Res Fix: Exeter v Torquay 7th Sept 2010

Post of the week?

like i said before, i only really view a few players to rate, the ones who stick out.

potter had a very quiet game very little to do untill the end as most of the city shots were way of target

rowe turner, composed on the ball, good defending should go on a few more runs though i think good cross for the first goal

halpin much more improved since the time i last saw him played well through out and his goal was quite impressive

yeoman a very poor game even though he scored selfed the ball a little too much and didnt put kee in enough also lost the ball quite easialy

kee, good header for his goal, played quite well throughtout the match also set up yeoman i think

macklin scored a good goal in his game

a side note on the "rowdy fans" again, although there weren't as many of them as usual they were very much well behaved almost as if they had read what was on the forums. i think i only heard them swear once in the entire match, although as it was a smaller group we will have to wait and see at the next away game to how it has changed

I think the conversation I had this evening with the coach at QPR who coaches the squad Anthony's having his 6 week trial with illustrates the very different way the pro's view a player on trial than fans do. I had already received a phone call from the club today giving me some feedback on his first week there as we travelled over this afternoon, and after training tonight I asked his team coach for his personal feedback and he emphasized that with trialists their skill and ability is already taken as a given in that they were scouted by the club and then further monitored BEFORE any trial was offered; and that what is mostly looked for in a trial is the level of desire, determination and the will to fit into the squad the individual can display during that period. They allow for the fact that trialists will often try too hard to impress their skill levels and get caught in possession and that they will often try the more difficult aspects of the game as opposed to the more mundane and "safe" options.

So there we have it Jon......................don't go to reserve games expecting to see trialists play like Billy Big time and send you all home waxing lyrical!

Looking at the starting lineup, I would think that 3-4-3 was utilised in order to have a look at LRT playing in a central defending position and also to maximise the stenghts of trialist Danny Senda who WAS used as a right sided midfield player by Tony Adams when he was his manager at Wycombe..................he didn't play as a fullback until after Adams departed to the best of my knowledge; and when he did it was on the suggstion of that excellently perceptive coach John Gorman.

Trying to "pass through" sides in a less competitive reserve fixture is pefectly understandable too, as opposed to trying to take on and beat individuals. Establishing good passing and movement practice throughout the club has to be a good policy especially in the light of reports of the First Team tending to surrender possession rather cheaply during the first half of last Saturday's game at Southend.

I recall from Gary Nelson's "Left Foot Forward" book from about 15 seasons ago that he gave a good insight into his experience of reserve football (in some of his many matches that he played that season). It seemed to be a mixed bag of some players trying to impress as individuals and that had a negative impact on the team performance as a whole, some players who seemed to be there to get a reaction to being dropped and some that were basically marking time before their contracts expired. I feel that our reserve set-up would be nothing like that.

Our reserve team is such an integral part to what the club is trying to achieve on the pitch. So often in the past there had been many young players that have come through the youth set-up only to get cameo appearances from the bench, fail to shine in an often struggling team and then move-on. Given the investment into the youth set-up, it is essential to have some sort of transition side that allows players to move-up to playing alongside senior players in a fairly competitive setting to help them towards the first team.
Having seen O'Kane, Halpin and Kee play just a little bit, I am excited about their ability but am really hopeful that they could thrive in reserve matches and this could allow them to build-up form and "hit the ground running" when they get their chances in the first team.
Who knows, maybe some of the players that showed some decent performances in the pre-season against "men's teams" could have continued their football development within the club rather than going to play at Western League?

On the subject of Senda - I recall him having the reputation of being a decent player but bow to the better judgement of others that have seen him play. Perhaps along the lines of Jason Fowler we could have a player on our hands that we might never have the opportunity to sign if he hadn't had a serious injury (in the same way that Exeter have Noble).
The question is whether he can get back to a level of fitness and mobility that will let him challenge for regular football - between our coaching and medical staff I am sure they can figure that out.

Not quite sure why you have to adopt the snearing "I am considerably better informed than you" tone, although I might have my theories on that.

I certainly do NOT go to reserve games expecting to see trialists play like Billy Big time and send me home waxing lyrical!

I did not know who Senda was (he was D.Sender on the teamsheet) so had no expectations of him whatsoever. Seeing as there was interest in him from a few people, I tried to incorporate what I did notice about him in my very brief report.

I mentioned that he played a wide midfield role rather than a full back role and mentioned the two cockups in quick succession that led to him throwing up an arm in acknowledgment of the fact. If he'd been miked up, you could imagine him saying "Oh, bugger" in an "Unlucky Alf" style. I am quite sure that professional coaches and scouts see through "glaring errors" but I bet that the trialist commiting one - or in this case two in rapid succession - feels that he has "blown it". I have interviewed people who have stumbled over answers through nerves, but still given them the job because I could see beyond that. They have said to me "I couldn't believe I'd got the job after I lashed up that answer". If you read my post, I specifically sympathised with trialists in general over the pressure of feeling that their career is on the line.

I mentioned that Senda did not "stand out" because that is true. He didn't stick out as particularly good, bad, fit, unfit, disinterested or anything else. Jake Thomson "stood out" as the only player on the pitch who looked like he felt he was too good to be there. O'Kane stood out through his touch and passing. If I had played at right back, I would have stood out - like a sore thumb. Senda did not to the casual observer (which I am - I am not a professional scout or coach) appear to be far removed from the general standard of play either in a good way or a bad way- i.e. he did not "stand out".

If I gave out marks (which I certainly would not ) using a baseline of 7, he would have got a 7, or possibly a 6 if I knocked a mark off for the two errors. If I used a baseline of 6.5, forcing me to mark players up to a 7 or down to a 6, he would have got a 6.

Merse, I do actually agree with almost all that you say about players' temperaments, player development, management and coaching styles, etc. I don't know why you can't just rely on your very knowledgeable input on these issues to grant you the gravitas that you deserve. You do not need to belittle others to buld up your own importance. If anything, the tactic makes people less open to taking on board what you have to say. That is a great shame, because if people could read what you say without having a negative pre-conception of you due to your hectoring style, they might learn something!