rjdgull
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Post by rjdgull on Aug 10, 2018 7:39:48 GMT
Our second home game of the season against one of the smaller teams in this division yet to gain a point and expectations will be high but it could be a case of being patient as they have lost to late goals in both their games so far and if they defend deep then it will take time to break them down.
Over 2000 home fans for the first game and hopefully we can improve on that for our first Saturday match!
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Post by Deleted on Aug 10, 2018 10:22:14 GMT
It seems that were not going to win many games through skill and flair this season...extra stamina yes! So, we face a team who have won sod all...done sod all...and scored sod all [?] How many times did we play that sort of team last season...and lost! Hopefully, a lucky late goal will keep us in the mix!  |
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Post by gullone on Aug 10, 2018 15:35:52 GMT
Looking forward to this one ! Hoping we persevere with our dastardly 6-5-0 formation and grind out another three points. It aint gonna be pretty...but who cares...COYY
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petef
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Post by petef on Aug 10, 2018 18:45:11 GMT
Nice little feature report on the official site. www.torquayunited.com/official-tufc-tv-squad-assesses-progress-so-far/ Surely we will be better tomorrow but will we better and still win? I would like to think so. If you watch the video link you realise the players know it wasn't good enough lets hope that realisation turns into improvement particularly up top. My guess is Nabi and Keating will start ahead of the two they replaced. East Thurrock. The club names continue to get even more unfamiliar. |
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Jon
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Post by Jon on Aug 11, 2018 12:36:11 GMT
Our first game against a team predicted to be at the bottom end rather than the top end of the league. I would expect them to park the bus and put the onus on us to break them down.
Can we do it? I hope so, but nothing we have seen so far suggests this is our strong suit.
Not sure if Bass and Essuman are fit. Both deserve their place on what I have seen so far, but neither MacDonald nor Sokolik deserve dropping on Tuesday's showing.
I wonder if Dickson will have a slightly more advanced role with Hall holding.
Will we go for a bit more pace in the hole with Banton or Bawling ahead of Regis or Nabi? Or will one of them be used as an impact sub?
Has Keating done enough to deserve a start alongside Williams? Disappointing that Wright did not get five minutes on Tuesday. Is he fit enough to shake things up in the last 15/20 minutes?
I would happily take another scratchy 1-0 win.
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Jon
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Post by Jon on Aug 11, 2018 13:31:59 GMT
Rumours they have parked the bus on the M5. Stuck in traffic.
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petef
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Post by petef on Aug 11, 2018 16:51:01 GMT
2-0 but in parts, rather unconvincing once again.
If we can keep winning playing like that brilliant and there were signs of better things to come again in the second period.
I worry that there is much better in this division who will make us pay for our sloppy passing and our ability to give the ball away. E Thurrock hit the bar just before our second following a reaction save from MacDonald who again looked competent in goal.
A few looked out of sorts today Dickson struggled in particular though he does cover an awful lot of ground. So many times we played our selves into good areas only for the final ball to be over hit or the wrong choice of ball. It got a bit frustrating at times when you can see we had so much more quality than the opposition.
So pleased for Ruairi Keating who deserves his chance and made the most of it with two well taken goals.
There were some prety good performances from Nabi who looks strong and composed - a proper footballer and a very good footballer for this level. Sokolik who had to go off with a bad knock on his knee was playing a blinder as well. Hope it isnt a long term injury again he is really starting to show ho worth.
Better than Tuesday - just, but the opposition wasn't anywhere near as strong.
Missing Luke Young and or Sean McGinty? Not one bit...
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Post by Swanny on Aug 11, 2018 17:24:33 GMT
Another home win, another clean sheet and the crowd has gone home happy again! It was similar to the Bath game in many respects. Torquay played well in patches, struggled at times, rode our luck and did not carve out too many clear chances - too often the final ball went astray. But we won again.
One thing I am learning is how much better defensively Torquay look this season. MacDonald in goal had another outstanding game in all areas. He made one amazing reflex save in the second half tipping the ball onto the bar at 1-0 and there were some other very smart saves as well. Even in added time MacDonald dived low to his left to push the ball around the post when he must have seen the ball late. I noticed MacDonald is comfortable kicking with both feet which is an added bonus. All game his handling was secure. Our back three all looked secure and it was a shame Sokolik went off injured. I noticed our midfielders Dickson and Hall are very good at covering defensively like with headers when we are defending from set pieces. We were sloppy at times today giving the ball away in dangerous areas but we got away with it.
Going forward is our main issue and carving out clear chances. We play a patient build up under Owers but so often our moves are let down by a pass going astray. We kept our shape well but for much of the game it is quite dull viewing and quite ponderous. We think we need to accept that Owers type of football is a lot different to the more adventurous football we used to watch under Buckle and Leroy. Owers is more like Ling. Today's crowd 1,600 was not helped by just a handful of East Thurrock fans sat in the Bristow Bench. Sponsors MOTM going to 2 goal hero Keating.
Similar to the Bath game, Williams missed a golden opportunity early on. He shot weakly at the keeper with the goal at his mercy. Williams today had another poor game but thankfully Keating, like against Bath, stepped up to the plate. Torquay started with confidence and were doing some decent passing but as the half wore on their game got more ragged. East Thurrock had a decent 5-10 minute spell when they had a couple of decent openings and looked lively. Torquay scored when they were seriously struggling from a soft goal. The ball was pumped forward, their defenders made a hash of it and Keating nipped in, rounded the keeper and scored! Our blushes were saved.
The game opened up more in the second half and MacDonald's wonder save tipping the ball onto the bar kept the score 1-0. Torquay's second goal was from a quality cross from Davis. The unmarked Keating planted his header into the corner of the net. Torquay saw out the rest of the game quite comfortably, East Thurrock did not have enough in their tank to trouble Torquay much but they did try and have a go. Torquay's moves were still a bit hit-and-miss but we had done enough for the win. Reid and Banton replaced our front two but neither had chance to make an impact.
Things are ticking over nicely but there is still much improvement needed offensively. We are riding our luck too much for my liking but there are some promising signs. I am happy that our defence and midfield is far stronger than last season and there are some good options available.
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rjdgull
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Post by rjdgull on Aug 12, 2018 8:09:08 GMT
I would pretty much agree with the above match reports which are spot-on! I thought we got the job done without hitting anywhere near top gear with many good positions wasted and while we looked the better and fitter side still needed some very good goal keeping to get all 3 points!
I would pick MacDonald, Davis and Keating as our standout performers with the defence and midfield looking pretty solid generally with the occasional mistake such as that which led to East Thurrock shooting from point blank range and MacDonald somehow parrying the ball onto the bar and away to safety! The contrast in the work rate between Williams and Keating was stark with the latter deserving his goals with his harrying and getting into those positions whereby he can score and was going all out to get a hat trick right up to when he was substituted!
I think there is more to come from this side but a good start gives both confidence and time to improve without going into a downward spiral that is all too familiar in the both few years.
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chelstongull
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Post by chelstongull on Aug 12, 2018 8:55:49 GMT
2-0 but in parts, rather unconvincing once again. Unconvincing indeed against a very poor side. Dickenson didn't(I think) make one pass in the entire game, we seemed to sit so deep (playing 8 - 0 - 2 on occassions) allowing East Thurrock to start their attack from the halfway line and the final through ball was 95% overhit. Surely Andre Wright is fit enough to make the last 15 minutes or so, as it was he didn't even make the bench. Is Gowling injured? Sorry, not convinced even if we make the top seven by the end of August. |
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chelstongull
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Post by chelstongull on Aug 12, 2018 12:07:37 GMT
Number 3 for East Thurrock was Paul Konchesky, changed hands for over £10,000,000 in his day!
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Post by Deleted on Aug 12, 2018 12:53:02 GMT
I've often wondered how awful it must be to support Celtic! Knowing that you are going to win 99.99% of all the matches you play, 99.99% of all the cup competitions you enter! How do you raise a cheer when you've won the league and cup double for the last twenty years...yawn!  To that end, I hope that Owers decides to mix it up a bit and throws a few loses and draws into this seasons campaign, other than trying to win every game...it would be tedious if we were to be promoted before the turn of the year!  |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 12, 2018 13:40:41 GMT
A very astute point,Reg. Although I'm sure the Chairman will have reminded Owers that breaking away from the pack too early in the season would be bad for business. A big points lead needs to be avoided for several months yet. Every point needs to be viewed as crucial for the time being, otherwise who's going to turn up to Plainmoor on a cold afternoon in mid December, when there's the option of an excellent 'Pay what you like' commentary if you prefer to save your petrol and stay at home in the warmth?
Owers has made a number of generous sporting gestures, such as playing a 5ft 2inch goalkeeper from the Wheeltappers & Shunters Club between the sticks for us, and refusing to unleash Andre Wright.....but our opponents seem to lack the gumption to take advantage. Tuck in with the leading group, keep the winning margins modest, and we can maintain interest for a good while yet.
Agree completely with your point re Celtic. With most games dead as a competitive spectacle by half time, their matches seem appallingly poor value for money. Contrast that with our first home game, where Owers reminded the lads not to score too early against Bath, allowing fans to enjoy a game with a competitive edge from first minute to last.
Our disdain for the damage clubs like Celtic do to football, is surely born out by our stubborn refusal, year after year, to invite them down for a pre-season friendly.
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chelstongull
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Post by chelstongull on Aug 12, 2018 19:36:11 GMT
Owers has made a number of generous sporting gestures, such as playing a 5ft 2inch goalkeeper from the Wheeltappers & Shunters Club between the sticks for us, and refusing to unleash Andre Wright. I often wonder what planet you're on AJ  |
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Post by nickbrod on Aug 12, 2018 20:08:32 GMT
Number 3 for East Thurrock was Paul Konchesky, changed hands for over £10,000,000 in his day! Actually he was number 4. |
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