Torquay United v York City - 5/10/13

[madgull]

Right, collected my thoughts, and here is my (untainted by seeing any game this season so far) thoughts on how we played.

The Team Performance

The first 20/30 minutes was genuinely exciting, we were passing it to the wings with real intent, overlapping and trying to create. HOWEVER, I feel we were crippled by both an inability to cross the ball, and also an unwillingness to when the opportune moment presented itself. I mean seriously, both Tonge and Chappell were guilty of hitting dire crosses in acres of space. How hard can it be for a professional footballer to put a cross in and stick it on or around the edge of the six yard box?

As the game wore on, we increasingly failed to keep it simple; instead of centre halves passing it to the right back to pass it to the right winger, we would attempt to loft the ball, Hollywood-style, into the path of said winger, only to give it away. So many times the pairing of Cruise and O'Connor, who both seem to possess fantastic touches and passing for defenders, were looking long to see which player was furthest, rather than laying it to midfielders and full-backs in space.

In terms of shape, as a front pairing Hawley and Azeez were WAY too far apart, every time one of them won a flick-on header (which a lot of play seemed based around), then the other would be a good twenty yards away and running away from the ball. When Benyon came on this changed a little, but then we had two sub-6ft strikers and were winning one in ten balls in the air at best.

Also, our throw-in routines on the right were dire. Tonge to take it, Chapell the only man within half a mile, double-marked. Summed it up pretty nicely.

We just seemed to collapse after the first goal, a real shame, as we had just missed a gilt-edged opportunity to score. We really gave them the win today; York were very poor, and we fell apart rather than being taken apart.

To sum up: MORE CROSSING OF A HIGHER QUALITY. MORE KEEPING IT SIMPLE. GET THE STRIKERS CLOSER TOGETHER IF YOU'RE GONNA LOFT IT UP TO THEM. PUT THE BALL IN THE NET!!! WE LOOKED PRETTY DECENT FOR THE FIRST HALF, THEN WHEN OUR MAKESHIFT DEFENCE WAS FINALLY BREACHED WE WENT TO PIECES, WE'RE NOT FAR AWAY BUT MY GOD WE NEED A FINISHER.

Individual Performances

Martin Rice
Looked OK, but regressed a little as the game went on into the Martin Rice that I remember. MUST be more assertive and come for crossed and corners. Seemed to parry a lot of shots straight out into the danger area. Looked like he had killed their player with that goal kick, the sound of the ball hitting his head was the loudest thing all game!

Dale Tonge
Pretty average, did his job but offered little in attack.

Anthony O'Connor
Very assured on the ball, his flick over the head of an attacker and subsequent pass was fantastic in the first half, and when he careered forwards in the second it was very early Rio Ferdinand. Unfortunately, foolishly wrestled with the opponent too much to give away the free kick that led to our goal, and seemed a little unreliable defensively. Was guilty of looking too far forward for passing in the second half as the pressure mounted.

Tom Cruise
Very similar to O'Connor, did his job as well as could be hoped for in the circumstances. Immediately gets my vote to replace Nico at full back when Downes or Pearce recover.

Kevin Nicholson
Defensively, I hid behind my hands every time their wingers went one-on-one with him. His legs are so desperately shot that it is almost embarrassing. That said, he seems to be the only player in our entire team that can cross a football and shows the willingness to do so when the chance presents itself.

Jordan Chapell
A very talented footballer with fantastic feet, but conspicuously lacking in pace for a winger. He reminds me of Alex Russell when he first joined the club playing on the left wing, not much pace and not really overly tricky, but very confident on the ball and someone who can play a pass when needed.

Ben Harding
Looked pretty decent, hustled and bustled, looks like he can hit a shot if he wants to. Certainly didn't show any of the lack of energy I've seen him accused of. However, WHY DIDN'T KNILL BRING HIM OFF SOONER? He was hobbling around for a good five or ten minutes in obvious discomfort before finally breaking down, at which point AK didn't even have Damon Lathrope fully ready. Defied belief completely.

Lee Mansell
I'm sorry, but it is the end for Lee. Our standout worst player, he didn't even put in a noticeably higher shift than the rest of the team, and his inability to encourage his colleagues was breathtaking. Constantly slowing down the play when it wasn't needed or attempting to overplay, or simply misplacing easy passes.

Billy Bodin
As always, flattered to deceive. He is frustrating in that he is obviously a talented footballer, but too often lacks any kind of end product or decisiveness in what he is going to do with the ball when he gets it. Seemed best when receiving the ball in a central position and running straight at the heart of the defence, as he was forced to just go with instinct rather than overthink it.

Karl Hawley
Our most technically impressive player on the pitch, and if I discounted his (glaring) misses, then he would be the standout contender for Man of the Match. Unfortunately, all too often we are using him as an out ball completely unsupported, expecting him to conjure something out of thin air. Great touch and shielding, but was often on the end of chances, which is really not where he seems to be best. Could be best utilised as the playmaking attacking midfielder of a 4-3-3/4-5-1, playing in between midfield and attack, setting up wingers and a lone centre forward.

Adebayo Azeez
Put in a great work rate, and looks like, if provided with the chances, may score a few. Reminds me of a higher work-rate Emmanuel Adebayor, very physical and athletic, unfortunately I feel his ball control is somewhat suspect, more than once he knocked it forward overly heavily and was dispossessed. Jury is still out, for me.

SUB: Damon Lathrope
A massive frustration. Obviously better with the ball at his feet than most of our midfield, and can play his way out of situations that others can't, but then often seems to try and over-play when he should keep it simple and gives the ball away. Would prefer him to Mansell with an instruction to keep it simple and just play it about.

SUB: Elliot Benyon
Quick, industrious, and was mercifully closer to his strike partner than Azeez, but saw precious little of the ball in the box where he is most effective. Still looks a little shaky with the ball at his feet, isn't ever going to create anything on his own.

SUB: Courtney Cameron
Quite nippy, and had a couple of flashes of inspiration, but then completely lacked any kind of end product. Ran into dead ends a few times, and reminds me a lot of Billy Bodin. In fairness, our team had already surrendered when he came on, so had little to work with.


A SPECIAL MENTION FOR THE SO-CALLED 'FANATICS'

I've seen more fanaticism at a piano recital. The support (or lack of it) today was beyond poor, it was pathetic. Sitting in the Bench, it was painful to see the 'Fanatics' section empty first out of all of the popside, by full time it was practically empty. I think I heard three songs in total all game; I felt almost embarrassed to shout 'COME ON BOYS' at each kickoff. There was no encouragement for the players, not even the usual groans of disappointment. Just silence. Usually, it kills me to go anywhere else in the ground, but such was the atmosphere that today I really didn't mind. I understand that not all fans want to sing, but if you stand in those centre sections then you should be expecting to make a noise and give it some welly, not limply retreat from the ground ten minutes before the end because we're playing like s**t. My God, I remember being twelve, it was hammering it down with rain on a cold Tuesday in December, we were drawing 0-0 with Rushden and Diamonds and the game was beyond abject, I don't think there was a shot on goal. Still, the fans sang and made jokes and generally abused each other and the players.

Even in the rest of the ground, I was getting odd looks for simply applauding decent moves and shouting the occasional "unlucky" or "well in". The same fans who I saw sitting glumly in their seats then had the audacity to (very quietly, to their chums after the match) scold the players for a lack of passion and commitment. Well.

[ferrarilover]

You don't understand this football thing, do you Hector?

In the summer, we had a transfer kitty, a blank slate and a sob story to sell. Today, we have a packet of peanuts, a fixed squad and, if Knill goes, a record of three managers in 4 months. Can you not see why they're would be no quality candidates available tomorrow?

Yes, absolutely we will persist with Knill because we can't sack him, but equally, we will persist with him because sacking a manager after 10 games, of which some have been good and some bad, is the stupidest thing going. Have a look at those clubs which go through managers in our division. Bristol Rovers are a case in point. All the money in the world, three million fans a week, paying their strikers wages which would shame some Championship clubs and they've come closer to relegation than we have in recent years. Endlessly changing the manager gets you nowhere. Aside from anything else, new manager means new coaches, new methods, new players and that means you're starting from scratch every time. That's no good. We haven't got the money to simply throw this whole lot away and start again.
What's needed here is not a total overhaul, we aren't Plymouth or Portsmouth. We aren't in terminal decline. We aren't paying wages which our position can't justify. We're Torquay, we're where we normally are, in the bottom half of L2.
We have been good at times this season. We were good against Swindon, we were good against Northampton, we were good against Newport. The club has within it the pieces to be successful, it just needs tinkering to find the right formula.
Today, we were awful, abhorrent, unacceptable, the worst we've been for many years (sorry to the lurking York fans, but you're a terrible side who caught a break in finding us today at our lowest ebb for a very long time. Please don't think you won yesterday because you were good, you were just slightly less Evo-Stik than we were and an ordinary Newport or AFCW would have made mincemeat of you) but that is no reason to forget that just a week earlier we were very much the better side against a wealthy Newport side and that was without some keyb players.

We're missing four centre backs. No club in L2, not even Swindon of a couple of years ago could cope with that. With Downer and Pearce fully fit at the back for the last 8 days, it's likely that we beat Newport and get at least a point yesterday and no one is whinging.
No, missing two players and their reserve equivalents doesn't excuse the performance yesterday, but it doesn't help either.
Additionally, as F'rev mentioned, losing Harding today didn't help. Manse was hopeless, but Harding was playing well, getting stuck in and bringing others into play. He went off and we were stuck with Lathrope who isn't a proper midfielder. From that moment on, York took control and we'd had it.
Once again, we've conceded startlingly few shots on target and an equal number of goals. As per Oxford, we've shipped three and I can't remember a save that Rice has had to make.
These things don't fit in with your wholly negative view of the club at present, but to disregard them is a folly.
One day this season, I want the opposition to have no fit centrebacks, lose their best midfielder after half an hour and for us to score with every shot on target that we have and you see if we don't win by three clear goals.

I know he's had some already and it hasn't been perfect, but give Knill and this team time. It's not looking good, we aren't scoring enough goals and that is now being exposed because we're desperately vulnerable at the back, but Knill will get them playing his sort of football, he will get us scoring goals, he will keep us in the division (which is all any Torquay manager could be expected to do). I remember his Bury side of a few years ago, they were electric and possibly the best L2 side I've ever seen. Knill will fight the fire for now by getting in another CB and moving Cruise back to his rightful place at LB (and Nico to his rightful place, on loan to Forest Green). We'll weather the storm as best we can then we'll build from there. There are guys to come in yet who haven't featured so far and guys to play where they actually belong, we'll look much better then.

Be cool guys, be cool.

Matt.

[TufcHills]

Right, collected my thoughts, and here is my (untainted by seeing any game this season so far) thoughts on how we played.

The Team Performance

The first 20/30 minutes was genuinely exciting, we were passing it to the wings with real intent, overlapping and trying to create. HOWEVER, I feel we were crippled by both an inability to cross the ball, and also an unwillingness to when the opportune moment presented itself. I mean seriously, both Tonge and Chappell were guilty of hitting dire crosses in acres of space. How hard can it be for a professional footballer to put a cross in and stick it on or around the edge of the six yard box?

As the game wore on, we increasingly failed to keep it simple; instead of centre halves passing it to the right back to pass it to the right winger, we would attempt to loft the ball, Hollywood-style, into the path of said winger, only to give it away. So many times the pairing of Cruise and O'Connor, who both seem to possess fantastic touches and passing for defenders, were looking long to see which player was furthest, rather than laying it to midfielders and full-backs in space.

In terms of shape, as a front pairing Hawley and Azeez were WAY too far apart, every time one of them won a flick-on header (which a lot of play seemed based around), then the other would be a good twenty yards away and running away from the ball. When Benyon came on this changed a little, but then we had two sub-6ft strikers and were winning one in ten balls in the air at best.

Also, our throw-in routines on the right were dire. Tonge to take it, Chapell the only man within half a mile, double-marked. Summed it up pretty nicely.

We just seemed to collapse after the first goal, a real shame, as we had just missed a gilt-edged opportunity to score. We really gave them the win today; York were very poor, and we fell apart rather than being taken apart.

To sum up: MORE CROSSING OF A HIGHER QUALITY. MORE KEEPING IT SIMPLE. GET THE STRIKERS CLOSER TOGETHER IF YOU'RE GONNA LOFT IT UP TO THEM. PUT THE BALL IN THE NET!!! WE LOOKED PRETTY DECENT FOR THE FIRST HALF, THEN WHEN OUR MAKESHIFT DEFENCE WAS FINALLY BREACHED WE WENT TO PIECES, WE'RE NOT FAR AWAY BUT MY GOD WE NEED A FINISHER.

Individual Performances

Martin Rice
Looked OK, but regressed a little as the game went on into the Martin Rice that I remember. MUST be more assertive and come for crossed and corners. Seemed to parry a lot of shots straight out into the danger area. Looked like he had killed their player with that goal kick, the sound of the ball hitting his head was the loudest thing all game!

Dale Tonge
Pretty average, did his job but offered little in attack.

Anthony O'Connor
Very assured on the ball, his flick over the head of an attacker and subsequent pass was fantastic in the first half, and when he careered forwards in the second it was very early Rio Ferdinand. Unfortunately, foolishly wrestled with the opponent too much to give away the free kick that led to our goal, and seemed a little unreliable defensively. Was guilty of looking too far forward for passing in the second half as the pressure mounted.

Tom Cruise
Very similar to O'Connor, did his job as well as could be hoped for in the circumstances. Immediately gets my vote to replace Nico at full back when Downes or Pearce recover.

Kevin Nicholson
Defensively, I hid behind my hands every time their wingers went one-on-one with him. His legs are so desperately shot that it is almost embarrassing. That said, he seems to be the only player in our entire team that can cross a football and shows the willingness to do so when the chance presents itself.

Jordan Chapell
A very talented footballer with fantastic feet, but conspicuously lacking in pace for a winger. He reminds me of Alex Russell when he first joined the club playing on the left wing, not much pace and not really overly tricky, but very confident on the ball and someone who can play a pass when needed.

Ben Harding
Looked pretty decent, hustled and bustled, looks like he can hit a shot if he wants to. Certainly didn't show any of the lack of energy I've seen him accused of. However, WHY DIDN'T KNILL BRING HIM OFF SOONER? He was hobbling around for a good five or ten minutes in obvious discomfort before finally breaking down, at which point AK didn't even have Damon Lathrope fully ready. Defied belief completely.

Lee Mansell
I'm sorry, but it is the end for Lee. Our standout worst player, he didn't even put in a noticeably higher shift than the rest of the team, and his inability to encourage his colleagues was breathtaking. Constantly slowing down the play when it wasn't needed or attempting to overplay, or simply misplacing easy passes.

Billy Bodin
As always, flattered to deceive. He is frustrating in that he is obviously a talented footballer, but too often lacks any kind of end product or decisiveness in what he is going to do with the ball when he gets it. Seemed best when receiving the ball in a central position and running straight at the heart of the defence, as he was forced to just go with instinct rather than overthink it.

Karl Hawley
Our most technically impressive player on the pitch, and if I discounted his (glaring) misses, then he would be the standout contender for Man of the Match. Unfortunately, all too often we are using him as an out ball completely unsupported, expecting him to conjure something out of thin air. Great touch and shielding, but was often on the end of chances, which is really not where he seems to be best. Could be best utilised as the playmaking attacking midfielder of a 4-3-3/4-5-1, playing in between midfield and attack, setting up wingers and a lone centre forward.

Adebayo Azeez
Put in a great work rate, and looks like, if provided with the chances, may score a few. Reminds me of a higher work-rate Emmanuel Adebayor, very physical and athletic, unfortunately I feel his ball control is somewhat suspect, more than once he knocked it forward overly heavily and was dispossessed. Jury is still out, for me.

SUB: Damon Lathrope
A massive frustration. Obviously better with the ball at his feet than most of our midfield, and can play his way out of situations that others can't, but then often seems to try and over-play when he should keep it simple and gives the ball away. Would prefer him to Mansell with an instruction to keep it simple and just play it about.

SUB: Elliot Benyon
Quick, industrious, and was mercifully closer to his strike partner than Azeez, but saw precious little of the ball in the box where he is most effective. Still looks a little shaky with the ball at his feet, isn't ever going to create anything on his own.

SUB: Courtney Cameron
Quite nippy, and had a couple of flashes of inspiration, but then completely lacked any kind of end product. Ran into dead ends a few times, and reminds me a lot of Billy Bodin. In fairness, our team had already surrendered when he came on, so had little to work with.


A SPECIAL MENTION FOR THE SO-CALLED 'FANATICS'

I've seen more fanaticism at a piano recital. The support (or lack of it) today was beyond poor, it was pathetic. Sitting in the Bench, it was painful to see the 'Fanatics' section empty first out of all of the popside, by full time it was practically empty. I think I heard three songs in total all game; I felt almost embarrassed to shout 'COME ON BOYS' at each kickoff. There was no encouragement for the players, not even the usual groans of disappointment. Just silence. Usually, it kills me to go anywhere else in the ground, but such was the atmosphere that today I really didn't mind. I understand that not all fans want to sing, but if you stand in those centre sections then you should be expecting to make a noise and give it some welly, not limply retreat from the ground ten minutes before the end because we're playing like s**t. My God, I remember being twelve, it was hammering it down with rain on a cold Tuesday in December, we were drawing 0-0 with Rushden and Diamonds and the game was beyond abject, I don't think there was a shot on goal. Still, the fans sang and made jokes and generally abused each other and the players.

Even in the rest of the ground, I was getting odd looks for simply applauding decent moves and shouting the occasional "unlucky" or "well in". The same fans who I saw sitting glumly in their seats then had the audacity to (very quietly, to their chums after the match) scold the players for a lack of passion and commitment. Well.

Most of the 'younger fans' who started the fanatics have grown up and gone to Uni up country therefore can't make home games, hence the severe lack of numbers in that area

[ferrarilover]

Was it really necessary to quote the whole post for that reply?

Matt.

[TufcHills]

Sorry that I'm new to this and don't know how to highlight the piece I'm going on about because I don't want to spend 5 minutes deleting near enough his whole post :/

[ferrarilover]

Are you posting from your phone?

Matt.

[TufcHills]

Yeah

[brucie]

Who exactly are our four centre backs though. Pearce and Downes were obviously huge misses at the back and obviously that had a massive effect on the result yesterday. Anyone who thinks otherwise is a fool. Mckenzie is too young to be a viable altenative so going into the season without a third centre back was a massive mistake by Knill.
Its laughable that you claim we were unlucky because Harding went off injured when you have persistently slagged him off as being useless all season.
Does anyone know what the problem is with Pearce and how long he is going to be out for? - if he isn't returning next week then we need another loan signing of an experienced centre half. And we probably need a loan goalkeeper as well.
As for Nicholson - asking for a loan move after being dropped for one game is disgraceful, and as soon as Knill is able he should loan him out to Bideford for the rest of the season.

[Dave]

Ferrarilover Because Cruise confidently stated in the last home programme (v Cheltenham) that "I do know I can play the position", when questioned about playing as one of the two centre-halves, and also "I feel comfortable anywhere across the back four", I can't see a lot of harm in fans giving their opinion as to whether they agree with him or not. Cruise was a centre half in his youth, and obviously a very good one to be selected in that position for England at Under-16 level.

The fact that he said he would "relish" the chance to play as a centre half was also a good sign, although he was obviously foreseeing at the time that he'd have an experienced teammate alongside him, which just at present is sadly not the case.

Whilst you make a very good point Alpine Joe. One) Thomas Cruise is a professionall footballer. Two) he is a professional footballer who has has limited first games for 18 months . Three) he is a professional footballer who wants to play.

To be fair, we shouldn't expect him to say anything else.

[hector]

You don't understand this football thing, do you Hector?

In the summer, we had a transfer kitty, a blank slate and a sob story to sell. Today, we have a packet of peanuts, a fixed squad and, if Knill goes, a record of three managers in 4 months. Can you not see why they're would be no quality candidates available tomorrow?

Yes, absolutely we will persist with Knill because we can't sack him, but equally, we will persist with him because sacking a manager after 10 games, of which some have been good and some bad, is the stupidest thing going. Have a look at those clubs which go through managers in our division. Bristol Rovers are a case in point. All the money in the world, three million fans a week, paying their strikers wages which would shame some Championship clubs and they've come closer to relegation than we have in recent years. Endlessly changing the manager gets you nowhere. Aside from anything else, new manager means new coaches, new methods, new players and that means you're starting from scratch every time. That's no good. We haven't got the money to simply throw this whole lot away and start again.
What's needed here is not a total overhaul, we aren't Plymouth or Portsmouth. We aren't in terminal decline. We aren't paying wages which our position can't justify. We're Torquay, we're where we normally are, in the bottom half of L2.
We have been good at times this season. We were good against Swindon, we were good against Northampton, we were good against Newport. The club has within it the pieces to be successful, it just needs tinkering to find the right formula.
Today, we were awful, abhorrent, unacceptable, the worst we've been for many years (sorry to the lurking York fans, but you're a terrible side who caught a break in finding us today at our lowest ebb for a very long time. Please don't think you won yesterday because you were good, you were just slightly less Evo-Stik than we were and an ordinary Newport or AFCW would have made mincemeat of you) but that is no reason to forget that just a week earlier we were very much the better side against a wealthy Newport side and that was without some keyb players.

We're missing four centre backs. No club in L2, not even Swindon of a couple of years ago could cope with that. With Downer and Pearce fully fit at the back for the last 8 days, it's likely that we beat Newport and get at least a point yesterday and no one is whinging.
No, missing two players and their reserve equivalents doesn't excuse the performance yesterday, but it doesn't help either.
Additionally, as F'rev mentioned, losing Harding today didn't help. Manse was hopeless, but Harding was playing well, getting stuck in and bringing others into play. He went off and we were stuck with Lathrope who isn't a proper midfielder. From that moment on, York took control and we'd had it.
Once again, we've conceded startlingly few shots on target and an equal number of goals. As per Oxford, we've shipped three and I can't remember a save that Rice has had to make.
These things don't fit in with your wholly negative view of the club at present, but to disregard them is a folly.
One day this season, I want the opposition to have no fit centrebacks, lose their best midfielder after half an hour and for us to score with every shot on target that we have and you see if we don't win by three clear goals.

I know he's had some already and it hasn't been perfect, but give Knill and this team time. It's not looking good, we aren't scoring enough goals and that is now being exposed because we're desperately vulnerable at the back, but Knill will get them playing his sort of football, he will get us scoring goals, he will keep us in the division (which is all any Torquay manager could be expected to do). I remember his Bury side of a few years ago, they were electric and possibly the best L2 side I've ever seen. Knill will fight the fire for now by getting in another CB and moving Cruise back to his rightful place at LB (and Nico to his rightful place, on loan to Forest Green). We'll weather the storm as best we can then we'll build from there. There are guys to come in yet who haven't featured so far and guys to play where they actually belong, we'll look much better then.

Be cool guys, be cool.

Matt.

I realise we are stuck with him. The folly was appointing him in the first place and not exploring other issues before they went with him. You refer to his Bury team but neglect to mention his Rotherham and Scunthorpe ones. You seem convinced that he will get us playing his style of football, even though it was Knill himself who said judge him after ten games. Well, including cup games, he has had 12 and those who refuse to see what is staring them in the face, are now saying it is too early to judge Knill, even though IT WAS HIM, who gave ten games as the time to judge.

When do we judge, after 20 games, 30? When it is too late?

And these players who are going to come into the team, who haven't featured and somehow are going to turn it around? Who do you mean? Yeoman, Sullivan, Craig, Benyon? As promising as they may or may not be those players are not going to turn this team into world beaters.

If Knill is anything in real life, like he comes across on the radio and seems to be on the touchline, watching paint dry would be more inspiring. You just do not sense any urgency or desire amongst that team. They just seem to go through the motions.

[Forest gull]

Good post Matt. I agree.

[Oil Beef Hooked]

You don't understand this football thing, do you Hector?

In the summer, we had a transfer kitty, a blank slate and a sob story to sell. Today, we have a packet of peanuts, a fixed squad and, if Knill goes, a record of three managers in 4 months. Can you not see why they're would be no quality candidates available tomorrow?

Yes, absolutely we will persist with Knill because we can't sack him, but equally, we will persist with him because sacking a manager after 10 games, of which some have been good and some bad, is the stupidest thing going. Have a look at those clubs which go through managers in our division. Bristol Rovers are a case in point. All the money in the world, three million fans a week, paying their strikers wages which would shame some Championship clubs and they've come closer to relegation than we have in recent years. Endlessly changing the manager gets you nowhere. Aside from anything else, new manager means new coaches, new methods, new players and that means you're starting from scratch every time. That's no good. We haven't got the money to simply throw this whole lot away and start again.
What's needed here is not a total overhaul, we aren't Plymouth or Portsmouth. We aren't in terminal decline. We aren't paying wages which our position can't justify. We're Torquay, we're where we normally are, in the bottom half of L2.
We have been good at times this season. We were good against Swindon, we were good against Northampton, we were good against Newport. The club has within it the pieces to be successful, it just needs tinkering to find the right formula.
Today, we were awful, abhorrent, unacceptable, the worst we've been for many years (sorry to the lurking York fans, but you're a terrible side who caught a break in finding us today at our lowest ebb for a very long time. Please don't think you won yesterday because you were good, you were just slightly less Evo-Stik than we were and an ordinary Newport or AFCW would have made mincemeat of you) but that is no reason to forget that just a week earlier we were very much the better side against a wealthy Newport side and that was without some keyb players.

We're missing four centre backs. No club in L2, not even Swindon of a couple of years ago could cope with that. With Downer and Pearce fully fit at the back for the last 8 days, it's likely that we beat Newport and get at least a point yesterday and no one is whinging.
No, missing two players and their reserve equivalents doesn't excuse the performance yesterday, but it doesn't help either.
Additionally, as F'rev mentioned, losing Harding today didn't help. Manse was hopeless, but Harding was playing well, getting stuck in and bringing others into play. He went off and we were stuck with Lathrope who isn't a proper midfielder. From that moment on, York took control and we'd had it.
Once again, we've conceded startlingly few shots on target and an equal number of goals. As per Oxford, we've shipped three and I can't remember a save that Rice has had to make.
These things don't fit in with your wholly negative view of the club at present, but to disregard them is a folly.
One day this season, I want the opposition to have no fit centrebacks, lose their best midfielder after half an hour and for us to score with every shot on target that we have and you see if we don't win by three clear goals.

I know he's had some already and it hasn't been perfect, but give Knill and this team time. It's not looking good, we aren't scoring enough goals and that is now being exposed because we're desperately vulnerable at the back, but Knill will get them playing his sort of football, he will get us scoring goals, he will keep us in the division (which is all any Torquay manager could be expected to do). I remember his Bury side of a few years ago, they were electric and possibly the best L2 side I've ever seen. Knill will fight the fire for now by getting in another CB and moving Cruise back to his rightful place at LB (and Nico to his rightful place, on loan to Forest Green). We'll weather the storm as best we can then we'll build from there. There are guys to come in yet who haven't featured so far and guys to play where they actually belong, we'll look much better then.

Be cool guys, be cool.

Matt.

It's nice to read a balanced, positive view on here for a change.

[kkkkwagon]

Hi. As i have stated on a seperate post with regards to kev(nico). He has not just walked into knills office after getting dropped for one game and demanded to go on loan. This is by no means the case at all. People on here saying what a disgrace he is and knill should ship him out asap have no idea whatsoever. I fully understand everyone has there opinions about players but to bad mouth a player who has only ever given it all for torquay on and off the pitch is totally wrong when the true facts are not known.

[supergulls]

Hi. As i have stated on a seperate post with regards to kev(nico). He has not just walked into knills office after getting dropped for one game and demanded to go on loan. This is by no means the case at all. People on here saying what a disgrace he is and knill should ship him out asap have no idea whatsoever. I fully understand everyone has there opinions about players but to bad mouth a player who has only ever given it all for torquay on and off the pitch is totally wrong when the true facts are not known.

ok kev if you say so then it must be true

[gullsfanatic1986]

Having not really seen the forum for a very long time or been too fussed about what is said on here. The stories regarding nico have annoyed me so much that ive had to speak up. I speak to nico regularly and hearing people saying he stormed in to want a loan move is a pile of garbage!!!! He did nothing of the sought and is desperate to stay. And before people say 'prove it' blah blah blah.... its complete fact and I dont have to prove anything