Torquay United v Oxford United - 9/3/13

[SuperNickyWroe]

Bloody awful.

that good eh danny?

[tktufc91]

Very disappointed but sadly not surprised we lost. If we go down we cant say we don't deserve it. Will be at Dagenham on tuesday singing my heart out, but deep down, I think we will be non league by the start of next season.

[oxgull]

I think that's it for us now. We are in terminal decline and next season as a conference club could well be more pain. I am soooo depressed AGAIN

[Modgull]

Yes, I agree we are now favourites to go down. We have no belief and even the new blood at manager as well as playing level is not turning things round.

Indeed, it looked to me like a case of back to the future down the right flank with Jarvis hopelessly trying to look like a winger and Oastler hopelessly looking to do anything but pass to a team mate. What is wrong with some strength and pace for goodness sake? Macklin and Leadbitter should have started IMHO.

As for the rest of the defence, what a mare they collectively had - especially the usually dependable Downes. OK so he tried to make up for gifting them a two goal lead by scoring but really Oxford by then had already wasted three one on ones with the keeper so we were lucky still to be in with a shout before the last kick of the game made it three.

We had 10 attempts and 8 on target but I think we had only 2 attempts (blocked shot from Mansell and a weak shot from Howe) in the 20 minutes or so after our comeback goal. We signally failed to put them under pressure.

My only hope is that now the Ling situation has been resolved, the playing side of the Club can pull together and get us enough points to stay up. I doubt it though - at the moment I can't see us winning any games before the fat lady sings.

My view is that we will go down with either Argyle or Stanley.

[AustrianAndyGull]

Yes, I agree we are now favourites to go down. We have no belief and even the new blood at manager as well as playing level is not turning things round.

Indeed, it looked to me like a case of back to the future down the right flank with Jarvis hopelessly trying to look like a winger and Oastler hopelessly looking to do anything but pass to a team mate. What is wrong with some strength and pace for goodness sake? Macklin and Leadbitter should have started IMHO.

As for the rest of the defence, what a mare they collectively had - especially the usually dependable Downes. OK so he tried to make up for gifting them a two goal lead by scoring but really Oxford by then had already wasted three one on ones with the keeper so we were lucky still to be in with a shout before the last kick of the game made it three.

We had 10 attempts and 8 on target but I think we had only 2 attempts (blocked shot from Mansell and a weak shot from Howe) in the 20 minutes or so after our comeback goal. We signally failed to put them under pressure.

My only hope is that now the Ling situation has been resolved, the playing side of the Club can pull together and get us enough points to stay up. I doubt it though - at the moment I can't see us winning any games before the fat lady sings.

My view is that we will go down with either Argyle or Stanley.

What do you mean by this Modgull?

[SBP]

I read this week that they had been working hard on their defensive shape and that a winning run was indeed close.
I was completed fooled then! The first 30min we passed the ball around ok, never really looked that menacing but i watched in total bewilderment that once again we were playing with NO REAL WIDE PLAYERS. Oxford did what most do away from home is play extremely narrow tucking their wide players in. It was crying out for wide players, there was so much room. When we did actually open our eyes to this we couldnt make the pass. Players at this level should be able to hit that pass. Its not happening for us, we are unable to do this.
Then on 3 occassions we were caught completely square at the back and apart from one of them which was so far off side the guy was in Brixham!!!We went in at half time with the ALARM BELLS RINGING.
So what was said at half time because i would like to know, we basically commit suicide at the back gifting them 2 goals and its all over another loss.

This is a management and coaching issue, why are we setting the team up like this at home when we need 3 points!
Why is Leadbitter in for 2-3 games then out, why is Jarvis playing right midfield, we are messing around. Why cant Joe O pass a ball to a yellow shirt.
I actually thought we were going to get something today, i must be kidding myself.
Try and finish on a positive, Joss L had a good game i thought considering. He must be wondering what he has let himself in for.

I was just thinking what happened to the TQFC i watched who gave Stoke FC and Leeds a good game. We are lacking from top to bottom, no easy answers, i just dont see the hunger or belief from the Board, Management or players.

Right, i need a beer

[Scott Brehaut]

It's worrying that we are not using the flanks, given that Knill is renowned for playing that way at other clubs

[Dave]

Oh were to start, firstly if I was refereeing the game today I would have certainly given Joe Oastler a straight red card for two serious offences, one, badly impersonating a right back and two, badly impersonating a footballer.

We huffed and puffed and for a while once again things were not to bad until we conceeded, the team look nervous devoid of confidence and self belief, we are big trouble, but us fans have to stay on side and back the team.

Big up to Micheal Poke, saved three one on ones in the first half and only thanks to him did we have achance in the second half, sadly a 4th one on one was allways going to be one to many, in fact in the end Pokey pokey proved himself to be a pretty decent sweeper and a better right back than Oastler.

Nicho has and still is great servant of our club but it is time to put him out to pasture, he is gone, Cruise and a loan right back...no1 priority.

[brucie]

People have gone loopy. Cruise? he is crap. Macklin? he has been crap for three years. We are a bunch of no hopers.

[SBP]

Absolutely, never give ourselves a chance at home with any width. Its been like it for ages, even last season when ML played 4-5-1 in home games, its negative, its ok playing like that if you have the ability to counter attack fast. WE DONT.

[AustrianAndyGull]

It's worrying how we don't use the players who have the most pace and potential to cause defenders problems. Thommo and Macklin. So you are right Scott. He appears to be copying Ling. Oh dear.

And Dave (forever) it is perhaps indicative of our season that in most of the games i've seen this season it is Poke who i have given man of the match by a country mile. If it weren't for him we'd be down already and i think it is important for people to remember this. In some games this season he has really performed miracles to ensure we stay in games and it is only really noticable because we are always under the cosh and so he gets worked hard. If our attackers worked as hard at putting the ball in the back of the net then maybe Pokey could relax a little and enjoy some peace for 5 minutes in a game. Player of the year for me this season is Pokey and one of the very few who emerge from this disastrous season with reputation firmly intact. Well done Pokey!!

[hector]

This really was a game we had to win with two tough away games to follow. But we never looked remotely like we would win it. Oxford had so many clear cut chances that they could have easily scored 6. I just cannot see this team winning anywhere near enough points.

In the 21 games since the end of October we have this record P21 W3 D 5 L13 F16 A 31 Pts 14 (out of possible 63) -15 goal difference.

What makes anyone think this football club will turn it around? It cannot be our form? It cannot be the players who have performed so dreadfully for the last FOUR MONTHS. It cannot be the manager, who may not have had enough time but has done absolutely nothing to suggest that he is the reinvigorating force required to instill confidence and motivation into a desolate and despairing set of players. It cannot be the board who seem to have stood by and watched while everything they have worked towards seems to have been squandered and wasted because of poor selection of managers.

It feels hopeless. It is likely that we will be bottom of the table by next weekend because I suspect Plymouth will pick something up from at least one of their home games this week and I think it will be us and Accrington for the drop.

What feels so tragic about it, is that this was the sort of season we expected when Mike Bateson was in charge, running the club on a shoestring but not the board we have now.

If we fall this year, then I think that will be the last we ever see of League football. If the club is unable to recruit to save us when we are in the league then I fear it never will be able to do so to get us back into it, if, as feels very likely, we fall back down to the Conference.

[Dockers Pal]

In his first four games Knill has gained one point. In comparison in their first four games Hill at Rochdale gained 5 points, Scott at Aldershot has gained 6 points, Ward at Bristol R gained 7 points, and Sheridan at Argyle gained 8 points.
Knill has stuck to the old shirtholder practice of Ling so as soon as he could Downes came back, just as Oastler came back. This in the face of the fans opinion that Leadbitter and Macdonald were mostly successful.
But the Board took 'advice from people in the football industry' to recruit Knill
Still we had more attempts on goal today than in the last three games put together.
And Kirtys Mackenzie was in the winning side at Taunton today!!

[Dave Caldwell]

Well I hate saying "told you so" was not impressed with the appointment of Knill and his comments on how he will guide the team out of relegation, not sure what he did today in terms of shape and formation but it was a backward step in terms of goals against, I think we have been sold a PUP? and he may take us down.

[Neal]

Totally agree!