Dover v Torquay Utd. SAT 7TH APRIL. ko.3PM

[lucy6lucy]

The team was set up perfectly we could have started with Efete but Bertolini was chosen so be it.
Dover never had a shot all first half so I would say the manager has done a good job .
Second half Dover won a Penalty but the player involved could not get out of the way. I was disappointed that there was not enough effort in trying to put the penalty taker off. I was a keeper and would have done a lot more to put the player off who was taking it.

The referee made several very debatable decisions and they went against us. I agree with Meres about Gowling but when our striker was sent off it was a fifty fifty situation and the referee was losing it.The Romiane sending off was not a clear decision either.
The referee also tried to put things right when their keeper was pretending to be injured he gave a drop ball when everyone thought he was giving a free kick.

The team created three good chances in the last part of the game Young had a shot saved by Walker and Williams had a header saved
it could have been a well deserved draw. The team gave their all and were well worth a draw and I thought were the better side.
In an away game you could not have asked for anymore from the players.

The referee was shocking and made it very disappointing as the players did not deserve to be sent off.
Yes I was at the game.................................................

Nice to have a well balanced post from someone at the game. Sounds very much like Dover are a horrible team(but we knew that anyway). Hopefully romain being sent off can be repelled if appealed. But the slightest hope from Easter Monday is well and truly gone. We are going down, our relegation however cannot be vented at the referee today, we have had 41 previous games to avoid relegation.

[merse btpir]

The referee was shocking and made it very disappointing as the players did not deserve to be sent off.

Chris; you've got to play with your brain in gear. When you're on a booking (whatever you think about it) and the ref (however bad he might be) warns you that you've used up your tally of fouls, you don't go and foul with the very next challenge do you? That's just idiotic.

Romain was trying to 'do' Galifuocco and whilst I don't blame him he should have eaten his revenge meal cold and left it for another match in the future. Even better get someone else to get him next week or asap ~ it happens; it happened to that little shit Chaney when Tranmere sorted him out for some cowardly nonsense he got involved in the previous season with one of our own players. The gobby little turd hasn't been seen around Plainmoor since now he hasn't got Nicholson to change his nappy for him has he.

[brucie]

Yes it is idiotic - but isn't that exactly what Galifuocco did (and stayed on the pitch) - unfortunately football isn't an exact science .

We might have lost our heads at the end but maybe its understandable in the circumstances. Absolutely zero chance that Romains sending off would be overturned. Losing our two key strikers is just a dismal end to a diabolical season.

I think there are teams that we should have finished higher than which just makes it all the more frustrating - but had we started the season with anything like the team we have now we would have finished mid table with very little problem.

[Warrgull]

Dover vs Torquay...there is no benefit in blaming a poor referees performance or the state of the pitch or the condition of the ball . Let's accept this result for what it is ..A result .

Focus now needs to be given to Tuesday and FC FYLDE we are at home and if we should win ..it will be game on .

[merse btpir]

Indeed Chris Kinnear told the media afterwards that United were every bit as good (ahem!) as them and admitted how difficult they had made things for his promotion chasing side.

We never looked second best to them ~ nor better either in my view ~ but the squad as it is now would be up there where they are had they been there back in October; I agree with you on that point.

Once this season is over the club must move on from being over reliant on young developing loanees being used and build a balanced, experience and battle hardened squad if it wants to realistically mount a challenge of an immediate return to the National League. I'm sure that having managed Bath City in it; Gary Owers is perfectly aware of that and is already working on next season's signings and those he would like to retain/re-engage.......but how many of them will want to stay and play at that level?

[nickbrod]

When speaking with Geoff Chapple after Easter Monday's match he said Woking's "problem" this season was in having too many loan players and this has been the problem with Torquay too. Many earlier ones didn't fit in and really only a handful have been good enough.

[merse btpir]

Exactly; it's the road clubs who have not managed their budget sufficiently end up going down and the inexperience of Limbrick and Nicholson took both clubs down that road..............

Now the point I would like to take up is; who 'signs off' these ridiculous imbalances, surely not 71 year old Chapple and Harrop at Torquay who are still in situ long after those they are supposed to be overseeing have taken the bullet?

Have a look at Macclesfield ~ not the biggest budget club in the league yet ten points clear at the top ~ and see what their ratios of loans to permanent contracts are and I bet you'll see a hell of a difference.

You either appoint a manager properly qualified to manage ~ and that includes such things as budget distribution which is covered in the Uefa pro licence curriculum ~ or you have a properly qualified director of football with a head coach working under him with the players who have been sourced, contracted and signed for him........how significant that the OS consistently, and to the point of distraction; refer to Owers as the 'Head Coach' when he appears quite adequately qualified to manage; after it was referring to Nicholson as 'manager' when his CV shows he patently was not?

[MellowYellow]

but what alternatives does the manager have with the ridiculous legacy he walked into?

I stand bemused on your comment above as you state: Davies was simply superb...Young had a good game...Clarke played well, Gowling too. And further add that on being a goal down Owers tried to counter with the introduction of Efete and Reid. Praise indeed for players inherited from the ridiculous legacy Owers apparently walked into.

So what praise to be heaped on those selected yesterday from Owers 22 signings that also graced the field with the so called ridiculous legacy players. Well you inform us that Healey didn't look at all good and neither did Lemonheigh-Evans... who put Balatoni together when he arrived in kit form from Scotland but they must have lost the instructions...I've seen a snowman with a better running action than him... and Williams who shat himself

Bemused! just saying.

[merse btpir]

Told it as I saw it; as always.......

A lo of those players have given poor returns through the season; Clarke has a repetitive shoulder problem and yet was signed on a two year deal at his advanced age ~ did the club undertake medicals or have they even got them insured? Gowling did his usual party piece yesterday spending an extended period of time sitting on the ground as the game was going on feeling his latest injury before being sent back out by the management; and what about Kuklowski, Keating, Pittman and Gosling who have produced bugger all this season?

They still have to be paid; still under contract and still need to be replaced by so many loan signings the manager can't have a free hand when selecting his squad.

It's no good these habitual 'old soldiers' coming good when the fat lady is singing; they were supposed to be the catalyst for a promotion push this season.......they've taken us down!

[Dave]

For peats pity sake, some of you seriously need to grow up here, it is a FORUM, a forum is a place that is open for ALL, including Merse to share their opinions, if some don't like Merse's long held opinions my advice is two fold.

1, ignore

2, put your own opinion as to why you thinks he's wrong, then let others discuss.

What we can never allow to ever happen, is, for this forum to turn, into a YES,YES,YES, AGREE,AGREE,AGREE, borefest. I've read through every post, right now, I don't think Merse is the problem, it's those who are trying to shut him up, rather than trying, with evidence to prove him wrong.

[greb46]

Merse has many points I personally agree with and almost an equal amount I disagree with but he's undoubtedly a literate guy whose very opinionated but it is up to others to either agree with him or argue the toss if they disagree but it surely must be possible to debate without personal vendettas whoever it may be.

[brucie]

I agree with Merse!

With all due respect to Solihull we should have been good enough to finish above them.

Owers cannot possibly be blamed for bringing in young loanees and free agents as he wasn't left with any other choice.

Juggling your squad around and not being able to pick the players you have signed is unsatisfactory, just as having a clown like Klukowski sat on the bench who patently is never going to get on the pitch.

[greb46]

Must admit earlier in the season and throughout most of it except the last 2/3rds Owers has been nothing less than diabolical but eating humble pie he has improved within the last ten games or so albeit too late and ultimately has been a failure.However as things have recently improved I do think he is worthy of continuing once we are relegated.The problem being of course that it will probably be a complete rebuild of the squad again.

[goody2449]

So in peoples opinions, the signings made by Nicholson are to blame for the position we currently find ourselves in. the same players hailed at the start of the season by the majority of fans all as good signings. Players still being used by the current manager because apparently, Nicholson wasted the season budget on duds.

Owers has brought in 22 players.

let that sink in, 22 players!!!!

Don't tell me Nicholson wasted th budget when this idiot has brought so many duds he could fill 2 teams!!!

Murphy, Evans, Myrie-Williams, the French striker (wont try and spell his name) the young lad from Plymouth, these are just a few I can remember that im sure wouldnt of come to TUFC for cheap, so where did the money come from, and who spent it?? Owers has wasted a damn sight more of any budget Nicholson did.

My point here is, yes Nicholson's signings have not all proved to be the players we had hoped for, but do we really need to be told every week its Nichos fault, it's just boring. the fact that he is also being blamed for having too many loanees is laughable. hes had 2 thirds of a season to buy players/sign them up, ( i understand its hard to get good players throughout the season) but other clubs have managed it ok.

i repeat, 22 players have been brought in since owers arrived. there's only one manager here whose to blame and its Owers. he's had 2 thirds of a season to sort it out, hes done F**k all close to getting us out of the situation we've been since he's arrived.

[greb46]

Don't disagree Goody ,I don't think Nicholson can be blamed for the current situation it is ultimately down to Owers with the time he's had to at least get us safe and has failed I just think we need stability for next season so need to see what he does next year if after a short spell he's still a disaster then change it asap rather than dithering like this season,.