Torquay United v Chippenham Town 08/09/18

[MellowYellow]

Whilst I don't profess to second guess the motives of Clarke Osborne I can say, as I speak with him after most games, Gary Owers is doing his best to bring us successful football. I do agree, though, that, for whatever reason, he is seriously falling short.

"It's not enough we do our best; sometimes we have to do what's required" (Winston Churchill)

[tomogull]

For the first twenty minutes we totally outplayed Chippenham with Regis bossing the game from the centre of the pitch.

Chippenham scored from non existant marking from a corner and you could always smell the confidence evaporating from us. After that it was just dire as we resorted to hoofball and basically didn't create anything.

Brett Williams came on and looked like he had never kicked a football in his life before. Chippenham deserved no points as well as they were truly atrocious. There is just no excuse for losing to a side as bad as they were.

As for their shameful exhibition of cheating, timewasting, feigning injury, initiating scuffles to slow the game down even more - well it certainly added to the spectacle that's for sure. I don't reckon the ball was actually in play for more than 20 minutes of each half and it was impossible for us to play with any tempo. When they scored it must have taken at least five minutes to restart the game.

All their players ran to the corner flag - stayed there for ages, eventually trotted along the touch line to their manager. Then eventually trotted towards the centre circle when three or four of their players turned and went back to the touchline and started drinking from water bottles.

A truly farcical display from a referee who appeared to be in a coma from the start and didn't issue one card for the disgraceful exhibition.

Player for player we were better than them but we just can't seem to create anything at all.

No lack of effort from the player and no signs for me that Owers has lost the dressing room but 12 points from 9 games given the standard of the opposition is abysmal in anyones book.

I was looking forward to the game but after three hours driving just the same feeling of depression. A truly dismal afternoon.

Now you have seen first hand what fans who have attended every home game and away game are seeing every week. You can blame the officials and the time wasting if you wish, but the fact is we were not good enough. Player for player, we were NOT better than Chippenham. They worked for each other, harried and chased and were on to every loose ball quicker than our players.

For the life of me, I do not understand replacing a forward with another forward when we'er losing. In the last 10 minutes or so, Chippenham had all 10 players back defending yet instead of taking off a defender - say, Essuman or Wynter - he takes off Reid and sends on Andre Wright. And how long does it take for Wright to get match fit? He should be starting games now, not being brought on with 10 minutes to go. He needs playing time to get him up to full match fitness.

A truly dismal afternoon indeed. We have now played 9 games and haven't scored in six of them. You can make excuses for Owers until you're blue in the face, but take it from fans who have seen more games than you - he will not get us out of this league. He has brought in the players who could do it, but there is no motivation and he's tactically clueless.

[Yorkieandy]

That statement about Owers is basically non sensical crap. Owers is only 50 yrs old, when this crap is over he will need to find another job, the only area he has worked in is football. He is extremely unlikely to find alternative employment if it was believed he deliberately sabotaged a football club.
The basic truth about Owers is that he is typical of many people who find themselves in a position well beyond their capabilities. It is not his fault that he finds himself in this position but it is of those who put him there.
Your last paragraph seems to suggest you are willing to trust Osbourne if he sacks Owers. That is delusional, 100% of the current crisis is down to Osbourne; he hired Owers, he thought we could get promoted with a team of full timers that no other full time club wanted. As a previous poster stated it is about speculating to accumulate, the football side of things is just a distraction.

Like i said to Nickbrod. We all think differently. I think that Owers is not quite trustworthy and you don't. I could call your post non sensical crap but i accept it's your view.

As for me willing to trust Osborne. If Owers was sacked then it could look to some like Osborne actually does care a tiny bit about the future of his football club. To me it wouldn't look any different and therefore i am suggesting nothing of the sort. Osborne is pretty much like the significant majority of the human race when it comes to money over doing what is morally right and thus cannot be trusted.

[arcadia]

I don't want to get into the politics but will say Andrews is better in the middle and would have created more openings for the strikers. I was shocked that Keating came off for Williams to go on and thought he needed to change to 4-3-3. Who do you take off I would have taken off Reid and left Edwards on. We only had a few shots and Edwards Keating and Williams could have broken them down. The last time Keating played with Williams he scored two goals and did well together under Nicholson.
Chippenham did well.

[stefano]

I don't want to get into the politics ....

You didn't you stuck to football which is probably just as well.....

[Plainmoor78]

Chippenham lay one place below us in the table on the same number of points. They have already claimed the scalps of Billericay, Slough and Concord Rangers, and are also familiar with Plainmoor having already beaten Truro away. This is not going to be an easy fixture.
0-1.

Don't know why anyone should be surprised by the result.

[Bloggy]

Well I'm surprised because quite frankly, with me in charge that bunch of players should have beaten Chips and Ham!
Owers time in charge is so long overdue but we all know he'll be there when we're playing Dartmouth in the same league on a borrowed school pitch whilst Plainmoor has long since been built on.

[lucy6lucy]

This has too be a new low, if that was ever possible in the history of supporting Torquayunited. Thankfully we play bottom of the table hungerford next Saturday...

[Southampton Gull]

Whilst I don't profess to second guess the motives of Clarke Osborne I can say, as I speak with him after most games, Gary Owers is doing his best to bring us successful football. I do agree, though, that, for whatever reason, he is seriously falling short.

Hallelujah!! Light bulb moment.

[SBP]

For the first 15-20min I thought we played with a good tempo and the balls into Reid and Keating were into the channels to feet. The passing was a lot quicker and we really should of made more of the opportunities. We did have a penalty shout where their defender appeared to handle the ball and Keating was adamant he was fouled. Reid and Keating were effective in their movement and it looked promising compared to recent 1st half performances.
We conceded a very poor goal from a corner and you could see the confidence just start to drain from the players. In the 2nd half we looked like our game plan was gone and it was hoof ball hit and hope. Then Owers makes one of his ridiculous substitutions and takes Keating off for Williams.
This has to be one of the worst subs I have ever seen.
Everybody might as well of left and gone home because it was pathetic.
Gary Owers really has no idea what to do or how to inspire. Its as simple as that.
I m off now to watch a Youth County Cup game at u13 level and I will get more tactical awareness and positive pattern of play.

[Modgull]

This has too be a new low, if that was ever possible in the history of supporting Torquayunited. Thankfully we play bottom of the table hungerford next Saturday...

In that case be prepared for another 'new low'!

[Neal]

Do you honestly believe that 1,400 coming through the turnstiles is making ends meet?

No but with the loans each year, and I stress "loans" it probably does. If the attendance drops the loans increase, which means more pressure as almost certainly no one will pay million plus for a conference club if it gets to that.

[Neal]

You’ve got the wrong end of the stick sgf.
Hit Osborne where it hurts, boycotting is the only way to bring about change.

Cash is king to Osborne , if isnt coming through the turnstiles changes will have to be made.

Unfortunately with 1400 ish fans turning up every home game, even when the product is consistently shite, why change it.

[Neal]

Of course he's not going to tell you that he's NOT trying everything he can to turn things around is he? With all due respect to you Nick and i don't wish to offend you but part of the problem at Torquay is some fans simply being too nice and trusting for too long whilst people responsible for the clubs continued demise only need to trot out a line or two in casual conversation and they are believed and given far too much rope when it is rarely warranted.

It's the way i'd prefer the world to work though for sure. Everyone who says something genuinely meaning what they say and being straight down the line but human beings aren't straightforward and they often lie, cheat and manipulate in order to curry favour and divert flak.

Again though Nick and to other fans. No criticism intended. We all think differently .

Exactly!! Unfortunately in this world being too nice just doesn't work. I would guess we would all like it to be different but its not!

[brucie]

Reid was injured when he was subbed.

There is no way Chippenhams players were better than ours though individually.

The timewasting was the worst I have ever seen. It is not an excuse but it was a factor in the game. When every throw in was taking about two minutes then that is clearly a factor.

The referees failure to get a grip of it was criminal.