Torquay United Fans Forum

All the players should be given IQ tests.. 8-]

I personally do not understand why anyone would want to drop Downes, yep he's made some mistakes, but who hasn't. To me Downes has been the most consistent C/B of the three we have, and other thing regards Downes he carries a goal threat from set pieces, Pearce came back in and really did look like a player who'd missed much of the vital pre-season campaign, he needs games, so it's about our coaching staff got some behind close doors reserve match's so Pearce and others can get some badly needed pitch time.

Agree with the sentiment above, we've gone in particular to Telford and Alfreton and scored 5 goals, as a top conference club that should have netted us 6 pts, we got none, I think the fault for that is collective, we've got the ability and experience at the back, a well marshalled defence has an organiser and good communication across the back line and trust in each over, something that seems to be lacking with us, just changing the personnel around will not fix that alone, the coaching staff must take some responsibility and iron it out on the training ground.

Should Liam Prynn be in the squad for Saturday? Scored again last night when the Youth team beat Gloucester,10 goals already this season;Villa signed him for a reason-could well be ready for bench at least.

[quote="brucie"]This of course does not include his error for the disallowed goal at Alfreton[/quote]

Would that be the one where the referee correctly gave a free kick, because Riceys shirt was being pulled??

What you mean turn up at Telford and score three goals yets still lose the match because the goalkeeper cost us three goals. How exactly is that the fault of the players. How can they win games by trying harder if the goalkeeper consistently lets in soft goals, We have scored three at Telford,two at Alfreton,one at Forest Green, two against Wrexham (to win the game despite another goalkeeping howler) and two against Grimsby.
Thats ten goals in five games yet we only have three points to show for it. We have conceded fourteen goals in that time. Being charitable Rice has been directly at fault for seven of these goals in those games so he has basically let in half the goals we have conceded. This of course does not include his error for the disallowed goal at Alfreton or indeed that he was beaten on his near post in that game etc etc..
Being at fault for SEVEN goals in five games is actually a terrible statistic. Its blindingly obvious where the current problem lies but fools like Glostergull just will not accept what is staring them in the face.

[quote="tommyg"]Don't agree with dropping Downes. He was caught the wrong side for the second goal on Saturday but if Rice would have been more decisive Grimsby wouldn't have scored. Downes has been a real rock this season and is always likely to head in a corner. Pearce was woeful against Alfreton, and while he had Richards alongside him, he doesn't deserve to start on recent form. The only change I want to see is in goal. There are are a couple of others playing below-par (mainly Cameron and Bowman) but I'd stick with them for now. Undecided on Ives. I think Cruise has done quite well this season.[/quote]
Rice must share some of the blame for that goal, but having looked again at the highlights, they confirmed to me that Downes was definitely closer to the ball to start with than the Grimsby man, yet his opponent actually beat him to the ball. By which time, of course, Rice himself could have booted the ball out of play instead of dithering. However, easy for us spectators to criticise, not so easy if you're actually involved in the game.

To be honest though, as has been said, the team generally played well, and just needs to be that little bit sharper and more determined. I get the impression that because they had been on a good run they thought too highly of themselves, so all they had to do was turn up on the pitch to secure an easy win. And so they lost games recently they could have won if they had tried harder.

[quote="PhilGull"]Drop Rice for Seabright. Make it clear to MacDonald that he needs to cut out the silly mistakes and keep better check on his temper but keep him, drop Downes for Pearce.
Would like to see Harding's experience back in the middle of the park, possibly at the expense of Cameron with Briscoe and Chappell flanking Ofori-Acheampong. Dropping Bowman too.

With the exception of Rice no one really deserves to be dropped but changes obviously need to be made. It not just the fault of Rice that we concede as many as we do, nor is it just the fault of the back five. I think Young and Richards, as good and full of potential as they may be aren't able to provide the defensive cover required in a 4-4-2. Bringing Harding in will help shore up the back help free Young to get forward more. With him, Briscoe and Chappell we should have the creativity required for Ofori-Acheampong and othersbto continue scoring.
Touch on Downes, Cameron and Bowman but it needs of the team out way needs of individual.[/quote]

We all see games of football differently and see the 'qualities' of players differently. There was nothing much wrong with the ten outfield players last Saturday. If the keepers could have been switched, we would have won quite easily - simple as that. I haven't seen the stats but I would imagine it reads that we had about 8 shots on target and scored 2 and Grimsby had about 5 shots on target and scored three. I will be very surprised if Hargreaves makes wholesale changes for Saturday. Young is suspended of course but my hunch is that he'll play Wakefield rather than Harding, assuming Bournemouth agree to him playing. He might be considering playing Seabright but I think he'll give Rice another chance. Cameron may be 'rested' but whenever he got the ball last Saturday, Grimsby had two players doubling up on him so he was less effective than he can be.

Downes is a left sided central defender whereas MacDonald and Pearce are both right sided. It makes a difference and I didn't spot any 'silly mistakes' by Angus on Saturday. Harding won't shore up anything cos he rarely gets a tackle in and can't head a ball. O'Achie is not a natural goalscorer. He will score a few but he will create more than he scores. Bowman is not setting the world alight at present but he has to play cos, other than Yeoman, he's the only out and out striker we've got.

Don't agree with dropping Downes. He was caught the wrong side for the second goal on Saturday but if Rice would have been more decisive Grimsby wouldn't have scored. Downes has been a real rock this season and is always likely to head in a corner. Pearce was woeful against Alfreton, and while he had Richards alongside him, he doesn't deserve to start on recent form. The only change I want to see is in goal. There are are a couple of others playing below-par (mainly Cameron and Bowman) but I'd stick with them for now. Undecided on Ives. I think Cruise has done quite well this season.

Drop Rice for Seabright. Make it clear to MacDonald that he needs to cut out the silly mistakes and keep better check on his temper but keep him, drop Downes for Pearce.
Would like to see Harding's experience back in the middle of the park, possibly at the expense of Cameron with Briscoe and Chappell flanking Ofori-Acheampong. Dropping Bowman too.

With the exception of Rice no one really deserves to be dropped but changes obviously need to be made. It not just the fault of Rice that we concede as many as we do, nor is it just the fault of the back five. I think Young and Richards, as good and full of potential as they may be aren't able to provide the defensive cover required in a 4-4-2. Bringing Harding in will help shore up the back help free Young to get forward more. With him, Briscoe and Chappell we should have the creativity required for Ofori-Acheampong and othersbto continue scoring.
Touch on Downes, Cameron and Bowman but it needs of the team out way needs of individual.

There are players on the sidelines who deserve to be given their chance. To begin with, I'd drop both Downes and Rice. Rice because he has been making a few too many errors of late. And Downes because he seems to be too lethargic and needs to get up to speed; any other player would probably have prevented Grimsby's second goal Saturday but he was too slow.

Would expect Levi on the bench at the very least on Saturday. And Rice.

Levi Ives has been playing left-side midfield for Northern Ireland Under 20's and for our youth team last week,scoring for both-another option for Saturday?

Those comments were the ones he made on Radio Devon, after the game. Seeing as MacDonald and Downes have just come back, I can't see them being dropped and I don't think Cruise has done anything wrong. Even Tonge has been better this season, so it can only be Rice.

In midfield, Cameron has gone off the boil and Bowman has been a bit hit and miss but nothing worthy of being dropped. The team played well for most of Saturday, I thought, it was just daft errors that cost the side the game.

Think it will only be the keeper defensively-Cruise doing okay now and Downes/McDonald did well apart from the second Grimsby goal.
Harding for Young rather than Wakefield perhaps? Wouldn't change it much more than that despite the obvious frailties at the back;Ricey main problem to deal with at moment.

CH has said he's ready to make changes in view of the team's recent record: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/29691849

He's talking about players, not tactics or formation. And it's easy enough to see that those changes will be in defence. The Gulls have conceded 14 goals in their last five games. And a week ago CH said that improvements in defence are needed.

So the question now is, how drastic must those changes be and where will they be made?

Given his budget restrictions, I can't see him bringing in too many loan players. But in view of Martin Rice's recent obvious loss of form, the first (and only?) loan signing must surely be an experienced goalkeeper, one from the lower leagues who is approaching the end of his career and would cost very little, to take over, and also to support Rice to help him regain his confidence.

What other changes would you make?