Torquay United v Exeter City - 29/12/13

[PlainmoorRoar]

Benyon came on soon after it went 2-0, and the booing was nonsense!

2-0 down, 451 not working, why would you do a like for like change?

Hawley continued to try and hold the ball up and try and give it to feet, anyone at the game - with a brain - should not have booed the decision

[kevgull]

Starting Hawley up front in a 451 was a 1/2 witted decision.
Cruise hobbling with no Left back cover was a 1/2 witted decision
Having a youth guy on the bench instead of a loanee or even Yeoman was 1/2 witted
Constantly subbing our best winger is 1/2 witted
No Loanee strikers available is 1/2 witted

I could go on but I can't be arsed.

A decent manager would not have found himself making, or being left to make, these decisions.

[wivelgull]

brucie and hector are right.

[Dave]

Yes we get it, 4-5-1 wasn't working, we know, we agree, the boo's were because the wrong player in the opinion of many was taken off how many more times, everything good through the centre of midfield was coming from McCourt, it should have been Mozika for me, who was doing the precise amount of nothing in the second half.

Personally would have had Hawley off as well for Sullivan, right now would been bringing Yoeman back, and if we can't get Marquis back, we need to look elsewhere, in January.

[Glostergull]

Just changing the subject ever so slightly, but WTF was Tisdale wearing today? It looked like he got dressed in the dark.

Flat cap, long brown jacket and what looked like purple trousers. All he needed was a fu(king whippet and pipe.

I'm surprised the Police didn't arrest him for crimes against fashion :~D

I think you will find he's a Dr Who fan who is hoping to be recognised as the next New Doctor

[AustrianAndyGull]

[TeenageGull]

Well we gifted a shocking Exeter side the easiest 3 points they will likely ever get, despite a very good performance from us.

Correct selection from Knill, as 451 was the only way that we wouldn't have been overrun in midfield by City.

No one likes having to pick Hawley up front, but when your two good loan lads get injured, you can't legislate for that and Benyon doesn't really work in a 451 if you want someone to hold the ball up. Halwey at least does this well.

We were excellent first half. Hawley's body language, and the keeper who was already leaning to his left in anticipation… was always going to be a save at that height and at such a tepid power. Plenty of other positives in the way we pressed and created opportunities, especially from the wide positions.

Tisdale as per usual tweaked at half time, and got it spot on. They went very tight and stopped us from playing any of the good things that we did in the first half.

Downes had a complete mare, bad kick from Poke, their second was just a disgrace.I think it was the second where I was fuming at Poke for not committing and sliding in at his feet. He hesitated, and wasn't quick enough to react. Despite the defensive shocker, Poke could have prevented that.


If you were down near the away end first half, the crowd and atmosphere was good
Knill correctly went to 442, McCourt sub made sense, and Chappell came on shortly afterwards. Only mistake is that Chappell should be on the right and Bodin on the left. Benyon's excellent assist unsurprisingly was an example of a right footed player out wide on the right drilling across the face of goal… Billy likes to cut inside but won't shoot. Chappell isn't effective on the left.

We were ready to grab the equaliser with all things going well, until O'Connor completed a terrible day by somehow completely failing to deal with a simple through ball. I mean come on, I'd have cleaned that up all day long. He's been caught out by a slow ball which should never have caused any danger.

Lastly, the crowd were pathetic. I felt embarrassed to join in with chants when those lemons around me just stood there in silence. The pop side didn't even start singing after our equaliser when we had every chance of getting a result. Pathetic, Plainmoor is becoming even more of a joke to our Devon rivals than it has been over the years. The players have recently been showing more passion than the fans, so unless you're a hypocrite, don't slag off the players lack of endeavour unless you're willing to get behind the team. Paying the entrance fee isn't enough. Yesterday we provided a good entertaining standard of football. Anyone crying about not going to Home park because they're tired of supporting the club, kindly do one.

Lot of positives from yesterday and we have every chance at Home Park if we can keep our heads. COYY We can stay up.

[MidDevon]

I too felt that Knill made the right decisions tactically yesterday, considering the players available, and the team we played.

Yes it would have been better to see us more disciplined, especially the number of times we were caught off side and the number of times we panicked and gave away stupid free kicks in dangerous positions....but not sure how you account for those silly errors in a 4th division team, it's always been part of watching footy at the bottom end of the league...if our players were more consistent they would not be in the 4th division

Take out the fact that it was Exeter and perhaps we would look at it all more objectively. Individual errors from 4 individuals cost us dearly, without those we could quite easily have been the happiest the yellow army has been for some time.

Regards Karl Hawley, his superb goal at Morecambe on our first away match rounded off a great performance and since then it has been sad to see his confidence drop almost weekly, I hear he is even struggling to find the net in training....maybe his goal yesterday, for which he got himself in a great position, is the start of better things for him.

[Oil Beef Hooked]

I didn't agree with the booing yesterday, but looking at the reaction of some of our players, they looked shocked. This can only have a detrimental effect on them which doesn't help their confidence, knowing that any wrong pass/ mistake will be met with heckles and jeers (remember the abuse McCourt got during the Brizzle game). It's out of order peeps.

Now before some of you come on here and say 'I pay my money, I have a right to boo etc, etc', you also have to realise that booing isn't helping our situation. The manager & players need to dig deep, we as fans need to dig deep, we all need to stick together and support each other through this tough period. It's the only way it's going to work people.

I saw enough positives yesterday to make me think that we should be OK. Yes we went down 3:1 to a poor Exshitter side, but a wonder strike and 2 mistakes cost us. Cut out the errors, play like we did in the first half for 80 mins each match and we'll be fine.

[SuperNickyWroe]

I didn't agree with the booing yesterday, but looking at the reaction of some of our players, they looked shocked. This can only have a detrimental effect on them which doesn't help their confidence, knowing that any wrong pass/ mistake will be met with heckles and jeers (remember the abuse McCourt got during the Brizzle game). It's out of order peeps.

Now before some of you come on here and say 'I pay my money, I have a right to boo etc, etc', you also have to realise that booing isn't helping our situation. The manager & players need to dig deep, we as fans need to dig deep, we all need to stick together and support each other through this tough period. It's the only way it's going to work people.

I saw enough positives yesterday to make me think that we should be OK. Yes we went down 3:1 to a poor Exshitter side, but a wonder strike and 2 mistakes cost us. Cut out the errors, play like we did in the first half for 80 mins each match and we'll be fine.

great paragraph.

[Gullscorer]

Agreed. But surely the players realise that the booing and the atrocious comments only come from a very small minority of spectators (I won't call them supporters). When we hear that kind of thing, it behoves the rest of us to put those idiots down and support the team even more. Of course, those idiots could have been Exeter fans who managed to get in the home areas to carry out psychological warfare..

[SuperNickyWroe]

Well we gifted a shocking Exeter side the easiest 3 points they will likely ever get, despite a very good performance from us.

Correct selection from Knill, as 451 was the only way that we wouldn't have been overrun in midfield by City.

No one likes having to pick Hawley up front, but when your two good loan lads get injured, you can't legislate for that and Benyon doesn't really work in a 451 if you want someone to hold the ball up. Halwey at least does this well.

We were excellent first half. Hawley's body language, and the keeper who was already leaning to his left in anticipation… was always going to be a save at that height and at such a tepid power. Plenty of other positives in the way we pressed and created opportunities, especially from the wide positions.

Tisdale as per usual tweaked at half time, and got it spot on. They went very tight and stopped us from playing any of the good things that we did in the first half.

Downes had a complete mare, bad kick from Poke, their second was just a disgrace.I think it was the second where I was fuming at Poke for not committing and sliding in at his feet. He hesitated, and wasn't quick enough to react. Despite the defensive shocker, Poke could have prevented that.

Knill correctly went to 442, McCourt sub made sense, and Chappell came on shortly afterwards. Only mistake is that Chappell should be on the right and Bodin on the left. Benyon's excellent assist unsurprisingly was an example of a right footed player out wide on the right drilling across the face of goal… Billy likes to cut inside but won't shoot. Chappell isn't effective on the left.

We were ready to grab the equaliser with all things going well, until O'Connor completed a terrible day by somehow completely failing to deal with a simple through ball. I mean come on, I'd have cleaned that up all day long. He's been caught out by a slow ball which should never have caused any danger.

Lastly, the crowd were pathetic. I felt embarrassed to join in with chants when those lemons around me just stood there in silence. The pop side didn't even start singing after our equaliser when we had every chance of getting a result. Pathetic, Plainmoor is becoming even more of a joke to our Devon rivals than it has been over the years. The players have recently been showing more passion than the fans, so unless you're a hypocrite, don't slag off the players lack of endeavour unless you're willing to get behind the team. Paying the entrance fee isn't enough. Yesterday we provided a good entertaining standard of football. Anyone crying about not going to Home park because they're tired of supporting the club, kindly do one.

Lot of positives from yesterday and we have every chance at Home Park if we can keep our heads. COYY We can stay up.

again.

[PlainmoorRoar]

The look on shock and disappointment on tonges face in response to the booing summed it up

Saw one guy tell someone to f-off for booing which was good to see

We all need to pull together if we are to get out of this mess!

[nickbrod]

Agreed all this negativity is totally unhelpful. So called 'fans' should be behind their team no matter what.
For my money we have turned a corner in December with deserved victories over Southend and Dagenham. Had those two second half headers from Marquis or Mozika gone in against Bristol Rovers it would have been three wins on the spin.
Knill couldn't help losing both Marquis and Stockley leaving a recall for Hawley who despite his goal and hold-up play dosen't sit comfortably in the team. Yet had his penalty gone in I suspect Exeter would have not run away with the points.
As I posted in my match report Knill is going nowhere so get used to the idea.
I thought Nigel Worthington was supposed to be York's saviour but look where they are, repeating, like us, last season's form. Is there a Worthington out poll on their fans' forum? Likewise John Ward at Bristol Rovers?
The point I make is that changing manager doesn't guarantee success. Although I'm as frustrated as the next supporter to find ourselves in relegation territory I do believe we have the players and manager to see us out of danger. You can't tell me the players played as they did in the first half against Exeter if Knill has 'lost' the dressing-room. The second half disappointment was mostly due to Tisdale's change of tactics.
Many will be thinking all Plymouth have to do is turn up on New Year's Day to record a win but I suspect we are in for a treat!

[Sunnysideup]

I thought Nigel Worthington was supposed to be York's saviour but look where they are, repeating, like us, last season's form. Is there a Worthington out poll on their fans' forum? Likewise John Ward at Bristol Rovers?

To be honest, Rovers usually have one by now every season :~D