Res Fix: Torquay United v Plymouth 19 October 2010

Well, I've got the day off from work, it's an OK day and so I think I'll get some fresh air at Plainmoor..

ATB,J.

...............but it's twenty year old QPR winger Romone Rose who's been out on loan at a variety of clubs in the past two seasons..............AFC Wimbledon, Histon, Northampton and Cheltenham with only Wimbledon giving him more than one game ~ he actually asked to return early from Cheltenham last season!

He is playing up front with Gritts at the moment

2-0 up i believe

3-2 at full time

Interesting and competitive game. The result doesn't matter, but it was still nice to win! I was starting to think that throwing away two-goal leads was a recurring nightmare.

We started 4-3-3 with Carlisle and Halpin at full back, Oaster, Wroe and Yeoman in centre midfield and Rose to the right and Macklin to the left of Gritton up front. After we went 1-0 up, we went to 4-4-2 with Yeoman pulled over to the right wing and Rose pushed right up front alongside Gritton.

During the second half, Rose and Macklin swapped places with Rose on the left wing and Macklin up front. Finally, Yeoman and Rose swapped flanks putting Rose back on to the right wing - but now more of wide midfielder/winger in a 4-4-2 than the striker / right winger he had been in a 4-3-3.

Oastler was man of the match for me. He got stuck in and hit some lovely passes. Rose was impressive - to the point that I would almost say that he stood out . He showed good control and movement and is not afraid to have a crack at goal - plenty of promise there. I was surprised that he wasn't big centre-forward type - which is what I thought I was expecting.

Halpin has played in about five different positions in the three reserve games I have seen. He got caught out a few times and I don't think full back is his future. Playing different roles will help his appreciation of the game though and he stuck to his task manfully. I suppose there was an element of widening his horizons in his selection in that position, but there is also an element of first deciding which eleven players need a game and the cramming them into a formation with a few square pegs in round holes. Carlisle looked very comfortable at full back and his attitude was exemplary - as was that of the entire team.

There is a proper match report on the club website - which will tell you more about the actual game than my ramblings.

I think it's time the rest of the football world caught up with two of the more enlightened clubs in this country and renamed their "reserve" teams The Development Team as Man City and QPR do, because this is exactly what they are ~ a vital part in the development of players in their transition from scholar to full professional; and just as I see with my son week in, week out a vital part of that development is learning the roles and therefore gaining an understanding of the different compartments of the team.

Saul Halpin is but a baby in terms of being a professional footballer, and playing at fullback will give him a greater understanding of the difficulties the fullback faces when up against a winger ~ which is probably Saul's prime position at the moment, although I do know that due to his physique and strength potential he is viewed as a future central midfield player.

Note too how Romone Rose was utilised in differing positions today~ just the thing to be doing when considering whether to sign a player or not and to ascertain just what he has to offer the squad as an addition.