Does DA know what he's doing?

[CJH]

The originator of this post needs to consider his position as an Argyle fan, it's this type of comment before a season starts and after a successful last one that is unacceptable. Free speech is one thing but this post and the content may be acceptable at the end of a disappointing season but not now.

My advice to philevs is to reconsider his comments and at least apologise for the timing of his post.

CJH

 

[Balham Green]

The originator of this post needs to consider his position as an Argyle fan, it's this type of comment before a season starts and after a successful last one that is unacceptable. Free speech is one thing but this post and the content may be acceptable at the end of a disappointing season but not now.

My advice to philevs is to reconsider his comments and at least apologise for the timing of his post.

CJH

Must have missed that 'success' last season. So are we in Europe next year?

 

[Fat_green_belly]

In answer to the OP. I bleddy well hope so.
Impossible to judge though when i havnt seen any games or the new players yet.
Good signings for me on paper would be osborne and goodwillie. Oscar we all know about so
thats a good signing as well. The other signings not really known to me though
2 of them will need to show me their better than what i have seen of them on
you tube. Again most of them seem to be players of potential who have lost their way in
the game a bit. He does seem to specialise in turning careers around though. Got to
bear that in mind.
Tactically we will have to wait and see if he gets it right. Interesting that he has
used 3412 so far and has brought in enough pros to cover all the positions for a variety of
other formations. Which should benefit us compared to last season when the small squad
couldnt cope with the injury woes.
There is no doubt we have lost a lot of good players from last season though. That could
spell trouble? Then again all the newbies are his players now and he should be able to
shape the team his way better.
Roll on the baggies and my debut for the new season. I hope the seat hasnt rusted away
up in the old girl. She may be a bit tatty but give me her over fancy pants wembley
anytime. :scarf:

 

[edengreen]

This maybe a bit off subject but given that Derek Adams has signed so many players a new squad so to speak his own squad what would be seen as success thi season and what would be seen as failure?

For me we need to be aiming for Play Offs Minimum, However to me the league looks stronger this season, Notts Co will be more organised, Pompey are still throwing money about, Luton and Blackpool should be strong and Doncaster have spent well and still have connections to Man Utd youth. I think this season will be harder.

For me I would like to see a plan, a way that we play that other teams need to combat. For me we started last season with a plan but then when Reid got Injured got lucky with Brunt coming in and performing heroically as a central striker. Brunts injury more than most affected us because we got used to route one football without a decent outlet until matt arrived who again performed well. I personally think this season we will play less football and more percentage ball so Im not looking forward it as much. I think Derek has taken his inspiration from the Wombles who really were superb in the second half of the season and got promoted with team spirit and effort.

I said over the summer being an Argyle fan is very much like being an England Fan, promises so much but ultimately let down !

Not seen the new team yet looking forward to it and I hope Derek has the answers and can get it right because I think if he can we can go on like we did with Sturrock. If he cant I don't know where we go or who we turn too because there arent too many good options who would be interested in the job

 

[Mark Pedlar]

The originator of this post needs to consider his position as an Argyle fan, it's this type of comment before a season starts and after a successful last one that is unacceptable. Free speech is one thing but this post and the content may be acceptable at the end of a disappointing season but not now.

My advice to philevs is to reconsider his comments and at least apologise for the timing of his post.

CJH

Must have missed that 'success' last season. So are we in Europe next year?

In the pre-season "how well do you think we'll do" thread last season. 32% (or so) said play-offs, a further 32% said 2nd/3rd and 11% said winners. The remainder were mid-table or below. Ergo, "success" for those who said mid-table or play-offs may regard our finishing position as success. Therefore there is no need to be so sarcastic or dismissive of someone's opinion just because it differs from yours. I can only assume that you voted in the 45% (or so) who thought we would achieve 1st-3rd (or promotion via the play-offs) so as to validate the position you have taken. Given the general nature of your posts I would think that this season your vote in the poll will be mid-table at the most therefore a finishing position of play-offs or above would be regarded by you as success this time round.

I don't recall an option for "European qualification" by getting to the FA cup final.

 

[Balham Green]

I would hope that the vast majority of supporters would not see success as finishing 5th in Division 4 followed by an abject performance at Wembley.Or have we sunk so low? Just because an individual"'s expectations are exceeded doesn't mean it is success. I don't therefore think your post makes a lot of sense.
And you obviously haven't understood my posts re this season. I have concerns but my point has been lets see some grounds for optimism before making judgment and beating Elburton etc doesn't count!

L

 

[Mark Pedlar]

Just because an individual"'s expectations are exceeded doesn't mean it is success.

It is from their perspective. You may disagree with their view (as would I) but at least respect their opinion. The poll from last year did not specify whether people voted that their expectation would be "promotion via the play-offs" or just finish in the play-off positions so it is difficult to draw a definitive statement but 40+% expected promotion for certain and therefore the play-offs would not have been successful. Not quite a majority.

Personally it wasn't so much the finishing position. In August I voted that I thought we would finish in the play-offs (I didn't think we would go up) and therefore I wasn't disappointed with the season overall, however, the capitulation after Xmas was the bit that p'd me off and made me feel worse about the season than I would have done had we been say 7th-10th in January. I watched a fair bit of pre-season last year and all of it this. I think we have a better squad of players at this stage, this time round. More importantly, they look like a 'team' this year.

Yes, of course, we need to see the team in genuine battle conditions but there is no harm with some pre-season enthusiasm, especially when people are comparing like with like.

 

[davie nine]

I have a lot of respect for Mark Pedlar's opinion in his last 2 posts and certainly appreciate his efforts in updating Pasoti members with detailed and prompt summaries of all of our pre-season friendlies to date.

As a self-identified 'happy clapper', I certainly prefer to read the thoughts of someone with a balanced view of the signings that DA has made so far, rather than the 'morbid moaning' of someone who rarely posts anything other than pessimistic comments presumably to provoke debate.

I agree with CJH's comment about the OP but it has certainly generated some healthy discussion since 'philevs' 'lit the touchpaper'.

It is interesting that he has not commented since page 6 of this 9-page thread and I wonder if he is becoming convinced that 'DA does know what he is doing'.

 

[Green Neil]

I would hope that the vast majority of supporters would not see success as finishing 5th in Division 4 followed by an abject performance at Wembley.Or have we sunk so low? Just because an individual"'s expectations are exceeded doesn't mean it is success. I don't therefore think your post makes a lot of sense.
And you obviously haven't understood my posts re this season. I have concerns but my point has been lets see some grounds for optimism before making judgment and beating Elburton etc doesn't count!

L

I would say we've all got concerns, because the majority of our players are unknown to us.

The difference is whether or not you start pessimistic before given genuine reasons for optimism like you or start optimistic until given real reasons to become pessimistic like me.

Each to their own but surely its a more pleasant outlook if you can be like the latter?

 

[cheshiregreen]

The Dutch trip will be a crucial element of our pre-season.

Looks as though Osborne won't be part of it . Adams has been reported as wanting another keeper and midfielder. Unless they're already identified they won't be part of it either, although I guess Fox may be invited to travel or sign permanently ahead of the trip.

The trip should help all our new faces get to know each other at least.

 

[Balham Green]

I would hope that the vast majority of supporters would not see success as finishing 5th in Division 4 followed by an abject performance at Wembley.Or have we sunk so low? Just because an individual"'s expectations are exceeded doesn't mean it is success. I don't therefore think your post makes a lot of sense.
And you obviously haven't understood my posts re this season. I have concerns but my point has been lets see some grounds for optimism before making judgment and beating Elburton etc doesn't count!

L

I would say we've all got concerns, because the majority of our players are unknown to us.

The difference is whether or not you start pessimistic before given genuine reasons for optimism like you or start optimistic until given real reasons to become pessimistic like me.

Each to their own but surely its a more pleasant outlook if you can be like the latter?

Or actually start neutral with an open mind. Is that so difficult?

 

[philevs]

I have a lot of respect for Mark Pedlar's opinion in his last 2 posts and certainly appreciate his efforts in updating Pasoti members with detailed and prompt summaries of all of our pre-season friendlies to date.

As a self-identified 'happy clapper', I certainly prefer to read the thoughts of someone with a balanced view of the signings that DA has made so far, rather than the 'morbid moaning' of someone who rarely posts anything other than pessimistic comments presumably to provoke debate.

I agree with CJH's comment about the OP but it has certainly generated some healthy discussion since 'philevs' 'lit the touchpaper'.

It is interesting that he has not commented since page 6 of this 9-page thread and I wonder if he is becoming convinced that 'DA does know what he is doing'.

Hi there, just been away that's all. Sorry that there are those who want to label me as not a supporter. It's my support for PAFC, the club, that led me to make the OP, as I'm desperate for us to go up too! I certainly won't be supporting any less this season just because of my views. And if I'm proven wrong, I'll be delighted.
A lot of criticism given for starting the thread, but perhaps not that many opposing views to mine expressed, which was what the thread was intended to inspire. I thought lots of people would probably simply say "Yes" in reply to the OP! Perhaps natural, as for sure we all have to wait and see.

 

[philevs]

The originator of this post needs to consider his position as an Argyle fan, it's this type of comment before a season starts and after a successful last one that is unacceptable. Free speech is one thing but this post and the content may be acceptable at the end of a disappointing season but not now.

My advice to philevs is to reconsider his comments and at least apologise for the timing of his post.

CJH

I suppose if the moderators have left it on, it must be acceptable.

 

[Vampires11]

Everyone is entitled to an opinion......and sometimes they are polar opposites to others. In some case though, there is just total manure being spouted, from the manager to the players to the tactics already being slated just in the fitness- building that is pre-season. I think there are many on here who just cannot be Argyle fans at all, it seems like they just come on to spout nonsense

 

[philevs]

12 new signings as of today, 18 July. Does DA know what he's doing? Most importantly, will we go up this season?

I have very reluctantly come to the conclusion that I don't think he does know what he's doing, when it really comes down to it.
Therefore, I don't think we will go up. But I would love to have a different opinion, and I would love to be proved wrong in 10 months' time!
I think I'm as 'patriotic' to the cause as anyone else on here. However, I am not 'blindly' faithful!

This is how I personally see things - based on last season and this close season.
How about any of you, how do you see things?

Is your opinion that Derek Adams "doesn't know what he's doing" based on the fact he's signed 12 players? Would you prefer he sign less and we start the pre-season with half a squad? What elements of last season have lead you to this opinion?

Of course your very much intitled to your opinion, it would help if you explained how you came to it.

Here's some thoughts, in answer to your question.
Started for me with the first home game of the season against Pompey, when no subs brought on and we were well beaten. Similar pattern of not all subs used or subs only given 5 minutes, even when we were losing games, repeated numerous times too frequently, throughout the season. Inability to influence games by changing tactics during games.
Not knowing what formation to play for second half of season, even in playoff final.
Announcing to Wimbledon that Rooney and Harvey would not be in the team for Wembley, even after their performance against Hartlepool (why not keep Wimbledon guessing?). No chance given to Rooney and Harvey all season - we'll never know what might have been had they been used, the fact is we didn't go up.
Saying it was a squad game when realistically DA only picked from 14 players all season - demoralising for those not given their due chance.
Continuing to pick 'favourite' players whatever their form.
Leading fans to believe we were good enough to go up by saying in January that we were now going after Northampton. Then turning out we were not good enough to go up.
Players brought in (Croll, Nardiello, Walton come straight to mind) that seemed incomprehensible choices.
Recently saying that we now have four strikers, but "five if you count Rooney". What does this mean or imply?

I think we can go up this season, and it seems to me the board have given every support, I just don't think we will. But it's only my opinion!