Wrexham v Torquay

ROADRUNNER · Post by **ROADRUNNER** » 12 Aug 2015, 19:29

Patience girls and boys, rome wasnt built in a day, one win, one loss, lets keep calm, keep supporting your team and club.

Orange Gull · Post by **Orange Gull** » 12 Aug 2015, 19:42

wivelgull wrote:A truly dismal set of reports. I have the feeling that we've lost Orangegull, along with all the other deserters over the past two seasons.

Oh I'll never stop supporting Torquay, the reason why I haven't been to a game in over three years is because I live abroad, and when in the UK I live in Stoke so naturally the games I can get to are somewhat limited.

ROADRUNNER · Post by **ROADRUNNER** » 12 Aug 2015, 19:52

good man orange, through thick and thin. the good times will come back.

Orange Gull · Post by **Orange Gull** » 12 Aug 2015, 20:31

I've supported Torquay since seeing my first game with my dad on while on holiday in August 2003. If you think of how much has happened since then, well it would be foolish to try and predict what will happen in the next decade. Even though we were rubbish last night I still enjoyed it somehow. Probably just the experience of being at a match at long last.

Tarrboy1 · Post by **Tarrboy1** » 12 Aug 2015, 21:42

As I said earlier, I felt relatively positive after the game. Yes, we got outplayed but hey, it happens in football.

I think we've signed some decent enough players, we just need to get the tactics right and play more as a team. That'll come the more we play together and I think we'll win more than we lose this season.

As for Richards, I too thought he did ok. He looked more like the player he did at the start of last season. Yes, when the balls sailing over your head, you cant have a lot of impact on the game, but he tried hard and I think he's decent enough for this level.

Kit_robin · Post by **Kit_robin** » 12 Aug 2015, 22:03

I actually think we will see a change for the better when Hurst and Briscoe are back. In pre season that back 3/5 was not only looking solid, but actually looked to have a good balance about it, and seemed to suit our players; Ex lack of pace but strong and organised, flanked by two aggressive centre halves, themselves flanked by attack minded full backs. Two up front means we will carry more of a threat, and the return of Briscoe will not only add strength and technique, but more importantly experience to the midfield three. It will also allow fe wick to play where he looked good in preseason, which was slightly deeper.

We will still be crap sometimes, especially against better teams I imagine, but I think we will improve over the season. This was always going to be a tough start for lots of reasons (fixtures, injuries, last minute formation changes, late signings, no money), but as we go through the season I have no doubt that Cox will succeed where Hargreaves failed, and that is to actually teach the players how to be better.

Gullscorer · Post by **Gullscorer** » 12 Aug 2015, 22:07

I agree.

tomogull · Post by **tomogull** » 12 Aug 2015, 23:03

wivelgull wrote: I still can't understand where it all went wrong. Was it the expensive construction of the new stand? Was it over-paying players? Was it over-paying staff?
Where did all Thea's money go? If anyone can enlighten me (simply, please) I would be grateful because the collapse seems to have come suddenly, out of the blue and without any comprehensible reason. Or is it just that football clubs are bottomless pits?
When you've seen Robin Stubbs at Plainmoor.........(and tomogull, stefano, brucie and all the good oldtimers will understand).....
So I put my question to you: Quo vadis?

I understand where you're coming from Wivel but it doesn't help much to rake over the past, other than to make sure it doesn't happen again. A number of circumstances brought about our demise - Martin Ling's illness, Knill being given the green light to sign rubbish players on high wage two-year contracts, a reluctant Thea Bristow taking over as chairman with apparently little support from her vice chairman and her pre-decessor (you know - Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee) and finally Chris Hargreaves talk not matching the walk.

Yes - the likes of Brucie, Samuel, Stefano and me have seen it all - that's why we're jibbering wrecks. But honestly, Wivel - i feel we've turned a corner. As Steve Breed said during his commentary last night, there was a different atmosphere at Plainmoor on Saturday. As others have posted, it isn't going to happen overnight but we now have a proper Board of committed TUFC supporters. They have had to hit the ground running and have had to make some difficult decisions and I do believe they have appointed a good and experienced manager and assistant who will lead us forward.

By the way, Wivel - talking of signing rubbish players - did you get to see the one and only Karl Hawley in Whitby last night ??

chestertorkyman · Post by **chestertorkyman** » 13 Aug 2015, 00:58

A disappointing first game for me, with little urgency from the start. Could be that both teams were affected by the very odd wait before kickoff for 15 mins of clapping tributes to recently deceased wrexham fans (not being disrespectful, but the match was delayed a full 10 mins). Never seen this before - hope it does not become routine as both teams seemed to start as if it was a slow-motion kickabout. That did not change until Wrexham and their supporters got fired up with their goals in the second half. Their first just needed a decisive boot away from one of a number of our defenders - poor goal. Their second was down to not picking up man on edge of area, and their third was in no way a foul or penalty . Ref was certainly a homer.

But Torquays midfield were harried off the ball, could not string two passes together, and no one, apart from Courtenay Richards showed the slightest desire or the determination to up their game. More emotion was shown by Quigley, obviously narked about being withdrawn (although LavelleMoore looked useful). Chaney completely mishit a decent chance near the end that Karl Hawley would have nailed, but the overall lack of pace, skill, effort, inventiveness was exemplified by Gus, (otherwise OK) who was over the half way line and with all the team in front of him in added time, but elected to pass back to the goalie!!

Questions already in my mind over Cox's ability to motivate and to pick a balanced team. Briscoe and Young sorely missed, and a few more of that ilk required.

Jeff · Post by **Jeff** » 13 Aug 2015, 05:08

chestertorkyman wrote:
Questions already in my mind over Cox's ability to motivate and to pick a balanced team. Briscoe and Young sorely missed, and a few more of that ilk required.

After two games? One of which we won!

I'll be honest, I've not been to either of the games yet (Welling away will be my first), but surely it's too early to be making any kind of statement on PC's management style and success rate? As others have suggested, not only has he had to cobble together a team on a meagre budget but he's missing three of his better players.

Wrexham away was always going to be a tough gig - they are a big club at this level, they've invested heavily and they've got a very good manager at this level.

It will be interesting to see how Saturday pans out. Halifax are a strong side but have lost a few key performers over the summer. They've had a bad start, but they aren't (and have never been) a club we should be fearful of or looking up too. A point on the road there for me would be a good result.

Neal · Post by **Neal** » 13 Aug 2015, 08:41

In Cox we trust
Its Cox or bust

In Cox we trust
Its Cox or bust

Gullscorer · Post by **Gullscorer** » 13 Aug 2015, 09:47

As Kit_robin pointed out above, this was always going to be a tough start for the Gulls for lots of reasons (fixtures, injuries, last minute formation changes, late signings, no money).

At this stage it's far too early to judge anything; even Wrexham lost their first game. Let's not forget that some teams who've made a good start over the first month or two may fall away later in the season, and others who've been inconsistent at this stage may begin a steady run of good form in the New Year to make a late promotion challenge.

Given the events at the club this year, if we find ourselves in the top half of the table at the end of December I shall be more than happy. In the meantime, supporters must also play their part by turning up at games to support the team with the Plainmoor Roar. Faint-hearted doubters may stay away, but the fans are the club, and if there ever comes a point when it's apparent that the supporters don't care, players may also feel 'why should we bother?'

Let's get to every game and be the 12th man on the team...!!

SenorDingDong · Post by **SenorDingDong** » 13 Aug 2015, 12:13

tomogull wrote: I understand where you're coming from Wivel but it doesn't help much to rake over the past, other than to make sure it doesn't happen again. A number of circumstances brought about our demise - Martin Ling's illness, Knill being given the green light to sign rubbish players on high wage two-year contracts, a reluctant Thea Bristow taking over as chairman with apparently little support from her vice chairman and her pre-decessor (you know - Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee) and finally Chris Hargreaves talk not matching the walk.

Still doesn't really explain what happened behind the scenes. Why was there a bleeding of directors over the years? Why did Alex Rowe and the Boyce brothers leave literally on the eve of the last season with no explanation at all ? (if they had simply run out of money, then why not say?) Why was Thea Bristow, a housewife with absolutely no business experience, left running a business with hundreds of grands of turnover with only minimal help from her supposed business partners? Help from the likes of Rowe and the Boyces or someone else they could have brought in as a non shareholding director would have been invaluable...We know the footballing story of what happened on the pitch, Ling's illness, Knill and then Hargreaves but it's still baffling what happened behind the scenes and why Thea was left alone in the first place, when she was clearly not capable of running the club. It's frustrating to look at all the work that went into rebuilding the club, setting up the youth academy and getting into the League Two play offs two years in a row has just been demolished and we still know very little of the happenings behind how we ended up in such a state.

KeithMalone · Post by **KeithMalone** » 13 Aug 2015, 12:50

Just viewed the highlights which are on the Wrexham Youtube channel. 15 minutes worth, although a large chunk appear to be pre-game amble.

From a defensive perspective the first goal is a shambles as Carmichael lets a ball bounce in the area that he has to put his foot through. Second goal sees Courtney Richards go ball watching and leave his man, good finish, but the lad has too much space due to Richards' indiscretion. The penalty isn't a foul, think the referee just decided to give it as he felt that Carmichael didn't have complete control in the challenge he enters into. Would be harsh to criticse the lad as it simply isn't a foul

Roll on Saturday and a chance to put it right and move on

Rex_Ham · Post by **Rex_Ham** » 13 Aug 2015, 15:35

Hi again all. Wrexham fan chipping in...

Few things to point out from the comments on here.

1. On Sat against Bromley, apparently we had the lions' share of the game but they had 3 chances and they all went in - that's not always gonna happen at our (low) level, so to say we were hammered is not true, we played some decent stuff there too, but unlike Tues night, nothing came of it.

2. We haven't 'invested heavily' coz we've not got the cash to do so - a lot better than recent years gone by, but there were no fees paid out for any of our players - just GM doing a LOT of wheeling & dealing and moving on a LOAD of the players that were at the club for years that were not putting the effort in week-in, week-out that they should have, and replaced them with players he's had with him (or wanted to have) before.

3. Your forum sounds a lot like ours when something goes wrong - the doom-mongers are out in force in no-time. Patience is a virtue as they say. Last years' champs Brizzle Rovers started off very blandly, with the first five games bringing only 1 win, with 2 draws and 2 losses, new teams need time to gel as we all know (but seldom cut them the slack they need to do so early doors of the season!)

Let's hope it's onwards and upwards.....for both clubs

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