Brief Synopsis!!!

[Mark Pedlar]

1) Very wet day. Amazed it was going ahead. In case I forget later: hope everyone from every game everywhere gets home safe today. Low, low turn-out - another reason the game probably should have been called off. Moseley straight into the team in place of Lowry (why?). Gurrieri, PCH and MacDonald with the width (no Young?) and one to support mighty Nick Chadwick up front. Madjo and Griffiths on the bench yet we start with Chadwick. Fletch given up already? Looking for names in the stands to take over.

2) Fairly even start. Hourihane and Moseley with important tackles. Macca started behind Chadders with Gurrieri on the left and PCH on the right. Argyle playing on the counter. First real Argyle attack saw Gurrieri's scuffed cross, dummied by Chadwick but MacDonald too far behind him. The ball broke, Argyle failed to clear, conceded the corner, Gilmartin came a long way and punched unconvincingly. Eventually cleared. Argyle's first corner, taken short, crossed by MacDonald and well caught by the Spireites 'keeper.

3) PCH and Gurrieri with weak early shots that didn't trouble the goalie. Final ball from both sides was poor until PCH passed one in but Chadders couldn't get hold of. Like ping pong in the box for a while but committed Chesterfield defending kept us out. Bhas drifted in but couldn't get a shot away. Argyle went through a purple patch on about 15-25 but couldn't get a decent attempt on goal. Moseley made a good impression - lots of energy, good tackling and fairly accurate passing. Chesterfield had the best of the early chances with their forward who was allowed to turn in the box. Luckily his shot went wide.

4) Hard work by Gurrieri and MacDonald forced a corner that Nelson ended up heading straight at the 'keeper. Blanchard gave away a silly free-kick for climbing but they made nothing of it. MacDonald took a corner that Chesterfield failed to clear. Macca's narrow angle shot on the turn was well cleared then Nelson's header was cleared off the line then Gurrieri's shot was headed onto the bar - the ball just wouldn't go in.

5) Argyle probably edged the first-half but just couldn't get the goal they deserved. Moseley, PCH and Macca with good halves but Gurrieri for me the one who was the difference. Blanchard and Nelson coped with the rare attacks well and Gilmartin hadn't much to do. Chesterfield the ones to change first - Boa Morte on at half-time. Early chances for Chesterfield in the 2nd. Berry forced to clear off the line. Argyle seemed to be half asleep.

6) After they settled down, Argyle began to re-establish the pressure that they had in the first. Chesterfield looked a better outfit though and Moseley was booked for a dangerous challenge. The free-kick came in and Berry again forced to clear. Another change for the visitors with Jack Lester coming on. Immediately Gilmartin had to save. At the other end Hourihane shot high and wide. Argyle not holding the ball up front as well and conceding possession too easily. Needed a sub.

7) Argyle had a chance through Chadwick but it ballooned over, Chesterfield broke, the ball went left, crossed well - Argyle failed to clear and the Chesterfield forward had the option of placing it anywhere he wanted. Fletcher hesitated - Lennox came on for Gurrieri but the ineffective Chadwick remained. Five minutes later PCH and Chadwick were replaced by Madjo and Griffiths. Almost immediately Madjo held the ball up well, found Moseley who won a corner.

8 ) This was the Griffiths of Dorchester. Ball pinged off him, control completely absent. Lennox couldn't get on the ball enough and the lofted balls into the box were easily cut out. No attempts were made to get round the defence too much bludgeoning at a front door that was never going to open.

9) The referee had a reasonable first half and joined in with the crowd as he measured out steps at a free-kick in front of the Demport. Bought a PCH dive for a free-kick. Failed to act on the time wasting. Crowd fairly noisy but insufficient numbers to make a massive difference. 'Seagulls' and 'sign him on' when a supporter headed a MacDonald shot the highlights. Quiet after the goal, the anti-team, anti-Fletcher vibes could be felt at last.

10) Argyle on top in the first-half and unlucky not to be winning. Chesterfield made the changes and forced the edge - we sat and dithered. Could sum up many of the Fletcher era games. Good game for Moseley. I despair, the club's going down the drain, we have a manager who hasn't a clue and a chairman who knows nothing about, or is not interested in, running a football club.

 

[Suffolk Green]

Thanks M P - your last statement's accurate & very, very worrying!!!

 

[Tugboat]

Brief?

 

[green eyed monster]

Agree with most of that except point 10

How can you judge JB so soon, as an owner he's only just started, do you want him out too?

 

[Elias]

low turn out a reason to call a game off? !!!!think more to do with 6 defeats from 7 games perhaps?

 

[Deacster]

Played well in the first half but no goal to show for it. Tempo dropped off second half and yet again no reaction to opponents tactical switch. Molesley was very good.

 

[Tony Pastyman]

Excellent report, witnessing I hope the final match with Carl Fletcher in charge.
At least he can go home to more important things like gardening and the family, whilst Plymouth Argyle get sucked into another relegation battle.

 

[Pafcintheplace]

Brief?

Wait for PL2 if you want some good analysis

 

[X Isle]

Are some nice tippy tappy wins in the conference south what you are looking to 'way in the future'?, because that's the only level Fletch's powderpuff team with it's negative tactics and lack of creativity will start winning regularly.

Seriously I would agree with you if there was some consistent end product to our possession football.

I'm not blindly negative, I turn negative only when I can no longer see cause for hope to be invested. There was a point at which I could see some green shoots of optimism, I was supportive and patient. I recall Port Vale at home, a really nice tidy passage of possession first half and we even had the lead. Dad and I drove away from that home defeat feeling annoyed but still with a degree of hope.

Looking back now though I can see what happened WASN'T bad luck and three breakaway goals, I know this because what happened is replicated week in week out now.

When we were in possession Port Vale were running round all over the place trying to get it back, thing is though it happened in our own half or just into theirs, it never hurt them, we never took advantage of it, never punished them (our goal was before the sustained possession period and was a speculative long range effort).

Half time, Micky Adams, a proper manager who can motivate a response in his players and understands tactics gave them a rocket and switched formation. We lost the second half 3-0.

So in hindsight that 20-30 minute spell of possession that raised some hope back then has been proved time and time again to be pointless. The opposition have us at arms length, we never land a blow and then a simple formation change or change in opposition tempo is all it takes for the defences to be breached.

So no Es, the hope you are clinging to, the hope you want JB to cling to is the same vain hope I was clinging to. Problem is it's like clinging to a twig while headed for niagra falls.......POINTLESS.........it's not going to save us from anything.

He must go, our 'good spells' are never going to be enough.

Thanks as ever Mark but having just woken up and read through the match thread it seems yet ANOTHER example of our problem, yet ANOTHER nice passage of play followed by a defeat as described in the quote above in response to Esmer yesterday.

I hope when reading through brief synopsis today the green tints and Fletch apologists will see just how predictably poor Argyle are, just how doomed we are if we stick as things are.

We've been incredibly patient, without parallel I'd say, but if I can write the outline of the match the day before and we're still no different to how Micky Adams nullified and defeated us in September then surely to god fellas you too can stop clutching at the straws. A few minutes of good football doth not a good football team make, spells of possession don't win matches.

IT MUST END NOW

 

[Ollieargyle9]

Thanks for the report Mark, have a safe journey home yourself :scarf:

 

[Mark Pedlar]

Agree with most of that except point 10

How can you judge JB so soon, as an owner he's only just started, do you want him out too?

Is it asking too much for him to care about what he's bought? There's no sign he does.

 

[Cult Of Personality]

Argyle were good for 20 mins in the 1st half and that was about it

We lack cutting edge up front

Chadwick please retire

*Edited by Admin*

Mosley You look quite good you can stay

Fletcher you can **** OFF

 

[tigertony]

JB knows his limitations with football knowledge and brings in Sexstone who will, I am sure, advise JB fully and frankly.
Was he there today ???

 

[Frank Butcher]

Good synopsis.

I would just add, how could Fletcher take 75 mins to substitute Chadwick ? How could you be watching that and not thinking 'I need to change this up front' ? I find that in itself amazing.

 

[PL2 3DQ]

Another very average team beat us as home.

The inconsistency of this season was typified in this game; for the first half we played well, created chances and looked on course for a win, for the second half we looked a team devoid of ideas and confidence.
Man of the match would be the pitch!

First half Argyle - After a sedate start that resembled a practice game Argyle sprang to life midway through the half and put Chesterfield under a lot of pressure. It was good to see MacDonald play as a striker, although he would be moved wide later in the game. Chances fell to Cowan-Hall, Nelson, MacDonald and Guerrieri with one effort deflected onto the crossbar.
We discovered that MacDonald has a good long throw (where has that been all season and why wasn't it used before today?) which put Chesterfield under pressure plus we had a series of corners but still the round white thing wouldn't go into the net.
Molesley was neat and tidy, had good feet and energy, the back four, apart from Blanchard's wayward kicking, looked solid, Chadwick was lively and held the ball up well, Cowan-Hall was causing problems on the wing and things were set for a decent second half.
The team left the pitch at half time to good applause.

Second half Argyle - the good passing football was replaced with long punts in the general direction of Chadwick, Molesley ran out of steam and the team ran out of ideas. Berry was alert to make two clearances/tackles to prevent certain goals.
Chesterfield offered more of a threat and were rewarded with a soft goal; you'd expect Argyle to rally but offered no threat and chances were rare. The confidence shown in the first half was replaced by nerves and anxiety and the team lacked leadership and direction. Chadwick had a chance although to be fair the ball was behind him.
The game ended with boos ringing out around Home Park.

It's so frustrating to see how well we played for the majority of the first half and then lose a game against a Chesterfield side that offered nothing. League Two is a poor league and a poor standard - what does that say about our team? At 45 minutes you'd be thinking why sack Fletcher when he gets the team playing this well, at 90 minutes you'd be thinking please sack Fletcher because the gets the team playing badly.

Sadly, I think Fletcher will be gone now, either forced to resign or sacked.

Well done to the ref who handled the difficult conditions very well and was a good sport with the crowd.