PSF: Torquay United v Forest Green 10 July 2018, 7.30pm

Interesting workout and a full 90 minutes for five of the squad. We got to try out several formations - some looked more solid than others. Surprised to see Brett Williams wearing the captain's armband (passed to Hall when subbed). Owers trying to cajole him into a little more effort?

We started with a 4-3-3:

Bass

Wynter
Essuman
Sokolik
Davis

Nabi
Trialist A
Hall

Reid
Williams
Banton

I don't know who Trialist A is, but he started off in the holding midfield position behind Nabi and Hall. Our back four looked at sea very early on and conceded after 5 minutes, but then settled down and the team looked quite well set up. The first half was fairly even and Nabi took advantage of the license to get forward that a holding midfielder provides to equalise with a cool finish. He has been prolific for West Brom age group teams, and you would imagine he has goals in him if used correctly. We are still missing the two players Owers said we were missing halfway through last season - a combative midfielder and a hold up centre-forward. Not convinced by the trialist (he didn't seem fully fit) and Williams is not a Rene Howe type.

No changes in personnel at half-time but a formation swap - and we went from solid to wobbly, totally overrun in midfield and unable to get out of our half. Trialist A dropped back to right-centre-back in a back three, Nabi and Hall in midfield and Banton in the hole behind Reid and Williams. You will not get value out of Nabi in a midfield two!

Two changes just before the hour. Gowling came in in the middle of the back three, with Essuman going right-centre-back and Trialist A replacing Nabi in midfield. MacDonald replaced Bass in goal. Gowling's presence made us more solid than we had been, but not as solid as the first half. A minute or two later, we changed the front two with Pittman and Keating replacing Reid and Williams.

A later substitution saw, Trialist B replacing Banton (the club twitter feed seemed to miss this one). We changed from a 5-2-1-2 to a 5-2-3 for a short time, with Pittman and Trialist B either side of Keating. We then went to 4-4-2 with Essuman pushed up into central midfield with Hall, Trialist A going wide right and Trialist B wide left.

Finally, Trialist C replaced Trialist A with a shift to a 4-2-3-1 with Pittman on the right, Trialist B on the left and Trialist C tucked in behind Keating.

Final score 1-4 doesn't matter, but we lost the game in the period that we tried a back three without Gowling.

If there are to be no numbers on the shirts next season, then presumably, and hopefully, it will be the old style numbers 1 to 16 for the match day squad, doing away with these silly numbers 26, 39 etc.

I also wonder how this will affect what is printed in the programmes, that is if there will continue to be any.

Gary Owers was pleased with his side’s performance despite losing the opening game of United’s pre-season campaign 4-1 against Forest Green Rovers at Plainmoor. It was the team’s first step forward this season and the Gaffer was pleased to get pre-season underway.

United were missing Bobson Bawling on the night, a slight injury ruling him out of the game. There was plenty of time for the Gaffer to try out a few ideas.

“We played three or four different formations this evening, so there was nothing set in stone,” said Owers. “We had three trialists and probably seven new players.

“We did a heavy session yesterday; they’ve been out training again this morning so I’m not too concerned about anything other than we came through the game without any injuries, and get a certain amount of conditioning out of the game.”

United fielded three trialist on Tuesday night, and they look set to stay at the Club for the foreseeable future.

“I think they’ll be here for the weekend because we need big numbers. One or two of the lads I would have liked to have taken off but I couldn’t. We had three lads from the [Torquay] Academy on the bench but maybe it wasn’t the right evening or occasion for them.”

Midfielder Samir Nabi notched for the first time in a United shirt.

“I was pleased for him [Nabi], he was one of the big positives, I thought. It’s good when you see midfielders get on the scoresheet. When he had the ball, most of the time he found a pass.”

The Gaffer spoke again of his desire to be a force in the National League South. United will be on the front foot from the first league fixture.

“I have really got in my mind if we’re going to be a force then I want to play at least two strikers. I can’t see myself playing 4-5-1 or anything like it in this league. We’re going to have a go, definitely at home. We’ve got to win as many home games as possible and make the teams in our league defend.”

“Possibly before the weekend, yes,” Owers said of further transfer activity. “Until it is signed and registered then there is no point. You think you have got something done and it doesn’t materialise that way.”

"I think they’ll be here for the weekend because we need big numbers."

My match report noted 5!