Torquay United Fans Forum

Jerry wrote:I'm more interested in why he has removed the "e" from the end of his user name

Did we work out who Georg(e) is?

yellowsmiffy wrote:Get a bloody grip you lot. F*** me, quit your moaning at Nicholson. He's done a f**king good job to get the players in a position where they were able to take 5 points from three games and four consecutive good performances.

Everyone knows the score. We have a very limited bunch of players, and the lows will keep coming from time to time. But since Nico arrived, he's made everything a hell of a lot more positive than is has been for years.

The players will move on from this CUP result and they will put in some more battling performances. It was a one off game. It happens.

As a supporter, you're a bloody idiot if you haven't realised by now that things can always get worse. If you keep moaning and being negative and getting on the managers back, and slagging off individual players, it will get much worse as we will be relegated and will start losing to Basingstoke etc in the league if we still have a club. The only thing that will keep this club in the division is to fully get behind the manager and players and accept that it's just the way it is.

It's hard to accept being beaten 3-0 by the worst team in the Conference South who haven't won a single league game this season. We all know the budget is tight but what is Basingstoke's budget? I don't see anyone really blaming Nicholson. He was always going to be on a hiding to nothing because he's inherited the worst set of players in the club's history. But let's not kid ourselves and pretend he's the messiah. We may have collected five points from our last three league games but we've also won one of six since he arrived. That's relegation form and we're going to need to average more than a point a game to stay up. These players haven't performed under four different managers this season. If Cox - who despite his ulterior motives is an experienced and successful manager at this level - couldn't get anything out of them then what hope has a complete novice with no coaching experience?

arcadia wrote:Not a good day for the club but with a young side we are going to get highs and lows. Due to being cup-tied Kevin could not play and today and you've got to say we missed him. We lacked the quality that Hurst brings to the side as well and I thought it was a good day for Chaney to be given a go but it was not to be.
I was disappointed with our supporters not clapping the team at the end of the game as being young and immature the players could resent this happening. The team needs all the help they can get and don't need the supporters turning against them just now. Believe it or not the players do try their hardest.
This was not a game to remember.

The team have been clapped off the pitch all season despite some pathetic performances and results. Any other club's supporters would have turned on them by now. They are bloody lucky most Torquay fans are patient but it's wearing thin now. They need some tough love. Perhaps a kick up the backside and a sense of reality will spur them on because clapping and sticking by them hasn't worked. I'm glad some fans jeered them yesterday. If any of our players think that performance was acceptable then they need to look for an alternative career.

In an effort to enhance the 'match-day experience', the club could invite former players/managers back as a special guest for the day. They could have a Q&A style event before a home game - say 1-2pm - where they talk about their time at Torquay and answer questions from fans. Could section off a part of Boots & Laces (or whatever it's called these days) like at the fans' forum. Have a raffle for a few signed items, photo opportunities etc.

I always enjoy listening/reading what former players have to say about the club. I'm an exile so struggle to get to many home games but if the club said a Rodney Jack or Alex Russell for example was going to be at Plainmoor for an event like this then I'd make an extra effort to get down there. The reason some fans don't turn up is because they don't think the product on the pitch is value for money and it just makes them miserable if we don't play well and lose. If you promoted an event like this before the match, then at least people who attend can say they enjoyed part of their day even if the football is crap.

Marsh
Hickford
Berry
Smith
Hurst

Very enjoyable second half. Disappointed not to cling on for the win but would have taken a point at half-time and before the game. Played some lovely stuff after the break and had Woking on the ropes. Marsh made a huge difference - set up the first which was curled into the top corner from 25 yards by Richards. I didn't think he had that in his locker! We had chances to take the lead before Woking came back into it and had a stonewall penalty turned down when Berry mistimed a tackle inside the box. I still can't believe the ref didn't give it. He made himself even more unpopular with the home fans when Marsh skipped past the keeper and went down under his challenge before slotting in the resultant spot-kick. Thought we would hang on but Holman netted a late equaliser when he held off Smith, turned and fired past Spiess. Good finish but Smith - otherwise excellent - should have been tighter. Even more frustratingly, we had a golden chance to win it in injury-time but Bell fluffed his lines with only the keeper to beat. Bloody awful attempt. Draw probably a fair result.

Spiess still makes me nervous. He made two mistakes in the second half - dropping a corner and getting caught in no man's land with a cross - but he was rescued by covering yellow shirts on both occasions. Couldn't have saved the second goal and I was late to the game so missed the first by Daniel, who was Woking's best player. Nicholson did quite well considering he didn't get much help when defending against him. Smith was superb... until the late equaliser. I think it was him and not Hickford (they look alike from a distance). Hickford was very solid on his debut. Positioning was good and he looks quite confident. Would like to keep him longer but Angus - who was at the game along with Butler, Chaney, Odofin and Hells Bells - will be back in on Saturday. Berry played well again although was incredibly lucky not to concede that penalty.

Hurst started on the right and ended up on the left. He was limited to shots from outside the box but tested the keeper twice and was a menace. At first it looked like he was going to take the penalty before the ball ended up in Marsh's hands. Fenwick was out of position on the left and struggled although improved slightly after the break. Still not convinced. I've been very critical of Heslop to date but thought he was very good in the second half after taking the captain's armband. Easily his best showing in a Torquay shirt. Richards was garbage in the first half but scored our best goal of the season and that boosted his confidence. Fisher much more involved in the second half too and almost scored a header which was brilliantly clawed away by their keeper at 1-1. Did well with Marsh who was the difference maker. His pace and link-up play was really impressive. Set up one, scored one and put one on a plate for Bell at the end. Less said about Briscoe the better. He was in the huddle after the final whistle and had his calf iced up so maybe his withdrawal was because of injury but he was so ineffective it could easily have been a tactical substitution. Murombedzi did ok when he came on. Ran into a couple of dead ends but set up Marsh to win the penalty after we caught Woking on the counter.

That second-half performance gives me a lot of hope for the rest of the season. Was impressed with the team spirit and our heads never dropped - even after conceding the late equaliser. Marsh must start on Saturday.

Right so I'm assuming Briscoe is this mystery player given that he's one of a select few in the second year of his contract. Interesting if he is such a disruption in the dressing room that Nicholson has picked him out with MacDonald as one of his key players to help him out.

From what I've heard and read, Cox was here as a Trojan Horse for Papa Smurf. Obviously he chucked his toys out of the pram when the board didn't bend over for him. Cox might be experienced and successful at this level, but at least Nicholson is loyal and doesn't have an ulterior motive. He certainly wouldn't walk out on the club a day before a match.

Potential banana skin but pleased with the draw, especially having seen a few of the other ties.

So why are we not entitled to any compensation? Because he's on a non-contract?

Didn't he land on the wrong side of the law recently?

tufc si wrote: Am failing to see this at the moment Dazza!! Seems like lady luck is giving us a firm rogering at present!!!

Nothing to do with luck, Si. Another individual error costs us a point. The players simply aren't good enough. Most of them are Conference South standard and that's exactly where we're heading. We have 10 points from 15 games. By my reckoning, 50 is usually enough to stay up which means we need to win 12 from 31 and pick up a few draws along the way. It's not going to happen unless we bring in fresh faces - and with crowds of 1,200 that's not going to be possible. The supporters don't deserve this but everyone has a breaking point and it's only a matter of time before our attendances dip below the 1,000 mark. One thing that will help is a decent FA Cup run but we'd struggle to beat Truro so I can't see us even qualifying.

I don't buy into some comments that we have talented players who are just low on confidence. This squad of players is fecking dreadful. Quite a lot of them are out of their depth at this level which is why we have won only two games all season - and one of them was at Halifax who somehow look worse than us.

I just can't see this group of players turning this around. We might pinch the odd win or draw but we're not going to go on a winning run. Look at the teams we've played over the last few weeks. It's not like we're playing Forest Green or Tranmere. Aldershot were 15th and lost 3-0 to Macclesfield last week but have eased their way to a win today. Forget giving these players a chance to prove themselves, they've had long enough and will not improve. They are bloody lucky that the fans haven't turned on them.

As for Nicholson picking himself to play and forcing our left-back to play in the centre of midfield, that is just mind-boggling, especially when he doesn't have an assistant. I don't blame him for the defeat though. Cox is responsible for assembling this squad and we were on a downward spiral before he decided to jump off the sinking ship to protect his own future. He knew this would happen and thought he's better off leaving before blemishing his CV, which is why he probably moved the goalposts.

I don't understand why Butler is playing in midfield when we have Bell on the bench. If a left-back is ahead of him in the pecking order then there is no point in him being at the club. It's a waste of resources. I can't believe Nicholson has picked himself, especially when he doesn't have an assistant.

Does anybody know how much the standing orders add up to? I think there needs to be a bit more transparency on this subject like a running total or target which may encourage more fans to contribute.

forevertufc wrote:I'm not sure why. I just watched every minute that video, the board clearly stated their original investment remains untouched, the money in players fund is untouched, and the NL board excpeted their financial plan for the season.

That's all we need to know, and suggests our recent scaremongering new posters, were clearly talking right out from where the sun does not shine. Our football club is not going bust next week, or the week after.

Why is the money in the player fund untouched? Surely the point of this idea is to use the money to improve the team rather than stash it away for a rainy day.