TT BLOG

Dom Roman – @DomRoman

Dom discusses the Gulls

THE TT BLOG

The Trophy loss = our gain?

You can approach our Trophy loss at Worthing from a number of different angles, and the choice of angle is perhaps influenced by where you watched/followed the game! If you did indeed make the trip, then you’ve certainly got a right to be disappointed in the manner of the defeat, and how little concentration the Gulls players had in their locker (Paul Wotton saying “they just did what they want” is one of the more noticeable statements from him this season!). This is time and money spent by the Yellow Army, and watching the highlights, it’s easy to see the lack of intensity on offer as each Worthing goal rolls in. This Gulls squad are not good enough to glide through any game and still win it, and certainly not against a dangerous team like Worthing. In the end United’s lethargy and striker-less line-up were punished accordingly.

Of course another alternative angle centres around the unwanted nature of the FA Trophy to many, and how it can disrupt the league campaign. Personally I’m not a fan of the Trophy, so I can sympathise with that thinking! The context this season is that we desperately want to get out of the National League South, and the importance of that is huge for Torquay United. We have tremendous support this season, we have momentum to step forward, and we do not want another season in regional football if possible. If other contenders improve, a 3rd season could possibly lead to a 4th season, nothing can be taken for granted in football. So whilst I think the travelling support should be miffed at what PW and his men offered at the weekend, I think the focus we now have on the NLS can work to our advantage. Welling at home is an excellent chance for United to regather themselves and return to winning ways this Saturday, let’s hope they take it.

Incomings??

The squad is seeing some subtle changes in recent weeks, with Brad Ash/Ollie Tomlinson staying at Bath, Finn Tonks changing teams to Farnborough on loan and Keke Jeffers returning to Stoke. Meanwhile Ben Seymour made his first appearance for a while after his spell at Bath, and Jake Wood’s loan deal from Southend ends very soon.

None of these players have been particularly important to the Gulls this season, but with Jay Foulston injured and Jordan Thomas suspended for the Welling game, the squad appears a little thin as we head into 2025, though our one recent arrival Dylan Morgan has already looked a very good signing indeed. The main area of concern centres on the options upfront, with Cody Cooke very much the only trusted striker on Paul Wotton’s books.

There’s been talk of a push for Tyler Harvey, and you can be sure that Paul Wotton would like another striker to take the pressure off Cody, so it’s very much ‘watch this space’. We’ve been down the route of youth team strikers on numerous occasions in recent years, but so many of them have struggled to make an impact at Plainmoor (with the exception of Sinclair Armstrong!), it would be sound business to set our sights on someone who knows the division, and has the knowhow and experience to be a difference-maker for United. Whether we can find someone suitable, we’ll find out in the coming weeks.

Resolutions for 2025?

EMPHASIS ON ATTACK. With the title there to be won, I would like Paul Wotton’s team to believe in themselves and be more aggressive, especially on their travels. We have 12 away league games left (10 at home), including our old foes Maidstone on 1st Feb, and more emphasis in our attacking play could be the difference between too many draws equating to a play-off spot, or the glory of 1st position. Paul has done a great job building a team that’s organised and hard to beat (ignoring the Worthing game!), but to deliver the title the odd gamble may be required.
FINDING MORE FROM THE MOOSE! We’ve had a real mix this season from Omar, some good, some excellent and some performances that make you wonder whether it’ll ever really happen for him at Plainmoor. What he can do is bring composure in the final third and pull off a trick or pass that creates something for the Gulls, but can we maximise this to our advantage? One goal so far this season is very modest for a player of his ability and too often he’s not close enough to the penalty area for my liking. If we can find more moments from him in the key areas it could be huge for our season.
LOOKING FOR ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE. TT contributor Mark Hirst has worked out that we have 7 away games left on plastic pitches in 2024-25, and that’s a worrying stat! We have won games on artificial pitches over the years, but more often than not we’ve struggled and if we want to be in the Top 3 come April, then that will need to change. Our training has been on artificial surfaces for years, so you’d think that would help, but whatever the reasons for our troubles, it’s certainly one of Paul Wotton’s biggest challenges for the remainder of 24/25.
KEEP DOING WHAT YOU’RE DOING! It’s hard to fault anything that the Bryn Consortium have done for Torquay United so far, so my message to them is to keep doing what’s they’re doing! On the pitch I’m sure they’ll do what they can to support the manager, whilst off the pitch they’ve made such great strides in various areas that I fully trust them to keep improving my club in the coming year. One of the main problems around Plainmoor (as they’ll well know) is the facilities for food and drink, so I can see that being tackled by the start of the 2025/26, and overall I can imagine they have a number of other items on their radar! A combination of business nous and real passion for the club is massive for Torquay United that’s for sure, and that takes us into 2025 in excellent shape.