2024/2025 Squad list

[GreeninTallow]

We won't get another Cooper, but that doesn't mean Hazard is good enough either. He isn't, as shown by Rowland's thorough and excellent analysis.

Even if we compare Hazard with other keepers in the league, the stats in the thread the other day showed how Hazard was an average shot stopper and poor at commanding his area. Add that to the fact that he is poor with his feet and we want to play out through our keeper, then we need better as a no. 1. He's a decent no.2, but that's it unless he improves several aspects of his game.

You’re probably right, but there was nothing ‘average’ about the 2 saves at Swansea, which were outstanding & probably save us 2 points… 👍🏼

 

[BBP]

He played there away at Millwall and we struggled to pass out through midfield. He did run around a lot though. Joe is much better as a wing back.

Agreed. I thought Joe would be a good idea in midfield, until I went to the Millwall game - he had a torrid time. To be fair it may be a role he can grow into, but it would be a gamble.

 

[Tricky Tree]

To be honest £8 million for goalie only just come back from injury, has only played a dozen games at championship level is good business.

Secondly Hazard for me shows he is far more than able to take up the No1 spot.

Copper no doubt is a great shot stopper, but all this punching at crosses in the air, means it can drop anywhere and enables the ball to be returned into the box immediately.

Hazard actually catches when he calls for crosses. He also proved he was a great shot stopper.

The only reason Copper is rated higher is because he was born in Plymouth, I agree it is great to have a player come through the academy it's not a fair enough reason to pick him ahead of Hazard.

Cooper is from Exeter!

 

[MGM]

So if everybody is mostly under contract except for 3 members of the current squad & Argyle are looking to re-sign Galloway & Miller, then surely the only way this squad is changing is for contracted players to leave.

Cooper, Morgan & Gibson are the ones being talked about who could possible leave. I imagine we could replace them with decent signings. The issue is our overall squad strength. Not just our first 11 but what is coming off the bench..

In league one we rotated players who were coming off the bench & impacting games. This season we haven’t quite had those options.

Midfield & Forward areas need much more explosive pace & power. Gyabi highlighted yet again something we didn’t have in the squad. The same as Matete the season before.

If you look at Danny Rohl at Sheffield Wednesday he just added one or two players like Praveda to give them the flair their side lack. Otherwise, they were a team of sizeable units that he organised well. When they played them at Hillsborough, then same as Millwall at the New Den, there was much between the sides. Just a bit more athleticism & physicality. Something we have lacked in certain key areas of the pitch for some time.

 

[AdelaideGreen]

Cooper is from Exeter!

Yes, born there - but went to school at St Peter's, Lympstone - which is far enough away that unless the wind blows from the north you don't suffer the stench of Mordor - and then went to Plymouth College.

 

[Cdp]

If coops was to leave I liked the Rotherham keeper

 

[Argyleloyal]

If coops was to leave I liked the Rotherham keeper

Alan Nixon tweeted the other day that Stoke is leading the race for him

 

[memory man]

How can you decide on who stays & go's without the manager / coach in place.

Obviously, we will sign Galloway if he wants to stay because he is a class act but with Miller will he get enough game time under a new boss?

For me we have to decide how we are moving forward. Like obviously it's good if a coach can be flexible with their tactics, but what us their main way of playing.

If its a back four, then simply because of their lack of pace & althetism l think there are a few players under contract who would be better served by moving on.

We need more mobile players. We need much more strength & physicality in particular areas of the pitch.

Yet until we appoint a new head coach & understand more about his philosophy we are in a little bit of limbo regarding decisions on players. The only exception to this would be a massive bid the club couldn't refuse for a Whittaker or a Cooper.

I'm entirely with you on this. I have seen a few posters on here who believe any Head Coach should be able to coach any group of players he is presented with. I'm not sure I can think of any club example, and although some may claim that Southgate does this all the time, he does actually choose the squad he has to pick a team from.

 

[Balham Green]

Agreed. I thought Joe would be a good idea in midfield, until I went to the Millwall game - he had a torrid time. To be fair it may be a role he can grow into, but it would be a gamble.

Really? I thought he was one of our better players in a torrid performance

 

[BBP]

Really? I thought he was one of our better players in a torrid performance

Granted no one played well and I am not saying he was so much worse than anyone else, but it didn’t seem to work for me.

 

[MGM]

I'm entirely with you on this. I have seen a few posters on here who believe any Head Coach should be able to coach any group of players he is presented with. I'm not sure I can think of any club example, and although some may claim that Southgate does this all the time, he does actually choose the squad he has to pick a team from.

The thing is are we going to play with wing backs next season or full backs? l like Miller but l think Argyle should wait before deciding on whether to re-sign him in case he doesn’t fit in with a new coach’s plans.

 

[memory man]

The thing is are we going to play with wing backs next season or full backs? l like Miller but l think Argyle should wait before deciding on whether to re-sign him in case he doesn’t fit in with a new coach’s plans.

Perfect example as to why the Head Coach has to have a say in recruitment. It's fanciful to think otherwise.

 

[boletus edulis]

Granted no one played well and I am not saying he was so much worse than anyone else, but it didn’t seem to work for me.

It was a lovely through ball down the middle from Joe for Morgs to run on to and he probably should have scored.

 

[ZeBozo]

Perfect example as to why the Head Coach has to have a day in recruitment. It's fanciful to think otherwise.

In an ideal world the coach/manager would be involved in recruitment discussions, but the reality is that any player coming to the end of their contract will be weighing up offers from multiple clubs. This will be the case for both our own players and those at other clubs whom we might be interested in. Most players will want to have their futures secured as soon as possible especially if any move might require them to relocate with their families. To wait until a new boss is in place would delay any decisions and result in missing out on the opportunity to sign high quality players on a free transfer.

Also the typical length of tenure for a manager in the championship is between 6-18 months, meaning there isn’t always an incentive for them to prioritize recruitment that benefits the club in the long term. Sometimes it‘s not a bad thing for recruitment to be controlled by someone who is considering the future benefits of a player as opposed to the immediate impact.

 

[memory man]

In an ideal world the coach/manager would be involved in recruitment discussions, but the reality is that any player coming to the end of their contract will be weighing up offers from multiple clubs. This will be the case for both our own players and those at other clubs whom we might be interested in. Most players will want to have their futures secured as soon as possible especially if any move might require them to relocate with their families. To wait until a new boss is in place would delay any decisions and result in missing out on the opportunity to sign high quality players on a free transfer.

Also the typical length of tenure for a manager in the championship is between 6-18 months, meaning there isn’t always an incentive for them to prioritize recruitment that benefits the club in the long term. Sometimes it‘s not a bad thing for recruitment to be controlled by someone who is considering the future benefits of a player as opposed to the immediate impact.

You make some very good points, but it is a dilemma. There are dozens of examples where a manager or head coach has simply 'not fancied' a player that his predecessor found perfectly adequate. There was a time when a new manager would come in and extract that 'new manager bounce' with the existing squad. Nowadays it seems that the majority arrive with a fixed idea of how they want to play and recruit people to play that way. With our limited budget we do not have the luxury of having two or three players on two year deals that the new man simply 'doesn't fancy'.