Being an exile I have to glean Argyle info from whatever quarter I can find it......I then need to consider what I've found and try to draw out what is relevent and what is an over the top response by those that are either green tints or just anti Brent commentators. Pasoti being the largest fan site has most postings on the subject....once I would take their comments with a pinch of salt....but more recently the green tint brigade have posted more balanced reports on how they see the situation at present....once any non-green comment would disappear....along with the poster. But lately posters who our unhappy with what is going on get their say...and survive. Most long term dissenters have ended up on ATD.....with a Brent out and a anti-Pasoti line as standard procedure....any who comment otherwise do get ruffed up at times....but not as much as they used to....maybe Argyle's start to the season blunted their approach to all things anti-green. On here we say what we see and hear...... with at least three regulars having first hand experience of regular home games....and for exiles like me that is good to have...because it is generally a fair report without green specs being on. First thing that I want to say is......If I had been living on the Outer Hebrides since the beginning of the season....in a crofters cottage without electricity, radio, TV, Internet or Telephone/Mobile connections.....and someone told me that we where in a automatic promotion place, 7pts to the good....and also that we where in the draw for the 3rd round of the FA Cup draw....I would have bitten off their arm with delight and yes I'd have that anytime. So how do I see the team at present...as I've glean info from third party sources. 1.....McCormick.....No1..goalkeeper for awhile, best goalkeeper in Div 2 we've always reckoned.....comments recently suggesting that faults starting to show in his performances...maybe step down for a rest....give Dorel ago.....or is it that injuries have unsettled our defence and others coming in have not gelled into the defensive system that had help us to be the best defence in the league. Remember the time when we lost him to that tragic car accident.....if it hadn't happened would he still be here....surely he would have been playing at an higher level by now. Still a good keeper but maybe a break might help sharpen him up. 2.....Sawyer goes about his job efficiently....out injured...so Purrington comes in as our other left-back and picks up an injury after playing well...and getting noticed by other clubs....problem position at the moment....Threlkeld covers well...but it means he is missed elsewhere. 3.....Miller in but not seen by many as adequate....and not seen as an attacking full-back. 4.....Bulvitis...seen as a surprise purchase, but has done well as a central defender in this division...out injured at the moment and missed, developed a good partnership with...... 5.....Bradley...done well in mid defence a bit of a beast and good in the air...dangerous at set pieces. good signing....and NOT INJURED. 6.....Songo'o....another good signing...good mid-field defender....because of injuries has been played out of position which doesn't suit his strengths. 7.....Fox...no problems personally, does what's asked of him. 8.....Smith....not so supported by the fans as Fox but doing what's asked of him. 9.....Carey....when he is good he is good...when he isn't then that is why he is still with us in Div 2....too much expected to go through him as the creator...can be targeted....stop him playing and Argyle are blunted in providing goalscoring opportunities....even then he is our No1 goalscorer. 10....Threlkeld's best position in mid-field I think.....we missed him whilst out injured...now he is back he is having to play further back as full back cover, unfortunately....can be a goal threat. 11....Garita...loanee from Bristol C....when he came into the team he looked great...played a blinder in his second full start...scythed his way through the opposition to score....then got injured...we missed his attacking flare....noticeable yesterday that although fit again he wasn't picked....suggesting that City didn't want him cup-tied and maybe he won't be coming back in January either....now that would be a shame. 12....Tanner....has played more games in this team than most....yet he is a Reading loanee still. Plays well at times and can be a goal threat and makes goals as well....should play more regularly....will he be with us still in January...if not we will miss him....will Adams try to sign him full time in the new year ?....a hint that he has been playing through an injury for the last few weeks. 13....Jervis a favourite who came down south with Adams and Carey.....can score goals and when playing well deserves a start in the team....good player for the division....has been around the block a few times...but luckily for us as settled well in Plymouth's team. 14....Goodwillie....thought to be a good signing...his credentials our there on paper....experienced player and proven goalscorer....but he brought a problem with him from a few years back....a looming rape case which he denies from his wild lifestyle....his mind isn't on the task in hand because of it....understandable. One other problem is because of necessity he is often played out of position.....felt for him yesterday....played as a target man up front....he is too small for that....works hard but a round peg in a square hole......when he was subbed a loud cheer went up...now that is a real confidence builder. 15....Spence...suddenly recognized as our No1 target man when out injured....missed by everyone for his holding the ball and distrubution work.....very much missed of course when not there. 16....Donaldson.....more a squad player at the moment....can play well but hasn't played enough to prove his worth....some don't like him...maybe unfair comments at present. 17...Ijaha....bit of a rough diamond plucked from non-league football....might in time do a job for us. 18....Osborne....a bit of a mystery man....has good pedigree....but missed out at the beginning of the season for quite awhile because of injury....with a struggling defence because of injuries it was expected that he would get his chance....but Adams seems to be reluctant to play him....why ?. 19...Dorel hasn't as yet been given too much first team football.....what he has had hasn't been too bad. 20...Blunt has been out with his knee since March/Apr ?....if he starts playing come Feb/Mar...how long for him to get back up to speed... might be a useful "extra"....for the run-in for promotion. Rooney, Palfrey, Bentley and our third keeper...whose name I cannot recall at the moment I haven't commented on. Just how I see things at the moment.....a good result against Doncaster on Saturday would lift an awful amount of gloom from the Green Army.
Just the thoughts of an exile 200 odd miles up the road from Home Park.....now BC your an exile from most of the living world......some what 6,000 miles ?... from the UK with most of your Bears snuggling down for the winter I would think by now.
Just found a...."Free Map Tool" that calculates the distance between two places as the crow flies. Not as far as I thought. London to Vancouver is only 4714.598 miles, and London to Plymouth is only a mere 191.695 miles.
Don't disagree with pretty much most of that plym. One thing I would say about Goodwillie is yes he isn't a target man to play up top on his own but he could and should have scored at least a couple by mow. I do not rate him at all. Get rid. Results have gone awry lately but it isn't as if we haven't produced chances galore in those games. We should have won them apart from maybe Grimsby even though we could have gotten something out of that as well on another day. I still think, not quite as dogmatically as before, that this squad has something about it and it will turn around.
Although I gave Sonny Bradley a good right up in my original post.....I would like to comment on what was said about him after Saturday's game. Immense, fantastic, great in the air etc, etc....protective of McCormick after the penalty incident with an arm around Luke.....no one had a bad word for him.....best we've had in the air since Guy Branston was also suggested.....who I did watch at close quarters at Wimbledon one time.....how he hasn't addled his brains with some of his clearances is beyond belief. Bradley being an out-field player would be a ready made captain next time we need one.....leaving McCormick to be just club captain again.
Think he would do a job on the field as a Captain although he doesn't have to wear an armband to make him take charge. He could do that at any time and really good teams have numerous captains on the field during games. He probably has been our best signing so far in this squad. We already had Carey so I'm talking new boys rather than whole squad. Wooperts from the pompey board commented that they had released him and he was a sort of one trick pony who had little pace. Decent in the air but would be found out on the ground by nippy players. Think he has done a great job so far with or without pace. His positioning has been excellent which has taken care of the pace thing to a degree. He is one we would miss for sure if he got injured. Heading for player of the season for me.
