So here we are back at home after a couple of hard fought games against top{ish} opposition and playing the side currently in 16th place. Should be easy shouldn't it? Well all of us long serving and suffering Argyle supporter know from experience that nothing is ever "easy" at the Theatre of Greens. It is only right though that most will expect a win in this one. To be fair we haven't had too many "funny" results this season where the unexpected has happened. There have been plenty of strange results though in the league as there always seems to be and they have no included us. Port Vale aside that is. I think we have too much in the locker for Cheltenham and I do expect a win for the Greens. I don't care if they lose the next one against this side but not this one if it has to be one or the other. COYG
Crowd of 18,000 expected: Cheltenham have not taken up all of their allocation so extra seats have been made available to Greens.
Cooper, Gillesphey, Houghton, Wilson, Scarr, Hardie, Mumba, Azaz, C Wright, Matete, T Wright. Subs Burton, Butcher, Edwards, Mayor, Cosgrove, Lonwijk, Waine. No Ennis, Randell or Earley in squad. Ennis was carrying an injury.
.......................................................Cooper .................Wilson..........................Scarr...........................Gillesphey .....Mumba,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Houghton.....................Matete..................T Wright ...................................Azaz...................................C Wright .......................................................Hardie Not sure which Wright is which at the moment. No 26..... Callum Wright No29.....Tyreik Wright
2-1...H/T Scarr...26mins Hardie...28mins Perry...40mins. PS......Morgan Whittaker is not in the Swansea squad.
4-2...F/T Scarr...26mins Hardie...28mins C Wright...64mins Cosgrove,,,83mins Perry...40mins May...70mins Ipswich lose at Oxford....now 10pts behind woth a game in hand. Sheffield W win 1-0....and miss a penalty the last kick of the game.
Well we tried our damnedest in this game for sure. To throw it away that’s is We started well although the Cheltenham front two caused a few problems with May dropping into the void between our back 2 and the centre midfielders. We scored twice in quick succession and all looked rosy. Whether Cheltenham then threw caution to the wind or we suffered an acute attack of complacency I don’t know, but they got on top and we went in at half time at 2-1 when we should have been comfortable. The second half went much the same way: we should have been comfortable at 3-1 but let them back in it. We really need to get some cynicism: make the simple passes, keep the ball and remember above all that at 3-1 with 20 to play, the CB’s really don’t need to join in with the attacks. The number of times we got caught 1 on 1 was ludicrous. We were the better team but Cheltenham will think they could have nicked it and that shouldn’t be the case. Matete looks the pick of the new boys: what an athlete. I missed Adam Randell though I must give a shout-out to Ryan Broom. Probably man of the match from both sides.
Just watched the match video....and was alarmed at times with our defences gung-ho defending.....there second goal was a prime example....only two Argyle defenders in our half when Cheltenham broke forward....why so lax at the back....was it because it was lowly Cheltenham and we thought this was going to be easy. At the start of the second half with the score still 2-1 we looked a little vulnerable and came under pressure.....our goals against are 29 in 28 matches.....the worst of all those in the top six.
This one was a strange game to watch. We didn't play badly but on the other hand didn't play well either which is a bit of a strange conclusion to come up with considering we won quite comfortably in the end. When we went one up it was not against any run of play and the second one followed in quick order to, you would think, put the game to bed in the first half hour or so. Not quite and it was 2 - 1 before anyone could blink with Cheltenham having ripped a hole the size of Wembley Stadium in our defence. It looked very very easy indeed. Squeak, squeak went the bum cheeks. Second half and they started a bit better than we did to be fair and you could almost smell it was going to be 2 - 2. But, it wasn't and we went 3 = 1 up. Game done then. No it wasn't and soon Alfie got the ball and as Alfie does he made it 3 - 2. Squeak Squeak was heard all around the ground once more. Good ole Cossers made it 4 - 2 and basically that was the end of scoring for the day and 3 points safely in the bag. We did not make this easy for ourselves despite the final result. Our passing at times was woeful. At other times it wasn't even that good. The Newbies were a bit hit or miss for the most part. They didn't do badly but could have done better. The efforts of the old brigade however were not much better and the whole game was a bit hot and cold. Other results were ok so none of it matters now. I have to say that apart from the final result I didn't find the game that entertaining. You would think 4 - 2 was thrilling but for me it wasn't.
It's not gung-ho exactly... Ryan Lowe started the centre backs under-lapping following something Leeds United brought up to the EPL a few years ago. We've recruited CB's that can play a bit to do it. There are two points though. Firstly, wing backs are the cockapoos of football - part full back, part winger. Under Lowe, Joe Edwards and Connor Grant were first picks most of the time and I'd say they're sort of 60% full back and 40% winger. Yesterday, we started with Mumba and Tyreik Wright. They're about 20% and 0.1% full back respectively. Tyreik Wright is listed in the "Attacker" part of the club's Team webpage. Also, we've gone from 3:5:2 to 3:4:2:1. The "2" were Azaz and Callum Wright, playing as "Number 10's", so we have one less in midfield in effect. As we've gone even more attacking, perhaps the scope for the CB's to get forward is reduced. Secondly, whoever is playing, surely at 3-1 with 20 minutes to play, you sit back a bit don't you? Don't get me wrong, I'm not criticising, it's hard to criticise when you're top of the league and have been since September, and are 10 points clear of 3rd place. But we need to squeeze out every point now to bring all the promise home.
.....and better goal difference is worth a point as well.....which Sheffield W have over us at present....If ipswich start winning again they also could have better goal difference than us. We need at times to emphasis our better ability over teams by scoring more goals than just a 2-1 win.....we did have a more solid defence....but of late we have not been so secure at the back.....there are other ways than....we'll score one more than you approach.......okay we have had major defenders out injured and a three game red card to contend with i know.
No we don't. Fact......if we win our games 2 - 1 between now and the end of the season we will be Champions. Goal difference only comes into play if we don't match the others results wise.
That makes no difference to what I said.....better goal difference is worth a point anytime....it's a fact you can't change that.....if we improve our goal difference and overtake Sheffield W's than we our in charge if we end on the same points....simple maths.
But we will still go up and they have to win all of theirs as well. This season I doubt what we and Sheff Wed do score wise will affect much. It does make a difference to what you said in your first sentence. If we win 2 - 1 we are promoted no matter if the others win all of their games 10 - 0.
