Billy Bodin

[Richinns]

I have noticed some venting towards his performances currently. I bet you no one is more frustrated than him at the moment.

What is important is that a negative mentality is not created (as it has been with Danny in the past). We all know he has a lot of talent and is going to be a top player at this level (if not higher).
However - his form is not good at the moment and the last thing he or we need is for the fans to start negative shouts and comments (which a lot of the time are not warranted). We have to remember he is still a very young lad and performance levels are far more likely to fluctuate at this stage of his development.

I am very confident his form will turn round and he will get 15 goals this year and I think it is important we support him when he needs it the most.

[AustrianAndyGull]

If a player, ANY player doesn't at least look like he is making an effort then he DESERVES to be made aware of this. Whether it by booing or abuse or whatever well that is entirely up to the individual i suppose. I've said this about a few players in the past and get sick and tired of saying it but i'll do it again. If a player works hard and looks as though he is interested in the match and makes runs etc then IF HE HAS A CRAP GAME I'M NOT GOING TO COMPLAIN. Players have crap games all the time but if they give us the effort then we have to forgive that. My issue with Billy when i've seen him this season is that he is not even making an effort, no tackling, no making runs, just being a lazy tw*t and that is not acceptable. If any of you out there can accept this lack of effort just because he is wearing yellow and should be supported no matter what then you are just the types of people that would continue going to Plainmoor if we were back in the conference, bottom, and charging £50 to get in. A player needs support when he is trying passes, runs and shots that just aren't coming off and fans are berating them, that's fine. A player who needs support even when he can't be bothered to get his finger out of his anus is a player i don't want at Torquay. Even Rene infuriated me when i first began watching him because, talent aside, he would just slob around doing nothing most of the time. Have you SEEN him now?!! He is all over the place, chasing down balls, harrying defenders, WORKING FOR THE TEAM WHEN THINGS AREN'T QUITE HAPPENING. If Billy can't do that then he can F*ck off in my opinion and i don't believe i am being unreasonable in saying that.

[AustrianAndyGull]

I don't even comprehend why many of you are being so sympathetic and it really gets on my t*its. I have to go out and work hard to earn a pittance and some of that pittance i spend watching Torquay. To then view what Billy has been giving us on a consistent basis is sickening. I don't see how you can't see this too. He get's paid for doing sod all so hey, i might go on the dole and do the same. Either that or i could join Torquay as there i can swan around like Gok Wan pirouhetting to my hearts content, getting nowhere but still dragging money for nothing! Get Mark Knopfler down to Plainmoor to do a song for Billy FFS!!

[Richinns]

Andy - WOW!

He starts every week - do you really think Mr Ling would allow that if he just sees Torquay as an easy ride? Do you really think he would allow him to walk around with his thumb up his arse?

Come on mate - get real! It is just a bad run of form and your overreaction is both laughable and concerning. It seems you are very much one of the individuals who turn up with a specific target in mind for you to vent your anger at. As much as you may deny it I bet you were one of those who targeted Danny and after this Morris and now you and your negativity crew have moved on to Billy.

I trust Martin Ling far more than you and if he is not seeing the right things in training and on the pitch from Bill then he will deal with this as he has dealt with Macklin and Leadbitter in the past.

Might I suggest you look at your anger issues.

[miltonkeynesgull]

If a player works hard and looks as though he is interested in the match and makes runs etc then IF HE HAS A CRAP GAME I'M NOT GOING TO COMPLAIN. Players have crap games all the time but if they give us the effort then we have to forgive that. My issue with Billy when i've seen him this season is that he is not even making an effort, no tackling, no making runs, just being a lazy tw*t and that is not acceptable.

But you slated him after the Wycombe match...a game where, for my money, he DID make several incisive runs and had several decent efforts. He was by no means the worst player on the pitch. A brief look at the highlights would back this up.

The lad is 20 years old for gods sake. He's still learning the game. Getting on his back and chucking abuse at him is never going to improve him as a player.

Agree with Rich, trust in Lingy. He sees far much more of the players than any of us do, and we all know that if they aren't pulling their weight, he'd have no hesitations in dropping him.

[Gullscorer]

Andy - WOW!

He starts every week - do you really think Mr Ling would allow that if he just sees Torquay as an easy ride? Do you really think he would allow him to walk around with his thumb up his arse?

Come on mate - get real! It is just a bad run of form and your overreaction is both laughable and concerning. It seems you are very much one of the individuals who turn up with a specific target in mind for you to vent your anger at. As much as you may deny it I bet you were one of those who targeted Danny and after this Morris and now you and your negativity crew have moved on to Billy.

I trust Martin Ling far more than you and if he is not seeing the right things in training and on the pitch from Bill then he will deal with this as he has dealt with Macklin and Leadbitter in the past.

Might I suggest you look at your anger issues.

I absolutely agree with this post. Express opinions by all means, but control the emotions. Support the players and the team. Remember that everyone has spells of inconsistency or poor form, and trust in the manager to sort things out.

[Plymouth Gull]

It most certainly wouldn't have helped him being farmed out to Crewe to sit on the bench for the last 6 months, after such a productive first spell here. It'll take time, but he'll come good.

[AustrianAndyGull]

No problems at all with Morris, good player, sickened by the pointless stick he gets and he always tries to get the lads going.

Danny was't even a footballer 4 years ago, 2 years ago he worked his way up to conference level and now he is league 2 level. He is limited but has worked at his game although he does become anonymous often for large parts of games. I respect Danny for trying to improve himself and my vitriol towards him has now subsided because i know that that's as good as he is and so long as he works hard then he should get our support. I think regarding my viewpoint towards Danny is called turning a negative into a positive. I have gone from being totally negative about Danny ( for valid reasons imo ) to actually respecting him as a player and person and being positive about him. Why have i suddenly moved onto Billy? I say as i see and each time i've seen him his laziness smacks you in the face you can't really miss it. I'm not going to a game thinking, 'right , who can i pick on here and start a vendetta' . Get real man! All i ask is effort, a herd of elephants could put on the yellow shirts and play against Morecambe on saturday and lose 20-0 but if they gave me effort i'd be happy. DO YOU NOT SEE?!!!!! This is so infuriating. I am easy to please, effort - lots of it - lose 10-0 and i'm ok with it. Picking up money for doing nothing i have a HUGE problem with because up north we have to bloody well graft for our cash and i suggest players like Billy do the same.

[gullsflyinghigh]

Andy - WOW!

He starts every week - do you really think Mr Ling would allow that if he just sees Torquay as an easy ride? Do you really think he would allow him to walk around with his thumb up his arse?

Come on mate - get real! It is just a bad run of form and your overreaction is both laughable and concerning. It seems you are very much one of the individuals who turn up with a specific target in mind for you to vent your anger at. As much as you may deny it I bet you were one of those who targeted Danny and after this Morris and now you and your negativity crew have moved on to Billy.

I trust Martin Ling far more than you and if he is not seeing the right things in training and on the pitch from Bill then he will deal with this as he has dealt with Macklin and Leadbitter in the past.

Might I suggest you look at your anger issues.

Totally agree Richinns. Billy is a class player and its not a case of a lack of effort, things just aren't coming off for him at the moment. We all know what he's capable of and i'm sure he will come good again very soon. He's still a very young player. Last thing he needs is people getting on his back.

[AustrianAndyGull]

Has anyone been listening to me?! I never said Billy was a crap player!! Look i don't wish to fall out with anyone, i RATE Billy highly but am not happy with his application. It really is that simple for me and if you arehappy then fine. I apologise for saying anything derogatory previously if that is your point of view.

[Plymouth Gull]

All we're saying Andy is give the bloke a chance instead of going off on one after every game. His first half miss last night when he passed it back to Nelson would have annoyed him as much as anybody.

[AustrianAndyGull]

Again Nick, i appreciate what you're saying but it's not him missing chances that i'm fussed about, at least it shows he is getting into positions. It's his effort and workrate. I think the confusion here is that i haven't been to any home games where Billy has scored and played better but i've been to all the away games bar Wimbledon where Billy has been atrocious in terms of effort every time. Therefore some of you on here who haven't been to an away game yet may be thinking i'm a touch out of order whereas those who have been to most away games may be able to see where i'm coming from.

[Plymouth Gull]

I was at Fleetwood (where you say we were terrible on the whole) but I felt we weren't. Its all about opinions.

[Jeff]

Ironically enough, the last two away games I've been too (Wimbledon and Rovers) Billy has been right up there in terms of the effort he put in. Wimbledon he was making all sorts of runs and linking up with Rene, but it was one of those days where stuff didn't come off. Rovers, once he went up front alongside Howe he worked as hard as I've seen in a long time, was holding his own against a pretty strong central defence and IMO we lost the game when we brought Jarvis on as we lost that pace and work rate up front.

I think Bodin is slipping into the trap like Stevens did, whereas he goes with the general nature of the team performance rather than being able to step out of it and turn a game. If the team plays well, chances are Billy has a decent game. But if we play poorly all over the place, Billy seems to be more anonymous than most.

He can be a game-changer, but at the moment he hasn't had the rub of the green to actually change a game.

[AustrianAndyGull]

You are right there Nick, i thought the Vale performance was our best especially taking the lead and having a depleted squad. All the others were there for the taking IMO.

Jeff, that would be an accurate similarity to the way Stevens was and what i didn't like about him. He would start off well then we'd get nothing out of him for the other 70 minutes or so and this would happen most weeks. It weird but the very fact that he was anonymous made him stand out even more and i guess that is happening with Billy like you say if we are under the cosh a lot which has happened on most away games.