Last Minute Goals
Posted: 02 Jan 2013, 09:09
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.
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.
