Winter News

I see Morgan Whittaker came on in the 90th minute in a 1-0 defeat at Blackburn.

What a waste of a young player.....warming the subs bench for most of matches....I reckon his development will be going backwards......will other managers not take note that Swansea isn't the best place to develop your up and coming players......maybe PAFC will treat them better......we could have done with him yesterday.

 

Utter stupidity from Swansea...

 

Terrible news... https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/64713121

I think this is a better picture though. It's a still from the 2018 ITV documentary series "Real Life Vampires".

 

Having read around the Argyle sites the consensus seems to be that we need to be more defensive minded.

Reason one is that Michael Cooper isn't in goal anymore....clearing up what the defenders get wrong......Callum Burton isn't on Coopers Level for that.....although he might be a better penalty stopper.

To often when our attack breaks down the opposition have spare players on the halfway line totally free to receive a pass from a long forward pass......marking doesn't seem to be important.....and it is a desperate run back.....Peterborough were made to look good by our lax marking.

Maybe Dan Scarr will be back soon and take charge.

 

Do they never stop?

https://www.pafc.co.uk/news/academy-site-secured-brickfields

 

Bad news:

https://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/sport/football/plymouth-argyle-suffer-adam-randell-8205576

 

Possible points on offer for a top two promotion finish.

1.....Sheffield W..........113pts.
2.....Plymouth A..........107
3.....Ipswich..................102
4.....Bolton.....................93
5.....Derby......................97
6.....Barnsley................102

No other team can have a realistic chance.

This doesn't take into account any head to heads between these teams.

So our next home game is Derby on Tuesday.....BUT more important is next Saturday away to Barnsley.....a draw would be a good result.

 

Been browsing through the coming matches with the above in mind.....and it looks good.

These matches are to come amongst the top six.

Plymouth A v Derby
Bolton v Ipswich
Barnsley v Plymouth A
Sheffield W v Bolton
Barnsley v Sheffield W
Barnsley v Ipswich
Derby v Ipswich
Sheffield W v Derby

Also of interest.
Portsmouth v Sheffield W
Barnsley v Portsmouth
Derby v Portsmouth

A lot of points to be shared amongst top six clubs.....this looks very good for Argyle who only have two top six matches remaining....we just need to do well with the other games that we have.....surely a collapse is the only thing that can stop us being automatically promoted.

There is no way that we aren't already in the play-offs for sure........we have a 17pt buffer.

 

I wouldn't go that far.... but you are right, we have what looks like a favourable run-in beyond the Barnsley game.

Crucially, our last 4 are:

Cambridge (Home, currently 23rd)
Bristol Rovers (Home, 15th)
Burton (Home, 19th)
Port Vale (Away, 13th)

Here's the Derby manager's take on it

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/64865352

 

Right so the gist is that we are the best team in the league for home form and Derby are the worst away side when playing teams in the top 10. Well thanks for him pointing that out and your assistance to highlight it. WOT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG...........

 

Well we're not moving into Spring News just yet....got up to an eerie brightness coming through the curtains....it's blinking snowing and laying maybe at the moment a couple of inches deep.....and the forcast is the same all day.

My youngest grandson is celebrating his 18th birthday with a party on Saturday....expecting about 50 friends along.....they were putting a marquee up in the garden for the overspill.....not sure if it will clear by then.

 

Rain here... rain rain rain.

 

So bringing the nerd out of me..........games to play.

SHEFFIELD W...(1st)....Portsmouth...(A).....Bolton...(H).....Barnsley...(A).....FG Rovers...(A).....Cheltenham...(A).....Lincoln...(H).....Oxford...(A).....Accrington...(H).....Burton A...(A).....Bristol R...(A).....Exeter...(H).....Shrewsbury...(A).....Derby...(H).

PLYMOUTH A...(2nd).....Barnsley...(A).....FG Rovers...(H).....Accrington...(A).....Morcambe...(A).....Lincoln...(H).....Exeter...(A).....Shrewsbury...(A).....Cambridge...(H).....Bristol R...(H).....Burton A...(H).....Port Vale...(A).

IPSWICH...(3rd).....Bolton...(A).....Shrewsbury...(H).....Barnsley...(A).....Derby...(A).....Wycombe W...(H).....Cheltenham...(A).....Charlton...(H).....Port Vale...(H).....Peterborough...(A).....Exeter...(H).....Fleetwood...(A).

BARNSLEY...(4th).....Plymouth A...(H).....Wycombe W...(A).....Sheffield W...(H).....Ipswich...(H).....Exeter...(A).....Morecambe...(H).....Burton A...(A).....Shrewsbury...(H).....FG Rovers...(A).....Lincoln...(A).....Oxford...(H).....MK Dons...(A).....Peterborough...(H).

BOLTON...(5th).....Ipswich...(H).....Sheffield W...(A).....Exeter...(A).....Cambridge...(H).....Oxford...(A).....Burton A...(A).....Shrewsbury...(H).....Accrington...(H).....Fleetwood...(H).....Bristol R...(A).

DERBY...(6th).....Oxford...(A).....Fleetwood...(H).....Peterborough...(A).....Ipswich...(H).....FG Rovers...(A).....MK Dons...(H).....Bristol R...(A).....Exeter...(A).....Burton A...(H).....Portsmouth...(H).....Sheffield W...(A).

PLUS.....Bolton W v Plymouth A.....PAPA JOHNS TROPHY.....WEMBLEY...Sun...2nd April...2023..

I also notice that Exeter still have to play all six top clubs......and Burton A all but Ipswich.

 

Michael Cooper signs a contract extension until 2025.

Fan bloody tastic.

 

That came out of the blue but still really good news. Have to hand it to Argyle they do look after players well. They know he will get paid for not a lot for months.

 

Just checked the BBC forcast for Barnsley.

Friday.....Snow showers turning to heavy at times....

Saturday.....Rain...Sleet...Snow.....bit of a mixed bag by the looks of it.

Undersoil heating should cope with frost.......but snow on the pitch could be prevented by covers......but heavy snow could cause problems for fans and for travelling.

 

Morgan Whittaker came on in the 84th minute yesterday....for another miserable 6 minutes in a 3-1 home defeat to Middlesborough..

I reckon he is worth less now then he was in December playing for a winning side in the League below.

 

Well you never know what Father Christmas will bring us in the summer if we get promoted.

And yes, even Father Christmas has had to take a second job during the cost of living crisis.

 

Ipswich v Barnsley 25th March postponed due to international call ups. Just for info. They have to play each other at some point so I'm not bothered one way or the other. Let them fret not us.

 

I see that Jason Banton has retired at 30yrs of age.....What did go wrong with his career....brilliant and with a bright future ahead of him.....physically gifted....mental discipline not so I assume....the more I train the better I get comes to mind....not injured as far as I know.....Maybe all the extras that come with being young and gifted won the day.

I saw him scored a great goal at Wimbledon....I was directly in line with him and his shot....he was coming in from the left wing about level with the corner of the penalty area......and he shaped the ball in an arc around the keeper and the ball nestled just inside the post at ground level. You couldn't see how he was going to get a shot on target with so many defenders between him and goal.