Torquay V Woking - Mon. 30th Aug - 3pm KO

[bobbytanz1963]

First post for ages BUT Armani Little - what is point ???? Any clues on when he has had a good game ?

[DevonBee]

An embarrassing afternoon, we were simply bullied from the start 0-2 down after 4 minutes...Woeful !!!!
I really feel for the Gaffer but as he said in his aftermatch interview....we will turn it around with this group or if not with another group !!!
Think that sums up how he feels .
In my opinion, we have to many weaklings that are simply not up for the fight as was proven time and time again today. The Gaffer knows only to well who they are, and I have every faith he will put things right. Some tough nut Loan signings to replace the weak links would be a start, we all know who they are !

[DWB]

Yet again shown how to do the basics, whereas we can only hoof high and long; what on earth do we do on the training ground? Apparently not anything to do with teamwork or passing. Comprehensively outmuscled, outplayed, and, alas for our sole tactic, outheaded. How do we expect to control games and actually make scoring chances without the ball when even with 11 on the field we were very second-best all over the pitch?

Totally agree PL21 gull.

As we now play 2 Strikers we seem to be obsessed with playing a long high ball and today that was meat and drink to the physical Woking side. Danny Wright has so far this season, it seems, developed a habit of trying to fight with the opponent and that detracts from his game. Unfortunately the players that we have recruited do not seem to be ‘up to the task’ at the moment. CLE was obviously not fit so that gamble misfired. There is ,obviously, time to turn this around but you have to question the recruitment over the summer, was it all we could afford or did we not do our homework properly?

[Dave]

I come back once again respectively to point out, my match thread comment was not negative, merely honest , but maybe my honesty right now isn't brutal enough.

I will tell everyone straight now, it doesn't bother me watching Torquay Untied lose, when they've played with the right passion, desire, tried to effect the game in a positive way through possession of the ball, and been perhaps a bit unlucky because in football the most deserving team doesn't always win, it doesn't bother me one bit to get to the season end, with our team winning 15 games and losing 15 games , because when you sign up to be a Torquay United fan, that's comes as part of the deal.

But what I can't tolerate is what I've/we've seen in 180 minutes of football at home and some want us to happy clap, what planet are some living on , come on, we've not scored at home, Altrincham did that for us, we've barely forced a corner in 2 games, barely had a shot on target, one today went straight at their keeper, been unable to defend the most simple ball into our box, I can barely remember a passage of play where we've strung more than 3 passes together, our team seem unable to get corners, free kicks and crosses into the box pass the first man, yet us fans are latching onto the negatives, it's simply not good enough on all levels.

Fans are of course entitled to their honest opinion, but rather than singling out any one individual player for our ills, somebody please come onto the forum and tell us about any one single player over the last 2 home games is deserving of any praise, because I can't think of one.

Don't get me wrong I am not calling for Gary Johnson's head right now, but I do not in any feel sorry for him. Who I feel sorry for is 2500 fans who've turned up, to the last 2 home games to witness utter tripe.

Who identified these weaklings as to having the potential, to fit into a promotion winning squad ?

Who signed these weaklings ?

Who works with these weaklings on the training ground ?

Who prepares these weaklings for each match ?

And who started two central midfielders today who were so obviously unfit to play ?

Who's going to have, to go back to Uncle Clark and ask for more money, because after all, he signed a bunch of weaklings ?

I'm on a training course Saturday 11th, so the 18th will be my next game, I really and truly want to come onto the forum after that game, and talk about an fantastic performance individually and collectively, and want to be able to talk about the green shutes of recovery.

But just on the evidence of these last 2 homes game we've got big problems and a lot of hard work to do, because if these problems aren't fixed and quickly, leading to us not being promoted at the season's end, where do we go from that point if it arrives, that's one questions I don't know the answer to

[UnitedinDevon]

Let’s get the refereeing performance out of the way first, diabolical referee , who, in my opinion wasn't fit, struggled to keep with the pace of the game, more than once had his back turned to play, unaware of what, was going on around him, and the referee was about as consistent as a Bovine with tummy trouble. But let’s make no bones about it, the referee was not the reason why our team were so easily beaten, the referee cannot in any be blamed for this result

Where do I start with performance, I want to happy clap, I really do , but I find myself walking away from Plainmoor for the second game in a row absolutely fuming. You know you’re in trouble when 2 minutes in there's a challenge on Connor Evans, and it happened right in front of me, not complaining about the referee here, whether it was a foul or not he didn't give it you have Connor Evans berating the referee, several other players busily having a chirp at the ref, while Woking crossed the ball over and stuck in the back of our net, basic schoolboy football play to the whistle.

Then, and were still within the first five minutes, from the next cross we've given them all the time and space for the Woking player to sit down and e-mail his mother before planting a powerful header the Halstead couldn't keep out, although the linesman had to signal it had crossed the line, clearly by the reaction of both teams it had crossed the line.

It would only get worse as the game went on, at least v Altrincham we had spells of possession and some good passages of play, at no point in time in this match did our team string a few passes together, or remotely cause Woking any problem at all, 11 v 11 with in the first 15 minutes Woking could and should have been 0.4 to the good, as two further free headers were kept out by some last ditch defending.

And if there's any doubt whether we were architects of own downfall, Woking have possession in their final defensive third, when Johnson comes flying in with tackle he didn't even need to make, at that point they were going nowhere, whether it was a red or not, we've given the ref a decision, to make when there was no need.
Today Woking was fitter, stronger and faster than us all over the park; don’t really want to talk about match anymore.
I do have some questions to ask because I’m fed already. What’s going on at our club, why have we for the third season in a row started with so many players were clearly are not fit?

What was the point of building a squad? We’ve clearly started with at least two players Evans and Hall who look a million miles of being fit to play 90 minutes, watching Hall’s mobility today was embarrassing, surely you’ve to start with 11 players who fit to play 90 minutes of football, they’ve absolutely creamed us in the midfield today.

Once again little was subjected to abuse, what or how some fans do think abusing is going to help his or the team cause ? He is not nor is he ever going to be a ball winning midfielder, so the ball winning midfielder is on the match, doesn’t come on Lapslie so I’m guessing he isn’t fit either.
To repeat my message after the Altrincham game, it is still very early in the season, and we’ve been promoted of more prolonged and worse starts, will say also that I truly believe Gary Johnson is the right man to sort this out, but do wish he’d be a little less stubborn .

Very good post Forever and agree RE the ref it was not the reason we lost but oh boy did it make it a more frustrating watch

Mr Quelch certainly wanted to be the main man and both lines men were abject. The one on the pop sure came in for some stick but missed blatant throw ins one way or the other.

We were bullied all over the pitch by their physical stature and play. CLE and Hall were rusty, highlighted by CLE attempted clearance which was the mistake that led to their 2nd goal.

Disagree regarding Little, yes hes not a ball winning midfielder but he couldnt make a simple 5 yard pass today and dont get me started on his set plays he very rarely beats the first man! He's been like that for a while now and i have to say i was dissapointed he resigned, the fact hes vice captain doesn't fill me with any confidence. The chance he had 1v1 summed it up, christ knows what he was trying to do but it doesnt take a genius to take a touch past the keeper and roll the ball into an empty net. After being booked he then started charging around the pitch like a headless chicken. I think he was a little lucky he didn't draw a 2nd yellow against Casey. There was minimal contact but again like CJs 2nd tackle, it was unnecessary.

Fair play to Little he did what he could but i bet he felt like he was defending on his own most of the time!

Although im unsure around Halstead he pulled off a couple of smart plays diving at the feet of one of their players to punch clear and reacted well to save a cross come shot. That for me showed hes got ability i think he needs to get stuck in more.

[North Curry House]

It was woeful last week snd worse this. We can not have the majority of the side unfit and so inept. Players making tackles in a reckless manner.

We are top of the naughty boys league with two red cards and god knows how many yellows. The sending off today was merited as was the Notts County red, no complaints whatsoever. Both were deserved.

In 54 years, I can never recall such an unfit side. I put it down to signing inferior players on frees. that no one else would employ.

I seriously question the role of Peter Johnson and his "contacts".

The highlight of the first half was when there was a punch up in one of the sponsors boxes. The steward sitting facing the incident jumped up with his hand in the air. as if he wanted to go to the toilet - no one came to his aid. He was just a kid - about 19.

Eventually the short fat "head steward" (I know he was the head steward because it said on his back) arrived but he was useless, not wanting to get involved. Why do the Club employ these buffoons? Mike Bateson had his own men, not these idiots who turn up every match.

But it was a distraction from the awful football.

[culmstockgull]

forevertufc, I totally agree with your first three paragraphs , spot on, as for singling out players I think people have a right to identify players who do not come up to scratch, this season it is Liitle, if it was just me I would be thinking OK what am I missing, but I am in a long queue, he is someone who used to be the first name I hoped to see on the team sheet, he is no longer that player either through injury or attitude, we know he is only effective when he is playing central spraying the ball around and letting others do the donkey work but Lapslie now has that mantle and on the few games I have seen of him he deserves it, so what gets him on the starting eleven, one thing , we have few alternatives, his work rate is less than lemonheigh, he is not as physical as andrews, it is not he cannot defend he just doesnt think its in his job description.This was the man who can put a ball on a pin head now he cannot keep it on the pitch. Perhaps with a stronger squad Johnson could tell him to bugger off for a fortnight and get his head straight because at the monent I would have no worries about playing Moyse in his place.

[Dave]

forevertufc, I totally agree with your first three paragraphs , spot on, as for singling out players I think people have a right to identify players who do not come up to scratch.

Fair enough, I'm not suggesting Little has played well, even there has been nothing wrong with his work rate at all, his consistency however is all over place agreed

The point is, if you've got one or two players underperforming then us fans do have the right to identify that as problem, and question the continued selection of those players.

But it hasn't been one or two, over last home games it's virtually the whole team, that's my point about singling out a couple of players while the rest of the team seem to be bomb proof just isn't fair, with the whole team underperforming, does the problem lay elsewhere.

[SuperNickyWroe]

I come back once again respectively to point out, my match thread comment was not negative, merely honest , but maybe my honesty right now isn't brutal enough.

I will tell everyone straight now, it doesn't bother me watching Torquay Untied lose, when they've played with the right passion, desire, tried to effect the game in a positive way through possession of the ball, and been perhaps a bit unlucky because in football the most deserving team doesn't always win, it doesn't bother me one bit to get to the season end, with our team winning 15 games and losing 15 games , because when you sign up to be a Torquay United fan, that's comes as part of the deal.

But what I can't tolerate is what I've/we've seen in 180 minutes of football at home and some want us to happy clap, what planet are some living on , come on, we've not scored at home, Altrincham did that for us, we've barely forced a corner in 2 games, barely had a shot on target, one today went straight at their keeper, been unable to defend the most simple ball into our box, I can barely remember a passage of play where we've strung more than 3 passes together, our team seem unable to get corners, free kicks and crosses into the box pass the first man, yet us fans are latching onto the negatives, it's simply not good enough on all levels.

Fans are of course entitled to their honest opinion, but rather than singling out any one individual player for our ills, somebody please come onto the forum and tell us about any one single player over the last 2 home games is deserving of any praise, because I can't think of one.

Don't get me wrong I am not calling for Gary Johnson's head right now, but I do not in any feel sorry for him. Who I feel sorry for is 2500 fans who've turned up, to the last 2 home games to witness utter tripe.

Who identified these weaklings as to having the potential, to fit into a promotion winning squad ?

Who signed these weaklings ?

Who works with these weaklings on the training ground ?

Who prepares these weaklings for each match ?

And who started two central midfielders today who were so obviously unfit to play ?

Who's going to have, to go back to Uncle Clark and ask for more money, because after all, he signed a bunch of weaklings ?

I'm on a training course Saturday 11th, so the 18th will be my next game, I really and truly want to come onto the forum after that game, and talk about an fantastic performance individually and collectively, and want to be able to talk about the green shutes of recovery.

But just on the evidence of these last 2 homes game we've got big problems and a lot of hard work to do, because if these problems aren't fixed and quickly, leading to us not being promoted at the season's end, where do we go from that point if it arrives, that's one questions I don't know the answer to

Sounds like I'm missing a treat. =D :}
Pity you're not around on the 11th mate, as several of us northerners are coming down for the Grimsby game......
Let's hope us Northern Gulls inspire the team...... :}
On the plus side, my egg-chasing team - Wakefield Trinity beat Dirty Leeds yesterday at home!

[Louis]

[Forest gull]

Calling them weaklings is sure to help.

Thank god not all supporters act like this. Is it any wonder we struggle to attract players to this football outpost to play non league football?

[divingbboy]

Seeing Danny's interview on the club website this morning, it's reminded me: did anyone else find it very, very odd that the Woking CB didn't (to my recollection) get pulled up by the ref even once for persistently trying the knock seven bells of sh*t out of Danny pretty much any time he got near him? I'm not suggesting the ref was anything other than incompetent (although that's not why we lost IMO), but I did find it bizarre at the time. Is it because Danny, unlike a lot of forwards, doesn't make a big fuss or go looking for penalties? The CB wasn't even being subtle, it was blatant fouling.

[The deluder]

Uncle Clarke needs to open his wallet a little wider
#5yearplan

You wonder why Uncle Clarke funds the shit show at all. #5 yeardisaster

[knightmaregull]

For what it's worth, I'd just encourage everyone to take a step back, stay calm and enjoy the ride. This is TUFC for goodness sake, when is it ever straightforward and easy?!

We are 3 games in. We have a quality manager and seemingly a stable club (for now at least). We are not going to win the league so all we have to do is get in the play offs. More than achievable, even if we dont kick start for a couple of months yet.

Picking out players etc isn't going to achieve anything other than breed negativity. A club like ours succeeds only with a strong and collective team spirit. I have been guilty in the past but will be trying to adopt this approach this year.

We have a club, playing at Plainmoor and with full time professional players. That sounds pretty damn good to me given where we were a few years ago! I'll be enjoying it in fear of what the future may bring!