Match Day Thread versus Luton Town

It's nearly upon us once more, that is the kick off of the new season. Expectations are high, and probably unrealistic, in many a pub up and down the Country. How will it start? Will we be a pace setter? Will we struggle? Who the fecks that in the No.?? shirt?

We have what amounts to an almost brand new squad and I guess it will take a while to get used to who is who. I can hardly remember a time where we have signed so many of our own players prior to a season kicking off. I'm getting in the mood now and I hope it will still be upbeat when 5pm comes on Saturday.

 

With so many new players in the squad lets hope the frailties of home form is totally transformed....there could be as few as four players who went through such things as being 3-0 down to relegated Dag & Red in the first half....when automatic promotion was still there for the taking.

Luton could be one of the harder home games this season.....but as we know it is impossible to judge anything on the first day of the season.....if we could do that then what the hell are Portsmouth still doing in this division.

 

.......it's matchday!!!!!!

 

My alarm is set for 6.45am Canada time just time to make my morning coffee and put on my earphones..(don't want to wake the Wife )..

 

Welcome to the new SMALLER Home Park. Pitch looks narrower and shorter. Players however look taller and wider. Prepare for battle.

 

Logged in to Argyle World for the game...Nothing.

 

Argyle dominating territorially in first half but not making clear chances. Ijaha catching the eye with good strength. Centre of defence needs to tighten up.

Promising start, neat and organised but need to deliver on promise.

 

3-0 defeat...bottom of the league.....64% of possesion.....Luton 22 fouls.

 

Poor central defending made worse when MoM Ijaha was taken off and Luton legs stopped being bitten, chewed and spat out.

Hard to believe we lost this 0-3 after 1st half performance. Not hopeless: on another day things would have dropped better for us upfront but this was today and their keeper hardly made a save.

I don't like the look of those 2 centre backs though, especially Bradley. It seems Bulvitis needs international clearance. Worrying.

 

Nauris Bulvitis hasn't got international clearance to play......he has been with us for 6 weeks....so what's the hold up....Latvia are part of Europe.....have we cocked it up with the paper work or something.....not a good day all round.....hopefully things can only get better.

 

Based on today's performance, we need him

We are compact although that means lacking in width. Maybe that will yield better results in away games.

 

Narrowing the pitch didn't seem to have the desired effect.

 

Ijaha got 72% of the vote on pasoti for man of the match........so why did he come off.....especially as you reckon it was a reprieve for Luton's attackers.

 

Adams switched from 4:4:2 to 4:3:3: Ijaha was the one withdrawn, rightly or wrongly.

 

That was fecking embarrassing. There is no way on this earth that Luton were 3 goals better than Argyle. But there is the score for all to see. Just like last season. Luton got in front and then started falling down clutching parts of the body from top of head to toe. The Referee was useless and let all the wrong things go. We had a nailed on penalty in the first half he must have seen yet didn't give. Here we go again for that. Agree with Notdistant that our best player was taken off. The crowd is going to love him. Gives it all and isn't afraid to mix it with anyone. Look forward to him and Akinfenwa going head to head. As for the rest of them they simply couldn't get enough on goal and hardly looked like scoring. First half was a knockout waiting to happen for Argyle. Second half we got hit with the sucker punch and never recovered. I'm not surprised at the Luton foul count to be honest. It should have been way higher than that but they got away with everything going. When they got in front they fell down with regularity and the Ref went along with it. Best forget this match I think.

 

Just poured in sweat .......wow!

 

I should have added the crowd size previously. 9700+. Do they deserve it I have to ask. Bit surprised at the Bulvitis thing. Yet something else that makes Argyle look like a Pub club. Not all the gates were open today either. Bloke directing the human traffic outside the ground said they had 5 newbies and were short on bodies anyway. They could not put the newbies on the cash taking stuff straight away so had no choice but to keep some gates closed. It's not just the performance that's embarrassing. It's just one cock up after another.

 

Just back from an open air performance of Romeo & Juliet at the RWY hence no early match report-well worth it for those local. Agree with all the above points really , thought we were pretty good in the first half (without really threatening). Biggest problem for me is that we just fell apart when we when one down and couldn't work out how to break the opposition down. Ijaha was my man of the match and will be a crowd pleaser-I don't think he is particularly fit hence why he came off-I really couldn't see him lasting 90 mins. Very narrow compared to last season (presumably why we have narrowed the pitch), but certainly bigger, stronger and a lot slower...Not convinced either about the defence.

Strange one really, plenty in the first half to be be positive about but also quite a few aspects that need urgent attention. I guess that with such a major overhaul we should give it a few weeks and then see where we are!(hopefully not still bottom).

 

I think the word "plenty" to be positive about is a wee bit OTT Lyndhurst. There were some things but not plenty. The fact we hardly troubled their keeper at all when we were clearly on top is worrying. The two CHs were not good at all. Especially the tallest one who won very little in the air if under any sort of challenge. Forget the name now and it will take me a while to remember who is who, Can't see him getting many games.

 

You do wonder about all those 'easy' games we played in pre-season.....putting the emphasis on obtaining fitness levels more than playing tough opposition.....has it brought a false dawn of optimism......next game is against Reading on Tuesday which we will struggle to get anything out of.....a losing habit is easier to achieve than a winning habit.....we need to bounce back for our next league game and this cup game is a good time to do it.