Rotherham United v Torquay United - 15/9/12

[royalgull]

Andy I agree with you but sadly in my opinion we simply don't have the players or options to play a different way. We only have 1 proper striker and we don't have a creative midfield. Our strength is defensively and we play to it. Problem is once we go behind we're knackered

[AustrianAndyGull]

Yeah, agree Royal. It's just mind-numbingly dull having to watch it every away game that's all. You turn up and know what to expect, i reckon the opposition managers will work this out too pretty soon and it will become much, much more harder to get points away from home using this system until the cows come home. Oh well, i'm looking forward to Chesterfield away in two weeks and then my first home game of the season the following tuesday night against Aldershot so i'll support the lads whatever. Let's just hope for some better performances.

[stevegull]

Some mug has written a blog on this very subject on the main site...

http://www.torquayfans.com/time-has-com ... formation/

[Southampton Gull]

Very well written mate, can't argue with any of that.

[Dave]

Have said for a few weeks now I think we are playing far to defensive minded, our midfield line is a sat at times far to deep leaving to bigger gap between them and Rene Howe, Rene Howe is being left isolated, then for his troubles he get utter morons calling him lazy or a carthorse, his job is to hold the ball up if the midfield don't get up quick enough to support him, whats he surposed to do.

As a result of the midfield being sat so deep if the ball is cleared the other side picks up the second ball every time, and play keeps coming back and back at us, if Lingy feels with the squad he has its the best way of playing and achieving results fair enough.

To me our team has become predictable and easy to play against, 4-3-3 with the ball 4-5-1 with out other teams just know excatly what we are going to do, personaly I would not press the panic button just yet, however if things don't change with Lathrope and Macklin fully fit, it would be time to go into the loan amrket and give our squad a boost.

[AustrianAndyGull]

Have said for a few weeks now I think we are playing far to defensive minded, our midfield line is a sat at times far to deep leaving to bigger gap between them and Rene Howe, Rene Howe is being left isolated, then for his troubles he get utter morons calling him lazy or a carthorse, his job is to hold the ball up if the midfield don't get up quick enough to support him, whats he surposed to do.

As a result of the midfield being sat so deep if the ball is cleared the other side picks up the second ball every time, and play keeps coming back and back at us, if Lingy feels with the squad he has its the best way of playing and achieving results fair enough.

To me our team has become predictable and easy to play against, 4-3-3 with the ball 4-5-1 with out other teams just know excatly what we are going to do, personaly I would not press the panic button just yet, however if things don't change with Lathrope and Macklin fully fit, it would be time to go into the loan amrket and give our squad a boost.

That's a little unfair mate. I called Rene a carthorse for yesterdays match reviews as in that particular match he lacked application, desire, interest and his general demeanour gave off an aura of 'i'm too good for this so i'll just swagger around doing f all'. I have no qualms about my assessment of him in that game. You will see that in my other reviews not once have i called him this and have constantly praised him for his improved workrate and desire and for fans to support him. Yesterday i couldn't do that so to me he looked like a carthorse. I KNOW he isn't, you do too, and many other Gulls fans know the quality he has and the increase in workrate that he has shown but can anyone who went yesterday come on here and defend that performance?

[Plymouth Gull]

As Steve alludes to in his blog, it is crunch time. This formation was absolutely perfect last season because of one key player - O'Kane. It allowed him to do whatever the hell he wanted, wherever he wanted. He had the freedom of the pitch, practically, such was his influence and ability. However obviously he's gone, we have no-one really to replace him.

However, what I ask is what other suggestions are there? We don't have enough forwards for 4-4-2 to work. I don't rate Jarvis (never have done), Howe is good, Bodin isn't a striker. Who else is there? I'd imagine Ling will stick with what he knows.

As for the season so far, I'm not concerned. Yes we haven't been at our best but we weren't exactly battered off the pitch at Fleetwood, though apparently the other two were. One difference there is the lack of one player - Damon Lathrope. Once he returns to fitness I'm sure we'll pick up our performances away from home, especially.

[Dave]

Sorry Andy mate, thats was not aimed at you or anyone else who are fair and balanced in expressing their opinions, it was aimed at number who pretty much allways refer to Rene that way even after the Rochdale game.

[Jeff]

I was unable to make it yesterday, so am a little misplaced to comment, but anyway......

We've had a massively tough start to the season, I don't care what anyone else says. We'd done ok up until now, but ran out of "luck" at Rotherham. I can appreciate that it was bad yesterday, but its not time to panic and completely change our philosophy just yet.

Lets see how Tuesday goes first. With all due respect, Wimbledon are the first team we face this season who perhaps don't have designs on a top 7 place. They've been leaking goals left right and centre and Terry Brown is under a bit of pressure. If we can go down there and get 3 points, the table will look a lot better. Maybe the 3 point we didn't get a Rotherham is the difference between a top 3 finish and playoffs - one bad result and performance doesn't mean too much to me. Points away at Fleetwood and Vale are a good return in any scenario.

For what its worth, I don't want us to abandon the 4-5-1 just yet. Mainly because the personnel we have is geared towards it. We don't have another striker, I'm not convinced that Bodin and Stevens would be suited to a 4-4-2 and we don't have the central midfielders to play that way either (Mansell is fine as box to box, but we'd need someone a bit more creative to go in there as well). Ling is fond of the "the answers are within the squad" line, but I don't feel that they are if we are going to look to change the system.

We've definitely got some unfinished business at Kingsmeadow after last year - lets see if we can banish some bad memories and make things look a lot rosier.

[Chris B]

For what its worth, I don't want us to abandon the 4-5-1 just yet. Mainly because the personnel we have is geared towards it.

But is it really? I mean, who is the formation suiting? It was designed to get the best out of Eunan, but our new match-winner (Bodin) clearly isn't enjoying it. For what it's worth, I'd like to see us go with a midfield of Stevens-Craig-Mansell-Macklin, with Bodin off Howe. Some may suggest it's too attacking, but I'd argue our defence is being exposed near-enough at will anyway.

[Plymouth Gull]

We're forgetting Lathrope, here I think. He excels in the role infront of the defence, the formation suits him to the ground. Take him out and we've struggled against Port Vale, Argyle and now Rotherham. Easton filled the void fairly well against Rochdale but ultimately once Lathrope returns I'm confident we'll be much more stable than we are at the moment.

[Chris B]

We're forgetting Lathrope, here I think. He excels in the role infront of the defence, the formation suits him to the ground.

Nick, that's fine, but should we really be persisting with a formation that arguably only suits one player who isn't fit, and who may not be for another few weeks? I fully appreciate the need for a measured approach to analyse and rectify our current lack of form, but we're clearly struggling in both attack and defence right now.

[westyorkshiregull]

well that was my first game this season and went away feeling flat. adding to this debate on formation , id like to see bodin up front with howe just behind/or has a 2man attack. clearly howe has the ability to hold the ball up and distribute or get past someone . in other words attack and supply. wondering about mansell in craigs position where prehaps can give some more battle in that area. criag i thought showed some class yesterday , control was fantastic and the clearly can pick players out that you dont realise are avalible. as someone who grew up in the bay in 1980's watching the belovered gulls reminds me a mark loram , the ball being a extension of his body. lacking in pace and maybe lacking in defence but knows what to do when the ball is at his feet. poke handling i thought was good , clearly the defensive didnt help him and i guess he has a part to play in that.
well my next game is chesterfield away and then the shots at home.......

[AustrianAndyGull]

Sorry Andy mate, thats was not aimed at you or anyone else who are fair and balanced in expressing their opinions, it was aimed at number who pretty much allways refer to Rene that way even after the Rochdale game.

No worries, i admit i do sometimes have a rant at players that isn't perhaps justified and i'm willing to accept that and apologise later on if need be. A player who is consistently poor will deserve it but Howe isn't in that category. He just had a shocker yesterday like most of the others but we can move on now to Kingsmeadow on tuesday night where sadly i won't be able to get.

[Plymouth Gull]

As I said elsewhere, what else can we have? Go 4-4-2? Bodin isn't a striker. I think Jarvis is rubbish (never rated him), Stevens? Nope. Macklin? I'd be surprised.