Alfreton Town v Torquay United – Saturday 11th October 2014

[SuperNickyWroe]

i bet barnet et al are sh1tting themselves about having to play us on that performance!

[brucie]

Cp gull has got it spot on.

Why was Rice actually looking behind him when Hawley scored his second. He wasn't directly to blame for any of the goals tonight but gavce the impression that he wouldn't save anything. Time for a change - if Seabright isn't good enbough get someone else in on loan.

Possinly the most appalling performance I have ever seen from a Torquay side.

[Sesimbra]

As a long time supporter of Torquay, now unable to attend matches, I really look forward to United's rare matches on TV especially as the season so far have been good in terms of results. My opinion after this match is that if we continue to play like we did today we have no chance of a return to the league in the near future. This must
be one of the worst performance I have seen on TV. The defence was non-existent and the attack had very little ideas. The only players to impress were Ajala & Briscoe. I am concerned about Rice and Richards, accepting he was playing out of position. Also Pearce was a real disappointment.
Hargreaves has a lot to learn as I mentioned on another site. Why on earth did he not alter the defensive formation at half time when it was obviously being overrun by the opposition? I hope he doesn't suggest there were positives to be taken from the game. My expectations have been lowered considerably today.
.

[KeithMalone]

I've sat down and thought about this as I did not want it to be a kneejerk reaction to game. It's difficult as after a defeat we as fans feel like we are the worst team in the world and when we win we forge/forgive a lot of mistakes.

Tonight we were beaten by a very average Alfreton side. If the game was played on paper we win but it's not and tonight showed that. I've gone through each of the players performances below:

Rice - 5 - Although not directly at fault for any of the goals, he does not command confidence from his defence (the disallowed goal showed this as you see Briscoe's head sink as if to say the keeper's at fault for that one, albeit the ref ruled it out and saved Rice) and he should not get beat at the near post for the first goal.

Tonge - 5 - Outmuscled for the 3rd goal but did ok given Ajala did nothing to protect him, having said that it isn't as if Alfreton had a winger to bother him

Richards - 3 - Played out of position, at fault for 3 of the goals, here's hoping this doesn't damage his confidence

Pearce - 5 - Do wonder why he didn't just go man for man with Hawley the whole game as it is only when Hawley drifted onto Richards (as any wise old pro would knowing he is inexperienced) that resulted in goals

Cruise - 6 - Thought he got forward well and helped to provide threat as Cameron 1 on 1 with his full back did not seem to deliver

Young - 6 - Easily the best player on the pitch ability wise but at times tries to make things come off that players with greater ability than his would struggle with

Ajala - 6 - Looked lively and a threat when found wide and had his full back on toast, shame his delivery isn't as good as his approach play

Cameron - 5 - Fairly anonymous for me, certainly didn't have the impact on the game that Ajala did

Wakefield - 5 - See Cameron

Briscoe - 6 - Took the first goal well and was in the right place for the second. Doesn't seem to go in behind the opposition defence or be the target man which can make him ineffective for large parts

Bowman - 5 - Poor in that nothing seemed to stick/work off him. However sense if given O'Achie's chance in the 2nd half he would have buried it

O'Achie (subbed on) - 5 - Worked hard but given the chance he had he has to score and it proved costly when he didn't

When we get the ball into the middle third and play we can play some good stuff but defensively on dead balls we look tripe and I hope Downes is let know by the rest of the team just how costly that red card has proven to be

We go again next week. COYY

[hector]

You could have written the script for today's game. Live on TV, away at the smallest club on earth, with their ramshackle ground that looks like the tornado that hit it's town, did its best on the stadium, with Hawley up front , scoring against us, in one game, almost as many as he managed for us in an entire season.

It demonstrates that the lazy journeyman can put some effort in when he can be arsed and I doubt Alfreton will see similar exertions from him again because generally he is happy to pick up his pay for doing very little.

It was always going to happen.

Saying that TUFC did their best to give it to Alfreton but what a shambolic fortnight away from home, when we have conceded EIGHT against Telford and Alfreton. Alfreton had a goal difference of minus 21 before today. The aren't just an average side or even a below average team - they're a joke and they outplayed us today.

It is surely time for the Martin Rice experiment to come to an end. Persisting with a Western League keeper is just nonsensical and he has cost us so many goals lately. Even the ex-chairman was berating him on the terraces last week. I was surprised that there wasn't even some Bournemouth youth team player we could have had on loan at centre-half and although Richards may have been at fault, but he was played out of position.

Finally, if the board are adopting this penny-wise, pound-foolish approach then they need to take stock about how it is working.

[lucy6lucy]

You could have written the script for today's game. Live on TV, away at the smallest club on earth, with their ramshackle ground that looks like the tornado that hit it's town, did its best on the stadium, with Hawley up front , scoring against us, in one game, almost as many as he managed for us in an entire season.

It demonstrates that the lazy journeyman can put some effort in when he can be arsed and I doubt Alfreton will see similar exertions from him again because generally he is happy to pick up his pay for doing very little.

It was always going to happen.

Saying that TUFC did their best to give it to Alfreton but what a shambolic fortnight away from home, when we have conceded EIGHT against Telford and Alfreton. Alfreton had a goal difference of minus 21 before today. The aren't just an average side or even a below average team - they're a joke and they outplayed us today.

It is surely time for the Martin Rice experiment to come to an end. Persisting with a Western League keeper is just nonsensical and he has cost us so many goals lately. Even the ex-chairman was berating him on the terraces last week. I was surprised that there wasn't even some Bournemouth youth team player we could have had on loan at centre-half and although Richards may have been at fault, but he was played out of position.

Finally, if the board are adopting this penny-wise, pound-foolish approach then they need to take stock about how it is working.

Changes needed. Rice has become so complacent, he needs sacking. As for the rest, let them watch the DVD 10 times over.

[Swanny]

What an embarrassment! I know we've had our fair share of low points over the years but this was as bad as anything. Myself and my son just entered Boots 'n' Laces just as Richards fluffed his back pass and Hawley of all people scored their fourth. The natives in Boots 'n' Laces were not happy, I can tell you. In fact they were very angry.

I agree with other posters, there were some shocking decisions made. Why on earth did Hargreaves put Richards at centre back and not try Hutchings? Surely even Harding would have been a better bet as at least he has the physical statue of a centre back. Why did Hargreaves again persist with Ajala in attack and Briscoe on the wing? Like the Wrexham game, when Hargreaves did swap them around again, Briscoe again did the business in attack. But why didn't Briscoe start in attack as he presently seems the only striker we can rely on scoring?

As for Rice, after a decent season last season, I'm afraid this season he is returning to his old failings. After last week's calamity against Wrexham, he hardly looked convincing on the 1-on-1's and he is the worst professional keeper I have ever seen in coming out for crosses. I get the jitters everytime the opposition get a corner. There was no Downes or Macdonald to bail him out tonight and tonight's disallowed goal should have stood. Rice was nowhere near it and I am not convinced he was fouled. It was just a case of Rice being Rice for a cross.

Very dejected and I hope Hargreaves more than anyone learns from this. It was interesting to see Hargreaves after the match laying into the players in the changing room. It's a shame there was no audio...

[Burnhamgull]

That was a f***ing shambles.

Hargreaves dropped a complete clanger by playing Richards at CB but I would question why Richards thought he could play there. If my manager asked me to do a job that I wasn't so sure about doing, I would question it. Even to the point of saying, "look boss, I'm not sure I should play there". He obviously said nothing and gave the worst performance of his career.

Acheampong was really poor and is yet another example of a tall bloke thinking he can play. He hasn't impressed me once when he's played and is yet another in the Andy Rowlands/Stewart Evans/Andy McFarlane mould.

Rice......oh my god, Rice. Where do you start? Last weeks clanger against Wrexham and tonight another sub standard performance. He can't kick, his distribution is poor and he cannot come for crosses. Bang average and if Seabright isn't good enough, get a loan goalkeeper in.

Pearce was way off the pace and I agree that next week Downes and McDonald should return to the team. While I'm on the subject of Downes and McDonald, what a couple of twats! They are to blame for the mess at the back because both showed a complete lack of professionalism in recent games and got themselves needless bans.

Tonge and Cruise?...............did they play?

LIkewise Cameron....

Briscoe and Ajala were the only players who showed any ability in the 90 minutes.

Full credit to the fans that travelled. Sadly for all of us it's another humiliating Monday at work. Live on BT Sport and we looked crap. Thanks Torquay!

[CP Gull]

An hour or so on and I am still really angry at that performance!

Really angry at the Board for it's skinflint approach to preparation for away games ... let's just look at the evidence ... travel on the day to Dartford (draw but could easily have lost but for a missed penalty), AFC Telford (lose) and Alfreton (lose) ... there seems to be a pattern here!!??????

The fact is that we have some very decent players, particularly going forward, and our centre halves are decent enough at this level( when not bleddy suspended!!!! ) but WE all know where the weaknesses are in our team so WHY haven't they been addressed? Either Greavsie is blind to them or the Board are not prepared to sanction any funds to plug the gaps?

Either way, with the current squad, we WILL fall short of our attempts to regain Football League status at the first attempt as quite simply there are too many weaknesses within the squad to achieve that. A great shame really as there are so many positives to take from this season but the reality is that we need to strengthen in some key areas ... but it appears that the Board has no desire to chuck any more money at a concerted effort to win promotion ... which is a great shame.

[PlainmoorRoar]

Bit of a weird game!

Thought we showed good spirit to level twice, if Duane scores to make it 3-2, we shut up shop and take 3 points home.

GK saves and they go and score, game over.

Richards back pass slip could have happened to anyone but the lack of a proper CB was showing on the goals we conceded.

Maybe in training Richards looked the best at CB, he's certainly a better footballer than Harding!

If we had McDonald/Downes it would have been a different story, I do think it's time to look at a GK replacement for Rice, he simply isn't good enough.

Our discipline has cost us today, hopefully with the lads back next Saturday we can get back to winning ways!

[brucie]

Playing Richards at centre half was lunacy. He is the smallest player in our team. It was a ridiculous decision by Hargreaves. Had he swapped Wakefield for Richards you could have perhaps have seen some reasoning in it - at least Wakefield is tall.
Richards should shoulder no blame whatsoever for this defeat,
Blaming Macdonald or Downes for this defeat is just plain daft - they were not available, its up to the manager to come up with a plan to win the game its probably the worst team selection I have ever seen.
Hector is right - Alfreton were a godawful team.
Alot has been made of the travelling on the day but don't forget this was Alfretons third game in seven days. It should have been perfectly reasonable to expect us to get off the coach and beat this lot easily.
Rice is gone in - it seems that his display against Telford has shot his confidence to pieces. Their keeper was bloody awful as well but at least he managed a match winning save at 2-2 - Rice looked like he wouldn't stop anything if he stayed there all night.
He is truly hopeless and just stays rooted to his line permanently. We got away with their disallowed goal which clearly should have been given but couldn't make anything of it.
I was shocked at how inept we were.

[Burnhamgull]

One word describes our approach towards todays game.

Complacent.

Alfreton were bottom with a shocking goal difference
Little old Alfreton........bless them, we're Torquay United!!!
We'll play our shortest player at the heart of our defence and leave a CB on the bench.
We won't bother with an overnight stay, we'll walk this..................

Complacent

[StretfordGull]

I'm still coming to terms with that.
Upon reflection, we just lost to a very, very poor side and seemingly did everything we possibly could to lose. After about 70 minutes, I thought to myself how wonderful it would be if the referee said 'right, jokes over lads. Start again, we'll play for real this time.

What was obvious from the terrace was that we are much better than Alfreton and wouldn't lose to them again if we played them 10 times.

4 goals. 4 mistakes.
A goalkeeper that is good at shot stopping but may as we'll stay in the changing room if anything else is required.
A pint sized midfielder playing at centre back, while our fourth choice defender looks on from the bench.
Everyone kept slipping. Just our players though.

It was just daft.
I assume Telford was the same.
Alfreton didn't have a midfield. They just launched it forward high and hopefully. Luckily for them, every time they did, they looked like scoring. Indeed Pearce was awful today. Not much better than Richards. Downer and macdonald need to come back.

I suppose what I'm saying is, tonight was farcical and very disappointing. However, we are better than alfreton will ever be. It was a freak performance and result, not helped by bizarre tactical decisions. We'll have to learn from it and move on. This is probably what was said about the Telford match though.

[arcadia]

It's easy to criticize so I'm going to do it. When playing away we have got to play an extra midfield player for parts of the game as sides are more confident at home and giving sides space is asking for trouble.
To play Richards in the back four was a big mistake which I think Hargreaves will learn from but if he'd
asked any football minded person, not one would have picked him there tonight.

This is why an older person should be along side Hargreaves this would stop him making these stupid mistakes.
It would have been more sensible to play an extra midfield player when your centre half is missing
Next week it's made it easy to bring back McDonald but get him more disciplined with Downes along side him.

The away games have become a problem so we've got to play only one wide player until the side settles into the game.
The big problem now is we can't say forget the result, because it will happen again unless action is taken.

[Burnhamgull]

For Telford, See Alfreton.

The bottom line is that if you look at the five individuals in defence tonight, 3 of the them have been criticised previously for not being good enough (Rice, Cruise and Tonge). 1 isn't a defender (Richards). That leaves Pearce who's been out of the team for most of the season.

Everytime Alfreton/Telford went forward, we looked shaky and likely to concede.

Hargreaves made two mistakes tonight. First he shouldn't have put Richards at CB. Second, he should have changed things at half time when Richards was clearly struggling.

I really feel for Richards tonight. He's been class up until today but he was ruthlessly exposed in an unfamiliar position and he'll be kicking himself all the way home. I hope he's back alongside Young next week and we all get behind him.