Torquay United v Hartlepool United - 31/8/13

AustrianAndyGull · Post by **AustrianAndyGull** » 01 Sep 2013, 16:24

I can accept that Brucie no problems but maybe when we are 20 odd games in and the same patterns of play are establishing themselves then then it perhaps might be appropriate to express our unhappiness at what is happening out there on the pitch. Both first halves at Morecambe and Northampton were awful and yielded little in the way of excitement or chances but both more than made up for that second half and so I can see that it is a work in progress. I've not seen the home games but I get the impression we are creating chances to score goals but that our overall play is disappointing. Should this continue then by all means express concerns but we have to allow Knill and the players the time to bed in and get something going. The manager cannot just wave a magic wand and overnight we become like Barcelona. Over the coming months we should see gradual signs of improvement and then we can see where we are then.

Take Carlisle, they have been getting smashed all over the park so far this season but got a surprise 0-0 draw at Brentford on Saturday and who knows, that might be the catalyst and confidence boost they need to improve and end up finishing in the play offs ultimately. Ok so it's a long shot but what i'm trying to say is that although performances haven't been scintillating, it's still early days and we've only lost once. Like I said before, would you be happier paying your £17 quid and going to watch an established Ling side knowing what is to come and having nearly 2 years of it or would you be happy now paying £17 and seeing some improvement with more to follow i'm sure? It may be an accurate assessment but of the game yesterday but look upon it as a slight disappointment with better around the corner and not a crisis and we're going nowhere. Of course it could turn out to be the latter but after just 5 games there is no basis for such a prediction.

We have the makings of a decent squad and the jury is out on a couple of first team regulars IMO but we now have goals in the team as so long as we carry on making chances, goals will be scored, confidence on the ball will improve as will an understanding of team mates, performances will get better and we will be adding points on the table on a consistent basis. I truly believe this.

tomogull · Post by **tomogull** » 01 Sep 2013, 18:11

You're right Andy - we have to remain positive. And there were positives from yesterday's game, notably the back four, although it has to be said they weren't severely tested. Also, Martin Rice was given a thorough testing with several back-passes, but his distribution all afternoon was pretty good I thought. It's by no means a certainty that Poke will walk right back into the team when he is fit. Rice has taken his opportunity.

But in reality, and I type this through gritted teeth, I can't disagree with much that Brucie has posted, except his assessment of Hawley and Ball - they will get goals IF they get the right service. It has to be said that service from both wingers was awful yesterday. Jordan Chappell is a good prospect but his crosses in the first half were poor. Yes - we did create a few chances and the ball was cleared off the line, but for all our huff and puff, their keeper had very little to do all afternoon. The only real save he had to make was from a crazy back header from one of his own players !

The first five/ten minutes were great with quick-fire incisive passes and then we lost momentum. We became more ponderous and predictable. The match looked a 0 - 0 bore draw long before half time and that's what we got. By the way, not all 0 - 0 draws are boring. But this one certainly was.

AustrianAndyGull · Post by **AustrianAndyGull** » 01 Sep 2013, 18:18

I appreciate your comments tomogull and I have to concur with you about the service to the front men. We have a big man I Callum Ball yet never get crosses slung in for him in the games I've seen, all the attacking play generally has come from the front two holding the ball up for Chappell and midfielders to be brought into play. It is a little one dimensional at the moment IMO but like I said, give it time, i'm sure Knill will know this and we need to change a little to accommodate Ball and get the best out of him.

chunkygull · Post by **chunkygull** » 01 Sep 2013, 18:21

check it out -

http://www1.skysports.com/watch/video/8 ... hartlepool

was balls shot/cross going in before benyon touched it. it happens so quickly. but then again, why was benyon wandering about offside so easily.

anyway, its all part of a learning curve for the team. the more they play together, the more they learn, the more they knit/ gel as a unit.

i just hope they keep trying the passing on the deck, possession stuff, its more effective and much better to watch than hoofball. if they keep it up they will get results more often than not, we just need a couple of decent passes to make a few chances, but we have to be more ruthless in front of goal. thats the only real difference between top and bottom in the lower leagues, look at the oxford game stats they had 4 shots on target and scored 3 goals. we had 8 on target, scored 1.

Oil Beef Hooked · Post by **Oil Beef Hooked** » 02 Sep 2013, 11:27

The more I see the shirt, the more I like it. :~D. Still needs blue shorts though.

Like Chunks has said, you can't definitively see from the video if Ball's effort was going in before being dispatched by Benyon and being ruled offside. Any thoughts from those who stood on the Pop?

tomogull · Post by **tomogull** » 02 Sep 2013, 16:03

I had a Eureka! moment whilst watching match of the day last night (apologies for lowering the tone by bringing the Premier League into it). Gus Poyet was talking after one of the games - I'm pretty sure it was the West Brom/Swansea match. He said West Brom played okay but there was no tempo to their play. That's it ! That was exactly our failing against Hartlepool. We began at a great pace which fizzled out after about 15 minutes and then the build ups got slower and slower and more and more predictable the longer the match went on. So that's the answer ..... more tempo. In fact, thinking back to Leroy's side, we always played fast, slick football.

ferrarilover · Post by **ferrarilover** » 02 Sep 2013, 16:55

That's fine and, often, correct. Unfortunately, against 11 men behind the ball, that isn't possible. Hartlepool made everything so compact that the only option was to draw them out, tempt someone into breaking ranks and trying something rash, then exploiting the space. Sadly, they didn't fall for it, except for when they did, and then we couldn't find a killer pass (if only we'd signed that Nathan Craig fella...). It's exactly what Chelsea have spent the last few years doing in the main and it won them the Champions League two years ago. No shame in not being able to breech it, just very, very frustrating to watch.
I saw a proposal recently which suggested that, for a 0-0 draw, neither side got a point. That seems an excellent idea to me, you might as well lose and get nothing as draw and get nothing.
If we'd have scored after 10 seconds (as we very much should have), they would have been forced to attack at least occasionally and we would have annihilated them. As it was, we didn't, so they weren't, so we didn't. Not too fussed, they be Dartford's problem next year...

Matt.

Dutchgull · Post by **Dutchgull** » 02 Sep 2013, 19:12

This adoration of Nathan Craig is getting tiresome. There must be something missing in his game or attitude or something else as both Ling and now Knill don't want to use him. Wouldn't that suggest that not all is right with some part of his make up ??

It would be great to think that he could provide what we need in midfield but i somehow doubt it.

The managers see the players every day in training so I am sure they know more than us mere mortals !!

ferrarilover · Post by **ferrarilover** » 02 Sep 2013, 20:04

I almost don't care what he's missing (if anything), he is the answer to the biggest question we have.

Matt.

Dutchgull · Post by **Dutchgull** » 02 Sep 2013, 20:29

Er NO !

I would love to be proved wrong as I thought he would be close to being Eunans successor but something has definitely gone wrong with him.

AustrianAndyGull · Post by **AustrianAndyGull** » 02 Sep 2013, 20:42

I think it's worth giving Craig a go in the middle should Harding fail to impress, it's worth a try and like Matt says he could be the answer to our problem. I'm not convinced however but it's worth trying.

tomogull · Post by **tomogull** » 02 Sep 2013, 21:06

I would actually like to see 4 1(Lathrope) 2(Mansell & Craig) 3 tried - i.e. dispensing with one of the wingers (no prizes for guessing which one, Andy!). I was a great fan of Lathrope playing in that 'holding' position the season before last.

ferrarilover · Post by **ferrarilover** » 02 Sep 2013, 21:12

Dutchgull wrote:Er NO !

I would love to be proved wrong as I thought he would be close to being Eunans successor but something has definitely gone wrong with him.

What on Earth do you mean no?

What were we missing on Saturday? The only thing masking it 0-0 and stopping it being 6-0 was a player in the Eunan mould to play the right ball at the right time. If nothing else, that's precisely what Nathan brings to a team.

Matt.

tomogull · Post by **tomogull** » 02 Sep 2013, 21:20

ferrarilover wrote: I saw a proposal recently which suggested that, for a 0-0 draw, neither side got a point. That seems an excellent idea to me, you might as well lose and get nothing as draw and get nothing.

Matt.

Hmmm ...... not sure I agree with that, Matt. Not all 0 - 0 draws are boring although off the top of my head, I can't remember many that aren't. I recall a very good 0 - 0 draw against Salisbury in the Conference and the best one of all was years ago away to Darlington - I wuz there. Both teams were promoted that season but what I remember from that game was the brilliance of both 'keepers (our keeper then was Gary McGuire). Both teams went for it - there was no defending for a goal less draw.

ferrarilover · Post by **ferrarilover** » 02 Sep 2013, 21:26

Arranging the world on the basis of the one in a million being the norm is how we ended up with airport scanners and journalist's boyfriends being detained under anti-terrorism law.

Matt.

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