Barrow v Torquay United

[nickbrod]

A butcher I use in St Marychurch tells me that "a TUFC player" who uses the same shop says "most of his team mates are there for a jolly". That's what happens when you scrape the barrel for talent. Days like today would seem to confirm this.

[gullsdiv2]

H

Cox may have f*** us over but we were always competitive even if we did come up short. Losing 4-0 to Barrow and 3-0 at Basingstoke wouldn't have happened under Cox's watch because he is tactically a better manager than Nicholson and knows how to set up a side which is hard to beat. One win in nine is pathetic but not surprising because we appointed a complete rookie who isn't qualified. Now we're stuck with him and what makes it worse is that he has few contacts. We've signed two players on loan who couldn't get in a team which is somehow worse than us. How is that supposed to make us better?

Not strictly true, we lost 3-0 to ten men Cheltenham under Cox, football was equally as dire under Cox.

[gullintwoplaces]

H Not strictly true, we lost 3-0 to ten men Cheltenham under Cox, football was equally as dire under Cox.

We were dire two years ago, we got worse last year. Now we are by a long, long way the worst Torquay side I have seen in fifty years. I have no word to describe how badly we are playing now, I've run out of them.

[tktufc91]

Nightmare trip up last night, nightmare 90 mins of football. We were the better side for 30 mins but just didnt create any decent chances. Second half a complete non event. Amazed we all stayed until the end (the few of us who went)

Why smith commited to the challenge I do not know. The game was lost anyway and now we have another player out for 3 games.

It's already looking grim and I just can't see the end of the tunnel. At least I have an evening in Lancaster to try and forget this nightmare.

[tomogull]

It's no good blaming Nicholson you have got to go back to Cox, the system he employed and the players he brought in. Nicholson has improved the play and you can see we are weak in certain positions but if you've no money his hands are tied. The conditions today and the distance involved I thought it would be a tough game today.
Most supporters wanted Hargreaves out but no one knew the state the club was in and that includes the good lady who was supplying the money for the former directors to waste. If we want a club we've got to stick with it and hope Nicholson can get a few results to get us out of this mess. Conditions were against a young side today.

It's good to see one or two reasoned posts like Arcadia's amongst all the negativity. Yes - today's result was bad. But this was just one match. There is still over half the season remaining and there are other clubs seemingly in trouble. Woking, for example, seem to be in freefall. As Arcadia posts, we have got to stick with Kevin Nicholson and the team and hope we can survive this season.

[A Realist]

Nightmare trip up last night, nightmare 90 mins of football. We were the better side for 30 mins but just didnt create any decent chances. Second half a complete non event. Amazed we all stayed until the end (the few of us who went)

Why smith commited to the challenge I do not know. The game was lost anyway and now we have another player out for 3 games.

It's already looking grim and I just can't see the end of the tunnel. At least I have an evening in Lancaster to try and forget this nightmare.

Smith will only miss one game. It was not violent conduct.

[chardie]

Get a grip you lot, we've lost a game.

[Jack]

A butcher I use in St Marychurch tells me that "a TUFC player" who uses the same shop says "most of his team mates are there for a jolly". That's what happens when you scrape the barrel for talent. Days like today would seem to confirm this.

This comment highlights the need to educate some of the players off the pitch.
Most of them will have grown up in the Academy system where money is no object and they are small fish in a big pond. When they move to smaller Clubs as professionals they are much more in the public eye but not necessarily prepared for it. At the very least we seem to need to invest in some training in Anger Management in an effort to improve behaviour on the pitch and also provide some guidance on how to socialise with fans and remind them that it is the fans who make a significant contribution towards their wages.

[stefano]

Get a grip you lot, we've lost a game.

Lots of games ... and more to come ...

[Dave_Pougher]

I am prepaired to stand by KN the manager as I believe, A He's all we can afford and B. he has the passion and the clubs best interests at heart. What I not prepaired to accept is KN the player who thinks and believes he is good enough at this level when no other club in this league thinks he he is. Dropping himself would demonstrate he is realistic believing he good enough to play up to and past the national retirement age demonstrates he is just unrealistic.

[Neal]

I didn't follow the whole match, but listened to some of the first half commentary, and although we were 1-0 down it seemed we were all over them, BUT just couldn't score. Look, as Ive stated on here im mentally prepared for Conf South next season. Actually we are not the only team to be in such a state and wont be the last. But when anything starts to go bad, relationships, losing your income, the economy etc etc what ever it is there is a basement you have to reach. I don't think we have reached it yet, we might have but probably not. But when we do, we will rise, and why I am I confident of that is that we are a club of a certain size and conf south is too low. Yes some things will have to come together, some investment maybe and a manager who can operate at that level, luck and getting in a couple of decent players who can lead the way.

[midtable]

Well, after Wrexham we might have a better idea of our standard when it is not storm conditions and even more importantly what happens to crowd attendances when the team is losing. As for a mate who is a butcher in St Marychurch who has some gossip about the players, well equally I have a friend who works in a takeaway who says the younger players are polite and just want to do their best for the club. Who to believe?
At the moment we can do something positive by donating to the players fund or see the game and give them our support. Teams come and go at Torquay as they have for a 100 years but to even suggest that we close the ground because we are embarrassed by the playing standard means they never saw a Dave Webb team in action.
The only way is up!

[SBP]

KN is coming in for a lot a grief, some of the posts last night in particular I thought were ridiculous considering what he has to work with imo.
What is he suppose to do with the players he has . You can change the manager as much as you like but it will still be the same outcome. We only have 1 or 2 players that can or could play at a higher level. If KN can get the best out of a poor bunch then we may just stay up. With no money or any prospect of further investment then get use to it people. Get behind the manager he needs your support!!

[Dazza]

Totally agree. The way for the club to die in the way many predicted last night would be to continue that negative dialogue for the rest of the season. If we can stay positive, even half positive, the club will eventually come out of the current tunnel.

[arcadia]

We were dire two years ago, we got worse last year. Now we are by a long, long way the worst Torquay side I have seen in fifty years. I have no word to describe how badly we are playing now, I've run out of them.

I watched all pre-season and did not knock Cox because the club needed a breather from people knocking it but now I feel Cox put us in this position and yes Nicholson applied for the job and got it on wages that were offered. No other manager wanted the job on those terms I expect. So he got the job don't expect miracles. Nicholson has shewn to me that he has got the idea but I would have really tried to sort out Hurst as he was our bright spark on the pitch.