Just back.

Quoted from 1739

We all knew that we needed a striker and we could not rely on Lenny Ross and Pitman as they were all not going to score enough goals to mount a challenge. Neil Aspin please

true.

we desperately need a striker who can come in with confidence and a proven record but for some reason we cant seem to get one in , begs the question will he get chance to bring one in now.

Hurst on Humberside blaming the officials for not giving us a penalty (fair enough) and a handball for their first (clutching at straws). He's claiming "we have to be better".

Said a loan signing looks likely if LJL isn't fit for Tuesday. Doesn't understand why all our players forgot how to take a corner properly.

Stupidly bad. Disley was just embarrassingly crap. Magnay, Brown, Neilson and Mackreth when he came on were the only decent ones.

Quoted from Chrisblor

I didn't think Torquay were THAT good. Both goals came through awful defending on our part and they didn't test McKeown too much otherwise. LJL & (the anonymous) Hannah both missed very good chances in the second half.

It was Nsiala whose header was saved from close range, not LJL. Shouldn't have given the keeper a chance with a header that easy though.

Otherwise, don't disagree with you. Three chances like those in the second half, it's criminal not to take at least two of them.

First half, we were dire at the back and in midfield. Unfortunately, I'm coming to the conclusion that 90% of Toto's defensive abilities come from the fact that he's big, strong and awkward. Playing against a striker who was similarly big, strong and awkward, he found himself in all sorts of problems at times today with terrible positioning and lack of awareness. No attempt at a challenge for their first goal though, it has to be said, I think McKeown could easily have reached the ball before the shot was squeezed past him.

In midfield, Disley was utterly anonymous in the first half and Brown wasn't much better. Their second came when Brown lost possession in midfield and Toto got back to defend initially, but then lost possession in the box as he tried to overplay instead of just whacking it clear. A little unfortunate that the ball deflected in, but only ourselves to blame for two defensive errors.

We improved markedly in the second half once Clay and Mackreth came on (I thought McLaughlin was unfortunate to be taken off as he'd been more effective than both Disley and Brown), but if you don't take your chances, you don't get any points. Neilson poor today.

Earlier in the season the defence looked very solid but it seems pretty obvious that this was due in great part to Boyce. Any chance of us getting him back in on loan? Pearson has been a bit out of sorts this season as well, but I reckon in part this might be because he's no bloody clue what Nsiala is going to do next!

Big worry now is what the heck we are going to do up front in the next game. Pittman looks like he will be out for a while, LJL took a fair whack so could be out a couple of weeks so that just leaves us with Hannah who looks utterly ineffectual at the moment.

Hurst had better get involved in the loan market very soon indeed and, whoever is playing up front better start taking some of the many chances that we are still creating!

He's certainly not the luckiest manager, 2 pens against and a foul on the keeper to lose the game late on against Lincoln one example, but he still makes the decisions and calls the lineups. I'm not taking the trek to BP until this team show more purpose and aggression and at least try to seize the initiative from the kick off.
We're back to the inevitability of conceding whenever the opposition get forward, still being outrun in midfield, all with the absolute certainty that the team will not pull any goals back to get anything out of the game. Still too similar to 4 years ago under Woods.

Quoted from pontoonlew

Stupidly bad. Disley was just embarrassingly crap. Magnay, Brown, Neilson and Mackreth when he came on were the only decent ones.

Brown was woeful today Lew. Agree about the others though, good to see Mackreth make an impact when he came on.

I'm glad I can't go for the rest of the year, when a manager decides to change a team performing so well he deserves everything he gets.

Amen to that

I don't think 4 4 2 worked today. We missed Scotty behind the front 2 running the show, he was too easy to handle today and we all know we get the best out of Paddy in a mid 3 not out on the left.

I was impressed with Mackreth when he came on, best I've seen him play.

We need a striker who can find the net, 1 on 1 Hannah missed LJL would have been shot down in flames.

Timmo
UTM

Quoted from Maringer

It was Nsiala whose header was saved from close range, not LJL. Shouldn't have given the keeper a chance with a header that easy though.

Otherwise, don't disagree with you. Three chances like those in the second half, it's criminal not to take at least two of them.

First half, we were dire at the back and in midfield. Unfortunately, I'm coming to the conclusion that 90% of Toto's defensive abilities come from the fact that he's big, strong and awkward. Playing against a striker who was similarly big, strong and awkward, he found himself in all sorts of problems at times today with terrible positioning and lack of awareness. No attempt at a challenge for their first goal though, it has to be said, I think McKeown could easily have reached the ball before the shot was squeezed past him.

In midfield, Disley was utterly anonymous in the first half and Brown wasn't much better. Their second came when Brown lost possession in midfield and Toto got back to defend initially, but then lost possession in the box as he tried to overplay instead of just whacking it clear. A little unfortunate that the ball deflected in, but only ourselves to blame for two defensive errors.

We improved markedly in the second half once Clay and Mackreth came on (I thought McLaughlin was unfortunate to be taken off as he'd been more effective than both Disley and Brown), but if you don't take your chances, you don't get any points. Neilson poor today.

Earlier in the season the defence looked very solid but it seems pretty obvious that this was due in great part to Boyce. Any chance of us getting him back in on loan? Pearson has been a bit out of sorts this season as well, but I reckon in part this might be because he's no bloody clue what Nsiala is going to do next!

Big worry now is what the heck we are going to do up front in the next game. Pittman looks like he will be out for a while, LJL took a fair whack so could be out a couple of weeks so that just leaves us with Hannah who looks utterly ineffectual at the moment.

Hurst had better get involved in the loan market very soon indeed and, whoever is playing up front better start taking some of the many chances that we are still creating!

I'm 99% sure it was Disley who gave the ball away for the second (and lost his man for the first). Also sure it was LJL who's effort was saved.