Newport v Torquay United. 28/09/2013

[Gazzableedsgull]

I hardly ever post, preferring to read what other fans have written, but i'm afraid i've got a bit wound up by comments made about Steve Breeds commentary yesterday. Give the guy a break will you! It was obviously his first time doing the commentary, you've got to give him a chance! At least he had the courage to do it. I, for one, wouldn't have known where to start. At least we had commentary which is better than nothing & at least we all know he's a passionate supporter. I also thought he was gaining confidence as the game went on into the 2nd half.

All I can say is well done Steve & I'm sure it will improve the more games you do.

He's been commentating since at least 2007/08 on and off, I happen to be a friend of Steve's and he wouldn't give much of a toss what people think. He knows the majority of us (especially us exiles) need a passionate radio commentary so we feel involved when we can't make it to the games.

[exilegull]

Brucie and Hector are right; they've been around long enough to see and understand the warning signs (which have been apparent since the Wimbledon game). I much prefer to read their analyses than those comments offered by teenagers and students.

Grumpy rant != analysis

[ferrarilover]

The first time Michael Schumacher drove a car, he stalled it 14 times, hit the kerb twice, knocked off a wing mirror and ran down an old lady at a crossing.

The first time David Beckham kicked a ball, it rolled 3 inches and stopped.

The first time Frank Sinatra opened his mouth to sing, he was out of time, pitch and key.

The first time Steve Breed did lead commo, he wasn't very good.

Do you see where I'm going with this?

Matt.

[Jerry]

The first time Michael Schumacher drove a car, he stalled it 14 times, hit the kerb twice, knocked off a wing mirror and ran down an old lady at a crossing.

The first time David Beckham kicked a ball, it rolled 3 inches and stopped.

The first time Frank Sinatra opened his mouth to sing, he was out of time, pitch and key.

The first time Steve Breed did lead commo, he wasn't very good.

Do you see where I'm going with this?

Matt.

Learn your trade before performing in public? :na:

[gullintwoplaces]

Brucie and Hector are right; they've been around long enough to see and understand the warning signs (which have been apparent since the Wimbledon game). I much prefer to read their analyses than those comments offered by teenagers and students.

Of course, we would far rather listen to the bitter opinions of senile old goats than the views of fans that will still be alive to support the Gulls in 2050. I am often listen in wonder to the opinions expressed around Plainmoor by some (not all) older fans, who look back to a golden age when the team won many trophies and the crowd was entertained for 90 minutes by flowing, magical football. Oh wait a minute!

I would rather read the analysis of a five year old than the nonsense spouted by Brucie and Hector, and I am not a teenager or a student.

[ferrarilover]

Ahahaha, nice one Jezza, made me chuckle.

Matt.

[knightmaregull]

One thing that struck me again yesterday was why one earth is Mansell taking corners and free kicks?

His corners rarely missed the first man and otherwise tended to be straight into the keeper's hands. With strikers and midfielders seemingly scared (or unable) to shoot dead balls should have been our main threat!

[brucie]

I agree with wivelgull - all teenagers and students should be banned from this site until a) they get a job and b) they learn to spell.

Gullinwotplaces carer should not let him anywhere near a computer.

And Steve Breed should not be allowed anywhere near a microphone until he learns to count.

[tomogull]

As a fan who doesn't venture further north than Bristol for away games, I appreciate the reports from the hardy souls who do make the long journeys north to such places as Rochdale and Fleetwood. But I don't dismiss Brucie and Hector's opinions conpletely. Amongst his scattergun approach, Brucie does sometimes hit on a few valid points. I was more than happy with Knill's appointment because I see him as a manager of a club in the lower leagues with no illusion about the budget he's working with. And yet I am disappointed that he seems to be one of those managers that goes with his own signings and not give some players already at the club opportunities. I know Benyon was one of his signings but he was already on loan when Knill arrived. He has been given few opportunities and I feel that he would have been on the score sheet more than Hawley or Ball if given the chance. In the reports by fans for yesterday's game, Harding is mentioned just once - he was at fault for Newport's first goal. In the MOTM lists, eight players get a mention. Harding is conspicuous by his absence. We're 2 - 0 down, Lathrope can manage perfectly well as a defensive midfielder so why not bring on an attacking midfielder - i.e. Nathan Craig - in place of Harding who, reading between the lines, had another game which 'passed him by'?

Where I do fully agree with Brucie is that Paul Tisdale is an asture manager. We get hammered 4 (could have been 10) - 1 at Fleetwood, City go up there a couple weeks later and get a smash and grab win. Tisdale has been giving players a chance who have come through their Youth programme. Here, players such as Thompson, Yeoman and Craig who were given games by Martin Ling are now out in the cold. In my opinion, Yeoman's solo goal at Morecambe last season was second as 'goal of the season' to the one scored by Ryan Jarvis against York at Plainmoor. It cannot do their confidence or morale any good to see players who are not performing being selected ahead of them each week. They need to gain the experience of having some playing time in the first team. In my opinion, loaning Yeoman to Bideford (if it happens) will not help his development ...... and I think he is a player who could do well if given opportunities.

[frenchgull]

I discovered this site in the close season and have enjoyed the thoughts and opinions of many of the people who have posted but lately there seems to be a lot of negativity around.Firsty I think we are very lucky to have a football league team in Torquay,we survive on gates of 2500 and the club is run very well,not by group of multi millionairs who can buy the next transfer target with two thousand barrels of oil but by people who support and love Torquay United,we have a good name and reputation in the football world. In all the years I have followed United we have played in a higher division in only two or three times,we are what we are,a division two side that occasionaly get a good side together and have a good season and after that the better players move on.Sure we all like to dream but let's be happy and enjoy what we have.I stand up for the right to post your opinion whether I agree or not and football is a game of opinions but after just nine games I think everybody wants to get behind the team,manager and board to consolidate the season,let the manager manage and the board to sort the finances out.

Y

[Dutchgull]

[AustrianAndyGull]

This forum is so negative :-|

Oh what you have missed out on these last couple of years teenagegull!

I can't see the point of being negative about yesterdays game. There are mitigating circumstances like the omission of Downes due to injury, the fact that I thought Ball to start was a mistake, the fact we were playing a decent side in an intimidating environment and also that it is transpiring that we are looking a half decent side (wins against massively struggling opponents to our name only however) with some good players but who are being poorly managed at the moment with no visible signs that we are anything like playing to our potential (although it sounded like we played ok yesterday - I wasn't there though ).

I expected a defeat at Newport and so i'm not too disheartened by the 2-1 loss all things considered. I find my outpourings more negative if I've actually gone to the game and expected better prior to kick off and in the end we've turned out to be complete crap, that is when I find myself letting rip a bit. I'm just thankful I decided not to bust my arse trying to get to this game so there is that.

We move on to the York game who themselves had a great win v Pompey and if we're not careful we could soon be hovering above 23rd spot.

I do think it is a case of forget about yesterday (possibly easier for me to say now because I didn't go) and let's get York beaten on Saturday. Stats are there to be misinterpreted but in my mind we've only won twice against teams whose managers are both favourites for the sack and we've only taken the lead in one of our games so far. Even allowing for giving the manager time, that's just not good enough (even if we are little old Torquay, we still have some really solid league 2 players).

Big thumbs up to all who went yesterday anyway and hope you all enjoyed it despite the loss. COYY!!

[tomogull]

This is a question for Ferrarimatt or maybe Roadrunner as you both seem to be more 'in the know' about what's going on at Plainmoor - is Jack Deadman still at the club? We had the ludicrous situation yesterday of having FIVE forwards, a goalkeeper and a midfielder on the bench, but no defensive cover even though, apparently, Krystian Pearce was feeling unwell. Isn't Deadman a central defender and hasn't he been on the books of Norwich and Birmingham? Surely if this is the case, he should have been on the bench if Pearce had not lasted the 90 minutes ?

[AustrianAndyGull]

The question is, was last week a fluke, or are we simply missing Downes?

Is Downes really that influential that without him we leak goals?

Scott, we leak goals WITH him in the side too only that we are a million times more solid and organised when he is playing. A worry.

I honestly don't know the way forward with this set of players if i'm honest. My opinion is that we have so many attacking options that and so many defensive issues that it might pay to go 'mad for it' right from the kick off rather than start conservatively and then find ourselves a goal down. I know I banged on about how I wished Ling would have done this now and again but I just think maybe it might get us more points than we lose.

With Downes out for God knows how long, once again our defence is subject to chopping and changing and this can't be good for those lads out there trying to form a solid unit at the back. So the likelihood is that we may eventually concede goals in most of our games (as it has turned out we have). Therefore if we take the game by the scruff and go 1 or 2 goals up then we know we might concede so we'll give ourselves a chance of winning a football match. We went 2 up at home to Chelts but we needed to, I don't think particularly that we set off like a train in that game (from reports - I wasn't there) but we needed a cushion before the inevitability of the opposition scoring put us on edge.

Anyone who saw our 2nd half performance at Northampton will know that if began games like that and put teams well on the back foot then we have the attacking capabilities to take advantage of this increase in tempo, energy and application and put ourselves in a better position. Northampton had no answers for a good half an hour and ok, they look a sh*te side but we had to do something to come from behind to win and we did. That something was attack, attack, attack.

I feel Knill is not one thing or the other, he isn't ultra defensive like Ling and likes to keep it tight and nick one and by the same token he hasn't shown he wants to obliterate teams from the off so i'm left a bit confused. (no jokes please! =D ). I don't quite know what he is trying to achieve and what style of play he is trying to encourage. It's all a bit like our season so far, hit and miss, disappointing, dysfunctional and confusing. More so that 10 games or so in and I still can't see what we are supposed to be.

So it's not all about if Downes is playing or not but more Knill himself doesn't seem to know what he expects from the 11 he puts out there every Saturday and if he doesn't know then how are the players supposed to know let alone the fans?

I was hoping things would be beginning to take shape by now and we would be seeing what Knill is trying to do but I haven't a frigging clue to be honest at the moment.

[wodger of awabia]

Scott, we leak goals WITH him in the side too only that we are a million times more solid and organised when he is playing. A worry.

I honestly don't know the way forward with this set of players if i'm honest. My opinion is that we have so many attacking options that and so many defensive issues that it might pay to go 'mad for it' right from the kick off rather than start conservatively and then find ourselves a goal down. I know I banged on about how I wished Ling would have done this now and again but I just think maybe it might get us more points than we lose.

With Downes out for God knows how long, once again our defence is subject to chopping and changing and this can't be good for those lads out there trying to form a solid unit at the back. So the likelihood is that we may eventually concede goals in most of our games (as it has turned out we have). Therefore if we take the game by the scruff and go 1 or 2 goals up then we know we might concede so we'll give ourselves a chance of winning a football match. We went 2 up at home to Chelts but we needed to, I don't think particularly that we set off like a train in that game (from reports - I wasn't there) but we needed a cushion before the inevitability of the opposition scoring put us on edge.

Anyone who saw our 2nd half performance at Northampton will know that if began games like that and put teams well on the back foot then we have the attacking capabilities to take advantage of this increase in tempo, energy and application and put ourselves in a better position. Northampton had no answers for a good half an hour and ok, they look a sh*te side but we had to do something to come from behind to win and we did. That something was attack, attack, attack.

I feel Knill is not one thing or the other, he isn't ultra defensive like Ling and likes to keep it tight and nick one and by the same token he hasn't shown he wants to obliterate teams from the off so i'm left a bit confused. (no jokes please! =D ). I don't quite know what he is trying to achieve and what style of play he is trying to encourage. It's all a bit like our season so far, hit and miss, disappointing, dysfunctional and confusing. More so that 10 games or so in and I still can't see what we are supposed to be.

So it's not all about if Downes is playing or not but more Knill himself doesn't seem to know what he expects from the 11 he puts out there every Saturday and if he doesn't know then how are the players supposed to know let alone the fans?

I was hoping things would be beginning to take shape by now and we ]would be seeing what Knill is trying to do but I haven't a frigging clue to be honest]at the moment.

So you are much the same as Knill then,.............not a frigging clue!