TALKING POINTS

Chris Wade

@tufcchris

Chris discusses the NLS game

WHERE NEXT?

It really is hard to know where to start this article this week. 3 defeats in the last 4 games, no goals scored in those 3 defeats, 1 point from the last 3 league games and a pathetic defeat at Hereford in the FA Trophy last time out. Where do we turn next? The group of players that we currently have available have not shown anything that they are up to the standard required to really push us on, and there seems little evidence that any of the injured first choice players will be back anytime in the next couple of weeks. Possibly Tom Lapslie is the only one we may see at Plainmoor against Dover at the weekend.

GIVE US A MIDFIELD

As regular viewers of our weekly YouTube offering Gulls Eye View will know, the lack of structure to the team is astounding to me. In front of the back 4 is a mis-shaped midfield that has offered oppositions chance after chance to go through at will in recent weeks. It’s been striking how much free play Truro and Eastbourne both had on transition in the last home games, flooding through gaping holes in the centre of the picture, creating multiple goal-scoring opportunities. We simply have to change the set up to give us a chance, with two midfield players holding their position and giving us a base to attack from. This in turn should improve the possession that we can get and supply the wide players and forwards with.

WHO’S IN ATTACK?

If the above can give us a chance of retaining possession better, we then have to have the personnel to finish the chances in front of goal. Whilst the absence of Aaron Jarvis and Brad Ash has been hugely frustrating and debilitating, the manager’s job is to find an answer either inside or outside the building. The unfortunate second debut of Duan Ofori Acheampong appears to have not solved the issue. Lewis Collins has been hugely disappointing this season, but in mitigation he has very little role definition and is all over the place. I think he should play down the middle, as he has the pace to get around the sides and over the centre backs. But he would need to get stuck in. We have enough wide players to make that work.

BUSY SCHEDULE

This game marks a busy phase of the season, and one that will be pivotal to our final outcome. Serious questions are starting to be asked on the possibility of not making the play-offs, and we’ll know a lot more by the time some ladies are getting down on one knee on 29 February. Trips to Chippenham and Worthing follow over the next week after Saturday, and three points is absolutely not negotiable on Saturday. The players selected simply have to step up, with focus then able to turn to our faltering away form.

THE OPPOSITION

Dover have had a nightmare of a season, and 18 points from 27 games with only 2 wins highlights this. They lie 12 points from safety with only one win in the last 5 games, although only 2 defeats in that time too. They don’t have the worst defensive record but have averaged only a goal a game so far. We simply have to find a way, starting with getting on the front foot early, something that we did so well in the 5 successive wins in late November and early December that has been desperately lacking of late.