Are Plymouth Argyle the real deal for promotion...

[jerryatricjanner]

You are having a laugh Esmer. Friio, Wotton, Coughlan, Trigger and Larrieu would all walk in the current side and went on to be outstanding in League One the following two years. Age and a injuries caught up with Coughlan, Friio and Wotton or they would all have been quite adequate Championship players as well..

 

[demportdave]

Larrieu, Coughlan, Friio and Trigger, not good enough to get into the current Argyle team... honestly?

On that logic we have the basis of a team that will not only get promoted this season, but will soon get promoted again.

 

[rsp4]

The standard of football in Div 2 compared to when Argyle romped home with Sturrock is much higher now.

An awful lot higher. Because the top two leagues are now so heavily populated with foreign players the majority of British players are now playing in the lower leagues which along with better pitches and better qualified coaches mean the standard of league two is far higher than in years gone by. Hardly any of Sturrock's team would get in our team today.

Rubbish.

Friio, Wotton, Coughlan, Trigger, Larrieu, Lee Hodges, Worrell, probably even Marino Keith would all get in today's team.

Maybe Evans, no one else.

Huh :doh: Really

Those players made it through league 1 into the championship and age took over on 4 of them. Friio went on to play for Forest in the Championship, Ro played for us consistently in the championship, Worrell played for us in the championship before dropping back to League 1 for another 2 x seasons and Marino Keith was floored by injury and retired. I would say they would easily walk into this team.

 

[davie nine]

The squad in 2001/2 was excellent and their results, over that season and following seasons, proved that fact. This new squad, with the exceptions of McCormick, Sawyer, Purrington, Carey and Jervis from last season, is giving us cause for optimism but cannot, after 14 league games, be compared with the Paul Sturrock Mk1 squad.

The one player, of last season's squad, who would 'walk' into the 2001/2 squad is Graham Carey. It is far too early to compare any of the new signings due to the short period of time that this squad have been together.

As the season progresses, it will be interesting to consider how others such as Bradley, Fox, Spencer and, perhaps, Osborne could have strengthened the 2001/2 squad.

 

[Deacster]

The standard of football in Div 2 compared to when Argyle romped home with Sturrock is much higher now.

An awful lot higher. Because the top two leagues are now so heavily populated with foreign players the majority of British players are now playing in the lower leagues which along with better pitches and better qualified coaches mean the standard of league two is far higher than in years gone by. Hardly any of Sturrock's team would get in our team today.

Rubbish.

Friio, Wotton, Coughlan, Trigger, Larrieu, Lee Hodges, Worrell, probably even Marino Keith would all get in today's team.

Maybe Evans, no one else.

I assume you either did not ever watch that team or did and are on a wind up.

 

[esmer]

It is understandable that many have an inflated view on the abilities of many of the players in the 2001/2 team because of the success we had but we were a “systems” team (Luggy’s own description) and the players were hard working, well drilled with team spirit and a great work ethic but the team wasn’t packed with great individuals. The standard of league 2 has risen immensely in the last fifteen years and it is doubtful that many of that team would figure in a team clear at the top of the table now. It is significant that few of those players went on to play above the lower leagues and of those that did few had much success.

 

[Adam R]

The one player, of last season's squad, who would 'walk' into the 2001/2 squad is Graham Carey.

.... based on ability yes, but not sure he would have fitted into Sturrock's style of play. Would probably have found himself on the bench.

 

[jerryatricjanner]

It is understandable that many have an inflated view on the abilities of many of the players in the 2001/2 team because of the success we had but we were a “systems” team (Luggy’s own description) and the players were hard working, well drilled with team spirit and a great work ethic but the team wasn’t packed with great individuals. The standard of league 2 has risen immensely in the last fifteen years and it is doubtful that many of that team would figure in a team clear at the top of the table now. It is significant that few of those players went on to play above the lower leagues and of those that did few had much success.

League 2 is better now but hardly immensely. That was a record breaking team who amassed 102 points Esmer. I stand to be corrected but of that team Wotton, Friio, Larrieu/McCormick, Worrel, Adams, Evans and Coughlan at least played in the CCC two seasons later, not a bad percentage at all. For a couple it was possibly a step too far, for some injuries and age caught up with them but they all made the step up. Do you really see half a dozen or more of the current team being Championship players in two years time? Personally I would be surprised. It is a strong squad for League 2 for sure, yet they have to push on now and prove their automatic promotion credentials first, never mind run away with the league and secure another promotion. You say Sturrock's team lacked individuals and was a systems team but the current side is hardly packed with flair individuals, Carey aside is it? I certainly don't think I have an inflated view. Only one other team has managed 102 points in the Football League I believe and only once has it been bettered and that was in the Championship.

 

[Bristol Rich]

It is understandable that many have an inflated view on the abilities of many of the players in the 2001/2 team because of the success we had but we were a “systems” team (Luggy’s own description) and the players were hard working, well drilled with team spirit and a great work ethic but the team wasn’t packed with great individuals. The standard of league 2 has risen immensely in the last fifteen years and it is doubtful that many of that team would figure in a team clear at the top of the table now. It is significant that few of those players went on to play above the lower leagues and of those that did few had much success.

Are you for real? You don't think Frio would go straight into our current 11? Or Coughlan one of our best ever CBs, this is must be a wind up post.

On your logic league 2 now is better than league 1 was then as Frio and Coughlan were outstanding in the 2nd championship year as was Evans.

Frio, Evans and Coughlan are 3 of our best ever players and along with Carey would be the first names on the team sheet if they were still playing. Next you will be arguing Tynan and Mariner wouldn't get in our current team as the Ukraine sitting on the bench for Spurs shows the standard is way higher now so league 2 is better than league 1 was back in 2004. In your view maybe Evans who played in the Premiership only might now get in a league 2 team, wow that does show an incredible rise in standard.

I read some crap on here and I've posted a fair bit of crap myself but this is possibly the worst ever post on here. This team has had a great start but of as today we have won nothing and it's only October and yet you think it's better than a double promotion team.....

 

[Bristol Rich]

The standard of football in Div 2 compared to when Argyle romped home with Sturrock is much higher now.

An awful lot higher. Because the top two leagues are now so heavily populated with foreign players the majority of British players are now playing in the lower leagues which along with better pitches and better qualified coaches mean the standard of league two is far higher than in years gone by. Hardly any of Sturrock's team would get in our team today.

Nonsense.Players like Wotton,Couglin,Larrieu,Worrell,Evans,Hodges and Friio acquitted themselves well in the league above and indeed in some cases the league beyond that and would do so today.It was not automatic that players displaced by the influx of foreign players drifted down to the lower leagues-many would have been happy to stay as part of a squad with the increase in substitutes allowed and take the better money on offer.Who in Argyle's current squad would have fitted the description of players pushed down the pecking order from higher division clubs? Most were picked up either from Scotland or clubs of a lower or similar stature to Argyle.

This is a very accurate post.

 

[Bristol Rich]

The standard of football in Div 2 compared to when Argyle romped home with Sturrock is much higher now.

An awful lot higher. Because the top two leagues are now so heavily populated with foreign players the majority of British players are now playing in the lower leagues which along with better pitches and better qualified coaches mean the standard of league two is far higher than in years gone by. Hardly any of Sturrock's team would get in our team today.

Nonsense.Players like Wotton,Couglin,Larrieu,Worrell,Evans,Hodges and Friio acquitted themselves well in the league above and indeed in some cases the league beyond that and would do so today.It was not automatic that players displaced by the influx of foreign players drifted down to the lower leagues-many would have been happy to stay as part of a squad with the increase in substitutes allowed and take the better money on offer.Who in Argyle's current squad would have fitted the description of players pushed down the pecking order from higher division clubs? Most were picked up either from Scotland or clubs of a lower or similar stature to Argyle.

It is a matter of fact not opinion. Half of the players now in the Premier League and Championship are foreign; therefore half of the players now in the lower leagues would be playing in the Premier League or the Championship but for the influx of foreign players. It also follows that most League two players from yesteryear would today be playing non league football.

You seem to be saying that there were no foreign players playing in the top two divisions of English football in 2001/02 but there certainly were.No idea what the percentages were but even if only a quarter of the top two division players were foreign it would still weaken the maths of your argument somewhat,without taking into account the more non measurable aspects of the issue.

There were plenty of foreign footballers in the top two divisions in 2001/2 but nowhere near as many as there are now, therefore the standard of the league is far higher today.

A lazy argument which makes little sense, the standard of the top teams in the premiership has steadily fallen since the days when we regularly had teams in the last 4 of the Champions league.