Reid had to go.............one point in nine games..........they had become clueless under Reid..........the administration shambles was a smoke screen hiding the real fact.......... that Reid was not a coach............Fletcher has no experience at managing but the squad are a lot happier and settled........poor defending and iffy goalkeeping,plus the fact that Argyle's two most experienced players are not playing themselves.
As I said one point in nine games.........one point out of twenty seven.......add four consecutive defeats at end of last season........that is one point out of thirty nine..........I did read your post..........politics wasn't the the main requirement...........league survival was more important.
It seemed to me that Reid had become frustrated with the impoverished club and his limited squad. Maybe the players could see that and it had adversely affected their confidence. However, it's hardly surprising given the stresses & strains Reid was under which he couldn't have fully anticipated when he signed up. I think it's too early to form an opinion on Fletcher as a manager but it's a very mixed picture so far. A good result in his first game and a very understandable away defeat at Crawley, which he can be forgiven. The last two games are very questionable though, 4 points or not. Twice letting a 2 goal lead slip, once against 10 men at home and once redeemed only by a last minute penalty. Those two performances don't give a lot of confidence. All this has to be judged against the background of our troubles of course. You'll all remember that the League stopped us signing Darren Purse, who with 450+ games across the leagues from the Premier League down and team captain at both Birmingham City & Cardiff may have been just the kind of guy to stop us leaking silly goals in League 2. It's too early to lionise Fletcher and too early to crucify Reid, who stuck at a difficult if not impossible task when many wouldn't have. After doing that, he has no reason now to roll over in a financial settlement having been summarily dismissed.
Karl Fletcher and to a lesser degree Romain Larrieu have been handed a poisoned chalice.........thrown into the deep end with limited experience to swim or sink with the odds stacked against them. 7pts from four games is ok...........and with a little bit more experience it should of been 9pts. They have the dilemma of picking or not picking themselves...........they should be playing even if it's only because of their experience to help steady the ship when panic raises it's ugly head. So who runs the bench whilst the leadership is on the pitch...........there are others of the none playing staff around surely.........Fletcher has looked too comfortable in a suit and I think he has to play and lead at the same time............Larrieu can control the defence whilst playing, better than standing on the touchline.
Tony Campbell has confirmed today (on PASOTI) that he will sign his agreement..........one down one to go.
I heard he had signed yesterday or had agreed to anyway. Reid will not bring the club down now. I have every faith that the football man in him will not be the cause or final cause of a club ceasing to exist. He isn't the cause of the original problems so did not mean that to sound as if he had any involvement. Yesterday was a perfect example of youth and inexperience. We should have won that one as well despite the final score. Swindon were all but toothless up front despite their recent run of form. Two cleared off the line for us and it just would not go in. One breakaway and hey presto 0 - 1 down. Cole was his usual self although that didn't cost us the goal. I have not seen such a moaning side at Home Park for a long time. The ref was appauling and allowed them to moan and moan. Italian style. I just hope this is dusted this week and we can get a couple of older heads in to steady the boys down a bit. They can win games and are good enough with the exception of Cole.
Hi sensible.........I thought everyone had thrown themselves off the Tamar bridge after yesterdays best game we've played (Fletchers words) defeat. I turned up at the Pilgrimage to find it had been empty for nearly three days........Gat-Po eventually turned up and offered me a cooked breakfast.........but when no one else turned up I wondered if you all knew something about Gat-Po's fry-ups that I didn't . How can a struggling team not play it's two most experienced players in a team of inexperienced youngsters.......it's a no brainer surely. When you consider that Cole doesn't exactly fill you with confidence,and set pieces is our achilles heel quite often........you need to inspire your defence that they have a good man behind them who will come and win the ball......not flap at it. Fletcher is not my favourite player (you might of picked that up in the past) but he is more needed on the field than in the dug out. I think his suit tells a story, that he doesn't want to be on the pitch anymore. Not even a sub yesterday I notice, I have read somewhere that his legs/knees have gone.......if thats the case did he mention that before he accepted the managers job. Walton isn't a inspirational captain.......another reason for Fletcher playing.........although he seems to be able to stay calm for penalties........but not always in other necessary moments.
As I mentioned before, soon as Argyle gets out of admin. the better. Lets face it, its only a makeshift team but performances are improving.
That's where you and I differ on a mute point plymborn. This isn't a struggling side play wise. It is struggling to get the right results or rewards for their endeavours that is true but they are definately not struggling play wise. I keep on about him but the only week link in the side is the keeper. I can't find anything good to say about him I'm sorry to say. The side needs Larrieu back between the posts. It needs a decent older head in the middle at the back. It needs a bigger player to be upfront with Feeney who would do much better I'm sure if he had a big guy with him. To get these players we need to be out of Admin and I'm convinced that will happen this week. A decent freebie and a couple of loans.
It comes down to that old question what would you rather have a good manager or a lucky manager? With the young squad we have and the start to the season I don´t think we could have hoped for much more than Fletcher has achieved. The only thing I can think in regards to Cole is that Larrieu still has back problems though even if he was in a wheelchair I think Le keeper would be more commanding in the air than are current choice. We have two promising young centre halves who need a confident keeper behind them. Cole couldn´t catch a dose from a $5 crack whore and unfortunately our players and the opposition know that. With Fletch and Larrieu on the pitch who would control it from the bench...looks like another job for Gladys in between the half-time tea.
Peter Reid mentioned on the BBC sports news............stating that he doesn't think that MAN U will win the league this year. Peter mate there's more important things to talk about at the moment..........such as signing your bit of paper like everyone else has so PAFC can continue. PS..........I see that Gillinghams King has returned to his club..........his injury will not get better before his Argyle contract expires......shame that.
