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Robiberto22 wrote:draws ok i guess - feels like our season hasnt really started yet for some reason, better to come!

Yes, but we really needed all of the points today! I don't see us getting any against Oxford or Northampton, but expect a home draw against Hartlepool ( hope I am wrong & we get a few more points), If this is the case then bottom two or three at the end of August.
September is also a tough month with only one home game against Cheltenham , & very difficult away games against fleetwood, Rochdale & Newport, so not much chance of climbing up the table. On the other hand we could win all of the next seven games!

Next 2 fixtures are going to be extremely hard I think, Oxford even though we're only 2 games in look extremely good and currently top of the table. And Northampton, well they're just annoyingly hard to beat at Sixfields.

Tongue was silly giving the ref the opportunity to send him off, but had a very good game otherwise.

First half belonged to Morecambe who had all the ball without really creating a great deal, despite getting in numerous promising positions. Their goal was a proper freak, he's never meant to knock that in, hence his muted celebration and general shock around the ground. Bodin hopeless again, all the gear no idea. Rice with a couple of good saves, Cameron good when he came on. Ball frustrating but will improve. Pearce good, looks a real prospect. Downes a right liability, utterly hopeless, but it's a one off. Hawley our best player, looked good every time he got the ball and was a large part of our dominance of the second half. Nico looks further and further off the pace every week. Offers little going forward and is easily beaten at the back. Manse got stuck in well after the break, as per Knills orders. Chappel struggled slightly, but was effective when he got the better of his man. Sullivan still runs like a proper weirdo. Referee did his best to help Morecambe as the match went on, but didn't detract too much from an interesting, entertaining second half. A point apiece a fair result.

Matt.

And, I've done a 630 mile round trip and not felt the need to chuck a brick at anything. Do I get a medal?

Matt.

If Cruise doesn't start the next game I'll be annoyed!

No, but should probably get a speeding ticket

Hard luck to Hyde today on their narrow 8-0 loss.

sorry wodger but cant agree with you, we are two games in and unbeaten, so oxford have started well but there is plenty of time, lets see where everyone is at after 6 or 7 games, no point being negative at this stage, it could be worse you could be supporting the gargs, bottom two, no points and no goals and calling for sheridan to go already.

ROADRUNNER wrote:sorry wodger but cant agree with you, we are two games in and unbeaten, so oxford have started well but there is plenty of time, lets see where everyone is at after 6 or 7 games, no point being negative at this stage, it could be worse you could be supporting the gargs, bottom two, no points and no goals and calling for sheridan to go already.

Negative? I did say that we might win the next seven games!
So, how many points do you think we will gain in Aug. & Sept? Where will we be in the table at the end of Sept? Will Knill still be the manager at Christmas? Will Argyle still be employing Sheridan?..........

I thought it was quite a positive performance today from Torquay, but I have to say I will be more than surprised if Morecambe don't struggle this season. They were pretty poor very flat and any team which goes to the Globe with an attacking mindset will be in with a chance.

For much of the second half we looked like we would come away from the match with something. Leadership on the pitch concerns me. Much like last season we seem to lack those players who can change the momentum of the game, get the them going and make thinks happen. It took half time for alan to get the team to see what the issues were and change things round

There is without doubt talent in the team, but we have problems. Nico was too slow throughout the first half, Downes clearly needs a Saah type attitude behind him, whilst effective he does slip up and today the cover was not there.

I thought bodin was quite effective, he drew the morecambe defence well and worked his socks off and as a playmaker looked like he could make things happen, and he very nearly did in the first half, but it does seem its going to take some amazing match winning performances to win parts of the crowd around

To me it remains a shame the Nathan Craig does not feature, we needed a passer out there today and Mansell does just not have that for all his huff and puff

A fair result

Good point today I think, always thought today would be tough given our recent success up there. Have a feeling that my first game of the season (Northampton) may bring our first win - nothing to base that on but gut instinct mind.

Agree with many others on here that it will take a bit of time to see where we really are, but think that League 2 will be very competitive again this year, with not too much separating the top and bottom. If we gel together as we hope, we could do pretty well. If not, then, well let's not think about that just yet.

What I do know is we have seen enough since March to have some hope that it will come together, and we need to allow some time for that to occur.

And yes, although not convinced we will, we certainly can beat Oxford next week. Another draw however would not be a disaster.

I can't believe for their first home league game of the season, having just beaten Wolves, the crowd was 1555. How many Gulls? That must spell financial problems surely?

They didn't give a toss either, Kernow. Granted the kid shanked one, but I've never seen a 25 yarder greeted with such abject apathy. There was barely a ripple of applause as it hit the net. Very strange. Couple of hundred Gulls, I imagine.

Matt.

Not long in after a long, long day, but a thoroughly enjoyable one. Many thanks to the usual suspects for transport and hospitality.

Would have bitten anyone's hand off at half time had they offered us a point. First half we were abysmal apart from one rare foray into the Morecambe half where Bodin smashed his shot against the bar. Take out that one moment and the half was dire from start to finish. So stand offish in defence, too much hesitation and needless touches into blind alleys not helping at the back either. Going forward there was just no spark whatsoever, no decent service to our two strong frontmen, just an endless sea of aimless long balls which Morecambe's defence dealt with easily and after praising him last week, I don't think Harding completed a pass all half.

Their goal was a comedy of errors, first a poor clearance, secondly poor tracking back by Bodin leaving Nicho in a two on one scenario, Nicho deliberating between the two and then not closing the ball, more standing off from our defence allowing the shot, and then I will have to see it again but I suspect Rice may been disappointed not to have saved the shot.(Apart from that, Rice was once again excellent) These are basic errors which need to be ironed out because better teams than Morecambe (they were nothing special) could and would make mincemeat out of us.

Negatives out of the way I am pleased to say that second half we were excellent. Hawley got into the game more and used his physicality to great effect, everything went via him and his hold up play was exceptional. He took his goal brilliantly too, measured a shot high into the corner, well worth staying up to see with Maneesh. Once he is match fit and up to speed he will be a handful for any defence in our league.

You could see the confidence come back to the team as soon as we equalised. Our passing was crisper and we created good openings at will. Both Nicholson and Tonge were overlapping readily and taking up good positions such was the power we had over Morecambe for 20 second half minutes. Bodin looked dangerous on the left once he decided to cut out the flashiness, if he plays with his head up, he will come good. He just needs that first goal.

The two things we need to work on, (and what stopped us winning quite comfortably) was our final ball, and learning to play the early ball. In the instance of the final ball we worked ourselves into excellent crossing positions only for the ball to evade the men in the box, Tonge and Bodin especially wasteful here. Regarding the early ball (and it is easy high up in the stand) Callum Ball was screaming for an early ball into the danger area between Goalkeeper and defence on no less than three occasions in a one minute spell. Each time all Cameron had to do was look up and play the pass in, perhaps Ball needs to shout louder, perhaps Cameron needs to see the entire pitch and not just his twenty yards of touchline. We spent a long time waiting for a decent calibre of striker to sign, we have to appreciate their talents and clever runs.

Cameron is a tricky winger, can beat his man for fun, like most wingers it will be his end product that defines him. He seems extremely laid back in possession, sometimes the early ball is the best ball. Again, bags of potential, lots of excitement to be had watching him develop.

Morecambe only came back into the match in the last ten minutes because we let them due to a silly (and avoidable) second caution for Tonge. So daft in fact he didn't wait to see the second yellow, he knew. Nervy moments when Morecambe hit the post after one last lapse in concentration but I think defeat would have been harsh, a point a piece was the right result.

Early days of course, way too early to be making predictions of judgements of any sort. But at the moment there is no-one who has me thinking 'why the hell is he in our squad?' and that's a good sign.

Nice to meet Gulliball, Hi Chris, hope you had a good journey home.

Nice to spend time with my second favourite Austrian (Felix Baumgautner takes pole) he says hi and sends his best wishes. He might have said more but I stopped listening after his first sentence. (joke Andy before you defriend me on facebook)

Had a drive around Morecambe seafront for the first time in three visits, anyone who tells you its picturesque and worth visiting is clearly lying or being a paid a princely sum by the tourist board, it is a complete hovel.

Thanks for the match reports lads for those of us who couldn't make the long trek to Lancs. Now this may be a load of cobblers, but as I see it from the Wimbledon game and listening to most of the radio commentary, we are being over-run in midfield. As yet, the attacking 4-2-4 formation is not working as it should because the forwards are not getting the service required. I was under-impressed with Harding last week and the only time he was mentioned in the first half commentary was when he took a free kick! Surely a midfield player should be in the action constantly? Certainly Mansell seemed to be having a very busy afternoon. I note Matt Ferrarilover omitted Harding altogether in his player assessments ! Freudian slip, Matt ??

And before anyone accuses me of being negative, I'm not ! I think we will finish about 10th and then hopefully push on for promotion next season. I just feel that midfield could be a cause for concern. Next week's game against Oxford will give us a better picture of where we're at. Well? Is this cobblers, or do you think my concern is justified?