Torquay United v Hemel Hempstead Town, Saturday 1st September 2018

[Dutchgull]

Here we go again
'BEATING TEAMS AT THIS LEVEL WITH EASE'
What makes you think we have a devine right to batter all & sundry into submission week in week out ?
And I will not accept because we are a full time club or a big club at this level, it just doesn't happen any more, plenty of examples in the upper echelons of the football pyramid in this country.

Well said .. you beat me to it. It really pisses me off that there are still people out there who seem to think that we have some devine right to beat every other team by 5-0 or so each week !! Many opposition teams have more experienced and savvy players than we have. FFS get real people and realise where we are and what we are . WE ARE NOT A FOOTBALL LEAGUE CLUB anymore we are NON LEAGUE. FFS REALISE THAT ! LET THAT SINK IN !!!!

[MellowYellow]

Maybe the secret to success would have been loaning the whole of Bristol City's U23's for the season.

The two Bristol lads are only on loan for a month so unless we get the loans extended we could see ourselves back to square one.

Very pleased about the win if not about the overall performance. Game of two halves. All though HH will count themselves unlucky I will take the ugly win over a 'tried their best' lost. As Ower's subsequent 'stay of execution' and our rise to mid-table contenders is enough excitement for the day, I intend to raise a glass or two to a more worthy causes. So 'bottoms up' to Kevin Foster MP and David Thomas Cllr, for their scrutiny on the future 'wreaking ball' plans for our club.

P.S. I am also going to secretly raise a glass to Clarke Osborne for his sheer audacity of fobbing us off with images based on a stadium built in India ten years ago as the 'Future of Torquay United'.

[6667GULL]

I am well aware we are a non league team and are crap.
I totally agree we a former league team and should never consider ourselves a so called big club, how the hell can you do this at this level?
My comment on beating teams with ease at this level is based on that we are still full time and should be able to get better quality players.
If they are better quality they certainly aren't showing it yet!!

[Neal]

Would like to say well done for the result. Wasn't there and reading the posts it could quite easily have been the other way around. The worry is that it was seemingly inspired by 2 loanees.

"P.S. I am also going to secretly raise a glass to Clarke Osborne for his sheer audacity of fobbing us off with images based on a stadium built in India ten years ago as the 'Future of Torquay United'." I think that shows how unrealistic and improbable the whole project is.

"Maybe the secret to success would have been loaning the whole of Bristol City's U23's for the season" Hahaha not a bad idea

Be interesting to know how many on here comment quite assertively about matches but don't actually go. I think it would be good practice to divulge first when commenting if you actually went. Brucie supports Exeter anyway, he made that statement years ago.

[Shangull]

I am well aware we are a non league team and are crap.
I totally agree we a former league team and should never consider ourselves a so called big club, how the hell can you do this at this level?
My comment on beating teams with ease at this level is based on that we are still full time and should be able to get better quality players.
If they are better quality they certainly aren't showing it yet!!

When you look at the players of the part time teams and their previous clubs I think it's a disadvantage to be full time. I'd imagine that our full time players are earning much less than part timers with careers outside football. At this level you are scraping the barrel of full time footballers, at part time level there's a good calibre of older experienced footballers. I genuinely believe we'd be better off part time, training in Bristol and attracting a better quality part time footballer. Take some time and look on the websites of the part time teams. Every team has a number of players have played at a higher level than our own players. Better players, better footballing pedigree, having been coached better historically....there's no reason why we should have an advantage over part time teams.

[PL21gull]

Should there not be an advantage in having a manager who has played and been coached at a much higher level.....?
Alas not in our case!

[Launceston Gull]

I didnt go to the game yesterday but followed it and read with interest the various reports. Pleased naturally with the win although another game it seems that showed up our frailties. I`m not at all surprised that Andrews, Edwards and Bass excel, they are young, fit and "hungry" for success because they want a future in football. As for the regulars, they`re largely past their sell by dates but wanting to stay in football full time for as long as they can... probably not the right credentials for us to be a top side in this division. I`m alarmed that Brett still hasn`t hit the target and is now finding difficult to make the "first 11" for a full 90 minutes. Early days still but I`m not expecting great things from this team as it stands. Hope we can secure longer term loans for the youngsters, we may at least have more matches to cheer instead of jeer.

[numpte]

First half forgettable. HH should have been out of sight. The biggest cheer being for Edwards showing some effort to chase after a lost cause and kind of reminding his team mates that the people paying to get in want above all else, to see some desire and effort from their team.
Was really difficult to see during that period what Owers was asking his team to do. HH playing through the thirds , getting on the ball and looking more comfortable as opposed to our confused tactics of seemingly hit it long, but to who?

2nd half totally different and we just need that standard week in week out. And aboce all show us some EFFORT!!! Wether it was a change of tactic or HH running out of steam who knows but we then start to get on the ball and play. Thought Regis was a totally differnet player second half, Keating offered more than Williams (why on earth did he make him captain!) Reid working hard again and deservedely got his goal (really dont know why some people are on his back) although defensively we were a little shaky.

A couple of very winnable games in the next few weeks with 6 pts there for the taking, should they show us the 2nd half display.

[Plainmoor78]

When you look at the players of the part time teams and their previous clubs I think it's a disadvantage to be full time. I'd imagine that our full time players are earning much less than part timers with careers outside football. At this level you are scraping the barrel of full time footballers, at part time level there's a good calibre of older experienced footballers. I genuinely believe we'd be better off part time, training in Bristol and attracting a better quality part time footballer. Take some time and look on the websites of the part time teams. Every team has a number of players have played at a higher level than our own players. Better players, better footballing pedigree, having been coached better historically....there's no reason why we should have an advantage over part time teams.

I think the very fact that our best players yesterday were 3 young loanees from football league clubs illustrates the fact that the type of players who are willing and available to play full time at this level are of very poor quality.
It was pretty obvious that this season would see us with the lowest quality full timers available competing against the best part time players in the South of England. Given that we were always destined to struggle.

[MellowYellow]

When you look at the players of the part time teams and their previous clubs I think it's a disadvantage to be full time... I genuinely believe we'd be better off part time, training in Bristol ...

And you have a right to your beliefs. But before your belief is put into practice can you name me one Club Chairman in the NLS who does not envy our full-time status. Bear in mind that one tier above us there is not one Club Chairman today who will tell you they can survive long term in the National League on a part-time basis.

Even Osborne with his business acumen knows full-time is the only way forward for his five year plan to succeed. "This is not a plan for moving down a league and going part-time, this is a plan for the long-term sustainable success of Torquay United."

My biggest fear is when/if we hit that 'part-time button' all dreams of returning to the 'promised land' will all but be a distant memory.

As for training in Bristol - I'd rather not debate - best to keep this messages civil.

... the type of players who are willing and available to play full time at this level are of very poor quality...obvious that this season would see us with the lowest quality full timers available competing against the best part time players in the South of England.

One could equally look at 'Recruitment is King' Owers for his selection. But rather than cross swords on this topic, I think it is fair to say that recruiting the best part-time players is as equally as difficult as recruiting quality full time players in this league.

[Dave]

In total agreement with MellowYellow here. This is a topic discussed many times before, but after our relegation to the NLS has perhaps become more relevant.

M/y's point about a potential difficulty in recruiting the best part-time players is spot on. Ok so we move the training base to Bristol/M4 corridor or even on, into the greater London area, what makes us think we'd automatically attract the best players from the part-time pool available, why would a, say London based player want to sign for TUFC, train in London, but yet commit himself to travelling, down to Torquay 21 times a season for home games, some on Tuesday night, when that player could sign for a club, train in London, play in London, and the majority of away games are with 1 to 1.5 hours travel away, so would fit nicely around their jobs away from football. Same would apply for the M4 corridor.

Yes there is an undoubted difficulty in TUFC attracting quality full-time players at the level we now find ourselves, but I think staying full time has got to be the number one priority, M/Y is again correct, to go part-time would commit this club average non-league football for it's future, dreams of ever returning to the NLP or EFL no matter how distant that may seem at the moment would be lost forever.

We know there isn't the pool of part-time players locally to support a part-time club in this area. Saturday to me, as much as many of us, may not like the idea of living on borrowed players 'is' the only way forward.

Put together the best quality squad that's possible, back it up with U23 players like we have now, if that gets us promotion to, sustains in the NLP then so be it, in my view.

[Shangull]

Mellow Yellow and Forever TUFC...the point isn't whether you can attract the best part time talent but whether part time talent is better than full time talent or simply whether we could attract better part time talent than our current full time talent. Loan signings may be the way and to become some form of development club for Plymouth, Exeter, Bristol City, Bristol Rovers, Swindon but we are a low way down the football pyramid for league clubs to loan for anything beyond a short period. There's no easy answer but it's going to take some great leadership off the field by club and team management and that's something which is a concern. If anyone is still in the belief that as a full time team we should be beating part time teams with ease then we've all had a rude awakening. It's getting a bit tiring to hear fans talking of this and the constant poor support of our team on the pitch.

[arcadia]

When you look at the players of the part time teams and their previous clubs I think it's a disadvantage to be full time. I'd imagine that our full time players are earning much less than part timers with careers outside football. At this level you are scraping the barrel of full time footballers, at part time level there's a good calibre of older experienced footballers. I genuinely believe we'd be better off part time, training in Bristol and attracting a better quality part time footballer. Take some time and look on the websites of the part time teams. Every team has a number of players have played at a higher level than our own players. Better players, better footballing pedigree, having been coached better historically....there's no reason why we should have an advantage over part time teams.

Well said non-league football is better than what our supporters think all teams have three or four players that have done the rounds. I stated last year it would have been better to be part-time but the problem then are there players good enough for the standard in the area and how would you change it back to full time if you were to be promoted.

[Scott Brehaut]

What a fantastic victory and well done to Mr Owers for his excellent loan signings of Edwards and Andrews.

Lets hope that Mr Owers enjoys his Saturday night for a change and puts his feet up with a bottle of fine wine. If anybody deserves it he does.

Congraulations also to Mr Jamie Reid who rose above the abuse to net the goal that sent us on our way.

Lets hope that Mr Brewhoot, Mr Floyd, Mr Richinns and co enjoy their Sunday dinner tomorrow. I wonder if they will be having an extra portion of gravy with their humble pie?. Mmmmmmmmmm bet its going to taste sooooooooooooo good.

Just being serious for a moment though - what a bunch of absolute tosspots these people actually are.

Anyway, I am off to raise a glass or tw0 to Mr Owers and the boys. COYY.

Yawn.

[Southampton Gull]

Going part time is obviously NOT the answer as alluded to by Forever. Arcadia, you answered why in your post. The key is recruiting a side to play together and this is where Owers fails miserably. If Bristol City recall these players we're back to square one. I'm really unable to fathom why people can't see it. Even with them we were unable to boss an average NLS side for the first 45 minutes yet imbeciles like Terry Larcombe think eventually overcoming them is cause for a piss up on Aldis finest cheap red vinegar. Maybe when he sees with his eyes and not his big ears he'll understand that we're light years from getting out of this league. I think he's been eating the wrong kind of mushrooms because he's obviously off his nut on something.