Match Day Thread versus Grimsby

Well it's that time of week again and here we are with another potentially sticky game. Grimsby came up from the Conference and have been doing pretty well since. This is another top 10 clash and some people were saying elsewhere a while ago we haven't played anyone of note to sort of rubbish our winning streak. Well this is the second game in 8 days where we will have. Incidentally I don't subscribe to the have only played low teams theory one little bit.

This is once again not going to be an easy game by a long way. We are still the form team in the league and of course we are there to be shot at. I think teams will raise their game or be set up to try not to lose against us. That will make it very difficult but who can blame them in reality. Don't know which way they will set up for this as the away side but suspect they would be happy with a point if they can get it. We have been able to score more than once on most occasions and the fact we can score at all bodes well. However, I have to ask the usual question I have posed for weeks now. What could possibly go wrong as we know it will at some point.

 

Sensible, we should win this was and i expect we will. Yes were going to lose one day and hope fully its not just yet... All games are hard in this league and as the results show on the day anyone can beat anyone..
But i am more confident this season.. i for one dont see it going wrong this season, we have moved on and learnt as a team.. Hope fully other results go our way and we will be 10 clear tomorrow..

 

I think the difference is that when match day comes I no longer expect us to lose against whoever we are playing. I know that we will at some point but just not expecting it before kick off is the big difference. Previously we have gone into matches with a sense of hope that we could steal the points or a point. Now we go into matches and there is no surprise if we win. I cannot bring myself to become over cocky with it all though. This is Argyle after all. Anything could and has happened previously so to become too expectant is the point I'm trying to avoid. I used to look at the league over years and see a team who were plenty points clear of everyone and seemingly unbeatable and wonder why my club was never the one doing it. We then did do it in the first promotion and all through that season I could not believe results when they were in front of me. Years of conditioning. That was a magical time to be an Argyle supporter and overall probably the best I've ever known. We were back in the second tier where we should be and even though we never threatened much getting in the top league it all looked wonderful. Well the wheels had to come off didn't they because that's the Argyle I'd come to know and love. I never expected them to come off completely though. I think that since then it is a bit hard to expect another good thing happening. Or, more to the point to unequivically believe it will. I too have the good feeling about this team and every fibre wants it to happen. I just can't quite bring myself to fully believe yet. A couple more months of the same might do the trick though.

 

Think you have summed up my thoughts pretty well sensible. All I would add is that the unfashionable Grimsby are pretty good away from home so will be looking for a point. On the other hand it's Armed Services Day at HP and generally the added atmosphere works better for us. Will never forget going 3-0 up against Pompey when sat directly behind their chairman and having a pint with him afterwards (he was not happy). Think it might be tight for 30 mins but a comfortable 3 points in the end.

 

So Marcus Bignot has sussed out our style of play 'Herald'.....nice to think we can overcome them easily and teams below us have a bad day so we can further the point gap. Probably asking a lot but possible. A good testing time for the team for further consistency and playing at home!

 

No need for the sprinklers today. I'm bloody soaked.

 

In a season in which we've been clear at the top almost throughout, I've seen 1 win. 1 draw and not one but two 0-3 defeats. Is someone trying to tell me something?

Went wrong at the coin toss when Grimsby made us attack the Demport End in the first half.

Songo'o in for Bulvitis at CB, disturbing the partnership there and similarly Donaldson in for Songo'o in centre midfield. By the end, Purrington was crocked too.

Both sides played some nice football but only PAFC managed to concede 3 bad goals. The first 2 were far post headers from deadballs with I think Songo'o beaten right on the post for both. Combined scoring distance must have been less than 5 yards.

The third was laughable with Bradley and McCormick leaving a through ball to each other and McCormick coming out and then going back. Did they expect an offside flag? They certainly didn't play to the whistle.

Next couple will be crucial with injuries piling up. Can normal service be resumed or is the start of a slide?

 

Not entirely sure what to say about today......certainly wasn't the worst performance by Argyle, but a combination of poor defending, iffy goalkeeping, bad luck and good finishing by Grimsby was our undoing. First half started at a frenetic pace and to be fair for some small periods Argyle put some outstanding football moves together. Grimsby were well organised and clearly had a plan-unlike other teams the played the right way and didn't employ any spoiling tactics. We went close a few times, but it wasn't to be our day and it was still something of a surprise when Grimsby took the lead just before half time. In all honesty we were poor in the second half and Grimsby were professional. 2nd goal more or less finished us off and the 3rd was down to bad defending and more poor keeping. Don't think 0-3 reflects the difference between the teams, but equally Grimsby deserved to win and should be congratulated for their performance. Wouldnt be at all surprised to see them near the top three at the end of the season. Garita (not surprisingly) was off the pace but battled well, Carey was not as good as usual and we clearly miss Bully at the back. Luke has to take a share of the blame for at least the second and thirds goals,-if not all 3.
Perfect respect during last post, minutes silence and Reveille and great to hear the crowd singing the national anthem. Very enjoyable to be at the Armed Services Day match with no responsibility for organising it.
The quirkiness of football leaves us 8 points clear of 4th with 29 games to go. At the final analysis, this is all that matters. Forget about it and look forward to Tuesday.

 

Well it had to happen didn't it so no need for bridge jumping just yet.

I thought Grimsby were the best organised side and best footballing side I've seen here so far this season. Well impressed with them. We had a bad day at the office result wise even if it wasn't all bad building up to it. There were a number of our players who were not up to scratch today. Carey probably the most notable. With that in mind it has to be said that we could have had several goals. The fact we didn't sometimes defied logic but it was one of those games that said we could have been there for a few more hours and not scored. It just wouldn't go in. There were other chances that were made which Grimsby defended very well. They competed, tackled and blocked everything that we decided not to miss on our own. In some respects the score flattered Grimsby and in others it has to be said they deserved their finishes. They will beat a lot of teams this season and must be up there or there abouts at the end.

We need to put this game to bed and move on. Fortunately we have another game on Tuesday at Home socan put it right sooner rather than later. We looked tired today and I think there might have been another injury. Purrington didn't look good.

 

I've been reading a few threads on other sites. with comments made by Argyle supporters in response to some Grimsby fans made prior to the match today. The Grimsby fans were predicting their team to win by this or that and the Argyle fans commenting on it were to say the least cocky. When I say cocky I mean far too cocky about where we are in the league and how we are going to do this or that. Now I expect Argyle fans to want and predict and Argyle win and nothing wrong with that but when people start playing the billy big bollox it's where I get a bit miffed. Confidence is one thing but over confidence is not a pretty sight. I have to say that Grimsby deserved their win. They also have a set of fans who are a credit to their club. They came here and sang and sang backing their team to the hilt, Far more than most and it's a fair old journey down from Grimsby to here. I hope today brings some of our more vocal fans down to earth with a bump and they get a bit of humility and reality. Rubbishing other teams is not the way to go and if you fall on your arse like we did today you just leave yourself wide open for a verbal tanking.

 

Weird that we lose 3-0 at home twice....when our only away defeat was by one goal. We do seem to be suffering in defence and Bulvitis was missed yesterday for sure.....from what I read all three goals where preventable......McCormick came in for criticism for two if not three of the goals.....maybe his mind was elsewhere after comments in that grotty paper the Mail.

The main thing now is to get back on to winning ways again and Barnet at home on Tuesday will give us that chance.....I would have preferred it to have been away.....hope that Purrington is not crocked for awhile....injuries are trying their best to disrupt our season even with a stronger squad than last year.

 

Guess they did suss us out!.....fair play to Grimsby, just hope we get back to winning ways!

 

Grimsby did look very decent although whether that was due to some tactical advantage or just a bad day at the office from us their fans are better placed to say than we are on just one viewing.

Maybe it was because we were made to kick the wrong way and Grimsby got off to a strong start but Home Park was very subdued yesterday with the away fans much the noisier.

I don't know why Adams moved Songo'o into the back 4 when he's had Osborne on the bench for several weeks. Bulvitis' absence made one disruption unavoidable but I don't see anything in Songo'o's game to double that to two changes in key defensive areas.

Garita looked half fit but hopefully he'll benefit rather than suffer from 75 mins of game time. At least Rooney may get a chance too.

 

I owe Songo'o an apology. It was Slew that got beaten for the first goal. Songo'o did challenge the scorer of the second but when coming back to the far post from a central position, having little chance.

We have a problem on that right side at dead balls though (or is it the far post from either direction?). Somebody needs to stand there....

 

He didn't play in the last game Plym so how come he wasn't missed then? To be honest it wasn't really like that. We could have scored 3 ourselves easily. We didn't which is where the problem lay. It was just one of those days which I'm sure all teams have had. All goals pretty much are preventable. Luke was not at his best yesterday but then again nor were half the team. He has saved us points a few times so costing us some is fair enough I guess. I don't think people should read too much into this one game. Move on and next game will or might be completely different. To be fair you needed to be there to see what I mean.

 

Problem is.....should not field a player only half fit!

 

Certainly we've been unlucky with strikers: Brunt out long-term, Garita injured, Spencer now injured, Goodwillie maybe not there mentally.

We usually only play one at a time so you'd have thought 4 or 3 and a half would be enough in the squad.

 

Another reason why not to wonder why we have the "luxury" of three goalkeepers in the squad.....I think we are coming up to having Luke on the bench for awhile......maybe that Dail Mail article brought it all back....although I doubt it is ever too far from his thoughts, stuck between the sticks as he is he will always be near away supporters snide unpleasant comments behind him....you would have to be very thick skinned not to be affected in some way by it, taking this all into account he has overcome it quite well....if that is the right way to put such a disaster in his life and of those it effected.

 

We have enough strikers. Rooney may be a novice but he can play. Slew can also play upfront if necessary.

I don't think Luke was affected by any newspaper article. He had a bad day is all. So did most of the team so he wasn't alone by any means. If he was affected by comments all of the time why does he play a blinder and make great saves most of the time and then save all his cock ups for one game like Saturday. Same applies to away supporter comments as well. I'm sure he blocks it out these days.

This was one defeat and you would think we had gone from top to relegation in one game the way some carry on with this. If this sort of result becomes a habit then we can worry but not for the first loss in 15 for christ sake. I swear it is in the programming of an Argyle supporter as I said previously. They just can't help themselves when faced by a small reversal. Anyone remember Neil in the Young Ones?

 

What's happening to Ryan Brunt, surely can't be out too much longer? Never hear too much about his latest condition. .....