TALKING POINTS

Chris Wade

@tufcchris

Chris discusses the NLS game

FIGHTING SPIRIT

Over what has been an unbelievably emotional last ten days, the togetherness of the club has been nothing short of incredible. Interim Manager Aaron Downes gave an insight into the level of challenge at the club on Thursday when he said that nobody knew if they were going to be paid this month or not. With clear emotion in his eyes, he laid bare where we are as a football club right now. The level of transparency that has changed so amazingly in this time has also shown how shackled and tight things were before. As Aaron said in another wonderfully candid interview, we now want to repay the love with some wins, starting at Weymouth on Saturday.

DAWSON’S DELIGHT

The return of Kevin Dawson over the last two weeks has been another positive at the club on and off the pitch. His leadership is clear for all to see, and his vocal noise and constant drive has been desperately missing at times this season. His non-stop, boundless energy on Saturday pushed the team forward, and it gave a far better shape to anything that we have seen before. Getting Brett McGavin further forward and nearer the goal is the next challenge for me, as he has shown eight times this season how lethal he can be in and around the box. But the structure of McGavin, Dawson and Will Jenkins-Davies worked much better last week.

JACK’S WING

Another returnee over the last fortnight has been Jack Stobbs. Described by Downes as the best winger in the league this week, how we get back him into the start eleven is a challenge given the current shape and formation. He is capable of playing as one of the narrow three midfield players, but how you get him in is not so easy. He put in two excellent crosses when he was introduced last weekend, and that ammunition is key with the main two back up front. Forwards like Aaron Jarvis and Brad Ash need service though, and the inclusion of Stobbs would help that hugely. Whether he starts or comes on as a sub, I’m sure Jack will make an impact.

FOUR WINS?

With the threat of a ten point deduction hanging over our heads, getting some wins to ensure our place in National League South is very important in amongst all that is going on at the club right now. It’s what the players are there for and will massively want to do. Getting to 50 points has to be the target, so four wins should do that with 12 games still remaining and some very winnable games to come. With a ten point deduction, that would take us to 49 points, and given the side 4^th from bottom currently has 34 points but with games in hand, you would think that would be enough. And for all of our spirits, some three point returns would be awesome.

THANK YOU WEYMOUTH FC

This article simply cannot be written without acknowledging the wonderful love and support of Weymouth this week. Their gesture of donating £5 to Torquay from every away ticket sold for the game really is incredible at this level, along with selling pin badges showing them standing with us. What a club. But the rivalry will be put aside on Saturday at 3pm as both clubs go for the three points. With three defeats in the last five games, Weymouth are a very beatable team and one that we have to go there and be positive against. Surely the football gods are on our side?