Torquay United v Hartlepool United 31/8/19

[Teigngull]

Now having had 18 hours to digest the latest let down at home it has become apparent to me that we lack the tenacity, guile, strength & experience to win games at this level.
It's all very well playing teams off the park for 45 minutes with pretty football but with the lack of know how throughput the team we're always going to concede sloppy goals.
It was our full time fitness that got us over the line last season, & in a very poor league at that, it must be said.
This season it's a very different story indeed,celery other team in this league has savvy layers that have done it all before, they know how to win games most of the time it ain't pretty, but this is a results driven business & punters want to see a winning team in their colours.
I get the fact were in the 'entertainment ' business & Paul Buckle got the mix just about right with the no nonsense up & at 'em, take no prisoners approach. At the moment we are a soft touch, we have a weak underbelly that the opposition know can & will be exploited, and to keep banging on about being early in the season & patience is needed is a futile exercise,seven GJ came in last September he immediately identified the weakest areas of the squad & made changes straight away - well same again then please GJ.
There are obvious members of our squad that quite clearly cannot cut the mustard, successful teams that rise to through the league's rarely keep the same players that got them there & as I've said before ' horses for courses ' that's what's required, to the squad that got us up last season, I say once again a big thank you, but it you can't hack it at this level then it's time to move on sentiment doesn't come in to it unfortunately.

[DWB]

Now having had 18 hours to digest the latest let down at home it has become apparent to me that we lack the tenacity, guile, strength & experience to win games at this level.
It's all very well playing teams off the park for 45 minutes with pretty football but with the lack of know how throughput the team we're always going to concede sloppy goals.
It was our full time fitness that got us over the line last season, & in a very poor league at that, it must be said.
This season it's a very different story indeed,celery other team in this league has savvy layers that have done it all before, they know how to win games most of the time it ain't pretty, but this is a results driven business & punters want to see a winning team in their colours.
I get the fact were in the 'entertainment ' business & Paul Buckle got the mix just about right with the no nonsense up & at 'em, take no prisoners approach. At the moment we are a soft touch, we have a weak underbelly that the opposition know can & will be exploited, and to keep banging on about being early in the season & patience is needed is a futile exercise,seven GJ came in last September he immediately identified the weakest areas of the squad & made changes straight away - well same again then please GJ.
There are obvious members of our squad that quite clearly cannot cut the mustard, successful teams that rise to through the league's rarely keep the same players that got them there & as I've said before ' horses for courses ' that's what's required, to the squad that got us up last season, I say once again a big thank you, but it you can't hack it at this level then it's time to move on sentiment doesn't come in to it unfortunately.

Totally agree Teigngull. However it was GJ who gave the majority of these players an extension to their contracts stating that they were good enough for this level (and indeed for some of them, league football). He, I feel, must now backtrack on that decision and move some on/out, if indeed the budget allows and the ‘right’ players are available (time for Pete Johnson to earn his money).

I feel, and I think people have already alluded to the fact, that we don’t have the physical strength to ‘boss’ teams as is happening to us and the balance of the team is wrong having CLE playing where he is. I do think Gary Johnson wasn’t expecting to have CLE this season and as he arrived on the eve of the season starting he has ‘fitted him in’ somewhat? Just my feeling really but I wouldn’t like to for one minute think that I know better than GJ!

[Gloomy Gull]

I think some of are problems stem from trying to shoehorn Hall, Little and CLE into the side - I understand why you would want to but it’s simply not working.

We had a convincing victory against Aldershot when Hall was out, not because there is a problem with Hall, but because we had a proper shape.

I’d like to see Hall alongside Cameron at the back for the time being with Little and CLE in the middle and Andrews / Kalala on flanks

We ultimately need an experienced head at the back and a consistent shape. I also think if Kalala gets 90 mins at any point during the game he could do something magic and we’re losing that by taking him off.

Hope to see an improvement on Tuesday!

I agree that using CLE in the strike line is not the best use of his talents and doesn't give Reid a real partner to play off or with. Despite many posters not feeling Duku is the right front man I think that, even with his frailties, he does at least try to operate as a Centre Forward player and that gives Reid a better chance to pick up lay offs/headers/scraps.

Thought our shape looked much more balanced when he came on in the second half.

I would like to see Hall moved into the back line, at the expense of Niate, and CLE back in a more central midfield role with Duku or Keating up front with Reid - certainly at home - and test that balance for 2/3 games.

[Teigngull]

I apologise for my spelling & grammatical sloppiness in my last post, but, as I was composing it the smog of disappointment was slowly but surely descending through my mind & into the keyboard !
That's how pissed off I am about it.

[portugull]

What would make a massive difference would be if Gary could persuade Bristol City to let us have Saikou Jannah on loan for the rest of the season.
May be stating the obvious but Jamie and Saikou were a superb pairing up front last season and I still think Saikou would benefit hugely from another year at Plainmoor.
He is very highly rated by City who have given him a 4 year contract.

[Jerry]

Not sure why so many people seem to want Hall moved back to centre half? Has he ever played there before? What makes people think that playing him out of position would be an improvement on Niate (who has been better than Cameron in the last few games)?

If you need to make room for CLE in midfield then, for me, you're better off just dropping Hall to the bench.

[stefano]

I apologise for my spelling & grammatical sloppiness in my last post, but, as I was composing it the smog of disappointment was slowly but surely descending through my mind & into the keyboard !
That's how pissed off I am about it.

I was surprised to read that you had been dwelling on it for 18 hours, You really need to get out more....

[MellowYellow]

Not sure why so many people seem to want Hall moved back to centre half? Has he ever played there before? What makes people think that playing him out of position would be an improvement on Niate (who has been better than Cameron in the last few games)?

If you need to make room for CLE in midfield then, for me, you're better off just dropping Hall to the bench.

[culmstockgull]

Janneh recovering from knee surgery will not be available for a few weeks yet and then there are several league clubs in the queue before us.

[Griff1n]

By the time Saikou is match fit, the January transfer window will be opening meaning the EFL teams can come in for him again.

https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/brist ... jury-blow/

[portugull]

I completely forgot that Saikou had sustained a serious injury.

[dawlishmatt]

I Believe that Saikou Janneh has/was signed a season long loan with Doncaster Rovers.

[grockle]

I Believe that Saikou Janneh has/was signed a season long loan with Doncaster Rovers.

According to the link provided by Griff1n above, this fell through due to the injury.

[yellowmonkey]

Janneh recovering from knee surgery will not be available for a few weeks yet and then there are several league clubs in the queue before us.

Think on that as would you want to be at the dinner table when dad asks for a player only to be told NO! Wouldnt be a happy family sunday roast denying daddy his chance at league football!

[culmstockgull]

If we put aside our own particular likes or dislikes of certain players we all seem agreed in the need for change whether it be personnel or positional. We are as they say of limited financial means, so its beg , borrow or steal from other clubs , we will get what they have no need for, so to a certain extent I can understand Johnson persisting in trying to turn certain players around to avoid spending the few precious pounds of his budget he has salted away. Any thoughts of using such a fund in the January window as a means of pushing on for a possible promotion will obviously need to be re thought, I think Johnson has an admirable loyalty to his existing squad, which must now be balanced with a loyalty to the success of the club and the supporters.