NL: Torquay United v Ebbsfleet United 3pm 25/1/20

The two worst defences in the league.

This game has 0-0 written all over it then!

No sign of our new striker - too late to spring a late surprise?

Assuming it is, I'd guess we would be a similar lineup and shape to last week.

It would be tough on Nemane to be left out, but I would put Little (if fit) or Andrews in the midfield and push Evans forward into that 4-2-3-1 shape which saw our most successful run.

I would prefer Cameron to Cundy and leave Covolan in goal.

Jon...you called it! 0-0
Hope to see a new striker at Plainmoor next week!

A dreadful game of football to watch bereft of any quality from either side. If you were a neutral supporter you would have left early or if you were watching this on TV you would have switched channel. Sadly loyal supporters have to sit through this dross in a vague hope things might improve. Surely it would get better in the second half after a disappointing first half showing? The truth of the matter is that the game got worse the longer it went on.

The only positives I can take is that I like the look of Longridge at left back and Warren in central defence. At least we were reasonably solid in defence and did not have any comedy moments today gifting the opposition a goal. Covolan did what was needed in goal and apart from coming out a long way and missing a cross he was solid enough. In the first half we did at times do some very good build up play and got into decent positions. But the final ball all game was missing. Both keepers had very little to do all game. The game gradually descended into a hard slog with neither team able to find that quality to unlock the opposition defence. Torquay's play got ragged, too many misplaced passes, set pieces all wasted typically not even going past the first defender. Reid, who still showed glimpses of quality had Torquay's best opening in the second half but his shot was saved by their keeper's legs. That was about it excitement wise, I don't think Torquy had another meaningful shot on target all match and Ebbsfleet were little better. From their viewpoint, it was a decent away point. The onus was on Torquay as the home team to take the game to Ebbsfleet but they were sadly incapable of that.

The crowd of 2,300 with 71 away supporters did not get value for money and at the final whistle there was virtual silence. Hall got Torquay's sponsors MOTM and he does look fit now and gets stuck in and has a good engine. Players like Kalala and Lemonheigh-Evans were frustrating today. When Kalala did beat his man his final ball was usually dreadful and when things do not go his way you feel he does not put a shift in. Lemonheigh-Evans deliveries were dreadful all game. When Torquay did put a decent cross in, Torquay lack anyone who can head the ball. Ironically it could have been a game where Keating might have made a difference with his tenacity and heading ability but he has gone.

It was pointed out to me today that all our back four were loan players. To me that rather sums up the poor state our team has become. Too many injuries this season, too many loan players coming and going and the best we can hope on recent form is to limp to safety this season. This season has become an anti-climax after our bright opening this season and I have already written it off. We should get enough points to avoid a relegation scrap but we have little to get excited about. We DO have quality in the team but too many are not showing it and if our passing game breaks down like today we have little else to offer. We are not physical enough or good enough in the air to win games in any other way. Oh well, at least we did not lose...

We need a big bruising forward in the mould of Ebbsfleet's number 9 & 12, they caused us problems all afternoon.

Would like to have seen Lewington start.

Agree on that.

Formations don't win or lose matches on the own.

When the team is "at it" (copyright Paul Buckle) you win more than you lose. When the team is a bit lethargic and lacking in energy you will usually lose - unless you are at home to bottom of the league and scrape a 0-0.

Make no mistake, we would have lost against a decent team. Without Warren (how we needed to sign someone like him in the summer!) we would even have managed to lose at home to Ebbsfleet.

A totally lacklustre display, no zip, no sparkle no energy.

I really do not like the formation we played but it could have been good if played well.

Reidy was totally isolated and we did only have one up front, meaning we did not even test a defence as bad as ours was without Warren.

In a 4-3-3, the other two up front need to be wide strikers not wingers - cutting in at every opportunity to join Reid. Three strikers not one. But as Pete says, it looked as if Kalala and Whitfield had been told to hog the touchline as if they were 1950s wingers.

If you do that, you really need Evans or Nemane to bomb through the middle to join Reid - making it a 4-2-4. But both looked lacking in energy and inspiration and never really joined the attack.

On paper we had five forwards - almost strung across the park like Eric Webber might have set a team up. With the skill those five possess, they could have ripped Ebbsfleet to shreds.

But it really was a 4-1-4-1 - with none of the four strung behind Reid really attacking.

I don't know what the problem is, but we need to get back the high-energy, high-tempo rhythm we had when we were winning games.

If we do that, the formation is secondary. But I would like another channel-running out-and-out striker up front with Reid - and get back to getting the ball quickly into the channels for then to harass defences.

We can play some "pretty football" but if it is lacking in zip and energy it will be easy for opponents to fend off.