rjdgull
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Post by rjdgull on Sept 3, 2012 6:24:15 GMT
As Torquay are not in a reserve team this year these fixtures are important for the squad players to get a run out and maintain match fitness although a lot of them seem to be doing that in the first team! It is possible that players returning from injury such as Stevens may also take this opportunity to play as well as the likes of Baker and Hutchings.
There are not many fringe players that haven't played recently but the likes of Rice, Leadbitter, MacKenzie, Cruise, Craig and Yeoman will probably be given some more match time to put under their belts.
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Post by ohtobeatplainmoor on Sept 3, 2012 7:17:51 GMT
I've sort of lost track of the situation with the reserve team - I had heard that some of the other clubs from the region weren't having a team in a league - I can't recall there being one last year (but didn't we win the reserve league the season before?).
No doubt it will be the fringe players and topped-up with players like Sullivan and Hutchings as well as the odd trialist. Interesting that this is another game against Nike Academy - I wonder if there is a potential to look at any of their players with a view to seeing how they might figure in our plans...
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rjdgull
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Post by rjdgull on Sept 3, 2012 11:08:41 GMT
I think we were in a reserve league last year Ohtobe but only up to January and due to a lack of interest our section was merged with the eastern section which made for a lot of un-necessary travelling IMO. We did win the year before and had a sort of title run off with Brighton about a year ago which we lost.
I may be able to get to this one and give some sort of a match report.
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Dave
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Post by Dave on Sept 3, 2012 15:01:18 GMT
I also had no realised we no longer have a reserve side. I do find this a bit disappointing as having a reserve side gives our fringe players match day action and is also helpful for players returning back to fitness from injury.
I suppose the cost of having a reserve side must be far higher than we imagine and at the end of the day costs at a club our size needs to be looked at. So the next best thing has to be arranging as many friendly games as possible to keep players sharp and ready for when they may need to be called to play in our first team.
Look forward to reading your report Rob.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 3, 2012 15:42:40 GMT
I'm not sure if there's even a "reserve league" for the southern half of the country this year. In the north the Central League is operating with seventeen clubs - four of which are non- league.
About half of the ninety-two Premier League and Football League clubs are participating in under-21 leagues. These are set at two levels depending on the status of the club's academy. I've just done a quick check - so may have missed something - but Bristol City appear to be the only SW club involved. From our division, I can only see Barnet.
I guess this leaves a lot of clubs seeking midweek friendlies so hopefully we'll be able to put together a decent fixture list. I suspect clubs prefer to arrange - and cancel -games as suits rather than be duty- bound to fulfil league fixtures.
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Dave
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Post by Dave on Sept 3, 2012 16:30:10 GMT
Thanks for checking that out NIck, I'm sure the club the way it is run these days, would have been a part of a league if it was at all possible.
Do we know if the club could put a team say in the Devon league or any other local football league? I'm sure in the past we did but seem to remember there was a reason why we could not continue to do that.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 3, 2012 16:46:24 GMT
I don't think there is an official reason why the club couldn't field a side in the SW Peninsula League. That would be for the league to decide and the most recent precedent is their acceptance of Truro City Reserves.
However, entering a reserve team in a Saturday league really goes against the grain in these days of seven named substitutes. Factor in an injury or two - as well as the odd suspension - and you're ruling out the club's best twenty players from a Saturday reserve game. Then, of course, we have a youth team that plays on a Saturday morning anyway. I don't think you'll find a single Football League club with a Saturday reserve team.
You can debate whether youth players are better playing in am adult league as opposed to an age-group competition. All the current thinking, I would suggest, points to under 18s best playing against others of the same age. For those making the most progress you can give them games for the reserves and in the side we field in the Devon St Luke's Bowl.
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Post by ohtobeatplainmoor on Sept 3, 2012 18:04:47 GMT
Thanks for the analysis, Barton - much appreciated. It certainly seems like a sensible and pragmatic decision rather than a "Batesonesque penny-pincher".
Nike Academy will have some very technically able players, they are based at the excellent Loughborough University and the Head Coach is Jimmy Gilligan, a player with plenty of experience of 'muck and nettles' football. One of their players recently joined Helsingborg and played against Celtic last week. It will also be a very interesting to see how some of our young players of similar ages to theirs 'match-up' against them - a good run-out, a good 'benchmarking exercise' and a potential talent scouting match rolled into one.
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rjdgull
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Post by rjdgull on Sept 3, 2012 22:59:04 GMT
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JamesB
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Post by JamesB on Sept 4, 2012 10:04:23 GMT
I hope we sign him. Over 160 appearances for Rovers, many in League One, so clearly no idiot. He can play left-back too, from memory
Don't know much about the others. ThisIsSouthDevon refer to Evans as an ex-Cardiff youngster, but the only ex-Cardiff Alex Evans I can find signed for Oxford last month
Brucie
EDIT: It is indeed the same Evans who signed for Oxford, as they released him after signing Raynes
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rjdgull
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Post by rjdgull on Sept 4, 2012 16:53:58 GMT
A 1 - 1 draw with Torquay grabbing a late goal courtesy of Jarvis to make up for missing a penalty earlier in the half. The line up had Rice in goal with a defence comprising Leadbitter, Anthony, Evans and Cruise. Central midfield of Artemi, Sullivan and Luxton with Jarvis up front supported by Yeoman and Baker on the wings. We started very brightly with Baker making a couple of good runs creating space for a couple of shots that tested the keeper very only on. However, Nike improved and generally had the better of the half, putting us under pressure at times without Rice really having to make a save. The second half started better with a long ball up to Jarvis being well controlled and putting Baker through who was taken out in the box not too dis-similar to the Downes incident except further in and more central resulting in a penalty. Jarvis stepped up to finish off what he started but the keeper went the right way and the ball was at a nice height to palm away. Not too long later, Nike took the lead. As Anthony attempted to marshall an attack, the cross / shot ricocheted off his lower arm and amidst half hearted appeals for a penalty, the ball fell kindly for their big forward wearing number 16 - Karlton Watson? who duly smashed it from 15 yards into the bottom right hand corner of the goal giving Ricey no chance. The match needed a goal and this introduced some urgency into the play. Leadbitter went on a number of good runs but frustratingly after some good interplay down the wing putting him clear, his final delivery was collected by the keeper on two separate occasions. Yeoman worked very hard during the match, chasing up lost causes and eventually with about five minutes to go, came up with ball on the left and his cross was controlled by Jarvis on the six yard box but with his back to goal and a smart swivel later, it was 1-1!  It was hard to assess the four trailists in one match particularly when trying to gauge the strength of the opposition. The centre backs are not in the mode of Ellis and Branston dominating well in the air. I thought Evans was more noticeable and made some good tackles, particularly in the first half when we were under some pressure. Luxton and Artemi battled well in midfield but didn't stand out and I think I prefer our existing boys there. I can see why Karl Baker was given a prove yourself deal as he certainly seems to have something and maybe Ling can work a bit of his magic, particularly as it is a position he understands well! |
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rjdgull
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Post by rjdgull on Sept 5, 2012 11:20:32 GMT
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Post by rjdgull on Sept 6, 2012 19:33:02 GMT
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JamesB
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Post by JamesB on Sept 6, 2012 20:14:18 GMT
I call bullshit - or at least selective wording. Surely not even Ling's naive enough to think that a raw 18 year old with virtually no professional experience would be a better player to have than a 170-match veteran, or someone that was good enough to be signed and play for a team that has more talent and depth than us. This has to be largely financial
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Jon
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Post by Jon on Sept 6, 2012 20:59:30 GMT
Surely not even Ling's naive enough to think that a raw 18 year old with virtually no professional experience would be a better player to have than a 170-match veteran, or someone that was good enough to be signed and play for a team that has more talent and depth than us. Let's examine the facts. An experienced and successful professional manager has a player down on trial, carefully observes him in training and in a match and decides that he is not what he wants. A university student, who has played a bit of Championship Manager, decides that the said player must be exactly what is wanted because he has read that the player has 170 appearances under his belt. And you are telling me that one of those views is naive?   |
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