My time at Torquay

[Blarney]

Catching up with Britton

Congratulations on your promotion.  Can you talk about your goals for this season which is just around the corner?

Well if you believe the hype or really lack of hype surrounding our chances this year... we're going to be spending most of the season fighting off relegation.

So is that where you think you're headed?

I'd love to hope that's not the case.  I believe it's not.  I believe in my squad.  But I also know we're in a new league, facing tougher competition so we can't take anything for granted.  Each and every match we need to go out there prepared and give it our best.

Last season you were 3-1 facing teams from the National League in the FA Cup and FA Trophy.  Is that something that gives you hope going into this year?

Umm, it certainly helps to know that last season we were able to hang with some of these clubs, but that was last season.  It's a new year and you can't look to the past to predict the future.  However, it should give us a boost of confidence to know that we did play well against clubs that were supposedly better than us.

So the money is against you this season but we've come to know you a bit and our guess is that you don't really care?

No.  I don't.  Not really.  Like I said, I know what's being said, they know what's being said and they're keen on going out there and proving everyone wrong.

So where do you see yourself finishing this season?

Man, I really want to sit up here and say we're looking at another promotion but I don't want to put that pressure on the guys, nor do I want to sound insane -- not that I think that would be insane but there's a lot of football to play this year and we have a lot of growing to do together.  So let's just say that we're not going to get relegated.  Whether we finish closer to the top or somewhere in the middle, we're going out there and we're going to play our game just like we did last season and we're going to stay up.

If we can revisit the past a little, last season when you came in there were a lot of questions about your competency and jokes were made about you being the epitome of Ted Lasso.  Have those gone away and do you feel like you've vindicated yourself?

I never felt like I needed to vindicate myself, to think that would lend creedence to what people were saying.  I understood the joke, I would have made it myself if I was on the other side.  I mean it fit, didn't it?  As far as my competency goes, I always believed in myself.  But look, and I probably shouldn't go here as I'm defending myself.... but we haven't proven anything yet.  We won the National League South... that's it.  It's a good start.  It's a checkmark on our first goal.  But that's all it is.  Now we need to keep growing as a club.  That's where we're at now.  And hey, Ted Lasso lasted a few seasons.... so if the jokes continue, so be it.

[warlock]

I'm guessing you're enjoying life on the south coast more than on the Yorkshire riviera? 

A great first season against some incredibly tough opposition. Good luck this time around!

[Blarney]

1 hour ago, warlock said:

I'm guessing you're enjoying life on the south coast more than on the Yorkshire riviera? 

A great first season against some incredibly tough opposition. Good luck this time around!

The weather suits me better.  Yes, the season was crazy.

[Blarney]

Match One

A nice win out of the gate for your club.

It definitely sets the tone for the season.  It gives the guys confidence that they're not completely overmatched and that we can win here.

[Blarney]

Match Two

[Blarney]

Collins Injured

This is your 2nd major injury hit early in the season and your 2nd striker to go down.

Not really ideal is it?  First Euan goes down and now Lewis.  Definitely not ideal.  There's a term we use in American sports, maybe it's used here also.... it's "next man up" which basically means that injuries are part of the sport and that when someone goes down, someone needs to step up.  So that's where we are... next man up.

[Blarney]

Match Three

[Blarney]

Match Four

[Blarney]

Match Five

[Blarney]

August in Review

Schedule

Okay, definitely not great but it was sort of to be expected.  We got a couple of wins.  We were pretty much in every match, so that's something to build on.

Table

Honestly, if we finished the season around mid-table I'd be happy this year.  It gives us an opportunity to keep working on the kids and our growth.

NL Team Stats

Okay... when you don't see your name listed anywhere at the top, you only have one direction to go.... mostly.

NL Player Stats

Again, lots of chances to get some guys names listed in the lights.

Gulls Attacking Data

Pass completion is good.  Shots per game is good.  Not putting shots  on target or in the goal..... not so good.

Gulls Defending Data

Okay, here's a bright light, our defense has been pretty good.

Finances

Finances.... depleting again.

Edited March 17 by Blarney

[Blarney]

Match Six

[Blarney]

Match Seven

Edited March 9 by Blarney

[Blarney]

Match Eight

Tough loss.  You're up 2-0 at the half.  3-1 at the 70th minute only to give up 2 goals within just a couple of minutes and end up getting just the 1 point.

These things happen.  Not ideal obviously.  Not something we want to let happen often.  But it's part of the growth of the club.

[Blarney]

Match Nine

[Blarney]

Match Ten

You welcomed back Euan Pollock in this match for more than the couple of minutes he got in the last game and he rewarded you with 2 goals and an assist.  How good is it that he's finally back after his injury?

We signed him to play, so in that regard it's good he's back.  We expected him to be a big part of our attack this season and at least for this game he showed why we think he can be a difference maker.

[Blarney]

September in Review

Schedule

Definitely a better month.  2 wins, 2 draws and 1 loss in 5 matches.  Definitely signs of growth.

Table

Still sitting mid-table - although only 4 points off a playoff spot - but we did tick up a few notches.

Gateshead is having their way at the moment.  Crewe is trying to keep pace.  Everyone else is just looking up at them.

NL Team Stats

That's what we like to see.  Moving up the leaderboard when it comes to average possession and pass completion ratio.

NL Player Stats

Still not a lot of players represented here but we do see a couple moving up.

Gulls Attacking Data

Gulls Defending Data

Finances

I'm not sure how we can be in the red but our finances still be okay........... but okay.

Edited March 17 by Blarney

[Blarney]

Match Eleven

[Blarney]

Match Twelve

[Blarney]

FA Cup Preview

This is the 2nd leg of a back-to-back versus Altrincham.  You faced them just a few days ago in league play and this time you're up against them at J. Davidson Stadium in a FA Cup Fourth Qualifying Round match.  You won the first match 2-1 by controlling possession and limiting shots against you.  Is it just a case of more of the same or do you expect them to mix things up this time around?

Facing a team again right after you faced them or even within a couple of games is always interesting.  Whether you won or lost the first match you've learned something which you'll take into the 2nd game.  If you won the first match then you have an idea of what works and if you lost then you have an idea of what doesn't.  Either way you can expect things to change the next time around.  If you won - which we did - then you can expect the other team to change things up to counter what you did.... and vice-versa obviously.  So it's up to us to try and continue doing what we did right the first time aorund... while also expecting them to try and change up what they did.

[Blarney]

FA Cup

Fourth Round Qualifying Match

This is the epitome of a glass half full, glass half empty match.  Down 1-0 at half, you quickly go down 2-0 and look like you have no answer for what they're throwing at you only to get 2 late goals from Pollock in the 81st and 85th minutes to escape with the draw.  You have to be feeling relieved.

Altrincham did a really great job of keeping us away from their goal, especially in the first half.  I think we got off maybe 4 shots and none of them really challenged them.  Luckily we were almost as good in front of our goal.  They did get the one in but they really weren't pressuring us, it was just a very good defensive match.  When they got their 2nd early in the 2nd half... I'll admit then I was a little concerned because we just hadn't shown much to that point.  But then something started clicking and we started putting a little pressure on them.  We got those 2 late goals from Pollock while keeping them away from our net so yeah... relieved is a good word.

You're back home for the next match against them to settle this.  Does that give you the upper hand?

Playing in front of the supporters always gives us something a little extra.  So hopefully we can turn that into our advantage.

[Blarney]

FA Cup

Fourth Qualifying Round -- the Rematch

These 3 matches against Altrincham have been something special.  The fans have got a little bit of everything from them all.  You get the tight victory in the first match.  A comeback draw in the 2nd.  And then you somehow sneak away with the win in a penalty shootout that you were down 3-1 in.  Are you carrying around a rabbit's foot with you?

I don't think I've ever seen anything like it.  Credit the players for just not giving up in the last couple of matches but that was crazy.  I thought  that 2nd match with our 2 late goals, I didn't think that could be topped.... but a penalty shootout where we're down 1-3... and then they miss 3 straight shots for us to escape with the victory.  If I was at their place I would have skipped the shower and just ran my guys out of there as quickly as possible before someone woke me up and told me it was all a dream.

[Blarney]

Match Thirteen

[Blarney]

Match Fourteen

[Blarney]

Match Fifteen

[Blarney]

Match Sixteen

[Blarney]

October in Review

Schedule

Busy month.

Decent month.

3 wins, a draw and 2 losses in league play.... and a crazy couple of games in the FA Cup to advance.

Table

Holding steady on the table.  Just 3 points off a playoff spot.  Gateshead is still running away with this.

NL Team Stats

NL Player Stats

Gulls Attacking Data

Attack is decent, a little off on cross completion and slightly lower on shots on target.

Gulls Defending Data

Finances

Made a little cash this month, that helps.

Edited March 17 by Blarney

[Blarney]

Upcoming FA Cup Match

MK Dons gaffer Omer Riza had some rather unflattering things to say about Torquay United prior to their FA Cup match.

Do you have a response to the comments Riza made regarding Torquay being an easy opponent?

Well gosh, he said "with all due respect" right.... so that makes it all better.  Look honestly I don't think he meant it quite as harsh as it came off but that doesn't mean we're not going to take it harshly.  In in the states we refer to this as "billboard material" which means something we'll put up on a billboard for all our players to see and hopefully motivate them to go out and make him pay for his comments.

Do you agree that you're the underdog here?

Well of course we are.  We're a tier under them.  They're a much larger club.  So on paper we are obviously the underdogs.  Does that mean we think we are or are planning on rolling over for them and giving them an easy match?  Absolutely not.  Like I said, I hope the comments motivate our boys to go out there and give them everything they can handle and eat their words.

So you're expecting a win?

I'm expecting us to be ready to play.  If they beat us but we give them a good game then so be it, as long as we know we left everything out there on the pitch.  But the expectation is we're going to give it everything we've got.... and I never bet against my boys.

[Blarney]

FA Cup

First Round

Based on the pregame comments by both Riza and yourself is this vindication?

I feel I've answered this before but we'll do it again.  If I said it was vindication then it would lead more credence to what Riza said before the match.  I don't care what he said and I still don't think he absolutely meant it the way the media is making it out to be.  They were favorites coming in to this match.  We were the underdogs.  But if there was any thought that we were going to just lay down and let them steamroll us.... well I guess we showed them.

Riza made more comments after the match about your win being a fluke.  Here were his exact comments:

Does that change how you feel?

**laughs** No.  He may be right, I like the any given Sunday reference which I've used before.  I don't know about 9 times out of 10 they win but it's possible they win the majority of the time.  Or maybe they don't and we're just better.  We played one match and we won and no matter what he says he can't take that away.

Pollock went down hard while dribbling during the 2nd half in what looked like a leg injury.  Do you have any news?

He'll be evaluated further but my guess is a hamstring injury and those can be tricky.  I would expect him to miss quite a few games unfortunately.

[Blarney]

Match Seventeen

[Blarney]

Match Eighteen

A big win for the club but it came with a big cost of 3 players going down with serious injuries.

And that's on top of Pollock going down for the 2nd time this season for multiple weeks and McGavin being injured as well.  That's 5 injuries to starters who will be out for weeks.  We know you'll say "next man up" but this has to hurt.

No pun intended.  I'm not trying to make light of it but I don't know how else to react because yeah this is, uh, not really optimal.  We have 3 of our 4 forwards and 2 center-mids all injured now.  That's half my starters... half the first 11 not including the keeper all out with injuries and not just minor, out for a couple of days injuries as well.  They're going to be out for weeks.  Luckily... yes this is the next man up speech, but luckily we do have some depth in the club to hopefully get past this... but no, it's, it's definitely not good.

[Blarney]

Match Nineteen

This makes it 6 unbeaten and vaults you into playoff contention.  For a club that was picked for a relegation battle in the preseason this must make you pretty happy?

I mean we're 18 games into the season.  I'm certainly not unhappy but at the same time there's a lot of the season left to play.  We have definitely proven that we belong but if anybody in this organization thinks that 18 matches means anything, it doesn't.

Edited March 10 by Blarney

[Blarney]

Another Injury

Another striker down...... I don't even have a healthy striker now, at least someone that really plays that position.

This is utterly ridiculous.

[Jogo Bonito]

I have a soft spot for Torquay, one of my favourite places in England and I had some very enjoyable times there.

You're doing a fine job with the club, excellent momentum building. It sounds like in real life a new owner could also be happening very soon, so lots to be positive about in Devon!

[Blarney]

Match Twenty

So we know you probably won't use it as an excuse but how hard was it to put a team out there when all 4 of your forwards are injured and you're using guys that aren't specifically used to playing in that position up front?

Umm, yeah... fun, right?  I don't know that I've ever seen this before.  I have 4 guys that I rotate up front and all 4 are out with different sorts of injuries, but that's the game.  You're right, you don't make excuses, because it doesn't matter.  You can't change the circumstances so you deal with how the cards fall.  Harris has the ability to play the position but it's not his natural position.  The same goes for Hilton... so making excuses takes away from them going out there and giving their best.  And it's still a team game.  We win or lose as a club and we don't fixate on something we can't control.  I trust every single one of my guys to go out there and play their role, their part... and we'll get through this.

[Blarney]

Match Twenty-One

[Blarney]

Contract Extension

How pleased are you that you signed a new 2-year extension with the club?

Over-the-moon.  I'm so proud of what we have accomplished this past season and what we're doing so far this year.  All credit goes to the players and to the backroom staff for their hard work and dedication.

Does this take any pressure off for the remainder of the season since your contract was up this year?

I honestly didn't feel that much pressure, this is one of those things that's out of your hands as a manager.  My job is to go out there and do the best I can for the club and if the board recognizes that then you expect that you'll stay employed.  I had obviously hoped that what we did last year was enough to earn me a contract, but I understood that maybe they wanted to take a little time and see how we did this season.  Either way... I'm ecstatic it's done.  The work continues.

[Blarney]

Match Twenty-Two

[Blarney]

FA Cup Second Round Preview

You are facing League One's QPR in the second round of the FA Cup.  Any chance you come away with a good result from the match?

Stop me if you've heard this before but I always back my boys.

So there's a chance?

Any given sunday.

*laughs*  You have Pollock and Collins back - albeit maybe not at full strength - but do you expect them to play?

I think both will be out there but as you say they're not going to be full strength so we'll probably have to watch their fitness.

Will you be attacking or sitting back and trying to hamper their attack more?

I have a really hard time not telling my boys to push the ball forward, it's how we play.  But at the same time we have to be cognizant of QPR's ability to do the same so I think we'll go out there and just test the waters and see how the match flows and make changes as we need.

[Blarney]

FA Cup

Second Round

Can you take something from this result?

Well I can take that we get to play again here in a few days to decide a winner.

Your squad managed only 2 shots the whole game while QPR got off 14 yet you held them to no goals for the draw.

Yeah it's another glass half full or half empty example isn't it?  We were not good with our attack and obviously we'll have to be better the 2nd time around... but at the same time despite allowing Queens Park to get shots off we kept them out of the net and we have to take something from that.

You meet them again in 3 days, are you planning on doing anything differently?

Yeah... putting the ball in the back of the net, maybe a couple of times.

[Blarney]

November in Review

Schedule

All in all not bad for losing all our forwards at different times this month.

4 wins, 2 losses in league play.  A win and a draw in the FA Cup.  We'll take it.

Table

Gateshead slipped a little and now there are other teams with a fighting chance.

We're sitting in 9th, just a point out of a playoff spot.

NL Team Stats

NL Player Stats

Gulls Attacking Data

Gulls Defending Data

Finances

Nice month for the finances.  Very nice.

Edited March 17 by Blarney

[Blarney]

FA Cup

The Rematch Preview

You had - by your own words - a pretty successful first meeting with Queens Park.  Are you confident you can get the result here at their park after failing at home?

I'm confident that we've put in a good few days of training and that we're healthier now than we were when we first played them.

In the first match you had a couple of strikers returning from injury that obviously weren't 100% but it seems like you're confident you'll be better rested and in better physical shape this time around.  Do you expect that to make a difference?

It certainly can't hurt to have Pollock and Collins back at full strength, not to mention a couple of others that are just coming off injury as well.  The fact is we played them to a draw the first match when we weren't at full strength so we definitely have to feel better now that we have a couple more players available to us.

[Blarney]

FA Cup

Second Round Results

If you can - take your time - but walk us through this match.  How are the emotions?

*laughs* Uh... well the first half went about as well as I could expect.  We held them off even though they were putting much more pressure on us than we were them.  And then we got the goal in the 44th minute when Pollock got past their back line and put one in.  At that point you're just ecstatic.  You've played basically 1 1/2 matches against a much "better" club and you haven't allowed a single goal.  Granted you've only scored 1 but you're showing that no matter what they throw at you, you're good enough to counter it.  Then they get the 1 basically almost right out of the gates in the 2nd half and now you're looking at a new game.  If I'm being honest I knew scoring again was going to be difficult.  So my thought it then that we just need to stop them.  We can't let them score, we need to get it to penalties to have any chance at all.  But then in the 92nd minute we get the chance at a penalty shot and you're just... at that point you're just looking up and thanking whatever it is you believe in because you just got lucky.  And then Collins misses, just absolutely misses the net, the goal, the wood.  It happens so this isn't a knock on him at all but you're heart just sinks.  The saving grace at that point is the game is basically over, there's no time left so you hang on and you go to penalty shots.  They shoot first and our keeper does a great job and knocks it safely away.  Again, you're thinking you've got a chance now, you're in command of the match once more.  And then you miss..... and your heart sinks again, you're wondering how many breaks you can catch before you're just done.  They make, you make, they make you make.... it's 4-4 now and you can barely sit there and watch it.  Then they step up again.... miss.  You have a chance, a final chance maybe...... and it goes in.  You stand there for a minute, maybe you don't believe it, maybe you just can't move but then it hits you and you just beat your biggest opponent you've faced to date.  Someone that nobody said you could beat.  It's... it's just everything.

You already know your next opponent.  You'll be facing Sheffield United in your next FA Cup match.  Can you give us your thoughts on that match?

No, honestly man, I really can't right now.  I am just processing what happened here.  We'll start worrying about Sheffield when that match comes around.  We face Hemel next in the FA Trophy and that's where my head is right now.

Fair enough.  Good luck.

[Blarney]

FA Trophy

Third Round Results

You go from what would be described as an incredible win with penalty shots to a deflating loss with penalty shots in the FA Trophy.  Were you just not ready for this match - a match pretty much everybody said you'd win easily?

I hate to make excuses so I won't but there's a case to be made that playing 3 matches in just over a week and after having to overcome the 2 FA Cup matches and the emotions that went into that.... it's possible that maybe we weren't up for this match as much as we should have been and that's my fault.

[Blarney]

Match Twenty-Three

[Blarney]

Match Twenty-Four

[Blarney]

Match Twenty-Five

[Blarney]

Match Twenty-Six

[Blarney]

Match Twenty-Seven

You are currently on a 5 game skid where you haven't won a game in league play and in fact have only won 1 in your last 8 matches.  Predictably this has lead to you sliding down the table pretty rapidly.  What's gone wrong and can you turn it around?

No excuses but injuries have taken their toll.  We've been hit pretty hard with mutiple quality players going down at one time and it's understandly lead to some guys getting pretty tired out there because we just don't have the depth to have 5 or 6 players out at a time.  But a lot of clubs have to overcome that so if we use that as an excuse it's just taking away from the fact that we haven't played up to our potential.  We're letting ourselves down.  As far as turning it around, the players have to answer that question.  I believe in them, now they just have to believe in themselves.

[Blarney]

Match Twenty-Eight

[Blarney]

December in Review

Schedule

So definitely not an ideal month.

We did win the FA Cup... then lost in penalties to a team we probably should not be losing to in the FA Trophy.

And that sparked a 6 game skid where we didn't win a game in league play.... earning 4 draws and 2 losses.

Table

This skid has obviously lead us to dropping down the table... 7 points off a playoff spot now.

NL Team Stats

NL Player Stats

Gulls Attacking Data

Our attacking is very average at the moment.

Gulls Defending Data

Our defense hasn't been much better.

Finances

I guess at least our finances are slightly improving.