I nearly started this report last night.....but thought it might be wiser to leave it till today after a good nights sleep......in the hope that I could understand why Argyle played so poorly.....sorry I am none the wiser this morning either. There must be some clause or rule that the FL could revoke to fine a team that pretends for nearly 93 minutes that it is top of the league and deserves to be there......for literally 2 hrs the Green Army played their part in supporting a team that was top of the league......over 40% of the crowd where Green Army and they vocally supported the team well in the first half.....but started to wain a little in the second half..... having to watch the dross put before them by their team. Dag & Red have not won a league game at home this season.....just managing four draws.....but never, never looked like losing this one.....not because they played scintillating football....but because they were more efficient in doing the basics right and dominating our non-existing mid-field and attack. they continually pumped the ball beyond our defence...who had to turn and chase back to recover the situation......at least Walton played well enough to control his six yard area. Their No17 Jodi Jones was quite a handful on the right wing with his good ball control and trickery and caused our defence problems everytime he had the ball. Threlkeld hadn't recovered from his knock last Tuesday so we heard (although he was on the bench)....so our stating eleven was.....Walton,Mellor,Nelson,Croll, Sawyer,McHugh,Simpson,Tanner, Carey,Wylde,Jervis. Jervis played up front and was very poor leading the line.....not his best position and it showed. The first half was messy, there wasn't really any pressure in the first 15 minutes from the home side but we could not take advantage of that in anyway....we just couldn't get going and our mid-field just hadn't turned up in anyway.....Carey just wasn't controlling the game at all......the only entertainment came from Jodi Jones but we survived until half-time. The tannoy system couldn't be heard clearly as the second-half started amongst the full away end greens.....but I could see that Brunt had replaced Simpson....and although I hadn't heard or noticed... Carey had been replaced by Purrington in the holding role so I heard later. Brunt put himself around and looked up for it from the start of the half....chasing and challenging quite well in the air as well.......Carey I hadn't really noticed in the first half and not even when he didn't come out for second half.....just shows how poor he was playing.....although not obvious both replacements had received knocks and where replaced at half-time. I must comment first on Purrington, just didn't notice him at all....secondly on Harvey who came on in the 74th minute in place of Wylde....who I could see because Argyle were attack (I use that word loosely) the away end......he just ran around in circles not involved at all....and looked an under-nourished school kid....how can he ever dominate defenders with that physique. Also Croll was completely out of his comfort zone and Cureton gave him a miserable time. Dag & Red scored their goal in the 59th minute....Labadie ran onto a pass down the left channel and slipped it past Walton's righthand...who spread himself well but couldn't stop it. Argyle huffed and puffed but couldn't control or keep the ball well and continually gave it away....by this time the Green Army had had enough of this poor play and a few choice comments started to flow. When Adams only response was to put on his third sub.........Harvey.....some wondered if his mummy had allowed him out so late seeing it was getting dark.....he just looked lost out there.....reminding us how thin our squad is.....with very few game changing players there. BUT in the 93rd minute one of our subs... who was my man of the match even before he scored, changed all that.....latching on to a through ball down the centre he hammered it into the net from 20/25 yards out....with the help of a slight deflection........the ball pinged back out and Brunt hammered it into the Green Army who went ballistic.......Dag & Red players where deflated somewhat having been so close to their first home win of the league season. I was disappointed by how much time Argyle wasted in celebrating the goal.....even when most players where ready to restart the game again there where two Argyle players still sauntering back from the away end.....personally not good enough....in that last minute that was played.... who knows what might of happened with our tails up for the first time. I can only give any credit to Nelson & Walton plus my MOM Brunt who got stuck in......I know the others turned up because we started with eleven players......they looked desperate for a fortnight off all of them.......lets hope our injured players will be back in a fortnights time.......Adams i'm sure will not be giving them much time off before the next game against Cambridge at home. PS.....I think Dick Turpin if he was alive still could have taken us to court for impersonating a Highway Robbery without a licence yesterday..
Nice report Plym....should have played with a lot more enthusiasm indeed with D&R poor record this season. Full squad needed very soon with the busy Xmas period coming up.
Met up with Joe and one of his sons George in the pub, he is in the second year of a Uni course up here in London......we where in a dilemna seeing that sensible had hung on to the straws from last time.....but Joe bought me a pint anyrate so all went well. Joe went to the dogs Friday evening.....at Walthamstow actually......and he will be watching a real game of football at Spurs v Chelsea this afternoon.....not the first time he has sneaked along to White Hart Lane. I think he will never want to see an Argyle game ever again after yesterday.
Look at it this way, we've been carp in cup and league throughout November but have still scraped 5 points from four league games to keep us in the top 3. If we can get a full squad out and deliver on what ought to be 4 very winnable games in December, we'll be sitting pretty. If......
plym a great and exact summary of this dreadful match. sooner that is out away the better hopefully we get the players back after the break pep we will be in a bit of trouble . good to meet up and have a drink and chat.. great support today again. well I went to the game today and it was not the greatest event spooky by Chelsea falling about and stopping Spurs play . a good weekend and out now for a few I will update the prediction when I m back tomorrow evening
Thanks plym, listened to Sparksy and Chris Errington and they were equally as disparaging about the performance as you-glad I didn't make the effort to travel. I guess any away point is a good one though and the top of the table looks much better than it would have had we come away with nothing.
Can somebody explain to me why Adams is persisting with playing Jervis up front on his own as a target man. How many more games will it take to convince him the he cannot play that game. Reid is one thing, even Brunt but definately not Jervis. We got pulled out of the mire by a speculative 25 yarder that took a bit of a deflection on the way. Cracking though it looked on the tele mind. There is little doubt what Adams best side is as since it got broken up we have been rubbish. I think this little break in fixtures hasn't come too soon and hopefully we will have pretty much a full house back when it's over. Very disappointing result although to be fair anyone can literally beat anyone in this league as we know already.
The playing of Jervis up front is truly puzzling, he was on the team sheet as starting.....but on the pitch he was invisable. In the second half Brunt started and he was all over the pitch chasing ,harrying and getting his head on the ball......my man of the match even before he scored that brilliant goal....just in front of us......the green army literally blew the roof off in the 93rd minute......the whole of Dagenham must of known Argyle had scored.
Yep, I just don't get it plym. He has played him there for the last what.....4/5 matches and it just has been plain as the nose on your face he cannot do that job. I have not read one report from anyone that remotely suggests he can yet persist with it Adams does. I thought that was one of the problems with Sheridan at the end in that there wasn't any plan B stuff and thought we had gotten away from that with Adams who tinkered with the format even when we were winning. Yet he dogmatically sticks with a tried and failed system now. It's bizaar.
Of course Jervis has proved that he can score goals.....joint top with Carey on seven........Brunt is only on two league goals.....but of course on far less playing time then the other two...........Adams did well playing him wide on the right.....far more dangerous cutting in from the wing. I expect Adams hoped he would grow into the roll in time......without Reid's goals from up front Argyle are expecting to get by from mid-field....and that means mainly Carey. Reid has six league goals to his credit....and he's missed about half of the games played so far.....just shows we can't succeed without him in the long run.
