One Game at a Time: You’re Only Here for the Pasties
23/24 Season Review and Finale
"There’s only one moment in which you can arrive in time. If you’re not there, you’re either too early or too late.” Johann Cruyff.
In a season in which management style and substance was well to the fore probably the greatest player to have been a great manager had the perfect words for the moment that proved to be the perfect climax to an imperfect campaign.
The Hallett years are already proving to be ones which go the distance. A final day relegation to League Two, an immediate bounce-back (admittedly on points per game) fuelled by a final home victory that edged us over the line. Then the chase for promotion, against the odds of losing the manager and appointing a rookie, which ended with a five-nil thrashing at home to shatter the dreams, and all on the rookie’s birthday.
And then the season of our lives for many, a three-way battle with the “big” beasts of the division, ending in a triumphant away day in the Potteries. Goals scored by the local hero, Captain Edwards and our star loanee Azaz, with assists from January signing Callum Wright. Champions on the way to the Championship.
A five-year plan delivered in four, and very rapidly it was apparent that the Argyle way was going to continue. The return of all three key loanees, two for record sums, was a statement of intent. New signings from the Eredivision and the Premier League in Pleggy and Gibson to replace departed centre halves Bolton and Wilson. Not even the signing of a goalkeeper called Hazard would dampen the enthusiasm of the Green Army. As ever, loans formed a key part of the recruitment strategy, and as well as Azaz from Villa came Kaine Kesler Hayden, with the midfield reinforced with Warrington from Everton and Cundle from Wolves. Finally, on deadline day came the one thing most Argyle fans wanted, when, having lost Ennis and Cosgrove from their forward options, came the left field signing of Mustapha Bundu.
There was realism, and many suggested a successful campaign was one that ended with the side in 21st. Survival was the key. Joining the Championship from, for them the wrong direction, were former Champions Leicester, the Mighty Whites of Leeds and the Saints. All with budgets that dwarfed ours, all with new managers and all desperate to get their footballing snouts back in the trough of the EPL.
Opening day was all about old friends, with Neil Warnock, still parachuting into clubs despite his seventy odd years, bringing his Huddersfield side to his old stamping ground. They left, pointless after Whittaker, Mumba and Hardie all showed that the new level did not mean the end of their scoring exploits. Warnock too was to eventually depart, via Aberdeen, back to his tractor in Cornwall.
A point at Watford and a comfortable Carabao Cup win over the Orient preceded a Sky Championship lunchtime game, where despite being subjected to an exhibition of possession football by Southampton, only a ninety-fourth minute goal from Adams inflicted the first defeat of the season. This was swiftly followed by a second, even later, in the ninety-fifth minute at St Andrews, a dagger thrust from old adversary Stansfield, as potent as it was painful.
The first month ended with a defeat at home to Premier League Palace to exit the Carabao Cup, but only after the former England boss Hodgson was forced to empty his bench of the first team reinforcements to recover the two-goal deficit he faced after goals from Waine and, spectacularly, Cundle.
Those two last minute goals prevented a solid start from being a spectacular one, and with boss Schumacher playing with inverted full backs, post window, Argyle set about trying to show that they could continue to compete at their new level.
September brought successive away defeats, narrowly at Preston and comprehensively at Ashton Gate, sandwiched between home wins against Blackburn, which was comprehensive, but nowhere near as spectacular as the despatch of Norwich City, where the Budgies went into half time completely plucked at four nil down. The high spot for Sky based observers being Argyle scoring the fourth whilst Mark McAdam described the third goal to budgie supporting Sky Host Simon Thomas. Whittaker bagged a hattrick, his first since the one he netted against Argyle for Swansea, and Azaz scored the first of a series of goal of the season contenders. The month ended with a draw at Hull City.
If Argyle were weak away from home, albeit barring Brizzle, narrowly, and strong at home, October was to bring some signs that the Championship was indeed a different beast. Fans looked forward to two consecutive home games against Millwall and Swansea, only to end the sequence pointless, schooled and, in the case of Millwall in general and KKH specifically, mugged for the points. Despite a solid point at the Hawthorns and a much-needed home win over fellow arrivistes Wednesday, already on their, technically, third manager of the season in Danny Rohl, and firmly rooted to the bottom, Argyle were conceding goals at an unsustainable rate. It was only the spectacular goal scoring form of Whittaker and Hardie, aided and abetted by Azaz and Cundle, that was keeping the games close.
Despite this, injuries to Hardie and Bundu sustained in the same match, another narrow away defeat at Ipswich, and the occasional refereeing atrocity (Gavin Ward at Ipswich, Andy Davies and his assistant at Coventry) the win at home, lose/draw away was proving to be a formula that was delivering a modicum of safety in lower middle table. Fans eyes were drawn upwards, not downwards. Argyle were as close to the play-offs as they were to the drop zone. They even managed to master the fine art of late goals, scoring winners or point savers as late as minute ninety-seven against Stoke.
The visit of rock bottom Rotherham, as every self-respecting national football journalist was calling them, under new coach Leam Richardson was to be a season defining fixture for Argyle. Once again under the calm and measured semi blindness of Gavin Ward, Argyle leaked the lead to their visitors, and then lost not one but two strikers to hospitalising challenges. One, on Hardie resulted in a heavy concussion, the other eventually required a skin graft to repair the hole in Hardie replacement, Bundu’s leg. Both yellow cards apparently.
Rotherham eventually lost serial offender Ayala to a second yellow for handball, but still contrived an equaliser for Andy Carroll impersonator Tom Eaves, before another late Argyle winner sent the crowds off happy, thoughts turning to Christmas shopping.
Unfortunately, said shopping bug had already infected the Coates family of Stoke, struggling to comprehend why their substantial investment in run of the mill European players was not delivering the promotion back to the Premier League they desired. Sights set on the brightest coaching prospect they could reasonably convince Stoke was a step up, a chopper was despatched Southwest to bring him to the Bet365, and, after a couple of previous abortive attempts to persuade other clubs that he was the answer to their prayers, Shuey walked. Well, flew.
If the timing was bad, the response by Argyle was calm, measured and professional. DOF Neil Dewsnip and coach Nancekivell, the two remaining footballing backroom staff after Schueys coup took the helm, whilst a successor was sought. Coaches come and go in football, and the prevailing mood was that Argyle was a job that many would want. Against that background of a search, aided and abetted by the multiple rumours and in the know postings of the twitterati, Argyle continued much as before. Goals flew in, at both ends in draws with Birmingham and Cardiff, and James Linington added his name to the litany of refereeing shambles when he and his assistant contrived to prevent Argyle from taking a late lead at St Mary’s, ruling out the patently onside Mumba’s header, before Argyles familiar defensive frailty allowed Southampton to again win two-one.
An FA Cup tie with Sutton United saw the introduction of the new head coach, who by all accounts was a continuation of the old head coach in terms of commitment to attacking free flowing football. Ian Foster ticked a number of boxes. Youngish, ambitious, well qualified and a respected England age group coach, with an added bonus of nice trainers. The cynics, and there were many, also pointed out he was a scouser and protege of our Director of Football. And he probably nicked the trainers.
It started well enough. On the field we despatched Sutton, in the cup, and Cardiff in the league, took a point at Huddersfield, and held the mighty Leeds Leeds Leeds to a draw in the Cup which led to a Manager of the month nomination. In February a Whittaker strike at his former home of Swansea delivered that rarest and sweetest of things for the fans with the heaviest travelling burden in England, an away win. At last.
Off the field however all was not so calm. Loanee Warrington (injured) returned to Everton. Then the recalls started. Azaz to be sold to Middlesbrough, Cundle to be re-loaned out to his former boss at Stoke, KKH to be benched at Villa where he finally made his debut a couple of months later. In came replacements including the experienced Forshaw from Norwich, and a quartet of England Under 20’s, Devine and Phillips from Spurs, Gyabi from Leeds and Sousa from Villa. Finally free agent Sorinola, ex of Swansea and more recently plying his trade in Belgium arrived to bolster the wing back positions.
Between winning at Swansea and losing at home to Bristol City, Foster managed only one victory, albeit a comprehensive one at Boro. The style change, was both on the field where free-flowing football was replaced with a much more conservative style, and off. Shots dried up. Goals likewise. Off the field press conferences became awkward and stilted.
Rumours began about players being excluded, notably Callum Wright and Scarr. Edwards, the club captain and players leader was told he could leave the club in the window to get more playing time. The home defeat to Preston led to the crowd turning. Home Park, so long a fortress, was turning toxic. No amount of "Calm down! Calm Down! was going to fix this.
After eighty-seven days the Foster era was brought to a close. Back came the caretaking due of Nance and Dewsnip until the end of the season. Nancenip, the most unlikely portmanteau name creation since the writers of James Bond pitched a combined villain as a mix of Blofeld and Oddjob, or Oddfeld, had six games to save the season.
By now the situation at the bottom had changed. Rotherham were still doomed, and nothing more than a win against Argyle could save them. Huddersfield too looked as if they were slipping under the surface, although they had fixtures against other strugglers that could perhaps save them. QPR and Sheffield Wednesday had started, at long last, to reap the benefits of their managerial changes and each had form more akin to a play-off side. Sliding into the mix had come Blackburn, now managed by former Birmingham boss John Eustace, who had been dismissed when challenging for the play-offs by the new Birmingham owners to be replaced by serial winner (as a player) Wayne Rooney. Birminghams kit sponsor are Undefeated. Who said irony is dead in football?
Also in the mix were Stoke, remember them, whose new bright young thing was looking and sounding a little haunted, and was already on his second DOF. Finally, Birmingham, now managed by former boss Gary Rowett, their sixth first team coach of the season. Rooney had been replaced by Tony Mowbray, whose illness was covered by assistant Mark Venus until Rowett was brought in to stop the slide. Or try to, anyhow.
Argyle also had the slight inconvenience of having to play Champions elect Leicester the Friday after they played Rotherham. That both games ended one-nil to Argyle, with recalled Scarr to the fore in organising two clean sheets, which sandwiched a slightly fortuitous one-all draw at home to QPR and seven points out of nine meant that with a fair crack of the whip, results wise, Argyle would be climbing away from trouble.
And of course, normally reliable teams like Leeds and Leicester and Southampton began tossing out points like wedding bouquets to the grateful bridesmaids. Blackburn demolished Sunderland and won at Leeds, and yet when the 4,000 holes club, most of which appeared to be in their central defence, were up against the Wendies they contrived to evict Matt Butcher from his own goal of the season slot when Ashley Pears contrived to bobble a backpass into his own net.
Leeds continued to fall apart again, losing four zip at Rangers to make them safe and when the final days fixtures were laid out Argyle were in that most Argyley position of never having been in the relegation zone all season and yet still at threat of going down.
On the other hand, they could lose and stay up, dependent on the result at Birmingham. If they matched the City result they survived. If teams both won then either Wednesday or Rovers could still sink without trace. Rovers were at Leicester, a veritable chicken in the Foxes den. Wednesday were at Sunderland, for whom the wheels came off in February, right after they beat Argyle.
Argyle were playing Hull, the only side outside of the play-offs with a chance of gate-crashing, and so with something to play for. Norwich, Birmingham’s opponents were mathematically catchable but only with an implausible goal difference swing.
With a manager who in the past had played his reserves in anticipation of a play-off fixture, David Wagner promised a strong Norwich performance. And then they turned on their out of office message and proceeded to coast through the game until Birmingham scrambled a goal. After which they coasted some more.
Meanwhile Argyle had selected a side to press their opposition, with Mumba, Bundu, Hardie and Whittaker all to the fore. Whittaker spurned the best chance, after a sublime first time pass from Devine, following pressure on the ball from Bundu.
Bundu’s departure through injury brought the exiled Wright back into the reckoning, and with almost his first set of touches the flop haired maestro hung up the pluperfect cross for the late arriving Edwards to head past Alsopp. The City keeper who also enjoyed spells at Whycome and Pompous was helpless as the ball nestled neatly in the corner of his net. He’s seen this movie before. Whatever the fee we paid for Callum, he paid it back with one swing of his boot on Saturday.
Argyle held firm for the second half, the crowd nervously checking the scores elsewhere to no great solace. Rosenior made substitutions that implied he knew the play-offs were gone and a Cooper save from Philogene was as nervous as it got in playing terms. It was still the case that a single lapse to let in Hull would mean Argyle would drop, but the final whistle released the champagne cork of relief and a sporting full contingent of disappointed Tiger fans applauded the survival of their hosts.
Birmingham, with Tom Brady as owner, the world’s greatest quarterback who now realised that term also applied to his investment return on the club, will play the second city Derby at best against Villa U21’s if they get drawn together in the Auto Shield Leyland Daf Johnsons Pizza Paint Cup, and if they are lucky, the season after against Walsall. Fifty points and relegated. Ouch.
Argyle will have their second tilt at the Championship windmill. There will be a new head coach, and ironically one candidate might be the unfortunate now ex-Hull boss Liam Rosenior, sacked for only coming seventh by his trigger-happy Turkish boss. Having now been fired after his last two losses against Argyle we might be calling the next match up against him the P45 derby.
As for Argyle, after a new coach, there will be new players. The model means we could say farewell to some heroes, if the price is right, but new heroes will be found. One departure will be Callum Burton, whose performances helped deliver the title and a Wembley trip last season. He deserves a good new club and a warm welcome the next time he runs out at Home Park.
As for next season, some mid table mediocrity would be a relief. We know that one of Leeds or Southampton will be scrabbling around the FFP rule book once the play-offs are settled. It would be remiss to not congratulate Ipswich on once again maxing out at second. I bet they couldn’t care less again either.
So next season will be as this one. The Argyle way against the traditional way. Against a group of clubs who have voted in these cash strapped times to increase how much they can lose in pursuit of the golden ticket, just as all three of last season’s winners look like they are coming back down to try again. Cash in hand with their parachute payments.
I started with a quote from Johann Cruyff which summed up the moment that made Argyle safe, courtesy of two men, both apparently discarded at one point during the season but whose contribution was so much more than the sum of their parts.
I’ll leave you with another quote from the Dutch maestro.
"Why couldn’t you beat a richer club? I’ve never seen a bag of money score a goal."
One game at a time.
See you next season.
23/24 Season Review and Finale
"There’s only one moment in which you can arrive in time. If you’re not there, you’re either too early or too late.” Johann Cruyff.
In a season in which management style and substance was well to the fore probably the greatest player to have been a great manager had the perfect words for the moment that proved to be the perfect climax to an imperfect campaign.
The Hallett years are already proving to be ones which go the distance. A final day relegation to League Two, an immediate bounce-back (admittedly on points per game) fuelled by a final home victory that edged us over the line. Then the chase for promotion, against the odds of losing the manager and appointing a rookie, which ended with a five-nil thrashing at home to shatter the dreams, and all on the rookie’s birthday.
And then the season of our lives for many, a three-way battle with the “big” beasts of the division, ending in a triumphant away day in the Potteries. Goals scored by the local hero, Captain Edwards and our star loanee Azaz, with assists from January signing Callum Wright. Champions on the way to the Championship.
A five-year plan delivered in four, and very rapidly it was apparent that the Argyle way was going to continue. The return of all three key loanees, two for record sums, was a statement of intent. New signings from the Eredivision and the Premier League in Pleggy and Gibson to replace departed centre halves Bolton and Wilson. Not even the signing of a goalkeeper called Hazard would dampen the enthusiasm of the Green Army. As ever, loans formed a key part of the recruitment strategy, and as well as Azaz from Villa came Kaine Kesler Hayden, with the midfield reinforced with Warrington from Everton and Cundle from Wolves. Finally, on deadline day came the one thing most Argyle fans wanted, when, having lost Ennis and Cosgrove from their forward options, came the left field signing of Mustapha Bundu.
There was realism, and many suggested a successful campaign was one that ended with the side in 21st. Survival was the key. Joining the Championship from, for them the wrong direction, were former Champions Leicester, the Mighty Whites of Leeds and the Saints. All with budgets that dwarfed ours, all with new managers and all desperate to get their footballing snouts back in the trough of the EPL.
Opening day was all about old friends, with Neil Warnock, still parachuting into clubs despite his seventy odd years, bringing his Huddersfield side to his old stamping ground. They left, pointless after Whittaker, Mumba and Hardie all showed that the new level did not mean the end of their scoring exploits. Warnock too was to eventually depart, via Aberdeen, back to his tractor in Cornwall.
A point at Watford and a comfortable Carabao Cup win over the Orient preceded a Sky Championship lunchtime game, where despite being subjected to an exhibition of possession football by Southampton, only a ninety-fourth minute goal from Adams inflicted the first defeat of the season. This was swiftly followed by a second, even later, in the ninety-fifth minute at St Andrews, a dagger thrust from old adversary Stansfield, as potent as it was painful.
The first month ended with a defeat at home to Premier League Palace to exit the Carabao Cup, but only after the former England boss Hodgson was forced to empty his bench of the first team reinforcements to recover the two-goal deficit he faced after goals from Waine and, spectacularly, Cundle.
Those two last minute goals prevented a solid start from being a spectacular one, and with boss Schumacher playing with inverted full backs, post window, Argyle set about trying to show that they could continue to compete at their new level.
September brought successive away defeats, narrowly at Preston and comprehensively at Ashton Gate, sandwiched between home wins against Blackburn, which was comprehensive, but nowhere near as spectacular as the despatch of Norwich City, where the Budgies went into half time completely plucked at four nil down. The high spot for Sky based observers being Argyle scoring the fourth whilst Mark McAdam described the third goal to budgie supporting Sky Host Simon Thomas. Whittaker bagged a hattrick, his first since the one he netted against Argyle for Swansea, and Azaz scored the first of a series of goal of the season contenders. The month ended with a draw at Hull City.
If Argyle were weak away from home, albeit barring Brizzle, narrowly, and strong at home, October was to bring some signs that the Championship was indeed a different beast. Fans looked forward to two consecutive home games against Millwall and Swansea, only to end the sequence pointless, schooled and, in the case of Millwall in general and KKH specifically, mugged for the points. Despite a solid point at the Hawthorns and a much-needed home win over fellow arrivistes Wednesday, already on their, technically, third manager of the season in Danny Rohl, and firmly rooted to the bottom, Argyle were conceding goals at an unsustainable rate. It was only the spectacular goal scoring form of Whittaker and Hardie, aided and abetted by Azaz and Cundle, that was keeping the games close.
Despite this, injuries to Hardie and Bundu sustained in the same match, another narrow away defeat at Ipswich, and the occasional refereeing atrocity (Gavin Ward at Ipswich, Andy Davies and his assistant at Coventry) the win at home, lose/draw away was proving to be a formula that was delivering a modicum of safety in lower middle table. Fans eyes were drawn upwards, not downwards. Argyle were as close to the play-offs as they were to the drop zone. They even managed to master the fine art of late goals, scoring winners or point savers as late as minute ninety-seven against Stoke.
The visit of rock bottom Rotherham, as every self-respecting national football journalist was calling them, under new coach Leam Richardson was to be a season defining fixture for Argyle. Once again under the calm and measured semi blindness of Gavin Ward, Argyle leaked the lead to their visitors, and then lost not one but two strikers to hospitalising challenges. One, on Hardie resulted in a heavy concussion, the other eventually required a skin graft to repair the hole in Hardie replacement, Bundu’s leg. Both yellow cards apparently.
Rotherham eventually lost serial offender Ayala to a second yellow for handball, but still contrived an equaliser for Andy Carroll impersonator Tom Eaves, before another late Argyle winner sent the crowds off happy, thoughts turning to Christmas shopping.
Unfortunately, said shopping bug had already infected the Coates family of Stoke, struggling to comprehend why their substantial investment in run of the mill European players was not delivering the promotion back to the Premier League they desired. Sights set on the brightest coaching prospect they could reasonably convince Stoke was a step up, a chopper was despatched Southwest to bring him to the Bet365, and, after a couple of previous abortive attempts to persuade other clubs that he was the answer to their prayers, Shuey walked. Well, flew.
If the timing was bad, the response by Argyle was calm, measured and professional. DOF Neil Dewsnip and coach Nancekivell, the two remaining footballing backroom staff after Schueys coup took the helm, whilst a successor was sought. Coaches come and go in football, and the prevailing mood was that Argyle was a job that many would want. Against that background of a search, aided and abetted by the multiple rumours and in the know postings of the twitterati, Argyle continued much as before. Goals flew in, at both ends in draws with Birmingham and Cardiff, and James Linington added his name to the litany of refereeing shambles when he and his assistant contrived to prevent Argyle from taking a late lead at St Mary’s, ruling out the patently onside Mumba’s header, before Argyles familiar defensive frailty allowed Southampton to again win two-one.
An FA Cup tie with Sutton United saw the introduction of the new head coach, who by all accounts was a continuation of the old head coach in terms of commitment to attacking free flowing football. Ian Foster ticked a number of boxes. Youngish, ambitious, well qualified and a respected England age group coach, with an added bonus of nice trainers. The cynics, and there were many, also pointed out he was a scouser and protege of our Director of Football. And he probably nicked the trainers.
It started well enough. On the field we despatched Sutton, in the cup, and Cardiff in the league, took a point at Huddersfield, and held the mighty Leeds Leeds Leeds to a draw in the Cup which led to a Manager of the month nomination. In February a Whittaker strike at his former home of Swansea delivered that rarest and sweetest of things for the fans with the heaviest travelling burden in England, an away win. At last.
Off the field however all was not so calm. Loanee Warrington (injured) returned to Everton. Then the recalls started. Azaz to be sold to Middlesbrough, Cundle to be re-loaned out to his former boss at Stoke, KKH to be benched at Villa where he finally made his debut a couple of months later. In came replacements including the experienced Forshaw from Norwich, and a quartet of England Under 20’s, Devine and Phillips from Spurs, Gyabi from Leeds and Sousa from Villa. Finally free agent Sorinola, ex of Swansea and more recently plying his trade in Belgium arrived to bolster the wing back positions.
Between winning at Swansea and losing at home to Bristol City, Foster managed only one victory, albeit a comprehensive one at Boro. The style change, was both on the field where free-flowing football was replaced with a much more conservative style, and off. Shots dried up. Goals likewise. Off the field press conferences became awkward and stilted.
Rumours began about players being excluded, notably Callum Wright and Scarr. Edwards, the club captain and players leader was told he could leave the club in the window to get more playing time. The home defeat to Preston led to the crowd turning. Home Park, so long a fortress, was turning toxic. No amount of "Calm down! Calm Down! was going to fix this.
After eighty-seven days the Foster era was brought to a close. Back came the caretaking due of Nance and Dewsnip until the end of the season. Nancenip, the most unlikely portmanteau name creation since the writers of James Bond pitched a combined villain as a mix of Blofeld and Oddjob, or Oddfeld, had six games to save the season.
By now the situation at the bottom had changed. Rotherham were still doomed, and nothing more than a win against Argyle could save them. Huddersfield too looked as if they were slipping under the surface, although they had fixtures against other strugglers that could perhaps save them. QPR and Sheffield Wednesday had started, at long last, to reap the benefits of their managerial changes and each had form more akin to a play-off side. Sliding into the mix had come Blackburn, now managed by former Birmingham boss John Eustace, who had been dismissed when challenging for the play-offs by the new Birmingham owners to be replaced by serial winner (as a player) Wayne Rooney. Birminghams kit sponsor are Undefeated. Who said irony is dead in football?
Also in the mix were Stoke, remember them, whose new bright young thing was looking and sounding a little haunted, and was already on his second DOF. Finally, Birmingham, now managed by former boss Gary Rowett, their sixth first team coach of the season. Rooney had been replaced by Tony Mowbray, whose illness was covered by assistant Mark Venus until Rowett was brought in to stop the slide. Or try to, anyhow.
Argyle also had the slight inconvenience of having to play Champions elect Leicester the Friday after they played Rotherham. That both games ended one-nil to Argyle, with recalled Scarr to the fore in organising two clean sheets, which sandwiched a slightly fortuitous one-all draw at home to QPR and seven points out of nine meant that with a fair crack of the whip, results wise, Argyle would be climbing away from trouble.
And of course, normally reliable teams like Leeds and Leicester and Southampton began tossing out points like wedding bouquets to the grateful bridesmaids. Blackburn demolished Sunderland and won at Leeds, and yet when the 4,000 holes club, most of which appeared to be in their central defence, were up against the Wendies they contrived to evict Matt Butcher from his own goal of the season slot when Ashley Pears contrived to bobble a backpass into his own net.
Leeds continued to fall apart again, losing four zip at Rangers to make them safe and when the final days fixtures were laid out Argyle were in that most Argyley position of never having been in the relegation zone all season and yet still at threat of going down.
On the other hand, they could lose and stay up, dependent on the result at Birmingham. If they matched the City result they survived. If teams both won then either Wednesday or Rovers could still sink without trace. Rovers were at Leicester, a veritable chicken in the Foxes den. Wednesday were at Sunderland, for whom the wheels came off in February, right after they beat Argyle.
Argyle were playing Hull, the only side outside of the play-offs with a chance of gate-crashing, and so with something to play for. Norwich, Birmingham’s opponents were mathematically catchable but only with an implausible goal difference swing.
With a manager who in the past had played his reserves in anticipation of a play-off fixture, David Wagner promised a strong Norwich performance. And then they turned on their out of office message and proceeded to coast through the game until Birmingham scrambled a goal. After which they coasted some more.
Meanwhile Argyle had selected a side to press their opposition, with Mumba, Bundu, Hardie and Whittaker all to the fore. Whittaker spurned the best chance, after a sublime first time pass from Devine, following pressure on the ball from Bundu.
Bundu’s departure through injury brought the exiled Wright back into the reckoning, and with almost his first set of touches the flop haired maestro hung up the pluperfect cross for the late arriving Edwards to head past Alsopp. The City keeper who also enjoyed spells at Whycome and Pompous was helpless as the ball nestled neatly in the corner of his net. He’s seen this movie before. Whatever the fee we paid for Callum, he paid it back with one swing of his boot on Saturday.
Argyle held firm for the second half, the crowd nervously checking the scores elsewhere to no great solace. Rosenior made substitutions that implied he knew the play-offs were gone and a Cooper save from Philogene was as nervous as it got in playing terms. It was still the case that a single lapse to let in Hull would mean Argyle would drop, but the final whistle released the champagne cork of relief and a sporting full contingent of disappointed Tiger fans applauded the survival of their hosts.
Birmingham, with Tom Brady as owner, the world’s greatest quarterback who now realised that term also applied to his investment return on the club, will play the second city Derby at best against Villa U21’s if they get drawn together in the Auto Shield Leyland Daf Johnsons Pizza Paint Cup, and if they are lucky, the season after against Walsall. Fifty points and relegated. Ouch.
Argyle will have their second tilt at the Championship windmill. There will be a new head coach, and ironically one candidate might be the unfortunate now ex-Hull boss Liam Rosenior, sacked for only coming seventh by his trigger-happy Turkish boss. Having now been fired after his last two losses against Argyle we might be calling the next match up against him the P45 derby.
As for Argyle, after a new coach, there will be new players. The model means we could say farewell to some heroes, if the price is right, but new heroes will be found. One departure will be Callum Burton, whose performances helped deliver the title and a Wembley trip last season. He deserves a good new club and a warm welcome the next time he runs out at Home Park.
As for next season, some mid table mediocrity would be a relief. We know that one of Leeds or Southampton will be scrabbling around the FFP rule book once the play-offs are settled. It would be remiss to not congratulate Ipswich on once again maxing out at second. I bet they couldn’t care less again either.
So next season will be as this one. The Argyle way against the traditional way. Against a group of clubs who have voted in these cash strapped times to increase how much they can lose in pursuit of the golden ticket, just as all three of last season’s winners look like they are coming back down to try again. Cash in hand with their parachute payments.
I started with a quote from Johann Cruyff which summed up the moment that made Argyle safe, courtesy of two men, both apparently discarded at one point during the season but whose contribution was so much more than the sum of their parts.
I’ll leave you with another quote from the Dutch maestro.
"Why couldn’t you beat a richer club? I’ve never seen a bag of money score a goal."
One game at a time.
See you next season.
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