Torquay United's Manager Jimmy Ball Takes Time for Squad Rebuild

Jimmy Ball is in no mood to panic.

Torquay United’s manager has already reshaped his squad in the past week, but insists any further additions will be carefully measured rather than rushed through.

The Gulls have dipped into the market to bring in Plymouth Argyle youngsters Tegan Finn and Caleb Roberts, while defender Oludare Olufunwa and winger Angelo Cappello have also arrived as Ball tweaks a group that has lost striker Jordan Young, defender Sam Dreyer and winger Dylan Morgan in recent weeks.

“There’s a couple of positions within the squad I’d like to strengthen,” Ball told BBC Radio Devon. “But I’m in a position now where I can take my time and make sure of the decisions that I’m making.

“Not that we didn’t have all the lads we’ve brought in on a list, on a radar, but there’s no rush now.

“But I’d like to bring one more in for sure. But there’s no rush about it, it’s going to be a calculated one.”

From play-off heartbreak to a fresh push

Ball stepped into the job in March after Paul Wotton’s sacking and immediately steadied the club, driving Torquay to a third-placed finish in National League South. Their season ended in agony, though, with a dramatic play-off final defeat at Hornchurch in May.

This campaign began with more struggle than stride, yet Torquay have quietly found a foothold. Back-to-back wins have lifted them to eighth in National League South and given Ball the breathing space to think long-term rather than firefight.

That upturn has reinforced his belief in the recruitment work already done and still to come as he targets promotion and an escape from a fourth straight season in the sixth tier.

The next signing, whenever it lands, will not be about headlines. For Ball, it has to be the piece that finally nudges Torquay back towards the levels the club expects to call home.