Torquay United vs Oxford Utd 17/08/13

[PlainmoorRoar]

Well maybe I was at a different game but I thoughr we were good for 70 minutes. Their first rwo goals stemmed from abysmal refereeing. Gordon,Banks at his best wouldn't have saved the second one. The third was awful defending. We played some tidy football and I saw lots of positives and some negatives

Rice- Nothing particually bad, decent distribution, although agree didnt adapt kicking to wind second half

Nico- Needs to be replaced

Downes- Pearce- not a partnership yet, but think they will come good

Cruise- good technique, creates space for himself, did misplace a lot of passes, but each one was with his right foot, get him in for Nicho and got a good player there

Cameron- needs to toughen up, but scares player when he runs at them

Mansell- superb, Man of the Match. Covered every blade and passing good

Harding- Anonymous for the most part, hit one excellent shot, needs to add more

Bodin- Superb first half. Really good battling performance, qnd scared the life out of their full back. Man of the First Half

Hawley- Great understanding of the game, holds the ball up well, good player

Ball- needs to get involved more, dangerous when he is involved.

Oxford were lucky today, the ref helped them a lot. They were very direct and took their chances, so fair play. Their fans annoyed me, I hope they get knocked off their perch soon, they should do, nothing special.

Spot on with that, see this the view of someone who WENT to the game Brucie - alot more accurate that your tripe!!

[usagullmichigan]

Plainmoor Roar - getting abusive because you cannot face reality just makes you look pretty childish. i didn't need to be there because I knew what would happen ie we would lose and we did. I don't take any pleasure in that but if you want to make excuses all well and good. It may well be that we did suffer some ill luck but as we struggled against lesser teams it was probably quite likely that we would lose today.
As for Plymouth and Exeter well Plymouth were always likely to come good sooner or later, because their team is better than last year.
As far as Exeter are concerned - well everyone was tipping them for relegation but as usual the excellent Mr Tisdale has them winning games (with an injury hit squad to boot)
Every supporter is different - there are those who are optimistic and will claim hard luck stories ie the ref,the woodwork, deny us a victory - clinging to the belief that luck will change in the next game (only to find that we will lose again)
Others are realists - and will be castigated for telling the truth. Plain fact is we havn't been good enough this season so far. We havn't deserved to win a game because we han't been good enough in any game we have played.
So far we have had our reserve keeper in goal (granted he has surpassed expectations)
Our central defensive partnership is maybe not quite as good as last year. Saah possibly has the edge on Pearce. Worryingly we have no viable cover at right back/centre half.
Nico is as slow as ever. Tonge is slow - he is no better than Oastler.
Our central midfield is no better than last year.
Chappell looks an improvement on what we had - although for some reason he only plays every other game.
Cameron looks a headless chicken. Bodin is as bad as ever.
Our brand new strike force of Ball and Hawley who rocked up the day before the season kicked off - well the jury is still out on both of them. Ball will be off at the end of September anyway if we carry on losing.
Benyon is our best hope but will Knill play him regularly?
And then of course there is Howe - we havn't got anything remotely in his class - indeed Jarvis is looking a big loss as well at the moment.
Then we have the likes of Craig,Thompson and Yeoman (who will probably never get a game)

Hate to say this but I agree with brucie. Good teams win playing badly. MUFC spanked Swansea today and Swansea were all over them.

[ferrarilover]

So, everyone who went today says we were alright and Oxford were a very ordinary side who got three goals from three shots. The two dissenting voices live 150 and 6000 miles from Torquay.

I can only reasonably presume that the radio commentary was some sort of very late April fool.

Matt.

[Dutchgull]

I cant believe I am saying this but ..... !!!!

[Dutchgull]

I don't believe this but just to prove how everything went wrong today the bloody camera man missed our goal for the FL show !!!

[ferrarilover]

Hysterically inept. Apparently, a throw in is too technical for our cameraman. Jesus wept, it's so village it's funny.

Matt.

[usagullmichigan]

So, everyone who went today says we were alright and Oxford were a very ordinary side who got three goals from three shots. The two dissenting voices live 150 and 6000 miles from Torquay.

I can only reasonably presume that the radio commentary was some sort of very late April fool.

Matt.

I was stating a fact Matt. Nothing to do with listening. Facts are real, In your profession you only know the bent truth or lies :na:

[Kernowgull]

Good teams win playing badly, whilst I guess it is a fact, is certainly not a full and conclusive fact. I can give numerous examples of bad teams winning playing badly. Us v Exeter last season, us v York last season, most times England win.

I take your point about Man United, but they have Robin Van Persie, so are hardly comparable to Oxford.

[gullintwoplaces]

Reading the comments from Hector and Brucie (and his imaginary friend) you would think we are already relegated.

Hector has the nerve to post "shocking by all accounts" just after the final whistle! He didn't go to the game, so who are the "all" in "all accounts"? All the voices in his head? Most comments on here from folk who DID go gave a quite different account (bit unlucky, made chances but didn't take them, weaknesses at the back, awful ref etc.).

Brucie just has to do detailed comments on the performances of players that he has seen ONCE since the start of the season (in fact the first game). All negative again, same old opinionated garbage from somebody whe seems to gloat when we lose. His imaginary friend, Wivelgull, who does claim to have gone to the game, interestingly says exactly the same things as Brucie. Mmmm. All very sad, boring and predictable.

All a bit like reading comments from nuns and catholic priests on a sexual technique forum, lots of things to say but hard to take them seriously.

[DevonYellow]

Well maybe I was at a different game but I thoughr we were good for 70 minutes. Their first rwo goals stemmed from abysmal refereeing. Gordon,Banks at his best wouldn't have saved the second one. The third was awful defending. We played some tidy football and I saw lots of positives and some negatives

Rice- Nothing particually bad, decent distribution, although agree didnt adapt kicking to wind second half

Nico- Needs to be replaced

Downes- Pearce- not a partnership yet, but think they will come good

Cruise- good technique, creates space for himself, did misplace a lot of passes, but each one was with his right foot, get him in for Nicho and got a good player there

Cameron- needs to toughen up, but scares player when he runs at them

Mansell- superb, Man of the Match. Covered every blade and passing good

Harding- Anonymous for the most part, hit one excellent shot, needs to add more

Bodin- Superb first half. Really good battling performance, qnd scared the life out of their full back. Man of the First Half

Hawley- Great understanding of the game, holds the ball up well, good player

Ball- needs to get involved more, dangerous when he is involved.

Oxford were lucky today, the ref helped them a lot. They were very direct and took their chances, so fair play. Their fans annoyed me, I hope they get knocked off their perch soon, they should do, nothing special.

Totally agree re their fans being annoying. They are nowhere near as good, or big, as they think they are.

I have a theory that any set of fans who sing "we do what we want, we do what we want, we're *insert name here*, we do what we want*" are going to be annoying arrogant nobs who think they are bigger/better than they really are. Bristol Rovers sang it, Oxford sang it, I bet Argyle sing it too.

[Scott Brehaut]

Bonkers brucie again passing judgement on a game he hasn't seen.....remind me what he usually derides me for again - he wouldn't do what he moans at me for doing at times surely....

[yellowmonkey]

I watched the game from Bristows bench and we were absolutley dire, our right wing was totally empty most of the time. The goals they scored were from them being able to open up our defence easy and also have a player on the overlap totally unmarked. I have to agree to ref was awful and our goal should have stood from the free kick. Also Riceys yellow card started from him being fouled by their player, he had his arm all over the back of Ricey and pushed him off the pitch damn lino should have seen that.
Had 2 guys behind me and a very vocal lady in front calling for Lingy to come back Unless we get a couple of decent signings in I cant see us doing very well this season.

[hector]

Let's simply deal in facts rather than hard luck stories, excuses of wonder goals and poor refereeing. We lost 3-1. Losing by that many is not down to bad luck. You make your own luck. Our players had as much control over events as Oxford's plus they were at home with the majority of fans on their side.

We have 2pts out of 9. Some will say it is too early to panic - and they are probably right - and the much quoted 'wait until 10 games are played' is wheeled out. However, those of us who have been watching Torquay for long enough can sense when a difficult season is on the cards. This sort of start hints at trouble. BUt back to facts - 2pts from 9 is never going to be good enough.

Saying that - our team is, on the whole, fairly new. It does take more than 3 games to bed in. My view is that Ball could be a formidable player and Hawley probably has enough about him to be half decent at this level - certainly better than an Atieno. Where the problems lie, seem to be in the same positions as last season. Left-back and midfield. Based on Northampton reviews of Harding and what he has done here so far, he is fairly anonymous. Maybe that's a good thing. You never used to notice Phil Lloyd but that was because he went about his job quietly, never putting a foot wrong. Perhaps Harding does the same - it's just nobody notices a goal or killer pass or tackle. Perhaps he doesn't do them.

So whilst I do not always agree with the wait until 10 games have been played - to be fair to a new collection of players, you probably need to.

People will marvel at Plymouth winning at Cheltenham (who have got off to a terrible start, themselves) but forget they lost at home to Fleetwood, who themselves lost at home to Burton.

Exeter have had a good start but they have a good manager - the best manager at any of the three Devon clubs and he is shrewd and knows what he is doing. Knill and Sheridan have similar records. Have gained promotion but then failed big time.

[ferrarilover]

Their goals came from 'opening us up'?

A set piece, a massive, wind assisted punt and a breakaway while we're pushed forward for the equaliser?

How some of you can spend so long going to football, yet know so little about it baffles me.

As for you, USA, Kernow is right, you've not actually stated a fact at all, merely more opinions (or clichés) disguised as facts. Based on this, perhaps there's a bit of lawyer in you too?

Matt.

[PL21gull]

Yes the ref cost us vital decisions, yes we had more attempts on goal, but, as against Wimbledon, it was a disjointed performance - we do not look to control a game from midfield, and in playing two wingers they really have to be brought into play more and to look interested in taking on opponents, especially in wet conditions (as Chappell did). Oxford on the other hand passed the ball purposefully and effectively to make their scoring opportunities.
We expect a lot of our front two in the air - what is the use of aiming over their heads when they are far more dangerous with the ball under control and can bring support into play?
How are most goals scored, with feet or head? We need to play the ball on the deck much more. We could even try crosses on the ground or at the near post instead of lobbing the ball to the opposing keeper....
Nice to see us take a quick throw-in to lead to our goal - haven't seen us try that tactic much as we are usually quite pedestrian from the touchline!