FL2: Torquay United vs Wycombe Wanderers - 3rd May 2014

We've occasionally said that, for a game to be a "proper" Derby, it should work both ways. Torquay, for example, is not a local fixture for Cheltenham.

Nor would we ever rank too highly as rivals in the eyes of Bristol Rovers. Yet next season could be different. They may be in denial - hating City and disliking Swindon and the South Wales teams as much as ever - but, in the absence of Rovers (presumably) wishing to cultivate any sort of rivalry with either Forest Green or Salisbury, they may notice us rther more than in the past. Interestingly the Conference still uses Boxing Day for this type of fixture with the reverse games on New Year's Day.

Should have used it to better effect on the coaching ground and in motivating the players before the game because they didn't seem interested at all.

Nine months on since our opening effort against Wimbledon and it was quite uncanny how similar we played yesterday.
The result may have been different, Wimbledon should have buried us, but the tactics and performance were remarkably similar.
Nothing has changed in nine months despite god knows how many loanees, managers, coaches we were still playing with similar tactics and with one of the weakest midfields the club has ever had.
Progress where is the progress?
Hopefully Hargreaves will have some room to manoeuvre after he clears out some of the deadwood but after witnessing another in the long list of abject surrender I hold out little hope unless he can get to grips with the real problems, get in some quality in those areas and start to rebuild from the ground up.
The question also has to be asked as to why we have been so dreadful at Plainmoor. Is it the new stand and the poor atmosphere,the pitch, or just a combination of many things including poor tactics and players(the Tonges, Hardings) that just haven't won over the faithful from day one. Cameron has redeemed himself and was the only REAL footballer playing for us yesterday though where was he earlier in the season? Combine our away record and Rovers home record and we would be just outside the play offs!
One thing was apparent to me yesterday and that was there was little pride on show , more then one or two were just going through the motions. Unforgivable in my eyes and no wonder Hargreaves was an angry man after the match personally I was fuming at our league send off. Would love to have heard what was said you could see from his body language as we continued to make basic errors and dig deeper and deeper holes in the match he was extremely annoyed and frustrated and for periods looked away unable to face another abysmal showing.

The last time we went down we only had a handful of players at the club and PB could start afresh with a clean slate without players with "relegation baggage" and sign players with something to prove. This time we are lumbered with a below standard squad on long contracts with nowhere to go who will sit around while getting paid as we continue to struggle. Couple that with an underperforming and below standard set of youth players that were meant o be pushing into the first team and we have another recipe for failure.
Hargreaves has a monumental task on his hands where and how does he find and attract players of adequate quality to even survive in a very competitive division? Is there another Chris Todd or Tims Sills ready for a new challenge? I very much doubt it.
Watch the Conference playoff matches and you will see just what I mean "All" of the Play off sides would stuff us out of sight if we played them today.

The statement of "We will be Back" really bugs me I would sooner have just had an outright apology and a statement that we will do all in our power to regain the league status we have so easily squandered.
Tempted to add "We will be back struggling down the foot of the table again" to the Official strap line!

Torquay is a retirement area at the end of the day Reg some players have just come to have an early retirement!
Based purely on ability Pearce and Cameron on recent performances are the only ones worthy of contracts though league clubs may be in for them anyway and Pearce is prone to over playing and he cocked up yesterday. Syas it all really.

If you watched the Gateshead v Grimsby first leg Reg it was a very good a game, full of as much quality and commitment as I have seen in league one.

I see Cambridge are through to the final hope they get up as they have had so many near misses and disappointments in PO Finals.

Irony at its cruelest as we could be passing each other in different directions.

I would advise them if they make it to take nothing for granted or you will squander what you have worked so hard to regain. Take a lesson from us.

May be a good thing they knocked out Halifax who have a striker in Gregory much in demand and will probably be on his way to a league club now.

Cracking game this afternoon with Gateshead beating Grimbsy 3 - 1. We would have been hardpushed to beat either of them - Grimsby finished with 9 men!