Torquay United v Fleetwood Town - 8/3/14

[AustrianAndyGull]

I think we have a chance this Saturday , they (Fleetwood) will be desperate to win , anything less than 3 points will seem a disaster . If we can keep it tight for the first half go in 0-0, we can hit them on the break and nick 2 goals .
but if we read it like them and go at them early we will get stuffed ,, it is all down to management skills now .
we will see if ours has any management skill , sadly I think not at the moment . he and the team look like rabbits in the headlights..

You mean like we did against Accrington you mean? :Oops:

As we have only come from behind to win once all season I suggest we DO go at them early and try and get something to hang on to. Otherwise it will be plenty of possession, a few missed chances perhaps then we fizzle out quickly and they assert and score leaving us zero room for manoeuvre. If we don't get the tempo and application from kick off we're screwed. In my humble opinion. Now is the time to take games to the opposition and not to see if we can hang in there and nick one. It breeds confidence if we play like we mean business even we lose, playing like we are totally desperate for a result just makes players anxious and compounds things against us. The mindset has to change to BELIEVING we can get results and that isn't going to happen by playing the way that has seen us lose most of our matches.

In my opinion. =D

[AustrianAndyGull]

Also we don't need to just nick the odd game here and there. We need to string some results together if we are to achieve the impossible so not only do we need to be playing fairly well but by doing so it reinforces the belief that maybe the players can actually do it and thus improving their mental toughness and outlook on the situation. It all breeds positivity and togetherness which we have none of the minute.

I was pleased we fought back to get a draw against Burton but once again we failed to replicate that performance the next game. That can't happen anymore. Sure if we were level on points then we may get away with nicking the odd win here and there and we could stay up that way but we require pretty much 3 wins and other teams above to do us a favour to get out of the bottom 2 as it stands. The more games pass and we don't get wins then time runs out for us. I just worry for this month because we have some tough games. Fleetwood and Rochdale are both tough, tough sides to play and given our home form it would be absolutely amazing if we won 1 of those. Bury at home is the one that on paper looks the 'easiest'. Newport will be tough too and I expect Howe and Zebs to finish us off in true predictable fashion.

We'll get done at Southend I reckon and Cheltenham too so that leaves York where we can win if all goes to plan.

Then we start April with a really difficult home game against Scunny but after that I think our run in is what could be critical. If we can somehow hang in there and close the gap then it could be a dramatic last few games. Away games at Brizzle, Mansfield and Exeter are all winnable games given the fairly similar struggles of those three teams this season. Obviously games against Brizzle and Exeter bring about their own pressures not just the result but then we have Daggers at home and end at home to Wycombe. If we're still in touching distance come after the Scunny game then I will actually believe that we can do it.

There is a hell of a lot of footy still to be played so that is why it is critical we go for the throat from the off in EVERY game. If we get done then we get done, if not then we may get a goal and do a Southend, Pompey, Dagenham and Wimbledon - all games where we have got the lead and got the 3 points. I'm actually convincing myself here that the impossible can be done. I'm getting carried away. Surely I can't have forgotten the performances we've put in the last few weeks? .

If Fleetwood can go 7 games without winning then it tells me they aren't as great as we make them out to be and suffer the same crises of confidence as we do so it's up to Chris to instill this into the players for Saturday and that it is 11 v 11. All the old clichés can be trotted out but they still apply. Who wants it more? Them or us?

COYY!!!!!

[chippygull]

Hope springs eternal.. read my signature quote.

[lucy6lucy]

Hope springs eternal.. read my signature quote.

Shame police dogs arnt in attendance, does Gilbert have sharp teeth? :}

[DevonYellow]

Wonder if the club will consider opening some of the away terrace to hone fans. I appreciate we don't fill three sides as it is but the kids go for free promotion might boost the attendance and it would be good to get support at both ends of the ground. If nothing else it's trying something different!

Will be interesting to hear what the net affect on income is of letting kids in for free. If positive, or no impact but larger crowd, maybe we will see it more often.

[taxilady]

if you open the Away End, you've got extra stewarding costs..........

[DevonYellow]

It also costs money to get fire eaters, samba bands etc...

[ferrarilover]

You don't know that. Plus, it's not about cost, it's about value, there's an extremely important difference (one which Torquay seem to be just about the only club to recognise).

Matt.

[DevonYellow]

Which is exactly my point, the cost of opening the away end shouldn't be prohibitive if it helped to get a better atmosphere.

Of course it might not make any difference but this would be the weekend to try it along with all the other initiatives to improve the atmosphere.

[ferrarilover]

17 curmudgeonly old sods, stood mainly in silence, infrequently interrupting their Werther's suckage to complain to anyone who will listen that things were better during the war. That's sure to encourage the players...

Maybe it will, maybe it won't. Thing is, joking aside, I don't think we'll get anything like enough people through the door to make it work. If anything, we want to be closing the popside, so at least the Bench doesn't look so forlorn.

Matt.

[DevonYellow]

17 curmudgeonly old sods, stood mainly in silence, infrequently interrupting their Werther's suckage to complain to anyone who will listen that things were better during the war. That's sure to encourage the players...

Maybe it will, maybe it won't. Thing is, joking aside, I don't think we'll get anything like enough people through the door to make it work. If anything, we want to be closing the popside, so at least the Bench doesn't look so forlorn.

Matt.

Lol a bit like old Trafford when we all had to sit where the cameras would see us so it didn't look too empty!

Might work, might not but maybe worth a try.

[nickbrod]

Presumably Chris Hargreaves will be at Newport tonight to watch Fleetwood to plot our third home win of the season!!!

[gullintwoplaces]

Presumably Chris Hargreaves will be at Newport tonight to watch Fleetwood to plot our third home win of the season!!!

Glad Fleetwood are playing tonight. They might be tired on Saturday, so we could lose by fewer goals than we would otherwise have done.

[ferrarilover]

Well, in an hour and a half's football tonight, automatic promotion hopefuls Fleetwood Town managed the sum total of zero shots on target. Vastly superior Newport County (they must be good, they've got Rene Howe up front) managed all of one shot on target. So, in summary, against a desperately poor side who offered absolutely no threat going forward, Fleetwood were horrifically shit. Both managers blaming the pitch. If either is expecting the Lords outfield when they come to Plainmoor, they're in for a shock.

As usual, Fleetwood probably aren't really any better than us, but that doesn't mean they won't bloody scrape a deeply ropey 1-0 on Saturday.

Matt.

[tomogull]

Glad Fleetwood are playing tonight. They might be tired on Saturday, so we could lose by fewer goals than we would otherwise have done.

Nah - won't work. We thought Accrington would be knackered after playing Bury in a midweek game with 10 men. As we sadly saw, they looked more 'up for it' than we did !