PLYMOUTH Argyle manager Peter Reid admits he might have to depart from his ideal football philosophy if he is to get the best out of the current first-team squad.

Reid said he may cut his Green cloth accordingly after watching Argyle lose 3-1 to their League Two neighbours Torquay United in what he called a 'disappointing' performance at Plainmoor.

And while he accepted that there is plenty of time to go before the start of the League One season, certain aspects of his team's display on Tuesday night provided plenty of food for thought.

The former Sunderland boss tried out a 4-3-3 formation in attack, reverting to 4-5-1 when the opposition were in possession, which he said did not quite go according to plan.

"I want to play a passing game but if we can't do it I've got to change it," said Reid.

"We might have to go earlier up to the front man and get support up there. We lost the ball too many times in midfield areas and they were at us. It wasn't great.

"Even though it was a friendly I don't particularly like getting beaten in games.

"But I thought the better team won. I thought Torquay were hungrier and wanted it more than us.

"There's no excuse for that. It was just basics. Besides them looking fitter I don't think we passed the ball."

Things began well for Argyle against Torquay, with Craig Noone getting on the end of a Chris Barker cross in the second minute to put them ahead. But with Torquay equalising before half-time and scoring two unanswered goals after the break, Reid was not entirely happy with what followed.

He said: "We started well and got a really good goal but after that our passing went and our shape went and to be fair they looked a lot stronger and fitter than us.

"I know there's a long way to go to the start of the season. One of the good things about today is that it is today and not the first game of the season.

"It's a friendly and I made so many changes that you're not going to get any continuity. But we worked on shape and our shape completely went and I've got to say they did look stronger from a physical point of view.

"I've got plenty of things to work on but I'm really disappointed in certain aspects of our play."

Reid introduced two triallists during the friendly, with Bermudan goalkeeper Freddy Hall replacing Romain Larrieu in the first half after the Frenchman reported a slight groin strain.

In the second half he took off Steve MacLean and replaced him with a mystery striker, now understood to have been Manuel Mence, a 22-year-old Martinique international, once of SC Amiens who play in the French third tier.

Hall's first real act was to pick the equaliser out of his net and he was a little at fault for the Gulls' second, while Mence failed to make much of an impression up front.

Reid said: "[Manuel] is just a French boy who's come over, who's out of contract. We're just having a look at him.

"And Romain had just done his groin so I didn't want it to get any worse. I thought [Hall] was a bit rash for the goal, but he's a young kid and one we're just having a look at."

Reid admits he is constantly learning about his new squad and will try to give each of them a fair crack of the whip on their pre-season training camp in Holland, for which they depart tomorrow.

"I'm giving everyone a look," he said. "We have got a sprinkling of experience and a lot of young players and I'm just giving everyone games and seeing how they go.

"I'm learning a lot about the players and sometimes you learn an awful lot in defeat. I certainly did this evening.

"I'm not pleased with the result or the performance, but I'm pleased I've got something out of it. It taught me a lot about the players."

One of those from whom Reid had requested more effort since his arrival was MacLean, who put in a decent shift up front alongside new signing Rory Patterson before being replaced by Mence in the 63rd minute.

"I thought [MacLean] started really well," said Reid. "He was bright, he got on it, but I thought he faded, so that wasn't long enough in the saddle. But he has got ability."

Argyle open their three-match tour of Holland against NAC Breda this Saturday, before meeting AZ Alkmaar on July 21 and SC Cambuur the day after.

They return home for friendlies against Hereford United away on July 28, before travelling to Loftus Road to play Neil Warnock's QPR on July 30, and finally Saltash United at Kimberley Stadium on August 2.