FL2: Torquay United v Barnet 22nd August 2009

The game you watched Paul, was the same all the fans watched I'm afraid. Everyone around me and on the way out were saying how very poor we were today.

I did not hear Bucks on the radio, its not like him to dress anything up normally and he sure was getting very angry with his players during todays game.

Thanks Dave R and Paul R for the reports, views and pictures. I get the impression that the Barnet Goalkeeper doesn't have any mirrors at home. ;D

There will be a few more reports to come yet Chris and Darryl is sending me some more pictures on Sunday.

Not an awful game by any stretch of the imagination and in all honesty its inevitably going to be a season of ups and downs.
Last season against lesser opposition we would have comfortably come away with at least a point and probably three today. This league in our absence appears to have improved somewhat over the past two seasons and unless we play to our full potential each week teams will punish us as Barnet did today.
It was also an early opportunity for the manager to shuffle the pack and discover the true depth of the squad in a proper competitive match and he would have learned quite a bit today. As much as I love Greavsy those nippy Barnet youngsters left him for dead though he wasn't alone in that respect - we have very little genuine pace in the side and paid the price today. Poor Robbo accepts that he has to stand in for Mans if needed and in all truth makes a good fist of it but against genuine pace and trickery at wing back, he can look lost at times. He deserves his place in the middle along side a very capable Charnock who impressed me today and has added some quality. Mussy, I thought had a pretty reasonable game and once he started getting at their defence was our biggest threat particularly in the second half. He has bags of skill and perhaps deserves a run in the side as Danny has gone off the boil of late. He needs good service from midfield though and it just wasn't there today. There is hope though as we always seem to bounce back and the second half showing was a vast improvement with a couple of slick passing moves that could have resulted in some reward. Barnet for such a young side used all the tricks in the book to "spoil " our game and tempo and were always dangerous on the break attacking with pace and good movement.
Poor crowd as just I expected as it happens and the (old age 55+) snipers were doing there old age hooligan slagging off of players in the second half - has to be seen and heard to be believed some of the states they get themselves worked up in - never mind they will soon be on a drip down Torbay hospital at the rate they were going today!
Funniest thing today was coming home listening to the radio and results and finding out we had lost only by a single goal for the first time ever i came out of the ground thinking that they had scored a second which I found out had been disallowed for off side. Must be going senile - Perhaps that drip at Torbay Hosptal is waiting for me as well!!

I can`t believe a lot of things today, 1. being the ref, shockingly poor, he booked Muzzy for a foul against him, I was right in line with it about 10 yards away, Muzzy has got across the ball and started to drag it at the same time matey has started to pull Muzzy around to his left, Muzzy is trying to keep possession and basically is pushed of the ball ( by this time it`s a stone wall free kick to Muzzy ) on his way down he tries to break his fall by grabbing what he can and gets hold of mateys` shirt ( just ) and the juvenile pre-pubescent idiot books Muzzy for shirt pulling! There were a couple of incidents earlier between Muzzy and said matey where they were both trying to muscle each other off the ball and were both guilty of a bit of shirt pulling but it was 50/50 up till then they both gave as good as they got, when the ref pulled Muzzy up too book him, he pointed at three places on the park where he had thought Muzzy had been the only culprit, in my opinion the ref made a huge amount of mistakes, probably reflects his age ( inexperience ) not saying he is to blame for the result but it does throw in elements of " what if ? ". One thing that probably prompted this posts first element is when the ref obviously gave us a very soft free kick in a useless position straight after he realized he had cocked up a peach when the ball was in a very advantageous position( inexperience )!
2. Being some of the shit I heard coming from our own crowd when it was still early doors and Mr. Pymm was down the other end in the first half so it couldn`t have been him! No offence meant Mark! Are these the same people that sang their hearts out against Chesterfield, I don`t think so or they have been on sedatives!
3. The ability we have to bounce back after a defeat and play our skins off and then turn up the next game and get all wobbly again!
4. And finally I have to wait till next home game before I get my new `Lady Fork`!
All in all what with the cricket and rugby I`ve had a pretty shit day really! I know I`ve slaughtered the ref but I feel it no less than he deserves, I also realize that it shouldn`t come down to the refs decisions because there is 90 minutes plus too try and put things right in a game of football! But hey what hell do I know, if I had the answers I`d be the manager! Now that would shit up a few people! Oh and by the way I`m not even worthy of polishing Paul's shoes, let alone step into them!
Bounce-back-ability, we`ll be alright provided the faithfull remain faithfull! Come On You Yellows!

Now come on dave, you know better than to believe any press statement 100%. I accept that the likelihood is that PB will sign but you know as well as I do that there are many press statements made by clubs at all levels that turn out not to be the case.

How often do we hear the chairman saying a player is not leaving etc ect...........only for him to leave a week later. The clubs often do this to force a hand (I can think of an example at torquay )

We cannot blame fans who don't believe what they hear because there is so much "crying wolf" from all parties.

Personally (and it is only my personal opinion with no basis in fact or rumour) I think the team played today like they were unsettled.

On a seperate note I dont by into this inspirational crowd nonsense, sure players say it is the "twelfth man" but so many teams in the prem with poor vocal support do well ay home. Also I think if we want more noie they should consider not playing loud music right up until kick off, It just kills any possible "banter" that may build up in warm uo. Maybe this is what they want?

Yes, a very disappointing game with a very poor first half and a marginally improved second half.

The pace of this and the Chesterfield game is much faster than life in the BSP and you need nippy left and/or right backs. Sorry but Robbo is not up to it in League 2 (he and Charnock for me would be the best CB pairing) and as for Toddys rash challenge which imo he was lucky to stay on the field.

Thought we were due a penalty in the first half as the part of the body the ball hit had fingers. Thought (like Aussie) that the ref gave too much leeway to Barnet and we seemed to be penalised for 95% of all incidents.

We certainly missed Carlisle's tireless work and Mansells pace at right back. Who know if they had both started from 'the off'. Easy to say late in the game but I thought Sills power in the air would have been useful earlier as the CB for Barnet seemed to win most of the balls pumped in.

I'm sure I read that Bucks is still looking at bringing in some other players but haven't heard it in the past week or so.

Thought that a draw would have been the fair result but thats football - thought that Wroes shot was going in, great strike. Roll on Bournemouth - anyone up for a carvery?

Still at least the new home shirts were in!! Aussie, Jon had to go up a XXL!!