Dear Mr Hargreaves....

[Pea]

Dear Mr Hargreaves,

Can we now recall all those we sent out on loan and send back those we have on loan. I appreciate all the hard work, and effort it took to get these players, and I appreciate you’re doing the best with a bad deal but I really think it might be time to change tac.

If you’re willing to try anything to keep Torquay up, then this is the next step. One of the first football matches I ever watched live included a super duper goal from that little Dan Sullivan. He fooled the goalkeeper not once, but twice, and then fired in such an impressive goal. Please can we bring him back? Not just because he has the most amusing run I’ve ever seen in my life, but because he might actually be able to score goals for us.

What about Niall Tompson? He’s a pretty pacey bloke….. I bet he could get the ball to Sully before anybody realised what was going on. So could Nathan Craig….

I’m sure you get told by people all the time what they think you should do, and I’m sure you have much more knowledge than us to know why that would be a bad idea, and that playing football manager in your living room is somewhat different to real life, when it’s your livelihood.

I just can’t help but thinking we’ve tried everything else now. We played really well on Tuesday…. But maybe that was just luck. Something isn’t working. The balls in the back of the net aren’t matching the effort put in.

Then there’s morale. I know if I turned up every week, worked my little butt off and then still lost, week in week out, I wouldn’t be a chirpy chappy. I’d be going through the motions, because whilst a win would be lovely, when I put the effort in, it doesn’t work, so why not just bash a ball about and not tire myself out so I can cheer myself up on Sunday doing whatever I fancy.

Maybe some new lads would be a bit of a boost? I also can’t help but feeling that playing for a club beneath my parent club’s level isn’t going to help me break into the first team…. I’d actually be a little worried that it might drag me down a notch or two.

I’m most definitely not insulting your choices or decisions. I know so very little about football… but I have managed teams before (no way to the same extent granted), and I appreciate sometimes you can’t see what needs to be done when you’re in the middle, so please…just have a think about this. If it’s nonsense I’m really sorry to have wasted your time.

A change, ANY change is okay, because right now, we can’t get any worse, so what have you got to lose?

[tufcbrett]

I agree we should give some of the young lads a chance. If we are to go down then it can also give them the chance to earn a spot in the team for next season.

Craig could be a very good player in the conference and thomspon pace will be dangerous.

[Dave_Pougher]

One or possibly two youngsters yes, but more importantly fight and passion the likes of which Hargreaves showed when he played in our promotion season and so absent yesterday.

[tommyg]

The players out on loan are out on loan for a reason - they're not good enough.

From what I hear, Craig and Yeoman are hardly starring for Dorchester. You can blame bad pitches and/or them being played out of position but if they're not standing out for a team at the bottom of the Conference South then what difference are they going to make? Both players have been overlooked by three different managers who see them in training every day. That should tell you something.

Thompson was briefly dropped during both his loan spells at Worcester and Weymouth so again he's not the answer. I would much rather have Cameron and Goodwin on the wings. I haven't been tracking Sullivan's progress at Bideford but he's a first-year pro so is still developing and probably is some way off the first team.

Our current loanees are O'Connor, Goodwin, Showunmi and Stockley. O'Connor has been one of our better players this season and is unlucky not to be in the team. Goodwin has impressed me and despite not scoring, I think Showunmi has looked quite good. Stockley is the exception as I haven't been happy with his performances or attitude.

Whilst there is still a mathematical chance of survival, Hargreaves must pick his best team and those out on loan are at the bottom of the pecking order.

[ferrarilover]

It's completely false to suggest that if a player doesn't stand out at a division miles below their level, it's because of a lack of talent.
O'Connor is injured. While that is unlucky, I don't think that's what you meant.
Yeoman is much more likely to get a goal than Stockley and probably Benyon and Shuwo too.

Stockley's season with us is the curate's egg. He has entire games where he really can't be arsed and the odd cameo where he is the best player on the pitch.

Matt.

[okehampton gull]

I agree with pea , Danni o'sullivan is a raw goal scoring talent and yes (rare) he scored bags of goals through his youth career , scored against Yeovil , on the bench all the time because knill had to play callum ball , had to prove to us fans Hawley was a good buy (should be good bye ) so he did not get a chance , but knill had the sense to have him on the bench , he is similar to Benyon as he is quick ,unlike benyon he can shoot with both feet.
I think Enoch and stockley are similar, reasonable in the air too slow on the ball. so play one of them either or ,enoch to start, and bring on stockley when he is tired , and then Sullivan or benyon alongside same applies replace one when the other is tired .
one thing has stood out to me this year the top teams use there subs , and they don't dither making decisions to bring them on, our use of subs this year has been totally inept by 2 managers who cannot make a decision particularly that tosser knill (sorry but since the billy bodin incedent against Northampton I hate the bloke with a vengeance ) I hope a squirrel bites his nuts off and sticks them up his ass . wanker .......
sorry back to the job in hand , we can still stay up wycombes run in is horrific before yesterday 4 away games to decent teams and 1 home to Rochdale , they duly lost yesterday , they might get nil points from 5 games and we have them last game . and Exeter are gone to pot even there manager is buggered , and we have them as well to play so come on lads 4 from the next 6 will do . 6 from exshiter and Wycombe that's 43 so 8 from six will probably do. I would like to see harding and cooper and bodin back I think we have a great chance then.

[Dave]

Whilst I totally agree with your sentiment Pea, Chris Hargreaves is facing a difficult balancing act here, very much in the mind of CH will be two home games this week, win them both and picture could look very different come 4.45 Saturday obviously depending on other results, so he's going have to put a side out that he thinks is capable of winning these two games.

CH is in a no win position here, if he was to call back all these youngsters and play them, two defeats would result in half the fan base slagging him for playing to many raw inexperienced players , if he doesn't call them back and we lose both games, the other half of the fan base will slag him for not bringing them back.

When it comes to defeatism I've been as guilty as the next person these last few weeks, all we can do as fans is support as best we can while there is a chance no matter how slim, the support Rochdale home and yesterday was first class. As for bringing these players back, it's a no for me personally , should relegation be confirmed as looks likely, the likes of Craig, Yeoman, Thompson and Sullivan will form the backbone of our squad next season and will no doubt get there chance, now, while there is a slim hope of staying up, isn't either the right time or their time to shine.

[arcadia]

[quote="tommyg"]The players out on loan are out on loan for a reason - they're not good enough.

From what I hear, Craig and Yeoman are hardly starring for Dorchester. You can blame bad pitches and/or them being played out of position but if they're not standing out for a team at the bottom of the Conference South then what difference are they going to make? Both players have been overlooked by three different managers who see them in training every day. That should tell you something.

Thompson was briefly dropped during both his loan spells at Worcester and Weymouth so again he's not the answer. I would much rather have Cameron and Goodwin on the wings. I haven't been tracking Sullivan's progress at Bideford but he's a first-year pro so is still developing and probably is some way off the first team.

Our current loanees are O'Connor, Goodwin, Showunmi and Stockley. O'Connor has been one of our better players this season and is unlucky not to be in the team. Goodwin has impressed me and despite not scoring, I think Showunmi has looked quite good. Stockley is the exception as I haven't been happy with his performances or attitude.

Whilst there is still a mathematical chance of survival, Hargreaves must pick his best team and those out on loan are at the bottom of the pecking order.[/quote

Hargreaves sent Craig out on loan because he had not played for a couple of months and told me that he had not seen him play. I think you will find he's due back this week. He also said that he looks good in training and has worked hard this is a problem not having a reserve side. :Oops: :Oops: :Oops: :Oops: :Oops: :Oops:

[okehampton gull]

can you tell us please , when cooper , and bodin are expected to be fit again , as this is paramount to our survival, two quality players .

[arcadia]

can you tell us please , when cooper , and bodin are expected to be fit again , as this is paramount to our survival, two quality players .

I did ask at the time and he could not answer that as he was gutted that both were unavailable injured.

[ferrarilover]

I agree with pea , Danni o'sullivan is a raw goal scoring talent and yes (rare) he scored bags of goals through his youth career , scored against Yeovil , on the bench all the time because knill had to play callum ball , had to prove to us fans Hawley was a good buy (should be good bye ) so he did not get a chance , but knill had the sense to have him on the bench , he is similar to Benyon as he is quick ,unlike benyon he can shoot with both feet.
I think Enoch and stockley are similar, reasonable in the air too slow on the ball. so play one of them either or ,enoch to start, and bring on stockley when he is tired , and then Sullivan or benyon alongside same applies replace one when the other is tired .
one thing has stood out to me this year the top teams use there subs , and they don't dither making decisions to bring them on, our use of subs this year has been totally inept by 2 managers who cannot make a decision particularly that tosser knill (sorry but since the billy bodin incedent against Northampton I hate the bloke with a vengeance ) I hope a squirrel bites his nuts off and sticks them up his ass . wanker .......
sorry back to the job in hand , we can still stay up wycombes run in is horrific before yesterday 4 away games to decent teams and 1 home to Rochdale , they duly lost yesterday , they might get nil points from 5 games and we have them last game . and Exeter are gone to pot even there manager is buggered , and we have them as well to play so come on lads 4 from the next 6 will do . 6 from exshiter and Wycombe that's 43 so 8 from six will probably do. I would like to see harding and cooper and bodin back I think we have a great chance then.

Ronnie's less talented younger sister?

Matt.

[tommyg]

Well Hargreaves is hardly going to tell you that Craig has been rubbish in training and doesn't work hard. He certainly has some talent but it's clear we need wins now so I can see us sticking with 4-4-2 and I just don't think Craig is suited to a two-man midfield. With Labadie's impending suspension, it makes sense to recall Craig but I'll be surprised if he jumps ahead of Mansell and Harding in the pecking order.

[Gloomy Gull]

can you tell us please , when cooper , and bodin are expected to be fit again , as this is paramount to our survival, two quality players .

The issue with Cooper's ankle is becoming reminiscent of the Priso's foot saga in 2005 !! At least Carl Priso played 3 games for us before being injured !!