Our Season to Date

[portugull]

Having read all the negativity on this Board I decided to review our first 14 games.
In August we took 8 points from 15 helped by the great win at Rovers but we failed to win at home drawing twice and losing 1-3 to tabbe topping Crawley.
September produced 6 points from 15 with one win 3 draws and a 2-0 defeat at the Shrews.A reasonable start with only 2 defeats in 10 games.
Morecambe at home produced a 1-1 draw but the 83 minute equaliser showed very clearly that we have a huge problem with the shape of the team.
What followed was 3 straight defeats 2 to very good sides in Gillingham and Southend.
I was over for the Gills visit and after getting back to 2-2 Rooney ran 90 yards pursued by Halpin which eventually produced a penalty from which we never recovered.
The problem is the shape of the team. A good side is built from the back forward. In Robbo Ellis and Nico we have 3 capable defenders but, there is ahuge hole in the middle which was filled last seaon by Branno. We must fill this gap. I would give Rowe Turner a 3 game trial but better still get a big
no nonsense centre back on loan from a higher League club.
In midfield Manse O'Kane and Stevens need someone in the Craig Stanley mold to beef up this influential area of play . Oastler and Lathrope are so short of experience and it shows.
I think Bodin is a cracking player but he is not getting any real service. We should play to his strengths. Howe is very slow but at League 2 level will getgoals if he gets better service.
With just two loan signings,but they must be quality, we will be fine for mid table. If we delay we will be EXTREMELY foolish. We cannot afford to take
any risks with our league status.

[AustrianAndyGull]

Good post Portugull. I think the start we had coming back from 2-0 down against Burton, apparently giving Southampton a good run for their money in the cup despite conceding 4, and the win at Rovers and Aldershot (although we were poor) probably is now working against Martin somewhat because now, in contrast we are performing appallingly and on the end of some heavy defeats and on a run of consistent games without winning. I like to think we deserved the good start we had but you can pick holes in the games and when you do so you do see signs of eventual struggle which has now arrived. Bristol Rovers was probably our best game although we should have been beaten PLUS we needed a refs decision to award us a penalty. How we won at Aldershot i will never know as we were so lucky and so poor. Crawley exposed us big time in the 3-1 home defeat and we sort of got back on track the following week away at Dagenham where again we conceded, were poor and needed another refs decision in awarding a late penalty which Howe converted. We despatched Macc 3-0 at home next. Yes they parked the bus and had no ambition of attacking which kind of put the onus on us to go forward which we did and eventually broke them down. You could argue that the victory was inevitable when the opposition were so defensive and by the same token you could also say that because Macc were spending lots of time in their own half they didn't put our defence under any pressure therefore we kept a rare clean sheet. Another less than vintage performance by all accounts but like Matt said i would rather give the team credit for sticking to their guns and eventually breaking them down than to say Macc were shite. A shite 0-0 draw at Northampton was positive as it was an away point and another clean sheet despite us only having 33% of the possession and Northampton creating chance after chance. I think the turning point in our season so far came in the 2-2 draw at home to Cheltenham as we have been unable to keep a clean sheet ever since and have shipped 18 goals in the games since then. Again the lads showed spirit to again come from behind but we drew. Same v Rotherham, 3-0 down and conceding keystone cops-esque goals. Again credit to the lads for getting a draw but we seemed to be giving the opposition a head start all the time. The last three away games have been the worst i have possible ever seen as a Torquay fan including losing comfortably and tamely to a Bradford side low on confidence who played 3/4 of the game with 10 men. We managed a creditable draw at home to high flying Morecambe in between but again conceded late. Hammerings v Gillingham and Southend followed. So that is it. In my opinion we are in for a hell of a relegation scrap from what i've seen so far but if we can get the spirit back that we showed at home to Rotherham then we might have a slim chance of avoiding a basement battle. It is just sad that there is just the one game in which we have showed true character. That is worrying. We have a lot of problems at the moment and i don't have any answers to them, i just hope Martin does. For what its worth i would drop Saah (not saying its the answer nor that doing this will make the team better but it must be tried on a regular basis as his confidence is shot to bits and he looks all over the place in every game nearly). This anxiety and uncertainty has an unsettling effect on the rest of the defence. I would also prefer that McPhee played in preference to Atieno. He gives us workrate and a physical presence up top. Atieno gives us nothing.

[Trojan 67]

ITS OFFICIAL !


In the various Leagues hosting League games from Premiership down to Blue Square North/South, Plainmoor has seen the most goals (36).




I checked the stats and it tallies. The reason I checked the stats is because I've missed five goals already at Plainmoor this season when last season I never missed a one !

Dam that Boots & Laces !

[yellow]

A weak bladder and a taste for alcohol have conspired to deny you 5 goals?

I would invest in a colostomy bag old boy....

[Trojan 67]

A weak bladder and a taste for alcohol have conspired to deny you 5 goals?

I would invest in a colostomy bag old boy....

:Oops: :Oops: :Oops: :Oops: :Oops:

[Gullscorer]

Looking back on the season so far is all very well, but aren't we ignoring the fact that we are now beginning to see a significant improvement in the form of some of our players? Martin Ling has been very sensible with the funds at his disposal and if the improvement in the team continues he will probably not consider bringing any new players in before January. I'm not sure that even Jake Robinson would be an essential signing right now, though it would be good to have him here; but he would only be a loan signing, until Northampton want him back. And Atieno will score twice on Saturday...

[yellowforever]

ITS OFFICIAL !


In the various Leagues hosting League games from Premiership down to Blue Square North/South, Plainmoor has seen the most goals (36).




I checked the stats and it tallies. The reason I checked the stats is because I've missed five goals already at Plainmoor this season when last season I never missed a one !

Dam that Boots & Laces !

Not London Road?