Torquay United Fans Forum

It's not just the team, it's the manager as well and Ling is knocking Buckle into a cocked hat!

Depends which manager you have and whether you play players out of position or not!

been said in earlier posts mabe last season squad was stronger,i tend to disagree,ok granted got to playoff final,but i do believe this year we will go up automatically,lingy has installed belief into the club as a whole,the squad seems to be very content,hes playing everybody where they should be playing,the confidence is running high through the squad,LONG MAY THAT CONTINUE,i bet BUCKLE cant believe how well we are doing :na:,keep the good work up lingy.

Personally i prefer this years side even if last years was possibily stronger. We have decent young talent and give them a seaosn or two they all could be quality players. Like Oastler and Ellis give them games and they will turn into very important players for our side.

But i guess we will see how good the side is this season in May. Do we do better or not

Sorry FJ, but this year's back four is streets ahead of last year's. Nico and Robbo remain the same, but having Ellis and JOastler back there makes us a much better footballing side.

Ellis has all the ball winning attributes of Branno, play a turn of pace and decent enough distribution. JOastler is rapidly becoming one of the best right backs in the division. His tackling is brilliant, he is strong, improving positionally and really isn't afraid to get forward and support an attack.

Having Lathrope in midfield loses him from his absolutely vital role in front of the back 5, which has so aided us this season.

All in, the back 6 (Bobby, back 4 and DL) are the foundation upon which all our success is being built, and I wouldn't change it for last year's set up for all the tea in China.

Matt.

This is obviously a bit of a moot point given we are playing a more or less 4-3-2-1 this season compared with usually 4-4-2 last season, so within those parameters, direct comparison in each position is suspect. However if we are going to stay with 4-3-2-1, i would certainly have Branston, Stanley and Zebs in it, in place of Ellis, Oastler and Morris/Bodin. A midfield three of Stanley, Lathrope and O'Kane looks like a good balance of attacking flair with the necessary steel as well. I dont think anyone could argue that Bobby seems to be consistently better than Bevs (although to be fair to Bevs, the defence in front of him at Brizzle was pretty shambolic).

Its all conjecture of course, as the better team will be viewed through history's eyes as that which had the better record over the 46 games.

I see, that's an interesting view.

Matt.

ferrarilover wrote:Do you mean IF only because of Bobby and Bodin? Or do you genuinely mean that the only advantage you can see of the second team over the first is the aforementioned?

Matt.

I only prefer it with them replacing kee and bevan

Last year's team with Lingy in charge, we'd be promotion chasing with that.

So far, I've not broken my New Year resolution (that is, giving Danny Stevens stick at every opportunity).

In 1983 I voluntarily gave up alcohol for a year as a New Year resolution. That particular resolution hurt like f**k.

It's too early to say whether the current resolution will prove to be more painful.

I agree stevens has raised his game this year

If anyone is still bashing Stevens, they're just nonsensical. He's become a huge (excuse the pun) part of our team, and arguably one of our biggest (sorry) goal threats.

I think if this question had been asked before our opening game it would have had such a different result, Bobby O , came to us as a complete unkown quanity, as it turns out is no doubt better than Bevan, Ellis looks re-born and is contributing every bit as much now as Branno did last term, at the start of the season being honest i would have given Ellis away.

So many posters on here questioned Lingy's very sanity for giving Danny Stevens a new contract, Lingy has stuck by Danny and his confidence has grown with every match, before the season started i would have said, and i think many would agree that Lathrope was not fit to fill Stanley's boots, that said Damon has come in tot he team and just get's better with every match he play's, right now i do not think Stanley would get back into our team, so witht he benefit of hindsight many will say that this seasons team would shade it.

However i also have looked at it from the point of two different teams . playing different systems, and also agree that lasts easons front three jsut shade it for me, so i have voted for last seasons team.

For individual skill and talent, and a bigger goal threat, last season.
For a more concise, solid, team effort, this season.

I can't really separate them, though.

Perhaps the overall squad is weaker - the players we've got in our starting XI are playing to their maximum and it's been getting us the results, but a few injuries or dips in form and on paper we've got very little to come in and fill the gaps. That said, we've done well without Rene so maybe I'm wrong.

Our starting XI, however, is full of players playing in their strongest positions and playing confidently and as part of a well organised side, so I'd take this year over last.