Plymouth Argyle (A)

[Johnnyrotten]

58 minutes ago, desperado said:

Fair play mate for keeping the same argument going 😂

I’ll give you some support too, so you’re not on your own. 😉

There are certain players who, for some fans, just have a black, permanent marker against them, which is just not getting removed, regardless of ANYTHING that they may or may not do in the future. 

Mcatee, Johnston & Sheehan are the ones who spring to mind. Looks like Gale is heading in that direction too.

They are definitely treated differently when they do something wrong/have a bad day.

And when they play well, the same folk don’t come along and say, fair play I may have it wrong, they’re just quiet until the next bad moment comes along.

But I agree with you, other than Dalby at the moment, they’re all inconsistent as fuck! 😂

I tried to back-track on Bonham yesterday. Because I’d given him grief previously. But fair play yesterday he was brilliant. 

I think we need to be a bit more tolerant of all our inconsistent players. 

Yes, spot on.

I appreciate the "support" but no need, I'm used to being a lone voice 😀

Glad you had a great trip though, the support considering it came on the back of 2 crap results, was outstanding.  For context, in one of our Prem seasons we put on free coaches to Birmingham (I took advantage) and we still took a lot less than 1,400 and its only 2 hours away.

[desperado]

Just now, Johnnyrotten said:

Yes, spot on.

I appreciate the "support" but no need, I'm used to being a lone voice 😀

Glad you had a great trip though, the support considering it came on the back of 2 crap results, was outstanding.  For context, in one of our Prem seasons we put on free coaches to Birmingham (I took advantage) and we still took a lot less than 1,400 and its only 2 hours away.

Yeh our support these last few years - post Covid, home and away, has been phenomenal 

[RONNIE PHILLIPS]

2 hours ago, gonzo said:

Anyway less of the player slagging. 

Sam Dalby has been our signing of the season.

Proper line leader.

I was one of those who really doubted him but i doff my cap......he's been a revelation since he got up to speed.

[freds dad]

19 minutes ago, RONNIE PHILLIPS said:

I was one of those who really doubted him but i doff my cap......he's been a revelation since he got up to speed.

I was worried when I first saw him play but as he’s got fitter and we’ve played more to suit him he’s been a great acquisition.

The work he does off the ball is exceptional and long may it continue.

[ianofcleveleys]

47 minutes ago, RONNIE PHILLIPS said:

I was one of those who really doubted him but i doff my cap......he's been a revelation since he got up to speed.

I was starting (only slightly) to doubt my sticking up for him so solidly at one point around Christmas/New Year, when he couldn't get going and the team had no idea how to utilise him. 

Pleased for him now he's proving his worth over an extended period and getting the plaudits. Will end up with as many goals as he managed up North last season, his hold up play and general graft are also really decent.

 

[Traf]

13 hours ago, Mounts Kipper said:

I ain’t been on a coach since Birchys stag doo what a journey home that was. 

I've still got PTSD about that trip.

Telling the driver that the M6 was closed about 20 miles ahead to be told by him "I know what I'm doing" was pretty special, as he proceeded to stay on the motorway and join the queue. Another highlight was the stop at the services just 40 mins from home, folk sitting down for meals, playing fruit machines etc.

 

[Johnnyrotten]

12 hours ago, ianofcleveleys said:

I was starting (only slightly) to doubt my sticking up for him so solidly at one point around Christmas/New Year, when he couldn't get going and the team had no idea how to utilise him. 

Pleased for him now he's proving his worth over an extended period and getting the plaudits. Will end up with as many goals as he managed up North last season, his hold up play and general graft are also really decent.

 

His hold up play is exceptional.  The grim game at Vale was actually one of his best, in that he had about 50 passes upto him to fight for, and he was up for the challenge, taking a battering and coming back for more.  His heading is also the best we've seen in many years, but its rare that he gets the chance to show that skill in an attacking sense due to our poor crossing (I can't recall one cross he could attack in the air in the last 3 games).

I've got to say I've been disappointed with his shooting ability, I'm not sure I've seen him hit a decent shot yet unless I've forgotten a couple and it does limit our goals potential. 

[Mounts Kipper]

35 minutes ago, Johnnyrotten said:

His hold up play is exceptional.  The grim game at Vale was actually one of his best, in that he had about 50 passes upto him to fight for, and he was up for the challenge, taking a battering and coming back for more.  His heading is also the best we've seen in many years, but its rare that he gets the chance to show that skill in an attacking sense due to our poor crossing (I can't recall one cross he could attack in the air in the last 3 games).

I've got to say I've been disappointed with his shooting ability, I'm not sure I've seen him hit a decent shot yet unless I've forgotten a couple and it does limit our goals potential. 

Inverted wingers is the reason he’s not scoring many from headers, imagine him playing alongside a David Lee type he’d score a bagful. 

[Stig]

59 minutes ago, Johnnyrotten said:

His hold up play is exceptional.  The grim game at Vale was actually one of his best, in that he had about 50 passes upto him to fight for, and he was up for the challenge, taking a battering and coming back for more.  His heading is also the best we've seen in many years, but its rare that he gets the chance to show that skill in an attacking sense due to our poor crossing (I can't recall one cross he could attack in the air in the last 3 games).

I've got to say I've been disappointed with his shooting ability, I'm not sure I've seen him hit a decent shot yet unless I've forgotten a couple and it does limit our goals potential. 

Would agree with that and was thankful he wasn't on penalty duty at the weekend!

Maybe Peterborough away is his only proper connection with a shot? Not exactly drilled but a nice connection.

[Stig]

On 01/04/2026 at 17:36, desperado said:

I’ll bow to the superior knowledge on Tolaj and Pepple, too many people including @green genie talking them up for them not to be good-uns.

What I will say, is what a challenge this will be for our “questionable defenders”. What a good opportunity to quieten the doubters by keeping this lot quiet.

I hope they get as much praise, as they have done criticism recently, if they do get a clean sheet and/or contribute to a good result. 

Made a mental note to revisit this comment after the game as thought it would be one of the few games a season we wouod have to defend for significant periods, even if Plymouth went ahead.

As it turned out it was pretty much a full game of defending so well done to the whole backline. Hope that's a proper boost for them to not concede under any pressure and we can build on that for the rest of the season.

[Mounts Kipper]

1 minute ago, Stig said:

Made a mental note to revisit this comment after the game as thought it would be one of the few games a season we wouod have to defend for significant periods, even if Plymouth went ahead.

As it turned out it was pretty much a full game of defending so well done to the whole backline. Hope that's a proper boost for them to not concede under any pressure and we can build on that for the rest of the season.

Perhaps defending and hitting on the break is the way to go…. Worked for Lincoln… think it could be a useful tactic for us as we head into the last few games and play offs… hopefully!🙏 

 

[desperado]

1 hour ago, Stig said:

Made a mental note to revisit this comment after the game as thought it would be one of the few games a season we wouod have to defend for significant periods, even if Plymouth went ahead.

As it turned out it was pretty much a full game of defending so well done to the whole backline. Hope that's a proper boost for them to not concede under any pressure and we can build on that for the rest of the season.

Great post.

In a period where the defence had come under intense scrutiny and (IMO) unnecessary criticism, what a great response. 

As you say, let’s hope they all take a massive amount of confidence from that.

The most typical and annoying thing would be to lose Monday, concede a couple of scrappy mistakes, Johnston (with Conway not covering) responsible for one and Bonham the other after a mixup with Sheehan 🤣 - we’d be back to fending off the haters and scratching our heads at the inconsistencies of it all. 

[Johnnyrotten]

2 hours ago, Mounts Kipper said:

Inverted wingers is the reason he’s not scoring many from headers, imagine him playing alongside a David Lee type he’d score a bagful. 

Correct.  SS could at least mix it up and give the opposition something to think about, but he's as predictable as IE in that respect, wingers play on their "wrong" side or not at all so the opposition can plan for that.  And we see the poor standard of crossing and the number of wasted shots.

[masi 51]

29 minutes ago, desperado said:

Great post.

In a period where the defence had come under intense scrutiny and (IMO) unnecessary criticism, what a great response. 

As you say, let’s hope they all take a massive amount of confidence from that.

The most typical and annoying thing would be to lose Monday, concede a couple of scrappy mistakes, Johnston (with Conway not covering) responsible for one and Bonham the other after a mixup with Sheehan 🤣 - we’d be back to fending off the haters and scratching our heads at the inconsistencies of it all. 

This is what frustrates the hell out me. The defence draws a lot of criticism because it deserves it at times. Bonham rooted to his line while all the defence are caught upfield every corner. Toal and Johnston tippy tappy getting nowhere and being picked off by overloaded midfield,

Friday our defence  stayed more as a unit, Bonham only exposed once and a great safe from him. No tippy tappy football. Same players,same system but one is how Lincoln has played all season and one that we have played the Majority of the season.

It is not a headscratcher it is the same players playing two ways......And i thought Rodrigues was good beside Sheehan knocking some great long balls into the channels, and he has a nasty streak not many of those technical players have.

Edited April 5 by masi 51

[frank_spencer]

4 hours ago, Traf said:

I've still got PTSD about that trip.

Telling the driver that the M6 was closed about 20 miles ahead to be told by him "I know what I'm doing" was pretty special, as he proceeded to stay on the motorway and join the queue. Another highlight was the stop at the services just 40 mins from home, folk sitting down for meals, playing fruit machines etc.

 

Coach for the Middlesbrough final in Cardiff, driver stop for a pee break told everyone there's enough time for a piss and grab a snack from the shop. Every fucker but my brother and his mates back on the coach in 10 minutes. I was despatched to find them, they were sat down having a Full English. 

[Johnnyrotten]

3 hours ago, Stig said:

Would agree with that and was thankful he wasn't on penalty duty at the weekend!

Maybe Peterborough away is his only proper connection with a shot? Not exactly drilled but a nice connection.

Yes that was a tidy finish with his right foot I think but no backlift at all, he didn't  have to generate any power or strike through the ball.  I don't think I've ever seen him pull his foot back and hit a ball with any conviction.  I'm not checking his Dundee Utd goals but from memory I don't recall any being like that either.  

[Johnnyrotten]

3 hours ago, Stig said:

Made a mental note to revisit this comment after the game as thought it would be one of the few games a season we wouod have to defend for significant periods, even if Plymouth went ahead.

As it turned out it was pretty much a full game of defending so well done to the whole backline. Hope that's a proper boost for them to not concede under any pressure and we can build on that for the rest of the season.

I think the last time we had to "defend" as opposed to chasing a goal, we also managed it successfully - at Wimbledon.  Arguably throw in Wigan away too, maybe Stevenage when it was a physical assault at times.  Lincoln away only conceding one despite being very much 2nd best.  

Not sure what the conclusion is, other than we've done it before, we don't always concede when under pressure, we are more likely to concede when under little pressure (Blackpool, Rotherham, Port Vale etc).  And not forgetting there are 2 teams involved, if Plymouth didn't fluff their big early chance yesterday it could have been another game similar to Rotherham, Vale and Reading.

[ianofcleveleys]

5 hours ago, Johnnyrotten said:

His hold up play is exceptional.  The grim game at Vale was actually one of his best, in that he had about 50 passes upto him to fight for, and he was up for the challenge, taking a battering and coming back for more.  His heading is also the best we've seen in many years, but its rare that he gets the chance to show that skill in an attacking sense due to our poor crossing (I can't recall one cross he could attack in the air in the last 3 games).

I've got to say I've been disappointed with his shooting ability, I'm not sure I've seen him hit a decent shot yet unless I've forgotten a couple and it does limit our goals potential. 

Know what you mean, there's a certain type of goal he scores, flicks, taps, bundles-in, not really someone who's going to run onto one and smack it in from 18 yards.

If we feed him enough of that diet he'll make his contribution, we need others to chip in with some of the penalty box blasters, or the ones he sets up with a lay off or flick on.

[gonzo]

7 hours ago, Traf said:

I've still got PTSD about that trip.

Telling the driver that the M6 was closed about 20 miles ahead to be told by him "I know what I'm doing" was pretty special, as he proceeded to stay on the motorway and join the queue. Another highlight was the stop at the services just 40 mins from home, folk sitting down for meals, playing fruit machines etc.

 

When we pulled in at Sandbach I genuinely thought we were pulling in to Charnock and he was going through that back road.

When he said he needed to pull off for his tacho I could've broken every bone in his face and set fire to the coach.

 

[desperado]

14 hours ago, masi 51 said:

This is what frustrates the hell out me. The defence draws a lot of criticism because it deserves it at times. Bonham rooted to his line while all the defence are caught upfield every corner. Toal and Johnston tippy tappy getting nowhere and being picked off by overloaded midfield,

Friday our defence  stayed more as a unit, Bonham only exposed once and a great safe from him. No tippy tappy football. Same players,same system but one is how Lincoln has played all season and one that we have played the Majority of the season.

It is not a headscratcher it is the same players playing two ways......And i thought Rodrigues was good beside Sheehan knocking some great long balls into the channels, and he has a nasty streak not many of those technical players have.

A good post, lots of which I agree with. Where our vulnerabilities are, how we countered that (to a degree) Friday and a great point you make (which has been largely ignored) with your comment about Rodrigues positive contribution.

One aspect I’m still not convinced on, is your insinuation that if we’d adopted that different style more often, we’d have had more success mitigating our defensive frailties.

SS after the game referenced not enjoying having to rely on Plymouth missing chances, but accepted that we were forced into letting them have the ball in dangerous areas. As you allude, with men behind the ball we made it difficult for them, but on another day we could have found ourselves in deficit by one or two goals.

I still maintain the defence hasn’t been too bad (our goals against tells us that). Not just on Friday (although that was the best example) but on other occasions too, we’ve seen our defensive unit help us win the points we have done this season.

Another massive reason we won Friday is that we scored two types of goals we don’t usually score. That’s the big difference for me.

 

 

[green genie]

Dalby has been given your winner rather than OG.

[Stig]

56 minutes ago, green genie said:

Dalby has been given your winner rather than OG.

Fair enough, he's causing the goal to happen and has a tap in if he's not bundled over. Glad we don't have forensic premier league camera angles on it