Match Day Thread versus Bradford

This is a hard month for a team that has been struggling so what could go wrong this time? Well I've been looking at the form of teams in league one over the last 5 games and have to say that they are not that impressive with the exception of the odd team. Bradford are not one of the odd team variety. Their form reads W L D L W. So on that basis if it continues to follow the path it should read L for the next game. Straw grasping was always one of my strong points.

We have improved over the last few games but as said above we have a difficult November. This game is going to be one of the difficult ones with Bradford sitting 3rd currently. We have to forget the upcoming cup match and concentrate on this one first. Cup games and league games seldom run to form as expected when one follows the other so closely. I would trade the cup for 3 points here although to win both would be a bonus. I think few would be expecting Argyle to come away with anything from this one so we have nothing to lose by having a real go. Mr Adams please note the "having a real go" bit.

 

Another 600 mile plus road trip and overnight oop north for me. Travelling in hope rather than expectation but I think it might just be another smash and grab which would make the table look a whole lot better.

 

1-0 to Argyle....Jervis....(35mins).

 

Yep. one up and according to the info on sky sports news getting mullered. Sounds like a typical Argyle away smash and grab effort so far.

 

1-0 H/T....we've got to many yellows...could we be lined up for a red ?

 

Too many yellows? We have 2 plym last time I looked which is hardly a disaster. I know we have a habit of looking on the gloomy side which comes with years and years of disappointment but lets not get too carried away.

 

ok, just seen it's 3.......................(parp)

 

1-0 F/T....yes, yes, yes........who needs Carey.

 

Just looked in the miirror and bleddy hell I've gone grey.....................ged in bheys

 

Gillingham score against Bury...1-1....Argyle off the bottom.

 

Nice one! ...hope gives players the confidence they need.

 

Great stuff, one of our engineers is at your game in Blackpool he went for the weekend.. he texted to say very entertaining stuff..

Great win for us and the run goes on. off the bottom and now start to get up that table

 

I think it was edge of the seat for us as well Wooperts. One sided second half according to the write up and it wasn't in our favour. Their attack versus our defence and we won the contest. To be honest I don't care away from home how they get points as long as they just do. They need to start getting a few more at home now. I think you can see the confidence coming back but this month is still a hard one for us. To be fair that's probably 3 points that a lot would not have expected including the Bradford fans. Read my opening paragraph in this thread. Think that was spot on.

 

Just back, well half an hour ago which was several hours quicker than the opposite journey yesterday. An almost perfect away performance saw a vital three points added to the tally and lift us off the foot of the table. Bradford had all the ball, did most of the attacking and their 19000 season ticket holders will no doubt feel aggrieved at the result. But, and it is a huge but, we defended magnificently from start to finish, reducing the Bantams to long range pot shots that only slightly troubled Remi. His real moment of glory was saving a very dubious penalty which just about finished things off. The back 4 & Songo'o were immense, Jake worked tirelessly and most of the rest were pretty good too. Our goal was a thing of beauty-a clever little pass from Toums found Fox in space who placed a perfect defence splitting pass for lionel to cross, and Jake to finish off a really good and rare team goal. It was often like the Alamo, but every Bradford fan and staff that I saw post match all commended us on our performance. Not at all pretty but extremely effective and the players followed the Manager's plan to perfection.

 

I saw the penalty decision on a Sky video and to be honest I couldn't even see what it was supposed to be for. The first time I saw an incident it was followed by the Ref pointing to the spot after a Bradford appeal. I hadn't noticed at first it was the penalty incident at all. Having then replayed it several times I was still at a loss why it was given or what for. The suggestion was it was a shirt tug. If it was the Ref did bleddy well to see it from where he was and the lino certainly wouldn't have. After watching some of the decisions Refs haven't given us in previous matches you do have to wonder where consistency is going to come from. If today's was a shirt tug then some of those previous ones were nailed on and we should have a few more points on the board.

 

Great to see Argyle's defence being strong and reliable again like it was last season....notDistant must be pleased that his mate Gary Miller has been kept on the bench by the form of Aaron Taylor- Sinclair
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Bradford's league record shows that their home form is not as good as their away form...at home it's W4-D1-L4...away it is an impressive W5-D2-L1...but even so I feel sure they were expecting 3pts against PAFC.....our early season results I hope will baffle opponents for more games to come...as it has done to us.

Good to see that without Graham Carey playing we still found a way to get a result...that of course has been because of our defence and the solid performances of Demi Matthews.

Scoring only 13 goals in 17 league games makes life very hard....did I hear that Ryan Taylor got some playing time this week ?....even with him back we still need a goal scorer in January....oh for the days of one legged Bradley Wright-Phillips who had the knack of putting the ball in the net when not having any influence on the game for 99% of the match....having to give him away during administration to Charlton was tough....13 goals before Christmas and if my memory serves me correctly another 13 that season down the Valley (some of those I saw).....but that's the problem when you get old....you can remember better times and of course worse times as well. I still think he was better than his more illustrious big brother.

Two home games coming up....next one Oxford, who are upper mid-table....we need to workout how to keep clean sheets at home and how to score more than 0.76 goals per match.


PS.....I bet Bradford will be well up for the Cup in a few weeks time against us....we'll just have to do it all again won't we........

 

What a terrific result and that's all that matters. Was out of reach of Radio Devon and Wi-Fi for most of yesterday afternoon. Heard we were 0-1 up and then lost it until there were 20 or 25 minutes to go. Very pleasant surprise that we were still ahead and then the penalty!

Gradually getting there I think, Bradley got a 9/10 from the Herald which is a return to last season's form and Matthews, Taylor-Sinclair, Song'o and Jervis all got 8's. Carey is on form and Ryan Taylor played in the SW League last week (as did Ciftci).

Have tickets for Oxford next week, who it seems we may not see Curtis Nelson who was stretchered off with an ankle injury yesterday. Looking forward to it greatly!

 

A few weeks ago I said Adams should be sacked. I don't think you've lost since!

A great result which eases the pressure slightly and keeps the Argyle in touching distance of the safety spots. Its noticeable that Clubs like Blackpool and Bristol Rovers, although in mid table, are starting to lose form and could be drawn into the relegation dogfight. Hopefully Argyle will travel in the opposite direction.

 

I will say it again and then you should all go and look at the league table with latest form over 5 games. There is no club particularly that is putting together any kind of mega form. All of them from top to bottom have had mixed results of late. All we have to do, and it's a tall order I know, is keep going and put a run together. We have done remarkably well to do what we have over the last 5 games given who we have played and where. Not a time to get too cocky though and there is a long way to go. Small steps as they say..............