Post-Match Thread and Ratings Plymouth Argyle 4-0 Southend United

Dubai said:

I think what ****es me off is after the standard new manager wins CP was coming out with “that’s what you can expect from a Chris Powell team” blah blah blah

Turns out he is struggling to motivate this bunch as much as anyone.

Big summer for him and needs a good first couple of months for next season...or I’d look elsewhere.

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Thats a little knee jerk I’d suggest. This isn’t his team yet, far from it. It’s still very much a team that is in Phil Brown’s imagine and that’s the problem. Yesterday was another example of that, the way we just gave up after we went 1-0 down is a joke.

I think we need to give CP at least two windows to make this “his team” and I expect some big changes this summer. I accept that the three players he brought in during the winter window haven’t been a success but I think that’s more to do with the fact that he had very little time to get deals done that late in the window.

For a game played on Good Friday, the quality of our crosses was blasphemous. I've seen McLaughlin cross very well from the left previously but, playing on the right, every cross of his seemed to be plucked easily out of the air by their goalie - who was not their "murderer," as the Blues chorus reminded us.

The positives * don't get excited * ... Mantom played 90 minutes. I think he's quite tidy. Is it a foregone conclusion that he won't be playing for us next season as an earlier post implied? I think he'd be a useful player for us.

Our fans ... the drummer and the "we've got the ball" chorus from 3-0. Their steward down the front was smiling up at you. It was very pleasing droll amidst the disappointing events in front of us.

Also, it was quite good weather considering the horror forecast. Me and Grumpy Blue got out onto the beer roof terrace of The Fortescue and it was a delight to see TravelZone ShrimperZone members inside too. Special thanks to Wino for bringing me the latest AAS fanzine. See you at Oxford.

The best bit of the afternoon was when the mascot nearly tripped himself up treading on his own scarf!

Dubai said:

I think what ****es me off is after the standard new manager wins CP was coming out with “that’s what you can expect from a Chris Powell team” blah blah blah

Turns out he is struggling to motivate this bunch as much as anyone.

Big summer for him and needs a good first couple of months for next season...or I’d look elsewhere.

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Seriously? Brown was given four-and-a-bit years and unlike Powell inherited a squad with a lot of quality. The fact that SCP has turned a team nosediving into the relegation spots into one that some thought might make a late charge for the play-offs is pretty damn impressive - especially post-Lenny.

Remember that Tilly's team were bottom of League 2 after his first month of the promotion-winning season. Thankfully Ron stood by him and he should do the same with Powell, especially given the mess of the squad he's been left with.

So Powell should effectively be put on notice after losing two games?

Hahahahahahaha! Only on Shrimperzone!

Dubai said:

I think what ****es me off is after the standard new manager wins CP was coming out with “that’s what you can expect from a Chris Powell team” blah blah blah

Turns out he is struggling to motivate this bunch as much as anyone.

Big summer for him and needs a good first couple of months for next season...or I’d look elsewhere.

Click to expand...

After sleeping on it I can now give my thoughts out of ten for the game I sat through at Home Park yesterday. At least it didn't rain (I looked on a rainfall radar weather app during the match and saw heavy rain and snow over almost all of Devon other than Plymouth), although I felt distinctly warm in my waterfproof trousers! OK, here goes......

The Ox 7 two excellent saves, had no chance with the second goal. Our MoM.
Demitrou 6 looks good going forward but the standard of his crosses was poor today
Turner 5 showing all of his 34 years I'm afraid
White 4 tried hard but Argyle's forwards were too good
Coker 4 not the player he once was unfortunately and he clearly knows it which makes his play nervous

McLaughlin 5 started well but faded
Mantom 6 thought he looked OK but must have been depressed by the way things were turning out around him
Dru 4 didn't look out of place in the team. Unfortunately.
Wordsworth 4 very disappointing I thought
MAF 6 his ball control and holding up are good but doesn't seem able to do a lot with it
Cox 5 ran around a lot and got increasingly frustrated with the ref - largely for no good reason though.

subs:
Kightly 7 He looked good, I thought. Should have been on much earlier.
Wright. 5 Hardly noticed him
Robnson 6 Injected some energy when he entered the fray and actually looked a bit threatening, but shot weakly a couple of times having made decent runs

Chris Powell 4 I'm starting to get worried about him. Poor selection, poor positioning and poor tactics today; apart from that he was OK.

The Home Park pitch 10. Great to see a grass covered pitch which doesn't wobble when a player stands on it and doesn't cut up.

Plymouth Argyle All players 8 or 9. They looked impressive and may well win the play-offs and go on to the Championship where I think they'll hold their own. Mind you they won't play many easier teams than Southend United yesterday.

The home support looked full. 11965 in total or similar, more than anyone else in the division, including Wigan.

Freedom for Tooting said:

So Powell should effectively be put on notice after losing two games?

Hahahahahahaha! Only on Shrimperzone!

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Always amuses me, but never surprises me anymore. There has always been a significant element of supporters who never give players and sometimes managers a decent opportunity to settle in. They demand immediate results & consistent, positive performances or results. In the old days it was slagging offs shouted from the crowd. Now it can be through social media. Oxley is not the first player who got major abuse and then came good. Kevin Maher was another. To state the "bleeding obvious" CP, in a results driven business, inherited a team with very poor results. He already has done a good job. As far as his legacy as our manager, it can only be judged over the next 2 seasons. Good luck Chris, I and most fans are glad you are here right now. Good luck.

Argyle fan here, just wanted to say your fans were a credit to your club yesterday, kept making good noise even when 3/4 down and some good funny songs as well, best of luck for the rest of the season/next season!

pafc said:

Argyle fan here, just wanted to say your fans were a credit to your club yesterday, kept making good noise even when 3/4 down and some good funny songs as well, best of luck for the rest of the season/next season!

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Thanks, pafc. Omitted to say in my SUFC-entric post how good your lads were. Very sharp and incisive up front and I think that you're the team the other PO contenders wish to avoid.

pafc said:

Argyle fan here, just wanted to say your fans were a credit to your club yesterday, kept making good noise even when 3/4 down and some good funny songs as well, best of luck for the rest of the season/next season!

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As I said above Plymouth Argyle: All players 8 or 9 out of 10. They looked impressive and may well win the play-offs and go on to the Championship where I think they'll hold their own. Best of luck!

Stevencowling1 said:

Get rid of wordsworth! No desire,no effort and is a lazy overatted player! Need to get rid asap!!

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Agree, a flash for a few minutes every 90 minutes, for a whole season, it’s not enough, thinks he is better than he is, asking to be among the top earners

I can say, and saw that Coker had a poor game, as did Woody; as a pairing on our left they were often out numbered and passed by. Them two, with Mantom were constantly over run and as good partnerships form good strength I feel it is only right to say that there was nothing being shared or worked between them. Not defensively or into attack.
On our right Demi and MacL were slightly better but Demi's crosses - everyone was either into touch or straight to the gk.MacL was closed down double fast and often he had no outlet except passing back.
In short the balance was all wrong.
Sometimes Woody's workrate is like Mooney's was; he runs to close down, looks the part but slows 2 yards away from the in possession opponent and never puts a tackle in except to give away a foul.

Wordsworth only plays well when those around him already have. Not a starter for me.

Zeuss said:

It prob wouldn’t have made much difference,but they should have been playing the entire 2nd half with 10 men.If the ref deemed the elbow into Turners face deliberate(the Lino waved his flag immediately)it had to be red.

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Agreed! It was red or nothing.

As said above, it was red or nothing for Taylor when he clattered Turner. But White got away with it when he gave away the penalty - not even a yellow, when a red might have been possible.
The tubby ref was poor - and unfit! Why are so many packing timber in a professional game? No wonder we have no officials at the World Cup.