FL2: Torquay United v Bournemouth 5th Sept 2009

I wouldn't agree with that entirely Dave!! From what I have seen so far it isn't hugely different from the season that we had in 06/07 (perhaps Notts County and their obscene funding excepted!).
One thing that I'm sure that we both agree on though is that we are far better equiped to see-off the likes of the struggling teams and will give some of the "bigger" teams with ambitions of promotion the odd shock as well.

Bournemouth are a revived team - aside from their opening away win at Bury they have have ground-out the results, just as they did last season to overturn a big points penalty. To have turned it around last season under a very promising young manager when they looked perliously close to joining Luton in plying their trade in the BSP was impressive.
There are plenty of bargain basement signings in there along with the young players, but players like Guyett, Bradbury, Igoe and the ever-green Steve Fletcher make-up the spine of the team.

We are likely to face one-time target Shwan Jalal, although I think that Danny Hollands is still injured and I see that Alan Connell is there but not featuring so expect that he is as well (sound familiar?!).

I would agree Dave and expect that Bevs will be on the bench and Poke will start. I'm concerned at Bevan - he has looked very tentative at getting down compared to last season and looks in a bad way every time he walks-off at the end of the match.....

There is certainly plenty of decisions for Bucks to make - firstly at the back, if Mansell is fit will he replace Robertson at right-back - will Robertson return to centre-half?
In the midfield, will Thompson retain his spot after what sounded like a good performance last night? I can't see Wroe being dropped (even if he might be seen to be underperforming by his standards by some) so that leaves Hargreaves.....
I don't think that Marvin Williams will start - I would expect that he'll be waming the bench and would be surprised if he starts ahead of Stevens or Carlisle. I notice that he seems to have scored very few goals over the last couple of years - has he mostly been playing on the wing?

I'm hopeful of a crowd of 3,500+. Great to have these sort of fixtures being hosted at Plainmoor again!

I can only think Mansell has not been 100% fit for the last two games, we all know that Robertson is not really best suited to playing as the right back, but probably is the best of all the rest to play there, if Mansell can't play.

Judging by the reports from last nights game, Stevens would be unlucky to be dropped for this game, but then I felt Benyon was also unlucky to get dropped for our first game, after his performances in the pre season friendlies.

Providing Marvin Williams is fit, I just feel Bucks will start him and put Danny on the bench. I also think Mansell will start and it seems Toddy also had a good game last night, so just who will Bucks go with? I have felt that Robertson would start ahead of Toddy, but maybe at the end of the day there is not a lot to choose between them, they both have their own strengths and weaknesses.

I would hope for a slightly bigger gate than 3500 and that we see the fans getting fully behind the team, but we know if we start badly etc, the singing will stop and the few will start shouting out their usual rubbish.

He did. He played extremely well. I just think the Manager will select Greavsie. I don't buy the theory that Wroe is undroppable. We upped our game when Thompson went alongside Greavsie at Woking last season, and provided they both followed a game plan of getting it out to the wings, if I was Manager, I would drop Wroe for a game and get those crosses in to Sills.

I was expecting the XL to the same, but was disappointed to see that the XL is actually the equivalent of an L and to get the same as an XL you needed to get an XXL.

The Bay has had a few wet days and the sun was out for a while this morning, as I write its now gone in and the sky is looking very gray.

With all the rain it would have been good for the pitch if the sun had stayed out, or will come out again later this morning, but we have aussie and his lady fork to deal with any divots that may appear.

I still have a very good feeling that we win win today and put another three points on the board, the sooner we can get to a number that would be considered would ensure we stay in league two, the sooner we can look to press on and see what our chances are of getting in the play-offs.

While we would all be happy for a good mid table position at the end of the season, there is no reason not to try and get as high as we can and as anything can happen in football, anything is possible.

Well with both Charnock and Hargreaves failing to last until half time, we have used two of those subs: Hodges and Thompson being called into action.

Lots of pressure but no clear cut chances created, just the one shot on target reported and none for the visitors. Despite that, it is said to be an entertaining game played between two footballing sides both with intentions to go for the win.

The chances of bringing on the eagerly anticipated pace of Marvin Williams seem to be diminishing in the wake of those injuries to Charnock and Hargreaves.

Quote of the day: In my son's match this lunchtime the guy he was marking tightly and picking up whenever he made inroads on goal stuck his forehead in Anthony's face and said "what are you following me all the time for, are you some kind of stalker?"

Click the bournemouth side of the link..the torquay side has gone down as usual