Torquay United vs Oxford Utd 17/08/13

[lucy6lucy]

Yes, let's
Good start
Oh dear, it's all started to go wrong
This is a cliché, not a fact, the two are entirely different.
True, so credit for it being a fact, but meaningless, so no joy here.
Another genuine fact, huzzah. Doesn't bring much to the party, but I guess factual and meaningful is probably too much to ask.
As opposed to last year, when we didn't lose our first League game until September 15th and didn't lost at home in the League until November 17th, look how well that worked out for us...
Oh good, I think this is an excellent idea
Oh deary, deary me. Here, Hector, allow me to help you out:

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/fact?s=t

I've lost the will to go through the rest of the post, desperately searching with hope in my heart for a genuine, bona fide fact to leap out, only for my hopes to be cruelly dashed at the last.

There are only opinions which matter, opinions which cannot be proven, cannot b claimed to be factual, cannot ever be disputed. It is an opinion to suggest that we were the better side overall yesterday. We dominated for periods, which Oxford never did. We created, and spurned chances, which Oxford never did. We suffered from some of the most bizarre refereeing I've ever seen, which Oxford never did. We hit the woodwork, had two off the line, scored one, had one ruled out for God knows what, wasted a couple of decent openings, forced their hopelessly inept keeper into one extremely fine save and generally looked much more likely to score than Oxford ever did. Rice touched the ball 4 times. One parry (which lead to a goal, but that he could do nothing else with) and three times he retrieved the ball out of his net.

Had things been the other way round yesterday, we'd have the usual suspects on here telling us that we cannot rely on luck (a set piece, a "worldy" and a late counter) to win matches, we were completely outplayed for long spells, we were lucky not to concede 5 or 6 goals, they were all over us etc etc. Yet, when we do it to other teams, they get a bit jammy and go home with three points having been in our half three times, suddenly we're relegation fodder and look miles off the pace.

If Oxford have 9 points after three games, they're world beaters and look like they ought to be in the Championship. If we have 2 points after three games, we're relegated, look like candidates to be in the Evo-Stik league before long. If Oxford have 9 points after 46 games, then tell me they're all that good. If they continue to struggle to create anything of note in games, they might well find themselves heading down and down the league. Similarly, if we keep pumping away and creating chances, getting Hawley involved, utilising Ball's strength (anything but his head), playing to our collective strengths, then we could well end up fighting at the right end of the table. Of course, the usual suspects will be nowhere to be seen, only popping on to scream "I TOLD YOU SO" every time we fail to win a match, before disappearing like a fart in the wind when we go 10 or 12 unbeaten.

I don't much care if you accept or reject the idea of luck, we were unlucky yesterday. It was nothing to do with anything but luck that the FA allocated Graham Salisbury to our match instead of, say, Cheltenham v Plymouth. But for him, such was the nature of the match, that we would likely have gone on to win and we'd be all smiles now.

If you want to see a proper hopeless team, have a look at Carlisle, then tell me we're as bad as some seem to think we are...

Matt.

Have a G and T Matt, and make it a double. Your right though, FFS there's 43 games left to play for, and unlike last season we seem to creating more than 1 goalscoring chance.

[Jeff]

Just to clarify before I post, I wasn't there yesterday nor have I been to any games, so these are just my musings.

From what I've heard, yesterday was one of those days. We had good spells and bad spells, but we never took advantage of the good stuff and got punished in every single bad spell. We were up against an Oxford side who might not be dazzling, but are well drilled and have had a good start to the season. It was always going to be a tough game and a barometer of where we are, and as expected we haven't gelled enough yet to be a realistic candidate. Could be a slow starter, so the season isn't over, but we're not there yet and there is still work to do.

Out of curiosity, I looked up our home record against Oxford as I struggled to remember us doing well against them at Plainmoor. Sure enough, we've lost 3 and drawn 1 of our league meetings since we both got back into L2. We beat them twice (once in the Cup, once in the League) in our BSP days but for our last home FL win you have to go back to Leroy and his promotion season. In short, in recent times we struggle to beat Oxford. Much like we NEVER win at Scunthorpe (or at least thats how I remember it anyway).

Panic stations yet? No chance, its still far too early. Decent clubs like Bristol Rovers and Cheltenham are worse off that us, my tips for the drop (Accrington and Hartlepool) also. Next week will be an interesting one, as Northampton don't seem to be miles better off than we are. A meek defeat there and maybe I'll be concerned, but by the same token if we get a result I won't expect us to "p*** this tinpot league" either. It'll just be a useful yardstick for us.

Again, from what I've heard we are being hamstrung by having an almost completely new spine to the team. First choice keeper out (fair play to Ricey for doing a good job so far though), new Centre Half partnership, new Central Midfield partnership and two new Centre forwards. From what I can gather, we have two very similar centre mids, and don't know who are first choice wingers are yet. Not time for drastic changes yet, but possibly something to bear in mind

[friendlygas]

Hi Gulls,
Well reading you comments seems like you are very similar to us. I said when I was last on here that I expected the two of us to be pretty close together this season but I was hoping we would both have more points. We have got 10 out injured but in all honesty Im not convinced as they return we will be that much better. John Ward plays very boring tactics so we don't look like conceding many or scoring many. Newport were awful and we still lost and Exeter were poor too. If we don't pick up a win soon I will be worrying . Just hoping that by the time we play you we have a few more points than last year at Xmas and that we are well away from the bottom 4. Good luck.

[brucie]

According to gullinwotplaces Fl is the voice of sanity - what are you actually on mate. Having seen the highlights our defence was absolutely abyssmal. Great strike by Constable but really our defending was a disgrace.
Rice should have done better with their third goal but hes done well and we were gone by then anyway. Great strike by Ball.
I can scarcely believe that there was no film of our goal - this followed no interview by Knill yesterday. I mean is that actually for real?
As we were so unlucky no doubt we should expect three points next week at Northampton. They don't look any great shakes at all and having had Hackett sent off yesterday thats a major bonus for us.
I actually think the key game might be Hartlepool at home. They appear to be worse than us but lose that one and its difficult to see where we might go after that.
There are still some rank bad teams in this division - Hartlepool,Accrington and Morecambe for example. We need to get some pojnts now - not in November.

[hector]

Good post Matt, a voice of sanity in a sea of madness, the sea of Brucie and Hector.

Did you read my post? What exactly was mad about it? And to suggest that 'Matt' is the voice of sanity is rich. He is determind that all is good. If we lose it is hard luck not because we are not good enough and if we win it is because we are good. We really are the best team in the league no doubt according to Matt and it is just because of misfortune when we lose because obviously defeats only occur when luck is against us, otherwise we would win.

[hector]

In fact we were bound to lose to Oxford because we always lose to them. What sort of logic is that?

[gullintwoplaces]

According to gullinwotplaces Fl is the voice of sanity - what are you actually on mate. Having seen the highlights our defence was absolutely abyssmal. Great strike by Constable but really our defending was a disgrace.
Rice should have done better with their third goal but hes done well and we were gone by then anyway. Great strike by Ball.
I can scarcely believe that there was no film of our goal - this followed no interview by Knill yesterday. I mean is that actually for real?
As we were so unlucky no doubt we should expect three points next week at Northampton. They don't look any great shakes at all and having had Hackett sent off yesterday thats a major bonus for us.
I actually think the key game might be Hartlepool at home. They appear to be worse than us but lose that one and its difficult to see where we might go after that.
There are still some rank bad teams in this division - Hartlepool,Accrington and Morecambe for example. We need to get some pojnts now - not in November.

My dear Brucie, compared to you FL is the epitome of reason, common sense and sound argument. It is very easy to be pessimistic ALL the time, because then you are occasionally right. You predicted that we would go down in seasons when we reached the play off final, you are a busted flush mate. Nick Clegg has more credibility than you.

[OllieGull]

Was just watching the highlights of the game on the sky website, at the end the stats said we had 8 shots on target, whereas Oxford only had 4. Although we lost and Oxford were extremely clinical that's quite a positive.

[brucie]

It isn't a positive because we lost. Hector is dead right with his post. Fl is obviously an ardent supporter but as Hector quite rightly says he peddles the same line everytime we lose. Its either the wind,the ref,its raining,its dry,its the lino,the post,the bar, the opposition fans - its never anythiing to do with the opposition being better than us.
Oxfords second goal was apparently the result of "a lucky punt" downfield - nothing to do with the way we defended of course.

[yellowforever]

We weren't amazing, but we weren't great. I agree with Brucie on the matter of excuse making - it's tiresome and doesn't do our performance any justice. "Wasn't our day" is not a valid excuse when it applies to most of our results, so far we've been 'unlucky' in all of our games, and our performances 'deserved more'. Whether we played well or not - we're on 2 points out of 9 and that is simply unacceptable, especially as two have been at home, and 2 have been against unfancied teams.

Ball and Hawley are promising - a lack of service has been a travesty. Can no one in our team play a through ball to them?

Mansell and Harding just aren't going to work, they need something else. Someone with creativity. I'm not sure Craig is the answer, we need an old timer like Leven (coincidentally released by Oxford today) who has a bit of nous.

Wingers have been inconsistent - but then again that is to be expected at our level. With more direction, Cameron and Bodin will be fine players, it just isn't working for them currently. Chappell needs to play though as he is our best by far.

Pearce and Downes is alright, the centre of our defence is the least of our worries.

Nicolson is not good enough. Cruise is nothing special but seems more assured, and will hopefully grow into a good player. Tonge has to come back in for Nico.

[yellowforever]

" [usual boring statement removed] "

Inserted I assume as a safeguard against the Brucie/Wivelgull love in? In this case though, Brucie certainly has a point.

[tomogull]

Hi Gulls,
Well reading you comments seems like you are very similar to us. I said when I was last on here that I expected the two of us to be pretty close together this season but I was hoping we would both have more points. We have got 10 out injured but in all honesty Im not convinced as they return we will be that much better. John Ward plays very boring tactics so we don't look like conceding many or scoring many. Newport were awful and we still lost and Exeter were poor too. If we don't pick up a win soon I will be worrying . Just hoping that by the time we play you we have a few more points than last year at Xmas and that we are well away from the bottom 4. Good luck.

Seems we're on the same learning curve, FGas. We are not gelling as a team yet but I think we'll be okay without being anything special. Surprised your lot lost at both Exeter and Newport. But having TEN players out injured, it's not surprising you're struggling. If we had ten players out injured, we wouldn't be able to field a team. I reckon we'll both be well up the league by Christmas.

[wivelgull]

I stand with brucie AND hector. Also, it's blindingly obvious that we need a decent midfielder, one with a least minimal vision. Hoofing the ball hopefully to Ball and Hawley isn't enough.

[Colorado Gull]

I stand with brucie AND hector. Also, it's blindingly obvious that we need a decent midfielder, one with a least minimal vision. Hoofing the ball hopefully to Ball and Hawley isn't enough.

We have one.

[thegreedygull]

Don't panic !