Torquay v Dover Saturday 7/10/17

[JamieE]

I actually enjoyed watching their play - i would happily go to watch them every week if that is their usual standard.

Really? We have different preferences on style of play then. I can’t remember Dover stringing more than four passes together and the amount of goal kicks we had because they just hoofed it out of play was ridiculous. I’d love to watch a highlights reel of Brundle and Gallifuoco’s touches on the ball in central midfield, I reckon 80% of them were aimless hooks over the shoulder.

It’s not the type of football I like to see but unfortunately it worked against us. They marked so tightly against our forward players and just let our centre halves have the ball who are unable to start an attack. It was a frustrating watch, but we won’t cone up against that challenge too often and I’m still hopeful. I wouldn’t mind seeing McGinty and Higgins replaced though.

[chunkygull]

Really? We have different preferences on style of play then. I can’t remember Dover stringing more than four passes together and the amount of goal kicks we had because they just hoofed it out of play was ridiculous. I’d love to watch a highlights reel of Brundle and Gallifuoco’s touches on the ball in central midfield, I reckon 80% of them were aimless hooks over the shoulder.

It’s not the type of football I like to see but unfortunately it worked against us. They marked so tightly against our forward players and just let our centre halves have the ball who are unable to start an attack. It was a frustrating watch, but we won’t cone up against that challenge too often and I’m still hopeful. I wouldn’t mind seeing McGinty and Higgins replaced though.

To be fair this post is pretty spot on. The more I think about it, on reflection Dover didnt really put much together, yes they had more chances and they took them but all game they were a physical, bullying lot of bastards. It was all wrestling, bumping, pulling, a toe here a hooked high ball there. They were a well organisedsolid unit who knew what they were doing, especially Parry but also Brundle the captain and the left back. Trouble is we wouldnt have scored if we were there until midnight and despite a lot of our passing game for once, which I was pleased to see we lacked a bit of bite, spark and any cutting edge and most of the times we played right into Dovers hands.

[Soupdragon]

It remains: in six weeks, this new management team will have won just four league points.

It took just two games before the players were being wholeheartedly and publicly blamed for the lack of results by a manager/coach who had said that they had clean slates, and that there was no pressure on them.

I concede they might be fitter (how could they not be?) but they are clearly no better.

As it stands, I'm unconvinced.

[Dave]

The more I think about it, on reflection Dover didnt really put much together,

Have to disagree with you here. They scored twice, hit the post and crossbar and had a goal disallowed that looked a tight decision, and the lad Pennock missed a virtual tap in during the first half prior to him smacking the crossbar, they did a bit more than you think.

[nickbrod]

What Dover did was to be far more clinical than us in both boxes. That was the primary difference between the two sides.

[tomogull]

What Dover did was to be far more clinical than us in both boxes. That was the primary difference between the two sides.

I suppose I watch games through the eyes of a former South Devon League defender, about Div 6. Dover's defending and support of each other was quite superb - they didn't really need a goalkeeper ! Although the centre half Parry got away with a lot he shouldn't have, thanks to referee Mr Allinson who was as bad as ever. I don't agree with Chunky that they were a bullying side - strong challenges yes, but in my opinion they were fair and not bullying. JamieE mentions Ryan Higgins. He's good going forward but his defending is suspect. As an example, when their winger hit the bar, Higgins was nowhere near to close him down, and that wasn't the only time. That's part of his game he has to tighten up on in my view.

[portugull]

Soupdragon it is not 6 weeks since the new management team took over it is 3 weeks.

Saturday 16th Sept was their first match in charge. If you are going to criticise get your facts straight.

[Soupdragon]

Soupdragon it is not 6 weeks since the new management team took over it is 3 weeks.

Saturday 16th Sept was their first match in charge. If you are going to criticise get your facts straight.

The new management team was appointed on 13 September. The next league game - and therefore the next points available - is on 21 October. I make that the best part of six weeks. But, ok, if you want to be entirely accurate: four points in five and a half weeks.

Of course, you could say it's 4 points from 15. Maybe that sounds better to you. It doesn't to me.

Better to face facts, I find. I doubt that Mr Owers is unaware of the facts.

[merse btpir]

Better to face facts, I find. I doubt that Mr Owers is unaware of the facts.

So it's four and a half weeks in FACT!

Four points out of fifteen ~ FACT!

Three points out of the previous thirty ~ FACT!

You can't argue with facts unless you quote inaccurate ones!

[arcadia]

The new management team was appointed on 13 September. The next league game - and therefore the next points available - is on 21 October. I make that the best part of six weeks. But, ok, if you want to be entirely accurate: four points in five and a half weeks.

Of course, you could say it's 4 points from 15. Maybe that sounds better to you. It doesn't to me.

Better to face facts, I find. I doubt that Mr Owers is unaware of the facts

We all moan when we lose but give them a chance I think it's looking better already but Owers has got to get to know the players
better but that takes time.

[nickbrod]

But he does know the players - he just has to work out a way to get rid of the dross.

[merse btpir]

It takes more than five games to work a player out Nick

[MellowYellow]

It takes more than five games to work a player out Nick

Not if your name is 'Rory Fallon'.

[PL21gull]

One of the most disappointing aspects was the lack of tactical change when it was so obvious that long balls in the air to one target man were being easily picked off by the 3-man Dover central defence - we made some substitutions but still tried to go through the middle where Dover were so strong. Two of our subs were a little lacking in height against such defenders, so Keating should have been on much sooner to be alongside our other front man as we continued pump balls up the middle and to forget how we played and won so well against Maidenhead.
The Dover keeper came off the cleanest player on the field; how on earth did we expect to score on the day?
So we reach the stage where we need to win half of our remaining matches to avoid relegation oblivion - how can that happen if we cannot find a way to make realistic goal-scoring opportunities?

[Soupdragon]

So it's four and a half weeks in FACT!

Four points out of fifteen ~ FACT!

Three points out of the previous thirty ~ FACT!

You can't argue with facts unless you quote inaccurate ones!

Taking your points in order:

It's 39 days between 13 September and 21 October (the next time league points are available to us). That's five and half weeks, not your claimed four and a half. FACT, as you would say.

Your next two FACTS I don't dispute, of course. Any fool could see something drastic needed to be done. I'm grateful that Mr Osborne bit the bullet.

Sorry, I seemed not to have received the memo that said some people may not be criticised at all.

I doubt that Mr Owers is crying into his fb page. Indeed, he seems to facing up to the facts: "we conceded soft goals" "they've bullied us" "we made poor decisions" "players are doing their own thing again" and so on ...

If it's not good enough for him, why should it be good enough for the rest of us?