United aiming to bounce back at Plainmoor
Monday, August 25, 2008, 11:07
Saturday's 3-1 defeat at Crawley, where Tyrone Thompson's early dismissal left United with ten men for 80 minutes, was their second in succession.
Torquay have not lost three games on the trot since Buckle took over last summer.
"We've got to get up and running," said Buckle.
The Gulls' boss is waiting on fitness reports for several players before he finalises his line-up today — centre-half Chris Todd (groin) missed the Crawley defeat and is still doubtful, but he is not the only one under treatment.
Thompson is definitely out. He starts an automatic three-match suspension after his straight red card at Crawley.
Buckle's selection today will be a centre of attention for supporters, especially after he made five personnel and several other positional changes at the weekend.
"We have brought players into the club, and it's obvious that we need to find our best eleven.
"But you are not going to find that out in a game like that," he said after Saturday's match."
Buckle insisted that he felt perfectly justified in shaking up his side, after the disappointing display in last midweek's 2-0 home defeat by Ebbsfleet.
"I have to be true to the whole squad in the first few games," he said.
"I've got 21 players at the club who are good enough.
"Everybody, apart from Steve Woods, Chris Robertson and Mark Ellis, has started a game now."
Ellis was on the subs' bench at Crawley, but fellow defenders Woods and Robertson, along with midfielder Nicky Wroe, missed out all together.
"There will be no panic and no throwaway comments from me," said Buckle.
"We must put the two defeats behind us, and we will move forward."
United were already a goal down, through Jon-Paul Pittman, before Thompson was sent off on Saturday.
They went on to concede two penalties, converted by Thomas Pinault and substitute Jamie Cook.
But Roscoe Dsane, set up by Tim Sills after he replaced Matt Green at half-time, did open his account for the season to make it 2-1 at one stage.
Buckle praised the effort his side showed, commenting: "Sometimes it's easy to go under in that situation, but the work-rate of the players was phenomenal, with so many things going against them.
"We need to take that into the Salisbury game."
Nick Holmes' City side have made a good start.
Saturday's 1-0 home win over Grays, through a Matt Tubbs penalty, came against ten men.
The Whites have taken nine points from their first four matches, including away wins over Forest Green Rovers and promoted Lewes.

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