So, here we are again playing the top of the league. Lets be brutal about this though, if it wasn't for us beating the top of the league dlast time out then this lot wouldn't be so they owe it all to us. We did it once at home but can we now do it again away. I read a number of comments from Sunderland fans that their team had an off day last saturday. Now that in my opinion is often just an excuse for being beaten when you don't expect it. We played well and that;s the one fact that matters. WE CAN do it again and I for one am going to stick to that. COYG
Grimshaw, Mumba, Szucs, Cissoko, Edwards, Hardie, Whittaker, Gibson, Gyabi, Randell, Forshaw. Subs Marosi, Ogbeta, Houghton, Wright, Bundu, Galloway, Al Hajj, Palsson.
Nil-nil at half time which is creditable given we’re playing the league leaders for the second week on the trot. Albion have hit the woodwork three times but a miss is as good as a mile and Argyle have made several chances of their own. Randell is sitting with Forshaw and Gyabi moving forward when the opportunity arises. So far, so good
Really good start to the second half by Argyle but a moment’s slackness allows West Brom to take the lead.
Argyle pressing hard for an equaliser at the end but couldn’t quite make it. One lapse of concentration, from Mumba I think from the commentary, cost us dear. Disappointing result in a difficult fixture but it sounds like a decent performance against a top side.
Well the stats will show we got nothing from this game and to be frank the only stat that matters in a league is the points. However, looking at the game as a whole it is difficult not to feel a bit of sorrow for the players given they ran WBA close. I looked at some of the comments of their fans on their forum and they were definately not sure how the result was going to turn out at all. I think most of them would acknowledge Argyle made a real game of this and that their efforts were a surprise given the positions. They definately know they have been in a game today and at least we weren't like Pompey and rolled over. Considering people thought we would get nothing at all from the last two games to get even 3 points out of 6 is a decent return and something to build on. Defeated maybe but haven't lost heart.
I haven’t seen anything of this game yet but let’s be honest. We gave Sunderland (then top) a torrid time in the second half last Saturday. We’ve narrowly lost to WBA (now top) at their place today. We still need to find our best selves in the final third. But after last Saturday, I feel we can be looking up, not down.
Watching the game with bleary eyes i thought the yellow shirts of Argyle were very good against the top team. If we continue play like that we should be able to climb the table. Rooney has them playing exciting football. If i lived there i would definitely be a season ticket holder. COYG's
Watching the game with bleary eyes i thought the yellow shirts of Argyle were very good against the top team. If we continue play like that we should be able to climb the table. Rooney has them playing exciting football. If i lived there i would definitely be a season ticket holder. COYG's
Watching the game with bleary eyes i thought the yellow shirts of Argyle were very good against the top team. If we continue play like that we should be able to climb the table. Rooney has them playing exciting football. If i lived there i would definitely be a season ticket holder. COYG's
As you know iv'e been competing in the prediction league for many years. I go by "away in BC" my question is.."why cant we use our real first names" Thanks Mr Moderator..
Having read all the write ups on other sites the conclusion seems to be that we lack that bit of quality in the final third.....when Hardie needs replacing we don't have anyone on the bench who can make a difference.....Wright isn't the answer.....Bundu doesn't produce anything and Obafemi hasn't showed us anything as yet.. I'm hoping that when Al Hajj is up to speed he will produce a bit of Finn Azaz magic and unlock a few moments of quality.....he has shown potential. Grimshaw seems to be getting good write ups the way he distributes the ball and seems to be giving us a bit extra than Hazard was able to give us. Szucs seems to be a great find and is looking very good linking up with Gibson. Maybe there is someone out there on the market that we can entice who can give us a little extra in that final third....it might help Whittaker and Hardie to be freed up to get their potential delivering again like early last season before they became too knackered by being over played.
Well we have Tijani of course although I believe he’s fit but not selected. I don’t think it’s just about the goal scorers. My fourpenneth is that were playing Whittaker and Cissoko very wide….. chalk on their boots as would have been the phrase in an earlier century. Particularly in Whittaker’s case, he’s constrained on one side by the touch line and the opposition always know he wants to cut in on his right foot. To me, he’s a number 8 (or an inside forward in ancient times), not a winger. Tucked in a bit, he’s harder to stop because he can go either way, in a footballing sense. Where that leaves us on the other side, I don’t know. Cissoko is a handful without doubt but I’m glad Rooney has encouraged him to be more direct. There is such a thing as too many step-overs.
Whittaker plays on the right and cuts in onto his left foot. Have you opened another bottle? I don't often subscribe to pasoti posting but there was one I read which actually makes a lot of sense. Some of our players joined us in league 2 and half the others in league one. When we play upper end teams and even middle table ones in the Championship then a lot of their players were playing in the Premier league not so long ago and the rest are established Championship players. If you consider that then frankly we should be expected to struggle at times but then again it could be argued we are finding our feet now.
You are correct of course, cutting in FROM the right onto his LEFT. But that’s not the point I’m making. It’s playing him as a number 7 as opposed to a number 8 (11 versus 10 on t’other side).
I did kind of get the point. I have watched him stand out on the perimeter of Central Park all alone with no mates quite often and wondered what he was doing out there just waiting for the ball. Argyle do not play the ball quick enough for him to be effective out there. By the time he gets the ball often he is closed down and nothing comes of it. If they were to whisk the ball across the back and out there then he might have more joy. Failing that then move him inside more although I don't think he is an inside forward either in old money. He doesn't have great pace although not a snail and he isn't a box to box player. Personally I would give him free reign to go where he likes and not give him the tackle back option. But what do I know......
