Torquay United v Altrincham Sat 21 August KO 3pm

[numpte]

Very untidy and sloppy performance. My main concern going into this was Ali Omar but he was actually ok. Gave all three goals away 1) Moxey delaying delaying, gives it away. 2) Oconnnel 3 ) Wright
Alty a big standard side but giving these away in combination with no creativity, no speed of ball movement (even at 2-0 down), no width made for a frustrating afternoon. Can’t think of any chances created.
Woeful!

[culmstockgull]

notnow, I went to three of the pre season matches, Poole and Tiverton were nothing more than fitness improvers against very average opponents, against Plymouth as you woud expect they taught us a lesson in footballing terms. Not sure what that has to do with today, ironing our problems and learning tactics is what friendlies are for, if you sign a player close season its because hopefully you've done your homework, and you think they will add something to the team, in that case they should play in all the games so that they can gel with the existing players, we didnt and waiting to the opening game to see f they can follow a plan is a bit late in the day.

[UnitedinDevon]

If little is playing next saturday can i request he spends the week practicing free kicks and corners - he hit the first one straight out of play for a goal kick today

[happytorq]

Tell me something positive about todays performance??

Holman looks good; not afraid to take a shot, always running, a real handful.

Ali Omar is going to be useful defender. Strong, aware. Has a mistake in him, I feel, but that's always the way with young players, especially this level.

Lewis imperious.

Rodgers showed flashed of real ability (alas too rare)

[DerekDawkinsJnr]

In need of leadership to keep us together at the back. Could've done with a Cameron type influence.

[Gull in black]

Disappointing result today.

But not a cause for panic. Goals came from mistakes - which can be sorted. Corners were poor and can be improved. Team will be better with Asa, CLE and Jake.

It was the first time this team / newbies have played a team at their level.

In GJ we trust.

[Modgull]

We had, I counted, some 14 attempts at goal but only three on target (and the goal didn't even come from one of them). As a contrast, Alty scored from each of their first two attempts and scored three from a total of only six attempts with one of the others being denied by a very good save. They dominated play for much of the match.

I thought Holman, Lewis and Omar were the only ones to have anything approaching good games. Wright strove manfully but was given a thorough pasting because the referee thought he was officiating a rugby match and allowed some very questionable assaults on him. Halstead was also OK - he was not to blame for the goals and didn't have much to do other than gather the ball from the back of the net!

We played into their hands by going long too often - agree with those who thought we should have got the ball down and try to pull their defence around.

On this showing it could be a very difficult afternoon at Nottingham next week.

[lucy6lucy]

Is little captain in absence of hall, or is he captain as a condition of resigning his contract. Very disappointing today but let’s be a little positive, Stockport lost 3-1 having thrown what must be near a 2 million budget, Hollywood couldn’t beat Solihull. It’s 1 game, 1st day back at school. But as Gary states they have a week to settle in. There would have been some home truths in that dressing room for sure. I just wish we didn’t have Notts next up away, but maybe that is good in a strange way

[Dave]

My comment on this thread yesterday wasn't negative, just in my belief 'honest' and we can only be honest on what we've seen on the day. There's no excuse for that abject performance yesterday, heard some say, GJ was without his first choice midfield 'piss poor' excuse, that's what your squad is for, you have to bring your 'A' game to every match with the resources you've got even if you are missing one or two of your main players , yesterday we didn't even manage to bring our 'D' game , and that's is the problem for me.

Had the team collectively performed to the best of their ability and lost, I wouldn't have a problem, would have been the first to say unlucky take it on the chin and move on, but luck didn't come into it, the team selected were not at the races, it was all wrong, and nothing at all to remotely be positive or happy clap about.

Also as I said yesterday, it was only the first game of the season, we can't judge how the season is going pan out on yesterdays game, there's time for GJ to shuffle the pack and sort things out.

[Eirik]

Listening to the game yesterday on radio from Norway, and we sure didn't seem like the team I was watching in the PSF. Then again it becomes real difficult when the opposition score on their first two chances. But from what I heard we did not respond until the last 10 minutes of the first half. And in the second half it was the same thing all over again. Remember thinking to myself; why not bring on any substitues earlier? That was one thing that really frustrated me while listening.

Will sure have our work cut out for us against Notts County. But we will give it a real go. COYY!!

[Dave]

As it was the first game of the season I will forgive the team the hour and half of holiday traffic to watch total rubbish. Forevertufc, I disagree with you on this occasion, today Armani did us proud, he was useless from minute one and should have been brought off before half time.

You are entitled to your honest opinion like everyone else, I don't have a problem with that or you for that matter. What I do have a problem with however, even before yesterdays game I could hear voices talking around me on the popside, and it almost like some where just waiting for Little to make a mistake before the game even started, so they could jump on his back, seriously it's moronic.

Some fans were so busy hating on him, blaming him for lasts seasons missed promotion, and just about everything that went wrong yesterday they simply did not notice 'what he was doing' I'm not suggesting Little had a good game yesterday and his set pieces were all over the place, way off the mark.

But what I did see from Little yesterday was work rate, he covered an immense amount of ground, he was always looking for the ball and trying to make something positive happen, after all I'm pretty it was his cross that led to our goal, the only time our team unsettled their defence all game.

Hardly Little's fault that some of his team mates let him down so badly, half our team looked like they were still on holiday or just couldn't be bothered, Little is a ball playing midfielder, when there's simply no movement off the ball, no one creating an option for him to pass to, what on earth is he supposed to do.

If I was given £1 for every time I saw Little get on the ball and look for an option waiting for one of his bone idle team mates to make a run, to either create some space for Little to play in or an option to pass to, when there was none, forcing Little to hang onto to the ball, giving Altrincham all the time to shut Little out of the game, I would have got my entrance money and then some.

Time for some fans to get off his back and see the bigger picture.

[SBP]

I think Forever has summed things up very well.
Little is not a Captain in the absense of Hall, so i feel GJ has to rethink that. I just feel we are 3-4 quality players short in this squad to make a challenge for promotion. Im also concerned that Moxey and Wright are in their latter stages of their careers. Will they either play 30 games this season?? I guess you could say the same regarding Hall. Unless the squad is strengthed we will see more performances like yesterdays.

[PL21gull]

Altrincham showed us how to play the basics - defend in depth, break quickly but with control/purpose/passing, close down opponents and support one another with or without the ball. They also frustrated, aided by a referee who thought that only the home team committed fouls, that wrestling and flailing arms were permissible by the away team, and that mega time-wasting was ok.
But we can hardly blame the ref when our style of play was park stuff, hopefully hoofing long in the air and no idea how to beat a man on the ground. No service to the front men, no midfield support in the penalty area where we were heavily outnumbered, any attempts on goal from distance or struggling headers. All the match goals were scored by feet; at least our subs, when finally allowed a few minutes, looked more lively and imaginative, but the general mindset, apart from a notable few, was lamentable...made worse by the fact that it was allowed to continue that way from the touchline.
Early days for sure, but improve the mentality and the basics please.

[Dave_Pougher]

Am I the only one that gets frustrated at A. Little?

[portugull]

Well yesterday showed Gary that there is a lot of work to do if he he is to make this squad of players competitive in this League.
We have to improve the basics.
Firstly set pieces which is my hobby horse I know. Yesterday we were truly awful. I could not believe how bad our corners were.
Secondly hoof ball does not work at this level as it is meat & drink to big defenders.
Asa Hall is so important to our team. He always makes an immediate impact when he comes on. Jake Andrews is a better corner taker than Little who did work very hard as forevertufc said but his corners were very poor.
Lapslie was very disappointing but not helped by a piss poor referee who never once cautioned the Alty keeper who wasted time on every goal kick.
I think we will soon need a timekeeper in Football just like in Boxing. Refs do not mind slow play it saves their energy!
I see young Olaf scored a Hat trick for Tivvy yesterday. Well done Olaf.
We will need an epic performance at Notts County to even get a point.
I noted yesterday out of 9 games in the National League 8 were away wins. Most unusual.