Torquay v Macclesfield, National League, Sat. 11 Feb. 2017, 3:00 pm

[nickbrod]

To be fair to Williams he needs the ball at his feet. How often did that happen? Maybe the manager hasn't got that far in training to let the other players know.

[torq2u]

Agree about WIlliams. He is capable of great breakaway goals with his turn of speed and scoring from a distance when he finds the space. We need to capitalise on that strength, not try to make him into something he is not.

[desperado]

Usually agree with Tomogulls posts and yes thought Verma had been playing reasonably well of late, Nicho said Lathrope had been fantastic in training all week, well he is not up against National League players in training only ours ,
so he would. We have many problem areas in the team but the lack of goals from midfield is a major one, Luke has not recaptured his goalscoring form of his early days, Richards has not scored this season and accepting Lathrope is not an attacking midfielder, he hasnt managed a goal in 120 appearances for us ! and he does have a reasonable shot on him .Even the centre backs GG, G and McG have 8 between them, I think we have 3 from midfield but if they dont get up in support they are not going to score
I do remember Tomogulls favourite player, Colin Bettany, just, played with his sleeves rolled up, have we had a harder dare I say 'dirtier' player play for us? Sadly he wouldnt last 5 minutes in todays game but then neither would David Stocks, John Impey, Jim McNichol etc.......

[tomogull]

Yes - there are many problem areas and midfield is one area where we are failing. David Stocks, John Impey and Jim McNichol - you will have ol' Wivel on here postively drooling. I think I'm right in saying that Colin Bettany was never sent off (but not 100% certain about that) and he played a phenomenol number of successive games. He somehow managed to steer clear of injury, but as you say, the likes of Bettany and Stocks wouldn't last long in today's game. Some will say 'ah, the good old days', but not me. There were far more serious injuries back in the sixties and seventies, especially broken legs. And when you hear the 'crack' of a broken leg on the terraces, it's a sickening sound.

[Dave]

Yes, we often hear how the squad look good in training, but when you're training against dummies all week, and occasionally they bring out the mannequins as well, it's pretty easy to look good.

Reading back through what I wrote yesterday, I clearly have done our back four a diss-service, they did turn out decent performance in the game, Hodgkiss is steady, Anderson a good debut for a lad with not many games under his belt. It's just so frustrating to see our team week in and out set up to fail.

We can go about different formations, but if you haven't got the players to play a certain way with all the will in the world, it isn't going to work, Extra man the in the middle, with deep lying midfielders and lone front man, with this squad, you need players good on the ball, off the ball, who can pass with reasonable accuracy for that to work, simple limited footballers, can play simple limited football. We can go on about our strikers not scoring, but if you're not creating chances for them, they won't score.

If nicho can do anything this week, bring in a target man, go 4-4-2, bypass the midfield, no point playing through them, bar a fit Young, the rest are pretty useless, and hit the front quick and long, it won't be pretty but it might work better than the current dross we're served up.

We have Guiseley, Southport and Solihull coming up, a couple of them away, but these games could well define which division we're playing in next term.

[merse btpir]

It's just so frustrating to see our team week in and out set up to fail.
We can go about different formations, but if you haven't got the players to play a certain way with all the will in the world, it isn't going to work, you need players good on the ball, off the ball, who can pass with reasonable accuracy for that to work, simple limited footballers, can play simple limited football. We can go on about our strikers not scoring, but if you're not creating chances for them, they won't score.

My thoughts exactly and apart from Young, ALL of these players were recruited by Nicholson weren't they?

It looks suspiciously like he is over dependent on third party opinions and knowledge to do a lot of his recruiting and that is simply not good enough. Who but a complete moron would recruit Williams and then have his team serve him a trashcan full of long balls missing out the middle third and balls into the channels he is not adept at chasing?

It's no good the manager claiming the players are doing one thing in training and another during matches. They are his team and have to play to his instructions. If they do not then either they go or he does!

I've got this vision in my head of Herrera coming into the office after a training session with a long face and Nicho asking him what's wrong.

"We set the manequins up and played shadow approach play as you instructed boss"

'So what's the problem Robbie?'

"the manequins won 2-1 boss"

[SuperNickyWroe]

My thoughts exactly and apart from Young, ALL of these players were recruited by Nicholson weren't they?

It looks suspiciously like he is over dependent on third party opinions and knowledge to do a lot of his recruiting and that is simply not good enough. Who but a complete moron would recruit Williams and then have his team serve him a trashcan full of long balls missing out the middle third and balls into the channels he is not adept at chasing?

It's no good the manager claiming the players are doing one thing in training and another during matches. They are his team and have to play to his instructions. If they do not then either they go or he does!

I've got this vision in my head of Herrera coming into the office after a training session with a long face and Nicho asking him what's wrong.

"We set the manequins up and played shadow approach play as you instructed boss"

'So what's the problem Robbie?'

"the manequins won 2-1 boss"

No merse.....
The mannequins would have won 2-0.

[wivelgull]

Stocks and McNichol were - let's say - allright, but nowhere near the quality, abiulity, and sheer hard-manism of 'The Beast'. Just look at the tough guy image he (Bettany) conjures up on team photos. One of the last great teddy-boys as well! (the only other footballing teddy boy I can recall was Southampton's Terry Paine - just ask any Saints supporter about him). I have always thought that any team requires a hard man and Colin Bettany was our hardest.

[tomogull]

My thoughts exactly and apart from Young, ALL of these players were recruited by Nicholson weren't they?

It looks suspiciously like he is over dependent on third party opinions and knowledge to do a lot of his recruiting and that is simply not good enough.

Here we go again. Most of your posts make sense, except for your constant sniping at Kevin Nicholson. I bet you didn't describe him as a poor coach when he somehow dragged the team from virtual certain relegation last season ! You have to take into account the factors that have made the club such a shambles. Uncertainty of ownership, stupid decision re Season Ticket prices adding to the lack of money available for players and we simply do not have a scouting network and so he has to rely a lot on reliable third party opinions when recruitng players, but I'm sure he or Robbie Herrara carry out their own assessments.

We are told that he had a minimal budget during the close season to attract new signings - hence having to bring in low budget players like Lathrope (a gamble on his fitness) and Rowe-Turner. His signings include Brendan Moore and Aman Verma who were both members of last season's side that kept us up and I don't think many would disagree that Dan Sparkes has been a good signing and Shaun McGinty is far from being the worst central defender in the division.

During this season, he has brought in loan signings Kieffer Moore and David Fitzpatrick who have both done well for the club - just a shame their loans weren't longer term, but no doubt that was due to 'financial constraints'. Rumours were that we were on the verge of signing Moore before Ipswich stepped in. With, presumably, some of the money from Nathan Blissett's move to Argyle, he brought in Aaran Racine who seemed just the sort of player to bring some badly-needed organisation into the side (a la Guy Branson) and so it was dreadful bad luck that Racine picked up a serious injury in his first match. He also brought in Hodgkiss who looks a very competent right back and now Anderson who, on Saturday's showing, looks a reasonable player.

You imagined a scenario after training. I imagine another scenario. KN agrees terms with a new signing, but before new signing puts pen to paper, KN asks "Oh, by the way - do you have a clean driving licence?" Player "Why?" KN "Cos I shall need you to drive to North Ferriby next Saturday". Is it any wonder he is having difficulty bringing players to Plainmoor?

Nicholson is still a novice manager and by his own admission, he has made mistakes. Gawd - there can't be many worse situations to be in your first managerial post. My criteria is if we finish the season with more points than last season, then Nico has done all we can expect of him in the circumstances the club is in. I know three of the last four home games have been painful to watch, but the sad fact is that the ability of the players we have is what the club can afford.

I agree with you about Mc.Ginty's poor distribution, but on the other hand, he has had to play with Gallifouco, Gerring, Racine, Rooney (admittedly for only part of a match) and now Anderson - five central defensive partners. That can't have been easy and defensively he is doing okay.

[tomogull]

Wivel - in reply to your posting on the MOTM thread, believe me, the first half on Saturday was about as bad as it can possibly get. The second half was better. Good to see Whitby Town had a good win after their scratchy 1 - 0 win over bottom club Skelmersdale the week before. Still looking good for the play offs ........

[Southampton Gull]

Here we go again. Most of your posts make sense, except for your constant sniping at Kevin Nicholson. I bet you didn't describe him as a poor coach when he somehow dragged the team from virtual certain relegation last season ! You have to take into account the factors that have made the club such a shambles. Uncertainty of ownership, stupid decision re Season Ticket prices adding to the lack of money available for players and we simply do not have a scouting network and so he has to rely a lot on reliable third party opinions when recruitng players, but I'm sure he or Robbie Herrara carry out their own assessments.

We are told that he had a minimal budget during the close season to attract new signings - hence having to bring in low budget players like Lathrope (a gamble on his fitness) and Rowe-Turner. His signings include Brendan Moore and Aman Verma who were both members of last season's side that kept us up and I don't think many would disagree that Dan Sparkes has been a good signing and Shaun McGinty is far from being the worst central defender in the division.

During this season, he has brought in loan signings Kieffer Moore and David Fitzpatrick who have both done well for the club - just a shame their loans weren't longer term, but no doubt that was due to 'financial constraints'. Rumours were that we were on the verge of signing Moore before Ipswich stepped in. With, presumably, some of the money from Nathan Blissett's move to Argyle, he brought in Aaran Racine who seemed just the sort of player to bring some badly-needed organisation into the side (a la Guy Branson) and so it was dreadful bad luck that Racine picked up a serious injury in his first match. He also brought in Hodgkiss who looks a very competent right back and now Anderson who, on Saturday's showing, looks a reasonable player.

You imagined a scenario after training. I imagine another scenario. KN agrees terms with a new signing, but before new signing puts pen to paper, KN asks "Oh, by the way - do you have a clean driving licence?" Player "Why?" KN "Cos I shall need you to drive to North Ferriby next Saturday". Is it any wonder he is having difficulty bringing players to Plainmoor?

Nicholson is still a novice manager and by his own admission, he has made mistakes. Gawd - there can't be many worse situations to be in your first managerial post. My criteria is if we finish the season with more points than last season, then Nico has done all we can expect of him in the circumstances the club is in. I know three of the last four home games have been painful to watch, but the sad fact is that the ability of the players we have is what the club can afford.

I agree with you about Mc.Ginty's poor distribution, but on the other hand, he has had to play with Gallifouco, Gerring, Racine, Rooney (admittedly for only part of a match) and now Anderson - five central defensive partners. That can't have been easy and defensively he is doing okay.

Very well put. I'd love to see the kind of team he would put out if he had a decent budget to work with.