1. Do the Gulls miss Saikou Janneh?
After last season's National League South title triumph, the close season saw Jake Andrews join the Gulls on a permanent basis and Opi Edwards and Connor Lemonheigh-Evans return on loan, with Saikou Janneh being the only one of the Ashton Gate four who hasn't returned to Plainmoor in the 2019-20 campaign.
Janneh, who sustained an injury in pre-season with the Robins, formed a formidable partnership with Jamie Reid and found the back of the net 18 times and chipped in with 14 assists. Also, his pace was instrumental in helping to pull defenders out of position on several occasions.
A loan move to an unnamed League Two club did appear to be on the cards before his injury, but could Gary Johnson pull a rabbit out of the hat once he has recovered and bring him back to the United fold later on in the season.
2. Gary Johnson isn't afraid to make big changes.
Making substitutions early on is a trait that has been something of a hallmark of Gary Johnson's reign as Gulls manager, and on Tuesday against Maidenhead United he proved that he isn't afraid to make big changes as he substituted skipper Asa Hall on 58 minutes and sent on Manny Duku. However, on this occasion, this change - and the changes that he made later on in the game - didn't have the kind of effect that he was hoping for.
3. The goals against column is looking worrying.
As well as having a goal difference of minus four, United have now also conceded nine goals - a figure that averages at just over two per game - and they are yet to keep a clean sheet, which is another worrying statistic.
4. Goals change games.
Prior to Josh Kelly scoring Maidenhead's opener, the Gulls had enjoyed a period of dominance which they had failed to capitalise on. Jamie Reid and Connor Lemonheigh-Evans had both been denied by Magpies' keeper Taye Ashby-Hammond and Kyle Cameron had headed against the crossbar.
Had any of these chances found the back of the net could the outcome of the match have been different?
5. Have last season's achievements raised expectations?
In pre-season, the noises coming out of Plainmoor were that the Gulls were not heading into the National League, after winning promotion from National League South, to merely make up the numbers. For the first time in Gary Johnson's spell in charge at Plainmoor was there evidence of dissent amongst the home support and the players left the field to a chorus of boos, which rung around Plainmoor.
However, what those dissenting voices need to realise that many successful Torquay United side's have taken more than one year to build; These include Kevin Hodges' Division Three Play-off final side of 1998, Leroy Rosenior's automatic promotion winning side in 2004 and Paul Buckle's Conference Play-off winners in 2009. It also shouldn't be forgotten that the National League, with its two promotion spots - one automatic and one through the play-offs - is probably the most difficult league to win promotion from. But Gary Johnson has been there and done it twice with Yeovil Town (2003) and Cheltenham Town (2016) and is aiming for a hat-trick with the Gulls.
