TT BLOG

Ian East – Easters86

So here we are, the World Cup is over, Hornchurch away is now just another Torquay United horror story memory for us all, signings have been made, pre-season is done and the new season is here. Time never stands still and whatever ups and downs preceded it are now irrelevant, the new National League South season kicks off and Horsham are our opponents.

Whatever stock you want to put into pre-season is kind of up to the individual, what I would say is the management team have zeroed in on the perceived weaknesses of the group last season and made a conscious effort to address them, and not with just one new player but several, ahead of the normal grind of a 46 game season on different pitches, conditions and all that goes with it.

You could say despite our possible frailties it was that period around February where the injuries piled up and our squad weakness showed in a big way, it not only cost us the chance of winning the league it cost Paul Wotton his job. Jimmy Ball has clearly looked at that and done everything in his power to rectify it. 2 goalkeepers, 2 right backs, 2 left backs, an experienced proven warhorse of a centre back and 3 strikers with Cooke also re-signing. We aren’t going into a game with 12 players again.

When the season ended I kind of thought the M.O would be proven players from either this league or the ones above would be the order of the day, in fact to begin with it was the opposite where the likes of Zak Baker, Isaac Westerndorf, Kian Jenkins, Tyler Hill and Sean Robertson were brought in along with Callum Morton whose recent history is up and down to say the least maybe to some it was a bit underwhelming? That was what I thought anyway initially then having to remind myself no this is what normally happens where you fill your squad with players with untapped potential and ones that you feel can contribute both short and long term to upgrade the squad as a whole rather than necessarily the first XI with hose statement signings to come. Let’s be clear for 2 years we’ve gone as close as you can possibly go to winning promotion, the squad doesn’t need an overhaul it needed tweaking and improving in a few areas.

Goalkeeper, right back and centre forward. Those were the 3 real issues or areas where the squad lacked that real difference maker. We ended the season with a loan goalkeeper, Dan Hayfield playing right back and Deon Moore kind of changed life for TUFC after Cody Cooke was ruled out for the season. The recruitment there is where I think you see the budget has been used, Toby Savin comes in from Wigan Athletic in League One, Dom Bernard comes in (for a fee) from Weston and he’s previously captained FGR to a League Two championship and played at a high level and then the aforementioned Moore has signed with Westerndorf, Cooke and Morton to bolster the striking ranks significantly. When you throw in Jake Wannell as well a rugged experienced leader centre back from the league above you see where Jimmy felt the squad was lacking and what he’s done to improve the starting lineup.

With pre-season finished you usually by the end of it get an idea of what starting XI to expect for the first game but Jimmy has certainly kept us guessing, he’s given everyone a fair crack and kept minutes up for most which means predicting the team for Horsham on Saturday is hard so if we don’t know there’s no chance our opponents will know! Formations and lineups I think may well change almost week to week with this squad, I think you’ll see a more “horses for courses” approach and if most of these signings hit then I doubt you’ll see too much of a drop in quality in whichever team Jimmy decides to pick, one thing is for sure our bench is going to be a very strong one with everyone available.

Some very good players for this level are going to be on the bench and even sat in the stands for us on Saturday which shows the depth of this squad, we won’t have to rush players back we should be able to cope with the odd injury here or there or even player sale and that wasn’t the case last year.

The club has rectified itself off the field over the last 2 years, the fans have backed the club through all the trials and tribulations, they’ve backed the new membership and lottery schemes, they’ve backed them in season ticket and shirt sales, the management team is in place and the squad is as strong as it’s been for a number of years, it’s time to deliver now where it matters most, on the pitch.

The time is now, no excuses.

Up the Gulls