FL2: Torquay Utd v Plymouth - 8 Sept 12

I don't go to matches any more for reasons which I have made perfectly clear since Mr Ling's tactics became evident. Some people may appreciate the reasons behind a formation in which there is only one forward.

However, I feel that this is the basis of a style of play which is aimed at not losing rather than trying to win. Having witnessed the great period of the club's history in the 1950s, 60s and early 70s, the current way of playing is not for me, thanks very much.

However, Swangull's photograph has prompted me to ask the question: Is there no longer an "Enclosure" (i.e. standing area) in front of the main grandstand ?

This was talked about a lot in the design stage but the standing area was dropped but I can't remember the reason. There is quite a lot of wheelchair spaces below the seating area but that is all.....

It is a pity that you didn't see the Rochdale game as the attacking play was constant until Downes got sent off with wave after wave of attacks and they were lucky to just concede the four goals in the first 65/70 minutes.

Having just watched the disallowed goal again several times I think we were unlucky as I don't think it was a foul. Rene was tussling with Purse for the ball and the keeper came out and jumped over Rene to take the ball but as it caught it, it was his forward momentum that took him into Rene's back and it was the impact that made him drop the ball.

After just a small delay on the ground, he decided that he was then hurt!

The first half felt very much like last season's games with Argyle.

They were flinging themselves around and fighting tooth and nail to keep level, while we looked a class above, but couldn't make it count.

I was looking forward to the dam busting and us coasting to another comfortable win, but we did not really get going after half time.

Argyle had the better of the possession and the better of the chances without ever looking like they were playing good football.

Their formation and style played a part in us not firing - we look far better against decent footballing teams like Cheltenham and Rochdale.

The referee did not help in that he is definitely not a man to let a game of football flow. He looked surprised and confused when he was given a massive ovation for giving a 50-50 decision our way in the 92nd minute - the first time that had happened in the match.

In his defence, he was correct in the two backpass incidents. There was some debate in our little group as to whether a backpass had to be off the foot or could be off the thigh, knee or shin. Examples were quoted of free kicks having been awarded in these circumstances, but I checked when i got home and it seems Mr East was right and the refs who awarded the free kicks were wrong.

On the whole, a slightly disappointing game. Two points dropped against poor opposition, but games against determined and organised opponents are never easy.

Craig was confident and assured - will be a good player. A good comeback game for Stevens. Pokey back to his best. Saah and Downes are a great pairing.

I had a text from Wildebeeste saying he was pleased to have met a number of posters who he described as "nice guys". Best behaviour, was it?

But, of course, he expressed his disappointment in not encountering Alpine Joe. But who has?

Thanks to Jon for passing over the magazines to James B.

Yesterday was a test for me in not being there. Would I get withdrawal symptoms?

Well, no, not yet anyway. Must have been the North Staffordshire heat wave that kept me content. Oatcakes on sale in Leek too but I didn't indulge.

Can't add too much more than what's already been said but I think what we lacked yesterday was what tactical gurus would call "penetration" - or what the rest of us would call creativity or a killer pass. Morris is a good player and showed some great touches yesterday but he's no O'Kane - he doesn't provide us with defence-splitting passes. As Jon said, it was like the match last year and it was O'Kane who won it for us last year. The anonymity of Bodin only added to that - he only seemed to wake up in the last 5 minutes - and Nicho's set pieces weren't brilliant

But I was very impressed with Nathan Craig - he seems every bit the player he has been hyped up to be by those that have written on him. I would go as far as to say he offers more than Lathrope - it was very much more of a Busquets-type role in that he was great defensively but was also dictating the play. If we get Lathrope or Easton back fit I'd play him in Morris' position, or - dare I say it - drop Mansell. He could be the difference

Thompson also looked very lively when he came on - his pace is indeed extraordinary, and his deliveries were getting progressively better through the match. However, we simply didn't utilise him and his pace enough during the last 20 minutes. And on the rest of the bench, there's not enough - Jarvis isn't all that brilliant, and Yeoman is still inexperienced. Compare that to Argyle, who brought Madjo off the bench and have Chadwick somewhere in their squad too. This is where we need to exploit the loan market

Credit to Argyle for keeping us out, even though it wasn't always fair at times, but they didn't have to work especially hard for it. Feeney was Feeney - another Fortune-West: the sort of player who has a great game against you but is shit when he plays for you. Purse, on the other hand, was the opposite - another Branston. Some decent youngsters in that side too but they may struggle this year

All in all, disappointing - we certainly don't look a side capable of automatic promotion, especially with Gillingham racing off into the distance, Fleetwood scoring 4, Port Vale putting 6 past Rotherham and so on. Difficult to beat but finding it difficult to beat teams who come to stop us

Hey, who are you calling "wide" there, Jon?

A great day. I really enjoyed meeting Jon and his many friends and hats off to petef, a lovely man who not only got me a ticket but also shared his chips and sweets. Pete, I forgot to give you those copies of Soccer Star and Left Foot in the Grave as promised, so please send me a message with your address on so I can put that right.

The weather was brilliant, the fans friendly and good-humoured. The bright yellow, blue and white of Torquay and the dark green of Argyle made it a very colourful occasion and the Bench looks grand. A pity about the match, though! Torquay look solid in defence with a good goalie and two very fine central defenders. I thought ex-Spireite Ian Morris got through a lot of good work alongside Lee Mansell and I enjoyed watching first Danny Stevens and then Niall Thompson taking defenders on, but Billy Bodin looked half asleep till the last 5 minutes when he suddenly sprang into life. Rene Howe has a great touch as well as physical presence but he didn't get the help he deserved, while the gormless ref (I recognised him immediately because he was up here the other week and he was hopeless then as well) simply wouldn't allow him to challenge for the ball in the air.

Having said all that, I thought Argyle fully deserved a point from the game because, although they were no great shakes and repeatedly overhit their passes throughout the game, they battled and fought for every ball. Darren Purse and Paul Wotton are, to put it mildly, getting on a bit but they kept at it to the end.

Now then. Interesting collective noun used by Jon to describe TFF posters: a shedload. That's exactly the term used by the estate agent to describe the amount of parking space behind the house we looked at. Is it a proper Torquinism? Will I see a shedload of goals next time I'm at Plainmoor?