Something to celebrate

[cambgull]

I'd firstly like to say that I haven't been to nearly enough games this season (I believe, even less than brucie, shock horror!), so I don't have the benefit of first hand opinions of the game, only from comments on here and our ever reliable commentary. The same commentary which today, gave the impression we were the most likely to score in the first half and then ended the half by saying BR had the better of it.

One thing I do know is we have many reasons to celebrate.

In Martin Ling, we have a manager who has belief in his squad, has managed to galvanise a team of misfits into a team who play for each other and an ability to grind out results like no Torquay team I have ever seen in my 20 years of following our glorious football club.

In the team, we have some stand out players such as Bobby, Mansell, Nicho, Eunan and Ellis. These are the core of the side and without them, we would not be where we are in the league. Dependable, reliable and put in good performances in pretty much every game.

Outside of those 5, we have an entire team of players who have either impressed when the jury was out, or have come in and done a good job. We cannot underestimate the importance of players like Stevens who has undoubtedly impressed, when many thought he should've been in the dole queue last summer. Howe and Atieno, both of whom have been on their travels in their career, have come in and settled. Neither are going to be big goalscorers, but they have done their part in playing what is, really, a thankless job. Oastler has been solid all season, you'll rarely get moments of glory with him, but we all know where he is finally at home on a football pitch. Saah has had his critics, certainly earlier on in the season before he was dropped for Ellis. Since Robertson leaving, he has impressed with some good defensive work and a couple vital clearances from the goal line. Lathrope has been an immensely important part of how the team plays and does all the jobs you don't want to do. Perhaps we should start calling him 'Mr Muscle'. Further up, we have Bodin and Morris. Bodin wasn't our player, so I won't dwell too much on him, but he played well and was a big part of our run. I wish him all the best at Swindon. Morris is probably my only worry, I don't think he's a bad player, I just don't think he really fits our style. For someone with such a decent left foot on him and a good cross, I'm disappointed that he obviously isn't good enough to take our set plays.

Otherwise, we have the bench warmers and squad players. McPhee is very much a 'jack of all trades', I'm unsure whether there is really any area of the pitch he excels in. He does have plenty of versatility and is a useful player to have on the bench, to fill gaps on a bench which is restricted in size. I'd prefer to have him in the squad, than a younger player with attitude problems who isn't likely to get a game. LRT I like, when he came on against Swindon, I thought he was superb on the wing and annihilated their right back who was tiring. Didn't tend to lose the ball much and added some cover. I'd like to see him given a game on the wing one day, just to see how he does. There is something there and I hope that it's not too late when it's found, when he's already at another club.

All in all, there are some areas which I'd like to see changed, but generally we have a very strong first team who fight to win games and can turn around a game, when the odds are against us.

We have quite a lot to celebrate this season, so lets enjoy our last 11 games. What will be will be. Let's have a collective pint in honour of our wonderful team!

[Glostergull]

Here Here that man.
I think those sentiments are echoed around the club. This was amply demostrated when there was a special presentation to Martin Ling and Shuan Taylor after the match by Dean Edwards just after the Man of the match presentation in reward for our club batting way above our status. as they put it. Our Chairman presented the award amid much applause.
It would indeed be fitting for the team to go on and get promotion and shove all the critisism down the doomdwellers throats.
To Marin Ling and Shuan Taylor. You done us proud Guys. You done us proud

[Southampton Gull]

Top post Luke.

I can't disagree with any of that and for someone who admittedly hasn't seen enough games to comment on how "crap" the fringe players are you're right on the money, good stuff.

[Dave]

This season has gone above and beyond the wildest dreams of every one at the club, I am not too concerned now if the club fail's to get promoted, I thought losing in last seasons play-off final would cause an exodus players and be very hard to drag ourselves back from, this season has proved I had nothing to worry about.

This season no matter how it end's will be seen by most as a complete sucsess, and great credit goes to all at the club, to the members of the board who had balls to stand firm on Martin Ling's appointment , to Martin Ling and Shaun Taylor who are doing a fantastic job and the players.

I know this has been said before there has been a real sense of unity instilled in the squad , you can see that match days regardless of whether players are starting on the bench or unused subs, you can see they are all in this together, which has been brought about by when the team have suffered injuries and suspensions, Lingy has used the squad, and when the team had a poor run early in the season again lIngy stood by the squad, rather than going out signing god knows how many loan players.

Just to correct something in your O/P Cambgull, Ellis came into the team for Robbo, Saah limped off with an injury during the home match with Plymouth, Robbo came in to the team due to Saah's injury and formed a great partnership with Ellis, and this shows another plus in Martin Ling's management style, when Saah was fully fit he was not restored to the line up, because Robbo and Ellis were playing so well, which shows that Martin ling does not have favourites, also prove when Howe did not get his place to start with after Atieno played so well over Christmas , it's all about approaching the game with the right attitude and doing the job on the pitch your asked to do.

Obviously our club does not have much if any money to spend, so signing players that are flexible in what positions they can play in ,is a must, Ian Morris gets a lot of unfair cristism, he is not an out an out winger, he does not have pace, or trickery, what he does have a very good passing ability and movement off the ball probaly far more suited to a central role, however O'Kane plays there, same as McPhee people forget he did score 17 goals lasts eason for Kiddie, playing the same role that Mansell play's in, Mcphee is not going to start ahead of Manse, maybe if he got his chance there , he would prove something agian however he is a player, as you said is a jack of all trades, and thats why he was signed.

It will be interesting to see what if any changes are made to the squad in the summer.

[oxgull]

Very good post Cambgull. Not many years ago, and if you went and had a look at the archives, this site was full of doom and gloom as the Gulls struggled in the bottom four almost all of the time. The odd Play Off season was followed by another four seasons of struggle and strife. Now we have a club that is looking upwards and can look at an awful lot of others below us so that, in itself, is a reason to be very cheerful ideed. I had my doubts about Martin Ling but when you look through the bad times he endured at Cambridge and the fact that he had no support and had his budgets cut then it was obvious that he really was on a hiding to nothing there. His record at Leyton Orient was excellent and he has really shown something in his management that we have not had a whole lot of in recent years and that, IMHO, is good emotional management and leadership. He clearly has the whole squad with him and manages his players to their strengths and when they are happy playing then the results and style of play are obvious for us all to see. I feared we would struggle this season, as team who fail at the last hurdle seem to, so whatever happens and wherever we finish I,for one, am very happy with things and am looking forward to the future with great anticipation. New stand, great squad that can really push on now and maybe, just maybe, a well established league one club in the near future. As they used to say in the old days "Rosetinter" Better than being on the dark side eh
The futures bright, the future's YELLOW!!!

[Gullscorer]

That's the thing about Martin Ling; his ability to get the best out of individual players and enable them to achieve their potential, and to blend together as a team so that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. And not only the players, but the backroom team around him, all pulling in the same direction. Nothing lasts forever, but right now it's great to see. The new Mr. Motivator..!

It's what Paul Buckle, sadly for him and for Bristol Rovers, was seemingly unable to achieve at the Memorial Ground with his own management style. Whatever the baggage and player problems Buckle inherited from their previous season, you can imagine Ling, had he been there, resolving them more easily. On the other hand, another manager might have had more success at Cambridge than Ling had, given the same circumstances. And Buckle, older and wiser, may have great success at his next club. Such is football..

[Gashead1979]

Sorry guys, but the likes of yourselves, Cheltenham and Southend just go to show how shocking this league is.

What that makes us I shudder to think.

[stevegull]

Sorry guys, but the likes of yourselves, Cheltenham and Southend just go to show how shocking this league is.

What that makes us I shudder to think.

Care to elaborate on your reasoning gashead, before you inevitably get shouted down?

[Gashead1979]

Care to elaborate on your reasoning gashead, before you inevitably get shouted down?

Not really, just the standard in this league hasnt really been up to much, even Swindon and Crawley who played us fairly recently. Shrews look a decent footballing side but other than that...

I was expecting a defeat saturday after getting beat by the bottom team in the week, but after being 2-0 up a draw felt like we lost.

Good luck with the rest of the season, much rather TUFC went up that some of the other clubs near the top.

[united09]

Sorry guys, but the likes of yourselves, Cheltenham and Southend just go to show how shocking this league is.

What that makes us I shudder to think.

To be honest Gashead has a point. You only have to look at Argyle and there trouble and how awful they have been but are still with a chance of staying up. Also another example is Vale with off the feild troubles are still fighting for the playoffs. You have to look at Stevenage tho, not much has changed since they left the league and look where they are!

[blueboy]

You rarely see free flowing football in League 2. I think team spirit and organisation goes a long way to success and your comeback on Saturday proved you have that. I think you have as good a chance of going up as anyone, it's only really Swindon who look certain to go up. I'd love to see you get promotion as you're a great club with excellent fans. Was a top weekend!

[cambgull]

League 2 is actually quite a close league, and has been for several years. When you look at the Premiership, a bad run might drop you down a few spaces, whereas a bad run down here could put you from a play-off spot to staring the relegation spots quite quickly.

Every team can beat every other team, on their day. It doesn't mean the League is generally poor. What makes the difference between a top team and a Conference bound one, is consistancy. Like we are doing, consistantly picking up 1-0 wins using solid defending and a bit of counter-attacking football. Those at the bottom tend to try and change around tactics for every game, which is why they get beaten. We play pretty much the same set up, every game, and it works.

As for expecting a defeat, Saturday's game was effectively a derby, not because of Geography but because of how closely linked the two clubs have been in recent times. You had ex-Torquay players who wanted to get one over on our club, we have players who played with those players last season, and will want to get one over on them. Realistically, I think it had a draw or a one goal win written all over it.

[ferrarilover]

You Rovers fans have such a stick up your arse about League bloody 1. I've got a reality check for you lads, the majority of L1 is not any better than the majority of L2, an if the two were merged into some big single division, a lot of the L2 sides would finish above the L1 teams. We walked past Chesterfield in the Cup and it took an own goal and a horrific error for Wednesday to beat us. The filth have scored even fewer goals than Northampton and its hardly like Leyton Orient are setting the world alight.
You weren't good enough for what is basically L2+1, and you're not really good enough for L2 proper, quit your whinging and face the fact that as much as you might not like it, Bristol Useless are not a big/good/impressive club, you're a very ordinary L2/L1 club and it is there you shall stay. There are probably 50,000 clubs below you and 70 above you, quit striving for something which is little but bragging rights and embrace the fact that, in the grand scheme of things, you're doing alright.

Matt.

[TUFCforever]

Matt good post but we got beat by Sheffield Utd mate not Wednesday. I work in Bristol everyday but live in Devon and it makes me chuckle that a small seaside TOWN can take 4 points off a city the size of Bristol. We didn't play as well as we could have Saturday but we still should have been 3 up by halftime if Howe could have finished and Danny not wait until the 11th hour to take a shot. However a point is better than nothing and the league doesn't lie we are better than Rovers by some distance and just look at the money they have spent trying to win or even get into the playoffs and won't get either come the end of season.
Shaun

[Dave]

Come on matt, you can't use the F.A cup as a marker as to the difference in standard between every league, Crawley are a prime example of that, they have beaten Derby, Bristol City and a host of league 1 clubs over the last two season's in the cup, right now you would not rush to money on them getting promoted out of league 2 this season.

Think you only have to look at the number of teams promoted to league 1 that do not stay there beyond 1 or 2 seasons, and the number of teams that come down, who achieve promotion back to league 1 in the same period to tell us all there is a gulf between the two divisions.

I also think Gashead79 has a point, and why I say that, I often think back to the Cyril Knowles team of 87/88, I think of the quailty of that team and the consistant standard of football they played week in and out, that team missed out on automatic promotion by 1 point and lost in the play-off final to Swansea in the days before they were played at Wembley.

The point is, if that team had entered league 2 this season, there is little doubt in my mind, they would have been crowned league 2 champions before the shops had sold out of easter egg's, yet they were not good enough for promotion that season.

The reason I think is an increase in the standard of professionalism, players are fitter and playing at a higher level a lot longer than theyw ere 25 years ago, back in the 80's once a player got 34 ish they would drop down a few league's, where as now they are playing at the top level right throught to retirement, so yes the standard has dropped.