Derek Adams will manage Plymouth Argyle for the 10th time against Gareth Ainsworth’s Wycombe Wanderers when the teams meet in Buckinghamshire on Saturday.
Adams and Ainsworth share the distinction of being among the 10 longest serving managers out of the 92 clubs in the Premier League and EFL.
Both have led their clubs to promotion out of League Two in recent seasons despite not having the same financial resources as their rivals
Argyle have won two and lost four of their last nine meetings against Wycombe, with each of the last three contests ending in a draw.
Here is what Adams had to say to Plymouth Live football editor Chris Errington at his pre-match Press conference.
CE: Are you surprised at how well Ashley Smith-Brown has done at right-back? He looks an accomplished right-back at the moment
DA: Like I have said before, you don’t know if he’s a right-footer or a left-footer. He’s very good with both feet.
He has been a really good signing for us. We took him from Manchester City in the summer and he has been an accomplished defender at left or right-back this season.
CE: So you always thought he could go in at right-back and do a good job there?
DA: Yes, he has played there before for Manchester City so we knew we were taking a talented player that could play on both sides.
CE: Is he playing with more confidence and belief now?
DA: Not really, no. I think he has always had that. He has played a good number of games this year.
He has been close to being one of the ever presents in the team.
CE: Graham Carey has not got as many goals this season as we are used to seeing from him. Is he trying to hard to score now? Why is he not getting so many goals this season?
DA: Yes, he hasn’t got as many goals but I think he has got 10 assists this season and that is something you need in your team.
Other players can score the goals, but Graham is still contributing a huge amount to the team by giving us assists.
We have got Freddie Ladapo and Ruben Lameiras, but Graham Carey will score goals.
He has had a lot of opportunities but either by good goalkeeping or blocked shots he hasn’t scored.
CE: That was going to be my next question. Graham has got 10 assists. When you have got somebody like that in your team you are always going to have a chance aren’t you?
DA: Yes, you are. As I said right at the start of the season, we have got a front three that any team in this league would like.
We have got Joel Grant, Ryan Taylor and Luke Jephcott backing them up, so we have got six players vying for that position.
CE: If you could get Graham chipping in with the odd goal or two it would be even better.
DA: It would be better for Graham and it would obviously contribute to the side, but to have 10 assists with 17 games to go, I don’t think there will be many players in the league – if any – who have had more assists than him.
CE: We have talked a lot this season about the players not taking their chances in front of goal. You did not have too many clear-cut chances on Tuesday but took them really well. How pleasing was that to see?
DA: The thing about the other night was the domination we had in the game. We had 67 per cent possession.
It was a very tight affair in the middle of the pitch, but the two balls in from Graham Carey.
I think that in any game, when chances become few and far between, it’s important that you have good delivery.
CE: Will there be any changes to the squad at Wycombe on Saturday?
DA: No, it looks like we will have the same 18 that we had the other night.
CE: Any news on the injured players – Conor Grant, Joel Grant and Jamie Ness?
DA: No, they are still in the same situation.
CE: Wycombe are a team we know well from over the last few years.
DA: They have changed their team about a bit. They have added in the summer. We had a good game against them down here earlier on in the season.
We are not too far off them in the league table. We are looking to catch them and possibly go past them.
CE: You have had a lot of games like that recently, against teams in the mid-table, and so far you have been able to beat them.
DA: Going away to Wycombe, it’s always a good venue to play football. The pitch is always in immaculate condition.
We have got players that are really high in confidence. We have got (Antoni) Sarcevic playing off the front at times, or playing in a three in midfield, scoring goals.
It means another team can’t really focus on one individual player for us. We have got a number of players who can influence a game.
CE: Wycombe got promoted last season and are on 38 points now, which is a pretty good effort so far from them isn’t it?
DA: So far. It’s a 46-game season.
CE: You and Gareth Ainsworth are among the 10 longest serving managers in the Premier League and EFL.
DA: It’s a difficult occupation from time to time. There are a lot of managers who don’t get a lot of time to deal with the situations.
A lot of managers get high finance to have a quick fix, and it doesn’t work out for them or they move on.
I think that Gareth has been very loyal to Wycombe Wanderers and they have been very loyal to him.
CE: With the team on a run of four successive wins, the players must feel there is no reason why they can’t add another three points on Saturday.
DA: Yes, that’s right. We have had to play against teams above us in the league and perform well against them.
Coventry City and Walsall are two teams that have been above us, Burton Albion as well, and we have been able to overcome these games.
CE: Is there any change on the January transfer window front?
DA: No, not at this moment in time. It’s the same as I said the other night.
CE: The fans are really keen to see the hashtag
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] and see you add to your squad. They get a bit disappointed when it doesn’t happen.
Are you disappointed it hasn’t happened as yet, or is it just part of the job?
DA: It’s just part of the job. It hasn’t been a very busy transfer window for many clubs.
If there has been transfers you will probably have seen that there has been transfer fees paid.
There has been a number of loan moves but the free agent market hasn’t hotted up yet.
CE: Presumably, you are looking at loans and players who have had their contracts cancelled elsewhere. Is that what you are looking at?
DA: Yes
CE: When you are looking at loans, you are always dependent on other clubs aren’t you?
DA: They have got to be better than we have got at the football club.
We are not just going to take in a loan player to sit in the stand. We need them to come and fight for a starting berth.
There are a number of clubs that do take in loan players just to bolster their squad, but we don’t want to do that.
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Fri Jan 25, 2019 10:54 am
