Fleetwood Town v Torquay United - 18/8/12

[SuperNickyWroe]

Think he is in Turkey.

indeed I am!!!
Sunny Marmaris.......min temp 30c max 50c...

cheers!

[cambgull]

Well it got to 32c here today, you timed your holiday well!

[ferrarilover]

Hmmm, I wasn't so impressed with Fleetwood. Listening to the comments from their fans after the match, they were happy with how they played, which ought to be a concern for them, because they weren't very effective at all going forward. They were SO predictable, every single attack went wide initially. If the cross was on, it went far post to Parkin (who was fat and useless). If not on, it want back and forth across the line until either the same far post cross or a shot from distance which inevitably went miles high and wide.
Their passing was also terrible in the main. I'm certainly not convinced they'll be anywhere near the top come May.

We weren't good, we weren't sharp enough, or quick enough to the challenge, looked very rusty. Cruise in midfield is a definite no no. I understand that Lloyd was not fit for 90 minutes, but I'd have liked to see NC given a go. Our midfield was very lightweight today, to the point where it went missing altogether after 20 minutes.
We looked much better once Macklin came on. He offered much better balance to the attack, giving both a solid outlet and allowing Rene to form the central prong of a three (LM, RH and BB).

We were far from good today, but we got a point and kept a clean sheet, so in reality, we can't complain.

Need to be much better on Tuesday if we're not going to get well beaten.

Matt.

[royalgull]

Good result, convinced Fleetwood will be top 3 and we won't be so we have to take a draw and a clean sheet at their place as a good result and solid start to the season. 2 tough home games coming up but should have some confidence restored after that so 3-4pts from the next 2 and that will be a more than decent start.

[ferrarilover]

Good result, convinced Fleetwood will be top 3 and we won't be so we have to take a draw and a clean sheet at their place as a good result and solid start to the season. 2 tough home games coming up but should have some confidence restored after that so 3-4pts from the next 2 and that will be a more than decent start.

You hadn't mentioned that for 20 minutes and I'd forgotten, so I'm glad you stuck this in there... 8/

Matt.

[pb76]

Not a bad result taking a point at Fleetwood, not quite sure why they're touted as one of the favourites to go up, hoping we can push for promotion again, need to get a good run of results going, come on you gulls

[SuperNickyWroe]

Well it got to 32c here today, you timed your holiday well!

well thats mighty fine luke - but its 30c here at 10pm..!!

[Jeff]

I actually think we made Fleetwood look one-dimensional rather than them doing it themselves. You play with Jon Parkin up front, naturally you are going to try and get high crosses into him. However he was superbly marshalled by Downes, so only once (in the second half when he hit the side netting) did he get half a yard.

And although we did give them far too much time and space on the ball, once we got men behind the ball we snuffed them out and we were very compact. Perhaps this was why Cruise started. Although it left Rene very isolated, it didn't give Fleetwood many options.

Although it wasn't a polished, dominant performance, there were plenty of positives to take. Poke looked as solid as ever, the centre of defensive looked outstanding and Bodin/Macklin on the wings looks like it will be a real attacking threat.

[AustrianAndyGull]

This was a carry on from last season, let them have most of the attacking play ( which with better finishing and the fact that Pokey made a few cracking saves they would have won) and try and hit them on the counter. We weren't quick enough up top again today even with Bodin in there and we looked sharper when Mackers came on. We could have nicked this as we had a couple of good chances, Morris blasting wide second half when he should be hittingn the targert at least. We should also have had a definate penalty for handball and we also played against 12 men. The referee was absolutely atrocious and it felt as though he was just giving them the decisions just for the sake of blowing his whistle. The yellow army were out in full voice again and i was proud of that and the jibes dished out to Mangan and Parkin were comedy. Fleetwood itself is an absolute hellhole in all honesty and the road in should really be closed off in the interests of national security. Some of those people just aren't human, they CAN'T be!! If they escape into the wider world it's basically armageddon. It's like Accrington-by-the-sea and i won't be going back anytime soon. Nice ground (if you can find it - no signs, no indication of where the hell it is hidden behind some houses) but that's it. Overall though i'm pleased with a point and a clean sheet and if we had been that bit more positive we could have got the three. No complaints though. It was good to meet up with Bengull and his dad, Scottish Dom who i talked to a lot. I couldn't understand a f**king word he was saying mind but it was good banter anyway! Jaxx and the others ( sorry but forgot your names no offence and to meet Danny and say hello to Matt again, although i don't think he could remember who i was! I probably scared him, coming up to him whilst he was enjoying a convivial prematch drink in jims bar. I bet he thought, 'who's this northern knuckledragger?! probably come to ask me for a fag otherwise he'll break my legs!!'. Looking forward to maybe bumping into a few of you for the vale game.

[EmetEdadsBeard]

indeed I am!!!
Sunny Marmaris.......min temp 30c max 50c...

cheers!

If you see any bring me a couple of Homer Simpson tee shirts back matey, the ones with the Torquay kit on, and a Sheff Wed one as well and I'll square up with you when you get back. My mate Randall got back yesterday and forgot them, the muppet!
3 size XXL Gulls and a XXL Owls if you can please.

[cambgull]

well thats mighty fine luke - but its 30c here at 10pm..!!

It'll be raining when you get home. You missed the only good week of weather we will have!

[EmetEdadsBeard]

Hmmm, I wasn't so impressed with Fleetwood. Listening to the comments from their fans after the match, they were happy with how they played, which ought to be a concern for them, because they weren't very effective at all going forward. They were SO predictable, every single attack went wide initially. If the cross was on, it went far post to Parkin (who was fat and useless). If not on, it want back and forth across the line until either the same far post cross or a shot from distance which inevitably went miles high and wide.
Their passing was also terrible in the main. I'm certainly not convinced they'll be anywhere near the top come May.

We weren't good, we weren't sharp enough, or quick enough to the challenge, looked very rusty. Cruise in midfield is a definite no no. I understand that Lloyd was not fit for 90 minutes, but I'd have liked to see NC given a go. Our midfield was very lightweight today, to the point where it went missing altogether after 20 minutes.
We looked much better once Macklin came on. He offered much better balance to the attack, giving both a solid outlet and allowing Rene to form the central prong of a three (LM, RH and BB).

We were far from good today, but we got a point and kept a clean sheet, so in reality, we can't complain.

Need to be much better on Tuesday if we're not going to get well beaten.

Matt.

Agree with most of that Matt (which is a first!) , thought Parkin was a waste of space yet the way he was portrayed on The Football League Show you'd have thought he had run the game. :no:
Also the handbags stuff on here about Rene Howe, I also think he could work a little harder in some situations . OK he didn't get great service yesterday, but I pointed out to my mate ZippyGull that he could have pressed the keeper and defenders a bit more when they were in possession. He wasn't bad, just looked a tad off the pace at times, although he does look a little leaner than last season. Is he still carrying a niggling hamstring maybe? It could be at the back of his mind anyway.
Thought a draw was a fair result, both sides finishing left a lot to be desired hence the scoreline, despite both making enough clear cut chances to win it. :Oops:

On the whole we had a great day out, congratulations have to go to Fleetwood . Some of the chanting by the Gulls supporters yesterday, singing 'disgrace to the Football League' was way out of order (have you been to Barnet FFS?) :-o . I know they have a bit of cash, but the ground is one of the better ones at this level, clean and tidy, the bogs are so new you could still smell the paint , the supporters bar is the best one I've been in , the locals are unbelievably friendly and welcoming and the stewards were friendly and helpful . My mate ZippyGull left his jacket in the bar and the stewards went out of their way to retrieve it and return it to him ( how many times do you read on here that the stewards are useless tvvats? )
I hope they manage to stay now they're here, looking forward to visiting again in the future.

[AustrianAndyGull]

I spoke to a couple of friendly elderly gentleman from Fleetwood, one upon my arrival and he gave me the complete wrong directions. Secondly one who saw me parking up and he passed comment and asked if i'd had a long journey and i said not too bad as i live in Chesterfield. He then asked my why i supported Torquay then!! Er hello?!!!! I also popped in to the Aldi for some bits for the way home and a jack russel was barking outside and a couple of youngish scrubbers ( sorry girls) with their kids walked past and said, " it's a reight noisy fu*ker int it. shut it up!. Nice. Then i was sat on the park bench outsidenthe ground near the duck pond where all i could hear was kids setting off bangers and another family walk past throwing bread in for the ducks. A seagull managed to get in there first ( one up for the gulls! hooray! ) and one of the 'ladies' said, " f**ckin seagulls, there reight greedy bastards them'. Nice. Basically Fleetwood has no chance and neither have it's occupants!!!

[Jeff]

Funny that you referred to Fleetwood as Accrington-by-the-sea, as thats pretty much what I made of it.

How I managed to find my car still in possession of all its wheels I'll never know. The streets around the ground are properly grim. Its also a pain in the backside to get too. I was expecting a couple of minutes off the M55 and I'd be there - not 45minutes of single carriageway roads

I expected them to make more of a deal of it being their first match in the Football League, but I didn't really see any of that. It never felt like a momentous occaision, which I guess is what you get with these clubs which rocket through the leagues when heavily financially backed. Promotion and a step up becomes the norm, not a treat. Most of the fans who have jumped on the bandwagon will know nothing but promotion so it won't have felt like much of a treat to them.I'd have been interested to see whether it was more of a "special occaision" being at York yesterday.

[AustrianAndyGull]

Agree Jeff. Not particularly singling out Fleetwood as an outstanding example of grimness but i drove around many of the side streets and much of the town centre as i got lost and it was horrendous. You're right about the road, it just seems that the more north you go on THAT road in , the more away from normality you are. When you are there it just hits you and there is no signposts whatsoever. Considering they want to become a 'bi'g club and it was their first game in the football league, it was pretty bad. There was no atmosphere, it was just a dead place with dead fans. Obviously the club has no league history and it showed. They just didn't seem to make the effort. There was no refreshments outlet in the away end we had to walk round into the main stand and you couldn't even find where the main entrance was as it was hidden away on a side street with no signs. The stadium itself is quite good, it's just the environs and the lack of atmosphere and feeling that you're at a league match that is the issue.