How do you guys see it going?

[friendlygas]

Withe the new season now three weeks away how do you see things going? We both seem to have lost key players with us losing Muzzy on Monday to Middlesborough and you losing O'Kane to Bournemouth and also Ellis. On saying that I think you have a ready made replacement in Aaron Downes for Ellis but not so sure about you replacing O'Kane who for me was the best midfielder in this division.
Our transfer dealings have been very quiet this summer after the amazing summer last year where we signed 15 players. We have lost Stanley to Aldershot and Sawyer to Orient but in all honesty neither is a great loss. We have began our friendlies with Virgo being the only fit centre back and he looks unlikely to be fit enough for the first game but have now signed a Faroe Islands international and Dave Clarkson with two more supposedly big signings to follow in the coming week.
I have a feeling that we will be hovering between 12th and the play offs this season and yourselves I see being just outside the automatics.
I think Rotherham,Chesterfield ,|Southend and Wycombe will do very well.

[GulldenBoy]

Carayol to Boro is a joke. Not bad League 2 player but definitely not good enough for the Championship.

[Gullscorer]

a Faroe Islands international..
Really, what's he like..?

Actually I think Rovers will have a decent season, with a chance of making the play-offs. Torquay should be challenging again somewhere in the top six. Best of luck, anyway, to Rovers..

[friendlygas]

No idea but he signs on Monday and it seems like another CB is signing too from Scottish Premier League. Certainly will be a change to have three Centre backs who we actually own!! Did Aaron Downes play for you against Leeds? How did he do?

[AustrianAndyGull]

I actually think you will get in the play offs this season and Gulldenboy is right about Carayol. Forget Chesterfield for promotion, Sheridan will be out by Xmas. As for Rotherham, i tipped them to win l2 but now i have a feeling they will only get a play off spot along with yourselves. Fleetwood will win this league by a mile.

[Colorado Gull]

Did Aaron Downes play for you against Leeds? How did he do?

Yes he did and he played very well I thought, very solid and put in some hefty challenges in. At times he went in a little bit too strong and carelessly giving away fouls, but that couldn't dampen his performance. He also was very vocal on the pitch, seems like he will be able to order the defence well.

As for how I see the season ahead going, I think Rovers will finish in the top half and many have a chance on getting into the play offs. For Torquay? I think we have a great chance to fight for promotion, whether it be play offs or automatic, I think we have a great chance to cause another upset. But you can never predict football, it's a funny ol' game! However one thing we all know 100%, is that it'll be an exciting season ahead!

[GazTheGull]

With regards to Aaron Downes, I think he is worth the risk considering Nico hardly gets injured so Thomas Cruise (who I thought played very well against Leeds) could slip in to replace Downes if he was to go down with injury. His goal saving tackle was top class, and he looked to get forwards most of the time. He won't be able to do this if he were to cover the Center back position, but his tackling looks good. Unfortunately he also has only just come back from injury. Still think we'll cling onto the play offs on last day of the season, then book ourselves another play-off final. (Would it be Old Trafford or Wembley this year?)

[stevegull]

I imagine Rovers will be around the same place as Torquay in the coming season. Rovers have got rid of some of their dead wood and got in some good players by the sounds of it. And I think you've got yourself a good manager in Mcghee (?) and he will make you difficult to beat, especially at home.

As for us, I think it's pretty clear that losing a player of Eunan's quality will weaken us but we remain hopeful that Ling has strengthened the squad the other areas well, as we appear to have a better well rounded complete squad than last season, where some players tired visibily late in the campaign. Personally I think we'll just miss out on play-offs.

[wodger of awabia]

No idea but he signs on Monday and it seems like another CB is signing too from Scottish Premier League. Certainly will be a change to have three Centre backs who we actually own!! Did Aaron Downes play for you against Leeds? How did he do?

There will be a lot of top quality Jocks around as the Scottish clubs try to off load their big earners. You've most likely got a good one.

[brucie]

I don't think we are anything like as strong as last year really. Squad wise we may be slightly stronger but key player wise we are miles weaker. Poke is an excellent replacement for the keeper but Ellis and O'Kane were massive players for us and have not been replaced.
Bodin is our star signing but he has it all to do. Jarvis for Atieno - like for like really

[Gullscorer]

A year ago, nobody gave us a chance in hell of getting into the play-offs for a second year in succession, the fourth time in five seasons. Thirteen months ago nobody in Torquay had heard of Bobby Olejnik; and no Gulls supporter had any idea that Rene Howe, Danny Stevens, Brian Saah and others would display their real potential as they did over last season.

Who is to say our new signings this summer will not do the same, or that our existing players will not continue to develop and improve. Last season showed that Martin Ling is able to get the best out of most players.

For the season ahead, we have absolutely no reason to be negative or even doubtful. We are a club that is going places and is financially sound. We have sensible owners, an excellent manager and backroom team, a new grandstand, and, in the near future, new and modern training facilities. And we have an excellent squad which, like all squads, will be adjusted with players coming and going as required and as circumstances permit.

All that remains is for fans to get behind the team with our full support, and each of us to bring somebody with us to matches, to boost attendances, thereby enabling the club to plan for the future with confidence.

Another exciting season ahead..!!

[Trojan 67]

What Goaltaker said.

[AustrianAndyGull]

I agree totally, the difference between last year and this year is Martin Ling. I trust him to have made the right decisions transfer wise for the benefit of the club financially and also to ensure that we remain competetive on the pitch for the coming season. My only criticism of his tenure so far was that he should have tried to get in an emergency striker or two a lot earlier than did ( Jarvis ) but i am sure he is aware of this and will not make the same mistakes again should we be in the same position this season.

We,ve lost Ellis and O'Kane - so what? Bobby is my biggest loss and although Pokey isn't in the same league as him talent wise, he is still a competent keeper at l2 level.I'm excited by Cruise and Craig, looking forward to seeing what Jarvis has and we've got Billy boy back so what's the problem? I expected little last season and ended up gutted and a little peed off that we only managed a play off spot in the end but that is what happens when you have a bit of success, you get carried away and forget where it all started and the expectations you had of the team then too. I don't believe we are good enough to get top 3 this season and maybe a play off spot may be a step too far for us and i don't want to get carried away with ridiculous predictions and expectations. The bar has been raised though and anything other than a battle for a play off spot would be disappointing. In Martin we trust though and bring it on.

[ferrarilover]

Come now Andy, let's not be unnecessary to those who have left. Eunan is (was) quite rightly heralded by fans of every club as the best midfielder in the division, because he is (was). Mark Ellis has divided opinion on here and on the terraces, with some unable or unwilling to acknowledge his development into an excellent centre back (not unique to Mark, of course), but it cannot be denied that he will be missed of not replaced. Personally, and largely because I trust my judgement of what I see on the pitch, rather than getting hysterical about previous injuries, I think we have a beautiful replacement for Mark in Aaron Downes.

I can't be arsed to type once again (and you don't want to have to read, again) my thoughts on this year's squad over last, suffice to say that if we don't do as well as last season, it will not be for a lack of talent in the squad.

Matt.

[Glostergull]

Although we probably can't in all honesty find enough money to attract players from The Scottish leagues. I think we may find that we have benifited in kind with Aaron Downes. He has left Rovers as they can attract those players. I wonder if Rovers would have been so keen to let him go if they didn't think they could get some of the better players in from Scotland.
I see that today they have signed Gareth Kenny fro Dundee Utd. If they can get players of that calibre and his profile seems to show he is a player of some standing, Then we can capitalise by signing players who have to step sideways to allow them to filter into our leagues.
This on paper should be a really good season. But that's on paper. I worry slightly (but only slightly) that if we have a really good set of players. Have the oppo also got an improved squad and will it all cancel itself out. But bearing that in mind, The quality of football on show should go up considerably even if we finish way lower down the league than normal. So that our entertainment value increases. I for one will be very happy with that. After all, that's one of the things we go for.