Relief??

[Baboo]

Strange but that’s how I feel now the pressure of the unbeaten league run is over.
But today was a very poor performance. The only players who came out of it with much credit were Hargreaves (hard work) &amp Turley (some important saves). The latter tells its own tale – it could have been much worse. They wanted it more. When Sodje got on the end of the pass to score he appeared to be busting a gut more than our guys around him. If we are to persist with wing backs it cannot be Anaclet &amp Brevitt. Time to give them a rest. We’ve been saying it for a while now but today proved it more than ever. Rufus is too slow and never gets forward to any effect &amp Eddie has no confidence whatsoever. He was rather bad today. We put a couple of decent moves together in the first half but that was about it. Our passing was almost non existent. We had nothing to worry them and just didn’t look like scoring. It was the anonymous Steve Basham out there today &amp there were many other things that were worryingly like last season. As for Slabber – too early to tell. If he was fit enough I think he should have stayed on until the end. Yemi &amp Burgess is no strike force. Burgess was another who did little.

Let’s just hope this was a one off and we get back to winning ways next Saturday. There is no let up with D&ampR breathing down our necks.

But I’m worried that something is not right with Duffy &amp I don’t think it is his hand. I’d also like to know why Slabber is being shown the door by Grays – chatting to someone today who is a Grays fan it seemed evident to me that something had gone on that he wasn’t comfortable telling me about. I managed to get out of him a couple of things it wasn’t though. As for his ability on the football pitch – apparently fine if he can be arsed but there are times when he can’t. (How many times have we heard that)?
We need people to score goals – we’ve got a decent number of strikers on the books at present but we need a combination up front that are mentally and physically right and know how to hit the back of the net.

[GodalmingYellow]

Strange but that’s how I feel now the pressure of the unbeaten league run is over.
But today was a very poor performance. The only players who came out of it with much credit were Hargreaves (hard work) &amp Turley (some important saves). The latter tells its own tale – it could have been much worse. They wanted it more. When Sodje got on the end of the pass to score he appeared to be busting a gut more than our guys around him. If we are to persist with wing backs it cannot be Anaclet &amp Brevitt. Time to give them a rest. We’ve been saying it for a while now but today proved it more than ever. Rufus is too slow and never gets forward to any effect &amp Eddie has no confidence whatsoever. He was rather bad today. We put a couple of decent moves together in the first half but that was about it. Our passing was almost non existent. We had nothing to worry them and just didn’t look like scoring. It was the anonymous Steve Basham out there today &amp there were many other things that were worryingly like last season. As for Slabber – too early to tell. If he was fit enough I think he should have stayed on until the end. Yemi &amp Burgess is no strike force. Burgess was another who did little.

Let’s just hope this was a one off and we get back to winning ways next Saturday. There is no let up with D&ampR breathing down our necks.

But I’m worried that something is not right with Duffy &amp I don’t think it is his hand. I’d also like to know why Slabber is being shown the door by Grays – chatting to someone today who is a Grays fan it seemed evident to me that something had gone on that he wasn’t comfortable telling me about. I managed to get out of him a couple of things it wasn’t though. As for his ability on the football pitch – apparently fine if he can be arsed but there are times when he can’t. (How many times have we heard that)?
We need people to score goals – we’ve got a decent number of strikers on the books at present but we need a combination up front that are mentally and physically right and know how to hit the back of the net.

Completely agree with your assessment of the game. We realy were very poor and would hae been beaten by any Conference team today.

We were lucky to get nil.

Turley kept us in the game.

Slabber looked potentially useful if only he was fit.

I've heard nothing abnormal about the duffy situation. On Slabber, the Grays fans sites seem to be saying he never got over being released by Spurs, and has a bit of a Prima Donna chip on his shoulder.

I wonder if we are headed for a Duffy Slabber partnership up front?

[Mally]

I don't think I'm relieved - more concerned. The match stats tell the story - 52% possession but just one shot which didn't hit the target. We had to lose at some point but I'm concerned that we lost in such a dismal way.

Next Saturday is now a real pressure game particularly as its our only home game this side of Christmas.

[A-Ro]

On Slabber, the Grays fans sites seem to be saying he never got over being released by Spurs, and has a bit of a Prima Donna chip on his shoulder.

That's exactly what the Grays fan at work has told me.

[YF Dan]

The problem we're are going to have is the complete lack of width in our squad. Anaclet can run all day, and I admire him for it, but he always has two opponents in front of him and he's not good enough to beat one man regularly, let alone two.

Oh for some wingers. At present we have three wingbacks in the squad, two are in possibly their last season, one is in his first full season. And that's it. Drop Anaclet but bring in who?

We have too many centrebacks, too many central midfielders and too many centre forwards. It's all a little bit Atkins for me...it certainly looked it yesterday.

As I have always maintained, we should have written into our constitution that we can only play 4-4-2.

Gloom.

[Baboo]

Drop Anaclet - go 442.
Move Quinn to right back (Solves the too many centrebacks problem - well sort of)
Play Yemi as a right winger - (ok - his crossing ability is not proven, but its at least worth a try I think.
Turley
Quinn Gilly Wilmot Johnson
Yemi Hargreaves Pettifer Burgess
Duffy Slabber

With Day &amp Hitchinson being very close to pushing for a starting place.

But Jim knows best and I'm sure he'll sort things but yes it would be great to have a proper winger at the club. January is not that far off but will he see that type of player as a priority and can the budget afford it?

[Myles Francis]

I don't think I'm relieved - more concerned. The match stats tell the story - 52% possession but just one shot which didn't hit the target. We had to lose at some point but I'm concerned that we lost in such a dismal way.

Next Saturday is now a real pressure game particularly as its our only home game this side of Christmas.

Considering the amount of time the ball seemed to be at the &quotwrong&quot end of the field, I'm amazed we had 52% possession. There was certainly no evidence of the &quotreaction&quot Smith wanted after last week's defeat.

Continuing with YF Dan's &quotIt's all a bit Atkins...&quot - have we been &quotfound out&quot like we were under Atkins? There certainly didn't seem to be much on offer in terms of a Plan B yesterday.

[Baboo]

One thing that is noticeable is that earlier in the season we appeared a lot fitter than the opposition. That does not now seem to be the case. As teams have got more matches under their belts they have become fitter and caught us up in that respect.

[Kernow Yellow]

Agree with much of the above (apart from the bit about Hargreaves being any good - I thought he started quite well but was awful for most of the game). But we should give credit to Gravesend too. They wanted it more - you could see total commitment from them right up til the last kick of the game.

Our performance was lacklustre - no energy, no creativity and worst of all noone seeming that bothered. My mood on the train back reminded me of so many away trips in recent years. We got exactly what we deserved and there were no positives to take out of the performance.

Having said all that, we're still top of the table, and everyone's allowed a bad day at the office now and again. We just have to hope that the next one doesn't come around too soon...

[ty cobb]

Blimey it's all a bit doom and gloom on here isn't it! We've lost to a team with one of the best home records in the division and people are talking about changing formations and being found out.

It was a poor performance but we held our own the previous week against one of the best teams in the league above with our two best players missing.

Personally I think it was an after effect of that game, we had lost the bubble had burst and there wasn't the energy there that there usually was.

We derserved to lose, probably by more but theres no need for panic stations yet. We missed a physical presence up front - McCarthy didn't give Basham an inch and Slabber looked off the pace, not surprising he's only been at the club a few days ansd didn't seem to know where the ball was going. He's not going to win much in the air though he doesn't seem that type of player and without anyone to hold the ball up we couldn't build any attacks or get Burgess in the game.

Important to get back to winning ways next week though Daggers are the form team at the moment and they look like they're going to push us all the way.

[Baboo]

Blimey it's all a bit doom and gloom on here isn't it! We've lost to a team with one of the best home records in the division and people are talking about changing formations and being found out.

Not sure it is doom and gloom. We still must be favourites. I think it is realism. It is true we ran away at the top under Atkins, were found out, had no plan B &amp tumbled down the league and out of the play off places. This time around we are not in such a demanding competition and Jim is a better manger than Ian.
And on the subject of Mr Atkins, is anyone surprised that Torquay have not scored for 8 games? They used to be a joy to watch &amp scored for fun - Bedeau, Kuffor, Constantine .... then along came the lover of negative football.

[Snake]

&quotWe still must be favourites&quot

We're 9-1 ON to get promoted, now stop worrying!

http://www.oddschecker.com/betting/mode ... sid/919398

[DLT]

Blimey it's all a bit doom and gloom on here isn't it! We've lost to a team with one of the best home records in the division and people are talking about changing formations and being found out.

Not sure it is doom and gloom. We still must be favourites. I think it is realism. It is true we ran away at the top under Atkins, were found out, had no plan B &amp tumbled down the league and out of the play off places. This time around we are not in such a demanding competition and Jim is a better manger than Ian.
And on the subject of Mr Atkins, is anyone surprised that Torquay have not scored for 8 games? They used to be a joy to watch &amp scored for fun - Bedeau, Kuffor, Constantine .... then along came the lover of negative football.

I think the main problem is that for many weeks now we have all been able to see that our league position of two months ago was a false reflection on how we compared to others.. Exeter, Grays, kidderminster to name a few showed that we are not the dominant force others believed.

We can still get out of here, but the dread is this, how often when youhave two clubs miles clear andonly get automatic promotion does the other get stuffed in the play offs?

On the Atkins comparison, I feel very sorry for Torquay because it won't be Ian's fault will it. But I was also sorry to seeLeroy Rosenior getting pushed at Brentford, because I really rate him as a manager and a player.

[Baboo]

&quotWe still must be favourites&quot

We're 9-1 ON to get promoted, now stop worrying!

http://www.oddschecker.com/betting/mode ... sid/919398

The bookies are not always right though are they. Teams have raced clear, the bookies have paid out before the end of the season only for the one horse race to turn out in such a way as to leave them very red faced.

[Snake]

True, the odds only reflect the money people put on, and before the G&ampN game we were 10-1 on so some money has changed hands since that defeat.

Maybe we should all go out and put £50 on United NOT going up (at 8-1 against) and then at least if the worst happens it will pay for next year’s season ticket.

Only joking…