FL2: Torquay United vs Southend United - 14th December 2013

Stating the obvious, we really need something from this game. Looking at the table and this weekend's fixtures for the teams around us, things could look a whole lot worse if we don't put in a performance. As you say rjd, the squad have had 2 weeks to work on things which in theory should have helped and should, again in theory, see the players raring to go. For me Knill has to change things around. Although harsh on rice I would start with poke and reinstate Pearce in the middle and move o'connor to right back. First and foremost we have to be hard to beat and build from there. With a bit of luck maybe complacency will creep in to Southend and they'll have an off day!
There is a decent piece on the Herald website about o'connor and how he wanted to stay at plainmoor. His attitude appears first class and that is the fight and determination required from everybody at the club right now.

Nah, Benners and Maquis to start with Hawley on the bench?

It may be if he's match fit, Bodin will start wide left letting Chapps move back to the right. Be suprised if the management come up with a sea-change in tactics, though a two week gap would have been the ideal time to work on it.

Reckon thats what many of us would do Rob. Midfield and the ease at which we are penetrated has been the main problem for me from the very start. Ironic because that was the problem when Knill arrived and brought in Labadie who changed our fortunes who made us so much more solid in that area.
For the life of me I cannot understand why he has continually adopted the same old failing tactics week after week with the same pitiful outcome. It's what has gotten him and the club into this mess.
Yep I would go with five in a more defensive midfield and try and play like the away team on the counter and also go with the best keeper at the club though no slight on Rice who has been excellent.

Still can't see us winning this one with Southend on a role against the worst side in the division, low on confidence and grasping at straws for a tactic that can win games .

Sure they have tried and failed to bring a more entertaining style of football to our club and I believe they are on a steep learning curve in football terms.
Lings style, although reasonably effective was beginning to show signs of cracking before he himself lost the plot and lest face it some of the fare served up was nearly as bad as what we have seen this season and was quite honestly boring the pants off of me and many others including board members. We took a gamble and has blown up in our faces what we need to do now is admit we were wrong and find a solution quickly before it is too late and all the wheels fall off!
Pride come before a fall and admitting you are wrong and need to change isn't a sign off weakness its a sign of strength.

We've only gone and won! We'll done boys, made my weekend...

Finally a change of shape with the first choice keeper as many of us have wanted for weeks and we put in our best and most professional performance of the season.
At last we looked like a proper side, organised, compact across the middle and with the wide midfield men of Chapell and Bodin doing a proper covering defensive job and offering as much as they could as an attacking threat. Mozika was the free man in the center to push on and support Marquis who really impressed me in his role as collector of high balls and lone central front man.
Southend hardly had a clear shot at goal for most of the afternoon as we finally got our priorities right with some superb defending from the "front" to the very impressive central back line. Tonge was caught out on a few occasions and doesn't look comfortable when in possession and for me was the only negative of the afternoon though he did keep at it. It was also great too see Bodin back o the pitch and despite his usual frustrating bals up in front of goal he is still a threat the opposition have to deal with and he also worked hard in the wide defensive areas.
Poke was assured with great hands on a couple of Southend efforts and one fantastic save from a driven shot at the start of the second period that looked a goal all the way until he got a hand on it.
Our goal resulted i us pressing their back line in the windy conditions with Mozika winning a crucial header Bodin laying off to Marquis who hit the sweetest of cross shots to beat the outstretched arms of the keeper. A top class finish by any standards from a player with the quality we desperately need on a more permanent basis. shortly after we could smell blood and should have gone two up only to see shots scrambled away hit the post or desperately saved by the away keeper.
with plenty of time left for Southend to get back into it Brown used all his subs in what fortunately turned out to be a vane effort as we competed for every ball for the entire ninety plus added.
The break has done us good by the looks of it and this result and performance will have lifted the gloom. Surely we can build on this and clamber our way out of the relegation quick sand and hopefully we will see Knill motivating us to do the same in each of the remaining matches as today I believe the players saved his bacon.