Match Day Thread versus Cheltenham

Here we are once more back in the old routine of league 2 after the glamour of the spotlight. Was never that bothered about the Cup but I am more than bothered about the league so I hope the players recover enough and come down for this one.

Over the course of the last 6 matches Cheltenham have lost 4 and won 2. Both of the wins were against teams around them in the league which is well down in the bottom half. We on the other hand have won 4 drawn 1 and lost 1. Our results have been achieved against opposition a bit higher up the league and one of the victories was the leaders Doncaster. The draw was the form team in the league against Wycombe. My worry for this one is that we have sustained a few injuries to possibly key players recently and we might just struggle with tiredness. On paper we could and perhaps should win this but it is also a big ask for them to follow up their heroics in the Cup. What could possibly go wrong.................a few things I think.

 

Graham Carey could be doubtful for Saturday....it seems that he play on with a hip injury......he has been ever present this season and surely needs a breather.....but who can take over in his role.....would it mean a change of style.....whatever that means.

 

I've just realised that the next home match is not until 11th Feb. That's due to the one in between being Blackpool who will be playing a cup game rather than us. Maybe a break will do the squad good. Lots of niggles they can sort out without a game.

 

Lets hope they trounce Cheltenham after their recent performances as need to enhance that playoff point gap. Pompey doing well at moment and fighting for that 3rd spot. We can rely on Argyle cant we...

 

That's because we've played 14 at home and only 11 away....which could be to our benefit seeing that we are generally better away than at home....let's hope that that will continue today.....important we do the bread and butter matches well at the moment and continue getting points.

Minus 5c here this morning....will Cheltenham be playable this afternoon.....talk of their pitch being covered.

 

Must be in doubt, pitch inspection at 1230.

 

Game on.

 

And game on indeed. Half time and we have the precious goal. The stats make it look like a bit of a huff and puff. Other results reasonably ok so far but I learned the other week that it can all change in injury time over a couple of minutes so I'm not even looking at the chickens let alone counting any at the minute. Just so far so good.

 

Plym, we need that sort of temperature drop her?

 

Great result, 9 points clear of 4th with 20 matches to go.

 

What a week for Sonny!!

 

Sonny Bradley.....how does Derek Adams find them.....not only a great defender...but dangerous in set pieces as well.

Seems Blissett was quite lively when he came on.

 

And a positive spirit in the club, a leader I suppose. He Tweeted this after the Liverpool game.

"Massive effort tonight. I'm not just talking about the players, Home park was bouncing. Proud to wear an Argyle shirt tonight @Only1Argyle"

 

Considerable whining from Cheltenham fans about how they deserved to win. Thing is though that they didn't as several teams have done before. This Argyle team have something major missing. They lack any concept of when they are beaten.

 

See you are all beginning to come around to my way of thinking now. This side has something about it and I had that feeling about it from the start. How many times have we whinged on about "we should have". Plenty of times in seasons gone by but not this time. You win if you score more that the opposition. That's the only way you win. It matters not how often you have the ball. It matters not how many attempts on goal. The only stat that matters is how many times you put it between the posts. We put up a good show against Liverpool but we didn't do the important stat. They did and they go through. Cheltenham put up a good show against us. We did the stats and we got the points. I hope every team thinks they were unlucky against us from here to the end of the season.

I thought we had blown it when they equalised. The man on the tele said we had been on the wrack for a while and the goal was coming. When it's like that often the momentum has shifted and you lose. Good old Bradley. He hasn't scored for a while so he owed us a couple. I would like to see him playing at corners like he did at HP against Liverpool. I've often wondered why he doesn't do back post. Three points is all that matters. The other results weren't bad for us of those who played so happy again tonight.

 

I've just had a little study of the league tableas it stands tonight. Is it my imagination or is it so much closer this season? Between position 4 and 14 there are 10 points. A couple of matches in reality and you could either leap up or slide down the league a fairly long way.

The good thing is that not only have we got to play a number of these teams they have to play each other and only one can actually win a game. Draws seem like a failure. I don't think Carlisle are going to fall apart if I'm honest but their results have suddenly gone south considering they were winning every game in sight. The team on the up ironically is Exeter. That's our next home game. Gulp. It's going to be a facinating last half of the season. No predictions or points targets from me. I'm not about to tempt any fate. I'll just leave it at facinating.

 

Of course the other factor, probably the main one, is Derek Adams. We started 4:1:4:1 yesterday with Fox holding in midfield alone. Cheltenham were peppering our goal from 20 yds during the first half. Adams took Jervis and Slew off at half time and went 4:3:1:2 with Carey in the hole behind Garita and Blissett. That was the end of that for Cheltenham.

How many times did be bemoan Sheridan's lack of a Plan B? Well Adams seems to have the whole alphabet!

 

Yes that is a definate improvement. Adams still seems to stick with certain tactics even when everyone and his dog is screaming stop. Goodwillie upfront and on his own is one. That has to stop because of the Goodwillie problem but I wonder if he wasn't "not being picked" if Adams would have dropped it. He does change formation and stuff in games though which is better than Sheridan and his no sub until 75 minutes policy and then one for one.

 

The radio commentators had it down as 4:2:3:1 but the paper has it as 3:5:2 which I think was after Cheltenham made substitutions so it was Plan B and Plan C.....

 

Interesting stat. Adams has won 21 of 35 away games since his appointment. Prior to that, we won 21 of the preceding 75 away games.