Torquay United Fans Forum

Just got back from a game which we largely controlled but when we saw the winning tape we started to go longer and longer and with Dagenham always prepared to play on the ground it was only a question of time before they put us to the sword.

We had 6 attempts in the first half, four on target and the one goal. They had two half chances. Second half both teams only had two attempts but ours were off target and they scored from both theirs - goodnight Vienna!

The key incident was the disallowed goal - would like to see that again. Looked good from where I was but that was nowhere near level with the play so maybe I am wrong. Think we would have cruised to the win had we scored then but it was not to be.

We are now down and out - no need to work on the maths - this team cannot buy a win and it is only wins that will save us from the drop.

Hats off to Jarvis again today - he is the only player in the squad who shows any regular quality. His goal was superb.

Cheddargull wrote: ↑12 Mar 2023, 14:33 Wouldn't agree with your edit. Owers squad included the likes of Cameron, Wynter, Reid and Hall plus Edwards and Andrews from Bristol City. Johnson was able to hit the ground running with those players and achieved promotion in just 30 games.
The players were good, it was just Owers was unable to mould them into a winning team.

Good point - thank you for correcting me!

Yes, today was the final nail in the coffin. I have so far resisted pointing the finger at the manager but he has to be held to account for assembling the worst squad I think I can ever remember at TUFC and forcing them to play in bizarre formations and with clueless tactics (principally hoofball).

Edit:Just remembered that the Gary Owers squad was just as bad!

I am afraid that I will not be renewing my season ticket and will only return to watch the team next season if and when a new manager is recruited who can get the Club moving in the right direction.

Halstead - without several good one on one saves we would have lost by a street
Dawson - was our best midfielder and strove hard to make up for the missing Lapslie
Evans - tried his energetic best to plug gaps and try to move up forward. Good goal.
Lawrence - oozes class even at his tender years. Shame the rest of his defensive colleagues can't match him
Jarvis - once again tried his best with little quality service

I agree it was a red card decision given the way he went in and the prevailing conditions. But the team battled well today - unlike some recent performances - and nearly pulled off a result which looked unlikely as soon as they went ahead. Thought Dawson was the best of our midfielders but agreed that Halstead was a worthy MOTM for keeping us in the game with a series of 1 on 1 saves.

Can't understand why we didn't play more on the deck in those conditions - it was a nightmare for defenders made to turn - and why we didn't make their keeper play more. We had only three attempts in the first half and two in the second before they scored their second goal. We had another four, all on target, in the final couple of minutes after the goal which goes to show what we could have done with a different mindset earlier.

I think that was the final nail in our coffin - we are too far adrift now - and I am resigned to relegation. Its just a question of when it becomes a mathematical certainty - probably sooner rather than later.

No, I think we are on our way down now - too many of the marquee signings have turned out to be moth-eaten tent signings and the management appear to have lost the plot with bizarre team selections and formations and poor tactics.

Jarvis - continues to battle with zilch in the way of quality service and scored the goal
Lawrence - another good defensive display although not sure if he was at fault for their first goal
Evans - injected much needed urgency into midfield. I think he will be a good player in a better midfield than we possess.

No one else.

I am afraid that we are as good as down now. Johnson has given the dice a final roll with a 4-3-3 formation and once again we have come up with nothing.

For the second game in a row we have clawed our way back into a game and then casually thrown it away. After a dispiriting first half of hoofball and three attempts with one on target we managed to stir ourselves to make 9 attempts in the second half, four on target, hit the bar and scored the solitary goal before switching off and gifting them the winner.

That knocked the stuffing out of the side and there were no further attempts in the 13 minutes remaining. Bromley just coasted to the win.

The only players to come out of the game with their heads up were Jarvis, Evans and Lawrence. Some of the others were just plain average but there were three standout shockers - McGavin, Halstead and Donellan. The latter has had his moments in other games but what a shocking tackle to give them the penalty and what was Halstead thinking rolling the ball out to the opposition? I struggle to see what McGavin brings to any game - how the hell he keeps being picked God only knows. I almost think we would be better playing with 10 players than having him in the team.

I struggle to see how we are going to put the necessary run of results together so I think relegation is now almost certain. Depressed and angry.

Lawrence - he has a future at a higher level
Lapslie - tried his best to make up for the inadequacies of his fellow midfielders
Halstead - no chance with either goal
Jarvis - put himself about with almost zero service from his team mates
Moxey - even in his dotage he can show the rest of his team-mates a thing or two about being a professional footballer

BTW I think we missed Evans yesterday - he's taken a lot of stick from some during the season but I think much of it was unfair and at least he works his socks off like Lapslie and unlike the rest of our midfield.

I was so steamed up when I got home I thought I should resist an early posting. The first half was very poor with just two powder puff attempts on goal and one on target. The second half was a slight improvement with six attempts and two on target but we never looked likely winners of that game.

Performances all over the pitch were below par but special criticism has to be levelled at Mensah (an even worse full back than Crowe!), Marshall (a disaster waiting to happen), McGavin (a slow, lumbering presence in midfield who seems to think he just has to pirouette with the ball a few times and leave others to do the hard work) and De Silva (who despite his obvious talent in an attacking role was hardly in the game and a liability when defending). And who were we relying on to change the game at the death but another lightweight, Hanson!

Sadly, I have come to the realisation that we just do not have enough talent in the squad to survive in this league - those who are up to standard (Jarvis, Lapslie, Moxey, Lawrence and Halstead) are being let down by their team-mates and, by implication, the management. I hope I am proven wrong but I cannot see us collecting enough points from our remaining games.

That was not a clear penalty! Indeed it was no penalty at all. Wyatt definitely got the ball first despite Nemane getting on his wrong side. Would like to have seen the Moxey penalty shout earlier in the game - looked a far more obvious penalty from where I was.

So, overall, I felt United did well enough to share the points. Yes, County played some really good football in midfield, turning defence into attack, but we generally restricted them to long range chances. Everyone battled hard although Hanson was lucky not to see red whilst he was on - Rodrigues was clearly targeting him and the management should have taken him off earlier.

County were a really good team with a nasty side - Rodrigues particularly and got his comeuppance with a stupid second yellow.

Donellan - regularly won 50/50 challenges and moved the ball forward with purpose
Lapslie - for the goal and all round energy but was often chasing shadows given the quality of the opposition
Lawrence - apart from their first goal it was an assured performance from the youngster
Moxey - used his vast experience to effect
Evans - worked ever so hard to make things happen in midfield

Agree with Gateman we were superior for most of the match 16 attempts, 10 on target, 4 goals. Not sure how Somersetgull can say Taunton should have been 4-0 up at HT. They only had three attempts all game.

Donellan - two goal saving clearances and general calmness at the back
Hall - for the goal but also for a combative display in midfield
Lapslie - didn't stop running and with Hall maintained midfield superiority which we have lacked in previous games
Halstead - some assured keeping and at least one fine save
Jarvis - battling performance up front