I see that Drew Talbot has been offered a new contract at Chesterfield. Our manager (I assume he still is) John Sheridan would surely have been interested in bringing him back to Home Park if he had been released.....he played well here and I feel he got us buzzing......shame that Chesterfield noticed at the time how well he was playing.
So chairman Brent says that our target next season is ,,,,,,wait for it.....promotion........and adequate funds will be available to achieve that.......is that away of saying that promotion this year wasn't the aim.....only 7th...and that we achieved......
I think he said the MINIMUM target was the play-offs. I daresay many fans set their sights higher but it's still a big step forward compared to the preceding 5 years +. Given how this season has panned out, I think the main objective is to get a settled and competitive squad with the lowest possible reliance on loan players. As a matter of interest, Talbot featured only once in Chesterfield's last 5 games, as an usused substitute. Injured or not a first choice player?
I stand corrected notdistant....he did say....MINIMUM....target......how long can we look over our shoulder and say .....well that ain't bad....we have come out of administration you know........this clubs performances have kept us in Div2 for four years.....and now a fifth year coming up........in the pecking order of things we should be at least in the bottom half of the Championship. It becomes a mind thing and if you think small (we did come 7th you know) you achieve small.....we need a chairman and a manager that he employs to be thinking big......it wasn't so many years ago the we could look down and see Bournemouth just avoiding dropping into the Conference......and that's now the league that my small local club ( Bromley 2miles away) have just been promoted too......as i said ,if you think small and achieve it you soon settle for the success that you have achieved.....stagnation is the word that comes to mind.
In fairness Argyle are no different to a number of other clubs who once were considered bigger than their current status. The lower leagues are littered with these teams. They have supporters who no doubt considere their club to be in the wrong place just like us and it's a fact that not all can sustain their position or even regain it once lost. It isn't a given right whoever you are. My gripe is the way we seem to get near and then end up far away. Desperately wanting promotion to league one isn't exactly putting loads of pressure on the owner. Apart from anything else we have the support to achieve it and maintain it. The trouble with targets, and it's a modern day thing where everything has to have one, is that Management work towards ticking that box and once ticked do all they can just to maintain that. It happens in all walks of life and the NHS is one prime example of that. Not patient driven just target driven where wasted resources are just a product of the aim. Football is the same at Argyle. Get there, tick the box and never mind what has been spent on just doing that. Not supporter driven despite the backing. A Manager protecting his jobaided by others protecting their's. An Owner spending as little as possible giving the mob something to grasp hold of till it's safe for the wheels to come off. You've had your improvement therefore I've ticked my box as well. I don't want a load of people here just protecting their job. I want people who are a bit hungry for something more who share the passion of the terraces. I am very unlikely to get it with this crowd but am expected to say it's ok because we "improved". My answer to the improved bit is we start next season in exactly the same place we started this one and the last one and the one before. Where is the improvement I'm told I got? Not crapping myself on the last day of the season worrying about relegation? Sorry not good enough.
Well, if my boss said to me "you've done the minimum I expected of you this year", I'd consider it a kick in the proverbials...
Sky Bet have released their betting odds for Div 2 promotion for the 2015/2016 season. These odds do not include either Southend or Wycombe Wanderers at present, who play for the last promotion spot at Wembley. 1.....Portsmouth.........6-1. 2.....Bristol R..............12-1. 2.....Oxford................12-1. 2.....Luton..................12-1. 2.....Leyton O.............12-1. 6.....Argyle..................14-1. 6.....Notts C................14-1. 6.....Northampton.....14-1. Further down.....Exeter.....25-1 Bottom Two.....Dag & Red and Accrington both at 66-1. Last years odds had Wycombe W for relegation and that didn't happen did it. Personally.....I think that they pluck odds out of the sky.......so people bet on it and lose their bet dramatically. Didn't they have Portsmouth for champions this year ?
Now that PAFC know what division they will be playing in next season.....they are starting to put a pre-season programme together.....already suggested that a game might be played against promoted Truro. The FL fixtures for the new season will be announced on Wednesday 17th June, with the first games being played on Saturday 8th August......also there will be a Capitol One Cup match starting the week commencing Monday10th August.
Argyle are entering a reserve team in Division One West of the South West League..........about time that those on the fringe of the first team can get regular football.
Crickey slow down plym or you'll do yourself a mischief with all this news. The bookies odds mean absolutely nothing in relation to promotion chances as we well know. Pre season pencil in Truro......wow can't wait. What happened to the prem league teams we used to get even when we were down the bottom league previously. Such excitement I can hardly contain myself.
Paper rumour is that Lewi Alessandra is attracting attention from Bury and Walsall. With his family up north there is a strong possibility that he will move on.......disappointing, but life goes on.
He was never ever ever going to stay here was he. A very hit or miss player for me and sort of sums up the team in general:- inconsistant. When on song was well worth having. When off like Reid a liability. Depends who we bring in whether we miss him or not. Would like him to go to a league one club so he can't come back and haunt us.
I'll be very disappointed if he leaves: the best all-round player we have and even if not on top-form, always works hard. As with any attacker, only as good as the service he gets of course and when we've played badly, it's been a collective failure. I think Brent highlighted the need to strengthen the engine-room of the team, in central midfield, and I think that's exactly right. We aso need a left wingback or whatever is appropriate to the formation we mean to play. I did find out BTW that Talbot was injured at the end of Chesterfield's season, hence his non-appearance on the team sheet after a run of starts for them after he left Home Park.
Think you are going to be disappointed in that case notdistant. No argument from me about his effort. Pity we didn't have 11 like that.
Whispers going around about Chris Eagles who has been released by Charlton, having joined them in February on a free transfer until the end of the season. Age 29....played 340... goals 55....position winger/attacking mid-fielder.....teams played for Man U, Burnley, Bolton, Blackpool & Charlton.....plus various loans. Saw him twice this season at Charlton versus Reading & Bournemouth.........played ok.....played 8 times....4 as sub and scored 2 goals.....worth a punt if not wanting too much in the way of wages. Has played at Premiership & Championship levels.....is it time at 29 to drop down to a lower level......that is the question ?
Hmmmm. I think this might be one to stay on the rumour page. Long way to drop for only being 29. I see Talbot has signed a one year deal with his club. Darn, would have liked him here.
It might just be me, but I do find the lack of any comment from John Sheridan absolutely deafening. The last we heard (immediately after the play off defeat) was that he was considering his future (my words not his). Surely by now he would have said something along the lines of 'disappointed but determined to do better next season etc' but we have had nothing, nada, nowt. Could very well be that as he is under contract, he has buggered off on his hols and he and the club don't feel the need to say anything because he will be back late June ready for pre-season and will see his contract out. Alternatively, the club are negotiating the financial aspects of his departure hence no news. Just seems odd to me that the manager hasn't been mentioned in any in press release, twitter comment or facebook post in any way, shape or form since last Thursday. It is almost like he has become an Orwellian 'Non-person'.
I agree with that lyndhurst and I too have been waiting for some great announcement. As usual though with PAFC the sound of communication is deafening......not. This is not only on the Managerial side but also on the who we will sign to replace the people who have left or are leaving side. Getting players in always seems to be a painful process and a last minute thing. I would have thought Sheridan wouldn't be on his hols just yet with all the possibilities to sign out there right now. Or of course we are going to end up with the ones nobody else wants because they are cheap option again.
I wouldn't blame the media/PR/communication department at the club-by and large they do a pretty good job and i know they work all hours. However there does seem to be a bit of a 'lock down' at the moment- i can normally get a bit of gossip from acquaintances at the club but nothing at the moment. Most telling, was that the bloke who delivers my shopping played golf with one of the coaches (ex player-not wotton) last week and he wouldn't say a word about anything at the club- clearly proves that something is afoot!
