NL: Solihull Moors v Torquay United 7:45pm 14 September 2021

Johnson not a happy bunny.

Talking of shipping players out. Says he has seen enough without waiting for the standard ten games before reviewing.

www.devonlive.com/sport/torquay-united-manager-gary-johnson-5917142?fbclid=IwAR3oQoPWb-wTn50tIDMI5fv5eU2RzY0oL1g2G1hvksZyAZSAmHHH34Fkcoo


But which ones is he intending to ship out?
I haven't seen anyone step up this season and that includes the ones who were here last season. Can't be done in a hurry and the fact the squad now realise and been told the situation is dire is even more demoralising.
What's happened to that close knit happy squad who played open attacking football and without fear.

GJ has more or less admitted in the article hes made rushed and poor decisions - unbelievable for an experienced manager of his stature but at least hes holding his hands up.
Just a couple of months ago the magnificent seven were unveiled in a sensational announcement we were all anticipating with bated breath. Most were underwhelmed but trusted the manager to make the right call on players- surely they were researched well and in anticipation of a mass exodus?
I can only imagine Garry didn't realise so many of his best players were intent on leaving. He simply wasn't prepared for the situation and had little time to assemble a squad.
Even more galling he released players that are scoring goals regularly and who and who are better than anything that's come in. Waters, Bodin Umerah all scoring goals for here new clubs and Buse I would take over any of them in midfield he was at least 100% committed and always gave it all. Buse and Waters both very unfortunate to be released.
Yes Garry you have made some big boo boos this time and I'm not sure how your going to correct those transfer blunders and turn it around.

Interesting comment: "As a manager I have to, A, take the responsibility, and B, we have got to turn the personnel around a little bit as quickly as we can. Because at the moment some of them are not proving quite up to this level."

Well, he didn't say that after the Grimsby game, although of course that doesn't mean he wasn't thinking it. We have to presume that excludes everyone who was here last season because they certainly proved that they were up to the level of succeeding in the National League

If we only look at Solihull match, then the new signings in that game were:

Halstead - who with the benefit of hindsight should not have played. I'm all for accepting that the reasons for his half-time sickness weren't visible at the start fo the game and that the medical staff fully believed that he was fit to play, but he cannot be judged on 45 minutes last night. I've already said that I don't think he is helped by his defence. I don't think Alisson would be very good behind this defence, let alone Halstead. So we can blame the goalie all we want, but a better keeper isn't going to solve this particular problem. Which doesn't mean that Halstead is exempt from criticism.

Ali Omar - Yes, probably not at this level yet. However, I think he's been thrown in the deep end and does need a bit more support. We need a more experienced defender to help him along (I remember Guy Branston talking Mark Ellis through games when they played together). Both Omar and Lewis are the same age (22 this month) and we need more experience in the middle. Omar could yet be a very good National League player with the benefit of some quality coaching.

Chiroi Johnson - certainly has the skill for this level so is his application missing? Or would he play better with a Lapslie figure holding the middle together?

Gabby Rogers - he hasn't impressed me, perhaps he is one of Johnson's list.

Dan Holman - I was surprised he was playing given the state of his knee on Saturday. He hasn't impressed me much either. But having said that, he is not a target man so launching the ball a foot over his head isn't playing to his strengths. Give him the ball in space around the edge of the penalty are and he will score. Expect him to jump three feet to head it or give it to him surrounded by three giant defenders and he isn't going to succeed.

I wonder of GJ is protecting his own interests, by blaming the players rather than his own tactics or coaching. This looks more like a reserve side than a first team. We were missing Lapslie, Little, Andrews, er, oh. We really don't have a very strong squad, do we! I don't think shipping any of these players out is the answer, we need reinforcements not replacements.

Has Edwards demanded improvements and Johnson responded by throwing his players under a bus rather than accepting that his tactics have been diabolical from the first minute of the Altrincham game?