Torquay United V Chelsea XL 26th July 2008

Looks like you going to need a Yeovil thread as well Dave .........

Palace won their second Errea Cup game tonight, but then withdrew from the tournament citing serious injury problems, meaning TUFC will play Yeovil in one of the semi-finals at Barnstaple tomorrow night, 8pm kick-off.

I hope that the team we see at Plainmoor today, is the team, we might expect to start our season off. I feel as more of our fans will be at this game, rather than the Yeovil game, they should expect to see, what is considered to be the first team and not the second one. We did not expect to be playing Yeovil later, we are only having to by default, not because we earned it. So leave the second team to play that game and get the first team back here to face Chelsea.

Well my "source"at Plainmoor tells me it was an afternoon of chasing shadows for our boys with Chelsea keeping possession for minutes on end..............at least it'll get 'em fit. ;D

He says there was a "mass exodus" of non involved players soon after half time - obviously en route to Barum!

I am now thinking after these preseason games that we are going to find it very difficult this year. No real fire power and no midfield creativity. Chelsea youth looked very good for such a young team. Kept the ball well, moved quickly and passed well. Where as United stood off them , and chased shadows.
We did though have a couple of efforts cleared off the line but that was about it. No sevice to Sills or Green and although Thompson played OK was dissapointed in Wroe. Not really sure about him and I am still unhappy with Hargreaves at center half....why did we sign Brough who to me seems a carbon copy of Adams that is someone who is mainly a midfielder who can also play as fill in center back. I think we will be missing Zebs more that we first realize.

Well I have just got back from Plainmoor where I was very impressed with the Chelsea boys. Top quality pass move football played on the deck, even there keeper didn't hoof the ball once today! They never really looked in any danger against us gulls who where full of effort but just wore down by chasing the ball for long periods. I think this added a bit of pressure when we had the ball and we starting trying a bit to much, in a kind of desperation to create which never came off. The referee certainly didn't help matters.

Poke - Played well, for the most part very solid. seemed to be a bit of miscommunication between him and the wall which resulted in the Chelsea goal, but to be fair was a good strike.

Mansell - Did OK put himself about a bit

Todd - Very Solid, won most of his headers at both ends of the pitch but non of his attempts at goal troubled the Chelsea keeper

Hargreaves - Still very reserved about him in this position, got skinned a couple of times, but put his foot in for a good tackle a couple of times too, won every header and could of scored an own goal but for good reflexes from poke... hmm

Hodges - Very Good defensively, couple of good crosses, showed his experience. switched to center half when Hargreaves came off and wondered a little

Carlisle - Disappointed with him today, been very impressed with him so far but today he just tried a bit too much every time he had the ball, lost possession endlessly and didn't get his head up enough

Wroe - Good Vision but nothing really came off for him today and wasn't involved enough for me

Thompson - Didn't really do anything wrong, this lad is a very good player but we didn't have enough of the ball for him to influence the game as much as he would of liked

Stevens - Showed glimpses of some good stuff, took the Chelsea boys on and kept the ball well, drifted out of the game a bit in the second half

Green - It seemed we were switching between 442 and 451 with green coming out wide on the left and Stevens moving inside, This made it harder for Chelsea to knock it around but made Green pretty much ineffective, looked half a yard off the pace all afternoon and overall very poor

Sills - If we had of scored today, Sillsy would have scored it, most of his headers won made the keeper work and put himself about a bit once he came off (for Benyon) ended the chances of an equaliser

Subs

Nicholson (for Hargreaves) put some good balls in

Benyon (For Sills) Chelsea were just too strong for him to make an impact, some Nice touches

Carayol (for Stevens) Took on players well and made in impact in his short time on the field, If Sills had of still been on the field, he may of made more of a difference

Official Man of the Match: Poke
My Man of the Match: Stoch (Chelsea no 7) Scored the goal skinned everyone of the field, great feet good to watch

Overall a good game to watch ( Mainly because of the Chelsea Movement and football) Frustrating from a gulls perspective, Should have kept the ball better, moved a bit better and cant really remember someone having a shot at goal

I needed to do some back ground work on the forum today, hence while I could not go and yes entertain that fellow called Merse ;D ;D
Anyway TUAFC1 went, but as I write he is driving up to Bidiford to watch that game. So will interesting to hear his views on both line ups.