TT BLOG
Clive Hayward – @Byehorse
Clive looks at the squad so far…
How are we doing, Yellows? I had a few days away last week and if I’m honest I didn’t give Torquay United too much thought. Some cracking Welsh scenery and a North-West meet-up with my son gave me plenty of other stuff to be getting on with. Throw in a bit of Test Match Special and a night bus through Cheadle and I was as happy as Larry.
But the announcement of more pre-season friendlies this week was a reminder that we only get a few weeks off here at Torquay Talk, so it’s time to dust off the laptop and have a think about how Paul Wotton’s 2025/26 squad is looking. Alright, I think?
It looks like we’ve got 16 on the books at present, many of whom are of course familiar from last season’s promotion near miss but at least a couple of them seem unlikely to feature very much.
I have tried to split them into categories that make sense, but you might quibble about one or two categorisations. Is Matt Jay a striker or a midfielder? Is Jordan Young a midfielder or a winger? Is golf James Hamon’s best sport?
Anyway, if nobody else signs before the first day of training, this is our current roll call:
GOALKEEPERS
James Hamon (another one year deal signed on Tuesday) and Matt Wonnacott
This looks ok. It was nearly good enough last year. Ideally I would have liked to see us prioritise getting a better first choice. A 15-point-winner. Shilton in his prime. Southall in his dotage. But that was never going to happen. The manager likes and trusts James Hamon and it’s his call.
DEFENDERS
Full Backs/Wing Backs: Jay Foulston and Matty Carson
Centre Backs: Sam Dreyer, Jordan Dyer and Ed Palmer
There is a big hole at right back. It has now been announced that Finn Craske is leaving. He had been fine (without tearing up trees): the very definition of “a squad player”. His departure leaves us without a recognised number 2. We are told that new signing Munashe Sundire can also play there, but really I’d want to see him snarling at people in midfield.
The three big lads in the middle very rarely let us down last year. The first choices of Dreyer and Dyer are excellent. The clouds on that horizon are whether Dreyer is attractive to or attracted by a club in a higher division and Jordan Dyer’s propensity to pick up hamstring injuries. I think more cover is needed, preferably of the grizzled variety.
MIDFIELDERS
Dan Hayfield, Munashe Sundire (New: Was at Tamworth last season, Callum Dolan (New: Former Torquay loanee who has returned to Plainmoor following his release by Fleetwood
The signings of Sundire and Dolan and the parting of the ways with last season’s skipper Oscar Threlkeld now Lirak “I wanna dance with” Hasani seem, seem, on paper, to have strengthened a department which let us down badly against Boreham Wood. The Mussa experiment is over (merci beaucoup et bon chance Omar) but Callum Dolan, if he stays fit, has already shown us what he can do. “Nash” should give us bite which was too often lacking, and we shouldn’t lack for creativity when Jordan Young and Matt Jay are thrown into the mix.
WINGERS
Jordan Young, Dylan Morgan & Louis Dennis (New: Experienced winger most recently at Bromley)
As we know, player of the season Young can and does win games on his own. Dylan Morgan will hopefully benefit from a long rest and then a proper pre-season as he looks to get back from injury and Louis Dennis certainly talked a good game on arrival. It’s certainly encouraging to have his experience and positive attitude in the building.
FORWARDS
Matt Jay, Cody Cooke, Jaydn Crosbie, & Ben Seymour (Still, as far as we know, available for transfer to pastures new)
Comment: This is a bit of a mixed bag. If I’m being harsh, it was ultimately the failure to score enough goals which allowed Truro to win the league despite going 0 and 3 against us. This quartet doesn’t exactly reek of the onion bag. Ben Seymour’s first season was right up there with the biggest under achievements since The Spanish Armada and it would be a surprise if we ever see him in full sail. Jaydn may well still be a work in progress, so that probably only leaves us with Cody and Matt. Two terrific players for this level. I’m certainly not going to cry if Cookie delivers more rabbits out of the hat and Jay’s beauties at Chelmsford and Truro will live long in the memory, but you’d like to think they will get some help.
CONCLUSION
So, there we are. We’ve probably got the makings of a squad which can challenge again. With 7 subs needed this season (whose bright idea was that??) we will probably need more bodies. It might be that we dip into the loan market more this year. Perhaps there are still big summer signings to come. Who knows? I remember when we found out about “incomings” from the Herald Express, but it’s all about the socials these days. I get roughly 40 Whats App messages per player, so I guess we’ll need to keep our phones charged.
Up The Gulls!
See you soon.
COYY – Clive
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