TALKING POINTS

Dom Roman

@DomRoman

Dom discusses the game at Plainmoor

1 WIN IN 10

1 win in 10 at this level equates to one of, if not the, worst runs of form in Torquay United’s history. And the only win amongst that 10 was a scrappy 1-0 over a team that had only won 2 games all season! It’s absolutely shameful. We are a team that was tipped by many as title winners this season and were the bookies pre-season favourites, we are one of only 3 professional outfits in the division and we are embarrassing ourselves week in week out. The whole club has just got used to losing at this point and I’m not sure the owners care enough to do much about it. Keep blaming bad luck, keep backing the manager and keep repeating the words “One Club, United”. Torquay United are a club lacking any true leadership both on and off the pitch.

MANAGING THE SQUAD & FITNESS

I’ve heard Gary Johnson bemoan the bad luck we’ve had with injuries this season, but these injury problems have been happening every year under his management. Coincidence? No. Last Tuesday at Maidstone, Asa Hall, whose body is struggling through the season, was played for 90 minutes, which he just about managed. Then what do we do? Throw him into the starting line-up 4 days later of course. I called it before kick-off, another injury just seemed inevitable, and the skipper sadly hobbled off after half an hour. Brett McGavin suffered an awkward looking injury in the 2nd half. and instead of taking the midfielder off, we kept him on, risked aggravating matters further and then he left the field soon after. Amongst issues with recruitment, tactics and everything else, this manager also doesn’t look after his players, often overplaying them until they break down with injury, or picking them when they are not fit. Add to that the feeling that the squad do not have fitness levels befitting of a professional team – we are often getting outworked and outrun by part-time opposition – and it just adds to the frustration of following Torquay United.

WILL JENKINS DAVIES

I mentioned Will Jenkins Davies a few weeks ago as a player who could make a difference. Since then he’s scored 3 goals (and also had a red card!), and hopefully we are now getting to witness his promise come through. It’s a tough gig coming to a club where the coaching standards are so low, tactics are juggled regularly and the ball is often played over your head, but to his credit Will is always full of effort and always asking for the ball. In the immediate future his smart touches, as shown for Saturday’s first goal, and his keen running, as shown by Saturday’s second goal, can make him a big player for the Gulls. With Aaron Jarvis back this link up could be key…let’s face it with our defence we need as many goals as possible! I guess when he’s returned to Plymouth this stage of his career will be looked back on as ‘character building’.

DEFENCE, WHAT DEFENCE?

What do they do on the training ground? I’m not sure I want to know! Can’t stop crosses, can’t defend crosses, can’t clear the ball, can’t track a man, can’t make the right decisions, can’t do anything! Our defence is currently the worst I’ve ever seen following the team, an absolute horror show of calamity and panic. Slough Town looked like they could score each and every time they attacked, and no-one was surprised when their 4th was poked into the net. FIFTY-FOUR goals conceded in the league and it’s not even the middle of February, what a shambles.

JARVIS RETURNS

When Mo Salah returns to the Liverpool line-up after injury, I doubt he’ll get a more enthusiastic welcome than Aaron Jarvis got when he replaced Duane Acheampong during the second half! The striker muscled himself into the game, and will surely improve the team (to be fair to Duane, he’s tried hard as expected). No pressure Aaron, but with our defence we need to score around 4 goals a game to have a chance of 3 points! Good luck Jarv, nice to have you back.

HITTING LOWS

15 goals conceded in 4 games, 5 points behind 7th, 14 points behind 2nd, these are stats that would bother most clubs, but do they bother our owners? No recorded ‘gaffer’ interview on Saturday, but no sign that Gary Johnson is going anywhere. I have seen Torquay United have plenty of poor seasons, this has been due to various reasons, but in almost all of them (excluding the Chris Roberts debacle), I have always felt that the club have been doing their upmost best to salvage matters. It doesn’t feel like that at the moment, and if TUFC aren’t bothered enough about trying to fulfil their hollow pre-season promises, then supporters are rightly wondering why they should bother either. We can all see how a managerial change could still alter the course of this season (if not alter the entire state of the club), and I’d love to know the real reasons why it’s not been made. It’s a dismal time to support Torquay United, a club that wants to control and suppress supporters, and a club where bad results just don’t seem to hurt anymore.

COYY – DOM

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