FL2: Torquay v Southend 19 Feb 2011

had blonde curly hair when i first startedwatching the gulls and used wash and go,now i just go

We certainly ended up sitting very deep after we scored and at times we had Zebs and Billy Kee defending in our own box. I'm not sure its anything Bucks asks or wants the players to do, I just think its a player mentality thing when they get in front and feel they just have to hold on to that slender lead.

You see it happen at all levels of football and the result is nearly always the same, the other team due to the fact you are letting them attack you more, go on and score.

There were times in the second half when we did try and clear the ball out or away from our box, we never had one player further up the field the ball could be played too.

Result the ball goes to a Southend player and we find the ball is heading back into our box. Unless Jake Robinson was injured, I would have preferred to see him stay on when Southend were on top, I felt when the change was made it was a bit of a negative move and I still feel that now.

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read most of the posts,seems a point a fair result,but like many of u you,cannot understand why bucks changed formation,good crowd as well,looks like going in the right direction,long may it continue....simon

hi mike,yeah seems to be a trend for him changing the formation,must have his reasons, which sometimes amazes us all,dont want to sound to harsh on bucks,coz we are having a good season,and most of his decsions have been right.....simon

Mike I would be the first to agree that points have been lost in other games we have played, due to the tactics used in the match, that by the way is just my own opinion.

I don’t think there was anything wrong with the tactics used in the game against Southend and the team was set up perfectly to play against what was a typical Paul Sturrock blood and guts type of game that you are going to get when you play a side managed by him.

We lined up in a very attacking formation and that is what home fans have been screaming out for. At halftime Bucks made the correct decision making the changes he did. Young Mr O’Kane offered very little to the first half and while Rowe-Turner did well enough in his defensive duties, he offered nothing going forward.

Bringing on Nico was a sign of intent that we wanted to go and win the game and not look to settle for a single point, I felt those substitutions were needed and while I felt that Gilligan didn’t add a great deal to our play, he was still far more effective than O’Kane had been.

Had Jake Robinson ran himself into the ground and needed to come off? He sure worked hard out on the pitch and maybe we needed to bring a fresh pair of legs on. Danny made a few mistakes when he first came on granted, but had that great run that took him past three defenders ended in a winning goal for us, everyone would be saying it was an inspired substitution by Paul Buckle.

A agree with loyalgull that our players are looking worn out long before the match ends, is that because they have had to many games to play in such a short period? Is it the fact to put out our best team, we have to keep playing the same players? The very heavy pitches they are now playing on sure are not helping the situation.

I have stood over and observed Paul Buckle in the dugout in the past, I have watched him go mad as he has tried to get the message to his players to push up and not keep ending up sitting so deep as they seem to keep doing. That’s why I believe it’s not a tactic he has asked the players to do when we are holding onto a very slender lead in a match.

One thing that did surprise me in yesterday’s game was the instructions Danny Potter kept wanting to give to Jake Robinson. When he was about to take a goal kick, as we know all 20 players end up on just one side of the pitch. A number of times all the players were all camped in front of the main stand and Jake stood right on the touchline on the popside.

Instead of maybe trying to kick the ball to Jake who was in acres of space that no player could have ever closed down if the ball had been played to him, Danny Potter was waving his arms furiously to get Jake to go over and join the other players in front of the main stand. He then takes the kick into that crowd of players; we don’t win the ball in the air and find that Southend have procession of it.

If we want to talk about tactics, I think its time players did stand in the position Jake was standing for goal kicks, it might just mean we don’t end up kicking the ball into the players all gathered in one part of the pitch that the defenders are always going to be favourite to win.