TT BLOG
Clive Hayward – @Byehorse
Clive blogs about Paul Wotton’s latest presser
It’s only the end of August, but the strain was written all over the manager’s face as he met the local media this afternoon. The injury news is unremittingly bleak, with latest casualty Munashe Sundire needing a scan tomorrow on the injury he picked up in Monday’s hard-fought victory against Dover. There are two London trips to prepare for as the National League South midweek games keep on coming.
LOOKING AHEAD TO HEMEL AND HAMPTON:
Paul expressed frustration with the schedule, which sees the team bus timetabled for the thick end of 800 miles between Saturday and the early hours of Wednesday morning:
“It’s very difficult. There are a lot of games in August. Obviously our injury situation is far from perfect so it’s just a case of getting the payers through training at the minute: a real tough game at Hemel which we’ve got to get through first and then a tough tough game at Hampton: they’re 2 teams who have started the season very week.”
“It is what it is. No, I’m not happy about it but nobody’s going to listen to me so there’s no point moaning about it.”
INJURIES:
Alan Richardson asked whether there is any good news on the injury front?
“No”.
Paul also said there are no plans to do any more business in the transfer market.
THE NEW SIGNINGS:
The last week has seen debuts for Josh Phillips, the young left winger we have borrowed from League One Luton, and Denzel Akeampong, who will probably forever be known as “Triallist A”, who has signed a short-term deal after impressing in pre-season.
Wotton’s verdict:
Josh Phillips: “A quick, direct winger. He’s an out & out winger. He’s got good delivery and he’s good in one-on-one situations. He acquitted himself well in both games. It’s difficult when you’ve come from academy football to play 2 games in 3 days, 2 blood and thunder games, and I think he acquitted himself well, He was very fatigued on Monday and that’s why he came off. He’s done alright.”
Denzel Akeampong is “a work in progress. Listen, don’t expect him to go straight into the starting line-up and go and start the next 40 games. He’s young, he’s been in America and he’s getting used to us, but the thing about him is he wants to learn and he’s got a tremendous attitude.”
JORDAN DYER:
I asked Paul whether, given his lack of minutes so far (and bearing in mind his injury record last season), last season’s king-pin is a fitness worry? Apparently not:
“No, Jordan’s fit. That’s just the way I saw it on Monday. JD is one of the best CBs in the league. He’s fit, he’s absolutely pivotal to what we do: he’s a monster player for us.”
THE OVERALL PICTURE:
It would be a surprise if the huge crop of injuries (“5 starters”) wasn’t a concern, and from Paul’s answers today it’s clear that they are front and centre for him. Having said that, he cautioned that it’s too early to start drawing conclusions about how this most important of Torquay seasons will go. He did cop some stick from the travelling support during the disappointing performance at Horsham but his message to fans is this:
“You’d take a point at Maidstone all day long. Horsham: I don’t think we’ve played well but ultimately we’ve lost to a free kick and a mistake. Other than that I think Horsham only had one shot. As bad as we were, we still shouldn’t have lost the game, so I’m not concerned. It’s a bit early to be worried about away form at the moment. We’re 5 games in so I’m pretty calm about that.”
“I wouldn’t look at the league table or give 2 hoots about the league table until at least 16 games.”
COYY – Clive
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TORQUAYTALK 
I just wish every game wasn’t given as a tough game. I get the respect thing, but come on. A club the size of ours should be everyone else’s tough game. Horsham was no a tough game. We made it a problem by underperforming. Please Paul stop with declaring every game as though it’s Liverpool away. It’s as though the mindset is setting us up to lose all the time.
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