One Game at a Time: Difficult Managing Expectations
The Wawll (H) February 12th
Scouse Week. Completed it.
Two games. Two pens, both nailed on and given. Two icy veined strikes that never looked like being saved. Two defensive battles against supposedly superior opposition. And in their own way two results that demonstrate how our club has progressed and will continue to do so.
In a round that until Sunday had produced little in the way of shocks, unless you count Millwall winning at Leeds reserves, complete with tasteless chants which have no place in the game, Sunday’s epic performance by the entire squad stole the show. Forget any furore over half and half scarves and shirts, Randell’s remarkable consistency with his corners and hitting that first defender and the fact that I have already spotted two posts on the Oatcake about our new manager being somewhat seductive.
The build-up was, predictably and lazily, all about how bad our defence was, how good Liverpool are (or perhaps that should now say can be) and for good measure, the only real Argyle highlights package shown pre-match was that awful first half against Burnley. A nod to 1984 was in there too, but everyone expected Liverpool to roll over the most compliant defence in English football.
It was like the following fortnight post Burnley hadn’t happened. No signing of two very committed and very good defenders to range alongside our existing very good one in Pleggy. No uprated coaching staff in support of the new coach who was reimagining a side to make them hard to score against. No reintegration of young athletic players to harry and harass the opponents high up the pitch.
Muslic gave yet another accomplished pre match interview. Humorous and steely at the same time. Slot handed in his team sheet, a mixture of internationals who needed minutes and prospective stars of the future who were starting on the ladder to potential immortality. Ten changes but still including a front three of Jota, Diaz and Chiesa that were all full internationals and cost in excess of £100 million to bring to Anfield. Plus an eighty million pound plus reserve striker in Nunez in case that wasn’t enough firepower. Even the Liverpool reserve left back Tzimikas or their central midfielder Endo cost more than the entire Argyle squad individually.
And yet.
We all saw what happened. The transformation in belief in the Argyle squad has been remarkable. Players disparaged and urged to be discarded in the window, now integral to the functionating of the system instilled in just a few weeks of grass work. Sorinola the epitome of a man who has found his muse. Who has him playing out of his skin until the cramp sets in, and even then has him playing as an auxiliary forward and general nuisance, taking the ball into the left wing corner whilst his team mate Wright is covering his full back duties.
As for the defensive titans, now bulging hulk like out of their green shirts, Maxi roared and Katic raged. Randell will have to watch himself in training as he owes Nikola a tooth. Katic organised and competed, screaming at Hazard for coming out of his goal too far which left McConnell with a free shot, and ending his man of the match performance with an “industrial language” strewn live TV interview.
The goal when it came was redemption for Hardie and his Chelsea miss, sending Kelleher, who recently in his Liverpool career saved from Mbappe from the spot against Real Madrid before then saving his next faced spot kick to end a one hundred and fifteen year wait for successive penalty saves by a Liverpool stopper, the wrong way.
In the end Liverpool had their front four with Nunez supplementing the misfiring trio who started, and later, in a first for a Liverpool coach, they ended the game with a front six that included Quansah and Kelleher. Kelleher it was who headed their final chance straight at Hazard, who had already made fine saves to deny the lethargic Jota from distance and the frustrated Nunez from close range with a magnificent tip-over.
The final whistle, when it came, was greeted with a roar for the ages, and the promise of a host of babies in November being christened Miron, Maxi and Nikola. The occasional Ryan might be in there too.
Miron continued his seduction of the ITV media team with a post-match interview that ended with his assuring Mark Pougatch that Manchester United would be “very welcome”. We will leave it to the coach to square that with Katic and co. Slot was gracious in defeat, as was Robbie Fowler, and the consensus of the football media was Liverpool got what they deserved for disrespecting the competition and Argyle.
As for Argyle, they celebrated as they deserved and the crowd demanded, despite the displeasure of Jamie Carragher, a man well versed in taking defeat sportingly as the fourteen-year-old girl he spat at after a Liverpool defeat to United can testify. Miron praised them as history makers and then reminded them that it all starts again on Wednesday as we entertain those cuddly spoilers from Sarf of the river, Millwall.
Before that, however the excitement of a media blitz followed by the ultimate accolade. Football fans tuning into the One Show by choice. Argyle fans were fatalistic, despite the odds of a Premier club threepeat being heavily stacked, and even more so after the first tie out was Preston v Burnley, an East Lancs derby celebrated across the county with high sixes all round. Cardiff stole the chance of a Villa double header, and the Met Police overtime budget for March looks shot after Millwall drew the Nigels of Palace. Manchester United and City were both accused of draw rigging (I mean they have done it the same way for over a hundred years and now it is live on TV. It used to be on the radio which might have been a bit easier to fix.)
Anyway apparently City fans think United are fixing it because of how often they get home ties, and United think City have it fixed for them because they keep getting so called easy games. You could argue that if United were going to fix the draw they might have tried to avoid Arsenal away the round before. Plus the irony of Liverpool fans complaining City had an easy draw defies comprehension. At least Arsenal being out of the contest meant no chance for Gabriel Jesus getting his t shirt back from Gyabi.
Most importantly the Devon Derby FA Cup final remains an option until at least half time tonight. And the Saudi Royal family have still got flights booked for the Oil Firm Derby final assuming Argyle finally concede an FA Cup goal against City in the battle of the beards.
Meanwhile the easiest sponsorship deal in history awaits one lucky Plymouth based dental practice after Katic found his missing tooth on the pitch.
Argyle will face a much-changed Millwall from the one that ground out a turgid one nil victory over the Greens in October. Denied a clear first minute penalty, Argyle dominated possession but fell to a goal from the now departed Esse, which at least removes that essay from the agenda for this game.
Millwall have had the evil eye (and forearm smash) over Argyle since we returned to the Championship with three wins and no goals conceded. Although not frequent recent opponents in that time, Argyle have yet to beat Millwall this century, and the Lions travel in their best form of the season, currently matching Leeds United at the top of the four game form table, albeit without any sign of a seven goal win. We hope. They were busy in the window, bringing in the Brentford B full back Crama recalled from exile in Exeter, alongside a Dutch winger Neghli (that can go either way as we know) and two goal scoring debutants in Aaron Connolly from Sunderland and poison dwarf Luke Cundle who finally left Wolves for ever. Two other signings of note are Benicio Baker-Boitiey, on loan from Brighton and Zak Lovelace from Rangers B.
Under the dour but frequently gainfully employed Alec Neil the Lions have also been linked with a move to tempt ex Palace stalwart James Tompkins out of retirement, which even Millwall fans have dubbed as weird.
Home Park should still have the feel-good factor on Wednesday, and with the arrival of a set piece coach to join the backroom staff imminent it does feel like the pieces are starting to (sorry Arnie) Slot into place quite nicely.
With Pompous having lost despite seemingly outplaying Sheffield Red Stripe, and a last-minute penalty saving Derby from defeat at Norwich, the Greens are one win away from compressing the bottom table again having seemed cut adrift not so very long ago.
Upcoming opponents Blackburn look to be losing their manager John Eustace after Derby triggered his release clause ( cue Andrew Parkinson scrabbling through his paperwork), and the Wendies talismanic midget Barry Bannon suffered what for him could be a career threatening injury with a hairline fracture (although this was subsequently revealed to be a fracture of the kneecap, and his hairline remains intact, believe it or not).
Expectations have changed. We literally fight tooth and nail now.
Two on the bounce for Muslic and his band of brothers.
COYG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The Wawll (H) February 12th
Scouse Week. Completed it.
Two games. Two pens, both nailed on and given. Two icy veined strikes that never looked like being saved. Two defensive battles against supposedly superior opposition. And in their own way two results that demonstrate how our club has progressed and will continue to do so.
In a round that until Sunday had produced little in the way of shocks, unless you count Millwall winning at Leeds reserves, complete with tasteless chants which have no place in the game, Sunday’s epic performance by the entire squad stole the show. Forget any furore over half and half scarves and shirts, Randell’s remarkable consistency with his corners and hitting that first defender and the fact that I have already spotted two posts on the Oatcake about our new manager being somewhat seductive.
The build-up was, predictably and lazily, all about how bad our defence was, how good Liverpool are (or perhaps that should now say can be) and for good measure, the only real Argyle highlights package shown pre-match was that awful first half against Burnley. A nod to 1984 was in there too, but everyone expected Liverpool to roll over the most compliant defence in English football.
It was like the following fortnight post Burnley hadn’t happened. No signing of two very committed and very good defenders to range alongside our existing very good one in Pleggy. No uprated coaching staff in support of the new coach who was reimagining a side to make them hard to score against. No reintegration of young athletic players to harry and harass the opponents high up the pitch.
Muslic gave yet another accomplished pre match interview. Humorous and steely at the same time. Slot handed in his team sheet, a mixture of internationals who needed minutes and prospective stars of the future who were starting on the ladder to potential immortality. Ten changes but still including a front three of Jota, Diaz and Chiesa that were all full internationals and cost in excess of £100 million to bring to Anfield. Plus an eighty million pound plus reserve striker in Nunez in case that wasn’t enough firepower. Even the Liverpool reserve left back Tzimikas or their central midfielder Endo cost more than the entire Argyle squad individually.
And yet.
We all saw what happened. The transformation in belief in the Argyle squad has been remarkable. Players disparaged and urged to be discarded in the window, now integral to the functionating of the system instilled in just a few weeks of grass work. Sorinola the epitome of a man who has found his muse. Who has him playing out of his skin until the cramp sets in, and even then has him playing as an auxiliary forward and general nuisance, taking the ball into the left wing corner whilst his team mate Wright is covering his full back duties.
As for the defensive titans, now bulging hulk like out of their green shirts, Maxi roared and Katic raged. Randell will have to watch himself in training as he owes Nikola a tooth. Katic organised and competed, screaming at Hazard for coming out of his goal too far which left McConnell with a free shot, and ending his man of the match performance with an “industrial language” strewn live TV interview.
The goal when it came was redemption for Hardie and his Chelsea miss, sending Kelleher, who recently in his Liverpool career saved from Mbappe from the spot against Real Madrid before then saving his next faced spot kick to end a one hundred and fifteen year wait for successive penalty saves by a Liverpool stopper, the wrong way.
In the end Liverpool had their front four with Nunez supplementing the misfiring trio who started, and later, in a first for a Liverpool coach, they ended the game with a front six that included Quansah and Kelleher. Kelleher it was who headed their final chance straight at Hazard, who had already made fine saves to deny the lethargic Jota from distance and the frustrated Nunez from close range with a magnificent tip-over.
The final whistle, when it came, was greeted with a roar for the ages, and the promise of a host of babies in November being christened Miron, Maxi and Nikola. The occasional Ryan might be in there too.
Miron continued his seduction of the ITV media team with a post-match interview that ended with his assuring Mark Pougatch that Manchester United would be “very welcome”. We will leave it to the coach to square that with Katic and co. Slot was gracious in defeat, as was Robbie Fowler, and the consensus of the football media was Liverpool got what they deserved for disrespecting the competition and Argyle.
As for Argyle, they celebrated as they deserved and the crowd demanded, despite the displeasure of Jamie Carragher, a man well versed in taking defeat sportingly as the fourteen-year-old girl he spat at after a Liverpool defeat to United can testify. Miron praised them as history makers and then reminded them that it all starts again on Wednesday as we entertain those cuddly spoilers from Sarf of the river, Millwall.
Before that, however the excitement of a media blitz followed by the ultimate accolade. Football fans tuning into the One Show by choice. Argyle fans were fatalistic, despite the odds of a Premier club threepeat being heavily stacked, and even more so after the first tie out was Preston v Burnley, an East Lancs derby celebrated across the county with high sixes all round. Cardiff stole the chance of a Villa double header, and the Met Police overtime budget for March looks shot after Millwall drew the Nigels of Palace. Manchester United and City were both accused of draw rigging (I mean they have done it the same way for over a hundred years and now it is live on TV. It used to be on the radio which might have been a bit easier to fix.)
Anyway apparently City fans think United are fixing it because of how often they get home ties, and United think City have it fixed for them because they keep getting so called easy games. You could argue that if United were going to fix the draw they might have tried to avoid Arsenal away the round before. Plus the irony of Liverpool fans complaining City had an easy draw defies comprehension. At least Arsenal being out of the contest meant no chance for Gabriel Jesus getting his t shirt back from Gyabi.
Most importantly the Devon Derby FA Cup final remains an option until at least half time tonight. And the Saudi Royal family have still got flights booked for the Oil Firm Derby final assuming Argyle finally concede an FA Cup goal against City in the battle of the beards.
Meanwhile the easiest sponsorship deal in history awaits one lucky Plymouth based dental practice after Katic found his missing tooth on the pitch.
Argyle will face a much-changed Millwall from the one that ground out a turgid one nil victory over the Greens in October. Denied a clear first minute penalty, Argyle dominated possession but fell to a goal from the now departed Esse, which at least removes that essay from the agenda for this game.
Millwall have had the evil eye (and forearm smash) over Argyle since we returned to the Championship with three wins and no goals conceded. Although not frequent recent opponents in that time, Argyle have yet to beat Millwall this century, and the Lions travel in their best form of the season, currently matching Leeds United at the top of the four game form table, albeit without any sign of a seven goal win. We hope. They were busy in the window, bringing in the Brentford B full back Crama recalled from exile in Exeter, alongside a Dutch winger Neghli (that can go either way as we know) and two goal scoring debutants in Aaron Connolly from Sunderland and poison dwarf Luke Cundle who finally left Wolves for ever. Two other signings of note are Benicio Baker-Boitiey, on loan from Brighton and Zak Lovelace from Rangers B.
Under the dour but frequently gainfully employed Alec Neil the Lions have also been linked with a move to tempt ex Palace stalwart James Tompkins out of retirement, which even Millwall fans have dubbed as weird.
Home Park should still have the feel-good factor on Wednesday, and with the arrival of a set piece coach to join the backroom staff imminent it does feel like the pieces are starting to (sorry Arnie) Slot into place quite nicely.
With Pompous having lost despite seemingly outplaying Sheffield Red Stripe, and a last-minute penalty saving Derby from defeat at Norwich, the Greens are one win away from compressing the bottom table again having seemed cut adrift not so very long ago.
Upcoming opponents Blackburn look to be losing their manager John Eustace after Derby triggered his release clause ( cue Andrew Parkinson scrabbling through his paperwork), and the Wendies talismanic midget Barry Bannon suffered what for him could be a career threatening injury with a hairline fracture (although this was subsequently revealed to be a fracture of the kneecap, and his hairline remains intact, believe it or not).
Expectations have changed. We literally fight tooth and nail now.
Two on the bounce for Muslic and his band of brothers.
COYG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
