Brief Synopsis!!!

[Greenskin]

“We got the advantage and I said to them (at half-time) that we didn’t need to score another, we just needed to keep a clean sheet."

Sorry if this comment by Sheridan has been mentioned elsewhere but I've only just seen it and - wow. Gobsmacked. If that's the attitude against teams like Morecambe (no disrespect but surviving on barely 2,000 crowds) then what is the point in even going to Home Park? The thought of Argyle going out, at home, to hold-on-to-what-we-have for entire halves of football against Accrington, Morecambe, Mansfield etc is actually quite saddening.
We were lucky not to lose that game in the end so Sheridan telling the players we didn't need to score a second goal (and possibly put the game to bed) is cretinous at the very best and highlights a potential reason for the dearth of goals and the lack of midfielders joining attacks...because they're being actively encouraged not to!

Bobby Reid could, maybe should, have scored the second goal early in the second half when he got into a very advanced position and tried to chip over the keeper, who pulled off a reasonable save. If Sheridan did tell the midfield players not to get forward [which I don't believe for a moment that he did],then the message obviously didn't get home there.

 

[Frazer Lloyd-Davies]

He didn't say, "let's hold on to what he have." Nor did he say, "let them come at us."

That is how you've interpruted what he said and you have no way of knowing how the players interpruted it, given you have no idea of their relationship with the gaffer, the context or previously conversations.

I'd have interpruted it as don't go too gung ho, leaving us exposed at the back, given the recent poor form and Luke's injury.

 

[Pogleswoody]

Is a Gaffer someone who makes gaffs (or gaffes?)?? :think:

 

[Biggs]

If you've read Sir Alex Ferguson's books, you'd know that it was always his philosophy (especially at home) to go and push for a second. Whenever you watched United at home under Fergie, you effectively knew they'd get a few more and win after scoring the first.

Better players? Yes, but also an attacking and winning mentality that we obviously don't have according to that quote.

 

[Ceebs]

Some people appear to have got themselves worked up over something they, and indeed we all, know very little about.

Is that quote from JS thought to be a verbatim account of exactly what was said in the dressing room? Has anyone worked with JS to know how what he says shouldbe interpreted? Does anyone know the full facts of every contributary factor leading up to the HT team talk?

Perhaps the message JS passed on to the players was one that emphasized our current winning position whilst pointing out that we don’t need to chase the game. We had a second choice ‘keeper on debut, a right-back with an injury and we were in command. Morecombe would have to come out and attack us which would leave spaces for us to exploit. That would seem a perfectly reasonable message to give the players at half-time.

 

[Trev501]

Some people appear to have got themselves worked up over something they, and indeed we all, know very little about.

Is that quote from JS thought to be a verbatim account of exactly what was said in the dressing room? Has anyone worked with JS to know how what he says shouldbe interpreted? Does anyone know the full facts of every contributary factor leading up to the HT team talk?

Perhaps the message JS passed on to the players was one that emphasized our current winning position whilst pointing out that we don’t need to chase the game. We had a second choice ‘keeper on debut, a right-back with an injury and we were in command. Morecombe would have to come out and attack us which would leave spaces for us to exploit. That would seem a perfectly reasonable message to give the players at half-time.

Quite!

 

[PL2 3DQ]

There were a couple of home games earlier this season where we scored an early first half goal and sat back to defend the lead for the second half. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

With a confident team that includes Hartley I would guess hanging on for a 1-0 win would work more often than not.

 

[Ollieargyle9]

There were a couple of home games earlier this season where we scored an early first half goal and sat back to defend the lead for the second half. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

With a confident team that includes Hartley I would guess hanging on for a 1-0 win would work more times than not.

I've never understood it to be fair, last 10-15 minutes yes hold on to what you've got but 45 minutes is far too long to just hopethe defence will hold out. There's always the issue with re-finding the spark if you concede an equaliser. Coming out all guns blazing for a 2nd and then digging in for the last 10 minutes is far easier than coming out to hold on, getting hit by an equaliser then trying to liven yourselves up again, especially without a manager's teamtalk.

There is always the risk that you go for it and are more open at the back but in my view as long as you're still fired up looking for a goal as it was there isn't the need to switch back to an attacking shape.

That's my view anyway, then again I'm not John Sheridan.

 

[Cobi Budge.]

an average match between two average sides whose main ambition is not be relegated.we have very anonymous players at argyle these days who,in my opinion,have a contract and will get another contract from another club in division 4,5 or 6.marvin morgan for example.sheridan and his coaching staff should now realise that they are not up to the job and resign before the next match.they have had more than enough time to get this job right!
i haven't seen our team so bereft of attacking threat since the dark days of carl fletcher,if we were awarded points for sideways passes we would be european champions.it is time to dismiss the three main coaches.sheridan,mccarthy and harbin and get someone in to stabalize the club to prevent relegation,and work very hard to seek out candidates and thoroughly interview potential new managers.my star ratings;

Luke McCormick - 4
Kelvin Mellor - 5
Curtis Nelson - 7
Carl McHugh - 9
Tom Flanagan - 3
Ben Purrington - 6
Lee Cox - 1
Olly Lee - 0
Bobby Reid - 4
Lewis Alessandra - 3
Reuben Reid - 6

Substitutes:
James Bittner - 5
Aaron Bentley - unused
Oliver Norburn - unused
Jason Banton - unused
Nathan Thomas - 6
Ryan B

McCormick a 4 and Bittner a 5?

Luke was excellent, are you blaming him for getting injured like you did with Smalley? :facepalm:

no cobi.i think luke hasn't been his usual self just lately,i don't go to away matches, and he wouldn't have a broken finger if he hadn't wellied the ball to the opposing forward.nothing personal,i rate luke highly and really like the bloke as i always have done but i feel he has become a little complacent of late.still the best goalie in the league overall.good luck if you go to 'pool next week cobi.i am "bricking it" personally. :sad:

I respect your view but I don't understand it, how you can give Luke a 4/10 for his first half performance is ludicrous, he was excellent.

 

[gariboldi]

I see why Argyle are letting slip again an excellent opportunity to make the play offs. This season i think it all has to do with decisions made in the final third. On Saturday against Morecambe I lost count of the number of times we worked the ball to the D of the penalty area and still passed either sideways along the box or more uniformly, backwards, or some vector in between!

I think the training at Argyle misguided if the message is don't shoot unless you are sure the effort won't be charged down!?*. A quick side step and get your shot away and anything can happen, a deflection, a goalkeeping parry, a screamer in the the top corner even, often you gain a corner, at worse a rebounded loose ball but our option was always to try to walk the ball in via some side gate which normally got slammed in their face after they took so long over the visit. Good if you are Barca but our final phase of delivery normally fizzles out via misunderstanding or slowness with defences being allowed to see out the danger with ease.

What was more annoying is having lost those precious 10 yards from those promising and dangerous positions being directed backwards, we punted endless shots from 30-35 yards in to row Z, sometimes out of frustration of getting nowhere, sometimes as a repost to the groans in the crowd. The passing looks pretty enough but is it effective without an end product. Of course not and while I dont advocate long ball I do advocate a determination to make a direct attempt on goal pay once within range; trying your luck is an important aspect of goalscoring! .

Another criticism is we look too lethargic to open up a defence in the manner we are trying. Only subs Nathan Thomas and the new lad Brunt looked lively, the former in my opinion a first teamer gone AWOL. He always looks threatening, rarely used. We need to be strides faster and to go up through the gears in the final third. Currently it is too easy to defend, too laboured, too telegraphed.

Well? It needs sorting and soon if there is any ambition to revive dwindling play off hopes. Otherwise we stay punching below our weight for another year and a half in the bottom league. I dread that thought. We as a club need to try our luck on getting out of this division once and for all.. The strikers definitely do!!

 

[crownhill pilgrim]

I respect your view but I don't understand it, how you can give Luke a 4/10 for his first half performance is ludicrous, he was excellent.

Because he's another player that is keeping Tyler Harvey out of the team. :lol:

 

[Pilgrim young]

I respect your view but I don't understand it, how you can give Luke a 4/10 for his first half performance is ludicrous, he was excellent.

It's all about opinions Budge.
Sometimes you've given Marks which are more ludicrous than Evens.
You must have a real thing for Super Luke? :thumbs: