Hollowords Sky Prediction for Sunday

[Gary Wills]

There was nothing anyone could have done about that player exodus. Capaldi had already gone and tripled his wages - how do you compete with that? When a club like Everton comes in for one of your young players, you're probably going to lose that player. Doesn't matter if you're Plymouth Argyle, Derby County, Nottingham Forest or Blackburn Rovers. Even if by some miracle we could have matched their wages, how on earth do you convince a young player to turn down a chance like that?

We had no chance. All our players went to clubs that were either in the Prem or bound for it. And I don't buy the idea that Holloway told other clubs about their contracts. They didn't need telling. It doesn't take a genius to work out that low crowds + no wealthy backers = crap contracts. What really killed us was the local population refusing to come out and support a team on the verge of the play-offs. Some of the attendances that season were ridiculous. Maybe if we'd had a bit more money from gate income, we might have stood a chance. As it was, we were ripe for the plucking.

Nonsense. The local population should have stepped in for an out-of-depth board and funded the club into the premier league, not the club's owners? The club's owners to then solely benefit from the winning lottery ticket, and sell up to a Russian gangster or Thai politician?

I think the local 'swing-voters' would have seen from afar how stupid a prospect that was. So pinning the demolition of the club on the stayaways will take more convincing than what you've said.

 

[Rush Goalie]

I don't blame Holloway as I beleive that he had the rug pulled from beneath his feet by Stapleton and his cronies. If the chairman of my team offloaded four of my best players whilst 7th in The Championship, I would be looking for a way out as well.

Yes, but he was telling other clubs, about the state of our players contracts, and then they left

Oh right, nothing to do with the players' agents then? Even I knew Ebanks-Blake has a £1.5m release clause when he signed....it's what green-lighted the deal!

 

[Rush Goalie]

There was nothing anyone could have done about that player exodus. Capaldi had already gone and tripled his wages - how do you compete with that? When a club like Everton comes in for one of your young players, you're probably going to lose that player. Doesn't matter if you're Plymouth Argyle, Derby County, Nottingham Forest or Blackburn Rovers. Even if by some miracle we could have matched their wages, how on earth do you convince a young player to turn down a chance like that?

We had no chance. All our players went to clubs that were either in the Prem or bound for it. And I don't buy the idea that Holloway told other clubs about their contracts. They didn't need telling. It doesn't take a genius to work out that low crowds + no wealthy backers = crap contracts. What really killed us was the local population refusing to come out and support a team on the verge of the play-offs. Some of the attendances that season were ridiculous. Maybe if we'd had a bit more money from gate income, we might have stood a chance. As it was, we were ripe for the plucking.

Nonsense. The local population should have stepped in for an out-of-depth board and funded the club into the premier league, not the club's owners? The club's owners to then solely benefit from the winning lottery ticket, and sell up to a Russian gangster or Thai politician?

I think the local 'swing-voters' would have seen from afar how stupid a prospect that was. So pinning the demolition of the club on the stayaways will take more convincing than what you've said.

Exactly, it's a nonsensical argument. A few extra thousand on the gate would have been nice and what the team deserved but it wouldn't have funded the kick-on into the top flight.

The board didn't have the financial clout and were too stubborn to take soundings from those who might help with that. The acid test was a few cheap signings of less than a million sending us tumbling into administration.

Hated Holloway for leaving but have moved on. He was a good manager of the best Argyle side in my lifetime.

 

[Greenheart]

Not one of the Shilton team would have got in Holloway 1st eleven.Before anyone says what about Dalton or Castle.Dalton was not a patch on Halmosi and Castle as was later proved was too slow for a higher division.The rest I would not even consider.Thinking again maybe McCall but that's it.

Perhaps it's rose tinted spectacles and I was relatively young but I thought Dalton was a world beater! I agree with you on a player by player basis - saying they were not a patch on Shilton's team was the wrong phrase. Holloway's team had internationals and were in a higher league etc. the point I meant to make is about the style of football. I never felt that we played particularly good football under Holloway. I'm no purist and it isn't the be all and end all but I feel like people talk about the Holloway era as if we played the beautiful game for a season and a half. I don't remember it that way.

:clap: Bang on. I often scratch my head and have to check if I missed something.

Agreed. I remember a lot of hoofing high balls to SEB and Barry Hayles, neither one designed for that sort of service.

 

[The Duke]

I remember Holloway being surprised by our low crowds. I think people just didn't believe we could get to the top league. It hadn't happened before and although we got near the top of the Championship it seemed so far away. Hopefully one day...

 

[chunkymonkey78]

Said this at the time but surely one of the factors for dwindling crowds was the credit crunch/following recession?

 

[tonsk]

Not one of the Shilton team would have got in Holloway 1st eleven.Before anyone says what about Dalton or Castle.Dalton was not a patch on Halmosi and Castle as was later proved was too slow for a higher division.The rest I would not even consider.Thinking again maybe McCall but that's it.

Perhaps it's rose tinted spectacles and I was relatively young but I thought Dalton was a world beater! I agree with you on a player by player basis - saying they were not a patch on Shilton's team was the wrong phrase. Holloway's team had internationals and were in a higher league etc. the point I meant to make is about the style of football. I never felt that we played particularly good football under Holloway. I'm no purist and it isn't the be all and end all but I feel like people talk about the Holloway era as if we played the beautiful game for a season and a half. I don't remember it that way.

:clap: Bang on. I often scratch my head and have to check if I missed something.

I have to agree.


tonsk

 

[davie nine]

He did say "If this is League 2 - Bring it on".
I think he was referring to both League 2 games on Sky today.
He also predicted that Argyle would win and that he was looking forward to watching Reuben Reid.

Still glad that we didn't get him back though.

 

[loyal1970]

There was nothing anyone could have done about that player exodus. Capaldi had already gone and tripled his wages - how do you compete with that? When a club like Everton comes in for one of your young players, you're probably going to lose that player. Doesn't matter if you're Plymouth Argyle, Derby County, Nottingham Forest or Blackburn Rovers. Even if by some miracle we could have matched their wages, how on earth do you convince a young player to turn down a chance like that?

We had no chance. All our players went to clubs that were either in the Prem or bound for it. And I don't buy the idea that Holloway told other clubs about their contracts. They didn't need telling. It doesn't take a genius to work out that low crowds + no wealthy backers = crap contracts. What really killed us was the local population refusing to come out and support a team on the verge of the play-offs. Some of the attendances that season were ridiculous. Maybe if we'd had a bit more money from gate income, we might have stood a chance. As it was, we were ripe for the plucking.

derby forest or Blackburn would have got more money though.

 

[IJN]

He was a good manager of the best Argyle side in my lifetime.

Let's hope then, DA can do something about that.

:scarf:

 

[Bristol Rich]

There was nothing anyone could have done about that player exodus. Capaldi had already gone and tripled his wages - how do you compete with that? When a club like Everton comes in for one of your young players, you're probably going to lose that player. Doesn't matter if you're Plymouth Argyle, Derby County, Nottingham Forest or Blackburn Rovers. Even if by some miracle we could have matched their wages, how on earth do you convince a young player to turn down a chance like that?

We had no chance. All our players went to clubs that were either in the Prem or bound for it. And I don't buy the idea that Holloway told other clubs about their contracts. They didn't need telling. It doesn't take a genius to work out that low crowds + no wealthy backers = crap contracts. What really killed us was the local population refusing to come out and support a team on the verge of the play-offs. Some of the attendances that season were ridiculous. Maybe if we'd had a bit more money from gate income, we might have stood a chance. As it was, we were ripe for the plucking.

Nonsense. The local population should have stepped in for an out-of-depth board and funded the club into the premier league, not the club's owners? The club's owners to then solely benefit from the winning lottery ticket, and sell up to a Russian gangster or Thai politician?

I think the local 'swing-voters' would have seen from afar how stupid a prospect that was. So pinning the demolition of the club on the stayaways will take more convincing than what you've said.

The point that is being missed here is before the demise became public, we were playing great stuff with cracking players against big teams and the crowds we got were pathetic, as far we knew at the time this was our best ever shot of the Prem so where were the crowds to see it?

We are not a big club or a sleeping giant, quiet frankly the people of Plymouth do not deserve top flight football.

Plymouth is not a real sporting city for sure, No top flight football, rugby or cricket.

Your post is odd as you seem to suggest if we got sucess that would be a bad thing as we would be sold up?

 

[memory man]

Holloway arguably put together the best Argyle side ever together. Like many angry the way it finished but have great memories of the open attacking style and a great period watching Argyle.

Please tell me when "ever" starts and finishes.