they were given the appropriate rocket at half time, but if they were then it didn’t show. Conditions worsened and so did we - the were out muscled and out played and they equalised with about 20 minutes left. Again, we had opportunities to clear and didn’t take them. Dover pretty much seemed to settle for the draw, started time wasting and we came back into it. Both Jarvis and Ash could and should have scored, but fluffed their chances.

No need to panic, but can’t deny that this was somewhat deflating. The conditions were abysmal and a draw away from home isn’t a disaster. I’m ambivalent towards Johnson rather than being particularly pro or anti. On today’s evidence alone, I worry that we haven’t learned any lessons from last season - limited options to change anything offensively during a match, a midfield lacking in pace and trying to put square pegs in round holes in turning wingers or midfielders into wig backs. We loook vulnerable all match down our right flank. The hoof ball that we played for the last hour was abysmal quality, but in fairness one could blame the conditions. I didn’t see any particular evidence that one side was full time in terms of fitness. It is fair to say that we were the side pushing for a winner towards the end of the match, but in doing so we lost our shape and it didn’t appear that there was any plan other than to lump it forward - we had a corner in the closing minute and nobody seemed to know who was going to take it - ended up being the nearest person to the ball.

I sense that there isn’t an awful lot of good will left in the tank for GJ. This performance will add ammunition to those who say he is a dinosaur and football has moved on. Reports from pre-season games against City and Argyle suggest otherwise, but a couple of these performances at home and things could turn toxic. Hopefully, this one was down to the conditions and complacency. Very frustrating though.

Mr Tea808 wrote: ↑31 Jul 2023, 19:52 I get it that some fans think GJ is "The Don" but football pretty much is about the here and now, and right now we are playing regional 6th tier football Vs part timers, and GJ is the brains behind this outcome, I genuinely don't think he's got any player better or improved, all his signings have played previously at a higher level,yes they have done well with us, but that's a confidence thing,not some managerial masterclass by GJJarvis did well for probably half a season, we had defenders on the books who were so bad we needed to draft in loanee after loanee to patch up the defence, I'm really still not convinced we won't be an upper mid table team at best in NLS, before people get carried away, Dover stayed up by default, they lost last game of the season however they got mega jammy with a series of results going their way, staying up on goal difference, they should or could easily be a 7th tier club, I'm not being pesimistic but I see us top 10 with an outside chance of play offs, still not convinced.