Torquay United Fans Forum

Hi guys, Cheltenham fan again, and I look forward to playing you again next season!

Went to your game today and thought I'd offer a few thoughts.

It was a strange game in the sense that you looked very comfortable all game, and if you really wanted to, could have won by a few. I just got the sense that the players were a bit bored and were trying lots of nice little tricks and flicks without the purpose of trying to extend the lead. That said, I appreciated the attempt to play football on the floor, and you did so successfully. Noble as it is, is it an effective way to gain points in this league?

I thought you lack a bit of intelligence in the final third too. Both your forwards were looking to play off the shoulders of Dartford's defensive line, when you might have created more had you showed a little more movement and imagination in between the midfield and forward lines - like you see in the higher divisions a lot more.

It could be a major coincidence, but it has been literally every single game I have seen Martin Rice being culpable for a goal conceded. He also can't kick to save his life.

If I were a fair weather or neutral fan, I would sack off the final few Torquay games - a real air around the place that you want the season to end.

Hi guys (me again!).

I wondered whether any of you would be kind enough to outline what we at Cheltenham can expect from our new manager?

His reputation comes as very mixed, but I see Torquay as being a far more similar club to ourselves than either Rovers or Luton, so would be fascinated to hear what you guys have got to say!

Good luck for this season - I think you will make the playoffs having seen you play a couple of times. Would love to see you back in the FL (and thanks for beating Martin Allen - that always goes down well!).

Cheers.

Nick - I see our problem as almost being the opposite - our squad is perhaps weaker (it is certainly smaller) but our starting XI is stronger (this is perhaps due to spending higher wages). Our season could go either way, but it would be very disappointing if it did fall in a similar manner to Torquay. There is room in the budget to make changes in January if necessary, but Yates has to start accumulating the wins or the pressure from the supporters could mount. Part of the problem for many of us is that his job is too safe.

I am undecided as to whether or not we are better than last year. On paper, I feel we are better (and so does Lee Mansell). However, on paper, and on the pitch are completely different entities. We have lost Marlon Pack, but that is the only influential player to leave over the summer (Carter was pants, and Mohamed maybe had three decent games last season). In fact, I believe that building the team around Pack caused our poor goal tally last season.

Hello again Gulls. To the uninitiated, I am a Cheltenham fan.

I am sorry to offend, but the original post in this thread is riddled with errors, so I would read it with scepticism. It is too long for me to correct everything, but McGlashan is not experienced, Elliott is not a midfielder (and would not form a good partnership with Mansell), Wilson has only played one game, we don't have a Richardson, and Cureton has only scored one goal because he was stretchered off after 20 minutes of the season.

In short, we have been dire defensively. There is no reason why this should be the case (having had the second best record in the league last season), but it just is. Unlike last season, we seem to be able to score a fair few - so something has worked. I wouldn't read too much into our position just yet, and the expectation is for us to challenge at the top end. Whether we will or not will depend on how well we can sort out the defence - hopefully the arrival of Dave Kevan has first team coach will be the difference.

As for our team - it is difficult to say, but I reckon the following:

Brown

Lowe Wilson Elliott Jombati

McGlashan Penn Noble Richards

Harrison Gornell

Cureton could start, but I doubt it.

I think we will lose to you this weekend. 3-1. Again, I have no rational reason for this, but it has been an irrational start to the season.

I used to be the match reporter for Tiverton, and I can confirm that he played a friendly in the 2006 off-season, scoring a goal in a 6-1 defeat to Port Vale. The next pre-season game was against his parent club Bristol City, in which he appeared for the Robins.

Hello again Gulls!

From another outsider's perspective (me, a Devonian Cheltenham supporter with a keen eye on you lot, Exeter and Plymouth), I don't think the original prediction is far off the mark.

This forum is one of the best in terms of supporters with a realistic perspective of their own club (our own Robins Nest Forum has a fair few who seem to have ideas well above their station) although I have found the analyses of Ling and Knill rather fascinating particularly. I recall during our playoff encounters this forum fawning over the managerial qualities of Ling (and that was pretty justified, he did a magnificent job) and even before the early season game at Plainmoor last season, he was still subject to almost universal acclaim (again, justifiably so, he had lost some key players). Now, I know that many of you will disagree with my views of Ling's departure, and that isn't relevant here. However, I am getting a sense of deja vu reading some of your comment's about Knill. To some, he can do no wrong it seems, despite his questionable managerial record (indeed, many of the supporters from his past clubs have nothing but bleak stories that rival JG Ballard - the same goes for Chris Brass).

That said, you have made a cracking signing in Cameron, who I would have liked for Cheltenham. Harding and Tonge are your run of the mill League Two players, and Chapell has promise. Regardless of some of your views, you have lost two excellent players in Saah and Howe - integral to your playoff season and I don't think either have been replaced satisfactorily. This said, I expect you to finish lower midtable (16th perhaps) and higher than Exeter.

I fully expect many of you to strike me down, however, this is a perspective of someone with no prejudice or bias and someone who has been following your fortunes carefully (many of my best friends are Torquay fans and I have suffered their moaning down at the pub for far too long).

All the best for the coming season, and I would love for you to prove me wrong and join us (hopefully) in a promotion push.

ferrarilover wrote:It was a little odd, Roar, but for me, it was their defending. Their plan seemed to be for everyone to rush about,crowding the man with the ball. That works fine against us, but can you imagine if they tried it against Gillingham, whose players seemed to be on a fine every time they took more than one touch, they'd be f**k ed by the end of the match.

the weirdest team in the division football wise, for me, is Cheltenham I hate the way they play at home. Can't really put my finger on it, I just really hate their football.

I think Barnet may suffer for having Davids. He's their only quality and he's far too good for them, so their players seem not to be playing football, but are playing a game of 'get the ball to Davids as soon and as often as possible'. V strange indeed.

Matt.

How many times have you seen Cheltenham play at home this season?

Thanks - and I still think you will be the number 1 team in Devon this season. I can't see the nonagenarians of Exeter lasting a full 46 games.

From my position, it looked around the 400 mark. You were loud though.

Ben that is a fantastic post, and I agree with everything that I am in a position to comment on.

I have written a lengthy report on the game on our forum, but I did think 2-1 was a flattering scoreline. You seem to be very reliant on Howe. You were by no means the worst side we have played, and I still back you to reach the top ten, but you hit us on a good day (and I hope we shall have many more of those to come).

Your fans completely out-sang our lot (although I don't really give a damn - alongside attendance comparisons, I am amazed by how much bandwidth is spent on forums discussing these completely irrelevant topics), but I thought the relentless 'I want to go home' chant was pretty lame. Not very witty, and Cheltenham is hardly a 'shit hole'.

Thanks Smiffy, and I would not be at all surprised if you won.

Darren Carter used to play for Birmingham and West Brom (so he hasn't spent much time in L2) but he suffered a horrific injury which kept him out all of last season. He is rebuilding his career with us.

He has yet to hit top form which he recognises himself, but he will improve as the season progresses, which is why I think Yates was keen to make a cheeky £100k + Rooney in exchange for an out-of-form player whose contract runs out in the summer.

Re: Jeff Goulding.

I am one of the few Cheltenham supporters you will come across who thinks he is an excellent player for this division. However, he needs to be used properly. As we had no target man, Yates tried to adapt his game to play that role, and that isn't his game. He is very skilful on the ball and can score goals out of nothing - however, he is more of a link man between the midfield and forwards.

I think Darryl Duffy might be available for a loan move too - he is a finisher but I am not a massive fan of his. He is easily frustrated on the field and likes to moan with the officials rather than actually focus on his own game at times. However, if he had a run of games, he would score lots of goals (as he did for us last season). Yates' biggest flaw is that he rotates the team too much, so strikers struggle to get a continuous run in the team. I think Duffy would work well with Howe in a front two.

Carter and Pack cannot really play together because they are too similar (and Carter is a much better footballer). We have suffered some heavy results this season because we have played those two in the middle, and neither of them can tackle. Now that we have Jason Taylor, we have sought to remedy that problem.

Doesn't surprise me about Cureton and Tisdale - the latter strikes me as very arrogant in every single interview. He talks a complicated game and appears to know little about the teams he is playing against. Was so pleased to see you win though (not only for our sakes, but I do expect the Greeks to nosedive).

Same with you lot! I live in Exeter and many of my friends support Torquay, and apart from the friendly banter, we all share a common desire to see Torquay become the official 'Number One' team in Devon - cannot stand ECFC particularly, they have delusions of grandeur and are in as much a false position as you are (for differing reasons). You guys also have a good record against us (playoffs aside), and you are very hard to beat (Ling teams always remind me of Cheltenham under John Ward - nothing particularly fancy, no prima donnas, but so solid defensively and difficult to beat).

I am always nervous ahead of these games because one particular Gull friend of mine is very opportunistic at the slightest 'chink in one's armor'. A very interesting game today.

One piece of advice for those travelling up by car - whilst it seems easier to go to a car park, there is a lot of street parking that looks far away on the map, but there are paths unmarked which make it only a two minute walk to the away end - lots of free spaces on Pitville Circus Road.