Solihull Moors v Torquayunited 17/3/18

[MellowYellow]

It would probably be best to leave out Young so that you don't have anyone to blame for any future defeat

I am not so sure. I think McGinty maybe on the 'Most Wanted' list

[Rjc70]

I am not so sure. I think McGinty maybe on the 'Most Wanted' list

1. Nicholson
2. Young
3. McGinty
Thems the rules.

[MellowYellow]

[ 4-3-3 would be the obvious but that would rob United of the very effective width they displayed today; but perhaps he could be slotted in a 'false 9' position behind the main two at the expense of one of the midfielders.

Not sure that is a true 'false 9' position if Healey drops behind the main two. My understanding of a 'false 9' is a decoy centre forward in a side deliberately set up without a dedicated striker. The ''false 9' drops deep into the midfield, evades markers and links play so central defenders dont know who to mark and are drawn out of shape allowing runners to flood the gaps. Lionel Messi was a prime exponent of the 'false 9' formation in Pep Guardiola’s great Barcelona team.

Owers could set up a Italian style of formation style namely 3-4-1-2 using the ‘Trequartista’ an attacking midfielder operating behind the front two. Maybe would suit Williams, Reid or Young, who would be given more licence to roam, able to drift to the right, or left hand side and can play the two forwards in , chipping in with set-piece goals and shots from distance and sometimes adding mazy runs and prodigious skills to the mix. Maradona and Zidane are prime exponent of the 'Trequartista’ position.

Both are difficult positions to play. Basically they are 2 jobs, one as a striker and one as a midfielder.

But all of the above is 'Pie in the Sky' as Owers really only knows how to operate one formation which you allude he played again today - the predictable blurred 3-5-2 or 5-3-2 formation. Although in fairness he did the unthinkable against Orient and set up an 4–1–3–2 formation- and low and behold we won. So we can still live in hope that one day he will see the error of his ways and change the bloody formations.

[lucy6lucy]

8 minutes from a flicker of hope. All hope has now been truly extinguished. I'm sorry Owers next Saturday is not a must win, Solihull was and even then we would have had a mountain to climb. It's now a case of when, the only problem is that the rest above us are equally crap and will prolong the agony/hope, that's the most infuriating element.

[desperado]

Agree that equaliser has finished us, we would have been 3 points closer to Solihull had we held on
Unlikely we will catch them now but think it is possible to make up 3 points in the next six games
on Hartlepool, of course we would then have to beat them up there and Ebbsfleet last game. Tranmere
need to finish top 3 to go straight to the play off semis so should trying against Hartlepool last day

[merse btpir]

I think McGinty maybe on the 'Most Wanted' list

McGinty's put in a very good week in very different conditions, all on the road and shown leadership, determination and no little influence over matters....

Beside him yesterday in that back three that some would see discontinued; Balatoni and Sokolik were stoic and error free. Balatoni doesn't inspire confidence with his unorthodox physique, but he gets the job done whilst if there is a better goalkeeper than Dorel in this league right now I would be surprised.

Barnes didn't do badly in what is obviously not his optimum position and Davis got through to the byeline a lot more in this game. I thought he showed considerable restraint when the ref summoned him to issue his deserved caution for a late challenge: 'Davis, come here' is not really the manner in which to address a player in this day and age is it? But he went and accepted his one taken for the team showing a faint smile of 'that'll do me' as he retreated to defend the free kick.......sometimes a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do eh Liam!

It was the 'midfield three' of O'Sullivan , Lemonheigh-Evans and Young who had the scrap; with space at a premium on the small pitch with 'our three' outgunning 'their three' whilst having the benefit of free running wingbacks outside of them as out options and I thought they used them well.

What let us down on numerous occasions yesterday was the focus on getting a shot in when there was often an overload situation that meant a team mate was in a better position to try and score but then; damned if you do, damned if you don't and they know the fans would have been on their back for 'passing the buck' instead of taking responsibility.

United are fortunate to have Williams and Romain putting in the shifts that they do; a second excellent performance from them both within a few days and whilst Maidstone wasn't as effective; they have now done this in three successive games on the road in a week.

[Jerry]

Agree that equaliser has finished us, we would have been 3 points closer to Solihull had we held on
Unlikely we will catch them now but think it is possible to make up 3 points in the next six games
on Hartlepool, of course we would then have to beat them up there and Ebbsfleet last game. Tranmere
need to finish top 3 to go straight to the play off semis so should trying against Hartlepool last day

I think this is a feature of the new play-off format that is very welcome. Previously it mattered little which of the four slots you filled which often resulted in teams playing weakened sides in the last couple of games (I'm looking at you Tranmere ). This then could make the relegation fight a bit of a lottery if you or your rivals had a game against a virtual reserve side.

[CP Gull]

There was one rather amusing moment listening to the Radio Devon commentary. At the end of the first half the commentator wrapped things up but left the mic.on for a few seconds longer than he should have. I don’t know if anyone else picked it up but I’m sure that I heard Dave Thomas blurt out “f***ing fingers” - whether he realised that “the listeners” had picked it up or not I don’t know but the next time you hear him, at the beginning of the second half, he is at great pains to point out how freezing cold the temperature up there is and how difficult it is to type in those conditions - which apparently he does at the same time as summarise.

[Jerry]

I thought he showed considerable restraint when the ref summoned him to issue his deserved caution for a late challenge: 'Davis, come here' is not really the manner in which to address a player in this day and age is it? But he went and accepted his one taken for the team

Gosh yes how dreadful. Someone using your name and asking you to "come here". Considerable restraint indeed, anyone else would of course have been justified in kicking off and effing and jeffing in the refs face for this disgraceful behaviour.

[merse btpir]

'Number 3' would have been more respectful than the singular surname address in my opinion ~ especially when the managers were being addressed by their Christian names.

[merse btpir]

he is at great pains to point out how freezing cold the temperature up there is and how difficult it is to type in those conditions - which apparently he does at the same time as summarise.

He does indeed. Who was the commentator for Radio Devon yesterday? Not a face I recognised.

In the second half I sneaked a seat beside another commentator working on his own sitting beside Thomas whilst on my left was the man doing the stats for the PA and in front the non playing members of our squad ~ as good a seat as there is in that little ground but within earshot of the Torquay technical area almost bang on halfway.

[desperado]

Yes I heard that too CP !
Guess it wasn't much fun if you were facing that cold east wind yesterday

[westyorkshiregull]

Wasn't at the game yesterday so can't comment too much though did listen on the radio. As usual in football that 2nd goal is crucial and heart sank when they equalised. Such a uphill struggle and best we can hope for is to win v guisley and then onto chester a game im attending and prey for a miracle.
Be great to meet any other northern fans at that game.

[nickbrod]

Yes I heard that too CP !
Guess it wasn't much fun if you were facing that cold east wind yesterday

It was f-f- ffreezing all afternoon and not one to take your gloves off unless you wanted frostbite.
The attendance was 781 and as it was unsegregated difficult to know how many Yellow Army - but 250?

[merse btpir]

It was f-f- ffreezing all afternoon and not one to take your gloves off unless you wanted frostbite. The attendance was 781 and as it was unsegregated difficult to know how many Yellow Army - but 250?

How do you get Mister Johnson out if you don't take your gloves off then' or is that what fingeless mitts are for?

....and I do mean take him when you need a piss not to celebrate a goal! :~D

It's got to the stage with Calvin now (almost 9) that he leaves Dad in the stand with the old gits and joined the Yellow Army behind the goal with my other friends who keep an eye on him. I only saw him as they changed ends at half-time. His best memory of the day was meeting Troy Deeney's brother in the clubhouse.

Difficult to tell how many we had there, but it was like a home game until they scored. Not a lot of visible yellow because everyone had their top coats and hats on.......as I said elsewhere, it was like watching football in Finland and to think nearly all of those planes taking off over the back were heading for somewhere warm!

But what 'proper people' their fans and staff are. It might be a wholly inadequate ground but the clubhouse is quality and from what I understand they pay very well too.