Torquay United v Hartlepool United - 31/8/13

brucie · Post by **brucie** » 01 Sep 2013, 09:26

I agree with wivelgull - its got nothing to do with the pa system. The crowd was quiet because there was a desperate lack of any excitement on the pitch. Its 75 miles each way for me. I have been terribly unimpressed with what I have seen in the Wimbledon/Hartlepool games this season.
Everyone is blaming the midfield but I just cannot see Ball and Hawley scoring many goals at all.
I actually though our defence played well yesterday but its hardly suprising they looked good when the opposition forwards were terrible.
The standard of football was better at the end of last season under Knill but there again our forward line was infinately better than we we have got now. Howe and a fit Benyon aided by Jarvis (who has started this season where he left off) looks far better than what we currently have up front.

Neal · Post by **Neal** » 01 Sep 2013, 10:11

Awful performance, waste of £21 and a waste of my time on a lovely sunny day. Hartlepool were awful also and both these teams could easily be relegation candidates

I was bored stiff, and couldnt wait for the game to end.

There was very little quality on show and I agree Hartlepool's attack was dire.

Post by **Colorado Gull** » 01 Sep 2013, 10:35

I wrote my post yesterday and thought (I hate writing a review of the game and being negative) when there are so many on here who write nothing but a colossal of unconstructiveness and love it writing nothing else to say which hints at anything positive. Relegation candidates? You must be having a laugh? These are the same people who (and quite rightly) believe Hartlepool are relegation candidates also, when we battered them for the whole game just couldn't score any of our 14 chances of the game. We weren't fantastic yesterday by any means with a few players who need to be dropped because they don't seem good enough at the moment, but it's still very early days and we can take some positives from the game yesterday. Shut up moaning (put politely). If you don't like coming don't. If you are coming, less of the moaning and more of the supporting the lads!

Just a little mention of the atmosphere and the singers. I wasn't standing there yesterday, but even if I was I wouldn't be able to hear them singing. Where has our atmosphere gone? Where has the drum gone and the drummer? Oxford game they only had one drumstick!? Embarrassing I'm afraid.

Lloyder5 · Post by **Lloyder5** » 01 Sep 2013, 10:42

The biggest disappointment about yesterday has been the licence it has given the usual moaners to trot out the same old stuff. Brucie ignoring fact to suit his argument; Hawley has scored this season. The football is better that last season, not exhilarating, you would have to go all the way back to Rovers or Barnet for that!
We should have won and that is disappointing but the team is improving.

bengull · Post by **bengull** » 01 Sep 2013, 11:06

People are missing the point. You pays your moneys and you are entitled to your opinion. What counts as entertainment (or acceptable) to some, will be a disappointment to others with higher standards. That's just how opinions work. Yesterday was a disappointment it doesn't matter how you try and dress it up. Yes we created a lot of chances, no we didn't take any of them. Considering Hartlepool had little desire to cross the halfway line, the only option we had was to attack. We didn't do it very effectively. Obviously its far too early to draw opinions about how it will effect the season as a whole, but analysing the game on a one off basis I fail to see how anyone can come out of that happy. If they can, fair play to them.

Its easy for us as season ticket holders to remain positive, we have already paid for this week's match, and next weeks too, we are duty bound to be there or else we are doing the equivalent to throwing our money down the drain. For the casual fan, or the fan who has to travel a sizeable distance per home game you need reminding why you bother doing it every other week, a reason to stump up the Wonga to do it all again next match. On yesterday's match, in isolation, I can quite understand why some people would be questioning their own desire. The product yesterday wasn't great, that's not to say we won't batter Cheltenham next home game, but we can't forecast that.

Being negative isn't being unconstructive, if we had all chanted Shaun Taylor's name for ninety minutes at Aldershot last season and pleaded with the board to keep him on as manager because he was a nice man trying his best, it wouldn't have got us very far would it. People who champion Nathan Craig, are they being negative because they are trying to unsettle our two current midfield incumbents? No, they are stating their opinions based on the judgements they have formed on the evidence in front of them. Constructively trying to find an answer to startling lack of imagination we have in our central midfield at present.

I speak as a rose-tinter, you won't find many fans more prepared to stick up for the club in the face of adversity, more satisfied by mediocrity, more willing to glean the few positives available from the most disappointing of matches, but even I found my patience tested by yesterday- but it wont stop me being at Fleetwood and Rochdale in the coming weeks. So my viewpoint on yesterday might be negative, but my outlook on the season still positive.

bengull · Post by **bengull** » 01 Sep 2013, 11:16

Me again, quick word on the atmosphere, not only is it down to the fans to get the players going, but its also down to the players to get the fans going, neither was true yesterday. The whole match had a low-key feel to it. I think most people thought Hartlepool were so poor that it was only a matter of time before we scored but it never really got going did it. People are quick to shout abuse at players and referees, but no so quick to start chants. Instead they just look at, and blame, the usual suspects, should the usual suspects not be present, or not feeling invigorated enough to start the chants, they are the ones who cop the criticism.

Away end closed, meagre away support, PA system not working properly, all didn't help. Forget about it, move on.

brucie · Post by **brucie** » 01 Sep 2013, 11:22

Loyder - see post below yours. It might give you an example of how to make a sensible post for once.

What fact am I actually ignoring? Hawley and Ball have scored ONE goal between them all season. How many games have they played in six or seven? - by anyones standard thats a pretty poor return. Ryan Jarvis has scored THREE so he has scored three times as many as both our strikers put together.

Considering our home form so far 2600 was a decent enough turnout yesterday. Much more of that dross and it will soon be 1500. The football is not better than the way we were playing at the end of last season

portugull · Post by **portugull** » 01 Sep 2013, 11:39

In defense of Callum Ball he has "scored" 2 goals at Plainmoor both disallowed. He looked quicker and fitter yesterday and he will improve with games. Just give him a little more time.

Lloyder5 · Post by **Lloyder5** » 01 Sep 2013, 12:05

Brucie, thank you for drawing my attention to the post; it is considered, I'll also draw your attention to it for future reference.

As you have worked out, I am a rosetinter. Not to the extend of our dear friend Matt, but a rosetinter nonetheless. I try to base my views on having played a lot of local football and having watched Torquay for years; by the way if you haven't seen a worse side than Hartlepool at Plainmoor then I wonder where you've been!

You express your opinion about Torquay Utd is a very negative way, often choosing to ignore facts or manipulating them to support your argument. It seems like an attack on the club, therefore, I and other respond to it.

On the other hand every pantomime needs a villain, so carry on!

gullintwoplaces · Post by **gullintwoplaces** » 01 Sep 2013, 12:43

About yesterday's game, the words of the sage of Plainmoor:

brucie wrote:Here we go again the normal garbage from the garbage maker. Do you mean Chapell looked a great prospect last week? - because yesterday he booted nearly every cross into the family stand in the first half.

Yet only last week, the Northampton game the sage said:

brucie wrote:Chappell is by miles our best winger, why he has only started two of our league games so far is beyond me.

Wonderfully consistent inconsistency again from Wivelgull's imaginary friend. Consistent in its moaning and negativity, inconsistent over only seven days in the subject of its moaning. A player is the best winger one week, the next week I say he is a great prospect and the great man tears a strip off me, unbelievable. Have a look at the Argyle fan's view of the game Brucie, balanced fair and correct. Still, at least we didn't win eh Brucie, because now you have something to moan about.

AustrianAndyGull · Post by **AustrianAndyGull** » 01 Sep 2013, 14:45

We've lost once in 5 games and people are moaning. Some of us (myself included) berated Ling because he wouldn't attack and now we are attacking some people (not myself) aren't happy because we aren't putting the chances away. We've a nearly new set of lads which look like most of them are beginning to gel together and we have another 40 games is it left of our season.

There are a few minor concerns, for me the usual gripe about Billy not doing anything, the obvious situation that we cannot have Manse and Harding in the same team (so it is Manse every time) and Hawley being offside about 660 times in a game. These are little niggly things that will be sorted in time. Other than that I am so happy with the start we have made and I just don't know what some people want when they go to watch Torquay. Me personally just want to see a side try to win games of football and it appears that generally speaking that is what Knill is trying to do yet still he gets criticism. If we were halfway through the season and really struggling and playing crap football like under Ling then yes, some criticisms and deep worries would be justified but we're not and we're not and there is zero to worry about at the moment whatsoever. Just keep going to the games and watch us improve. We are absolutely fine as it stands.

AustrianAndyGull · Post by **AustrianAndyGull** » 01 Sep 2013, 14:54

By the way i'm obviously disappointed that we couldn't get the win but by the sounds of it we played well. created lots of chances and just couldn't score. It's no big deal and there are plenty of positives to be taken from the game like our first clean sheet for example.

AustrianAndyGull · Post by **AustrianAndyGull** » 01 Sep 2013, 15:18

In additional addition, I appreciate fans frustrations from yesterday but last week I enjoyed a great second half and a great win at Cobblers, this week we should have won but didn't. At Morecambe I enjoyed the second half and we got a point and should have gone on to win the game. Now just think about all those away games under Ling when it was relentless and remorseless cack. From Rochdale one week to Accrington the next, pure unadulterated negative drivel and a torture to watch. I went to support the lads but under immense sufferance because I knew we were going to be awful, it was going to be a terrible game where we would have one chance only in 90 minutes and generally speaking we would lose. Do any of you want those days back again? I f*cking well don't I can tell you that much! Things are hopefully now going in the right direction and I feel alive again as a TUFC fan. Perhaps we are going to be better away this season than at home, I don't know. There are things to work on after 3 home games without a win and not looking as fluent as we can do but i'm sure most sensible fans will understand the difficulties Knill is experiencing and support him fully in trying to turn our club around from a organisation not 6 months ago that was an absolute comedy show. It will take time which he has at the minute. I totally understand the frustrations and the 'you pays your money' thing but I've only been to the 2 away games this season and spent well over £160 all in for both games. That is half the price of a season ticket at Plainmoor and I still have most away games left. I'm not moaning. Under Ling I was because we were f*cking abject every time I made a journey and spent that money. In Knill we trust.

brucie · Post by **brucie** » 01 Sep 2013, 15:56

Its a tough one really because I will fully admit that we created chances - far more than the oppostion and really should have won the game.
However the general standard of the game and the way we were playing was in genreal terms awful. Neal is quite correct - it was completely boring. That isn't somebody moaning its someone making an accurate assessment.

taxilady · Post by **taxilady** » 01 Sep 2013, 16:20

the last time that I left a game excited & exhilarated was actually last week.It was 186 miles each way, though to be fair I did have business to attend to on the way up. It was a great game ( second half). We had lots of attempts on goal, several goalmouth scrambles; & we scored 2. We sang a lot, the atmosphere was very good. I really thought that we might have won 3-0 yesterday; & we could have done ! And yes, I wear rosetinted glasses ( otherwise why would I still be coming back to Plainmoor after 40-something years ...quite a few of those in exile, either by distance or finance). And yes, I'm now a season ticket holder, but quite a few of us travel a long way too !I travel 70 miles round trip; on one side of me sits a supporter who has a 52 mile round trip, on the other side a 163 mile round trip.Yesterday wasn't the best; but I'm hoping that it will get better! I certainly saw better last week; (sorry Mods..) I agree with Modgull !

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