Torquay v Dagenham & Redbridge 25th March 2023

[Gloomy Gull]

Why aren’t we scoring more to put the game to bed? Since GJ has been in charge we’ve never really had the strongest of defences (give a take a couple of decent individuals) but have compensated by scoring goals during the good days.

What’s happened?

Because our front line -mainly Jarvis - has had woefully poor service most of this season. He is either trying to bring down/knock on balls from outer space or, all too often, when a "winger" gets to a position to put in a usable cross it is poorly executed.

[gullintwoplaces]

We needed a second goal (knowing we always concede late) but sat back too much second half.

What happened in the Pop Side with stewards? Girl taken away by police and a lot of angry people after the game.

I didn’t see that happen, but I did see the Dagenham sub who won the penalty, Sidney Ibie, run over to the Pop Side at the final whistle to goad the Gulls fans. He ran straight at the pop side, holding a finger to his lips, and then ran backwards and forwards alongside the fans to gloat. This caused some very bad feeling to put it mildly. Stupid behaviour, good job for him that Gulls fans are relatively mild mannered. If the ref had seen this I suspect he could have been red carded, I wish he had been.

[The Eternal Optimist]

If Nouble's goal had been allowed, the crowd would have carried GJ off at the end shoulder high. Two minutes later, after the winning goal was scored, the popular side were chanting 'Johnson out.' Fine margins.

[toastkid]

Donnellan cost us the win. Firstly going on one of his runs where he loses the ball and we concede in our right back position. Happens time and time again. Bad decision making. We were a goal up, why play a risky move for little reward. Then the winner, again Donnellan is out of position and McGavin gets done. Not great defending by McGavin, but at least he was goal side. Then Donnellan blames Stobbs when he can't even find a good pass at the end. Was it offside for the goal? Didn't look like it at the time, on the video it looked really tight.

Our players have to use their heads, at times they don't seem to think.

[kevgull]

If Nouble's goal had been allowed, the crowd would have carried GJ off at the end shoulder high. Two minutes later, after the winning goal was scored, the popular side were chanting 'Johnson out.' Fine margins.

GJ failings has put TUFC on the brink of relegation.
3 points would have been massive step towards closing the gap however zero points at home is almost fatal.

[desperado]

Lets make Portugull manager - he's been highlighting the right back position weakness all season. Gary Johnson should have signed a right back before Christmas.

[madgull]

Donnellan cost us the win. Firstly going on one of his runs where he loses the ball and we concede in our right back position. Happens time and time again. Bad decision making. We were a goal up, why play a risky move for little reward. Then the winner, again Donnellan is out of position and McGavin gets done. Not great defending by McGavin, but at least he was goal side. Then Donnellan blames Stobbs when he can't even find a good pass at the end. Was it offside for the goal? Didn't look like it at the time, on the video it looked really tight.

Our players have to use their heads, at times they don't seem to think.

Only seen the Solihull game in person this season, but from that and these highlights, it just feels to me like Donellan wants to be high up the pitch and not actually defend, just jogs back every time, complete lack of any effort whatsoever.

[UnitedinDevon]

Donnellan cost us the win. Firstly going on one of his runs where he loses the ball and we concede in our right back position. Happens time and time again. Bad decision making. We were a goal up, why play a risky move for little reward. Then the winner, again Donnellan is out of position and McGavin gets done. Not great defending by McGavin, but at least he was goal side. Then Donnellan blames Stobbs when he can't even find a good pass at the end. Was it offside for the goal? Didn't look like it at the time, on the video it looked really tight.

Our players have to use their heads, at times they don't seem to think.

Marshall has to take a large portion of blame

Fouls their player for the penalty

Charges out of position into no mans land allowing their striker to run into that gap and score the winner

[PL21gull]

Defeat snatched from the jaws of victory again, pathetic second half display showing no idea about game management/controlling a winning situation for those vital and elusive 3 points, expending so much energy to win the ball then just hoofing it anywhere, hoping the ever willing Jarvis will somehow beat 3 defenders to it. Hence the visitors, like so many before them this season, realised that they could just keep passing through our ragged formation until getting near enough to threaten our goal. And if they lost the ball it didn't matter because we would give it back to them.
Hardly any attempts on goal after halftime, even though the Dagenham goalie had shown that he wouldn't/couldn't catch the ball; yes, Collins should have scored/hit the target when set up by Jarvis to put us 2 up, but we didn't make the keeper earn his money at all in the last 45 minutes. In the first half we did try to tire the keeper by attempting ambitious 50-yard cross-field wonder passes instead of playing the easy ball to feet and he had to make various trips to the corner flags to retrieve the ball for goalkicks.
And all we could hear from the touchline by way of instructions/encouragement was "come on"; how creative is that?...just totally unprofessional all round.

[gullsgullsgulls]

Titanic since October. Still the band plays believing the obvious won't happen.

This is actually a decent analogy.

Just like the band on the Titanic, everyone on this forum is aware that we are sinking but we are trying to stay calm and enjoy what little hope remains.

You in the meanwhile are the running around the deck screaming “we’ve hit an iceberg, and the sea is bloody cold”.

Not helpful and really annoying.