TALKING POINTS

Dom Roman

@DomRoman

Dom discusses the NLS game

THE SEARCH FOR A WIN GOES ON

Five losses in a row, 1 win out of 11 games, 12th in the National League South etc etc, this has been a grim time to support Torquay United, even by our standards. Those statistics are unforgiveable at this level of football, with a professional squad playing against mainly part-time opposition, there’s no way we should be stooping that low, but here we are. The Yellow Army will travel again hoping for something, but expecting little from their side – maybe the law of averages (if not much else!) suggests we’ll get a positive result at some stage, but this low in confidence bunch of lads have to actually pull themselves together and make it happen.

DAWSON’S INFLUENCE

With so little inspiration from the management, these players have desperately needed leaders to get them going. Tom Lapslie and Asa Hall have tried, but it’s not been good enough…now here comes the much-missed Kevin Dawson! The midfielder had not played for nearly 10 months, but was still United’s best player in his 20 minute spell at Braintree, a sad reflection of how poor the rest of these guys currently are. He gives us a voice on the pitch and once back to full fitness, should help drive us on and make the flimsy United team decidedly more difficult to play against. In the immediate future his minutes should be managed carefully and it would be no surprise if Kev shared time with Tom Lapslie again at Farnborough, with Tom able to play before his suspension kicks in next weekend.

THE LINE-UP

The biggest decision here will probably be whether Aaron Jarvis starts the game. There was no spark in United’s play on Saturday, boring and predictable tactics failing to test 10-men Braintree, whilst clean sheets are less common than a George Edwards smile! The team desperately needs better coaching and more imaginative tactics, but without that, throwing the striker in and hoping he can make something happen, appears to be our best hope (assuming he is ready for action after his partner gave birth). Otherwise centre back Ronny Nelson is yet to make an appearance, whilst Dan Martin and Dillon De Silva will be hoping to push into the starting line-up after their substitute appearances at Braintree and the afore-mentioned Kevin Dawson will most likely be a second half impact sub.

THE OPPOSITION

Farnborough FC started the season quite brightly, before then dropping off to the lower reaches of the table. But guess what, if they beat us, they will overtake United in the league. Boro seem to have steadied their form in recent weeks, beating Dartford and Truro at home to leave them in 14th with 42 points from 31 games. Their squad includes player coach Ricky Holmes, a veteran attacker who is now 36 and is on the final lap of a career that included spells at Charlton, Sheff Utd and Portsmouth. Elsewhere there is a Torquay link, with Aaron Kuhl, son of ex-Gulls assistant Martin, in the Boro midfield. whilst Olly Pendlebury is described as their playmaker by our Opposition Q&A supporter Tom (see below). A team that should be beatable, but undoubtedly they’ll be saying the same about us.

OPPOSITION Q&A – Farnborough FC by Tom Ryan

WHAT NEXT?

It’s fairly obvious now that the owners would rather Torquay United face another season in the National League South than finance any managerial change, because let’s face it, the football can hardly have gone any worse can it? After the initial plan and push to get United to the EFL failed, it feels like Osborne and Edwards are now going through the motions with a manager who has moved well past his sell by date, whilst still hoping they can somehow push the new stadium plans to fruition. Meanwhile we are subjected to an absolutely torturous season, just hoping Jarvis and Dawson can rally the wounded troops on their return. It’s a horribly frustrating time to support the club, a club lacking heart and pride, and a club lacking any standards at all, and TUST are rightly asking questions about the running of Torquay United (see below). Safe travels to those who make the trip, I’m sure you’ll make your voices heard!

COYY – DOM

TUST STATEMENT – WHY PROTEST?#OneClub #OneProtest#TUST #TUFChttps://t.co/FamBzlC1Wk pic.twitter.com/8L8iNQSVpJ

— Torquay United Supporters Trust (@TUSTCOYY) February 18, 2024

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