One Game at a Time: You’re Only Here for the Pasties
Queens Park Rangers (A) December 13th
In a hectic week for Argyle, a trip to the King Power Stadium to take on a club whose spending power eclipses our own by a factor of 12 at least was always going to be a hard ask for that elusive first away League win.
A healthy, nay, impressive away following therefore drew a collective intake of breath when a Bristolian sized number of changes were made for the starting line up with a recall for matchwinner Randell, but no place for player of the season candidate Jordan Houghton, replaced by Matt Butcher. Out too went messrs Galloway and Mumba, and Bundu continued to lead the line with Hardie seemingly not yet ready to start.
Leicester too rang the changes, without Vardy and Ianecho, although the fact their line was led by Patson Dako, their £23 million third choice striker served to underline the difference in the respective shopping itineraries of the managers.
It was another recalled Argyle player who was to make the main impact on proceedings, although sadly for Pleggy it was of the “oops, I probably shouldn’t have done that” kind when Mavadidi made sure he fell over a fairly clumsy leg in the box. Handball in the build up? We will never know, but Cooper was marginally short of the spot kick and the Foxes were on the hunt.
Except that for the balance of the half, no-one inside the King Power could have complained if the half time score had been level. Certainly, Argyle had good enough chances to score, Bundu in particular.
And then it all unravelled. Just as against Palace in the Carabao Cup (must be a Thai thing), Leicester had a golden spell of three goals in six minutes and the game was well and truly gone. Butcher was responsible for losing possession twice for two of the goals but in truth the gap in quality was firmly exposed.
To the teams’ credit heads did not drop and they managed to stabilise the game, so as not to completely wipe out our goal difference advantage from those around us in the table. To the fans credit a rousing and continuous “Green and White Barmy army” for the last twenty minutes of so was a magnificent display of support and defiance.
With other teams in the vicinity of the drop zone picking up points, the loss, whilst expected, was sufficient to throw the emphasis on the midweek trip to London to take on erstwhile recent rival QPR, themselves now on the cusp of a run for the play-offs after three wins in a row for new manager Cifuentes.
QPR, who started the season under the leadership of an ever more manic and paranoid, Gareth Ainsworth, with a four nil drubbing at Watford, including a goal conceded in the first minute, and a goalless second half to show how poor a beginning it was, were, until the arrival of the new boss from Sweden, living up to the previously ascribed meanings given to QPR in a past poor spell under Mark Hughes of Quite Probably Relegated, and the evocative Quarter Pound of Rubbish.
The club, which despite having been owned by F1 royalty including Flavio Briattori and Bernie Ecclestone, the lovable Putin apologist and tax dodger, still labours under the FFP handicaps bestowed upon them by previous misdemeanours jusrt about escaped relegation last season on the back of a miraculous and unexpected (and in truth underserved) win at runaway champions Burnley. Aimsworth, who was a much-loved playing hero left his job for life at Adams Park for the job of a lifetime at Rangers, but the match was a troubled one. Rangers fans have over the years been brought up on a certain style and flair in their teams and no amount of faux hakas and journeymen, even those who would put in a shift (so no, not you Jack Colback) would compensate for leaving out flair and talent like Chair and Willock in order to lump the ball forward to the semi mobile Lyndon Dykes.
The despatch of Ainsworth, and what price the sudden slump in Wycombe form being a catalyst for a triumphal return to the scenes of his past (only) managerial glory was more like a mercy killing of a favourite poodle, as his post-match interviews became ever wilder eyed and Keegan like (I would love it if we stayed up and proved all the pundits wrong| Love it!)
After a parade of the usual candidates , including the somewhat unpopular Michael Beale, who did a Holloway on Rangers after Wolves can a sniffing, and then, having declared his undying loyalty the the R’s, nipped odd to Rangers (North) with nary a by your leave.
Cifuentes, who left Hammarby in Sweden by mutual consent for the Rangers (South) gig does have some form in that he spent a spell in the youth set-up at Millwall, and the speed with which he was appointed indicates some degree of planning in the arrival. In six matches he has now won the last three, the most recent being an impressive win over challenging Hull City. Whilst the other wins were at out of form (until the met Huddersfield last night) Preston Low Water Mark and the not quite managerless Stoke City. Who contrived to lead whilst down to ten men before collapsing in injury time to a 4-2 defeat.
With the recall of the two most skilful players, Chair and Willock, neither of whom were well utilised by Ainsworth, the return of players from injury (Clarke-Salter) and suspension ( Colback…albeit probably temporarily given his two red cards already and Christmas approaching) Cifuentes has the team, if nor purring , then at least not rolling over and getting their tummies tickled.
Add to that the integration of Ainsworths one good signing Reggie Cannon, the USA international who makes a pleasingly amusing wing back partner for Kenneth Paal, which underlines why we must never sign a striker called Laurel or even Lawrence, it is not the ideal time for a team that needs an away win to rock up to South Africa Road.
Rangers came into existence in 1886 when St Judes merged with Christcurch Rangers and Queens Park rangers, as the majority of their players were from the Queens Park district of Lon=don was formed. Playing in the Southern and Western league initially they, like Argyle joined the Football league in 1920 along with most of the rest of the Southern League to for the fledgling 3rd division South.
By then the club had made a few headlines, notably with an unexpected FA Cup victory over the then mighty Wolves, and also competing in the first ever Charity Shield against the League Champions Manchester United, losing four nil in a replay.
The club has led a somewhat nomadic existence with some twenty different grounds (a record), and even though they settled on Loftus Road after World War 1, they have still had the occasional foray out to White City and back. The club still hankers after a new ground to the West of London, as well as a training development that is mired in local planning issues but having fallen foul of the financial regulators there is currently no time scale for this to occur.
The majority of the clubs competition with Argyle took place either pre the Second World war, and then in a brief periods in the early 2000’s when the sides conducted a polite rivalry as they challenged for the Division 2 title , joined by a shared distaste for the challenge and bumptious nature of the Brizzle City fans, who were convinced they would overtake both clubs. Argyle were to clinch the title that season, sealing promotion with a two nil win over QPR at Home Park with late goals from Trigger and Daveeed, Indeed in recent matches late goals have become something of a forte for Argyle against Rangers. Rangers, whose fans graciously stayed and applauded the celebrations of the Argyle players, then clinched their own promotion at Hillsborough, to cut short the pitch celebrations of the Bristolians, although then rangers boss Ian Holloway, as a Rovers man, will have enjoyed the moment.
Holloway was to head west after his Rangers days were over, and where he was to build a side that for most Argyle fans remains the high water mark of teams they have supported, and which brings another connecting thread to the fore.
Alongside the likes of Ebanks Blake Norris and Hayles were the three. Magnificent Magyars, or Timar, Halmosi and Akos Buzsaky. Whilst not perhaps of the same ilk as the Magnificent Magyars of the 1950’s (although it would remain to be seen how long the Galloping Major,Puskas would have been galloping if up against the Timarnator), it was Buszaky who graced the games he played in with a sublime elegance skill , and yet also brutal shooting power and accuracy, that left his izselible mark on those who watched him.
Indeed it was the sale of Buzsaky for a ridiculous low price that started the decline of the Holloway team and the commitment of the manager to the club. Or so he claims.
Akos was loved as much at Loftus Road as he was at Home Park. Injuries meant that his time there was shorter than all would have liked, with the possible exception of the manager Jim Magilton, who lost his job after an alleged headbutt on the player in the dressing room. His returns to see Rangers play are greeted with the same adulation as his trips to see Argyle.
Naturally , both clubs have had a spell with Warnock in charge, and perhaps less predictably with John Gregory as well. Kevin Gallen had a decent spell with Argyle and Jamie Mackie was a footnote in the Manchester City story when his goal threatened to disrupt their procession to the Premier League before the Aguero moment, but our itinerant Grecian crisp packet chaser, as Paul Merson once memorably described him, had two good spells in hoops.
But no trip to Loftus Road (which despite the recent renaming is what fans everywhere think of it as) for Argyle is complete without the reflection of the League Cup triumph many regard as Argyles finest performance.
Rangers were a top side, unbeaten at home for a year and had won their previous round 8-2 against Sheffield Wednesday (more of an achievement then than it sounds today). Argyle were a third division side and yet they dominated the game. Despite a nil nil half time, Argyle continued to play the better football and goals from Welsh (2) and Davey meant the R’s were despatched 3-0 as Argyle headed for the semi-final later that season.
What would Argyle and Schuey give for the same result tonight? What would any of us?
Two thousand midweek Greens will be there to create a great atmosphere with a home crowd that have their own boisterous sections.
Will Schueys rest cure pay off? Or are Rangers going for that long odds play-off campaign under Marti?
COYG!!!!!!!!
Queens Park Rangers (A) December 13th
In a hectic week for Argyle, a trip to the King Power Stadium to take on a club whose spending power eclipses our own by a factor of 12 at least was always going to be a hard ask for that elusive first away League win.
A healthy, nay, impressive away following therefore drew a collective intake of breath when a Bristolian sized number of changes were made for the starting line up with a recall for matchwinner Randell, but no place for player of the season candidate Jordan Houghton, replaced by Matt Butcher. Out too went messrs Galloway and Mumba, and Bundu continued to lead the line with Hardie seemingly not yet ready to start.
Leicester too rang the changes, without Vardy and Ianecho, although the fact their line was led by Patson Dako, their £23 million third choice striker served to underline the difference in the respective shopping itineraries of the managers.
It was another recalled Argyle player who was to make the main impact on proceedings, although sadly for Pleggy it was of the “oops, I probably shouldn’t have done that” kind when Mavadidi made sure he fell over a fairly clumsy leg in the box. Handball in the build up? We will never know, but Cooper was marginally short of the spot kick and the Foxes were on the hunt.
Except that for the balance of the half, no-one inside the King Power could have complained if the half time score had been level. Certainly, Argyle had good enough chances to score, Bundu in particular.
And then it all unravelled. Just as against Palace in the Carabao Cup (must be a Thai thing), Leicester had a golden spell of three goals in six minutes and the game was well and truly gone. Butcher was responsible for losing possession twice for two of the goals but in truth the gap in quality was firmly exposed.
To the teams’ credit heads did not drop and they managed to stabilise the game, so as not to completely wipe out our goal difference advantage from those around us in the table. To the fans credit a rousing and continuous “Green and White Barmy army” for the last twenty minutes of so was a magnificent display of support and defiance.
With other teams in the vicinity of the drop zone picking up points, the loss, whilst expected, was sufficient to throw the emphasis on the midweek trip to London to take on erstwhile recent rival QPR, themselves now on the cusp of a run for the play-offs after three wins in a row for new manager Cifuentes.
QPR, who started the season under the leadership of an ever more manic and paranoid, Gareth Ainsworth, with a four nil drubbing at Watford, including a goal conceded in the first minute, and a goalless second half to show how poor a beginning it was, were, until the arrival of the new boss from Sweden, living up to the previously ascribed meanings given to QPR in a past poor spell under Mark Hughes of Quite Probably Relegated, and the evocative Quarter Pound of Rubbish.
The club, which despite having been owned by F1 royalty including Flavio Briattori and Bernie Ecclestone, the lovable Putin apologist and tax dodger, still labours under the FFP handicaps bestowed upon them by previous misdemeanours jusrt about escaped relegation last season on the back of a miraculous and unexpected (and in truth underserved) win at runaway champions Burnley. Aimsworth, who was a much-loved playing hero left his job for life at Adams Park for the job of a lifetime at Rangers, but the match was a troubled one. Rangers fans have over the years been brought up on a certain style and flair in their teams and no amount of faux hakas and journeymen, even those who would put in a shift (so no, not you Jack Colback) would compensate for leaving out flair and talent like Chair and Willock in order to lump the ball forward to the semi mobile Lyndon Dykes.
The despatch of Ainsworth, and what price the sudden slump in Wycombe form being a catalyst for a triumphal return to the scenes of his past (only) managerial glory was more like a mercy killing of a favourite poodle, as his post-match interviews became ever wilder eyed and Keegan like (I would love it if we stayed up and proved all the pundits wrong| Love it!)
After a parade of the usual candidates , including the somewhat unpopular Michael Beale, who did a Holloway on Rangers after Wolves can a sniffing, and then, having declared his undying loyalty the the R’s, nipped odd to Rangers (North) with nary a by your leave.
Cifuentes, who left Hammarby in Sweden by mutual consent for the Rangers (South) gig does have some form in that he spent a spell in the youth set-up at Millwall, and the speed with which he was appointed indicates some degree of planning in the arrival. In six matches he has now won the last three, the most recent being an impressive win over challenging Hull City. Whilst the other wins were at out of form (until the met Huddersfield last night) Preston Low Water Mark and the not quite managerless Stoke City. Who contrived to lead whilst down to ten men before collapsing in injury time to a 4-2 defeat.
With the recall of the two most skilful players, Chair and Willock, neither of whom were well utilised by Ainsworth, the return of players from injury (Clarke-Salter) and suspension ( Colback…albeit probably temporarily given his two red cards already and Christmas approaching) Cifuentes has the team, if nor purring , then at least not rolling over and getting their tummies tickled.
Add to that the integration of Ainsworths one good signing Reggie Cannon, the USA international who makes a pleasingly amusing wing back partner for Kenneth Paal, which underlines why we must never sign a striker called Laurel or even Lawrence, it is not the ideal time for a team that needs an away win to rock up to South Africa Road.
Rangers came into existence in 1886 when St Judes merged with Christcurch Rangers and Queens Park rangers, as the majority of their players were from the Queens Park district of Lon=don was formed. Playing in the Southern and Western league initially they, like Argyle joined the Football league in 1920 along with most of the rest of the Southern League to for the fledgling 3rd division South.
By then the club had made a few headlines, notably with an unexpected FA Cup victory over the then mighty Wolves, and also competing in the first ever Charity Shield against the League Champions Manchester United, losing four nil in a replay.
The club has led a somewhat nomadic existence with some twenty different grounds (a record), and even though they settled on Loftus Road after World War 1, they have still had the occasional foray out to White City and back. The club still hankers after a new ground to the West of London, as well as a training development that is mired in local planning issues but having fallen foul of the financial regulators there is currently no time scale for this to occur.
The majority of the clubs competition with Argyle took place either pre the Second World war, and then in a brief periods in the early 2000’s when the sides conducted a polite rivalry as they challenged for the Division 2 title , joined by a shared distaste for the challenge and bumptious nature of the Brizzle City fans, who were convinced they would overtake both clubs. Argyle were to clinch the title that season, sealing promotion with a two nil win over QPR at Home Park with late goals from Trigger and Daveeed, Indeed in recent matches late goals have become something of a forte for Argyle against Rangers. Rangers, whose fans graciously stayed and applauded the celebrations of the Argyle players, then clinched their own promotion at Hillsborough, to cut short the pitch celebrations of the Bristolians, although then rangers boss Ian Holloway, as a Rovers man, will have enjoyed the moment.
Holloway was to head west after his Rangers days were over, and where he was to build a side that for most Argyle fans remains the high water mark of teams they have supported, and which brings another connecting thread to the fore.
Alongside the likes of Ebanks Blake Norris and Hayles were the three. Magnificent Magyars, or Timar, Halmosi and Akos Buzsaky. Whilst not perhaps of the same ilk as the Magnificent Magyars of the 1950’s (although it would remain to be seen how long the Galloping Major,Puskas would have been galloping if up against the Timarnator), it was Buszaky who graced the games he played in with a sublime elegance skill , and yet also brutal shooting power and accuracy, that left his izselible mark on those who watched him.
Indeed it was the sale of Buzsaky for a ridiculous low price that started the decline of the Holloway team and the commitment of the manager to the club. Or so he claims.
Akos was loved as much at Loftus Road as he was at Home Park. Injuries meant that his time there was shorter than all would have liked, with the possible exception of the manager Jim Magilton, who lost his job after an alleged headbutt on the player in the dressing room. His returns to see Rangers play are greeted with the same adulation as his trips to see Argyle.
Naturally , both clubs have had a spell with Warnock in charge, and perhaps less predictably with John Gregory as well. Kevin Gallen had a decent spell with Argyle and Jamie Mackie was a footnote in the Manchester City story when his goal threatened to disrupt their procession to the Premier League before the Aguero moment, but our itinerant Grecian crisp packet chaser, as Paul Merson once memorably described him, had two good spells in hoops.
But no trip to Loftus Road (which despite the recent renaming is what fans everywhere think of it as) for Argyle is complete without the reflection of the League Cup triumph many regard as Argyles finest performance.
Rangers were a top side, unbeaten at home for a year and had won their previous round 8-2 against Sheffield Wednesday (more of an achievement then than it sounds today). Argyle were a third division side and yet they dominated the game. Despite a nil nil half time, Argyle continued to play the better football and goals from Welsh (2) and Davey meant the R’s were despatched 3-0 as Argyle headed for the semi-final later that season.
What would Argyle and Schuey give for the same result tonight? What would any of us?
Two thousand midweek Greens will be there to create a great atmosphere with a home crowd that have their own boisterous sections.
Will Schueys rest cure pay off? Or are Rangers going for that long odds play-off campaign under Marti?
COYG!!!!!!!!
