One Game at a Time: Difficult Second Season?
The Owls (A) Sunday August 11th
“Like is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re going to get.” Forrest Gump
Welcome back.
If you wanted to consider the Quantum Mechanics of football, then close season is very much the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle. This states that you cannot know both the position and the velocity of an atom at any given time. And yet, every season, around now, multiple experts demonstrate how true this principle is by creating their own particular idea of how the Championship table will look by the end of the season. The futility of this exercise in glorified guess work is magnified by the fact that until the end of the month that has just begun, many of the squads of the teams they are predicting will undergo massive changes, both inwards and outwards.
Just taking Argyle, almost everyone’s favourite for the drop (honourable exception to the Not the Top 20 guys who have us in a respectable eighteenth and Benjamin Bloom who has us 20th) we could still lose two of our brightest stars, acquire at least two more loanees as well as our new defender from Hungary, and presumably invest some of the proceeds of a player sale or two into a number of spectacular signings that transform the way we play. And that goes for 23 other sides as well.
My choice of quote therefore comes from the second-best Hollywood character named (kind of) after a football club, the inimitable Forrest Gump. So far, we have brought in players from Leeds United, (Gyabi, who we have some familiarity with) and then Slavia Prague (Tijani), Cissoko from Ligue 1 Toulouse, Palsson from Eupen in Belgium and now Szuchs from Hungary. This not recruitment as we are used to it. It’s a whole new galaxy.
The best named Hollywood football role is of course Argyle from Die Hard, the limo driver who saves the day last minute like a prototype Joe Edwards. Ins, of course, mean outs, and The Departed to the Hollywood Argyles of Wrexham are stalwarts Burton and Scarr. We wish them well and anticipate their Disney Channel debut’s. The same goes to Tyreik Wright (minus the Deadpool glitz) whose brief time here never really exploded into life. We hope he succeeds at Bradford.
Alongside this we have conducted our preseason programme at arm’s length from Home Park to allow for the completion of summer improvements to pitch and facilities, as well as attendance potential. Relatively few of the GA have actually seen our new recruits in the flesh. It looks like we have acquired a couple of hard nuts to accompany our traditional soft centre but if it is hard to judge our own side how on earth can we be expected to make a considered assessment of the season’s potential.
Well like the sadly departed and very much appreciated Dan Scarr, OGAAT is never one to shirk a challenge, so here is the League Table as we confidently predict it for next May.
1) Middlesbrough. They might have the most hangdog manager in the division, but Boro have bought well, ended the season on a high and if they can keep Latte Lath fit, have goals as well as the player we all miss the most from last season. Is Finn the chocolate sprinkles on the Latte?
2) Burnley. Only getting Scott Parker because we were so enamoured of Wayne, Burnley still have a lot of the team that won promotion two seasons back at a canter under Kompany, but then stayed nicely rested on the bench as he bought almost a new squad to get relegated with. Should be riding the Double Decker in May.
3) Luton Town. Have largely kept the squad together that performed creditably in the Prem, and with an excellent manager who will play a good attacking style of football. Still play in a tip though. Like many clubs, having lost Ross Barkley from their midfield, right now they are after eights.
4) Leeds United. In theory they should be nailed on to go up, even with the multiple transfers out of the club and the need to sell the likes of Gray to meet FFP. For me though, something seems off. The fans don’t seem enamoured of Farke, who I think could be the first casualty if things don’t start with the Mighty Whites storming away like a supercharged last season Preston. Should have enough for the play-offs, so go long on fingernail bite repellent to make a killing come May. Expect them to crumble like a flake in the face of the play-offs again. Followed by the expected snickers.
5) West Bromwich Albion. Only because Corberan is a very good coach at this level, so even the loss quite cheaply of several very good players may not be enough to hole the Albion below the waterline. If anyone can fudge a team into the Play-offs it is Carlos. A four one drubbing by Brummie's isn't an auspicious start though.
6) Coventry City. The bell weather club for Argyle. One refereeing decision and a decent clearance from Mickel Miller and it would have been Argyle with four points out of six, and not City last season. Probably they aren’t going to make an FA Cup semi again which definitely took some steam out of their end of season run in. Have bought interestingly, despite losing Callum O’Hare for nowt. Robins is a good manager and Assante Thomas has arts as dark as Bourneville so I make City a dark horse for the automatics.
7) Sheffield United. The Blades have the minor inconvenience of starting the season two points adrift of their local rivals, and the incomplete takeover seems to have delayed their transfer activity, but O’Hare and Moore are solid buys. Need a keeper though. Hmmmm. Cadburys fingers, butterfingers or Coopers fingers?
8) QPR. The arrival of Cifuentes in charge made a heap of difference to the R’s, and after a second window he has started to dispose the deadwood and ones who won’t play his way and started to bring in his own people who will. The end of season form was play-off level, including a traditional four nil gubbing of Leeds. Push them even higher if, as reported, they get Rak Saki from Palace. This season Loftus Road will be no Picnic for visitors.
9) Bristol City. Another side that has bought interestingly and has a season under the belt of their head coach to get used to how he wants to play. Want-away Conway is an issue but likely to have Twine in the squad again. Unfortunately. If they flatter to deceive though, expectations in Bristol may once again be a Mirage.
10) Swansea City are another side who have gone different in their overseas acquisitions with the K League prodigy Eom jiSung on a four-year deal from Gwangju, and cash strapped Bordeaux striker Vipotnik arriving on a free. Plus, they have recently cleared out both their dodgy wing backs. Oh! They have the potential to take Flyte but could end up soaring in much the same way as Penguins.
11) Cardiff City. Can the Bluebirds defy their gravity and lack of open play goals for a second successive top half finish? This is based on the assumption that their signings to date will improve them at both ends of the pitch and one assumes they will still score set pieces for fun. Indeed, never mind a set piece coach. Just get a copy of the Cardiff City game footage from last season and copy that. Will the Big Turk Bulut last another season under mad Victor?
12) Hull City. Right now, you would probably have City much lower, after the Chairman Illicali cleared out Leroy Rosenior because he didn’t like his style of play, and they have lost several of last season’s stars like Philogene and Greaves, plus Delap now at Ipswich. But to continue the chocolate bar theme, their Chairman has a lot of money to spend and so expect some Turkish delight in the market. New manager Walter has some interesting insights of what he calls “heart attack football”. The early Home Park fixture against Wazzaball could be interesting. Better double up the St Johns Ambulance for that one.
13) Norwich City. Almost put these lower. Having lost Sara to Galatasaray on the never never, and with Idah, Rowe and Sargeant all being potentially picked over by other clubs, City’s prospects could be heading down faster that the Carrow Road boardroom sherry reserves when Delia’s in the mood. On the other hand, the new DOF has a fresh young manager and is starting to refresh the squad and they should have enough to hold their own. Argyle will be hoping the defence remains as full of holes as an Aero when they visit.
14) Sheffield Wednesday. Another club that reaped the rewards of a new manager and sticking with him whilst he shaped the squad and style of play to how he wanted it. Nailed on relegation certainties in the first part of last season. Nailed on play-offs form in the second half. Probably the best time to play them, while they a) bed in a host of new signings and b) at time of writing seem to have forgotten they need a striker. And there is always the Chanseri element that could send things spinning out of control. Plus, when the sacking season starts Rohl will be in demand. Yorkies all around will give them plenty of local bragging rights if they do manage to relaunch HMS PTL.
15) Argyle. I think without doubt and, based on the hope we may well have Coops and Morgs still available come September 1st, we have a stronger side than last season and also will strengthen further before the window slams. Having better forward options already seems to suit Hotdog allowing him to motor on against tiring defences. As declared elsewhere on Pasoti, a note of caution. I am an optimist by nature, and I still put us in the bottom half. Also, would it have hurt to have had a touch of Black with the green kit given the chocolate theme? Oh well. Come on you Green and Whites, you can be Heroes. Again.
16) Choke City. Traditional bottom half finish for the Potters. Ennis to miss half the season injured. Schumacher sacked in November. This may be written in a more vengeful manner than is realistic but already they have started to rack up some injuries. No Celebrations box here.
17) Preston. But at least he finishes above his mate Ryan. No six-game winning start means Preston finish where they should have done last season. If Bet 365 do Schumacher Lowe and Farke in a special November treble, lump on. Taxi for Lowe?
18) Millwall. Longstaff scores a few, but not enough to make Millwall a credible top half threat. The other sides in the division wise up to Harris-ball and those one nil wins leak away. Several players miss the start of the season after being caught up in riots after mistaking them for fan open evenings. No-one likes them. Lions they maybe, but it now says MyGuava on the shirt instead of Huski. It’s a payment app apparently although expect the Wall massive to all be on a healthy fruit diet before they realise. We don’t care.
19) Pompous. Hopefully the eventual return of Colby Bishop allows Pompous to pull clear of nose-diving back into the abyss. Expect them to do better than expected as they spend the Disney Bounty even if Andre the friendly ghost from QPR doesn’t set the pulses racing in midfield. Twix a rock and hard place if they start badly.
20) Sunderland. This could be my wild card error. Last season saw the ousting of the now retired Mowbray, the ill-fated Beale experiment and a rudderless finish which was relegation form for the final part of the season. New big cheese Reggie Le Bris has mixed credentials, although Poveda and Browne from Preston add speed and steel to a youthful talented squad. If the former and O’Nien stay fit and unsuspended (in 09‘s case) and they pip the Owls to Ugbo then potentially this is a play-off chasing side. If they start poorly and lose Clarke then youth may be their achilles heel, even with the lesser-spotted Bellingham in the side. Who knows though, it may be Kinder Beuno for the Roker youth.
21) Udinese reserves, or Watford to give them their Anglophile name. Lots of problems for the Hertfordshire side. Lost players, parachute payments gone and the Pozzo family seemingly no longer so focused on them, so is Tom (not-so) Cleverley heading for the same kind of fate as all of his many predecessors? Einstein said the definition of madness is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. It looked last season with Valerian Ishmael surviving as long as he did that either they had learned that lesson or the Pozzo trigger finger had calloused over. Not so and Val Ball was despatched. A poor start and expect a mercy killing early for young Tom. Despite all that they may just cling on but it could be Crunchie time for the Pozzo’s and Elton.
22) Blackburn Rovers. The saving grace for Rovers might be that they have finally appointed a pragmatic manager in John Eustace who will work under the chaotic Venky regime, owners who leave Rovers as the only club whose fans who look at Delphon Chanseri and think, if only. With a court case over the Venky’s ability to release funding to the club now held until just over a week before the end of the window, players leaving like Gallaher to Stoke and Szmodics to wherever he ends up are the only way to release sizeable funds for recruitment. So far, the incomings have been young and foreign or local and grizzled. Whether a combination of Ohashi, Gueye and Weimann (OK, and foreign and grizzled too) equals the probable loss of 27 Szmodics goals and circa twenty Gallagher assists probably determines whether this is a survival season or a long overdue mercy relegation. The chickens are coming home to roost, and they aren’t laying Cadbury’s Crème Eggs.
23) Derby County. Despite Wayne only having managed two other English clubs, one of them replaced the other in the end of season change over, and Championship yo-yo manager Paul Warne gets another shot at finally keeping a side he got promoted to stay in the higher level. Plenty of comings and goings at Pride Park, scene of a famous victory for the Greens in the Championship season, and of course the place where Morgs cut his teeth under Wayne before being shipped off to Wales. The strike force is new but experienced although not exactly prolific in recent seasons. Bird to City is a loss, although they did acquire Argyle target (apparently) Ozoh on loan from Palace, and Ben Osborn from the Blades in a midfield refresh. Sonny’s magic hat almost guarantees a goal for County or a red card when we play them. May sink with barely a Wispa.
24) Oxford United. I may have this completely wrong, as they have been very active in the market and have well-funded investment, but the stats say they were an average League One side who got promoted on the back of Josh Murphy’s goals, and he then left for Pompey. One of the lowest budgets in the league means that statistically they should struggle. If they have tightened up at the back and replaced Murphy’s goals, then maybe they have a shot. Prospects? Zero.
From an Argyle perspective, we get to watch, under the new fan friendly chocolate spread of fixtures from Sky, all of our opponents’ bar Luton and Burnley before the newly named Wayne Rooney’s Plymouth Argyle grace the Sunday 4PM slot. I, for one, sincerely hope that is one WRPA we can discard as quickly as possible.
With new arrivals and departures still on the way in/out, the potential for a settled team initially looks unlikely. If, as seems likely, Cooper is destined to play in Sheffield a lot more than twice, it maybe he finds himself watching Hazard which will at least be a safer distance from the nemesis of Windass who has cost him dearly before.
Likewise, despite being the leading scorer in preseason again, Hardie has not been a regular starter, and the number ten position still remains open. Rooney has talked about playing young players if they are good enough, so Freddie “Freddo” Isaka may get a run, although our remaining Wright has also had some good moments in that slot.
But in the footballing multiverse, where all possible outcomes are still available our ambitions are the same as they ever were. The manager, derided by many when chosen, has seemingly changed many minds and bought into the Argyle way. Our recruitment net has been cast further than ever and genuine excitement exists about some of Wayne’s options.
We start on familiar ground against familiar foes. We are run by a bunch of Smarties, have spent a Dime or two, are hanging on to our Whittakers (a New Zealand confection, dream on Ben) for now, so the whole Milky Way is ours to explore.
If you like attacking football every weekend, join our club!
Let the difficult second season commence.
COYG!!!!!!!!!!!
The Owls (A) Sunday August 11th
“Like is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re going to get.” Forrest Gump
Welcome back.
If you wanted to consider the Quantum Mechanics of football, then close season is very much the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle. This states that you cannot know both the position and the velocity of an atom at any given time. And yet, every season, around now, multiple experts demonstrate how true this principle is by creating their own particular idea of how the Championship table will look by the end of the season. The futility of this exercise in glorified guess work is magnified by the fact that until the end of the month that has just begun, many of the squads of the teams they are predicting will undergo massive changes, both inwards and outwards.
Just taking Argyle, almost everyone’s favourite for the drop (honourable exception to the Not the Top 20 guys who have us in a respectable eighteenth and Benjamin Bloom who has us 20th) we could still lose two of our brightest stars, acquire at least two more loanees as well as our new defender from Hungary, and presumably invest some of the proceeds of a player sale or two into a number of spectacular signings that transform the way we play. And that goes for 23 other sides as well.
My choice of quote therefore comes from the second-best Hollywood character named (kind of) after a football club, the inimitable Forrest Gump. So far, we have brought in players from Leeds United, (Gyabi, who we have some familiarity with) and then Slavia Prague (Tijani), Cissoko from Ligue 1 Toulouse, Palsson from Eupen in Belgium and now Szuchs from Hungary. This not recruitment as we are used to it. It’s a whole new galaxy.
The best named Hollywood football role is of course Argyle from Die Hard, the limo driver who saves the day last minute like a prototype Joe Edwards. Ins, of course, mean outs, and The Departed to the Hollywood Argyles of Wrexham are stalwarts Burton and Scarr. We wish them well and anticipate their Disney Channel debut’s. The same goes to Tyreik Wright (minus the Deadpool glitz) whose brief time here never really exploded into life. We hope he succeeds at Bradford.
Alongside this we have conducted our preseason programme at arm’s length from Home Park to allow for the completion of summer improvements to pitch and facilities, as well as attendance potential. Relatively few of the GA have actually seen our new recruits in the flesh. It looks like we have acquired a couple of hard nuts to accompany our traditional soft centre but if it is hard to judge our own side how on earth can we be expected to make a considered assessment of the season’s potential.
Well like the sadly departed and very much appreciated Dan Scarr, OGAAT is never one to shirk a challenge, so here is the League Table as we confidently predict it for next May.
1) Middlesbrough. They might have the most hangdog manager in the division, but Boro have bought well, ended the season on a high and if they can keep Latte Lath fit, have goals as well as the player we all miss the most from last season. Is Finn the chocolate sprinkles on the Latte?
2) Burnley. Only getting Scott Parker because we were so enamoured of Wayne, Burnley still have a lot of the team that won promotion two seasons back at a canter under Kompany, but then stayed nicely rested on the bench as he bought almost a new squad to get relegated with. Should be riding the Double Decker in May.
3) Luton Town. Have largely kept the squad together that performed creditably in the Prem, and with an excellent manager who will play a good attacking style of football. Still play in a tip though. Like many clubs, having lost Ross Barkley from their midfield, right now they are after eights.
4) Leeds United. In theory they should be nailed on to go up, even with the multiple transfers out of the club and the need to sell the likes of Gray to meet FFP. For me though, something seems off. The fans don’t seem enamoured of Farke, who I think could be the first casualty if things don’t start with the Mighty Whites storming away like a supercharged last season Preston. Should have enough for the play-offs, so go long on fingernail bite repellent to make a killing come May. Expect them to crumble like a flake in the face of the play-offs again. Followed by the expected snickers.
5) West Bromwich Albion. Only because Corberan is a very good coach at this level, so even the loss quite cheaply of several very good players may not be enough to hole the Albion below the waterline. If anyone can fudge a team into the Play-offs it is Carlos. A four one drubbing by Brummie's isn't an auspicious start though.
6) Coventry City. The bell weather club for Argyle. One refereeing decision and a decent clearance from Mickel Miller and it would have been Argyle with four points out of six, and not City last season. Probably they aren’t going to make an FA Cup semi again which definitely took some steam out of their end of season run in. Have bought interestingly, despite losing Callum O’Hare for nowt. Robins is a good manager and Assante Thomas has arts as dark as Bourneville so I make City a dark horse for the automatics.
7) Sheffield United. The Blades have the minor inconvenience of starting the season two points adrift of their local rivals, and the incomplete takeover seems to have delayed their transfer activity, but O’Hare and Moore are solid buys. Need a keeper though. Hmmmm. Cadburys fingers, butterfingers or Coopers fingers?
8) QPR. The arrival of Cifuentes in charge made a heap of difference to the R’s, and after a second window he has started to dispose the deadwood and ones who won’t play his way and started to bring in his own people who will. The end of season form was play-off level, including a traditional four nil gubbing of Leeds. Push them even higher if, as reported, they get Rak Saki from Palace. This season Loftus Road will be no Picnic for visitors.
9) Bristol City. Another side that has bought interestingly and has a season under the belt of their head coach to get used to how he wants to play. Want-away Conway is an issue but likely to have Twine in the squad again. Unfortunately. If they flatter to deceive though, expectations in Bristol may once again be a Mirage.
10) Swansea City are another side who have gone different in their overseas acquisitions with the K League prodigy Eom jiSung on a four-year deal from Gwangju, and cash strapped Bordeaux striker Vipotnik arriving on a free. Plus, they have recently cleared out both their dodgy wing backs. Oh! They have the potential to take Flyte but could end up soaring in much the same way as Penguins.
11) Cardiff City. Can the Bluebirds defy their gravity and lack of open play goals for a second successive top half finish? This is based on the assumption that their signings to date will improve them at both ends of the pitch and one assumes they will still score set pieces for fun. Indeed, never mind a set piece coach. Just get a copy of the Cardiff City game footage from last season and copy that. Will the Big Turk Bulut last another season under mad Victor?
12) Hull City. Right now, you would probably have City much lower, after the Chairman Illicali cleared out Leroy Rosenior because he didn’t like his style of play, and they have lost several of last season’s stars like Philogene and Greaves, plus Delap now at Ipswich. But to continue the chocolate bar theme, their Chairman has a lot of money to spend and so expect some Turkish delight in the market. New manager Walter has some interesting insights of what he calls “heart attack football”. The early Home Park fixture against Wazzaball could be interesting. Better double up the St Johns Ambulance for that one.
13) Norwich City. Almost put these lower. Having lost Sara to Galatasaray on the never never, and with Idah, Rowe and Sargeant all being potentially picked over by other clubs, City’s prospects could be heading down faster that the Carrow Road boardroom sherry reserves when Delia’s in the mood. On the other hand, the new DOF has a fresh young manager and is starting to refresh the squad and they should have enough to hold their own. Argyle will be hoping the defence remains as full of holes as an Aero when they visit.
14) Sheffield Wednesday. Another club that reaped the rewards of a new manager and sticking with him whilst he shaped the squad and style of play to how he wanted it. Nailed on relegation certainties in the first part of last season. Nailed on play-offs form in the second half. Probably the best time to play them, while they a) bed in a host of new signings and b) at time of writing seem to have forgotten they need a striker. And there is always the Chanseri element that could send things spinning out of control. Plus, when the sacking season starts Rohl will be in demand. Yorkies all around will give them plenty of local bragging rights if they do manage to relaunch HMS PTL.
15) Argyle. I think without doubt and, based on the hope we may well have Coops and Morgs still available come September 1st, we have a stronger side than last season and also will strengthen further before the window slams. Having better forward options already seems to suit Hotdog allowing him to motor on against tiring defences. As declared elsewhere on Pasoti, a note of caution. I am an optimist by nature, and I still put us in the bottom half. Also, would it have hurt to have had a touch of Black with the green kit given the chocolate theme? Oh well. Come on you Green and Whites, you can be Heroes. Again.
16) Choke City. Traditional bottom half finish for the Potters. Ennis to miss half the season injured. Schumacher sacked in November. This may be written in a more vengeful manner than is realistic but already they have started to rack up some injuries. No Celebrations box here.
17) Preston. But at least he finishes above his mate Ryan. No six-game winning start means Preston finish where they should have done last season. If Bet 365 do Schumacher Lowe and Farke in a special November treble, lump on. Taxi for Lowe?
18) Millwall. Longstaff scores a few, but not enough to make Millwall a credible top half threat. The other sides in the division wise up to Harris-ball and those one nil wins leak away. Several players miss the start of the season after being caught up in riots after mistaking them for fan open evenings. No-one likes them. Lions they maybe, but it now says MyGuava on the shirt instead of Huski. It’s a payment app apparently although expect the Wall massive to all be on a healthy fruit diet before they realise. We don’t care.
19) Pompous. Hopefully the eventual return of Colby Bishop allows Pompous to pull clear of nose-diving back into the abyss. Expect them to do better than expected as they spend the Disney Bounty even if Andre the friendly ghost from QPR doesn’t set the pulses racing in midfield. Twix a rock and hard place if they start badly.
20) Sunderland. This could be my wild card error. Last season saw the ousting of the now retired Mowbray, the ill-fated Beale experiment and a rudderless finish which was relegation form for the final part of the season. New big cheese Reggie Le Bris has mixed credentials, although Poveda and Browne from Preston add speed and steel to a youthful talented squad. If the former and O’Nien stay fit and unsuspended (in 09‘s case) and they pip the Owls to Ugbo then potentially this is a play-off chasing side. If they start poorly and lose Clarke then youth may be their achilles heel, even with the lesser-spotted Bellingham in the side. Who knows though, it may be Kinder Beuno for the Roker youth.
21) Udinese reserves, or Watford to give them their Anglophile name. Lots of problems for the Hertfordshire side. Lost players, parachute payments gone and the Pozzo family seemingly no longer so focused on them, so is Tom (not-so) Cleverley heading for the same kind of fate as all of his many predecessors? Einstein said the definition of madness is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. It looked last season with Valerian Ishmael surviving as long as he did that either they had learned that lesson or the Pozzo trigger finger had calloused over. Not so and Val Ball was despatched. A poor start and expect a mercy killing early for young Tom. Despite all that they may just cling on but it could be Crunchie time for the Pozzo’s and Elton.
22) Blackburn Rovers. The saving grace for Rovers might be that they have finally appointed a pragmatic manager in John Eustace who will work under the chaotic Venky regime, owners who leave Rovers as the only club whose fans who look at Delphon Chanseri and think, if only. With a court case over the Venky’s ability to release funding to the club now held until just over a week before the end of the window, players leaving like Gallaher to Stoke and Szmodics to wherever he ends up are the only way to release sizeable funds for recruitment. So far, the incomings have been young and foreign or local and grizzled. Whether a combination of Ohashi, Gueye and Weimann (OK, and foreign and grizzled too) equals the probable loss of 27 Szmodics goals and circa twenty Gallagher assists probably determines whether this is a survival season or a long overdue mercy relegation. The chickens are coming home to roost, and they aren’t laying Cadbury’s Crème Eggs.
23) Derby County. Despite Wayne only having managed two other English clubs, one of them replaced the other in the end of season change over, and Championship yo-yo manager Paul Warne gets another shot at finally keeping a side he got promoted to stay in the higher level. Plenty of comings and goings at Pride Park, scene of a famous victory for the Greens in the Championship season, and of course the place where Morgs cut his teeth under Wayne before being shipped off to Wales. The strike force is new but experienced although not exactly prolific in recent seasons. Bird to City is a loss, although they did acquire Argyle target (apparently) Ozoh on loan from Palace, and Ben Osborn from the Blades in a midfield refresh. Sonny’s magic hat almost guarantees a goal for County or a red card when we play them. May sink with barely a Wispa.
24) Oxford United. I may have this completely wrong, as they have been very active in the market and have well-funded investment, but the stats say they were an average League One side who got promoted on the back of Josh Murphy’s goals, and he then left for Pompey. One of the lowest budgets in the league means that statistically they should struggle. If they have tightened up at the back and replaced Murphy’s goals, then maybe they have a shot. Prospects? Zero.
From an Argyle perspective, we get to watch, under the new fan friendly chocolate spread of fixtures from Sky, all of our opponents’ bar Luton and Burnley before the newly named Wayne Rooney’s Plymouth Argyle grace the Sunday 4PM slot. I, for one, sincerely hope that is one WRPA we can discard as quickly as possible.
With new arrivals and departures still on the way in/out, the potential for a settled team initially looks unlikely. If, as seems likely, Cooper is destined to play in Sheffield a lot more than twice, it maybe he finds himself watching Hazard which will at least be a safer distance from the nemesis of Windass who has cost him dearly before.
Likewise, despite being the leading scorer in preseason again, Hardie has not been a regular starter, and the number ten position still remains open. Rooney has talked about playing young players if they are good enough, so Freddie “Freddo” Isaka may get a run, although our remaining Wright has also had some good moments in that slot.
But in the footballing multiverse, where all possible outcomes are still available our ambitions are the same as they ever were. The manager, derided by many when chosen, has seemingly changed many minds and bought into the Argyle way. Our recruitment net has been cast further than ever and genuine excitement exists about some of Wayne’s options.
We start on familiar ground against familiar foes. We are run by a bunch of Smarties, have spent a Dime or two, are hanging on to our Whittakers (a New Zealand confection, dream on Ben) for now, so the whole Milky Way is ours to explore.
If you like attacking football every weekend, join our club!
Let the difficult second season commence.
COYG!!!!!!!!!!!
