Can We Make the Play Offs?

brucie · Post by **brucie** » 26 Jan 2022, 12:55

It is a bit of a daft thread because we have no chance lets be fair. We beat a few of the no hopers but have no chance against the top sides really, particularly when we continue time and time again to field a weakened side.

Before the Altrincham game we were promised a full strength side for once. In reality the team has ended up weaker than ever. No defenders and Holman up front last night. In the circumstances I'd say 3 points out of 6 wasn't a bad return.

Solihull are no great shakes at all either but too good for us.

Stoneybroke · Post by **Stoneybroke** » 26 Jan 2022, 14:00

Agree with all the recent threads.

GJ seems hell bent on loading up the mid field with players brought in recently, after Danny Wright's unfortunate departure last night we really had no like for like replacements on the bench.

A new decent striker is a must, and a permanent one at that.

All very well having loan players in, but we should be looking to build for next season. These lads however good they are ,and they really highlight the difference between themselves and the majority of midfielders we have signed on.

Like it or not I just can't see us being involved in the playoffs, this season. So probably mid table is all we can hope for.

And next season.........now that's another story!!
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knightmaregull · Post by **knightmaregull** » 26 Jan 2022, 16:19

Looking for the bigger picture, an early acceptance that we will finish mid table could be the best thing possible. Start to plan for next year now. Who knows, that may even be with a new manager at the helm if Gary decides he's had enough.

Personally I would take any opportunity to cash in on the likes of Lewis, CLE and Little who will never renew their contracts and give some youngsters some proper game time. If we don't give the ex-Academy players a chance over the coming months when there is no pressure then we never will. With other clubs, including it seems today Woking, securing big money for young players I remain surprised how no ex-Academy player has ever been given a proper chance. I'd argue that not even Koszela has. Not sure of the sense in prioritising giving other club's kids game time.

A calm mid table finish is a real rarity for Torquay, perhaps we should just enjoy it for once!

Wolborough · Post by **Wolborough** » 26 Jan 2022, 17:36

Aside from MacDonald (who I hope stays), we will surely need a new spine for the team with a powerful centre half to partner Lewis, at least two midfielders to partner Little and Evans and of course a strong front man and winger to replace Wright and Holman. Who will depart? Hall (will he move into coaching)?,Holman,Halstead, Wright, Rogers, Moxey and Moore? Further development required for Omar, Martin, Johnson, O’Connell, Brzowski, Lolos and the younger ones including Koszela, Slough, Piper and Moyes. Of the remaining players such as Lapslie and Felix they will need to prove themselves further perhaps. If we are to improve upon this season’s disappointing form, there is much to do to embolden the 2022/23 squad. In truth we need to unearth some real gems!

Admiral · Post by **Admiral** » 26 Jan 2022, 17:47

All this talk of next season, we still have just under half the season to go! Play-offs are unlikely yes, but the team looks a lot better than it did in August. If we do finish mid-table, then I'm sure Gary will benefit from the extra time to plan for next season. But until that's the case we've got to try have a good February. Lots of winnable games, just like November... :-|

Kingsgull83 · Post by **Kingsgull83** » 26 Jan 2022, 18:06

Wolborough wrote: ↑26 Jan 2022, 17:36 Aside from MacDonald (who I hope stays), we will surely need a new spine for the team with a powerful centre half to partner Lewis, at least two midfielders to partner Little and Evans and of course a strong front man and winger to replace Wright and Holman. Who will depart? Hall (will he move into coaching)?,Holman,Halstead, Wright, Rogers, Moxey and Moore? Further development required for Omar, Martin, Johnson, O’Connell, Brzowski, Lolos and the younger ones including Koszela, Slough, Piper and Moyes. Of the remaining players such as Lapslie and Felix they will need to prove themselves further perhaps. If we are to improve upon this season’s disappointing form, there is much to do to embolden the 2022/23 squad. In truth we need to unearth some real gems!

I fear your view on next season is very optimistic in terms of the squad we will be left with. I feel another rebuild is on the cards.

Players I think we will be lucky to keep
McDonald
Lewis
Wynter
Little
Evans

Players I would keep and I think will stay
Martin
Lolos
Johnson
O’Connell

Players who may retire/ past it
Hall
Moxey (I hope stays)
Wright (i hope retires)

It’s to soon to say about Felix but he looks to small for this level and I have been largely underwhelmed by Lapslie and he is always injured.

Omar was good last night so maybe there is something to work with?

The rest can go.

Will Gary want to stay for another rebuild? Where does that leave us?

Post by **happytorq** » 27 Jan 2022, 15:13

I'd held out some hope of a late playoff run but after the Solihull game it's apparent that we probably won't be in the end-of-season shakeup. Priority now has to be to start building a squad and momentum for next season. It's honestly possible that this is where the management's heads were at from the start, but it's probably not something they want to share with the fans.

We have the kernel of a very strong side, and given how last season ended - and the subsequent squad changes - maybe a season of consolidation is all we were ever in for.

If you look at the 7 players brought in on the same day, opinions have changed on pretty much all of them;

Halstead: seemed a good signing, has been horrible. We'll surely look for a way to move him on.
Martin: started terribly (so badly, I thought he'd not last the season) but has been a revelation.
Omar: looked like a competition winner, but the last two games have been promising. Nowhere near the finished article, but definitely something to work with (probably why GJ took him on)
Lapslie: He should be really great, just can't seem to get an injury-free run in the side. (i see him as longer term replacement for Hall, who I personally think has struggled at the end of games so far)
Keelan O'Connell: looked very lightweight early on, has improved since. Telling that he's the one who's been kept around while Rogers was shipped out on loan.
Lolos: bags of ability. Needs to be scoring, although I think he'd benefit from a run in the side too.
Brzozowski: hasn't done much wrong; we expected him to be the #2, and he has been...even though the #1 has been deposed. Probably says a bit about him, although he's young and could still improve going into next season.

It was never disclosed what length contracts we gave out, but I would be surprised if Omar, Martin, Lapslie and Halstead (at least) weren't on 2 year deals.

I think Lewis and CLE are out of contract in the summer - probably Little too. I'd want to do everything we can to keep Lewis and at least one of the others. I'd personally prefer to keep Little, but that's just me.

Wright's race is surely run; would have no issue if we can find the money to keep him around in some sort of capacity, but he can't be relied upon to lead our line when he's out for half of the season. An impact sub, maybe.
Asa Hall, too, I think is coming towards the end of his career - he's been great for us but maybe next season would be one too far. Moxey isn't getting younger, but he does seem to have found a lease of life playing centrally so I'd be happy to see him stay if he fancies it. Wynter is Mr. Reliable at RB, so he may get offers, but once players have been at Torquay for 3 or 4 season, they generally like stick around for as long as possible.

Moore & Felix we haven't really seen enough of to make a call, but assuming they're fit I'd expect them to be able to contribute in 22/23.

I still think Holman is a decent striker, but he's not going to be the guy to get you 20 goals in a promotion push. If played regularly he could maybe get a dozen, but I think he needs a consistent strike partner, and we're not set up to play with 2 up front when we have CLE around.

Would not expect to keep Wearne or Duke-McKenna beyond the end of this season, but I've already seen enough to suggest that either would be an excellent long-term loan addition if possible.

Wolborough · Post by **Wolborough** » 27 Jan 2022, 15:40

The nucleus of a good side is there but only if we can keep the likes of CLE, Little, Lewis, Wynter and MacDonald (and maybe a couple of others). The more of these players we lose will magnify the likelihood of 2022/23 being as uninspiring as 2021/22. GJ will need to work miracles for us the be serious challengers next season. That surely is the grim reality!

Taelee73 · Post by **Taelee73** » 27 Jan 2022, 18:31

What's the point in trying to keep Moore or Lapslie? Both too injury prone, 2 games then out for 5/6/7. we can't afford to have non playing players.
Wright Is great at holding the ball up, giving defenders a hard time, but feel this should be his last season with us. Holman can finish, but needs others to make space for him, or to be set up first.
Asa, no where near the player of last season. Fantastic player for us, but a season too many it seems.
Moxey has a new lease of life, one more season?

Little, CLE, Lewis, Winter may all want to leave, be offered better terms elsewhere. Maybe Lewis could be enticed to stay with the captains armband.
Lolos looked interesting, but no end product at all. And it seems it would take at least another season to start showing it. Ali played well last two games, but has no pace, but not the experiance to compensate as Moxey does.
Loan players will all go back. So would rather we spent the season building for next, Play offs would be no benefit, we're not going to win them.

It feels we may have 3 or 4 players to then build around.

WellingtonGull · Post by **WellingtonGull** » 30 Jan 2022, 21:58

I don’t see why not? Boost the squad with a loan or two and who knows. Other teams above could also start picking up injuries etc…..

Wolborough · Post by **Wolborough** » 31 Jan 2022, 06:58

The big question is where do we go from here? Most likely all next season will bring will be a marginal improvement on 2021/22 perhaps expectations should not be stretched too far!

culmstockgull · Post by **culmstockgull** » 31 Jan 2022, 13:15

I have two issues with the so called squad strengthening , firstly, In the last three seasons we have had an appalling track record of acquiring players, yes the odd one or two surprises us with their quality but in the main they are either knackered before they arrive or we manage to knacker them in short order , or they are injury prone or the majority are not up to this league and no matter what wand Johnosn waves, they never will be. Secondly we blow our scant resources now to no good effect, even stretching fantasy to the point of breaking and we fall over the play off line thats as far as we are going this year.
If we have some money tie the very few players that can make a difference week in week out to longer contracts now and settle for what we have position wise this season. to my mind there is only two maybe three players and certainly less than five so they shouldnt break the budget.come the summer no one at the club has a single excuse for not acquiring the right players in good time.
Will that happen, I doubt it. probably the players I am thinking of retaining have already arranged their better paid berth for next season.

budegull1954 · Post by **budegull1954** » 31 Jan 2022, 13:36

Another issue is that Lee Johnson has just been given the boot at Sunderland - will this affect Stephen Wearne's loan with us? We need all the quality players we can get hold of if we are to get anywhere near the play-offs.

Post by **happytorq** » 31 Jan 2022, 18:27

budegull1954 wrote: ↑31 Jan 2022, 13:36 Another issue is that Lee Johnson has just been given the boot at Sunderland - will this affect Stephen Wearne's loan with us? We need all the quality players we can get hold of if we are to get anywhere near the play-offs.

Shouldn't do - the agreed loan was till the end of the season. And although Johnson (jr) would probably have the final say, it's the academy or age-group coaching staff who look for appropriate loans.

It's possible that Sunderland included an early recall clause, but if they did that's not really great forward thinking from our management.

DerekDawkinsJnr · Post by **DerekDawkinsJnr** » 01 Feb 2022, 10:18

My understanding is that new gaffers like to get a look at their whole squad when they come in - so I reckon reasonable chance that should the contract allow, then Wearne will be recalled. Hope it takes them a while to find a new gaffer.

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