Ryan Lowe’s contract

[Sam Barker]

At this stage I’d be very surprised to see Blackpool, or any other side from higher up, be interested in coughing up the compo required to buy out Lowe’s contract.

We’re doing ok but we’re a long way off worrying about Lowe leaving.

 

[demportdave]

I’m genuinely astonished at how many on here are blind to the improvements in league one and two football in the last ten years. I excuse you if you’re under twenty five.

Until around 2010, it seemed to me all lower league clubs played 4-4-2, with the back line rarely under 6’2” and beefy with it. A pass out of defence was a rare event, route one was the tactic of choice, and any dilly-dallying at the back led to grumbles from the crowd. We remember the slick passing of the Shilton team because that was such a rare event In the third tier in those times.

I can think of three matches this season where the quality of our football, technically and tactically, matched anything in the Championship of fifteen years ago.

Add to this the improvements in playing surfaces, coaching skills with the quality of RL’s team as an example, and it’s no surprise we can’t just walk out of this league against inferior opposition. We older folk need to recognise how much it’s all changed, and for the better.

Just because the style of play has changed, it doesn’t necessarily follow that the standard of football is better.

Unlike at Championship level where the majority of goals are created by good attacking play, most of the goals scored in League 2 can be directly accredited to an obvious defensive mistake such as giving the ball away around your own penalty box and defenders not doing the basics.

The majority of goals that we have conceded have been as a result on an individual or collective error. The percentage of such goals diminishes as you go up the Leagues.

Like many teams in League 2 now, Argyle try to play out from the back, but it is all rather slow and predictable. Most teams push 3 players up when Palmer has the ball and we struggle to beat the press, often losing the ball in our own half or ending up passing it back to Palmer to launch it upfield.

When we do try and play “through the thirds”, we frequently lose possession and get caught on the counter attack, something that we have seen throughout the season. Fortunately, we are not punished to the extent that we should be because of the poor standard of finishing at League 2 level.

The reason that most players are in League 2 is that they are not great passers of the ball and the defenders in particular are not very comfortable with the ball at their feet.

 

[Knibbsworth]

Were Mick Heathcote or Graham Coughlan very comfortable with the ball at their feet?

 

[buck197]

The standard in L2 is much, much better than it was during the Fletcher & Sheridan days, that I’m sure of.

I was going back further to Kevin Hodge's side. I bet you're too young for that Cobi. The standard at that time was absolutely woeful.

Ah! But yes, the standard of lower league football has gradually improved over time but particularly in the last 10 years. One theory is that the increase in foreign players in the top flight (and therefore the increase in quality) & the championship has forced players who would previously have featured at a high level to filter down, improving the standard of the lower professional leagues. Granted, League 2 can still be pretty dismal at times, but it’s been a lot worse.

There is no rationale about why it’s better what I’d say through better training, diet and preparation that the players are fitter and better athletes. The skill level is about the same unless you have some Cobifacts to unfurl.

 

[demportdave]

Were Mick Heathcote or Graham Coughlan very comfortable with the ball at their feet?

They were first rate lower League defenders who rarely put a foot wrong and they were also leaders, but their respective Managers did not try and make them into some sort of Ronald Koeman.

I assume you would not swap Wootton or Canavan for either of them.

 

[Clarke B]

Warnock fourth divison team would have beaten Lowes Argyle good and proper!

We did leak lots of silly goals in that promotion season after Christmas under NW, just like this season but we generally looked more capable in every department apart from goalkeeper (where Palmer looks more efficient than Blackwell or Cherry) .

 

[EyeOpener]

In fact, how's this for a conspiracy theory. SH recognises that for us fans to believe in our manager the manager has to show that he believes in Argyle so they agree to a 3 year Contract and both talk about the need for the manager to move down here. The plan has always been for RL to do only one season (that's why Danny Mayor is only doing one season) so they write a release clause in the Contract. They keep the 'moving down here' story going half way through the season just so we don't lose belief and also say that we won't be discussing Contracts with players yet as we're focusing on the rest of the season. So SH and RL keep the fans on side, keep the fans thinking RL has bought into Argyle and committed himself and we then get promoted. We get what we want and so does SH and RL. Everyone is happy. RL and DM then say being away from home is harder than they thought and shift back up North having earned a tidy wad of cash for putting themselves out and we are left looking for another manager. Like I say, just a theory or is it? I guess time will tell.

What a load of nonsense.

Is it really? Didn't Lowe say he was bringing his family down when he signed? Didn't Hallett say something along the same lines when we were looking for a manager? Didn't Lowe say it again at the end of last year? Has his family moved down yet? Is DM on a one year Contract? Ask yourself those questions out loud and all of a sudden it doesn't seem so nonsensical at all. Like I said, time will tell.

 

[jimsing]

I agree with Balham.

You are very well named, PP!!

 

[Tony Flags]

If Ryan Lowe’s family are not in Plymouth yet they are 100% on their way.

You’ll have to trust me on how I know.

Some good news on a Tuesday.

 

[Devongreenowl]

A pass out of defence was a rare event, route one was the tactic of choice, and any dilly-dallying at the back led to grumbles from the crowd.

The last bit is still true today Mervyn.

Bang a gong, hit it long, cry the dinosaurs!!

 

[Purple Slug]

I read an article in The Football League paper recently, it was an interview with Ryan Lowe. He said that he planned to move the family down after Christmas but couldn't get his son and daughter in the same school, he has therefore decided to move them down in the summer. A quote from RL said that his family love Devon life.