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THE DAILY DIARY
A Round-up of Argyle News
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Argyle News Sites: Greens on Screen's Daily Diary is a compilation of Argyle news, with help from these and other Argyle-related sites. On This Day: Also included on the three most recent days, facts from Argyle's history. |
Monday 27th February 2023
26th
Edwards was a second-half substitute at Peterborough, in a game that Argyle trailed by two goals after just 19 minutes. The Greens showed sprit, making it 2-1 through Saxon Earley, and after Posh restored their two-goal advantage, Macaulay Gillesphey scored to half the deficit once again. Even after the hosts made it 4-2, Argyle's litany of chances meant they still looked in the game, but in the end clinical Peterborough ran out 5-2 victors."We're really disappointed," said Joe. "We know we just weren't up to the standards that we've set this season. I think that's the most frustrating thing. On our day we can compete with any team in this league and at this level, but if you don't perform then you get punished. We've got a great bunch of lads who always work hard, give 100%. The gaffer knows he'll always have that. We were sloppy in possession, which teams that we've been playing against thrive upon and they punished us today. We know we're in the thick of it now. We know we need to perform, and we have to keep standards as high as we've set so far. There's no crisis. We never get too high or too low; we've got a good balance amongst the team. We've got a full week now to really focus and plan for the next game." 25th
Argyle: Burton, Gillepshey (Ennis), Wilson, Butcher (Azaz), Hardie, Cosgrove, Mumba, Lonwijk, Earley (Edwards), Wright (Mayor), Matete (Houghton). Substitutes (not used): Parkes, Bolton.
Another large traveling contingent of the Green Army would have been understandably disappointed with the result and performance, but their encouraging reaction towards Schumacher and the dejected players at the final whistle seemed to be a reflection of the fact that, frustrating as this game was, it was only the fifth defeat in 33 for the promotion-chasing Pilgrims, who have a week without a game before facing Charlton Athletic next Saturday. "They've seen that the lads put the effort in again today," said Schumacher. "We just didn't play well enough on both sides of the ball. I'm not going to overreact. We've still taken seven points out the last four games. One point here would have given us the right points total that we need, on the points-per-games, to get promoted and we just fell one short. We've got another tough one next week now, against Charlton. We're going to have to have a reaction from that and make sure that we do the basics right. It just felt as a whole team today, we just didn't do the basics. We won't dwell on it too much because this squad have shown throughout the season that after poor performances or a poor result, we tend to get a reaction. Hopefully we get one next week." 23rd
Peterborough, managed by Darren Ferguson, in his fourth stint as boss, are ninth in League One, and have been consistently inconsistent. They have drawn just two of their 30 league games, winning four and losing two of their last six. They also possess the division's leading goalscorer, Jonson Clarke-Harris, who has 16 league strikes to his name. "One thing's always pretty much guaranteed when you play them is that they play exciting attacking football," said Schumacher. They've always got goals in the team. They've got Jonson Clarke-Harris who plays up front, who is the leading goalscorer in the division at the moment. We try and give our defenders as much information as we can about the players they're playing against and do our best to figure out a way to try to stop them. Saturday will be a challenge because not only have Peterborough got Clarke-Harris, they've got one or two others as well that can hurt you. Every time you go and play them they cause you defensive problems. In our last two fixtures, we've had all of the ball, and all of the pressure. We're going to have to do some defending on Saturday for sure. We need to make sure we're right on that and then hurt Peterborough, if we can, when we've got the ball." Schumacher continues to have a large squad of players to choose from, and this was further bolstered by Brendan Galloway making a playing return during Tuesday's win. Bali Mumba missed that game, but has recovered for the Posh trip, although Adam Randell's absence will continue. "Adam Randell won't be available for Saturday," said Schumacher. " He's still got that issue with his ankle sprain. Bali Mumba will be available; he wasn't available for Tuesday, but he'll be okay for this game. Everybody else is pretty much okay. Tuesday took a lot out of everybody, energy-wise, so we need to make sure everyone trains properly tomorrow and we'll go from there, to try to pick a team that can be stronger at Peterborough, to put in a good performance that gets as a result. It was brilliant to see Brendan Galloway back in absolutely on Tuesday night. He played for just over an hour and it's good to have him back. He's another player who was in the squad and ready to go. Mickel Miller's getting stronger with every game he plays, and there was a couple who couldn't play on Tuesday night. It's a good place to be in and as long as we can keep everyone healthy and keep everybody motivated - which I'm sure they all will be, because they all know what's at stake - I'll have these tough decisions from now to the end of the season."
He also has a nice record against Peterborough, scoring the second goal in a 2-0 Argyle victory at Home Park early this season, and bagging two in a 4-0 victory at Posh in last season's Carabao Cup. Ryan said: "To be honest, I don't even remember the first game against them this season. I don't remember last week! It is something that I'll think of: if I scored here, then it's about repetition and doing it again. I go into every game hoping that I'll score. I'm confident that I'll scoring in every game. I've got a good record against Peterborough. I've played a few games in a row which helps for momentum and a bit of rhythm. I feel like I'm improving every year. This year, we're playing a lot of different formations and there's a lot of changes in the team, so it's been one that we're all adjusting to and I think we've all settled into it pretty well. Everybody buys into what the managers planned this year. We all knew there were going to be changes in January when we strengthened. We've all got the same end goal, which is promotion at the end of the year. If you're not happy, I think you're going to struggle because there's always somebody waiting to take your jersey who is happy and who is ready to go. It's been an exciting season so far. The semi-final win has given us a bit of excitement, a bit of a taster about what is to come. If that's what happens when we get to the final of the Papa Johns, then what's going to happen if we do get promoted? It's something that's just given us an extra kick, an extra buzz to get ourselves going again and just carry that form into the rest of the season." 21st
Argyle: Burton, Bolton, Houghton, Wilson, Butcher (Matete), Edwards, Mayor, Ennis (Hardie), Miller (Wright), Azaz, Galloway (Gillesphey). Substitutes: Parkes, Cosgrove, Waine.
There were times where a day out under the arch did not seem destined to be Argyle's. After the Pilgrims dominated the first half, but found visiting goalkeeper Luke Southwood impassable, Alfie May put Cheltenham into the lead. Argyle equalised with a stunning Ryan Hardie goal, and looked the more likely side to find a winner, but Southwood continued to be impressive, and Sam Cosgrove saw an effort clang against the post. Kicks from the penalty mark was the only way the game could be settled. After Callum Burton made two stops, Argyle having missed one spot-kick when Finn Azaz hit the post, Jordan Houghton had a chance to clinch the tie. He struck over, via the crossbar, but Burton saved from May, and it was the Greens who booked their place in the final. "It was pretty much a carbon copy of Saturday's game against Fleetwood Town," said Schumacher. "I felt we played really well, passed the ball well, had 70% possession at half-time and at the end of the game. If we'd have scored in the first half, it's a different game. When you have to commit so many bodies forward because all the opposition defend, then you're always open to a counter-attack and it just takes one mistake. That's what happened for their goal. Credit to the players once again: we've made changes, they responded, we changed our shape again, and we've gone on to score an equaliser - what a goal Ryan Hardie scored. It was such a great goal and got us back in the tie. I thought Sam Cosgrove was really unlucky with his chance that whacked the post. I'm just so pleased with how we played. A penalty shoot-out is a bit of a lottery, but on the balance of it I think we deserve to go through. Southwood played really well. We've scored two from outside the box against him this season already, and we felt we could get our shots away, but everything we threw at him tonight he had an answer for. He made a great save down low against Finn Azaz and a one-v-one against Mickel Miller where he did really well. It was going to take something special to beat him. In that position there's only Ryan Hardie that could dream up trying to execute that finish." The penalty shoot-out was the third Argyle have encountered in the Papa Johns Trophy this season, winning them all. Schumacher said penalty competitions are a regular fixture in training sessions, with Burton typically being the one to face the barrage of 12-yarders. Talk about practise paying off. Schumacher said: "The lads practise penalties, and we say you've got to take your 'match-day pens'. Everyone's got to be ready to step up on a normal league game and be ready to take a pen, so they practise every day and they're confident at it. That was the message to them from me: Just be confident, pick a spot, be positive and strike it clean. We hit the post and the bar with the two that we missed, but apart from that, I couldn't really complain too much about the pens. Callum Burton is incredible at them. He's had a lot of practise. The takers practise them every day and Callum, being the back-up goalkeeper for the last 18 months, he's the one who's tries to save them. He's got an incredible record right throughout his career, even before he came to Argyle, so he's confident that he's good at them. Thankfully he's got us into Wembley."
The win was sealed in front of over 12,000 inside Home Park, and Burton reckons that the atmosphere the Green Army generated, during the game and during the penalties, may have tipped the scales in the Pilgrims' favour. "I think it's one of the hardest places to come," he said. "Credit to the fans that came out in numbers today. The way they supported us tonight was amazing. It gives you that extra per cent; it gets in their head when they're taking penalties. It helps us out. They definitely played a part tonight. I've never been to Wembley as a player, so for me, and all that lads who haven't, I think it's going to be special. It's the day out, the weekend out for everybody associated to the club: the fans, the players, the staff. It's something that you're lucky if you get once in your career. I know we'll take numbers there and sell out our allocation. I've got no doubt about that. It's going to be a brilliant day - I can't wait already for it." 20th
Argyle's two games against Cheltenham in Sky Bet League One have both ended in Pilgrims victories. At Cheltenham, on Boxing Day, Argyle won 1-0, and just three weeks later, the sides met at Home Park, with the Greens running out 4-2 victors. Six points from six, but Schumacher knows that both games were close, and far from formalities. Indeed, the away game saw Town miss a glorious late chance, and at Home Park it was 3-2 before Sam Cosgrove sealed it with seven minutes remaining. Schumacher said: "If we learned anything from the other two games against Cheltenham this season it is that they are really tight games. The first one, when we beat them at their place was close. We could have drew that in the last minute when they had a big chance. The game here was close. We couldn't seem to get away from them, but we managed to, just about, in the end. We know we're going to be in for a tough game. It's not going to be easy, and we're going to have to be at our very best." On Monday morning, advance ticket sales for the game passed the 10,000 mark. The Trophy is tournament that generates the lowest crowds of the season, generally, but the lure of a semi-final and the potential prize beyond has proved hard to resist. Schumacher is delighted with the turnout, as he believes Argyle's excellent home record in 2022/23 correlates with the backing the team has received all season. "It's brilliant that we've got over 10,000," he said. "Hopefully we can get a few more, we can get it to close to 11,000. The more people we have in this stadium, the better the atmosphere is and the better the atmosphere then that really does give the players some energy and belief. It's brilliant that the semi-final is here and we managed to generate that type of crowd. Hopefully we can go and perform for them. It's been a competition that's taken a while for the fans to get behind, but the fans can all see what the prize is and I'm sure if we get through, I'm sure we would sell probably slightly more than 10,000 for Wembley, I would guess. I'm excited. It feels good, doesn't it? Saying 'the semi-final'. A semi-final for anything is always exciting, but a semi-final for a cup competition where the final's played at Wembley: it doesn't get much better than that. You don't get many opportunities as a player, as a coach or a manager, to go to Wembley Stadium. I am so proud to be in a semi-final, and obviously it's a game that we're desperate to win. For Argyle to say we got to Wembley for only the third time in the club's history - to be part of that history would be brilliant. The prize is lucrative and we want to get there, desperately. If we get there, it'd be a special occasion, but first we've got to work really hard to beat Cheltenham."
Waine played a huge part in getting Argyle to this point. In the quarter-finals, Argyle met Bristol Rovers, and defeated the Gas 2-0 at the Memorial Stadium. The game saw Waine get his first start in an Argyle shirt and, after 24 minutes, bag his first goal too, with an excellent looping header. In truth, he could have had more, but his goal, plus Ryan Hardie's effort was enough to steer the Pilgrims into the last four, and Ben looks back fondly on that game, as something that assisted his settling-in process having moved halfway around the world to join Argyle. "I was obviously quite nervous," he said. "It was my first start and I was just really going off complete adrenaline to be honest. I felt like I was running around like a bit of a headless chicken. But I got that goal and it was one of the best feelings, I feel like it helped me settle in a lot more. Don't get me wrong, I was also disappointed because I should have had probably three or four and that plays on the back of your mind. To be involved that quickly and help out where I could, I was happy with how it went." Waine has played six times for Argyle – two starts and four substitute appearances – and already has played in some big games. He came off the bench in draws at Bolton Wanderers and Ipswich Town, as well as starting a game at Sheffield Wednesday which, coming up against experienced defender Aden Flint, was the proverbial baptism of fire for Ben in his first League One start. "That Sheffield Wednesday game, coming up against Flint, was an eye opener," said Waine. "Not in a bad way, but in a really good way because it gave me the opportunity to think: right, this guy is one of the better defenders in the league. If I want to be one of the better players in the league, then I've got to be able to compete with him and possibly not be so naive that thinking I'm there just yet. I think I've been lucky. I've been involved with some really big games. My first league game was Bolton, then I played in Sheffield Wednesday, Ipswich. I've been chucked in at the deep end, but don't get me wrong, I wouldn't want it any other way. It really kind of opened my eyes to what football's like over here and the standard of the top League One teams and decent championship teams would be like. "I always knew it was going to be a challenge; don't get me wrong about that. Regardless of where you play, there's always going to be ups and downs. Up until about two weeks ago, I don't think I'd settled in completely, but now I've moved into my apartment, and I think it's now just getting into the normal rhythm of things. When I first arrived, everything was like a hundred miles. You're constantly on cloud nine, with everything going on and everything being new, you kind of forget about everything in the background. Now I've kind of started to settle in, it's not that I'm on a low or anything like that, but everything's slowed down a little bit more. It's now not putting too much pressure on myself; I need to understand that it's going to take time for myself as well. I'm in a better place than I was before, and I'm ready to kick on." Curiously, Ben's only Home Park appearance until now was in the league, against Cheltenham Town, when Argyle won 4-2. Prior to that, the Greens won 1-0 at Cheltenham on Boxing Day. Having done the league double over the Robins, Argyle will understandably be favourites, but Waine sounded a note of caution about over-confidence on that score, while also saying how much he is looking forward to what could potentially be a special night. "There's two ways of looking at it," he said. "There's an advantage in that we've played them twice and we've done reasonably well, then there's also the possibility that a little bit of complacency could slip in. "I don't think that will happen, but at the end of the day, I think that's probably cleared from our minds because it's a one-off game. Anybody can get up for a one-off game, so it's going to be a challenge. They're going to be the same as us; they want to go to Wembley super bad. I think it would be special for the fans to be involved in potentially being part of that journey as well, and I'm sure they're thinking the same. As much support as possible would be, would be pretty nice. To have a pretty much full Home Park on a Tuesday night would be pretty spectacular. 19th
No doubt hindered by the difficult, drizzly conditions that seemed to affect both sides' ability to transition the ball into the final third, it was naturally the team's defensive performance that Macaulay was especially proud of. Callum Burton, deputising for Michael Cooper following his season-ending anterior cruciate ligament injury suffered two weeks ago, made a number of telling contributions, most notably when he smothered the ball from Jack Marriott to prevent Fleetwood from becoming the only side to win both their league matches against Argyle following August's 2-1 defeat at Highbury Stadium. Gillesphey said: "We defended very well; from the front as well, the strikers too. It's obviously good for Callum Burton to get his first clean sheet. I'm buzzing for him." 18th
Argyle: Burton, Gillesphey, Houghton (Butcher), Wilson, Edwards (Mumba), Hardie (Ennis), Azaz (Cosgrove), Lonwijk, C Wright, Matete, T Wright (Miller). Substitutes (not used): Parkes, Bolton.
A big positive from the game was an appearance from the bench by Niall Ennis, who had missed the previous four games with injury. Ennis was one of five substitutes brought on to effect change in the pattern of play, and between him and fellow sub Bali Mumba, they were at the heart of probably Argyle's best two efforts in the second period. Schumacher said: "Niall probably should have hit the target with the one that was on his left foot. If he had hit the target, that goes in because the goalkeeper was rooted. It was nice to have him back. He's been missing for a month, he trained for the last couple of days and looked sharp. Twenty minutes is probably enough for him today, and we'll try to get him some more minutes, hopefully on Tuesday. It is good to have him back. Everybody who started did well in the game. Tyreik Wright did well. The impact that we usually get from the subs probably wasn't as dramatic today. We didn't get that energy, that spark and that little bit of quality that we've seen so many times, although Bali Mumba nearly scored another worldie." A crowd of 16,108 watched the game inside Home Park. Subtracting Fleetwood's contingent of 107, this means the Green Army totalled 16,001, and they tried to play their part, especially in the second period, roaring on their players to look for the winning goal. That goal did not come, but it was through no lack of effort. Schumacher expressed his appreciation for the fans' support, and said that the commitment on display made soften any disappointment at the result. "They are brilliant and they stuck with us to clap the players off," said Schumacher. "Some people will comment and say the odd negative thing, cause that's what some people do. In the main, everyone can see that the lads tried, gave 100% today. The fans stuck with us, so thanks for that. I'm sure if we play as well as that again here, then we've got enough firepower in the squad to score the goals and take the chances that we create." 17th
James Greenacre, Argyle's Head of Commercial Operations, said: "We are delighted to have brought this partnership to life – it has taken a great deal of commitment from all sides to come to this point and it is a tremendously exciting partnership. Babcock is a company with a substantial global impact and it is credit to everyone at the club – and the Argyle Community Trust – that Argyle has become the sort of community club that can attract such partnerships. We know that Babcock's commitment to making a positive impact in the local community matches our own. As a partnership, we can take that good work even further." James Smith, Senior Programme Manager at Devonport, said: "As a major employer in the region, we have a strong connection to our local community and the area in which many of our people live and work. Supporting our local community firmly aligns with our long-term commitment to the area and we are pleased to be joining forces with Plymouth Argyle to deliver a range of community engagement and connection activities." 14th
Argyle: Burton, Gillepshey, Wilson, Butcher, Hardie, Cosgrove (Waine), Mumba (Edwards), Azaz (C Wright 66), Lonwijk, Earley (Bolton), Matete (Houghton). Substitutes (not used): Parkes, Mayor. 13th
Over the past three seasons, Karl Robinson's Oxford have finished fourth, sixth and eighth in the league, but are finding things tougher this season. United are 16th in the division, with 36 points from their 31 games. They took the notable scalp of high-flying Ipswich Town in mid-January, but lost four in a row after that, then drew 1-1 with Milton Keynes Dons at the weekend. When Oxford came to Home Park earlier in the campaign, Argyle won 1-0. In fact, the Pilgrims have won the last three meetings between the sides, including a 3-1 victory at the Kassam last season. "I think everyone's surprised to see where Oxford are in the league because they've been one of the stronger teams in the division for years under Karl and their staff," said Steven. "They always seem to be in and around the playoffs but, this year, for whatever reason, they find themselves in the bottom half of the division unexpectedly. We'd be stupid to take them lightly or think that this is going to be an easy game. They are in the bottom half of the division, but it was only a few weeks ago that they beat Ipswich at home 2-1. I know they're in a bit of a tough run at the moment. They've lost a few on the spin and got a draw on the weekend against MK Dons, but they are still a threat. It was a real tough game here. It was a close game at the start of the season, so I'm sure it'll be the same and they'll be desperate to turn their form around. They've always been a team that can create chances, that always play nice football. They've always got good movement. That's one of the things that stands out about Karl's teams, the rotation that they have throughout the attacking players. That takes a little bit of figuring out about how we're going to press and what we're going to do when we haven't got the ball. Then, obviously, we need to have a plan as well for when we do get the ball. I think there will be times where we might have spells of possession. I remember last time we played there, we defended very well then counter-attacked and scored a couple of times." Once again, Schumacher will have decisions to make about his selection on Tuesday night. His decisions against Portsmouth were partially informed by injuries ruling out Mike Cooper and Dan Scarr. Niall Ennis also missed out against Pompey, while Adam Randell limped off early in the second half. Schumacher offered an update on Randell and Ennis, while once against extolling the virtues of the strong squad he has put together. "Niall Ennis is back on the grass training," said Schumacher. "He trained Saturday and he's doing a bit today (Monday), so we'll have to have a chat about that one. Adam Randall might be a bit sore. He rolled his ankle a little bit in a tackle, that's why he had to come off. Adam wouldn't come off unless it was a serious injury, so we'll have to have a little look at him today, see how he is. If he's not 100%, then he won't be risked because we have got that squad. We left Jordan Houghton out of the squad on Saturday because we didn't need an extra midfield player, and he's been a brilliant player for us. That's the benefit of having a strong squad; if we do have an injury or a knock, then somebody who's a really good player will step in."
Keeping in physical health is one thing, but having injury issues can play havoc with a player's mental health. Mickel talked us through some of the thought processes he experienced after his injury recurrence, and cited the healthy atmosphere and league position among the squad as a boon as he was getting back to fitness. "It is such a mental barrier that you have to overcome and manage," he said. "If you're not careful, you can let it consume you. Being told when you get injured again, you start thinking: 'oh no, I can't help the team.' So many things go through your head: I just want to do well myself; I've just signed; I haven't played many games; fans want to see me play. You have to channel it. When you have good players and good staff around you manage to get through it like a lot easier. If you're coming back into a struggling team, you might get rushed back or you might come back and feel pressure. Obviously, you feel pressure coming back because you want to do well, but the team's doing well, I like seeing everyone do well. That makes everything easier. As well as the boys are doing, they're wanting to see me back as well, so it's a nice feeling." Miller's elevation to the starting 11 against Portsmouth was one of eight changes to the Argyle side, such is the depth of the Pilgrims' squad. This means selection options for manager Steven Schumacher, but what of the players now competing for a berth in the team? Miller says that among the squad, there is an understanding of Schumacher's task to keep players happy and well-rested where necessary – and says that the harmony among the Argyle dressing room is not typical of every club. "We know that there's loads of competition in the team, but everyone wants to see everyone do well, which is good," Mickel said. "You don't get that everywhere when the squad's that big. I'd say continue trusting what the manager's doing. Sometimes like when you get rotated - he made eight changes - people might be thinking: 'what's going on?' But when you have that option to bring eight fresh players in, it's a good option to have. One comes in and another comes out and it doesn't change anything. It's a good thing to have in our squad and it's working. I feel like the boys are sticking together, being with each other on and off to pitch is very important, because we're going to need everyone. I can only describe it from like a wing-backs view; I'm close to Joe [Edwards] and Bali [Mumba], we have a good connection with each other. If one's playing, another one's encouraging, telling him what he's done well and what he could have done. We're constantly just trying to push each other even though someone's in your position playing ahead of you. You can't ask for like a better group to have." 12th
With his story little known, the Jack Leslie Campaign was founded in 2020 by Tiller and Foxsmith to celebrate, shine a light, and serve justice to his career and legacy. Through their tireless community crowdfunding and education efforts, the campaign achieved their six-figure target and saw their ambition of an incredible statue of Jack become reality in October of 2022. With support from Jack's descendants, Argyle, West Ham United, Barking FC and football fans near and far, the Campaign's pursuit of justice saw the FA award Jack a posthumous honorary England cap, 97 years after his original call-up, to coincide with the statue's grand unveiling. On Saturday, just a few miles from his former home in Gerard Road, Canning Town, Leslie was inducted into the National Football Museum's Hall of Fame in a pitch side ceremony at London Stadium. There, National Football Museum CEO Tim Desmond presented the award to Jack's three granddaughters, alongside West Ham legends Sir Trevor Brooking and Carlton Cole and the team behind The Jack Leslie Campaign. Sir Trevor Brooking, West Ham United legend, said: "Jack was a lovely man who would do anything for you, and I am delighted to see him honoured with this special induction into the National Football Museum Hall of Fame. "Jack's story serves as an important reminder of the discrimination that Black players have suffered in years gone by, and it shows how they paved the way for those who followed them to be treated equally and become heroes, judged on their ability and skill rather than the colour of their skin. I'm sure he would be very proud to know that this special honour has been presented at London Stadium, and it is wonderful to have his family and members of the Jack Leslie Campaign here to accept it on his behalf." Another West Ham United playing hero, Carlton Cole, who attended the unveiling of the statue in Jack's honour at Home Park last year, added: "This is a fantastic way to honour the memory of Jack Leslie. "West Ham United is a Club that is extremely proud of our diverse and inclusive background, something that stretches back for so many years, and Jack will forever be remembered as a key figure in our history. It is very poignant for Jack to receive this honour ahead of a designated Premier League No Room for Racism match as it reinforces a vital message and ensures that younger generations continue to be educated and inspired by his story." Matt Tiller from the Jack Leslie Campaign said: "We are delighted that fans from across the football community have responded positively to Jack's story, and none more so than fans of Argyle where Jack played professionally and West Ham where Jack was welcomed and still remembered fondly by legends such as Clyde Best and Sir Trevor Brooking. His induction into the NFHM Hall of Fame is a great honour, welcomed by the Campaign and Jack's family." The National Football Museum Hall of Fame aims to celebrate and highlight the achievements of those who have made an outstanding contribution to football. Judges voted unanimously to induct Leslie in recognition of his stellar career and important story, laying foundations for the ethnically diverse sporting community of the future. Tim Desmond, Chief Executive of the National Football Museum, said: "In 2019 we relaunched the National Football Museum Hall of Fame to be more representative of stories that are part of the holistic importance and significance of football, rather than just excellence in the sport. Since then, the museum researched stories such as Jack's and many other players that acted as true trailblazers. We are delighted now to induct Jack into the Hall of Fame; he was truly a forerunner and now takes his rightful place amongst the greats of the game." The Hall of Fame, supported by the Professional Footballers' Association, celebrates the achievements of those who have made an outstanding contribution to the game, either on or off the pitch. 11th
Argyle: Burton, Gillesphey, Wilson, Butcher, Edwards (Bolton), Hardie, Miller (Mumba), Cosgrove, Randell (Matete), Lonwijk, C Wright (Azaz). Substitutes (not used): Parkes, Mayor, Waine.
Schumacher made eight changes to the starting 11 that began the previous Saturday's 1-0 defeat at Sheffield Wednesday, but if anyone had questioned that call, a victory was all the justification the boss needed. "It shows how strong the squad is" he said. "People might have raised a few eyebrows before the game: 'oh my God, eight changes.' Two of them were enforced, in Michael Cooper and Dan Scarr. There's two changes straight away. The two centre forwards are our leading gold scorers. Mickel Miller is a signing that we've been desperate to get on the pitch. I'm not putting people in here who are unproven. Adam Randall's been one of our most consistent players. Whatever team we pick, first and foremost, they give us everything they've got. I'm comfortable in their ability. Whatever team that we pick, we do it for a reason. I suppose that's what I get paid for. Callum Burton was excellent. He deserved a clean sheet. His distribution was good, his decision-making was really good. We are gutted we've lost Michael, but we've got a brilliant number two, who is now number one. Matt Butcher has come in, I thought he was brilliant. I've had a couple of tough conversations with him in the last few weeks, saying: 'you're missing out on the squad, you're not on the bench.' It really is hard cause he's one of the best trainers at the club. His attitude, the way he is around the lads. He's a brilliant professional. I'm really pleased for Callum, really pleased for Butch, really pleased for Mickel - and everybody who came into the team."
As soon as the news broke than Mike Cooper's season was over because of his ACL injury, attention turned to Burton, but despite only playing a handful of games since arriving at Argyle in the summer of 2021, 26-year-old Callum has experience of a promotion whilst number one goalkeeper at Cambridge United, and has shown in his appearances in cup action that he is an accomplished stopper. When his name was read out in the team read before the match, his name was met with a roar of encouragement. "The support's been unreal," he said. "I've been getting messages from last Saturday, all the way up until a few hours before the game from every reach of people. I had one from an Argyle fan from America saying: 'good luck from across the pond.' It's such a special fanbase. From the game, the build-up, from everything, you've got the backing of the whole city. Sometimes it can feel like pressure, but it's the pressure you want. You want to have that backing. I've been on the other side of it as well, where you've not got it, so to have the whole city behind you, it's special. It's something that the whole team embraces. We feed off it in the games and it helps us. To have only dropped three points at home all season is a special achievement and I think we can keep it going. There's not many teams that come here and look like they're going to defeat us. Long may it continue." 10th
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The game will take place in front of a sold-out Home Park, with two teams who are very familiar with each other set to lock horns once again. For fans of both sides, the game will seem important, and while Schumacher understands that feeling, he is trying to ensure that he and his squad treat it like any other. Schumacher said: "It's a huge club in Portsmouth where they're going to sell their away allocation. The fans have come in numbers the last few times we've played them here, and we took a load to Fratton Park this season. From that point of view, the game doesn't need a lot of drumming up, it sells itself. For the players, it probably doesn't need a lot of drumming up either. No game does now, because they all understand what's at stake. We can just carry on with the planning. We go through the detail on every team, no matter who we play. We don't over-analyse one team because they're Portsmouth or because they are Sheffield Wednesday, and under analyse somebody else. We plan as consistently as we possibly can, and hopefully we get consistent performances as well." Argyle will be without goalkeeper Michael Cooper for this game, and indeed for the rest of the Sky Bet League One season. Cooper's severe knee injury means an opportunity for Callum Burton, an accomplished, quality, experienced goalkeeper in his own right, to step in. Burton has the confidence of his manager, and his team-mates, according to Schumacher, who also talked of how the group have rallied around Cooper. "I'm gutted he's not going to be part of the team," said Schumacher, of Cooper. "He's been playing so well and over the last couple of years, everyone has seen what type of goalkeeper Michael is. From a team point of view, it is a blow. But personally, as well, I feel for Mike, because he was in an unbelievable rhythm in his career and on an upward trajectory, showing everybody that he's one of the best young goalkeepers in the country. Week in, week out, he's getting better and unfortunately, a real serious injury has happened. I'm gutted for him personally, more than anything. What I have said to him is that he's got all of our support. He's got players around him that have been through this same experience. I have had an ACL injury at the very end of my career and spoke to him about my experiences and how I got through it. Joe Edwards has had it, Jordan Houghton has had it. Michael was in today and Jordan Houghton was in the treatment room talking to him. Hearing how players came back from that injury and what they did to get over it will help Michael, and we'll support him the best way we can. He's only young; I'm confident he'll get through this and he'll come back stronger. He's still play his part, helping Callum from the sidelines. It is a blow, but we'll get over it and we'll survive. We've got a very good replacement in Callum. Every day he trains like a true professional. He shows his quality and pushes Michael every single day. Callum being here for 18 months as well, that gives the rest of the players confidence. They know his voice, they know what he is about. They know what his organisation's like. They know how good he is. He showed on Saturday, when he came on at Sheffield Wednesday, how calm and composed he was in such a big, big game. I've got no worries whatsoever about Callum's capabilities."
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Argyle: Cooper (Burton), Gillepshey, Houghton, Wilson, Scarr (Lonwijk), Edwards (Hardie), Mumba, Azaz, Waine (Cosgrove), Matete, T Wright (C Wright). Substitutes (not used): Randell, Earley.
There is no early word on the severity of the injuries to Scarr and Cooper, although Schumacher did confirm that Scarr had suffered a foot injury, while Cooper's issue is to his knee. Prognoses on the pair are pending. The boss had praise for Callum Burton, coming on in goal for his league debut for Argyle, and Nigel Lonwijk, who replaced Scarr. At half-time, Ryan Hardie and Sam Cosgrove were thrown on to alter Argyle's attacking options, with Callum Wright also being introduced in the second period. Schumacher said "Dan Scarr said he has a problem with his foot. He felt something go pop under his toe when he went up for a header. Michael said it's his knee; it doesn't look too good. He's on crutches at the moment and not moving too well. It might be a serious one, but we don't know until we get a scan next week. It's a real disappointment. Callum's a good goalkeeper. He pushes Michael every day in training, like Michael used to push Alex Palmer every day in training. That's why Michael's performances are so good, because Callum's right behind him. Callum did really well. He looked calm and assured. Everything that he had to deal with, he did. If he has to play a number of games, then so be it. We'll have to assess it. It's too early to make any calls yet on that situation. I thought Sam and Ryan gave us something to build from and gave us a platform. Could we have done that earlier on? Maybe, possibly. Could we have started with that? I don't know. But the way I saw the game going would be to go with energy and then have two goalscorers on the pitch when Sheffield Wednesday give up the most of their chances. We had to make the decision at half-time and I thought Sam and Ryan did brilliantly. They got us into the game, got us up the pitch, Cozzie in particular. He looked a threat and nearly scored with a brilliant effort and we had Ryan's threat on the break. Callum Wright did well when he come on as well." The game was watched by a crowd of over 33,000, including 3,700 of the Green Army. Ultimately, they will have headed home to Plymouth and elsewhere with no points to boast, but judging by their post-match reaction as the players and staff acknowledged the traveling hoards, they appreciated the effort and application of their men in green. "We just didn't manage to get that equaliser that our fans would've loved to have seen," said an equally appreciative Schumacher. "They stayed to applaud the players because they could see the effort that we all put in. Thank you for that, and thanks to all their efforts. We'll try again. Next time we go away from a home, I'm sure they'll follow us again in the numbers. And next week against Portsmouth will be sold out. We'll keep going, keep giving everything for the shirt. We gave it 100%; that's all we can ask for."
The crowd at Hillsborough was over 33,000 on Saturday, and although it was the home fans who emerged the happier, around 3,700 members of the Green Army heartily applauded Jordan and his team-mates after the game, no doubt recognising the team's efforts not just at Sheffield Wednesday, but in the season to this point. The display of green and white in the stadium – before, during and after the game – is not lost on the players, says Houghton. "It's amazing coming in," he said. "We pull up outside and we've got fans there cheering, as early as 1.30pm when we get here. Thank you to them. I think that's probably one of the main disappointments for us that we're clapping the fans at the end knowing that we didn't give them anything to cheer as such. We apologise for that, but I think they knew that the performance we put in warranted a positive reaction from them. We appreciate their support throughout the whole season. It's been brilliant. We're going to need it for the last 17 games. I'm sure they'll carry on with us for the rest of the season." 2nd
Schumacher says he and his team will not be overawed by the crowd or the task. He does, however, accept that the atmosphere presents challenges of a different nature. "It's going to be loud," he said. "You have to pick players who know what they are doing because some of your messages that you're trying to get on can't because of our loud the crowd is. We are used to it. We've grown in confidence as the season's gone on. I think from that very first, huge away win at Derby County where we went there, played really well and got a brilliant result coming from behind, it gave everyone confidence. The players have got that attitude where we believe that if we're at our best, then we're as good as anyone. If we play the way we want to play and if we get the game plan right then then we'll be fine. If everyone works as hard as they have been doing, then we'll always be in the game and with the quality that we've got in in the team, then we've got a chance. It will probably be a slightly different type of game than Ipswich. [Wednesday] have a slightly different style. They don't play out as much from the back as much as Ipswich do although they can still build. They're a little bit more direct because they've got two centre forwards up there who cause real problems. We're understanding that it's going to be backs to the wall in times. We've got to deal with them, we've got to deal with the crowd, we've got to deal with the occasion of a top-of-the-league clash. We'll have a plan as well for when we get it; how can we hurt them? How can we exploit what they're not good at? We know it will be a hard game. We're not going there thinking that we're top so it will all be fine. We'll have to be really good to get anything from the game." Argyle will be backed by an astonishing Green Army travelling support numbering 3,700. It will be the biggest green exodus from Devon for a league game in many a year, and Schumacher expressed his gratitude for the extraordinary turn-out, especially in the face of more than one logistical challenge. "For us to send that many people up there to Sheffield at the weekend is just incredible," Schumacher said. "The trains are on strike. There's an airline gone bust so flights are being cancelled. I'm sure every coach, every minibus, everyone who can drive and doesn't want to drink, will be driving to Sheffield. We can't thank them enough for their efforts. The players don't need telling. They will see it as soon as we pull up at Hillsborough, our fans will be there. As soon as they go out for the warm-up they're there, and when they come out before the game. It will be an amazing feeling, so I know that they'll put in a performance for them."
In the game against Ipswich, Hardie missed a very good chance to score with the game at 0-0. Undeterred, he bounced back to score in his next game, against Cheltenham Town, taking his season's tally to 12. Prior to that, the Scottish striker had suffered – by his standards – a slightly lean spell in front of goal, but this was not something that played on his mind. "I want to score in every game I play in," said Hardie. "If I get one at Sheffield Wednesday, it will be unreal, in the kind of game it will be, the atmosphere it will be. They are the games you want to score in. I went on a bit of slow patch, but I've scored in a couple of games now. When I was going through that stage, I never even thought about the fact that I hadn't scored; I still felt like I was playing well. The gaffer had full trust in me, the boys had full trust in me, that I was bringing other things to the game other than goals. I'm a confident player and when I did go through that stage where I was not scoring as much, I was still thinking that I would score the next chance I had. I think it showed after Ipswich. I missed an absolute sitter then bounced back straight away. It was important for me to do that after missing the chance." It has been two weeks since the Cheltenham game, with Argyle not playing since. The first-team squad, which is looking healthier since some January additions were made, and several players have returned from injury lay-offs, is now large enough that an in-house 11 v 11 game was scheduled for last Friday. Hardie – who points out that he scored in said game – says that the squad depth gives Argyle added options, and he focused on those can particularly aid him in his striking role. He said: "We played a game on Friday and there's two starting 11s that could compete at the top end of League One. Callum Wright makes forward runs in behind, it leaves more gaps for the striker. Finn [Azaz] drops in and gets the ball, plays the ball forward. There's lots of different ways that we can play and the players that have got now just play off each other. There's no weakness in any area, which is important for a squad especially at this time of this season." |
Diary Archive: |
The club have announced the sad passing of former Argyle Director, Colin Sexstone, aged 74. A former RAF Group Captain, Sexstone joined the club on a non-executive basis to support then owner James Brent with rebuilding Argyle post-administration, leaning on his decades of experience in sports governance - including Chief Executive Officer roles at home-town club Bristol City and Gloucestershire County Cricket Club.Greens on Screen is run as a service to fellow supporters, in all good faith, without commercial or private gain. I have no wish to abuse copyright regulations and apologise unreservedly if this occurs. If you own any of the material used on this site, and object to its inclusion, please get in touch using the 'Contact Us' button at the top of each page.