TORQUAY UNITED boss Kevin Nicholson has bemoaned his side’s recent performances, saying they are becoming “an academy type team”.
The Gulls enjoyed two rollercoaster games against Forest Green Rovers over the festive period, winning 4-3 on Boxing Day before a 5-5 draw on New Year’s Day.
However, they have struggled in 2017 so far and have lost back-to-back home games against Boreham Wood and Woking.
Following Saturday’s 2-1 defeat to the Cards, which lifted Woking out of the National League relegation places, Nicholson told BBC Radio Devon: “We’re becoming a training team, an academy type team.
“If you came to watch them in the week you’d think you were watching one of the top teams.
“The way they move the ball, the way they pass it, the way they move, everything’s quick and precise and proper, we need to take that out onto the pitch.
“Instead what you get is doubt, slow passing, second guessing what they’re about to do and then doing it too late, lumping it up to two forwards and obviously we haven’t got that physical presence right now and that’s something we’re working on.”
The disappointing defeat to struggling Woking has left the Gulls in 17th and just four points above the bottom four.
Nicholson says his side have to learn how to handle setbacks and admits that the past two performances have been “just not acceptable”.
“We’re becoming one of those teams where the slightest thing goes against you, all of a sudden you go from being absolutely at it and looking like you’re ready to go, to falling apart,” he added.
“We’ve gone from making one of the best footballing teams in the league in Forest Green looking very average to making two of the teams that are struggling at the other end looking absolutely fantastic and that’s just not acceptable.”
