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Errrrrr ……… we are not going to get anywhere near the playoffs, furthermore, far from giving credit to management for the second half of the season, perhaps they should be berated for the appalling first half of the campaign? I also have some strong misgivings about how things will go in preparation for 2022/23 given the overall standards of 2021/22.

Wolborough, there were very specific reasons why the early part of the season was so poor, that in no way excuses how poorly things were handled. For a supposedly proffesional club it was embarassing, not only that cringeworthy mass signing day as players were trotted out most supporters were shouting WHO, and the majority were signings that has been passed over by other clubs for very good reasons, and boy were those other clubs proved right. We had a situation where players were introducing themselves to each other days before the opening fixture, a new take on the meaning of pre season preparation, we also missed the opportunity because of summer inertia at the club of having any meaningful pre season friendlies.
Will it happen again , knowing Torquay, Yes, but it will depend on how the season finishes, if we have a full summer break and proper pre season I will yet again live in the new season, new hope mantra that is the life of a united supporter.

If we were to genuinely challenge for a play off spot then it is going to go down to the last game of the season at Southend. So why has GJ, rather than travelling up with the team and preparing them ahead of the game decided to take part in a charity match at Huish Park the day before the game? Is it because he knows we have no chance of getting to the play-offs.

culmstockgull wrote: ↑07 Apr 2022, 13:55 Wolborough, there were very specific reasons why the early part of the season was so poor, that in no way excuses how poorly things were handled. For a supposedly proffesional club it was embarassing, not only that cringeworthy mass signing day as players were trotted out most supporters were shouting WHO, and the majority were signings that has been passed over by other clubs for very good reasons, and boy were those other clubs proved right. We had a situation where players were introducing themselves to each other days before the opening fixture, a new take on the meaning of pre season preparation, we also missed the opportunity because of summer inertia at the club of having any meaningful pre season friendlies.
Will it happen again , knowing Torquay, Yes, but it will depend on how the season finishes, if we have a full summer break and proper pre season I will yet again live in the new season, new hope mantra that is the life of a united supporter.

You have appeared to have overlooked the fact that our recruitment started weeks after every other team in the NL as we didnt know which league we would be in....

No, i did not overlook the fact that our search for replacements was in all respects determined by the play offs, part of which I indicated as being the shambles of the signings. Look at the quality or lack of it for our pre season friendlies, regardless of the league we would be in arranging these should have occured before the season ended, not at the end of June when most organised teams had already made their arrangements. As for the signings based on Johnson's brothers belief they were any good and in the case of Halstead just on a video or Rogers on his goal in a pre season friendly. If as Johnson states and most of us believe there is very little difference between the national and division 2 then why were we signing players from lower leagues with little or no pedigree. Even after their promotion it didnt stop Hartlepool signing six players with experience.

Plainmoor78 wrote: ↑07 Apr 2022, 20:12 If we were to genuinely challenge for a play off spot then it is going to go down to the last game of the season at Southend. So why has GJ, rather than travelling up with the team and preparing them ahead of the game decided to take part in a charity match at Huish Park the day before the game? Is it because he knows we have no chance of getting to the play-offs.

what an idiotic take this is.

It's a charity game to raise money in the name of a player that Johnson managed. It's the day before the Southend game, and presumably they'll have been training every day that week, prior to travelling up on Saturday. They probably won't do much in the way of training while they're...you know..travelling, so I don't think it's that big of a deal for the manager to join up with them in the evening after the charity match.

sometimes it feels like people are looking for things to complain about.

What players did we sign from lower leagues ? Lapslie came from Colchester ever present in League 2 last season , Halstead made 16 appearances for Morecambe League 2 promoted to League 1, Omar Barnsley, O'Connell Bournemouth, Lolos Plymouth, Martin Cardiff , the list continues.

This is what Gary Johnson said;

From the Torquay United club website: "I’m so pleased with our close season recruitment,” began The Gaffer.

“Some were done very early, and some a little bit later. We’ve definitely signed some quality, some youth, experience and athleticism – and very importantly, they all passed the personality and character test needed for Torquay’s DNA.

“I look forward to the fans’ reaction, once they’ve seen them play.”

This oh we didn't know what league we'd be in, no meaning to be disrespectful to anyone is one of those piss poor excuses, Hartlepool didn't know either, they were 2 weeks behind everyone in League 2, yes being slightly behind the curve on recruitment was a factor not a reason.

Less than 2 months later Johnson said;
"I've got to a take responsibility and we've got to turn the personnel around as quickly as we can," he said.

"At the moment some of them are proving not quite up to this level and I apologise for that because I'm the one that recruits these people."

Here we are approaching the end of the season and what changed, yes we've had a better second half of the season, but on recruitment, Wearne, Duke McKenna on loan great additions but not enough we're still desperately short up front, and Felix urm well not sure what say there.

We've got a run of fixtures against some serious teams now, lets hope I have the need to come back with an apology, because we're going to find out where we're really at over the next few weeks, personally can't wait to be back on the popside tomorrow.

Lapslie I agree with you, Omar, oconnell martin, lolos all under 23 players ,a handfull of first team appearnaces between them, and as Johnson said he needs to ship some out and some are not up to this level. I am sure he brought them in on someones else's recommendation,so I do not blame him entirely although he correctly takes responsibility.

The FL played their first league fixtures on the weekend 7-8 August whereas the NL didn't start until the 21 August. So the lack of quality opposition for pre season friendlies beyond the end of July was probably due to FL clubs not being available.

IF we were to make the playoffs and IF we were to win and get promoted where does that leave us?

None of the present squad are fit for purpose L2 players so it’s a total rebuild in almost identical circumstances to last year.

Get promoted, get relegated - is that what we want??

IF we were to make the playoffs and IF we were to win and get promoted where does that leave us?

None of the present squad are fit for purpose L2 players so it’s a total rebuild in almost identical circumstances to last year.

Get promoted, get relegated - is that what we want??

DB57 wrote: ↑08 Apr 2022, 22:11 IF we were to make the playoffs and IF we were to win and get promoted where does that leave us?

None of the present squad are fit for purpose L2 players so it’s a total rebuild in almost identical circumstances to last year.

Get promoted, get relegated - is that what we want??

Bizarre comment. The team that gets promoted is good enough to get promoted and has every chance of staying there. If we had gone up last year we wouldn’t have lost some of our best players. You can attract higher standard players in L2.

happytorq wrote: ↑08 Apr 2022, 14:41 what an idiotic take this is.

It's a charity game to raise money in the name of a player that Johnson managed. It's the day before the Southend game, and presumably they'll have been training every day that week, prior to travelling up on Saturday. They probably won't do much in the way of training while they're...you know..travelling, so I don't think it's that big of a deal for the manager to join up with them in the evening after the charity match.

sometimes it feels like people are looking for things to complain about.

Its not an idiotic take at all. If, in the highly unlikely event that we were still in with a chance of the play-offs going into the Southend game, I would absolutely expect Johnson to sack off this charity game and travel with the squad. It's where his priorities would lie. I mean what message would that give, if going into the most important game of the season to date, Johnson said 'see you up there lads, I'm off for a jolly at Yeovil first'. That would be completely the wrong message and a slap in the face for his employers. Anyway, its all a moot point because that Southend game will almost certainly be a dead rubber.

Happy toro comments are spot on.

Dont see what the problem is with any comments -
Apart from the fact that we wont reach the play-offs.