Saturday 27 February 2010

One Step Forward...

Sheffield United 4 - 3 Plymouth Argyle

The reason given by many for being at the wrong end of the league table was the inability to score goals. Well that's been taken care of, no one can doubt that 3 goals in one game, and at least one goal in every recent game is marvellous seeing as they were a rare sight this season. So now how come the Greens are scoring but still losing? The obvious reason is the inability to keep a clean sheet and conceding sloppy goals. Therefore Mariner and Carver's next point to address is the sloppy defending that is letting the opposition through like a sieve. Stupid mistakes by all, coupled with poor starts that look like the team are tired before they've even started, are now glaringly obvious.

Argyle are advancing along the road to improvement, but the going is slow. The road ends in a few months, and the sufficient improvement to be keeping on the A roads is still a far way off. Next season on the B roads is still looking a real possibility.

Saturday 20 February 2010

Whata Mistakea to Makea

Plymouth Argyle 1 - 1 Leicester City

Another 2 points lost at home and through a stupid mistake again. This time though, an own goal. Argyle did well to fight back from being 0-1 behind, as they have done so over the past few games, but to go 0-1 behind due to your own player finding your own net is pathetic. It is stupid mistakes that have caused the Greens to lose so many points this season, that what could have been a home victory and 3 very valuable points is galling. However, things seem to have changed for the good at Home Park, the wherewithal to come back in games is now evident, when before conceding a goal would have made game over. There is still a long way to go.

Friday 19 February 2010

Elvis has left the Building

Ex Argyle physio Paul Maxwell has finally left the club following a suspension shrouded in mystery and rumour. Maxwell was suspended by the club at the beginning of the season around the same time as players were falling out of favour like flies, and lead to rumours that Maxi had let his mouth run free, upsetting Sturrock. Some will say good riddance to a bad apple, but 18 years of service is nothing to be sneezed at.

Swan Song

Plymouth Argyle 1 - 1 Swansea City

The revival continues.
The dire crap continues.

Tuesday's game was one of two view points - the first half saw the same old rubbish served up by Argyle that led to some leaving earlier, however by the end of the second half the Green revival was still in full swing as a penalty was awarded, missed, retaken, missed and scored on the rebound. Though the point did little for league position, it was better than none at all. The views coming out of Home Park by the Green Army have varied in the extreme in recent years and depending on your tint, this game was a real splitter, especially after the win the previous game. False dawn or renewed hope? It's just too much!

Saturday 13 February 2010

2 years, 49 days

Barnsley 1 - 3 Plymouth Argyle

The amount of time since Argyle came back from being behind to win (Boxing Day 2007). What a statistic! And who would really have thought that it would have been broken today? Such wins are a fantastic celebration amongst the grim reality, however it will be a chance for the warring fractions of green and brown tints to lock horns again and many punches will be thrown along with name calling ("you're not a proper fan"), coupled with the fact that Fallon finally found the net, some serious muck slinging will be going on.

The win currently puts the Greens now 6 places off Reading (them being out of action in the FA Cup today), which seems not so much of an insurmountable gap any more. The next game is at Home verses Swansea on Tuesday, followed by Leicester. As the home form is currently abysmal, what pray will the gods of football bring Argyle's way?

Thursday 11 February 2010

Don't Stop Believing

Some will win, some will lose,
Some were born to sing the blues.
Oh the movie never ends,
It goes on and on and on and on.

To quote Journey/Glee. Of course Mariner ain't going to say 'that's all folks', but blind faith isn't going to help, getting a dose of reality and doing something about the problems might. The Herald reported that the fans' consensus is the club is doomed, and the inevitability of League One has set in with people making plans to visit old haunts and (God spare us) stand on terraces (I might piss myself at the excitement).

Consolidate and rebuild in League One. With even less money than now - look at Leeds, an even bigger club than Argyle, and they're only just coming back out. Haven't we heard that before, practically every season has been a 'consolidate and rebuild' season, yet consolidation hasn't happened and lessons haven't be learned. What makes people say that will change?

But there is still a minuscule ray of hope, though it is fading fast.

Wednesday 10 February 2010

Hanging by a Thread

Reading 2 - 1 Plymouth Argyle

Well that's it really, 9 points adrift from the safe zone and no prospect of winning sufficient games to make up the required amount of points. Besides you need goals to win and that ain't going to happen, and every other team needs to lose and that's not likely either.

There was hope as the Greens clawed an equaliser, but the last minute penalty put paid to that. Controversial it may have been, but why ever get into a position where one could be given in the first place? Poor play, which as basically been the club's problem since Sturrock came back. And now Mariner's glasses have acquired a green tint as he insists every thing's OK (all right it's not mathematically impossible yet), he even sounds like Sturrock on his interviews!

Sir Roy, the man who never fails is fast sliding back to oblivion. The brave New World have said little about the club's plight now they've secured the World Cup bid, once again there's no money and a transfer window squandered. Blame the stay-aways is the cry - but with a team and management that has been seen before, really, who can blame them?

Sunday 7 February 2010

Handbags at 30 paces

Plymouth Argyle 0 - 1 West Bromwich Albion

Did any really expect anything to come out of the WBA game pointage wise? Though the game was very entertaining, plus the scuffle at the end provides an interesting talking point - did it show team solidarity or poor discipline? Whilst the fighting spirit can be good - a solid team effort on the field showing that there is some breath in the old dog called Argyle even if it doesn't produce results - or are tempers boiling over because the corpse is DOA already?

Football is a results business and without them we'll be saluting at the Mayflower sinks to League One come May. There is no reward for a gutsy performance, though that's part of the battle. Stuck to 23rd place, 4 points off Reading, it's a bleak outlook, as even if a wining streak is forthcoming, everyone else has to go on a losing streak. And life ain't that kind.

Tuesday 2 February 2010

Closed for Business

The transfer window has closed and Argyle have managed to sign a grand total of 3 loanees, Stockdale, Cooper and Johnson. International players, good prospects. Proof of the pudding in the eating. Meanwhile, in the opposite direction, some of the 'dead wood' has been shifted.