Sunday, 29 November 2009
3rd Round Bore
The 3rd round FA Cup draw will see Argyle play Newcastle at home. Now a few years ago this would have been an attractive fixture, but seeing as the Toon are now in the Championship, we've played them once already at theirs and they're due to come down once already, I don't really see anything that exciting. Some say it'll increase the gate, but if people come to see Newcastle win in the Cup, why should they come and see them win in the league? Either way I don't see the revenue from what will no doubt be Argyle's only FA Cup game being anything to get worked up about. Mind you it'll be a fair 'ol poke for 'em won't it - twice!
Saturday, 28 November 2009
Urine
Plymouth Argyle 1 - 4 Barnsley [Match Abandoned]
There was a lot of urine around Home Park today - a piss poor performance that took the piss resulting in being 4-1 behind at half time followed by the match being abandoned because it was pissing it down.
Luggy had the biggest pardon ever in football history when the referee decided to abandon the game during the second half due to deteriorating conditions following a woeful performance that saw initially fairly good composure by the Greens and an Argyle goal followed by 35 minutes of sheer drivel that opened up defensive howler after howler and a team that fell apart at the seems resulting in 4 conceded goals. And so the early bath was a huge relief for all concerned.
The honeymoon period is well and truly over for the two Pauls and some very severe soul searching needs to happen.
There was a lot of urine around Home Park today - a piss poor performance that took the piss resulting in being 4-1 behind at half time followed by the match being abandoned because it was pissing it down.
Luggy had the biggest pardon ever in football history when the referee decided to abandon the game during the second half due to deteriorating conditions following a woeful performance that saw initially fairly good composure by the Greens and an Argyle goal followed by 35 minutes of sheer drivel that opened up defensive howler after howler and a team that fell apart at the seems resulting in 4 conceded goals. And so the early bath was a huge relief for all concerned.
The honeymoon period is well and truly over for the two Pauls and some very severe soul searching needs to happen.
Wednesday, 25 November 2009
Pompey and Out
One of Plymouth's rival's for the 2018 World Cup bid, Portsmouth has dropped out of the running following Portsmouth Council's refusal to provide financial backing. This now leaves Plymouth in direct competition to Bristol in the South West region. One step closer to the biggest thing to happen to Plymouth/Westcountry since it was bombed in WWII.
Sunday, 22 November 2009
Back in the Shit
Leicester City 1 - 0 Plymouth Argyle
A 90+ minute goal puts Argyle back in the relegation place following a game where there was hardly any shot on target for the Greens. A pathetic game that consisted of the game old tactics of trying to defend for a point and finally giving in and conceding, especially following the recent optimism. There was a good start to the managerial set up, maybe they just got this one wrong?
A 90+ minute goal puts Argyle back in the relegation place following a game where there was hardly any shot on target for the Greens. A pathetic game that consisted of the game old tactics of trying to defend for a point and finally giving in and conceding, especially following the recent optimism. There was a good start to the managerial set up, maybe they just got this one wrong?
Thursday, 12 November 2009
Straight from the Horse's Mouth
A summary of Keith Todd's answers during his live chat (in the order answered without repeats):
- Paul Sturrock is very much in, with the improvements made by Paul Mariner and PS partnership, the board are very happy
- Season Ticket holders are not being sidelined by initiatives to increase crowds with lower prices, hence the New World Deal
- PS and PM are reassessing the current squad which is too big and players are very likely to leave with 1/2 new signings
- 5 year plan due in December, along with stadium plan which is not dependent upon results on the field. Phase 1 of Phase 2 will create a capacity of 27,000.
- No comment re Paul Maxwell
- The board are happy with the level of communication with fans
- Tony Campbell is working on partnership with First Great Western re discounted tickets from "upcountry"
- Work is in progress about live screening of PA matches
- Youth development is tied up in the 5 year plan
- There are contingency plans for relegation
- The board recognise that poor form is the reason for lower gates, though more initiatives to increase gates are due
- Aspirations to be in the Premier League within 5 years
- The sale of key players is not ruled out
- The board is happy with the stewarding at Home Park
- A new training ground is being looked into
- The board is interested in welcoming other sports to use Home Park
- The DJM have told the club that few games clash with Argyle
- Paul Sturrock is very much in, with the improvements made by Paul Mariner and PS partnership, the board are very happy
- Season Ticket holders are not being sidelined by initiatives to increase crowds with lower prices, hence the New World Deal
- PS and PM are reassessing the current squad which is too big and players are very likely to leave with 1/2 new signings
- 5 year plan due in December, along with stadium plan which is not dependent upon results on the field. Phase 1 of Phase 2 will create a capacity of 27,000.
- No comment re Paul Maxwell
- The board are happy with the level of communication with fans
- Tony Campbell is working on partnership with First Great Western re discounted tickets from "upcountry"
- Work is in progress about live screening of PA matches
- Youth development is tied up in the 5 year plan
- There are contingency plans for relegation
- The board recognise that poor form is the reason for lower gates, though more initiatives to increase gates are due
- Aspirations to be in the Premier League within 5 years
- The sale of key players is not ruled out
- The board is happy with the stewarding at Home Park
- A new training ground is being looked into
- The board is interested in welcoming other sports to use Home Park
- The DJM have told the club that few games clash with Argyle
New World Question Time
Probably not the best time to have an online question time as most people will be at work, but Keith Todd is now online answering your questions.
Labels:
Management,
Plymouth Argyle,
Supporters,
The Board
Sunday, 8 November 2009
Out of the Mire
Plymouth Argyle 2 - 1 Doncaster Rovers
...by one place outside of the drop zone. Not much more to say really, not an A1 (or even D5) performance but the result was excellent and a good win. Hurrah!
...by one place outside of the drop zone. Not much more to say really, not an A1 (or even D5) performance but the result was excellent and a good win. Hurrah!
Tuesday, 3 November 2009
The Train now standing on Platform 1...
...will cost Argyle fans just £6.00 for a return every Saturday.
PAFC and First Great Western have teamed up to offer Cornish supporters discounted train travel on Saturdays between Penzance and Plymouth when travelling on the 11.00am departure from Penzance and returning on either the 5.29pm, 6.42pm, 8.39pm or 9.20pm departures from Plymouth. Tickets are purchasable from Penzance, St Erth, on the St Ives branch, Camborne, Redruth, Truro, Falmouth branch line, St Austell and Bodmin.
So, coupled with the free bus services (which can be caught from the railway station), the new board are certainly doing what they can to get the people into the ground, however the two biggest factors that have been quoted to me last week are 1. price and 2. the quality of the football that put people off.
PAFC and First Great Western have teamed up to offer Cornish supporters discounted train travel on Saturdays between Penzance and Plymouth when travelling on the 11.00am departure from Penzance and returning on either the 5.29pm, 6.42pm, 8.39pm or 9.20pm departures from Plymouth. Tickets are purchasable from Penzance, St Erth, on the St Ives branch, Camborne, Redruth, Truro, Falmouth branch line, St Austell and Bodmin.
So, coupled with the free bus services (which can be caught from the railway station), the new board are certainly doing what they can to get the people into the ground, however the two biggest factors that have been quoted to me last week are 1. price and 2. the quality of the football that put people off.
Piss Off Seip?
Ex Argyle player, Seip has extended his loan at Blackpool and quite frankly for a vocal majority of Argyle fans the sooner he goes the better. Marcel has been seen as nothing but a bad influence in the dressing room, full of temper tantrums, fallings out and the cause of off the pitch shenanigans with his family and is now the most hated man at Home Park.
Does he deserve it though or is it all hear say?
Does he deserve it though or is it all hear say?
Up the Boro
Middlesbrough 0 - 1 Plymouth Argyle
Well it's been a hectic weekend of travelling over most of the country and thus only just really got back home, including an epic 14+ hour round trip up the Boro. Did we really play 98 minutes of football? It seemed so much longer because when hanging on to a lead feels like every second is an eternity as sooner or later someone will muck up and it'll be game over. But it didn't happened. Well it nearly did but the penalty was missed and how much slower time passed after that! And what makes it better - it was their first match under their new manager, usually a time when the new broom has galvanised the players, though in their case he was sacked for falling crowds, not what was happening on the pitch. So figure that one out.
Well it's been a hectic weekend of travelling over most of the country and thus only just really got back home, including an epic 14+ hour round trip up the Boro. Did we really play 98 minutes of football? It seemed so much longer because when hanging on to a lead feels like every second is an eternity as sooner or later someone will muck up and it'll be game over. But it didn't happened. Well it nearly did but the penalty was missed and how much slower time passed after that! And what makes it better - it was their first match under their new manager, usually a time when the new broom has galvanised the players, though in their case he was sacked for falling crowds, not what was happening on the pitch. So figure that one out.
Saturday, 31 October 2009
Thursday, 29 October 2009
EasyArgyle
Or RyanGreens.
Argyle have gone the way of the UK's air industry by launching their buy online and print at home TicketFast ticketing system. Just like purchasing an airline ticket and printing your boarding card, you can now buy Home tickets online and print out your ticket at home. This saves queuing up at the box office on matchdays or getting your tickets lost in the postal strikes. So another good initiative off the field, though not a new one as other TicketMaster affiliated teams are going the same way.
Argyle have gone the way of the UK's air industry by launching their buy online and print at home TicketFast ticketing system. Just like purchasing an airline ticket and printing your boarding card, you can now buy Home tickets online and print out your ticket at home. This saves queuing up at the box office on matchdays or getting your tickets lost in the postal strikes. So another good initiative off the field, though not a new one as other TicketMaster affiliated teams are going the same way.
Wednesday, 28 October 2009
A Great Big Thumbs Up
Now beyond the superficial cat fighting that's been going on over the Thumbgate incident at Blackpool where Mrs Seip and Mrs Stapleton showed their support of husband and son-in-law whilst be was winning for the opposition whilst being paid to do so by the club he was playing against, who allowed that to happen, who the players did not like and have show their dissatisfaction during the Thumbs Up goal celebration verses Ipswich, which lead to Mrs Seip posting a defending article on Argyle Insider which many supporters think was ill-advised and has now cause more fractions in the club and guarantees that Seip will never return...
Does any other club air its dirty laundry so publicly?
Was Stack wrong to criticise the club and get shipped out as a bad egg?
Will Fletcher et al now follow him?
Does any other club air its dirty laundry so publicly?
Was Stack wrong to criticise the club and get shipped out as a bad egg?
Will Fletcher et al now follow him?
You Don't Deserve It
Been reading through a thread on a popular Argyle message board in which several posters state that Argyle will never get to the Premier League because the people of Plymouth don't deserve a Premier League club. Due mainly because they don't want to support the Pilgrims and even if riding high (well as high as Argyle have ever gotten) they still don't turn up.
Well I think comments like that do a great disservice to anyone who follows the Greens, basically it says that the last 100+ years of support were worth nothing, and today's supporters might as well pack up and go home as the dream should never ever come to fruition. But that's exactly what many have realised over the last 100+ years - their support is worth little as the club has never amounted to much, and continually looks like it never will.
If the people of Plymouth don;t want to follow Argyle then that's frankly their business, but those that do deserve something surely?
Well I think comments like that do a great disservice to anyone who follows the Greens, basically it says that the last 100+ years of support were worth nothing, and today's supporters might as well pack up and go home as the dream should never ever come to fruition. But that's exactly what many have realised over the last 100+ years - their support is worth little as the club has never amounted to much, and continually looks like it never will.
If the people of Plymouth don;t want to follow Argyle then that's frankly their business, but those that do deserve something surely?
Sunday, 25 October 2009
Better?
Plymouth Argyle 1 - 1 Ipswich Town
Well it wasn't three points against the bottom of the table team, though at second bottom whoppie woo, and it wasn't a loss, but did the New World's new world actually do anything? For one the bench was animated with Mariner bossing the players, ok sometimes they didn't listen, but the stupid mistake once again caused the downfall. And Sturrock's take on the situation? It was a zany game and we looked leggy at the end. Not much of a surprise there, though he did say 'no more zany defending' after Bristol. At least we can blame the referee again for this one, especially the red card incident. But Sturrock has bought himself more time, again - in fact judging by Todd's quotes he is definitely here for the duration no matter what.
Well it wasn't three points against the bottom of the table team, though at second bottom whoppie woo, and it wasn't a loss, but did the New World's new world actually do anything? For one the bench was animated with Mariner bossing the players, ok sometimes they didn't listen, but the stupid mistake once again caused the downfall. And Sturrock's take on the situation? It was a zany game and we looked leggy at the end. Not much of a surprise there, though he did say 'no more zany defending' after Bristol. At least we can blame the referee again for this one, especially the red card incident. But Sturrock has bought himself more time, again - in fact judging by Todd's quotes he is definitely here for the duration no matter what.
Saturday, 24 October 2009
The Way Forward
Official Club Statement following Friday's press conference states that all the club's coaching staff have not had their contracts renewed at the end of the season. Including Luggy's.
Paul Sturrock's contract expires at the end of the season and all options are still open as to what his relationship with the club will be then, or if any earlier change needs to be made during the season.
However Luggy is still in full charge for the rest of the season at least but there is possibility that he will move to a Director of Football role (though not called Director of Football) next year. The appointment of Mariner is just a building block on the way with the possibility for more ex-Argyle related people returning (Coughlan has been rumoured). All part of the New World 5 year plan (not to be confused with any other 5 year plan), because for one this includes a World Cup bid.
Something new or nothing new?
By the way, why are Argyle obsessed with the name Paul?
Paul Sturrock's contract expires at the end of the season and all options are still open as to what his relationship with the club will be then, or if any earlier change needs to be made during the season.
However Luggy is still in full charge for the rest of the season at least but there is possibility that he will move to a Director of Football role (though not called Director of Football) next year. The appointment of Mariner is just a building block on the way with the possibility for more ex-Argyle related people returning (Coughlan has been rumoured). All part of the New World 5 year plan (not to be confused with any other 5 year plan), because for one this includes a World Cup bid.
Something new or nothing new?
By the way, why are Argyle obsessed with the name Paul?
Was it Actually Summerfield's Fault?
Now that Summerfield has departed, along with Luggy's other backroom staff not having their contracts renewed, was it actually Summerfield's fault that we're in the position we're in?
For many of the games the dugout has been criticised as being very quiet with no action, Luggy regularly stood around with his hands in his pockets and from time to time Summers would be the one shouting the odds. Luggy has now said that he enjoys working with Mariner and not having to delegate training to another man. So Luggy basically left Summers to do all the training, and all the matchday work too. Did Summers also pick the teams? Who gave the talks at half time?
If so then this absolves Luggys of responsibility whilst making him seen the scapegoat for taking the flack for the team's bad performance. However as manager, is it not his responsibility to take responsibility?
For many of the games the dugout has been criticised as being very quiet with no action, Luggy regularly stood around with his hands in his pockets and from time to time Summers would be the one shouting the odds. Luggy has now said that he enjoys working with Mariner and not having to delegate training to another man. So Luggy basically left Summers to do all the training, and all the matchday work too. Did Summers also pick the teams? Who gave the talks at half time?
If so then this absolves Luggys of responsibility whilst making him seen the scapegoat for taking the flack for the team's bad performance. However as manager, is it not his responsibility to take responsibility?
Wednesday, 21 October 2009
Hear No, Speak No, See No...
The three monkeys of Todd, Stapleton and Gardener (and the rest) have collective mass blindness to all that's happening at Home Park. Their tenure so far, heralded as New World has been more Third World and have lost a lot of the Green Army. They have done their best to bring fans to the club with the ticket prices and buses etc, but quite frankly it's (as Alex Polizzi would say) putting a cherry on a turd. The looking ahead to 2018 is now farcical when the bread and butter of daily life has gone mouldy and it's hard to see how this is going to change.
No one - fans and media alike - seems to have the wherewithal to want to do anything collectively about it. The falling attendances at HP are a sign that people will no longer put up with it - and listening now to BBC Radio Devon's moan- oops! phone-in, the consensus of opinion is that Sturrock should go. Other clubs would be holding public displays by now (how long has the Ashley affair gone on at Newcastle?) and yet the Green Army sit on their hands in fear of being branded a bad supporter. (Mind you how close have the Toon Army come to getting Ashley out?). The Herald have used the angle of "growing pressure" on Sturrock for weeks with no outcome, are they running scared of being banished once again from HP? Likewise BBC South West and ITV West.
This article and last night's commentary by Rock Cowdrey show that the club cannot see further than the end of their noses, Sturrock's match reactions do the same thing whilst churning out the same mantra and excuses. And as for Mariner, the poor guy is probably wondering what the hell he's got himself in to. And it will be very unfair of the Green Army to pin all their hopes on him.
No one - fans and media alike - seems to have the wherewithal to want to do anything collectively about it. The falling attendances at HP are a sign that people will no longer put up with it - and listening now to BBC Radio Devon's moan- oops! phone-in, the consensus of opinion is that Sturrock should go. Other clubs would be holding public displays by now (how long has the Ashley affair gone on at Newcastle?) and yet the Green Army sit on their hands in fear of being branded a bad supporter. (Mind you how close have the Toon Army come to getting Ashley out?). The Herald have used the angle of "growing pressure" on Sturrock for weeks with no outcome, are they running scared of being banished once again from HP? Likewise BBC South West and ITV West.
This article and last night's commentary by Rock Cowdrey show that the club cannot see further than the end of their noses, Sturrock's match reactions do the same thing whilst churning out the same mantra and excuses. And as for Mariner, the poor guy is probably wondering what the hell he's got himself in to. And it will be very unfair of the Green Army to pin all their hopes on him.
Sacked
Southgate, not Sturrock, from a team 4th from top because of falling attendances and a poor home form, whilst the cockroach who can survive a nuclear war in charge of a team at 23rd is able to continue his merry way and impose his way or the highway over new Head Coach, keep his woeful defence coach who is blamed for every match and just as poor goalkeeping coach who has done nothing to improve Le Keeper during his tenure at the Greens. Pantomime season is in full swing at Plymouth.
Tuesday, 20 October 2009
1 Minute
Bristol City 3 - 1 Plymouth Argyle
It took 1 minute from watching Sky Sports News and seeing that Argyle were 1-0 down to walking in the other room to relay the news, coming back and finding them at 1-1 then repeating it all again for 3-1 down. Now obviously it didn't happen that quickly, and SSN obviously hadn't updated every graphic quickly, but there was a minutes hope there followed by a resignation of fate that has become so familiar. There really is no reason to say anything because it is all blatantly laid before us and most can see except for the board and Luggy himself, but hey Paul Mariner the Nu-Saviour is here and my god is a lot of hope riding on him. The poor guy.
It took 1 minute from watching Sky Sports News and seeing that Argyle were 1-0 down to walking in the other room to relay the news, coming back and finding them at 1-1 then repeating it all again for 3-1 down. Now obviously it didn't happen that quickly, and SSN obviously hadn't updated every graphic quickly, but there was a minutes hope there followed by a resignation of fate that has become so familiar. There really is no reason to say anything because it is all blatantly laid before us and most can see except for the board and Luggy himself, but hey Paul Mariner the Nu-Saviour is here and my god is a lot of hope riding on him. The poor guy.
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