The Gulls v Gateshead (away) 9 August 2014

[Glostergull]

if I was CH i would have given Cruise a chance for the first couple of games. given that he is on month to month contract. you cannot judge him based on past season as a new manager and new formation with new players will mean systme is changed. Notwithstanding we may play the same as last year with new players the style will alter. it may suit him it may not. if not then he can be replaced. The young guys coming in need to do it gently to not stretch them too far. today we have been found wanting. second half better but it shows that we need to see next few games with a tweek or two. give it 6 or 7 games on and we should be getting the idea of what our best team is. Pre season never gives you much idea except who is hungry. but when real matches start then you find out. now to act.
at least we aint chester

[exilegull]

Poor team selection by Greavsie. I don't think the likes of Cruise and Benyon deserved to start and our negligence in not strengthening the defence during the summer has come back to haunt us in what was always going to be a tough fixture. We will certainly have easier days.

Really disappointed that Ajala didn't start and what has Chapell done wrong to not even get on our bench?????

Unfortunately for us, and more particularly Tom Cruise, it appears we were up against an exceptionally good winger. Our lack of pace down the left side has been cruelly exposed by a confident winger in young Maddison.

At least Briscoe has managed to peg one back. 3-1.

Not really sure I'd agree CP. I think Gateshead look to be possibly the strongest team in the division and that was without me knowing about Maddison who sounds like he has been absolutely outstanding today. I really don't think this would have been the right game to throw Ives into for his first start. I hear what you say with Benyon but its not like we have a proven alternative and Benyon is proven at this level and will work extremely hard.

Its difficult with Ajala - Cameron finished last season very well and Briscoe is experienced at this level as well as being quite a powerful player which tends to be useful - I suspect most people would have had Ajala and Cameron, yet Briscoe today seems to have been our best player. Fair enough for Chapell but we can only have 5 subs, so who would you have dropped from the bench?

Its disappointing today but like I say Gateshead are very strong. Bowman and Briscoe sound to be brightspots. Most disappointed really in Young who seems to have failed to get into the game.

To be honest I'm most worried defensively - we effectively have 1 senior right back, 3 centre banks and 1 left back on a short term deal, with a youngster in reserve. It looks extremely thin.

[hector]

I thought we would lose today and it really is striking how far we have fallen in just over 2 years to expect to lose to a team like Gateshead. It's embarrassing.

Looking at BBC report it shows we only had 4 subs. Was that an error onBBC's part?

[frenchgull]

Quelle surprise!!.Allways thought that this would be one of the most difficult games of the season but it is only one game.Must question two things of Mr Hargrieves,one why is he persevering with Tom Cruise after last season and why have we not gone for a bit of expierence in the team, I agree its great to have a young team with prospects but in this league all the top side will have a blend of youth and old heads.I think going our route it will take a minimum of five years to get out of this league if we do not sell any of the youngsters that maybe come good.I do not think we have a problem this season with regards to relegation but I don't think, unless we change a couple of things, we will trouble the top of the table.Thanks to all who travelled to Gatehead,you have my admiration.

[OllieGull]

To be fair if you look at all the teams who've been relegated last season, Stevenage were the only ones from Champ to Conference to win today, this seasons going to be long but it'll be more of an adjustment season getting used to the conference again. So not really surprising that we lost today, but being 3-0 down at one point is quite embarassing...

[arcadia]

It may be a risk playing Levi but if he's the best left back in the club play him and he will learn fast. THINK POSITIVE Hargreaves.
Benyon why he is playing I do not know very frustrating.

[tommyg]

That was so bad I don't know where to start. I feel embarrassed to be wearing a Torquay shirt - desperately regretting not bringing a jacket to cover it up as I wait for my train home. Gateshead were very, very good and you can see why they're one of the favourites for promotion but that doesn't excuse our limp performance. We struggled to do basic things like passing the ball to feet, closing down our opponents, following the runners etc etc. It was so amateurish. The scoreline flattered us. Bowman should have scored a first-half brace but Gateshead could have grabbed six or seven.

Very hard to pick out a MOTM because most of them were woeful. First time I've watched Young and was left unimpressed. Thought he was dreadful alongside the equally ineffective Harding. We were completely dominated in midfield. Bowman had a shocking game - missed two sitters in the first half which included a penalty that had less pace behind it than a back-pass. Benyon doesn't add anything to the team and continues to spend more time on his backside than his feet. Cameron was below-par but was surprised to see him taken off. Briscoe started slowly but grew into the game, winning the pen after beating two men and later scoring our consolation with a low strike into the bottom corner from the edge of the box. Tonge and Cruise aren't good enough but we all know that. Downes and Angus were ok but don't look comfortable with the ball at their feet and Hargreaves is insisting we play out from the back which is a recipe for disaster with these players.

It's going to be a long, hard season based on what I've seen today. Last time we were in the Conference we had a solid spine and plenty of experience but this squad looks very raw. It's not like we had loads of players missing today. Just Pearce and he'll probably be off soon. Don't know why Chappell and Yeoman were overlooked. They should at least be on the bench. The only positive I can take from today is that I'll be surprised if we play a side as good as Gateshead for the rest of the season but we were a million miles apart today. Plenty for Mr Hargreaves to ponder on the journey back.

[Colorado Gull]

I wasn't expecting a win from today's game and I'm certainly not expecting a promotion straight back to the football league. Also, I understand that this was only the first game of the season, but I'm completely baffled in Hargreaves' team selection. I went to the majority of pre season games and it was quite clear that Toby Ajala was by far our best player. Moreover, it was quite clear that Elliot Benyon did not have good performances. Yeoman wasn't anything special, but better than Benners. We are going to be very weak at the back and Ives should be playing. He would love the game time and he looked good in pre season. You pick your starting XI from what you have seen in pre season and it seems to me that Hargreaves completely ignored that today.

Rice

Tonge
Downes
MacDonald
Ives

Briscoe/Cameron
Harding
Young
Ajala

Bowman
Yeoman

[brucie]

I am extremely worried by Hargreaves radio interview. I don't want how good Gateshead are or how good their players were. They are Gateshead for christ sake not bloody Man City.
Same old problems - missed chances, missed a penalty. Can't defend a corner. Rice dropping the ball and nearly gave a goal away. Downes got skinned,Cruise is useless.
Piss poor and not good enough - thats the sum total of it. Welling couldn't beat nine men today so really we should stuff them out of sight - trouble is we will probably lose again.

[Dutchgull]

"They are Gateshead for christ sake not bloody Man City." Brucies back to his best !!

Granted it sounded like a poor performance but Gateshead almost won promotion last season and have strengthened their squad further so sometimes you have to admit that the opposition have a more accomplished side than us.

[Neal]

Welcome back to the conference

[Gloomy Gull]

The concerns I expressed at the time of Hargreaves appointment remain.......he does not have sufficient experience/skills to be the manager - he needs time as an assistant manager or he needs a mentor.

This is his 21st game in charge - I know I know it's not the same team blah blah blah....and in his interview he sounded like a rabbit caught in the headlights "I need to learn and I need to learn quick!"

I was disappointed to hear his comments after the game about how good Gateshead were....especially after his pre match comments told us he had watched them a couple of times and in the Play Off final, I am astounded that he did he not see how good they were from those games and plan accordingly.

[Dave_Pougher]

OK,,, positive spin time.

CH knew all along how good Gateshead were and saved rested his best players for the games against Welling and Southport?

Works for me,,, for now

[Kit_robin]

Lots of people saying Ajala should have started, but to be honest that was never going to happen and for the most part I agree with the decision to start him on the bench. Yes, he has been one of the best players in pre-season but he is also brand new to the squad, no conference experience and not many games in other leagues too. He signed a lot later than players like Briscoe, Young and Bowman. Cameron finished last season strongly and deserved to keep his place for the start of the season. Briscoe is a good, strong player with a lot of experience. However, the first game is gone now so those starts are now up for grabs IMHO - Cameron may keep it for Tues, but another poor performance will see him out of the side.

As for the game, i didn't find it surprising that our best moments seemed to come from the newer players, and the bad from the ones that are on the transfer list. The fact that Cruise got a contract has got to be down to the fact that we didn't off-load any of the listed players, after all he only has month-to-month. I agree with most that Ives looks a better player at the moment, but I have to say that I would have started with Cruise today because of the amount of pressure on this game. However as Cruise had a terrbile game I would be seriously considering playing Ives on Tuesday - maybe CH will give Cruise one more chance. People can moan about us not strengthing defence as much as they like - I am willing to bet £ that CH agrees with you but he ran out of budget. Hawley/Harding/Downes leaving would surely see a defensive player coming in.

Young was quiet today as he was against Exeter - anything to do with the captaincy I wonder? I hardly heard Harding's name all game - he played well last week but if he performs like last season we will lose the midfield battle every time.

As for up-front Benyon has looked as good as, if not better than, Yeoman in pre-season - add to that his experience and again it's no surprise he started. Whether he did enough to keep his place is, again, another question.

I am disappointed in the result today but I temper my judgment of CH with the fact that Gateshead have a good team and manager (and were at home), and CH is probably playing at least four players he would rather not have. I still think this squad as-is is good enough to bobble around mid table and maybe finish in the play -offs, but a consistent promotion challenge may just come down to whether Hawley, HArding and Tonge bugger off and CH can use the money.

[Gloomy Gull]

OK,,, positive spin time.

CH knew all along how good Gateshead were and saved rested his best players for the games against Welling and Southport?

Works for me,,, for now

I SO want that to be the reason.