Torquay United Fans Forum

It is good to see on the OS that Owers considers Wes Atkinson good enough to extend his trial.

Of all the players I watched during the game at Collumpton Rangers, Atkinson looked like he had potential. Athletic and with good spatial awareness and passing accuracy I feel he would be a worthwhile addition to the squad and I am sure will develop with the right guidance.

Whilst it's never nice to see a TUFC team lose and this sort of "result" only heaps further embarrassment on the long suffering fans it is important to put the result into context. Whilst it's been pointed out that eight of the team that started were first teamers - the reality is that only THREE of that team are contracted players, namely young Osborne and Myles Anderson - neither of whom perhaps have much of a long term future at the club based on what I've seen so far this season - together with Ruari Keating, who seems to be suffering a dip in both form and confidence at the moment. Will any of these three start on Saturday ? Probably not, would be my guess.

The rest of the team, apart from loanee Rhys Murphy who was given a 60 minute run out, were in effect ALL triallists. Five of the remaining seven players are registered as NON contract which makes them no more than extended triallists and they could all be let go tomorrow - and some quite possibly will be, certainly over the course of the next couple of weeks as the injured start to recover. The other two were certainly "just" triallists although it does look as though Wes Atkinson has done enough it seems to join the growing list of Non Contracted players judging by the comments made by the Manager in the OS.

The only real losers here are those in the team who are supposed to be trying to earn a contract who didn't do enough to impress Gary Owers and it's the same for those who are under contract - who may well see themselves dropping down the pecking order after Tuesday night.

When everyone is back fit, how many of the "team" that played on Tuesday will get near the first XI? Myrie-Williams and Murphy you would think, Keating (maybe, maybe not), and possibly Cole and Atkinson, but that is by no means certain.

Time to draw a line under this one and, like the team focus on tomorrow's really important game against Macclesfield. It's all about priorities now and getting off the bottom of the league and into a respectable position has to be number one for all of us.

Whilst the initial reaction when you hear the result is one of shock, I agree with most of the posts above. It really doesn't matter.

I actually believe that winning the game could have a more negative effect on the players. If you lose the game, business as usual, nothing's changed. If you win the game, the only time you've won this season is in a crappy cup game against Collumpton. You start to think that's your level.

The only way I could see us taking a positive from this game is if we had demolished them. Anything less than 4-0 and you'll always think you could've done more.

If he had luxury of a reserve team it would be ideal to enter it to try our damnest to win. With only a 1st team and the shitty position we are in im glad we lost. I'd swap a win in Devon cup for a shot on goal in the league.
Fa cup totally different , look at lincoln last season, the money it could bring in. Where that money's go is different matter but it could only help out club surely.

Dazza wrote: 21 Sep 2017, 20:22People ( and Merse!) are right that the Devon Senior Cup is not the Crown Jewels and I recognise that it's often now no longer always won by professional sides and for good reason. My point however that there is no room for complacency. We are a professional club and we went into this particular game with a team of professional footballers or those aspiring to be such.

If Torquay United had a reserve side this would have been viewed as a reserve game; end of.

When the club ran a reserve side in the second tier of the Western League such results were often forthcoming and I don't remember ever once such a song and dance being made. I don't really think the subject really merits any more discussion; it was the equivalent of a reserve game so what's the big deal?

Until proven the opposite in the new management duo I have faith.

People ( and Merse!) are right that the Devon Senior Cup is not the Crown Jewels and I recognise that it's often now no longer always won by professional sides and for good reason. My point however that there is no room for complacency. We are a professional club and we went into this particular game with a team of professional footballers or those aspiring to be such. Cullompton have had a difficult season five leagues below us and are currently not a good side. Not being able to score against them for 60 minutes is not something we should just wave aside. It's wasn't good enough and most professional outfits would share that view. If we simply ignore the Cullompton, Stoke Gabriel's and Tivertons of this world ,who have all won against us this season , we will soon find ourselves tumbling towards them their level.As a professional club we need to be doing better.

I know where your coming from in return. Yes there was enough pedigree in that team to have won this game, however I just think across the net there has been a complete over-reaction to this game, and such an over-reaction is off the back of our poor start, had the team got off to a good start in the league, most of complainants wouldn't have given monkeys about the out come of this game.

And my point about the team being by and large second string stands. Osbourne and Mitchell don't have a senior first team start for anyone between them as far as know, so both can't be referred to as first team players, whilst Haworth and Fallon do have a professional footballing C.V neither will get a sniff at our first 11 when all are fit, in fact wouldn't be surprised if both end up going through the exit door.

And whilst I wasn't at the game, I gather, Anderson, Murphy and Myrie-Williams were all substituted off and didn't play anything like the full game, they were hardly replaced by senior first players also.

The league is our obvious bread and butter, right now every once of energy has to go into getting things right there, sod the rice pudding bowl, or what ever it's called.

I accept what you say Forever, giving players a game etc, but I repeat we started with 8 players in the first team
squad, Osborne, Anderson , Cole, Mitchell, Haworth, Keating, Murphy, Myrie Williams, Fallon, - nine actually
and couldnt score against a team 5 leagues below
No need to insult Mr Dazza , Merse, but you just cant help it sometimes when someone has a different opinion
to yours
Glad to hear 'Kuhls no fool' and he knows the situation is not good, at least thats a start !

There is no way the intensity of the game as found at National League level can be replicated in these games and as such they do not represent a realistic test on how to judge either the Torquay United team or it's individual components.

In a National League game the quality of the decision-making has to be spot on, and especially the quality of your own concentration if you are a player; it is not possible to replicate this in a County Cup game, nor would it be if the club were to play a 'reserve' team at the level Cullompton come from ~ the SW Peninsula League.

 So to take umbrage at such a result of losing on penalties is just so much nonsense.
 

forevertufc wrote: 20 Sep 2017, 20:47 Buckland Athletic played a second string team and lost 8.0 at Tiverton, is this because, they know the importance of not risking injury to their key players in a meaningless competition, when promotion is their main aim, is it also, because they know the importance of giving squad players who haven't played yet some pitch time, I guess so.

Had Owers played a full strength side last night and won, yet we'd lost Dorel, Young and say McGinty to injury, what would some have said then ? We have bigger fish to fry, picking up a win v Cullompton would have meant jack shat as far as confidence is concerned, right now, keeping the fit players we have left fit, is going to be key.

Owers clearly took the decision to use this match, to have look at a couple players he hadn't seen play in a match, and run the rule over a couple of potential signings, sounds like a fair decision to me.

Looking at the age and experience of some of the players who played, to then suggest they should have won this game easily is wide of the mark.

forevertufc wrote: 20 Sep 2017, 20:47 Buckland Athletic played a second string team and lost 8.0 at Tiverton, is this because, they know the importance of not risking injury to their key players in a meaningless competition, when promotion is their main aim, is it also, because they know the importance of giving squad players who haven't played yet some pitch time, I guess so.

Had Owers played a full strength side last night and won, yet we'd lost Dorel, Young and say McGinty to injury, what would some have said then ? We have bigger fish to fry, picking up a win v Cullompton would have meant jack shat as far as confidence is concerned, right now, keeping the fit players we have left fit, is going to be key.

Owers clearly took the decision to use this match, to have look at a couple players he hadn't seen play in a match, and run the rule over a couple of potential signings, sounds like a fair decision to me.

Looking at the age and experience of some of the players who played, to then suggest they should have won this game easily is wide of the mark.

Dazza wrote: 20 Sep 2017, 19:46 I am impressed that Merse feels there is nothing to concern us by this loss. There was I thinking this was an absolute disgrace. Obviously Cullompton are a better side than we lost to in other cup defeats where I seemed to recall he went absolutely apeshit. It's obviously ill advised to get in a winning habit too early this season.

What an absolutely stupid post driven by an ulterior motive.

If you genuinely think that, whilst neglecting to compare the financial implications of continual FA Cup failure compared with the absolute paucity of value of being in the Couny Cup; then I suggest you see a psychiatrist.

Buckland Athletic played a second string team and lost 8.0 at Tiverton, is this because, they know the importance of not risking injury to their key players in a meaningless competition, when promotion is their main aim, is it also, because they know the importance of giving squad players who haven't played yet some pitch time, I guess so.

Had Owers played a full strength side last night and won, yet we'd lost Dorel, Young and say McGinty to injury, what would some have said then ? We have bigger fish to fry, picking up a win v Cullompton would have meant jack shat as far as confidence is concerned, right now, keeping the fit players we have left fit, is going to be key.

Owers clearly took the decision to use this match, to have look at a couple players he hadn't seen play in a match, and run the rule over a couple of potential signings, sounds like a fair decision to me.

Looking at the age and experience of some of the players who played, to then suggest they should have won this game easily is wide of the mark.