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You are probably right Yellowsmiffy, we wont be getting the experienced pros though !
Think the player we miss most from this time last season is Racchi and Rees was a huge improvement on the
midfielders we have at present, Young excepted. Also of course the back four last year was so much better
And though I am not a huge fan of Blissett , maybe Plymouth could loan him back to us as he is not getting anywhere near their bench let alone team

yellowsmiffy wrote: ↑26 Feb 2017, 18:17 When people talk about changes in formation, do we really think it might change our fortunes? I agree it might be interesting to see more of Keating, but we don't really know if he's any good yet. If we go two up top, we lose the holding midfielder and get overrun in midfield and we invite more pressure on our fragile defence. Have we got the players to play a diamond behind two forwards, making us more compact in the middle? No formation that we might realistically use will change the back 5 who are completely incapable of avoiding conceding sloppy goals. I'm all for trying something new, I just don't have confidence in the players to make a success of any system.

In my experience of TUFC, when we have awful players, we usually get the same results despite a change in system. Unfortunately, I believe that this bunch of players aren't good enough to be successful in any formation without a few additions to the team that we just can't afford. We lack a couple of really solid experienced pros who can swing a game in our favour through composure, organisation and know-how.

In general, I agree with you. But yesterday was a different situation. 1 - 0 up with a 'non-keeper' in goal and with the wind behind us, we should have been more attack minded and brought on either Keating or Critchlow as soon as their 'keeper went off. Instead, we ploughed on with a less than fully fit Brett Williams as a lone striker which is not his game anyway. And as was posted by someone, Sutton's away goal scoring is not exactly prolific.

we would get over run in midfield if we played 8men in there,

now weve lost Fitzpatrick we are back to the lop sided team we were before a winger in Sparkes on one side and a striker playing wide in Reid,

Either drop Sparkes for keating and play both him and Reid with Williams as a tighter front 3 or drop a midfielder and go 4-4-2

arcadia wrote: ↑26 Feb 2017, 16:41 I stand by what I've said about Chaney he's a good prospect but he needs a striker to play off but Williams was taken off. Chaneys not strong but he's got vision something the rest of the side are lacking. Today Young played in his right position but it took an injury for Nicho to play him there.
So fed up only just seen this. Chaney is not an impact player he needs to start. Keating should have started.

Vision? He came on in the 67th minute yesterday, and did nothing, he cant pass/cross/go past anyone

Match report on the South London Sport site:

http://www.southlondonsport.co.uk/singl ... served-Win

There was a 10 minute or so spell in the second half where I thought you'd go on to win it, though throughout that spell there was never really a concrete threat. At the end of that spell we went up the other end and scored from a set piece having done very little for the last 10 minutes or so. Having said that I thought we deserved it overall, aside from that little spell we were in my opinion the better side for most of the game.

I hope you lot stay up (so long as we do as well!), I enjoyed my visit and was made to feel very welcome

Good luck for the rest of the season

The only interest for me in that is that your manager was talking to SUFCtv - we're lucky to have a cameraman let alone an in-house TV system.

Yorkieandy wrote: ↑26 Feb 2017, 16:27 They've picked on the easiest club to go and steal....

And boycotts would simply allow them to get their hands on the land more quickly when the club goes bust.

I would be all for protesting against GI's lack of action and investment but it would have to be in the ground and after the game. The key would be media coverage as us standing around singing when the camera had stopped rolling would achieve nothing. But if the protest drew attention to GI's lack of action and ulterior motives it might spur them into doing something.

On the other hand we could take a leaf out of Charlton's and Coventry's fans book.

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/foot ... 63311.html

http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/c ... y-12032472

gullpower wrote: ↑26 Feb 2017, 21:41 And boycotts would simply allow them to get their hands on the land more quickly when the club goes bust.

I would be all for protesting against GI's lack of action and investment but it would have to be in the ground and after the game. The key would be media coverage as us standing around singing when the camera had stopped rolling would achieve nothing. But if the protest drew attention to GI's lack of action and ulterior motives it might spur them into doing something.

On the other hand we could take a leaf out of Charlton's and Coventry's fans book.

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/foot ... 63311.html

http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/c ... y-12032472

Thanks gullpower. A constructive and reasoned response and worthy of a reply. Terry Henry also asked of me a reasonable question without resorting to petty, bitter, bitching which some fans on here seem to think will help and also seem to think i give a toss about. They rightly get ignored and other constructive posters like Terry and yourself Gullpower, posters who go about communicating in an adult manner will encourage me to give my opinion for what it's worth.

I do think a boycott will make things easier for GI, I totally agree with you there. I honestly doubt it would have much effect on results however as the squad is pretty poor anyway and I dare say the players have enjoyed good support already this season and it's not really been enough for them. They are simply a rag tag collection of footballers, some ok some woeful. Whether there are 200 fans in the ground or 2000 I don't think it would make any difference therefore I think we can rule out a boycott of matches.

That said it has to be expected by fans that nothing will miraculously improve on the pitch should they continue to frequent matches at Plainmoor and IMO it's just a matter of time before relegation, conference south, sub 1000 crowds. Relegation to conference south and the loss of any exposure the club has now even in the NL would render it even pointless having protests. Nobody outside a few hundred locals would be interested nor care about TUFC and what happens to it. Like Darlington, Hereford, Stockport and other once proud clubs, Torquay would cease to exist in the eyes of the general footballing world.

Protesting is the only other option really and this all depends on survival this season. Go down and the clubs exposure on a national level and also on a more local level even will become almost non existent. A protest then would just look like a handful of annoying students making out they have a greater purpose in life for a short while until the realities of the real world hits.

Protests should be at every home game. Before, during (half time only) and after and this would need organising, co ordinating and first of all prior canvassing as to just how many fans feel strongly enough or feel it appropriate to take part. I respect that others have differing opinions and many may dislike the idea of protest which is fair enough.

There needs to be clear points as to what the protest is all about. Getting some sort of answers to key questions from the owners would be a handy start. Get flags in, get loudspeakers in, get some songs devised that are non inflammatory, just get voices heard. Fans have been ignored for far too long and enough is enough.

BT Sport have the highlights of the NL . I know from years of first hand experience the superb away support Torquay has wherever they go across the country so lets utilise this and get some flags and protests going at away games too. Could get noticed on BT highlights. Will also highlight the clubs problems to other clubs too and they may be inclined to help in some way although at the minute I'm not sure how.

I guess I'm clutching at straws a bit but I know a lot of you Gulls out there personally and you don't deserve what has happened and what is happening. I just feel that turning up, seeing a defeat, moaning on social media about how crap everything is and repeating the process next home game when it appears clear that the owners are perfectly happy at this routine and how easy it is to continue ignoring people is ineffective.

I'm not going to say it's wrong because I've not been to a game in a few years now and really forfeited the right to pass judgement on fans and what they do. I acknowledge and recognise this.

Ultimately though I just wanted to encourage and see the club get some passion back.

All I feel is that councillors and GI are wetting themselves with laughter at the fact that the only resistance from the fanbase comes from a petition only a couple of hundred have signed anyway.

GI aren't going away. If they are genuinely interested in engaging and making their ownership of the club beneficial to both parties then their actions (or lack of) thus far certainly suggests to me that the club is going for a Burton at some point pretty soon.

If I'm wrong and it's a case of mistaken identity and they ARE interested in football in Torquay then fans need to make them damn aware that fans are too. Not by turning up every week and trying to split the atom by increasing the attendances whilst the fayre on offer is so dire. That clearly is impossible. But by letting them know this is your club too. If they are genuine then they'll try to reach an amicable solution eventually and they'll know they cannot swagger around ignoring everyone and keeping their intentions secret.

If they AREN'T interested in taking notice of persistent fan protests then fans have done all they can do but sadly the club is screwed all ends up.

You can then move on and support another club..............but this time with complete impunity.

We all know there's no magical way of playing football, it may however, have escaped the notice of some, but we've been playing with an extra man in midfield for some time, and been over run in midfield by just about everyone, Saturday we lost the midfield battle to a team who, up until Saturday with just 1 away win and 12 goals actually had a worse away record than TUFC, they don't now, not withstanding the fact they played 75 minutes with out a goal keeper and still won against our 5 man midfield, because we don't want to get over run now do we.

To simply keep shrugging our shoulders and blaming the players is nonsense, this notion that our players are shit and they'll lose no matter what is going to get us rightly relegated, we just can't sit here any longer, there's no time left now, and say it is, what it is, no point changing things.

We have to try something different, and give this group of players the best chance of wining games the manager can, there's nothing to say one opinion is more correct than another, but when you have a suspect back line, don't try and contain, and be compact, that's what we've doing for weeks now, and where's it got us.

Keating looks like he has some physical presence, get him up top to help Williams who is no lone front man, but can score goals for fun, don't know anything about Crictlow being honest, but if he can play out wide, lets have him on one side and Sparkes on the other, use the width the old fashioned way, as we're not going to get it from our current full backs, lets try and get our team on the front foot, not the back, as we are currently.

You don't concede sloppy goals when the ball is up the other of the park.

For a start no one can read the future, and events can happen that changes everything.

BUT... we make judgments on what we know and our gut feeling (some know more than others, but most don't, like me). But I do have some principals and one is I wont support greedy property developer, end of! I detect most on here don't hold that view, fair enough.

I would rather support (and I mean buy a ST) the club in the Western League with owners who put football first and at least have the drive and determination to create a decent TUFC.

I wont support owners who are firstly out to make money! GI have the chance NOW to prove me wrong and invest enough money in some new players that will keep us up, lets see, but I wont hold my breath.

If GI (and I don't know this for certain) are looking to run the club within the money they receive through the turnstiles, then we may as well be run by TUST who would most probably have the same model.

My view and Im in a minority I know, is I would rather protest and NOT ATTEND if GI don't put football first. The club will probably fold yes. And then start a new club with TUST.

Why is Crichlow at the club if not to play!?

I agree above...there is no way I funding a club I love for the sake of lining gi pockets. As it stands I'm spending no more until I either see investment or at least some transparent explanation of why gi can't invest on the pitch. That would have to be within a fans forum with this head guy Mr osborne in attendance. No wishy washy website statement will do.

Gi are making mugs of us. There original statement they made when they took over now feels like making idiots of us.

Nicholson part of me feels sorry for him , don't see much support. However it's been very poor.

Summing everything up, I think that the Sutton game must be the worst yet (in the context of the last ten years or so). I make this judgement not on seeing any TUFC games for four years, but on the reports on here, the MoM comments on another thread, and the Manager's comments.
Somewhere along the line there must be a moment when we reach rock bottom and start to climb the ladder of fortune again. Historically, this becomes clear, but is never known at the time.
Meanwhile back at the Turnbull, tomogull, no, it hasn't been all that good since Christmas I must admit, but we have 56 points and are seventh or so in the table, so things aren't too bad (you've only got to compare the fortunes of TUFC and Whitby Town to appreciate this). So, thankful for small mercies, we keep on keepin' on.