Two early goals for Reading game over. Been reading some of the comments on pasoti.....quite a rebellious streak over there regarding Argyles lack of ability to make a game of it......some change of opinion in recent weeks.....they would never run down PAFC a while back. Dorel did as well as he could.....keeping it down to two must be seen as a success......but comments that Reading where taking the mick at times is a bit worrying. Being knock out in the first round of this Cup must be a record that Argyle hold more than any other team.....something like twenty times in the last twenty six seasons so someone commented.
No big shock was it though. Reading are 2 leagues higher and the result is as it should be. 8 or 9 times out of 10 if a higher club plays it's strength and not reserves then this would be the outcome. I really don't care about cup games I really do care about getting out of this bloody league so if this helps with that then it's worth losing. Not bothered at all.
Some Div 2 clubs got good results tonight against higher league opposition......showed some fight.....and that is lacking at the moment with this lot.
Says some disgruntled people. I didn't particularly notice a lack of fight on Saturday. Not very good teamwork perhaps but not lack of effort in most cases. I didn't say all I said 8 or 9 out of 10 and Reading are 2 leagues higher not one. Fact. Most league 2 clubs would lose against Championship opposition. Slightly less would lose against league one opposition but more would lose than win. Every year a club in the lower reaches goes on a cup run out of proportion to league position. Often it is one of a few and the rest, like Argyle get knocked out quickly, Where is the shock in that.
No surprise for me. It's a funny competition that I have never really got into (just as well given Argyle's record). On the plus side it is another 90 competitive minutes for the players to learn how to play together.
Argyle weren't actually that bad on Saturday Plymborn, at least in the first half which we dominated. We conceded the first goal after defensive muddling and it went wrong from that point on. Given only 3 of last season's team started, of whom one was the keeper, (or 4 if you include Threlkeld who wasn't a fixture), things may come right. But that defence needs sorting out. Many are blaming Miller but I'm pointing directly at the two centre backs. Somebody made the point that we were all to quick to say it didn't matter if we lost Hartley compared to losing Nelson. I was one of them but based on Saturday's performance, that was terribly wrong.
Derek Adams could be seen as unlucky at present regarding his central defenders. Nauris Bulvitis not having international clearance hasn't helped at the moment.....can PAFC be blamed or is someone else responsible for this taking 6/7 weeks to achieve and still counting. Karleigh Osborne I think was going to be first choice when signed....but picked up an injury I think in training and hasn't yet kicked a ball in any match yet friendly or in anger.
We seem to need a bit of magic.....to get him playing. It could be just about Christmas when we get him cleared to play.
