Torquay Utd v Worthing 12/8/2023 15:00

[MellowYellow]

A quick reference on McGavin. In 2022 we give this Ipswich academy reject a three year contract - based on what? was it because he finished his final season out on loan to Kings Lynn? Someone please tell me because its not enough to be a good player... you must also play well.

To think, to make way for McGavin we released one of our own starlets 'Alex Moyse' who as a central mid-fielder impressed with his tenacious tackling and industrious work-rate something lacking in McGavins repertoire and so badly missing in our team today.

This criticism may not be agreeable but rather this than false praise.

[ALTE]

Get johnson out of this club ffs. How much longer can the ownership allow this man to drag this club down. Pathetic.

[Midlandgull]

That was horrendous from start to finish. Tactically inept! Hoof ball with massive gaps in midfield.

Brett McGavin was hands down the worst player on the park - how Gary starts him is beyond me. Donnellan and Stobbs couldn't get the wing-back system working but Stobbs was one of our better players overall.

I'd be going 4-5-1 next time out as the midfield can't cope and hoofing it forward is just useless. Can we sign a CB and a mobile CM? This club is currently in free fall. 2700 fans gave it everything and we have to put up with dinosaur tactics and players not trying. A 400-mile round trip for me, not happy!!!

[Keithsson]

Sorry to intrude on your grief, I'm not here to gloat.

These were my thoughts on the game as put on our board... a straight cut/paste for you as I think it speaks just as much about your team as it does about ours...

"Wow, just back and I can safely say that was as close to the complete controlled performance as you can imagine. We had them at an arms length all game and just picked them off with scoring punches.

Someone said it earlier but it is really not an exaggeration, I swear we could've scored 8,9,10 if we weren't so wasteful in their box. Certainly if Ollie had started two or three of Luer's chances would've been converted too.

We cut through them like a knife through fresh air, out from the back either through the middle or down the flanks, it was ridiculously easy.

Which brings me to a cautionary observation. We should enjoy the result naturally but it was so easy to walk through them I'm on the fence as to how much was us and how much was them, they were really poor.

As an example, our tippy tappy short passing out from a goal kick thing that usually creates at least a couple of scares a game. Today this is how it worked...

Joel takes the kick from the right corner of the 6yd box, sideways to Roco in the middle of the goal who passes to Klass centrally somewhere around the 'D', Joel has by now moved to the right of the box and takes the pass from Klass... and we're out... EVERY 'KIN TIME.

Their press never once figured it out or did something different, the two forwards just ran at Roco who bisected them to Klass. Was that our tactical genius or just binary stupidity from them?

What was Einstein's quote 'the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over again and expecting a different result'... well that was Torquays press today.

Like I say, it matters not, we won and we won at a canter, we should enjoy it. Maybe we have now turned into worldbeaters, and we'll do the same to Slough on Tuesday, I dunno.

But it'd be prudent not to count too many chickens because I suspect we were made to look a little better than normal today by a truly dreadful team.

Perfect day though, that'll live long in the memory"

Now, I can count on the fingers of one finger how many Torquay games I've seen this century so what you have here is someone without any preconceptions, without the baggage of what you went through last season and without the baggage of thoughts pro or anti your manager.

We're a good passing side, always have been in recent years and that seemed waaay too easy. However the bulk of the NLS isn't so easy on the eye, its more of a blunt instrument, against which your side may well do much better. You won't come up against that each week and I suspect by the time you visit Woodside Road you'll be up amongst the front runners where you should be. Like I said before the game I felt this was the perfect time to play you, before you've found your feet.

You might not think it right now but trust me, there's some proper clogger sides in this division and your season is not defined by this game which was just a culture clash... old thinking v new thinking... and there's a lot more 'old thinking' you will face.

Genuinely, good luck for the rest of the season... with the usual caveat of course!

[Enzo]

There have been a handful of performances over the years where you sense there are wider ramifications at play than the result itself - today felt like one of those games. So dramatic was the gulf between the sides, in speed of thought, speed of play, first touch, movement, tactical awareness, technical skill that one would have thought we were playing a cup tie against a side a league or two higher. It was a result and performance which stays with you for a good few hours after the event.

Worthing are no world beaters, but credit to them, they made us look like dinosaurs and could easily have won by 6. The reaction of the crowd to McGavin going off was very poor, but it demonstrates how toxic things have become and how little patience there is for much more of this. Very difficult to see how Johnson can turn this around.

Such a shame, as fans were clearly prepared to give Johnson the benefit of the doubt this season - to get 2,700 through the door after the few years we have had is pretty impressive.

[bobbytanz1963]

Well, were do we start, deliberately gave myself time to calm down, not post in an angry state. I aired in my opinion that 3-5-2 doesn't work with the players we've got during pre-season, also stated I thought an injury and a suspension to a couple of key players and we'd be an ordinary team, well no Lapslie even in the squad today, so I'm guessing he's only managed 1 game before injury, and boy did it show.

What's more embarrassing than that pathetic, spineless performance that saw us barely string two passes together all game , and personally I don't remember a shot on target prior to the 85th minute, or the fact that Gary Johnson didn't do what any man, with any honour would have done after that game and announce his resignation, for the sanity of us all, maybe even the future of our club, someone grow a pair and get rid of this , arrogant, stubborn man, and he's coward as as well, doesn't he just love to run and hide leaving Downes and players to face the flack.

We're playing with three centre backs, one who should be in midfield, and two youngsters, playing three at the back and flooding numbers forward when you have no pace in midfield, suicide, Stobbs and Collins two potent and dangerous wide forward players being used as wing backs , Hall who probably cost a huge chunk of the budget should have retired, or been released, and no back up striker, this is all down to GJ, am I the only who can see the stupidity of all this, at least give a fighting chance by putting out a balanced , organised team, with the players we have available I'd be looking at 4-2-3-1, not saying that would work, however Stobbs, Collins would have more freedom, and the two deep laying midfielders can give some protection to our weak back four. Today I felt truly sorry for Halstead, he stopped this from being a total massacre, and the only player who should be having the day off tomorrow.

To our new found friends from Worthing, I really do think you took a lot of the pre-match posting out of context, however, feel a great sense of pride in your team and manager, came with areal plan executed it very well, your passing and movement off the ball was first class, add a little more quality and take our keeper out of today equation and you'd have won by a much bigger margin.

Good posting covering off todays shambles

GJ won’t walk or be pushed he is toooo entrenched and smug. Downes is a waste of space too.

So the squad and management had a lengthy post game talk …. Actions speak louder than words so let’s see wot Tuesday brings !

[AdrianC]

Cricket day for me (was rained of last week hence me making it to Dover). Hope it’s a good game, safe trip to everyone, and TUFC win.

Nick, are you still playing for Worthing CC?

[AdrianC]

Sorry all, please ignore my last posting, not got to grips with the tech! Cricket was away at a horrible ground against a horrible club, had we been rained off early I might have tried rushing down.... reading the above I’m glad I didn’t but also pi55ed we didn’t get rained off as we had a horrid game!

What I’m struggling with here is GJ may want the players to go route 1, but after 20 / 30 mins, are the players not capable of thinking this isn’t working, let’s try something else?

Very disappointing that after 2 games our Keeper is hands down POTY!

[Gull in black]

It’s taken a while to get over that match.
Such a poor performance - was it just one shot on target in the second half ? Possibly one of the worst I’ve seen, despite good performances pre-season it’s hard to see the same players transforming to a promotion winning team. A solid central defender is the minimum required.
Moxey appeared to sustain an injury, hope that clears up quickly as he builds up to full fitness.
We knew the refereeing would be poor in NLS but that was far worse than I feared.
Optimism has been drained a bit but I will be there on Tuesday.

[ALTE]

Two poor performances, agreed. But so easy to pick fault and it worries me how eager people seem to be to be to criticise. I firmly believe Johnson is the man, and at the end of the season we will go up.
Mr Johnson, if you read this then please ignore all the nonsense. A resounding win on Tuesday and it will all go quiet, such is the fickle nature of football fans. If we are nowhere at Christmas it may well be the time to go, but until then please keep the faith.

1, what have you been smoking?

2, can i have some?

[Wolborough]

Johnson has to go, if he doesn’t this club will die. Two seasons of poor performances shows he’s lost it completely.

[Admiral]

Johnson has to go, if he doesn’t this club will die. Two seasons of poor performances shows he’s lost it completely.

We need to let the board know, it should have happened last season.

[Modgull]

Son of Keith - I think you have captured the difference between the two teams in a nutshell. Dinosaurs taken apart by skill and modern tactics rather than brute strength and superior fitness. We were truly embarrassing.

[desperado]

Very good report Keithsson, summed it up completely

[DB57]

Two poor performances, agreed. But so easy to pick fault and it worries me how eager people seem to be to be to criticise. I firmly believe Johnson is the man, and at the end of the season we will go up.
Mr Johnson, if you read this then please ignore all the nonsense. A resounding win on Tuesday and it will all go quiet, such is the fickle nature of football fans. If we are nowhere at Christmas it may well be the time to go, but until then please keep the faith.

It'd be interesting to hear your justification of your belief that Johnson is the man and that we are heading for promotion.