TALKING POINTS
Chris Wade
@TufcChris
HOMEWORK & STRUCTURE
Gary often talks about the homework and time talking to the players before matches, and the game at St Albans was evidence of this and when it works. St Albans had a very clear way of playing, building out from the back, passing from the goalkeeper and defenders. Gary had worked very hard with the team and maintaining the team structure whilst they did this. Brad Ash and Lewis Collins worked hard at running across, Will Jenkins-Davis filled the space in between and the rest of the team then pushed up accordingly. The players followed this really well for the whole game, only get pulled out of position once in the opening minutes of the second half when Captain Fantastic came rushing out to smother the opportunity. This base provided the foundation for the three points. This also was why Worthing found it so easy to play through us last week, so the change of formation and structure has definitely worked this week.
SOLID OLLIE
Ollie Tomlinson has had a curious Yellow journey so far. Little opportunity last season and farmed out on loan to lower league clubs, it was a little surprising when he was retained at the end of last season. But there has been clear intent since the players returned to develop him through game time this season. He was impressive in pre season and was again so at Clarence Park. He won all of his aerial dules and dealt with the lively front line well alongside Ross Marshall. I have been impressed with his reading of the game and how he anticipates danger, covering around the sides of the full backs and calmly sweeping up danger. And of course the winning goal was a nice bonus!
BUSY BRAD
As mentioned above, the work rate of the strikers is a key part when playing against a team playing as St Albans tried too. Brad Ash is an indefatigable forward who never stops running and he ran the lines across alongside Lewis Collins very well. He was Weymouth’s top goal scorer last season and the main currency of any forward is goals. But he doesn’t appear to be too frustrated at his lack of Torquay goals yet and it will come. An intelligent assist on Tuesday shows how he will contribute in the final third.
QUALITY
The main reason why were weren’t able to push the first half dominance with more goals was that we lacked consistent quality in the final third. Players showed flashes of being able to finish the territory, but lacked the final ball or finish. What is clear in this league, as in any really, is to lift your quality and finish teams off. We will have to play better and will come up against better teams than St Albans, and that touch of quality is key to this.
THE SQUAD
Unbelievably, we were very much down to the bare bones in only the fourth game of the season. But Dan Martin and Ross Marshall have come in and done well this week and again were stand out defenders, Marshall making one thunderous goal saving tackle in the first half. I had a conversation over a pre match pint about how I thought the squad would remain the same through to the start of September, and this was confirmed by Gary after the match. The players that we want and are available will change after the close of the EFL transfer, and will have to stick with what we have until then. Hopefully, Aaron Jarvis will be back next weekend for two matches in three days.