Torquay United v FC Halifax Town Sat 20 Feb KO 17.20

North Curry House · Post by **North Curry House** » 20 Feb 2021, 19:20

A total DISGRACE. Sutton and Hartlepool must be laughing at us. We are so poor.

COYY buck up for Tuesday please!

desperado · Post by **desperado** » 20 Feb 2021, 19:21

Utter garbage

UnitedinDevon · Post by **UnitedinDevon** » 20 Feb 2021, 19:21

kevgull wrote: ↑20 Feb 2021, 19:16 Cameron was and is going to be a big loss.

I wouldn't say at CB but having to play Andrews at LB is the problem

Attitude of a child

Modgull · Post by **Modgull** » 20 Feb 2021, 19:25

The wheels have come off - there is no confidence in the side now. Running out of ideas and fit players. Once again the opposition showed us how to manage a game and they way they scented blood was very impressive - there was not much doubt who wanted the game more even after the second penalty - they had 8 attempts second half to our 4 with 4 of those on target. Our only on target attempts all game were the penalties (unless you count the own goal!). We will do well to keep in touch with the play-off pack as they make up the shortfall in games.

knightmaregull · Post by **knightmaregull** » 20 Feb 2021, 19:28

All well and good to pile in on MacDonald but come on, what protection was he getting from his defenders (strikers, midfielders?). Totally exposed at left back (cant really blame Andrews out of position) and without Nemane we are just so one dimensional.

BUT if we score first and defend from the front then Halifax don't have the opportunity to look good. They couldn't believe the open invite they got to take control of the game today.

culmstockgull · Post by **culmstockgull** » 20 Feb 2021, 19:33

This was a poor/dire performance no matter how you dress it up, our centre backs are only 20 and were ripped apart, I think the only two shots on goal happened to be Hall scoring the penalties. This is a team short on confidence, something that Johnson identified said several weeks ago and he was working hard to avoid. Johnson I suspect thinks players can play in any position as required, but January and February have destroyed that theory. Our results of 6 points from the last 7 games is defo mid table. with the exception of Hall and possibly Wynter no one warranted their place.After a poor first half I was expecting a Johnson pep talk, he either gave the wrong one or they were not listening because second half was worse than the first. Its been three weeks since he mentioned we need a striker and while I know its difficult you would have expected several possibilities who wanted to play for the top team.

UnitedinDevon · Post by **UnitedinDevon** » 20 Feb 2021, 19:40

knightmaregull wrote: ↑20 Feb 2021, 19:28 All well and good to pile in on MacDonald but come on, what protection was he getting from his defenders (strikers, midfielders?). Totally exposed at left back (cant really blame Andrews out of position) and without Nemane we are just so one dimensional.

BUT if we score first and defend from the front then Halifax don't have the opportunity to look good. They couldn't believe the open invite they got to take control of the game today.

Their first goal, where have we seen that before?

Weymouth away wasn't it when he flapped at a cross and it was scored at the back post

The 2nd is just mess across the whole back line and I'm sorry but on initial reflection we should have a keeper who saves the 3rd

brucie · Post by **brucie** » 20 Feb 2021, 19:44

Got to say that Macdonald was shocking tonight and was at fault for all three goals, although got to say the defence was awful as well.

We have imploded, and have no chance of getting promoted.

Post by **Dave** » 20 Feb 2021, 19:51

Totally agree, we can not simply 100% point the finger at MacDonald for this defeat, there was a collective of issues, injuries to key players, a loss of individual form, and team confidence, how ever we do have to look at MacDonald's performance today.

It's my long held personal opinion that neither Colovan or MacDonald are close to the required standard for promotion, it's nothing personal. No goalkeepers can not save everything, they make mistakes like every other position, however when they're called upon we all expect a decent standard, they only got one good shot off all night and he was beaten 3 times, first goal I'd have expected an elite U18's keeper to have caught that cross into the box, why parry it, and straight into the A-frame of the penalty area, second goal he's got lucky the initial shot ( which was poxy)has hit his foot, then comes flying out like a scatter brain for the rebound when they were defenders there, don't totally blame him for the third decent strike but saveable, but no footwork, and my 84 year mum could have got down quicker.

Would have preferred their keeper any day, commanding and never panicked unlike ours, but all that said, there were more than few individuals in a yellow shirt who underperformed tonight.

Post by **SuperNickyWroe** » 20 Feb 2021, 19:55

brucie wrote: ↑20 Feb 2021, 19:44 Got to say that Macdonald was shocking tonight and was at fault for all three goals, although got to say the defence was awful as well.

We have imploded, and have no chance of getting promoted.

Thought he didn't get much protection from those in front of him though....
1st goal was a complete farce - I would be pointing at the dire free kick that we had!
Don't think Andrews is a FB tbf.
Ben did OK first game back, although he was out of position a few times which can be expected.
I expected us to dominate the midfield with them having so many players missing.
Should have gone to a proper back three and played five in midfield.
Shows how much we miss Danny and Aaron.
....As well as the full team that are also missing.......

Gloomy Gull · Post by **Gloomy Gull** » 20 Feb 2021, 19:58

forevertufc wrote: ↑20 Feb 2021, 19:51 but all that said, there were more than few individuals in a yellow shirt who underperformed tonight.

AGAIN

culmstockgull · Post by **culmstockgull** » 20 Feb 2021, 20:06

Its easy to pick a villain in any dire performance, but putting it all on Mcdonald is just plain wrong, I agree with forevertufc, neither of our keepers are up to the job something we have known for some time but tonight we might as well have played eleven forwards for all the protection the defence gave him, two of their goals should never have got within thirty yards of Mcdonald ,Yes Cameron's injury was a blow but not having any cover for that position I do not understand, even playing a half fit Moxey, Kerr or Warren would have settled the youngsters at the back.

UnitedinDevon · Post by **UnitedinDevon** » 20 Feb 2021, 20:15

It would be fantastic if our regular set oiece takers CLE Andrews Whitfield could actually put a decent ball in and beat the first man they have been extremely poor over the last few games and it's not acceptable for a full time club

brucie · Post by **brucie** » 20 Feb 2021, 20:25

Having Danny Wright in that team wouldn't have made any difference -we would still have lost.

I do wonder whether we should have started with Sheaf though and just the one striker. Again we have rendered our main weapon in Evans totally ineffective. I agree that Macdonald couldn't do anything about the other ten in front of him, but their keeper was someone they picked up from a lower league for a month as their regular keeper is injured.

Unfortunately though he has cost us the points tonight with those errors. Its not a one off though. He was at fault for Wealdstones goal in the last home match. Then there was Weymouth. He isn't good enough.

Its hard to see us addressing this slide though, we just seem to pick up more injuries and those already out hardly ever reappear.

Halifax could see we were there for the taking in the second half, and even though we fluked the lead, it looked likely that we would still lose.

And this to a team who lost to Barnet in the last game.

SBP · Post by **SBP** » 20 Feb 2021, 21:10

That was terrible. No quality in any part of our game. Is our game plan now just to hoof the ball aimlessy forward?? I dont just think the players need to look at themselves. Gary Johnson, Downsey the lot of them. I dont understand some of GJ 's recruitment.
Fairplay to Halifax, they totally deserved that.

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