Torquayunited v Billericay Town 3/11/18

[Southampton Gull]

You're always the one doing the bashing, some are just pointing out the obvious.

Nobody was even thinking about Owers until you brought his name into the equation.

[Teigngull]

You're always the one doing the bashing, some are just pointing out the obvious.

Nobody was even thinking about Owers until you brought his name into the equation.

I have a feeling this could go on for owers & owers !

[Southampton Gull]

Personally I don't care if the names of Owers and Nicholson never get mentioned again because that would surely mean that Gary Johnson is succeeding.

For Merse to start thinking he knows the squad better than the manager is simply foolish. Time to move on.

[Teigngull]

Agreed, let's call a truce guys , this topic will never be agreed on.

[Whydoibother]

One reason why he was good in second half was that he was up against a midfield made up entirely of passing players. Hall was badly missed for his closing down and his 6 ft plus, Dickson is much shorter and they easily went through us. Say I g that if we had scored that chance after half time then game would have been won.

We only had 3 subs we could really use too. Hopefully Hall will be back soon

[tomogull]

It is ridiculous to suggest that we should have 'shut up shop' and 'close off' a 2 - 0 lead for the whole of the second half. This is exactly what Woking tried to do a few weeks back and we could have very easily won 3 - 2 instead of the draw. And I bet it was what East Thurrock tried to do when they were 2 - 0 up at Billericay last Tuesday, but eventually lost 3 - 2. We were in control of the game, and should have been 3 - 0 up if Ruari Keating hadn't fluffed his lines once again, until Shaun McDonald's misjudgement for their first goal. Unfortunalely, these 'mishaps' happen at all levels. I don't entirely blame McDonald. I think Ben Wynter should have taken control of the situation, but apart from that, I though he had a good game.

I think it was Paul Buckle who said that 2 - 0 was a dangerous scoreline because if the opposition pull one back, they gain the upper hand. We have seen that time and time again. And to say that Chris Regis would somehow have made a difference on Saturday is laughable. He did not impress me in the games I have seen him play and against Woking he looked completely out of his depth. His reaction when he was justifiably substituted was not acceptable and well done to Gary Johnson for telling him 'on yer bike' after the match. Unless he matures mentally, he is not going anywhere in the game.

Billericay were an ugly side with several experienced players who know how to 'play ugly'. But then again, so were Tranmere at the beginning of last season and look where they are now. It was disappointing to lose on Saturday, but don't forget we had SEVEN players out injured - Andrews, Edwards, Hall, Sokolik, Sendles-White, Essuman and Bass. Probably at least five of those players would have started if fit.

I have been quite impressed with the refs I have seen at Plainmoor this season ...... until Saturday. Just our luck to get a weak, ineffective ref for an important game. The booking of Jamie Reid was ridiculous, as was the second yellow for the Bill'y player. In my opinion, it wasn't a foul but even if the ref decided it was a foul, it wasn't bad enough to warrant a yellow card.

[merse btpir]

Re-deploying a player like Evans to play further forward in the 'Regis' role ~ and that's not as a 'ball winner' per se but one who would get his foot in early and upset the composure of the opposition as was shown in the Edwards goal at Weston Tuesday ~ is more a way of managing the match and the advantageous scoreline rather than 'shutting up shop' because to shut up shop suggests sitting back and inviting a team on whereas getting in early through pressing is just as likely to result in more goals if the opposition get careless or decide to go gung-ho through desperation.

If Evans had been deployed like that and backed up by two physical players rather than the more technical and pacey Janneh and Kalala who by then would have had their desired effect; maybe Billericay could have been held at bay ~ and as everyone acknowledges; if Keating had done his job and put that awful miss away, they would have been home and dry.

Neither Keating and more so Williams are really putting the manager under any pressure to start them are they. Indeed the total ineffectiveness of Williams bodes ill for his future with the Club I would think; and Keating too must be on thin ice one would imagine..

[TUST_Member_Rob]

What is this 'regis role' phenomenon that has appeared?

Who did Owers get this gem from Klopp? Southgate? Alex Ferguson?

A slightly raw midfielder with a poor touch

Every team needs that Regis Role filling

[Biggygull]

Read carefully what I posted instead of jumping on the sad old bash merse/bash Owers bandwagon.....

I clearly stated that Johnson was still trying to extend a two-nil advantage rather than shut up shop. I have not stated that Owers is a better manager than Johnson but that Johnson has a different approach to the game and that this different approach might well have been better served by employing a ball winning player behind the strikers to close out a two-nil lead and playing with the wind at their backs as things stood at the start of the second half yesterday.

There will be many tmes when Gary Johnson's more creative approach to setting up his team is generally not more advantageous to Gary Owers more prosaic method ~ I just don't think that in yesterday's instance it wasn't. When you are leading two-nil you don't need to stretch it to three-nil if you close out the game properly. The game was not closed ou properly yesterday as indeed was Weston on Tuesday night and four points have been dropped.

When you see managers on the sideline engaged in conversation with their number two; such differing views are often exchanged. That is the whole point of working with an assistant. Yes the boss has the final say and makes the decisions but he will often benefit from someone seeing it differently than two heads being as one; otherwise what is the point of a second opinion?

At least we are seeing pro-active decision making on the pitch from the first whistle now as opposed to the dreadful mis-management from the technical area we used to see and that stretches back beyond Owers. It's not disrespectful to offer a different viewpoint than Gary Johnson's; in no way. He is a proven manager with a great track record and has obviously woken up this club as it needed to be woken up. But some of you people need to leave your issues over Gary Owers behind and take a bigger picture view of what we have now.

I'm still saying that Adam Cunnington was not dealt with properly when he came on and he was the man who swung the game for Billericay ~ any idiot can see that.

Gunnigton was a central striker who bullied our two inexperienced center backs. That’s were we went wrong. They bipassed our midfield straight to the big guy and we couldn’t deal with it.

[tomogull]

Gunnigton was a central striker who bullied our two inexperienced center backs. That’s were we went wrong. They bipassed our midfield straight to the big guy and we couldn’t deal with it.

Yes - I pretty much agree with that. I'd add that Niate more so than Cameron struggled under the pressure. I think it would have been different if a player of Sendle-White's experience had been fit to play. However, a strike pairing of Cunnington and Jake Robinson when back to fitness will cause problems for all National South defences.

Anyone know Cunnington's background? He looked the sort of bullying striker we could do with!

[notnow]

And Owers made it appear he'd never managed at any level. The only thing he knew about this division was how to keep a team near the bottom of it.

Ridiculous comment.

I'm sure you realise what GJ has done for this club already! nevermind what he is capable of doing in the future! I know you are not knocking GJ but please don't mention owers! he did nothing, absolutely nothing. one thing for sure is that GJ has given us hope and belief! something nobody has done in recent times, certainly not owers and all his assurances! let's just pray that GJ is provided everything he needs.

[PL21gull]

Ignoring all the personal stuff, the poor referring, and lambasting Billericay for successfully seeing out the game, the fact is that we greatly assisted the time wasting by just lumping the ball forward instead of using the extra man to advantage and actually keeping the ball in order to create chances.
Why is it so difficult to play against 10 men for a team of full-time professionals? We were clearly tactically woeful then, and we have to learn to be smarter. But we did have a relatively young and less experienced team for this match.
On the other hand the opposing keeper did make two fairly point-blank and crucial saves to deny us a third goal and almost certain win in the second half.

[Jerry]

The introduction of Cunnington isn't what changed the match. He came on after 35 minutes and we were still well in control up until the error that led to their first goal 15 minutes later. This goal is what changed the match, they were fresh from reeling in a 2 goal deficit in their previous game whereas we had lost the lead in our last game. Hence they were suddenly full of confidence whereas we became the panicky "shrinking violets" Johnson mentioned.

Merse suggests that Evans could have been pushed further forward to win the ball and I would agree with that. O'Hara dropped deeper after their first goal and had all the time in the world to play. No matter his age and fitness he is a former Premier League player and knows how to pick a pass.

Sokolik on for Kalala and Evans pushed up on O'Hara would have been the way to go I reckon, but we don't know how fit Sokolik really was do we?

As others have said, if we had Edwards, Hall and Andrews fit I'm confident we would have won easily. But let's not forget that were also missing some important players in Jake Robinson and Ross Lafayette.

[Wolborough]

Wonder if Koszela will get a run out
Soon. He could turn out to be a gem?

[merse btpir]

Anyone know Cunnington's background? He looked the sort of bullying striker we could do with!

Cunnington is the big lump who ~ in April 2016 ~ was sent off for a second bookale offence playing for Bromley against us in 2-0 win we had at Hayes Lane against them with goals from MacDonald (11) & Richards (85)

He's been around non-league football since 2006 and apart from a brief spell wth Dagenham & Redbridge, has never made Fopotball League level but remains a seasoned and very effecive big man up front for various non-league sides. The sort of player clubs like us need to be aware of and be able to manage. The sort of player who knws his glass ceiling and consistently produces what he is paid to do. Never really a regular goalscorer either until he signed for Billericay!