I hope I'm allowed to start my first ever thread and that I don't balls it up!! I'm feeling confident about today's match so we'll probably be lucky to get a point!! Looking forward to the match reports later fellas.
Well on top on first half: probably should be more than 1 to the good. If we keep this quality up we'll get them.
Ah ha, I'm first home.... although that means the rest are in the pub. Completely dominant for 60 or 70 minutes but failing to take any of several good chances. Should have been 2-0 at least and could have been 4-0 by that stage of the game but Argyle let a poor Newport side back into it and whan Ansah canme on as substitute with 10 to go, Fate seemed very likely to ruin what should have been a comfortable win. Adams was furiously gesturing the defence to get out and it was nail-biting to the end of the 6 minute duration of the 2 minutes of extra time. Carey was anonymous when I saw him against Gillingham but he showed what all the fuss was about today, capping it with a lovely finish after Argyle made mugs of Newport from an innocuous throw in. He wouldn't have been my MoM though as Boateng showed some lovely passing throughout. Jervis and Wilde (when he came on) were good although Tanner struggled. Brunt worked manfully in the absence of Reid and should have scored with a close range header right at the end. It went out for a corner and maybe a defender just took it off his head. If the touch was after the ball passed Brunt, it was Miss Of The Season. Very heavy police presence for 120 odd Newport fans. Dogs and more constables than will be seen in the average high street during any 5 year period. The Newport coaches were loaded behind the Barn Park End and taken out under a police escort.
Checked on how Newport did in the ....South Wales Argus.....there comments suggested that Newport where well and truely mullered. Second best all over the pitch in the first half.....and Argyle unlucky to go in only 1-0 up.....another great strike from Carey......(we need to hide him away from public view if possible).....possibly MOM.....Boateng was another possibility,... although no one seemed to play too badly.....possibly Tanner was the quietest on the pitch....accept for McCormick in the Argyle goal. Newport not really in it in the second half....although they did try and push forward near the end......always a bit nervous when it is only 1-0. Reid and Simpson carrying knocks still ?.....and I assume Bittner not fit enough for the bench.....surely that was the only reason for young Harvey being the second goalkeeper<....another clean sheet must be pleasing.
A comment on the cops first of all. One each for every Newport fan who attended. Absolutely totally rediculous and they did their usual don't walk down the Barn Park lane steps walk around the long way and take longer to leave the area. Whoever these idiots are who make up these things wants sacking. By the time I'd walked around they had opened the step up again. I would have been almost out of the park if allowed to use them in the first place. They not only had their individual cop but their individual dog as well. And they talk of redundancies in the Police due to lack of funds. Shock horror and no surprise given the use of resources. Rant over. Al you can say about the match is we should have won this at an absolute stroll except we couldn't score. Made loads and loads of chances and I see the beeb stats say we had 20 efforts. We should have gone in at halftime with this game over. The domination was so one sided it was embarrassing but you only win games by putting the ball in the net not keeping the ball. I was disappointed with Brunt who got his big chance today. Not the best match he will ever play in but Boetang was brilliant and for me far and away the MOM. We finally got one and it was another good effort by Carey. If we lose him we will be screwed because he is the most consistant and effective player we have. Second half was a continuation of the first until the last 10 minutes when we let them back in as was said above. Why we suddenly let them play I don't know but it was a bit squeaky bottom time. Butcher has it right. They were played off the park and if they had gotten anything at the end it would have been robbery. They didn't and we are second in the league tonight and well worth the place from what I've seen. I don't think we should be worried about anyone else this season. We will lose some but not many if we maintain this form.
Three points, another clean sheet and up to second place, got to be happy with that. Apparently Ansah hit the bar near the end? Thank you for the reports.
He did Essex but then again so did we through Carey so that evens it up. The way ex players go though you could be forgiven for expecting Ansah to stick one away. I've been thinking about today's match and maybe I was a little harsh on Brunt. He didn't look like scoring which is what he was there for but he wasn't all bad on reflection. Some nice touches and held the ball up at times also. Some not so good ones mind and he was a bit hit and miss. Biggest complaint when compared to Reid is that Brunt has no pace. A few times if Reid had been on he would have been away and gone whereas Brunt was too slow to even get the ball. I don't agree with Plym's assessment of Tanner being the quietest on the pitch. He was a bit off at times but generally put in a shift whilst on. However, the quietest player on the pitch for Argyle was Wylde when he came on as sub for Tanner. I just don't rate the bloke. He has pace to spare and does get a decent cross in but he doesn't tackle at all and often fails to try to go past players. With his pace on a hot afternoon when he is an hour fresher than the opposition he should be skinning them all day long. He just doesn't. I have yet to see him in any game actually tackle anyone but have seen him pull out of trying to often enough. I am satisfied with our position, a clean sheet and the 3 points today but I think we are good enough to allow people to nit pick some of our players. If they fired on all cyllinders as well then we would p*** this league.
I thought Brunt did OK, put himself about and won the ball in the air. He is prone to the occasional prat-fall however, which undermines the good work in some spectators' minds. Does lack pace, against which he's very strong in the air. You can't help thinking Reid would have scored against this lot though can you? I don't agree at all about Wylde. He didn't get much chance in the 20 minutes he played when Argyle were in "let's give Newport a chance" mode but he has lightning pace (he frightened the living daylights out of Gillingham, my daughter has christened him the "mini-Ninja") and put in two or three wickedly dangerous crosses from the few opportunities he did get yesterday, Definitely a starter every week for me - I hope you'll see that too.
That was my point about Brunt notdistant. I think Reid would have stuck a couple away in that he would have got on the end of a couple of through balls whereas Brunt never looked like catching up with the ball. He does get invovled and he does win his fair share in the air but looks clumsy at times. The Ref could have given him a bit of help with the holding in fairness but we always seem to have a forward who the backs hang onto more than not. The linos never see anything as I've said before but Refs give decisions all day long for some weird challenges where nobody else sees a foul yet don't when holding is blatant. Most of them do it so not picking on this one in particular. I just can't take to Wylde. I have never seen him put in a challenge or anything like a tackle. He looks to me like he almost avoids it. Look at the success Carey has in robbing the opposition and using his pace. Wylde could leave most standing in a foot race but seldom uses it. His crosses are decent I have acknowledged but he doesn't do enough for me. Maybe it's just my preference for an out and out tryer who shows his commitment. He might grow on me but I haven't seen enough to be sure he will. If he sticks away 10+ goals this season I might change my mind.
All I can say is that Wylde shredded Gillingham in the first half and got their full back booked in trying to stop him illegally. I'm like you in liking a bit of physicality but I'll make exceptions for 1 or 2 who can wreak that sort of havoc. Time will tell, but if the midfield can get him into space 1 on 1, I think you'll come around to my way of thinking. I see Portsmouth have publicly discused an interest in Reid that seems to have been rebuffed by Argyle.
Well they have not got long to offer a good price for Reid.. have we ever been involved in the farce on transfer deadline day.. the prices are always escalated.. but if he goes we may get good money.. also we have a goalscorer now apart from Reid.. keep him for the season i think.. but Mr brent may not be able to turn down a decent offer.. can't blame him..
Portsmouth have accepted they won't sign him in this transfer window. Adams is complaining that the FA should consider why Pompey made it public at all. It appears Pompey made an approach to the club and were told to go forth and multiply.
Wylde scored Argyle's first league goal of the season.....a scorching volley into the roof of the net......I had a good view of it from where I was sitting.......classy strike.......could of ended over the stand quite easily ...but it didn't.....he does seem a little lightweight at times.....but he is skillful and might be used more as a first sub if things need changing.
I am glad to hear we stood up to Pompey. a couple of years ago we would have caved in.. Wylde will improve
A good sign, I hope. Let's hope it doesn't unsettle Reid. I suppose there is an obligation to consult the player if a bigger club in a higher league comes knocking: even the likes of Sheffield United who are only 1 division above us. But in this case, I don't see any obligation. Portsmouth are in the same league and at the moment and have no better chance than us of promotion, so I think PAFC are quite within their rights to refuse to let Pompey even speak to him.
Agree, i feel we are in a better position than pompey to go up.. the pressure will be on them more.. If we can continue playing the way we are, why would he move on when we have as good a chance of most of going promotion.. as Champions i hope.. long way to go..
Money, that would be the only reason that I could see him moving for, if Portsmouth offered to double his wages to say five grand a week it would be a difficult offer for him to refuse, who could blame him? it's a short career. The club are well within their rights to refuse Pompey permission to speak to Reid though.
We all know how it goes don't we and that's at any club not just Argyle. It's more up to the player than anyone else and if he wants to leave then it will happen come hell or high water. Money plays a part and is probably the main thing in these leagues. Essex is right, he would be an idiot to turn down a big pay rise and few amongst us would. I also agree with Adams though, other clubs have no right to put it out there they are interested or want something. There should be hefty fines for that and it just isn't the way things should be done. If you are interested then make a bid not just tell the press you would like to and then stand back and see what happens. Very poor business practice. The other issue is the way Argyle don't usually say no to an offer. We have a track record of letting players go for a price and not always the one we think it should be. Not Brent bashing here but he is no different to previous owners. Dangle a bank note in front of his eyes and they light up and he can't resist making a grab for it. We all know that one as well. I'm not sure Argyle have received an offer to refuse here. That's why I think this all stinks and Pompey's manager should be done for the way this has gone.
If Reid wanted to go and PAFC said no.....and didn't offer him a sweetner to stay.....you could never be sure of his commitment again could you ....that near miss or scuffed shot would always look suspicious woudn't it.
As I said I above, I see no reason why PAFC should allow Pompey to discuss anything, let alone money, with Reid. The club isn't standing in the way of an offer from a club that can offer him an immediate and maybe lifetime-chance career move, when I accept there's a bit of a moral, although not legal, obligation, so as he has a binding contract with Argyle, there is nothing to say. If Pompey offer let's say £0.75m and the club want to accept, then it's then up to Reid whether he wants to go. Any indirect approach to Reid is illegal and that's why Adams is correctly asking the FA to step in. It's always worth having a toothless cowardly lion (or 3) on your side! I do agree that if Reid is in demand then there's no reason why Argyle couldn't revisit his wages after the season he had last year or maybe offer him a big fat bonus if we're promoted and he's still on the payroll at the end of May 2016. And Sensible, reading the WMN article, Portsmouth have made an approach to Argyle and been told to p*** off, so let's not go bashing Brent. If Reid fails to make the required effort then he gets suspended without pay I'd have thought, just like other employee on a disciplinary. But I saw him play against Gillingham and his effort then was better than the tail end of last season, he played 90 minutes against Carlisle and scored and started against Northampton, so if there are problems, they are very recent.
