TALKING POINTS

Chris Wade – @tufcchris

Chris looks ahead to the away trip

CRACKING START

What a day last Saturday was? The start of a new era full of promise, hope and expectation. And after a ropey start, the players did not let us down. Regardless of the result, day one brought a performance full of desire, passion and will to win for Torquay United. And that isn’t something that you could always say last season. The players all showed why they have been recruited, and there isn’t one of those players that looks out of place in Paul Wotton’s new look team.

KNOW YOUR JOB

Another key factor in the opening day three points was the organisation and role definition for each player. They all looked to be well drilled and know where they needed to be in each situation. That only comes from hard work and organisation on the training pitch, and that is something that Wotton has stressed during pre-season. The preparedness to trust the bloke in front of you was important. Lots of passes were fizzed into areas where you needed a good first touch, but everybody made the angle for the next pass. It was great to see the organisation and this will be key away from home especially as the season progresses.

TEAM STRUCTURE

A lot has been made of the structure that Paul Wotton likes to use, but it was clear how it works. The high press and push up the pitch was clear when Enfield had the ball, and trying to keep them in and not let them out worked well in the main. He wants everything done quickly. The only note of caution I observed was that all three midfield players went at once on occasions. When opposition get out, it leaves you vulnerable to being counter attacked and especially against teams that have pace. The space behind the midfield and in front of the defence was a bit too much for comfort at times, and we will need to not over-commit at certain points in games to keep a tight structure.

THE MOOSE

There’s no doubt that the player that caught everybody’s attention at Plainmoor last week was Omar Mussa. He has that little bit of zing that makes you watch football, and to have that in your team is exciting. He has the speed of feet and the speed of mind that will open teams up, as long as people can keep up with him! I am interested to see how that transcends in away games this season. The need to be solid and disciplined is there away from home, and how he can affect the game in forward areas will be fascinating to see. The role of Lirak Hasani off the bench was key also, so those two players have the key to the lock in behind away from home.

THE OPPOSITION

Farnborough have all the hallmarks of being a challenge this weekend. They have recruited well in the summer, have players full of promise and started the season with a 2-1 win at Chippenham last week. So this Saturday will be the next test for the new look Gulls. But we absolutely cannot be scared of anybody in this league, and starting with three points away from home would be the next statement of intent. The game was just enjoyable last week. More of that this week please.