I couldn't help but notice during yesterdays match at Cheltenham...that at one moment when Argyle were 3-0 up, that Cheltenham where actually bottom of the league. So is the excitement and in some cases maybe over the top comments about Argyle's performance justified. Cheltenham based on last seasons performances are expected to be one of the front runners again this season......but they have acquired only one point from their first three games....two being home games......leaving them fourth from bottom in 21st place. So was Argyle's attacking style so good that they cut Cheltenham to pieces....or where Cheltenham so woeful that they made Argyle look better than they really were ?.......maybe a bit of both might be the answer. After three games of course you cannot really judge who has the form to succeed over a full 46 game season. After ten games we should see who are the pace setters...... by then could Cheltenham have risen to the top of the league.....or PAFC be one of the front runners ? What is evident is the old saying....that one swallow doesn't make a summer......but what we saw yesterday might be the start of a worry free season regarding relegation....lets hope it is.
As always Plymborn, time will tell. There were signs to me in the Fleetwood game that there was a bit more capability in the side but it wasn't well deployed, which is down to Sheridan in the first place and then to the players in following instructions. If things weren't quite as black then as some said, they probably aren't completely rosy now - I'll tell you which it is in November! I note that the Cheltenham manager says they were bullied - quite a compliment for an Argyle side of the last 5 years+. He also pointed at the Argyle central midfielders and strikers as being the decisive factor. They were also the decisive factor against Fleetwoord - in a bad way, with the back 4 getting turned regularly when exposed to repeated Fleetwood breakaways and no threat or link-up play up front. So last week's weaknesses have become strengths and I'm willing to chalk that one up to Sheridan & the coaches.
The players can only respond to Sheridan and his coaching staff if they are willing sponges to soak up the info.....too often they revert to being stones and the info just runs off and is lost.
There is a comment from Tweksbury on the other thread which says Argyle were very good. I'll take his word for it along with other comments I've seen on ATD. They can't all be wrong. This performance obviously shows what then CAN do. It remains to be seen if they can replicate it over and over. 2 or 3 wins on the trot will be a massive boost and maybe show them that they are good enough and improve their confidence no end. My biggest relief is to see Branston back. He was great last season and much better than Purse. He leads the backs both verbally and by example. A huge loss when he was missing.
I have no problem with Hourihan being Captain. I think he has improved with the responsibility. Branston doesn't need to be Captain as he is boss at the back and probably the players just in front of him as well.
To some extent yes because he wouldn't shirk telling him something very forcefully if he needed to. Being Captain isn't a coaching job. Being I/C of defence is if you are the linchpin.
