Ryles on the Road

2009-03-31T03:25:00.001-07:00

IF ARGYLE should be relegated at the end of this campaign, there will be plenty of soul searching in the quest for the reasons behind their fall from grace.

Probably most telling, if such a fate befalls the club, will be the impact made by Paul Sturrock’s summer 2008 signings.

Filling the boots of Paul Wotton, Lilian Nalis, Peter Halmosi, Paul Connolly, Lee Hodges and Nick Chadwick, who all departed at the end of 2007/08, was never going to be an easy task. But to have had such little significant return from their replacements must be a cause of immense frustration for the Scotsman.

The earlier departures of Akos Buzsaky, David Norris, Dan Gosling and Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, just voted the Football League’s Championship player of the year, are still being rued, too.

Interestingly, of the batch of new arrivals only two (and one of those was a loanee) started against Burnley in the Greens’ last match before the international break.

It was also noticeable that Jamie Mackie was the only January 2008 signing in the starting XI, while Steve MacLean and Jim Paterson found themselves on the bench. Chris Clark and Yoann Folly were not even in the squad. And as for striker Emile Mpenza, it’s best not to get started on that one.

The issue was highlighted by the departures on loan last week of goalkeeper Graham Stack and midfielder-cum-maybe-centre-back Simon Walton.

With Jason Puncheon and Yannick Bolasie also out on loan, the only definitive success so far has been skipper Karl Duguid.

His position in the team – other than through injury – has never been in doubt during this campaign. David McNamee has illustrated through his bright and brief appearances why he was recruited by Luggy, but equally through his somewhat unfortunate injury record why Coventry were prepared to allow him to become out of contract.

A few brief cameos apart, Craig Noone has yet to prove he is of Championship standard, while on loan Manchester United defender Craig Cathcart has unquestionably been a success, but not somebody Argyle could afford to sign. And there is possibly the rub.

The Greens’ finances, such a hot topic of debate with suggestions of a Japanese takeover and cuts in staff at Home Park, have meant Sturrock has been forced to buy players with question marks hanging over them rather than costly, almost sure-fire successes.

Luggy’s concerns, financially and playing-wise, are illustrated by the need to field the five loan players who began the game against the Clarets. But for top scorer Paul Gallagher (pictured left), recruited on a season-long deal in late August, where would the Greens be now?

Whether they stay up or not, and hopefully they can reignite their season at Blackpool this coming Saturday, it is a situation that will need addressing this summer if Argyle are to see their fortunes return to an upward curve.

TALKING of loan players, for a lot of Argyle fans whenever they hear full-back David Gray’s name announced I’m sure they can’t but help think of the singer, and ironically Manchester United fan, of the same name.

On the principle that in times of trouble it’s a good thing to divert one’s attention from current problems, I couldn’t help but recall some other famous namesakes of Pilgrims down the years.

Some younger fans will probably struggle to remember the likes of David Lean, or the film-maker for that matter, and maybe even John Craven (television presenter) and Neville Chamberlain (prime minister), but (below) it makes for an interesting XI of cricketing (Brian Johnson, Fred Titmuss), political, acting (Wexford star George Baker, John Thomson, Keith Allen) and media figures (Ian Payne, Dougie Anderson).

Time to reflect

2009-03-17T03:38:00.000-07:00

TWELVE or 13 hours on the road is a long time to reflect on Argyle’s struggles and a second successive 1-0 defeat has certainly plunged the club into real relegation trouble.

Much like the madness that might strike those marooned on a desert island, for all but the most optimistic, morose thoughts were sure to be part of their return journey from Norwich. On the back of two timid defeats, signs of doom and gloom become easier to see.

Once again, you recall the chilling statistic about teams that finish 10th in this division. The last three teams (Millwall, Luton and Colchester), and in fact four of the past five, to have finished in that position have been relegated the following season. And who were 10th last year? Yes, Argyle.

Parallels between those three clubs are easy to draw, especially the latter two, who like Argyle rose from the lower divisions but struggled when bigger spenders began buying up their talent.

More worryingly, when you start your 700th mile of the day you recall the previous relegations you’ve seen and a bizarre thread emerges – teams that begin with B. In 1992, Blackburn sent Argyle down on the last day of the season at Home Park; in 1995, Bournemouth sealed the Greens’ fate and who can forget 1998 (Burnley) at Turf Moor?

And when you return home a morbid glance through the record books reveals that the 1968 relegation was confirmed with a draw at Blackburn. A 7-1 defeat at Bury in 1956 sent the Greens down, while a 4-1 reverse at Barnsley in 1950 brought the club’s first demotion since their elevation to the Football League ranks.

In fact, all but one of the club’s seven relegations has been confirmed by sides that begin with B. And who have Argyle got in their final fixture of this season – relegation rivals Barnsley at Home Park, with games against Burnley, Blackpool and Birmingham before that date!

With omens like that, I just hope the Greens have secured their Championship status before the last day of the season!

TALKING of omens, it is never a good sign when people can’t even spell the name of you club properly. The firm that provided Argyle with transport to Carrow Road on Saturday were obviously a bit unsure of the club’s correct spelling so decided to play it safe by opting for a mix Argyle/Argyll.

ARGYLE’S losses at Swansea and Norwich have undone much of the good work built up over the previous four unbeaten games.

One of the biggest concerns from the defeat in East Anglia was that not only was it another case of meekly surrendering to a relegation rival, but one which featured probably manager Paul Sturrock’s first choice XI.

With free-scoring Burnley the next visitors to Home Park, the Greens will need to raise their game considerably to arrest their most recent slump, part of which, it might be hoped, is down to fatigue brought on by a spell of five games in 15 days.

A midweek free of Championship football will, hopefully, give Sturrock the chance to refresh and reinvigorate his troops just as he did at the time of the Crystal Palace game when the Greens’ prospects were looking as bleak.

Quality will be shown

2009-03-10T03:38:00.000-07:00

ARGYLE are likely to face a test of their new-found resilience – and the quality of their squad – with back-to-back away games at Swansea and Norwich this week.

If there was the smallest tinge of disappointment they couldn’t take maximum points from their home double against Watford and Reading, it was tempered by the knowledge that most of the Green Army would have taken a return of four points from those fixtures.

Having played three of the top six and in-form Watford during their four-game unbeaten run, an eight-point haul has breathed new life into Argyle’s bid for Championship survival.

However, the trips to South Wales tonight and East Anglia this coming Saturday will be a severe examination of the endurance of Argyle’s squad after the hard physical exertions they have had to go through to achieve results against Wolves, Watford and Reading.

There is little doubt Argyle boss Paul Sturrock would like to keep his side relatively unchanged from those he has sent out over the last week or so.
But unfortunately injuries seem likely to break up the most effective unit put out since November.

So much of Argyle’s recent revival has been built on the form and commitment of the club’s loan players. With Paul Gallagher and Craig Cathcart making early exits from the game against Reading, and doubtful for tonight’s fixture, Sturrock now needs more of his ‘own’ men to step up to the task.

The fragility of Argyle’s position is highlighted, too, with the knowledge that midfielder Carl Fletcher’s initial one-month loan period expires after this week’s matches against Swansea and Norwich.
Such has been the Wales international’s impact in the centre of the field, the Greens desperately need him to remain at Home Park for at least another month.

If the club can keep the majority of their loan players – and the likes of Romain Larrieu and Marcel Seip – fit and available between now and the end of the season the odds would appear to be in favour of the Greens extending their good run and retaining Championship football.

A return of another four points from the next two games would go a significant way towards that aim. One tonight against Swansea and three against relegation rivals Norwich – a ‘six-pointer’ if ever there was one – would take the Greens to 47 and within touching distance of safety.

Swansea, although eighth in the table, have drawn their last three games against fellow-strugglers Forest, Derby and Charlton, which must give Argyle hope they can achieve a similar result.

The trip to Norfolk, with Norwich on a run of one win in nine games before their clash with Cardiff at Carrow Road tonight, must be a fixture that the Greens target to win, or certainly not lose, in their bid to stay up.
Thankfully, Argyle’s future is still in their own hands.

MANAGERS are always looking for the big man up front, but I think Wolves may be taking things a little too far.

Not content with fielding the giant figure of Chris Iwelumo at Molineux, manager Mick McCarthy seems to be using a little artificial help to boost the height of Wolves’ squad.

I’M SURE most fans will welcome the prize freeze on ‘early bird’ season ticket prices for 2009/10, and especially the ‘free’ entry for under-10s.

In the midst of the country’s wider economic difficulties and falling gates, the club has undoubtedly faced a downturn in income through the turnstiles this season. The success of the price cutting measures for Saturday’s game against Reading will hopefully encourage the club to be as positive as possible in trying to encourage people to come to Home Park and it is hard to see how in the current financial climate they could have done much more in terms of season ticket costs.

2009-03-03T09:25:00.000-08:00

FIVE years ago today, with Argyle on the verge of promotion to what has become the Championship, it was revealed that manager Paul Sturrock was set to leave Home Park to join Southampton.

At the time there was a widespread feeling of loss as Luggy prepared to leave the Greens. It is ironic, therefore, that on the very same date the Scotsman should have the chance to secure his future as Argyle boss second time around when many of those who were begging him to stay in March 2004 were willing him to leave in 2009.

Victory at Championship leaders Wolves on Saturday not only brought the win that has been so elusive these past couple of months, but has provided the opportunity tonight against Watford at Home Park to make further strides towards more Championship football next season.

While teams around Argyle might also have claimed unexpected wins at the weekend, it should not take the gloss off the Greens’ victory. When you are out of the bottom three, matching the results of those below is ultimately all that matters. And it is not hard to imagine the reaction of Argyle’s relegation rivals to a result they would have considered almost unthinkable.

On the face of it, it was an unlikely outcome given Argyle’s struggles, but the home side’s recent travails offered hope for the visitors. If the portents for a clash between the division’s two most out-of-form clubs suggested a dull, scrappy affair, it proved to be anything but from the moment a resurgent Paul Gallagher put Argyle ahead inside the first minute.

And if we were to make reference again to Sturrock’s first spell in charge, it would be appropriate to compare the nature of the victory over Wolves to any of those great rearguard actions the Scotsman’s sides produced in fighting their way up from the League’s basement to the verge of the Championship.

It was a performance of effort, commitment and organisation throughout the side in which no one let their team-mates or the Green Army down. In singling out the likes of Gallagher, Carl Fletcher, Marcel Seip and Ashley Barnes for special praise it is not a slight on their colleagues’ performances but a reflection of the excellence of their own endeavours.

Taking Barnes as an example, for one so young and inexperienced, his display almost served as a master class in the not so dark arts of the targetman’s role – win the ball in the air, link play on the ground and generally prove a nuisance to the opposition’s central defenders.

And across the side, unlike so many of the elevens that have been put out since the Greens began to dip through form, fitness and fluctuating formations, on Saturday Argyle boasted a solid spine running throughout the team: Romain Larrieu in goal, Seip in the heart of defence, Fletcher anchoring in midfield and Barnes providing greater ball retention up front.

It is a blueprint for success the Greens will need to follow between now and May to ensure their survival, for if they fail to back it up with wins against the likes of Watford it will have been a result and performance in vain.

However, for now it was an injection of morale to follow the second half display against Crystal Palace and the draw against Sheffield United, and enough to suggest progress is being made in the right direction.

Argyle will need all that harmony and unity built up over the last few games and the continued – and almost unbelievably positive – backing of the Green Army tonight.

It is on their own patchy home turf that Argyle’s troubles have surfaced all season in nervous, edgy displays that have made visiting Plymouth a less than usually taxing experience for the opposition.

A return of four or more points from the games against Watford and Reading really could put Argyle on the verge of equalling the six successive seasons of second tier football they enjoyed in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Deep chill

2009-02-10T09:22:00.000-08:00

MOST parts of the country have been hit by the big freeze at some time or other in early 2009 and it is safe to say that Argyle are now suffering their very own deep chill on the pitch.
If battling draws at Ipswich and Preston hinted at a thaw in the Greens’ frosty form, they slipped up on the footballing equivalent of black ice on Saturday against relegation rivals Derby County. And just as in the previous home game against Bristol City, they were eventually snowed under by a flurry of basic defensive errors.
The Greens’ struggles have received a surprisingly cool reception from the stands too. Given Argyle’s current form – one win in 13 league games – you would have expected the heat to be turned up at Home Park. But the odd brief round of booing and a few more early exits apart, the reaction to the Greens’ continuing struggles has been fairly muted.
Now that is either a testament to the high esteem in which manager Paul Sturrock (pictured below) is still held after his achievements during his first stint in charge at the club or evidence of a weary acceptance by the dwindling fanbase of the club’s potential fate. It is hard to believe that fans of clubs like Stoke or Hull, similarly sized if currently elevated to the Premier League, would take such a string of home results in a largely sanguine manner.
Whether that is healthy or not, I’m not quite sure. Should the Green Army be applauded for its patience or should we be loudly demanding better? In fact, the mood at Home Park stands in stark contrast to the reactions when Argyle last faced a struggle like this during their first season in the Championship under Bobby Williamson.
The causes of Argyle’s current struggles – and they are experiencing their worst run of results since the relegation season of 1997/98 – are many and complex but chief among them are a relative shortage of financial clout and a clutch of ‘big money’ signings that have to date failed to enhance a squad in the process of being rebuilt.
Those financial constrictions mean that the club can afford few mistakes, but alas the Greens find themselves in the position of having made far too many for comfort. Sacking Sturrock looks a less likely and worthwhile action with every week that passes. Given that the ability to bring players in is diminished not only by the closure of the transfer window for permanent signings but also budgetary concerns, change for change’s sake still seems a gamble too far at this time. How such a move pans out at Portsmouth will be instructive too.
However, on the back of a defeat from a ‘must-win’ game, it is hard to see where the next three-pointer is going to come from and that is something the Greens’ coaching staff will need to rectify and quickly if Argyle are going to avoid sliding into the bottom three.
Perhaps, given Argyle’s struggles at home, a winter warmer is more likely to come on their travels and there will be no better opportunity to do so than on a trip to The Valley to face Charlton.

ANYBODY needing a lift after the disappointment at the weekend could do worse, weather permitting, than heading to Home Park tomorrow night for the next round of the FA Youth Cup.
After their fine run to last season’s quarter-finals, the young Greens have another chance to reach the last eight of the competition. With the incentive for victory against Tottenham Hotspur a further home tie against yet another London side, in the form of Arsenal, it should be an entertaining encounter.

Winter break

2009-01-27T13:10:00.000-08:00

WITH Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson again calling for a winter break for Premier League clubs, his compatriot, Argyle boss Paul Sturrock, might be forgiven for thinking the Football League has already beaten him to it.

With just two games, and one of those a cup tie, in the first 26 days of January, it has been a particularly fragmented time for the Greens, especially as tonight’s match against Bristol City is the first at Home Park in more than a month.

Following a sequence of poor results, the scarcity of games has seen the lacklustre Greens heading painfully in the wrong direction in the table. However, Argyle can go a long way to relieving the pressure that has been building with victory in the West Country derby.

A first home league win against City since August 2002 would put right a lot of the concerns that have arisen since the Boxing Day victory against Southampton and move Argyle up a place or two in the Championship table from their current 16th position.

With 19 games remaining this season, the Greens should be looking to collect six or seven wins from those fixtures in order to secure a sixth successive campaign of Championship football.

They won’t have many better opportunities to do so than against tonight’s opponents, who are a place and two points above them.

This season Argyle – with just one win in their last 10 games – have a pretty good record in Tuesday night fixtures, registering three wins and two draws from their six midweek games. With the bottom three now just six points below the Greens, that is about as close as they would like to see the gap.

Injuries and suspensions in recent weeks have not helped Sturrock’s cause, but Charlton’s departure from the FA Cup at the hands of Sheffield United, which ensures the original date of their match against Argyle, Saturday, February 14, remains, has been one of the few pieces of luck to go Argyle’s way this season.
However, Luggy (pictured left) could also do with a bit of assistance when it comes to selecting a team pattern that can lift the Greens from their current malaise.
Just as he found an approach that helped to fire the club up the Championship table back in September, so he now needs to work a similar feat – and quickly.

Three points tonight would also go some way towards lifting the cloud that seems to have engulfed Home Park recently, with the mood seeming to shift at times between anger and resigned apathy.

Much of the talk among supporters has centred on Sturrock’s position – just as it did before that excellent run that started at Vicarage Road. Hopefully, as on that occasion, he can again banish suggestions that he should depart Home Park – but with six of the eight teams below Argyle in the table experiencing managerial changes already this season, the Championship is an unforgiving division for the bosses of struggling sides.

With Luggy openly stating there will be no more permanent signings this season, and continually reiterating the club are running over their playing budget, there would seem to be little scope for a replacement to wheel and deal in the transfer market should the Scotsman be replaced. With that being the case, you would have to question whether any change would represent little more than a gambler’s throw of the dice. What is certain, though, is that a continuation of this current poor run over the next few weeks would give the club’s board cause for thought in that direction.

THE guest speaker at the Senior Greens’ January meeting on Thursday is Argyle’s goalkeeper and longest-serving player Romain Larrieu.
Having served under four different managers, twice won promotion and overcome serious illness and injury during his eight years in Devon, there is plenty for the popular Frenchman to talk about. The meeting is at 2pm in the Far Post Club at Home Park. All are welcome.

Decision was right

2009-01-13T06:57:00.001-08:00

NOT EVERYBODY would have been pleased with the timing of the postponement of Saturday’s game against Crystal Palace, but I think the club and referee Rob Shoebridge deserve praise for making an early – and probably ultimately inevitable – decision to call off the match.

There will be fans who will grumble about the early call off or the effectiveness of the pitch covers, but I don’t think realistically there was much more the club or the referee could have done.

In the light of unreliable forecasts that predicted a thaw that failed to arrive in time, taking decisive action to prevent home and away fans from travelling any further than necessary was a sensible move.
Given the number of home fans that travel upwards of 50 miles – including those whose journeys are in the hundreds – it was not just an aid to Palace supporters.

Leaving the decision as late they did at Cardiff would probably only have increased the outcry. And other than spending hundreds of thousands of pounds on under-soil heating for a scenario that has arisen just three times this decade– and prompting moans that the money should have been spent on the team – there was little more that could have been done to save the game.

Whatever the rights and wrongs of the call off, it has left the club with a problem or two.
With apologies to fans of Crystal Palace, from an Argyle perspective hopefully Leicester can do the Greens a favour and dump the Eagles out of the FA Cup tomorrow and give both clubs a chance to rearrange the game for January 24, the weekend of the fourth round.

Argyle need both the cash from a home game and the chance to pick up some points, given the number of away games they have got coming up. If Palace do progress in the cup a full month without a home game is a significant hindrance.

One the plus side, fortunately the weekend’s other results didn’t do Argyle too much damage in the table. But with just one win in their last eight games the Greens need every opportunity they can get to kick start their season and ensure that they don’t slip into the Championship danger zone, let alone think of ambitions towards the top of the table.

ARGYLE will return to the scene of one of their greatest triumphs since their elevation to the Championship this coming Saturday.

The last time the Greens were at the City Ground in April 2005 they produced a scintillating performance to register a 3-0 win that went a long way to ensuring their Championship survival.

A repeat performance, especially after losing their game to the big freeze on Saturday, would be more than welcome and the Greens can only hope that Nottingham Forest defender Wes Morgan (pictured above), who seems to succumb to some form of mental aberration whenever he faces Argyle, is included in their line up!

ANYBODY frustrated at missing out on their Argyle fix at the weekend could do worse, weather permitting, than heading to Home Park tonight for the next round of the FA Youth Cup.

After their fine run to last season’s quarter-finals, and victory against Fulham in the last round, the young Greens are proving to be a team to avoid in the competition. With the incentive for victory against Millwall a further home tie against yet another London side, in the form of either Charlton or Tottenham, tonight’s game should be an entertaining affair.

ARGYLE’S FA Cup tie at Arsenal naturally attracted the Green Army in their thousands to the Emirates Stadium and among their ranks it was intriguing to see the number of ex-Pilgrims in the crowd.

Given the popularity of Masters football, televised extensively on Sky Sports, with the likes of Rhys Wilmot, Lilian Nalis, Paul Wotton, Kevin Nancekivell, Mickey Evans and Ian Stonebridge in attendance, the Greens could have boasted a handy little five or six-a-side outfit for a spot of pre-match entertainment.

Arsenal v Argyle

2009-01-06T06:58:00.000-08:00

IN 2005 Arsenal won their 10th FA Cup. In the same year, the Greens claimed the Plymouth Argyle Cup on their pre-season tour of Sweden. On the face of it, therefore, suggestions that there is much in common between the clubs seem faintly ridiculous.

Only a fool, surely, would make comparisons between a club who can boast the magnificent 60,000 all-seater Emirates Stadium and one who call Home Park home, where just a third of that capacity can squeeze in.

When it comes to ambitions they are poles apart, too. Arsenal chase the Champions League; Championship survival or, on a good day, the play-offs would suit many in the Green Army.

The Gunners can pay their star names tens of thousands of pounds. On a good week, with a following wind, the Greens’ reputed highest earner Emile Mpenza would do well to pick up £10,000 – not that that’s a bad sum to you and me.

But beyond that, at heart, the two are not that dissimilar. And Saturday’s trip to north London, when the gallant Greens were edged out of the FA Cup by the Gunners, offered one or two clues in that direction.

Off the pitch the two clubs are run on that quaint, old fashioned principle that you should only spend what you earn. Arsenal’s sole – but admittedly extensive – debt is tied to their new home. That it generates much greater income than Highbury ever could means their strategy is no more unsound than Argyle purchasing the freehold of Home Park.

Similarly, competing against those prepared to stretch their overdrafts to fund expensive signings has been a problem for both clubs. Financially, too, each have a necessity to maintain the status quo. Arsenal need Champions League football to pay their wages; Argyle require Championship status to meet their own burgeoning bills.

On the pitch, both clubs are led by men who can rightly be regarded as among the best – if not the best – managers in their club’s long histories. Arsene Wenger and, especially in his first stint in charge, Paul Sturrock rejuvenated underachieving teams when they took over.

Above all, though, now the clubs are in transition.
That much was apparent in Arsenal’s display on Saturday. Where Argyle have had to adjust to the departures of the likes of Sylvan Ebanks-Blake and David Norris, Arsenal have found it equally hard to replace players of the calibre of Thierry Henry and Patrick Vieira. The replacements at both clubs, many young and raw, have yet to mature to the levels of their predecessors and inconsistency has been a problem. As Wenger has nursed his youthful talent, so Sturrock is gradually blooding his own in Craig Noone.

However, perhaps Arsenal’s biggest weakness is over elaboration and the squandering of chances; Argyle’s, maybe, is dropping concentration levels as they did in that mad first five minutes of the second half when they fatally dented their otherwise bright, spirited efforts to match the Gunners. At least their worthy endeavours were rewarded, as were the 9,000-strong Green Army, with Karl Duguid’s goal and the fact the tie was alive until its latter stages.

Most of all, though, both clubs need the patience of their supporters. With expectations raised by recent success, demands have been expressed loudly for more of the same. But when you can’t just buy progress, it takes a little longer.

While the triumphant Gunners kept their hopes of silverware alive on Saturday, the Greens must return to their league campaign with endeavours of similar fortitude to that displayed at the Emirates.

2008-12-22T08:52:00.000-08:00

WITH this being the season of goodwill, perhaps it is not the time to spoil the festive mood with a rant about the quality of Argyle’s current performances and results.
A six-game winless run has dampened spirits faster than unwanted relatives – or Ian Holloway and Peter Swan – popping by on Boxing Day.
But rather than play Scrooge, let’s look at a Christmas wish list for Santa Claus that would lift the mood at Home Park.
INJURY FREE: Argyle are crying out for a fit Karl Duguid (pictured left) to be restored to the midfield. Calm and steady, his importance has only really become apparent in his absence. A consistently injury-free David McNamee would be a welcome change for both player and manager Paul Sturrock alike. His greater attacking potency from full-back would give Argyle another option and allow Chris Clark to be deployed in midfield. Similar hopes could also be expressed for the return of striker Emile Mpenza to add to the Greens’ firepower.
LOAN ARRANGER: Ensuring that loan duo Craig Cathcart and Paul Gallagher are still with the club in the final months of the season would appear to be a vital task. Cathcart has been remarkably cool and consistent for a 19-year-old and has brought the best out of Marcel Seip this season when they have been paired in the centre of defence. Gallagher, whether in or out of form, has given Argyle a potent goal threat with a work-rate to match. Without his goals, where would the Greens be now?
WINGING IT: Surely now, when the Greens are struggling to find the back of the net, the time has come for the bold introduction of winger Craig Noone from the start of a game.
CROWD TROUBLE: As club chairman Paul Stapleton highlighted in The Herald yesterday, it would be nice to see a few more faces regularly in the stands at Home Park. However, given the current economic climate and the entertainment value being offered at home I’m not sure that is too likely just yet.
MEN IN THE MIDDLE: The centre of midfield must remain the source of the biggest concern for Luggy. Duguid and Luke Summerfield (pictured right) have battled manfully all season in that department, but the skipper’s injury has highlighted a key weakness in the squad when one or the other of those two is absent. Competition for places and the option to change personnel and style during a game dictate the Greens must look to strengthen in this area. Excluding the likes of Jim Paterson and Cathcart who have temporarily filled in in the middle, other expensive acquisitions have hardly covered themselves in glory.
COMING BACK: Seeing Argyle win a match after going behind would be well received too. The last time the Green Army enjoyed that feeling was against Queens Park Rangers on Boxing Day 2007. The only other occasion in the last two seasons was against Hull on the opening day of the 2007/8 campaign. Unfortunately, we no longer have the man who grabbed the winners in both games – Sylvan Ebanks-Blake.
GUNNING FOR IT: Hopefully the Greens will give a good account of themselves at the Emirates next month in front of what will be one of the biggest crowds in the club’s history. A good result – whatever that might be – could provide a big lift, while a heavy defeat might have lasting consequences.
LOOKING EAST: This year we need to see the first fruits of the club’s Japanese partnership to offset diminishing income through the turnstiles. If it proves successful on the pitch all sorts of other commercial benefits could come Argyle’s way.
MARKET FORCES: Luggy needs to be given whatever resources the board can afford to continue remodelling the squad to his liking. As recent games indicate, there is still a way to go before the club reach the top of this cycle.
CHRISTMAS CHEER: In the short-term, picking up four or more points from their games against Southampton and Cardiff would help banish the blues that have taken root again during the last half dozen games.
STAYING POWER: Most important of all, though, for the long-term future, by hook or by crook, the Greens need to be in the Championship next August.
Merry Christmas.

2008-12-02T12:48:00.000-08:00

IF THERE were few positives to be drawn from Argyle’s defeat against Blackpool, the FA Cup third round draw which will send the Greens to the Emirates next month certainly provided a welcome tonic.
Given Argyle’s current home form, perhaps it is for the best that the Greens will travel to the capital rather than entertaining the Gunners at Home Park!
Financially, too, especially after Saturday’s gate of 9,969, it will be a shot in the arm and hopefully provide the club with greater scope to help Argyle boss Paul Sturrock to continue remoulding his squad. And many among that crowd of less than 10,000 will believe that despite Argyle’s good position in the table, and the very healthy points total already accumulated, the Scotsman still needs all the assistance he can get to improve his playing resources.
If the massed ranks of the Green Army will travel to the Emirates with their side ranked as overwhelming underdogs, at home in the Championship Argyle’s better than anticipated campaign has again generated high expectations to a point where, as happened 12 months ago, defeat at home seems to provoke cries of crisis.
The Greens’ somewhat topsy-turvy form is a reflection both of the nature of the current squad and the ultra competitive division they are in. The Championship has become arguably the most interesting and evenly contested of the top four tiers of English football and long may it continue.
Not only does that allow relative small fry like Argyle to punch above its weight against bigger and better supported rivals, but guarantees that no game, even at home, is a banker if performances are below par. Frustrating at times it might be, but that is the nature of the competition.FOR anybody for whom the Cup draw has not cleared all the blues from Saturday’s defeat to Blackpool, perhaps a trip to Home Park tonight to see the club’s under-18s in action against Fulham in the FA Youth Cup might just do it.
After their superb run to the quarter-finals last season, the young Greens certainly deserve as much support as they can get against the Cottagers.
IT IS good to see that Argyle boss Paul Sturrock has not lost his sense of humour after a year back in the Home Park hot-seat – and how Luggy would have needed to call upon that very quality on Saturday evening.
A quick glance at the final paragraph of the Dundee United legend’s programme notes for the game against the Seasiders revealed that the man who brought tangerine to the West Country obviously has a soft spot for the colours sported by the Lancastrians!
MANCHESTER United are rarely backward in coming forward to herald their triumphs, so it was surprising to note on the Senior Greens’ recent trip to Old Trafford that the club’s otherwise excellent museum has yet to add its third European Cup/Champions League title to its roll of honour (pictured). Then again, perhaps United are so confident of retaining the trophy that they figure they will wait until next May and add two to their list instead.
TALKING of the Senior Greens’ trip to Old Trafford, when Argyle complete phase two of the stadium redevelopment, hopefully with a bar or café for fans included, perhaps they could borrow this novel idea from United’s Red Café.
My own personal ‘seat’ nominations might include Mariner or Tynan 9, but what a great way to recognise the club’s legends, perhaps with a fans’ poll to vote in a Greens’ hall (or chair) of fame.

What a year!

2008-11-21T09:49:00.000-08:00

ON FRIDAY it will be a year since Ian Holloway handed in his resignation as Argyle manager to take charge of Leicester City. And what a year it has been for the 45-year-old Bristolian and for the Greens.
In the weeks leading up to his departure, Holloway questioned fans’ commitment and prophesised gloom and doom at Home Park, predicting the break up of the then Argyle squad.
Bankrolled by Milan Mandaric, Holloway opted to chase his own dream of reaching the Premier League, and earned a nice little pay rise too, at Leicester.
At the time of his appointment, ‘Ollie’ spoke of wanting to be taken seriously, but ultimately he seriously underestimated the size of the task at the Walkers Stadium. Consequently, his managerial career imploded as did the Foxes’ hopes of Championship survival.
In one crucial respect Holloway was correct; Argyle’s squad did break up in the middle of a stuttering chase for a play-off position. But now we can look back with the benefit of hindsight and say that the dissolution of that group was inevitable whoever was in charge at Home Park.
Fortunately, it has probably been to the Greens’ advantage that the Bristolian left when he did. Given his struggles to work successfully with squads not to his liking at Queens Park Rangers and Leicester, where he steered both sides to relegation from the second tier, it is frightening to think where Argyle might have been had an unhappy Holloway remained in charge.
In his replacement, Paul Sturrock, the Greens could have had no better man to steer them through a rebuilding process that remains far from complete. With a squad unlikely to rank as the most talented in the club’s history, he has managed once again to fashion a side capable of grinding out wins and draws when not playing at their best.
Since his return, Luggy has replicated the formula for picking up results on the road that worked so successfully during his first spell in charge of Argyle. Victory at the Ricoh Arena highlighted that point. In fact, so successful have the Greens been away from Home Park, only Wolves have won more games on their travels in the Championship this season.
Once again, a late, late goal snatched a win when 0-0 looked the almost certain outcome after a gritty, hard-working performance. Although a point might have been a fair result for both sides, the visitors still probably created the better chances overall despite not hitting top gear.
However, there are obviously other areas of concern that will occupy Sturrock’s thoughts. Firstly, work on remoulding the squad is likely to continue in January and next summer. But perhaps the biggest challenge is to find the key to a pattern of play that will produce performances to reward those who only see their football at Home Park.Hopefully, we might see the first signs of it this coming Saturday with the visit of Cardiff City.
I AM not sure what message this logo (pictured above) advertising the casino inside the Ricoh Arena sends out?
We have heard of footballers in true cliché-speak being ‘as sick as a parrot’ when interviewed after games so perhaps it is an all-too-truthful warning of what to expect from your evening’s gambling.
IF RECENT advice to Paul Sturrock has been in regard to his use of substitutes, this week’s postbag is sure to reflect strong wishes on who should start against Cardiff.
After the Argyle boss admitted receiving multiple letters questioning the timing and extent of his substitutions, how ironic it should be that the Greens’ two most recent goals should come via men introduced from the bench.
A week after Emile Mpenza rescued a point against Charlton at Home Park, super sub Craig Noone grabbed all three for Argyle against Coventry.
The Green Army has been waiting for weeks for a demonstration of the young winger’s talent and calls for Noone and Mpenza to start against Cardiff are sure to be made in abundance.

Confused emotions

2008-11-14T02:41:00.000-08:00

ARGYLE’S 2-2 draw with Charlton was one of those games that produced a confusion of emotions at the final whistle.
Should we have been angry and frustrated at two points thrown away or joyous and relieved at a point rescued so deep into added time?
The game encapsulated so much of Argyle’s season so far. The Greens grab the opening goal of the game and gradually retreat with the sole purpose of defending their lead. Such a strategy becomes hazardous as they sit back and try to defend their advantage, dropping deeper and deeper and inviting teams on to them.
Although it might frustrate, worry and puzzle fans – and has not made for the prettiest spectacle to watch, especially at home – it has undoubtedly been effective, allowing a set of makeshift teams to scrap doggedly for the 22 points that they now have.
That is a very good return for a team still in development, far from the finished article to match our ever-rising expectations. It is a squad that currently has more potency in defence and attack than in midfield where combinations and personnel have either yet to gel or individuals impose themselves on the club since their arrival.
After 16 games of last season, following a victory at Home Park over Norwich, the Greens were just two points and four places better off than they are now, with a manager who told us we were seeing the best football we had ever seen in these parts.
But perhaps the most telling statistic is that of the starting 11 a year ago, nine did not line up against Charlton on Saturday – and eight are no longer at the club.
Despite heavy recruitment in January and during the summer, for an assortment of reasons, the task of rebuilding the squad remains incomplete. Too many players are not in realistic contention for starting roles or are failing to deliver performances their transfer fees or wages merit.
For manager Paul Sturrock it is a situation he is surely only too aware of, but rectifying it will require him to trim his squad before he is able to remould certain parts of the team. Although performances might not suggest it, the Greens are probably only a couple of players short of being once again contenders for the play-offs, such is the competitive, close nature of the Championship.
And given where Argyle were after the Norwich game back in early September, the recent ‘ugly’ accumulation of points, despite the quality of the ‘entertainment’ provided, is a more welcome state of affairs than meek capitulation.
Whether we as fans like it or not, it is a time for patience and scrapping for every point possible to assure Championship survival and that must take a greater short-term priority than anything else.
ON DAYS like today, when we mark the sacrifices made by Service men and women over the course of the last 90-odd years, it seems the height of triviality to build the consequence of a mere football match into something of great importance.
It is after all only 22 men kicking a ball around a field, but the fact that we can play such games is a testament to those who sacrificed life and limb for liberty and the privileges we enjoy on this island.
If it was not to protect our way of life, what would have been the point of their bravery?
WITH costings for the ‘South Stand redevelopment’ scheduled to be revealed to the club by late December, it is interesting to see how other clubs are developing their stadiums with a view to what we might expect at Home Park.
With the possibility of a hotel being included in ‘Phase Two’, perhaps what we could eventually see at Home Park will resemble the facility under construction in one of the corners of Sheffield United’s Bramall Lane stadium.
Such a revenue generating development has become even more vital for the club given declining gates at Home Park.

Championship is no longer a marathon but a series of short sprints

2008-10-07T09:38:00.001-07:00

TRADITIONALLY, we have been told by football folk that the English season is a marathon, not a sprint. Well... since the advent of the international break, for clubs in the Premier League and Championship it seems to be a marathon comprised of a series of short sprints.

For the Greens, this most recent burst of activity has certainly been an eventful one:

Saturday, September 13
Argyle 1, Norwich 2

Coming out of the previous international break with spirits buoyed by a decent performance at Burnley and the signings of Paul Gallagher, Emile Mpenza and Nicolas Marin, the Green Army saw one of the worst Argyle performances at Home Park in a long time. To state that the one-goal margin of defeat flattered the home side would be the understatement of the century. Disorganised, dispirited and directionless, it was the undoubted low point of the season so far.

After the previous disappointment at home to Swansea in front of the Sky TV cameras, the doubts had not simply crept in about the Greens’ chances of staying up but had bashed their way through a brick wall, with many fans questioning how long Paul Sturrock would remain in charge.

If not down and out, Argyle were on the ropes, occupying the bottom place in the Championship.

Tuesday, September 16
Watford 1, Argyle 2

If Argyle fans were baffled by team selection for the game against the Canaries, they were dumbfounded when the line-ups for the match at Vicarage Road were announced. Seven changes raised plenty of eyebrows and unquestionably reflected Sturrock’s anger with some of his big-money signings. A bold move that hinted at first of desperation ultimately proved to be inspired.

The Greens went back to basics, with effort trumping ability, not that Sturrock’s men fell too short in that department either. Repeating the outcome of Argyle’s last trip to the Hornets, much of the damage from the previous weekend was undone and a number of high-profile players were left with a lot of soul-searching to undertake.

As surprising as it was euphoric, it was a night that carried all the hallmarks of the spirit and endeavour that had previously brought turning-point victories at Bury in 1995 and Rushden and Diamonds in 2001.

A first win of the season and the Greens were off the bottom and out of the relegation places in 20th position.

Saturday, September 20
Crystal Palace 1, Argyle 2

Carrying on from where they left off against Watford, Argyle stormed into another 2-0 lead with a sound game plan and players prepared to give their all for the manager. Exploiting the home side’s deficiencies, and with two superb strikes from the on-loan Gallagher, the Greens were more than worth their second victory in the space of five days and moved up to 18th spot in the table.

Saturday, September 27
Argyle 1, Nottingham Forest 0

Argyle overcame Forest and the nerves that had come to characterise their play at Home Park. Not pretty but effective, the result justified the means and brought the Greens their first home win of the campaign.

Resisting the urge to make changes, with Marin and Mpenza still restricted to the bench, Sturrock wasn’t let down by his charges who produced a result far more important than any performance could have been.

Up and running at home and sneaking into the top half of the table in 12th position, it was now time for one of their most highly-charged away games of the season, the battle for West Country pride at Ashton Gate.

Tuesday, September 30
Bristol City 2, Argyle 2

The ultimate game of two halves as the visitors tore into the Bristolians, establishing a 2-0 lead before 20 minutes had elapsed with the whole starting 11 energised and packing a punch in attack. Goals from Jamie Mackie and Rory Fallon, performing as consistently well as he has done in an Argyle shirt, took the Greens in at half time in buoyant mood.

Pressured increasingly by the home side as the second period wore on, it was with some relief, despite the disappointment of surrendering their lead, that Argyle and their followers ventured back down the M5 with a point and holding on to 12th position after a marvellous evening’s football.

Saturday, October 4
Argyle 4, Sheffield Wednesday 0

Four goals, the most since March 2005, Luggy’s 100th win as Argyle manager and fifth place in the table were the milestones that signalled the completion of a remarkable turnaround since the last international break.

Restoring home pride and hopefully putting an end to the struggles at home, a template for success has been established and the only low point was the poor crowd of 10,795, which was boosted by more than a 1,000 Wednesday fans.

Now we just have to wait for the next sprint to begin and hope for more of the same from our new speedsters.

Wes Morgan and the long Walk of Shame

2008-09-30T11:37:00.001-07:00

MORE of the same must be the ongoing message from Argyle boss Paul Sturrock after the Greens picked up their third win a row at home against Nottingham Forest on Saturday.

More of the same in terms of recent results and commitment, and more of the same that brought victory against Bristol City at Ashton Gate in March.

Saturday’s success was marked not by an outstanding performance, as were those at Vicarage Road and Selhurst Park, but by dogged determination to overcome the nerves and inhibitions that currently characterise Argyle’s displays at Home Park.

Returning with three points from the Robins tonight, it goes without saying, would be better than nice, but for the longer term health of the team another home win this coming weekend against Sheffield Wednesday is probably far more important.

That the Greens have been propelled into the top half of the table on the back of those three wins is an unexpected bonus, particularly for the morale of a team still finding their feet.

Since the debacle of their previous home fixture, the Greens look more organised and disciplined by the game.

A four-point return from the two games before the next international break would turn what was looking like a rather ominous start to the campaign into an altogether more reassuring prospect.

FORMER England manager Graham Taylor famously didn’t like orange and it would come as no surprise if Nottingham Forest defender Wes Morgan muttered to himself, ‘Do I not like green’, as he made his way off the Home Park turf in inglorious isolation on Saturday.

Perhaps Morgan would be well served to make a New Year’s resolution to stay away before his side entertain Argyle at the City Ground on January 17, 2009.

So far in his career, the 24-year-old has faced the Greens in three Championship matches and finished on the losing side on each occasion – twice during the 2004/05 season and now again at the weekend.

The high point must have come in the first of those games on Bank Holiday Monday in August 2004.
Morgan had a lucky escape when he should have been penalised for a foul on David Friio in the box.
Mysteriously he wasn’t and Forest immediately went up the other end and scored an equaliser to make it 2-2.

Unfortunately for Morgan that was as good as it got and it’s been all downhill ever since. With time running out in that fixture, justice was served when Paul Wotton converted a spot-kick winner on 90 minutes after a foul on Keith Lasley.

Later that season, when Argyle claimed a 3-0 win at the City Ground, Morgan’s performance was described as being so bad by fellow Herald columnist, and BBC Radio Devon commentator, Gordon Sparks that the man behind the mike vowed that if the defender wore the red and white of Forest again he would don an Exeter City shirt.

Well if it was a nightmare for Morgan, our intrepid columnist was forced to endure the torture of Sparksy’s Walk of Shame after the hapless centre-back was seen again in Forest colours.

If Sir Gordon was compensated with Argyle’s survival, and cash raised for the then youth development trust following his trip down Royal Parade, Morgan, who picked up a yellow card in an embarrassing performance by the Trent, was heading for League One as Forest were relegated at the end of that campaign.

Three years on, it gets no better for Morgan. Two yellow cards, one red and an attempted clearance that deflected off Rory Fallon and into the net for the game’s winning goal, must ensure that Morgan has achieved unlikely cult status as a Home Park hero.

For the sake of Argyle’s cause I hope Morgan features in January, but if I was him I’d be thinking of any credible excuse I could find to be somewhere else that day.

Talking of which, his former boss, and Argyle pantomime villain, Joe Kinnear might also consider that accepting the position of Newcastle United’s interim manager was one he should have hidden away from too.
But that’s a story for another day…

Hard work brings rewards

2008-09-23T07:35:00.000-07:00

IT IS said that hard work brings its own rewards and that has certainly been the case for Paul Sturrock’s men over the course of the last week.

Victories against Watford and Crystal Palace were everything that the defeats at home to Swansea and Norwich were not.

Both the manager and those players picked at Vicarage Road and Selhurst Park deserve the highest praise not only for the quality of Argyle’s play but for their application and ‘honesty’, as Sturrock would put it.

Those Pilgrims omitted from the squads for the games at Watford and Palace should be doing some serious soul searching in the light of those two victories and the manner in which they were achieved.

The two victories were certainly vintage, Sturrock-masterminded performances where skill was only bettered by endeavour, the only way a club of the Greens’ stature can afford to play at this level.

A week ago Argyle’s fortunes were looking bleak, but those successive victories have lifted spirits all round in a way that only good results can. Doubters of management and players would have been aplenty after defeat against the Canaries and you could feel a sense of unease ahead of the trip to Hertfordshire.

It is a testament to Sturrock’s managerial skills, courage of conviction, and probably a reflection of his sense of rage, that he made so many changes for the game at Vicarage Road.

That seven alterations were made was a bewildering surprise in waiting for those who ventured to Watford. But the manager’s bold approach paid off collectively, and for individuals either recalled or switched to other positions within the side.

Unsurprisingly, ahead of the game at Selhurst Park the fear factor was replaced with a genuine feeling that Argyle could boost their points tally against their fellow strugglers.

That such predictions were borne out reflected the Greens’ healthy opportunism and exploitation of a side low on confidence and shorn of many of their better players, particularly up front.

Aside from when they conceded a late goal, the Greens didn’t allow Palace to build any confidence and ruthlessly punished the home side’s inadequacies with two good goals that were an individual icing on a team made cake.

All those who featured in the past two games deserve praise. And not that I like to single individuals out, but better to do it in victory than defeat, it needs to be noted that Paul Gallagher, Rory Fallon and Chris Clark have been immense figures for the Greens in the past two games.

The often maligned Luke Summerfield showed his strength of character, too, by nervelessly converting a penalty at Vicarage Road a week ago. The list could go on but suffice to say they have now set a benchmark not only for themselves but for those outside the starting XI.

While it would be an easy cliché to suggest that Argyle’s season has finally started, just as we got a brief glimpse of the summer we have missed, the crucial, acid test now comes with a home game against opposition fans will expect the Greens to beat.

So far it has been Argyle’s fortunes at Home Park that have raised the biggest concerns, with form and results appearing to have gradually declined over the course of a couple of seasons. All the big victories that spring to mind in recent times – Charlton, Sheffield United, Bristol City, Watford (twice) – seem to have come on the road where the pressure to perform is less inhibiting.

Too often Home Park has offered anything but home comforts and not only does that have a knock-on effect on the points the club picks up but also on the number of punters coming through the turnstiles, too.

With Nottingham Forest, Argyle’s next opponents, slipping down the early-season table there has never been a better time to build on the current momentum and register that first home win of the campaign.

Then we can really start to look upward.

The tide has turned

2008-09-16T12:50:00.000-07:00

FAR from riding high on the crest of a new wave, the tide turned on the ‘new look’ Argyle as the Greens crashed painfully into the rocks against Norwich City at Home Park on Saturday.

Given the paucity of Argyle’s display collectively, and in a number of cases individually, the prospect of finding any positives from the clash with the Canaries seems as unlikely as Mike Ashley or Dennis Wise receiving a Christmas card from Kevin Keegan.

While patently Argyle are far from descending to the level of footballing shambles perfected at the other St James’, the Home Park faithful have almost as much reason to be concerned about the on-field plight of their club as those on Tyneside.

Those among the Green Army who can still urge patience and condemn ‘knee-jerk reactions’ must be declining in larger numbers by the game given current form and performances.

Counselling against adopting a hasty stance is undoubtedly laudable and over time might be proven to be the right one. But I suspect that those with jerking knees are twitching as much on the declining fortunes of this calendar year as they are with the six winless games of season 2008/9. For this downward spiral began not in August but at the turn of the year, or maybe even earlier than that with the departure of former manager Ian Holloway.

Since the start of January the Greens have won seven, drawn seven and lost 11 league games, picking up 28 points from a possible 75 – a record made more impressive by a run of four successive victories in February.

Following that burst of form, Argyle have collected maximum points just three times in 17 games – against relegated Colchester, Bristol City and almost-relegated Blackpool.

It is this on-going stretch of results that is causing most concern, particularly when the current wearers of the green and white are cast unflatteringly against the ‘old’ team that for various depressing reasons was dismantled in the first half of this year.

Paul Sturrock’s record – in continually unfavourable circumstances, much of which has admittedly been outside his control – since his reappointment as Argyle manager in late November 2007 reads 10 wins, nine draws and 14 defeats with 39 points from a possible 99.

Comparing that record with others’ at Championship level is futile, for his predecessors – Bobby Williamson, Tony Pulis and Holloway – each had essentially the same players at their disposal whereas Sturrock, unsuccessfully so far, has had to build virtually a complete new team. In fact, of the XI that started against Norwich only Marcel Seip, Krisztian Timar and Jermaine Easter were at the club when he arrived.

It is probably the most rapid and large turnover of playing staff since Neil Warnock arrived at Home Park in the summer of 1995 following the shambles that was the 1994/5 season. The start of the 1995/6 campaign was worse than now – four defeats in a row – before a 5-0 win at Bury provided the kick-start on the eventual road to Wembley.

It is that kind of boost the Greens need at this present time and to which supporters must cling, but to achieve such a result it will require the manager to be bold, not conservative, in his selections, certainly at home.

Defeat against Norwich, when conservatism ruled contrary to fans’ expectations and the club’s own marketing, was positive only in the sense that the loss could have been much more embarrassing.
For many Argyle fans optimism for the rest of the season appears to be based on little more than blind faith in the manager’s ability to inspire improvement from a squad currently looking bereft of organisation, confidence and desire.

With Sturrock openly admitting the weakness of a number of his own signings, the Green Army is left with speculative hope – hope that players will be fit soon, hope that they will start to play as a team and hope that a central midfielder can be recruited to fill the vacuum in that part of the field. That central midfield is such a gaping void is all the more galling when men of substance and character – Paul Wotton and Lilian Nalis – were released without figures of a similar stature waiting in the wings.

But as that afternoon at Gigg Lane in September 1995 proved, hope does spring eternal in football and anything is possible when the next game comes around. Tonight at Watford offers that chance; let’s just hope it’s seized.

IT IS not often that football fans have cause to praise politicians, but the Lib Dems’ party conference decision to back safe standing in football stadiums shows that there is still some common sense left.

As justifiable as the reasons for moving towards all-seater stadia were post-Hillsborough, standing is not and never was inherently dangerous in football grounds. What was dangerous was the state of many stadia and the policing and stewarding of the time. Certain ‘fans’ were not blameless either, but today supporters should have the right to choose how to watch a match in an era largely free from hooliganism.

Not only could it save football fans a bob or two, reduce aggravation between stewards and fans and those who want to sit or stand, it might have the added benefit of improving the atmosphere at grounds which has declined steadily since the gentrification of football in the 1990s and early 2000s.

Hello, and welcome

2008-09-12T02:57:00.000-07:00

It is amazing how just a couple of signings can lift the morale of a football club’s supporters.

Forget Brazilian superstar Robinho heading to Eastlands for the ridiculous fee of £32.4m, the man with the Manchester City connections causing a stir in these parts is striker Emile Mpenza.

Following on from the loan signings of Paul Gallagher and Frenchman Nicolas Marin, the recruitment of former Belgium international forward Mpenza has certainly captured the imagination of the Green Army.

The positive reaction to his arrival probably reflects the Green Army’s craving for a ‘big name’ recruit, one with an established reputation on football’s highest stages to accompany those who have made the switch to Home Park brimming with youthful potential.

It would be nice to think that the ‘feel-good’ factor generated by those signings might be reflected in a larger crowd at Home Park on Saturday when Norwich City roll into town. And if ever there was a time to build on the current good vibes with a home win this is it.

But it would be wise, though, to remember that given the recent inactivity of the likes of Mpenza, Marin and Gallagher, a little patience will be needed to allow that trio – like so many of the previous summer signings – an opportunity to gain match fitness and integrate into a squad almost wholly different from the one at Home Park this time last year.

I HAD always thought Burnley was a rather strange place, and it has certainly been a less than welcoming destination for Argyle over the years.

A recent front page of the Burnley Express (pictured right), on sale during Argyle’s visit to Lancashire, did little to dispel that impression either. I couldn’t quite make out whether the UFO in question was a visitor from outer space or a sighting of the parachutist who landed on the roof of the David Fishwick Stand before the Clarets’ game against Ipswich last month.

Undoubtedly there would have been the odd Pilgrim down the years praying for that kind of disruption during yet another defeat for the Greens. It left me to reflect, alas, that seeing an Argyle win at Turf Moor is probably an altogether rarer UFO (unidentified football object) than Martians circling the skies of Lancashire!

In fact, a newspaper page trumpeting three points for the Greens really would have been fitting material for an episode of the X-Files.

EVER on the hunt for a ‘new’ league ground to visit, I made my way to the Recreation Ground, Aldershot on Saturday to see the ‘Phoenix’ club in action.

The story of Town, successor to the original league club which disappeared in 1992, represents a trailblazing tale of how a team can rise from the ashes of financial meltdown. Starting again in the Isthmian League Third Division, how their loyal fans must have savoured the five promotions that finally brought them back into the Football League. By dint of their ‘large’ support in the lower non-league ranks they were a big fish in those small pools and must have provided hope to the likes of AFC Wimbledon that fortunes could be restored with the right people – fans – running their club.

But now, like Argyle, they find themselves competing without that ‘big fish’ advantage. Like other clubs who have risen on a surge of momentum they might have it within them to claim another promotion, but I wonder how long it will be before the culture of achievement they have established will become a millstone as progress slows and eventually stops? Sound familiar?