FL2: Torquay Utd v Crewe Alexandra 13th March 2010

The giveaway word. What's with the name changing? Baffling.

Not that we've tried him there, but Thomson must qualify as a right back option. I don't think macklin's signing was for any reason other than there being concern as to Wayno's fitness at the time. Though that has previously been explained in more detail on these boards.

I'd never agree with anyone who critisises a player within earshot of either them or any other player, it is totally counterproductive. I can't recall boo'ing a player off the pitch since Gary Brabin and his sending-off against Exeter (mercifully the last time he represented us, I believe?).

I just don't think Wroe has shown that he is anywhere near consistent to be a key player in a League 2 TUFC team.
It doesn't bother me that he doesn't bawl his lungs out at anyone or seem to give any encouragement, but he doesn't lead by example, doesn't influence the game in any significant way and isn't good enough to have to be carried for long periods of matches when he cannot get involved. I don't think that his performances have varied much since he has got the armband - whilst I thought he was poor yesterday it's probably not much worse than I recall in most games this season.
Sure, he had a couple of show-pony longshots last season and his form for the last quarter of the season was vastly improved, but we are not playing the likes of Salisbury, Weymouth, Grays, Lewes, Altrincham and Northwich anymore.
I can't imagine that he isn't one of the higher earners at the club, I'm sure that his wage would be far better used on another player - who? Well, we've seen vastly better players over the years to know that it is possible to bring them in.
If he cannot have it coached into him that if he leans back to 65 degrees when he takes a shot on the edge of the area then it will endanger the fans behind the goal rather than the opposition keeper for the vast majority of efforts.

Wroe has one or two good games for every five or six anonymous ones. The sooner we are safe the better so that we can involve O'Kane more in the middle.

I don't think the role of captain in football is significant as it is in cricket or rugby perhaps, but I think I'd go for Rob's choice and go for Wayno. He leads by examples with the quality of his performances, never gives less than 100% and has never let his head drop despite the abuse he received in his first season.

How eagerly I jump at the chance to read your reports Alpine.....................such a change and enlightenment from those submitted as a rigid "blow by blow" account ~ you're the "Stuart Hall" of TFF and that's praise indeed!

So do you think young Lathaniel-The-Hyphenated is now gaining acceptance from those condescending types in a ground where once the likes of Scrumpy Calland, Harry Smith and Peter Darke were venerated and young boys used to be despatched to the backs of the stands to hunt for and retrieve the severed limbs of nancy type wingers foolish enough to get within striking distance of those wicked old sods who would gleefully relieve them of their manhood if not their crossing foot at the drop of a hat and to the blood curdling roar of the Popside as if they were gathered at the guilotine as yet another head of a toff was held aloft whilst those old crones in the Grandstand carried on knitting?

In fact wouldn't it be luvverly if one fine day young LRT came scything off the green sward and went wickedly cutting through the assembled lynch mob that gather behind the manager's position and dismembered a certain "Maic" along with his Stadtler and Waldorf mates to the pants wetting joy of JMGull and his dad and the general glee of the Popside opposite.

Your tale of the torment of Clayton Donaldson reminds me of the old dear in Newton Market who (fascinated by my little girl's braided hair) gave it a tug and loudly proclaimed to her friend "I think it's string" ~ they still haven't got over the age of the Gollywog in NA just as "they" of the Popside still cannot fathom the tonsorial prefererence of young black lads from the cities to the Greavsie "Where's Yer Caravan" look, and on reading your report of an equaliser for the opposition; I must confess that if Alex were to get any joy, what delight I had that it was he who got the goal and gave the Gurners their comeuppance!

Its a pity you feel the need to take digs at people who take the time to write match reports and sorry if I go into to much detail in mine, but there are plenty of members who can't make home matches and a detailed report is welcomed by them. You don't have to read them Merse and there is no need for you to have digs at my reports. I do all I can to help t you on here with your slow PC and Internet connections and I help to promote your blog.

Quite condescending! How dare you. I can be very condescending. I'm still angry that you once called me a "twerp"!

7 players = 7 wingers? That's a rather simplistic notion.

Macklin was signed because Carlisle was still injured, and the manager can't trust Stevens, Carayol and now it seems Jake Thomson to carry out his instructions (attack when possible but always help out your full back) for the full 90 minutes. I haven't seen Stevens or Carayol have a good full game for us yet, lots of 60, 45 and 30 minute cameos of promise but never a full 90 minutes. O'Kane is the Nicky Wroe replacement but is probably a bit too young and inexperienced to fill Wroe's shoes just yet (although he deserves his change after Wroe's latest non performance) and Carlisle can play on both wings and I reckon he could do a job in the hole behind 1 or 2 strikers. As for Zebroski. Well I think he's proving more effective playing on the left than up front, even though he was brought back to play up front. Benyon and Rendell seem to have a good partnership going on so why break it up?

I think you're going a bit wrong describing the transfer policy as being "baffling". The gambles that PB have taken are only loanees and mostly on a very limited basis. Macklin is supposed to be highly rated but he has a bad injury and needs match practice. Barnes I thought was a good signing but the reports of him have been less positive. Thats a shame. He was excellent for Eastbourne against us last season. Plus as for good old Mo Camara, I'm not convinced that PB actually had much to do with his signing. Are you really arguing that the longer term loanees have not added something to the team? That's Poke, Branston, Thomson (even though he's having a rough spell), Smith (even though he's not playing at the moment) and Rendell. Openly derided for not being as good as Crown Prince Sills and then sorely missed when he broke his arm against Bradford.

If you think about it there's a reason for everything in life. In the grand scheme of things The Torquay United transfer policy 2009-2010 isn't that incomprehensible when you actually use your brain and have an open mind.


EDITED a little bit at 1741.

longeatongull, alpinejoe, guess you are probably right and it was just me reading a post far to early in the morning and half asleep

I enjoyed reading them all. I don't whether some of you take notes during the game to remind yourselves of certain events but it's always reassuring to know that I have noticed certain things during a match and that I'm not going mad or need a visit to SpecSavers. Not just yet anyway!