Torquay United Fans Forum

I don't think it will surprise you that I would want the club to release Bodin or Chapell as neither under Hargreaves have been part of winning sides frequently enough (see my post above). We have to expect Hargreaves to want enough space in the playing budget to bring in more of 'his' players, and we have many flank players at present. I would expect him to want to keep Cameron of the other flank players.

Thanks A Realist for that.
You could say this identifies 'lucky' players rather than good ones. At the moment we need lucky players!!

Since Hargreaves has been the manager and based purely on playing in points gaining matches compared to playing in non-points scoring matches we should in particular wish to keep
Benyon (19points/15appearances), Tonge (15/12), Lathrope (16/14)and if poss Cargill (6/3);
and to release Chappell (1/10), Hawley (3/7)and Bodin (7/10).

All our other contracted players who have played under Hargreaves have points scoring = games played +or - 1.

It helps me try to make sense of all the different line-ups we've used in these 19 games!!

The result is a crumb of comfort, something to hang on to.

I want to believe CH has lucked in to finding an effective XI, but I have no confidence in him when he opts to bring on Stevens. Don't understand why he is preferred to Chapell, Thompson and even Bodin.

If the same starting XI starts against D&R then I will have a little more confidence. We need so much to go our way its unreal.

We have every reason to question the judgement of Knill and to some extent Hargreaves when it comes to Yeoman. He was being talked up by Knill at the end of last season only to be cast out in the cold come the beginning of this. The team has had a succession of loan strikers with which we have scored few goals. How come that we have made do in this way for 36 games when we have known that Yeoman will score goals.
I only hope that he gets plenty of pitch time and scores more goals this season - and proves a point that its not what you do on the training ground or on loan at minor clubs that really counts but in matches that are vital to the team.

I'd like us line up a solid, well-organised 4-5-1 with Showunmi up front. Labadie and Mansell back I hope and Stevens dropped. Fleetwood are desperate to get some wins as their form is poor, and their chairman seems prepared to sack managers without much requirement for an excuse. We need to use this to work in our favour.

Chris Hargreaves is a new manager and is going through a common phase for new managers, learning to find his feet. I remember that last year new managers eg Wayne Burnett at D&R and Leam Richardson at Acc. Stanley had difficult spells and each team survived by the skin of their teeth. They also had spells of defeats. I see nothing different with Chris Hargreaves. I expect him to find his feet in time. Knill didn't do so well in his first few games - I suppose thats not very compelling though!!
At the moment he's gained 6 points from 6 games, Wilder has gained 7 from 5 and Richie Barker has gained 14 points from 13 games. Only Flitcroft of the recently appointed managers at our end of the table has produced strong results - 17 points from 11 games.

First time managers are generally doing ok in L2 this year. I'd like Hargreaves for his spirit and his familiarity with Eddie Howe's approach at Bournemouth. Experience isn't guaranteed success look at Worthington, Ward and Boothroyd.
Alternatives if they're interested Mark Venus or Steve Burr.

Wet and windy. Having said that each side had to deal with it and I 'd say we did the best. To me the ball spent a lot of time in the air but when it was on the deck we used it better. I believe our midfield in the centre of the pitch won the battle there making D&R play on the wings. And from where I was seated our defence and midfield did enough to reduce the wingers effectiveness, resulting in poor final ball. I was hearing a lot of muttering in the D&R ranks to this effect.
Towards the end we were using long ball to relieve the pressure and Marquis was clearly tired of chasing lost causes. But then in the last few minutes we played it more on the deck and created a few more opportunities as well as kept the ball.
Overall, we deserved the win and it wasn't down to luck - I think we were better organised competed effectively for the 50/50 balls and dealt with the conditions that little bit better.
Well done all round.

Under Knill three propsitions
1. All loanees play if fit and not suspended - this provides the lending clubs confidence that there players will get the work experience, and game time they need, and this builds Knills credibility with bigger clubs and
2. As the loanees are young and inexperienced and at least while they make up 4/11 of our team then we will play our most experienced players (Mansell and Nicholson) and
3. We will avoid relegation but anything more than that will be a bonus and the fans will put up with it and the loanees will get experience of playing in front of sullen fans.

In the event that AK does get his P45 where do we go next? - a L2 experienced and credible man eg Allen; a former higher level man but out of work eg Warnock, Megson; a promising Conference manager eg?; a first team coach looking for their first management position eg Hargreaves;
Some we would expect to be more expensive to hire and have expensive ideas as well. Who could take our current squad and get them working into an effective team? Its a lot easier to say 'get a new manager' than actually making the best decision.

Clubs sack managers for many reasons - results is just one of the commonest. Clubs with no money do it not just those who can afford the payoffs. I expect there to be at least 10 managers dismissed in L2 this season and it will include clubs who 'can't afford it'.
Clubs like Torquay can build and rebuild Managers reputations and they can also be the graveyard to a managerial career.
If Knill is to join them, in my view the weakness in cover for centre-backs from the beginning of the season together with the lack of creativity in midfield will have made a major contribution. People on here during August mentioned it many times. Knill does get the team to compete but there is something despairing about the team.

We've now played 8 league games, and each of the teams we've played are now either in and around the promotion places or in and around the relegation places. Given where we are in the table we've got points where we would be expected to and struggled against the promotion contenders - so far nothing remarkable.
Under Knill we generally match the opposition for possession but its questionable how we use it.
We also match opposition for corners but our corners - taken by Harding and Mansell - seem to produce no useful outcome - don't we have anyone else to take them just to see if they can make a difference at least?
We also match the opposition in most games for shots on goal but are not so effective.
The basic stats (possession,shots,corners)are more positive than Ling was achieving, but the points achieved are not really any better.
I hope that our average game can be developed into something more effective, - something needs to be done to get the crowds coming back (2400 for a Saturday game against Cheltenham is poor) and its a promising development that Knill has re-introduced Cruise who I hope will get a decent run in the side and hopefully others will get chances as well - thats a lot of hoping!!

I'm expecting the usual XI, poor first half from us. Bigger effort in the second half. We should match Rochdale for possession but a lot of our possession is across the park rather than going forward so too slow build up enabling Rochdale to get plenty of players organised in defence. Then we are relying on 'moments of brilliance' from our wingers and strikers. If we're lucky Rochdale will be thwarted for much of the game so they leave spaces in the second half as they chase the win.
I'd be happy with a draw after last weeks effort and I hope we can at least match Rochdale on shots and corners. But barely better than relegation form.

A couple of things - Are we to assume that there aren't going to be the 'development' games which were held from time to time over the last few seasons?
Also I think we're still light on an experienced CB for the times when our two shirt holders are injured,suspended, otherwise need a break - there must still be some good guys unsigned, or maybe we could get someone experienced who's dipped into the conference like Branston did; and I don't see the midfielder who could do what Russell/Wroe/Stanley or O'Kane did for the team. Still several weeks before the window closes. A couple of fringe players loaned out to useful conference sides could work in everyones favour.