Last Minute Goals

[MidDevon]

If I remember correctly the main source of frustration in Torquay's relegation year was the amount of last minute goals conceded, which on the whole cost the team points. I remember some of the matches well, Lincoln, Notts County and I even seem to remember Macclesfield did it twice to us.

There was much discussion at the time as to the reason for this was poor concentration, lack of communication, nerves or lack of stamina and it seemed that no-one could put their finger on it. The difference with the team this season is that on the whole the defence has been much more stable than in that year which saw diffrent managers come and go and a host of players used......but these last minutes goals drained confidence quicker than I have seen in any team I have watched and yesterday I got the feeling that the same thing was happening again.

I heard an interview with the Dagenham and Redbridge Manager, John Still, earlier in the season, a wise man and well respected, he mentioned the key at Dagenham was not celebrating the highs too much or worrying about the lows too much. That is probably wise advice.

However, this season Torquay have had a stable defence on the whole and also the assett of a coach with numerous years of exprience as a central defender. I do think Shaun Taylor is being far too quiet (except when dealing with unhappy fans yesterday!....when his body language said excatly what he thought of them!). I would argue that Aaron Downes and Brian Saah are both very much similar in their own way to how Shaun Taylor played, which is probably not surprising, but we seem to have poor communication between these two and the full backs, who are just not performing at present. If I did not know better I would have thought that Coaching sessions are continually around the central defenders with the belief that if we get that right everything else will fall into place.

Teams playing Torquay this season have increasingly attacked down the wings knowing that Saah and Downes will offer little change (and even those Central defenders coming in to replace them). They know the teams weaknesses and will increasing exploit them as the season progresses.

I do hope that Shaun Taylor lets the obviously capable central defence get on with their jobs in January and February and starts concentrating training around the full backs.

[OllieGull]

If we conceeded no last minute goals it would've been a win against Plymouth and Northampton, plus a draw against Wimbledon. Giving us 7 points instead of 2, making us 9th in the table and dropping Exeter down to 10th, instead of lying in 15th place.

[Lloyder5]

John Sill has been reading his Kipling. It is good advice and many on this site would do to follow. Martin Ling by the sound of it also needs to read 'If'. Back on topic the best way to avoid losing one goal leads is to score another. We seem to let teams off the hook when we are on top. There are tactical decisions that are made to either push on beyond the ball or to sit back. We the momentum is with us we should push on and finish opponents off.

[Colorado Gull]

Shaun Taylor too quiet? He does a hell of a lot more than Lingy, who is more interested in looking at the ground, leaning on the subs bench and hiding behind Taylor doing and saying absolutely nothing.

[Banging_Them_In]

Fitness, concentration and the application of common sense and intelligence stops last minute goal. Fact !

[ferrarilover]

I do love it when people post things which are not facts, then, in some effort to remove any remaining shred of credibility, end the post with the word 'fact'. An exclamation mark is always a nice kicker...

Matt.

[Banging_Them_In]

Matt

What other contributing factors, other than fitness, concentration and the application of common sense and intelligence stops last minute goals ? Facts only......

[Gullscorer]

I think Matt was having a wee smile at your expense, B_T_I.

You were actually presenting an assertion as if it were a fact, and when you do that you really need to back it up with some evidence or justification, even if you feel your statement is self-evidently true, otherwise it remains simply an assertion.

Present it purely as your honest opinion, and Matt would probably agree with your statement..!!

By the way, Matt: :na:

[Dave]

As a matter of fact, I totaly and factually agree with the facts prestented by B-T-I, and thats is fact..

[ferrarilover]

Facts (real ones, not the made up ones as shown above) are not a case of agree or disagree, because anything which may [reasonably] be disagreed with is not a fact, it is an assertion, an opinion, which is what we have here.

I would suggest that further elements would include: skill, talent, luck, mathematics, chance, meterology, physics, economics, law, politics and biological chemistry. Just off the top of my head, of course.

Matt.

[AustrianAndyGull]

Facts (real ones, not the made up ones as shown above) are not a case of agree or disagree, because anything which may [reasonably] be disagreed with is not a fact, it is an assertion, an opinion, which is what we have here.
I would suggest that further elements would include: skill, talent, luck, mathematics, chance, meterology, physics, economics, law, politics and biological chemistry. Just off the top of my head, of course.

Matt.




Superb

[Gullscorer]

Matt and Andy..!!

Jeez, they'll be Live at the Apollo next... =D

[ferrarilover]

That'd be no good, Andy would come on, tell one joke and spot a guy, 173 rows back, not laughing. Hed throw his big, Austrian arms up in the air, burst into tears and flounce off the stage, vowing never to return...



Of course, 30 seconds later he'd be back.

Matt.

Oh, and Scorer, :na: to you too!

[Gullscorer]

That'd be no good, Andy would come on, tell one joke and spot a guy, 173 rows back, not laughing. Hed throw his big, Austrian arms up in the air, burst into tears and flounce off the stage, vowing never to return...
Of course, 30 seconds later he'd be back.
Matt.
Oh, and Scorer, :na: to you too!

[AustrianAndyGull]

That'd be no good, Andy would come on, tell one joke and spot a guy, 173 rows back, not laughing. Hed throw his big, Austrian arms up in the air, burst into tears and flounce off the stage, vowing never to return...



Of course, 30 seconds later he'd be back.

Matt.

Oh, and Scorer, :na: to you too!

I don't cry and have never 'flounced'. I've got a real cob on at times but never flounced. 8-]