SUMMER NEWS 2024.

I'll just report a comment from Joe Edwards in an interview after the final day of training in Marbella (including an in-house 11-a-side game).

He's asked what the new management team have brought to the group. He says "togetherness, which we were missing at the tail end of last season". Interesting insight.

 

Quite a few teams have already played three friendlies.....it will be next weekend before our trip to Torquay being our second game since our Spanish trip.....and Rovers will be the strongest opposition we face before the league trip to Sheff W.

 

Let's hope this proves to be correct: the problem of course is really that he's a free agent at the end of 2024/25

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c849kjpyy47o

Meanwhile.....

https://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/sport/football/liverpool-teenage-striker-jayden-danns-9427952

 

Nathanael Ogbeta on Wayne Rooney. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c3g3j30zr3xo

I hope the payers retained from last year feel the same: I have no evidence to say they don't and there were positive comments for Joe Edwards and (I think) Adam Randell during the Marbella trip, but again, they're only on ArgyleTV.

I just watched highlights of the Cheltenham game on ArgyleTV. Can't seem to find it elsewhere.

So subject to the caveats that it's just a friendly and Cheltenham are League 2, I'd say we looked pretty good going forward with some nice passing and Morgan Whittaker looking like a man revived. Subject to the same caveats, they had far too many chances and we'll get slaughtered by Championship teams if we play like that. Still, the creative bit is the hardest bit.....

 

AI intelligence predicts that Argyle will come 24th with 32pts........Leeds will be champions.

.....and that's before squad strengths are known as clubs are still being put together during the summer window.

 

Well, we're up against much bigger budgets, some of which are on the suicidal side of unsustainable. But so were we last year and looked relatively comfortable until Schumacher, Azaz and Cundle left.

We have a new manager, Marmite perhaps, but seems to have been doing all the right things so far. A big turnout for an away friendly against Cheltenham and good progress with season ticket sales suggests the fans are on-board. I don't think we'll be promoted, that's for sure, but I'm reasonably hopeful of a middle third outcome.

 

INCOMING

Hot off Icelands bargain counter. Victor Palsson. 33 years old defender.

 

It's all change this summer. First, we get a household name manager and then a new pasty supplier.

https://www.pafc.co.uk/news/friary-mill-become-argyles-official-pasty-supplier

Whatever next?

 

At last no more Ginsters...i will wait for your opinion on them before trying to top the prediction league again.

 

Have you noticed that Sheffield United are bottom of the alphabet league listing.....because they're starting the season on minus two points.

 

So what's our best on paper starting eleven plus subs...assuming all are fit..

I'll start by saying.......

Cooper.
Szucs, Palsson, Gibson, Galloway.
Forshaw, Gyabi.
Whittaker, Mumba, Cissoko.
Hardie.

Subs.
Hazard, Houghton, Ogbeta, Randell, Tijani, Bundu, Issaka.

Who knows until they meet Championship opposition.

 

Anyone’s guess. We aren’t even quite sure what the formation will be, apart from 4 at the back.

I don’t think Forshaw will start. Younger legs may be more appropriate while energy levels on the pitch are at their highest.The counter argument is that you need an older, wiser head to get a grip of more expensively built teams early on. Depends I suppose what Forshaw’s fitness is after R&R in the closed season and a properly managed pre-season.

 

I don't think anyone can really know what the best of anything is until a shot is fired in anger and we witness it. A number of players we have no idea how they will even fit in and gel. We have no idea how the existing players will fit in with the newbies. I doubt even Rooney knows.

 

Interesting interview with Wayne Rooney on ArgyleTV.

He really comes across much, much better than I imagined he would when the appointment was announced. Let's hope his tactics are as good!

The thing you most want to hear is reported more or less verbatim in the 'Erald:

"What I'm seeing with Morgan is a really happy player. There is no signs that Morgan wants to leave the football club. I have been really pleased with him in pre-season. I'm delighted to be working with him again because I think he's a real talent.

"The challenge for Morgan is can he go and improve on last season. That's a challenge we have put on him and we hope he can because if he does that I think it puts us in a good position."

Rooney added: "When you look at what Morgan done last season, and then you are seeing the money teams are paying for other players who didn't do half of what he done, then I think it's a real insult, to be honest, the bid we have had for Morgan.

"Morgan is really happy here. I have seen no indications that Morgan Whittaker wants to leave the club. And Michael Cooper is here. I can't be as enthusiastic as I am on Morgan, but Michael Cooper is here, he's training well and he's ready to play on Sunday. That's where we are at with the two of them."

Just say what you think Wayne..... don't be shy!

 

At least it's honest.

 

I watched the Blackburn v Derby game. Very poor first half in which Blackburn definitely had the whip-hand, which did not bode well for Derby, given Blackburn were at the wrong end of last season’s table. Blackburn’s Dolan was the brightest of a poor bunch. Szmodics, who seems highly likely to leave Blackburn, possibly for Ipswich, didn’t start.

The second half became a goal-fest for some reason but neither side impressed to be honest.

Good to see Curtis Nelson back playing at a level that befits his ability. Now the much the senior pro at 31, bossing his fellow defenders around and scoring a goal too.

 

I put Norwich down for a comfortable win at Oxford. I don’t know if it’s the opposite of first night nerves but nothing could be further from the truth.

Neither was it a scrappy affair like Blackburn v Derby. Oxford are a tidy little side even at this level

 

Duplicate

 

This is helpful.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/sport/foo...r&cvid=194ea79de12047e1f77e68cd03138013&ei=12

This of course from Paul Merson, who frittered away a glittering career in gambling, alcoholism, drug misuse and divorces.

I thought we were very poor on Sunday. It now transpires that both Houghton and Randell weren't fit enough to play and those holding midfield roles are key. Would he have picked them though?

The players do need to take responsibility for delivering what they've been asked to do but ultimately the buck does stop with the manager.

Merson seems to be alluding to the players at this level not being up to the standard of Wayne Rooney or the team-mates he played with, and suggesting they will need nagging to achieve what's required. That's patronising but I am reminded of Glenn Hoddle, who it's said had real difficulty in understanding as a manager that the majority of players, even in the top league, didn't have the extravagant skills he'd been blessed with.

 

Fair Game Index:

https://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/sport/football/plymouth-argyle-ranked-highly-fair-9497970