Sunderland

Elias wrote:

Don't think I've ever seen a substitute goalie come on in 35 years following argyle.
Handball was the turning point

Alan Nicholls replaced Martin Hodge at half time when we were 2-0 (posssibly 3) down at home to Huddersfield in 1994. This was following the double 1-5's that started the season.

I wasn't at that game. Bizarrely at a wedding by the mannadon roundabout

Rickler wrote:

Elias wrote:

I hear a former argyle'personality' is having a stag do in Newcastle tonight........

So is Webb marrying the Captains wife?

Maybe? Not sure if it's a windup

TJOA wrote:

Freathy wrote:

Deep in a relegation scrap in March.  Year on year progress LOL

Didn't you claim we would be relegated by March?

Indeed he/she did!

If not his for debut then it was certainly a very early appearance when Larrieu came on as a half-time sub for Jon Sheffield in a game at Home Park.

bittner came on for mccormick once.

tigertony wrote:

TJOA wrote:

Freathy wrote:

Deep in a relegation scrap in March.  Year on year progress LOL

Didn't you claim we would be relegated by March?

Indeed he/she did!

Yes.  We're doing really well.  We're massive 4 points off the bottom 4 with 11 games to go. But total idiots like you think that's to be expected with crowds of 10k +

Plymouth Argyle are facing an anxious wait to find out the severity of the injury suffered by goalkeeper Kyle Letheren in the 2-0 defeat away to Sunderland.

Letheren had to be replaced by substitute Matt Macey in the 79th minute of the match at the Stadium of Light.

The 31-year-old, so reliable of late for the Pilgrims, could not continue playing because of a groin problem.

Letheren was a dejected figure as he slowly made his way off the pitch.

It was 1-0 to Sunderland at the time, and the hosts added a second goal in the 87th minute with a low finish from skipper George Honeyman past Macey.

Letheren’s enforced substitution came shortly after centre-back Niall Canavan had taken a goal kick for him

Argyle manager Derek Adams said: “He has got a groin problem. He was struggling so we had to change him with Matt Macey.

“We will obviously have to assess him for the next period of time.”

Macey was Argyle’s first choice ‘keeper from the start of the season up to and including the 2-1 defeat away to AFC Wimbledon on Boxing Day.

Letheren then came into the side for the 1-1 draw at Burton Albion on December 29 because Macey was injured.

He has retained his place ever since, making 11 successive appearances for Argyle, even though Macey, the loan signing from Arsenal, was only out injured for a couple of matches.

Letheren continued to impress against Sunderland, making a superb double save from Aiden McGeady and Will Grigg just before half-time.


Adams said: “He didn’t have a lot to do today. He made a couple of good saves.

“I don’t know how many shots on target they had today, Sunderland, but I don’t think it would have been in double figures, which is quite surprising when you come here.”

Letheren also needed treatment from Argyle physio Paul Atkinson in the first half but that was an unrelated problem to his groin injury later on.

Argyle return to League One action next Saturday when table-topping Luton Town are the visitors to Home Park.

Whether Letheren will be fit for that match or not remains to be seen.

akagreengull wrote:

Jethro wrote:

Personally rather see Cooper given a run if we are without Kyle,
Macey is shite,

Agree completely, but guess he will be destined for a loan to Dorchester Town or Truro, such is the Adams way.

Yeah its a shame and we will get those who say he's too young , not experienced enough etc,

Super Luke did alright when we was without Romain,

Lightning could strike twice,


I really don't get what Arsenal see in Macey tbh.

But then again that's the problem when you hoover players up to stop them going to Chelski,

The gas must have been laughing all the way to the bank with that deal in their backpocket...

Even a mate of might whos a massive Aviva can see he's shite, only took him half a season to listen to me....

Freathy wrote:

tigertony wrote:

TJOA wrote:

Freathy wrote:

Deep in a relegation scrap in March.  Year on year progress LOL

Didn't you claim we would be relegated by March?

Indeed he/she did!

Yes.  We're doing really well.  We're massive 4 points off the bottom 4 with 11 games to go. But total idiots like you think that's to be expected with crowds of 10k +

BUT you said we would be relegated by March and we are not. Simples really - even to ''total idiots like you''

I've just seen the Top 5 away fans count for our division today:

1,726 - Plymouth Argyle at Sunderland
1,184 - Walsall at Burton
1,101 - Charlton Athletic at Doncaster
1,015 - Coventry City at Accrington
556 - Wycombe Wanderers at Peterborough

That's a fair old turn out for an extraordinarily long old poke.

It has set me wondering though.

Clearly our fans have been inspired to travel in unusually large numbers to this game. Why is that?

I guess the geography makes it a magnet for those who might now live in Scotland or elsewhere in the far north. This in turn is an aspect of us having so many fans spread around the country which in turn suggests a lack of opportunity to pursue their chosen careers in or around Plymouth.

Sunderland isn't a huge one-off attraction like, say, the trips to Anfield or Arsenal were. For a start they aren't a Liverpool or Arsenal in terms of history. Sunderland are basically a top flight yo-yoer like Ipswich, Fulham or West Brom and nobody gets over-excited about us playing them.

The SoL is obviously a massive stadium so 1700+ can (and obviously did) get in and should they wish to many more could have but is there really any real excitement in sitting in a ground with masses of empty seats? Not really. There wasn't when I did just that at the Ricoh, MK Dons or Mad Stad back along.

Then there's the 92ers. Sunderland is a place we don't get to that often so the completists will want to get it ticked off while they can.

I'm very conflicted about it. In some ways the impressive size of our support shows a glimpse of just what might be possible for Argyle if we ever really do kick on. Equally it is a symptom of why we never have. Today's match probably ranks as an 8 or 8.5/10 on the Glamourous Scale for us but it should be no better than a 7/10 (I hope that makes sense).

Just as I liken Sunderland to Ipswich, Fulham and WBA then that is the level I hope, expect would be too strong a word, to see us playing at and we're miles off and not exactly roaring forwards towards it. If we were the trip to Sunderland would not be a one-off chance to tick a box: if we didn't go this time then there's next time - except next time for us now could be years away and we all know it. Hence the impressive number of travellers.

Why? Because we are not going to be in the same division as Sunderland with anything like the regularity, or likelihood, that we will be in the same division as Wycombe Wanderers or Walsall in the next few years.

Anyway credit to those who went. They all invested a huge amount of time, if nothing else, and probably a substantial amount of money on the trip too. I hope they enjoyed the experience and, despite the result, I don't suppose they are that disappointed because they probably travelled more in hope than expectation.

Which defines us as a club when it come down to it.

Will that ever change?

Will any of us ever change?

At least we didnt get mullered but the loss of Kyle for any period of time could be season defining.
Those comments from Adams are shocking re no money for flights or trains just where the hell is the money all going. Nahh we know Brent you fecked up so badly over contractors costs that Halletts original loan is nowhere near enough for your mankover so the playing side suffer
Useless twat

harvetheslayer wrote:

At least we didnt get mullered but the loss of Kyle for any period of time could be season defining.
Those comments from Adams are shocking re no money for flights or trains just where the hell is the money all going. Nahh we know Brent you fecked up so badly over contractors costs that Halletts original loan is nowhere near enough for your mankover so the playing side suffer
Useless twat

It's certainly a head scratcher!

So once again the question needs to be asked - where is the money going?

HALLETTS/BENTS - nothing has changed.

Sir Francis.....you say, "A lack of opportunity to pursue their careers in and around Plymouth!".

This was very evident around the London area in the early 1970's (even before Thatcher swelled the London greens support)....there was so many of us on the terraces at south east games, that Geoffrey Luke started to talk to use about forming a London supporters club.....and so it was that we met at the......Ordnance Arms, 29 Ordnance Hill, St Johns Wood, NW8, on Wednesday 30th June 1976 at 8pm and set up PASALB.

So that was nearly 43 years ago.....you can tell the state of the UK's economy by counting the membership numbers as it ebbs and flows as young people sought work away from Plymouth and at other times returned to the west country when jobs became more available. Many got married over the years and put down permanent roots around London and although generally still followed Argyle their offspring didn't having the same allegiance with Plymouth....my son and grandson have been Charlton season ticket holders for awhile now....and I sometimes pop along with them especially when Argyle turn up....and result wise that has been painful in recent years.

BBC SPORT
Lee Cattermole and George Honeyman were on target as Sunderland kept up their pursuit of automatic promotion from League One with a win over Plymouth.
With Barnsley having beaten Southend in the lunchtime game, Sunderland kicked off knowing they could ill afford to lose any ground on the two teams above them.
Celtic loanee Lewis Morgan began brightly down the right, seeing an early shot deflected over and failing to find the target for a second time midway through the first half, and Plymouth goalkeeper Kyle Letheren was called into action for the first time when Jimmy Dunne headed Grant Leadbitter's corner into his midriff.
Letheren was tested again shortly after, turning Aiden McGeady's low effort around the post, but the visiting shot-stopper could do nothing as Cattermole broke the deadlock shortly after the half-hour mark.
Morgan's low cross was deflected into Cattermole's path, and the midfielder fired home from the centre of the penalty area.
Plymouth failed to create anything in the first half, but the visitors thought they should have had a penalty after the interval when Tom Flanagan appeared to block Gary Sawyer's shot with his arm.
However, the game was settled with three minutes left as Honeyman swept home McGeady's left-wing cross.
Report supplied by the Press Association.

It always makes me laugh when people talk about fans going to an away game being “a magnificent effort” or they deserve “huge credit”.

FFS, they’re not donating a kidney. They’re going on a Jollyboys away day. It’s a social occasion FFS.

Agreed. Spending nine or ten hours on the motorway with two or three mates used to be a right crack when I was in my early twenties although I must admit it turns me right off, nowadays I'd only do a long distance trip if I were to make a weekend of it.

Jethro wrote:

akagreengull wrote:

Jethro wrote:

Personally rather see Cooper given a run if we are without Kyle,
Macey is shite,

Agree completely, but guess he will be destined for a loan to Dorchester Town or Truro, such is the Adams way.

Yeah its a shame and we will get those who say he's too young , not experienced enough etc,

Super Luke did alright when we was without Romain,

Lightning could strike twice,


I really don't get what Arsenal see in Macey tbh.

But then again that's the problem when you hoover players up to stop them going to Chelski,

The gas must have been laughing all the way to the bank with that deal in their backpocket...

Even a mate of might whos a massive Aviva can see he's shite, only took him half a season to listen to me....

because goalkeepers dont peak till they hit mid to late 20s not even the ones who are playing now are at their full ability. Given how shit our defence is still despite a run of good form no young keeper is going to do much better than Macey not even De Gea or even Cooper and that Wolves keeper that was here till he was injured in pre season.

Macey has the tools a goalie needs just not the experienced head at his young age which fortunately for us Letheren does which has been a big benefit for us and credit to him he has grab his opportunity to show what he can offer next season as im sure Del will be signing him up along with i hope a permanent keeper who is ready now aswell as Cooper who is under contract anyway.
Whatever club Macey ends up at next as he wont be at Arsenal they will work on him and in a few years time he will be a decent keeper and another youngster argyle fans say is shit here but excels elsewhere.

as for Cooper is still a pup and not ready to be thrown to the wolves in a relegation fight which i see some are calling for nor is macey but thats what you get when you dont invest in a transfer budget so have to sign young keepers on loan isnt it Brent. It will harm him more than benefit his development putting him in now McCormick was fortunate to have Worrall, Coughlan, Gilbert and Wotton in front of him which was the best defence a teenager could have and he was better for it despite a few wobbles. Copper isnt McCormick and caravan and slow edwards would expose him too much.

tigertony wrote:

Freathy wrote:

tigertony wrote:

TJOA wrote:

Freathy wrote:

Deep in a relegation scrap in March.  Year on year progress LOL

Didn't you claim we would be relegated by March?

Indeed he/she did!

Yes.  We're doing really well.  We're massive 4 points off the bottom 4 with 11 games to go. But total idiots like you think that's to be expected with crowds of 10k +

BUT you said we would be relegated by March and we are not. Simples really - even to ''total idiots like you''

Top banter from Captain Banter!

Earwegoagain wrote:

Agreed. Spending nine or ten hours on the motorway with two or three mates used to be a right crack when I was in my early twenties although I must admit it turns me right off, nowadays I'd only do a long distance trip if I were to make a weekend of it.

Our trip for 5 from Sherborne area was called off on Thursday so was shocked to hear my son decided to set off on his own at 5am, just made the game then drove back and got in at 2am - don't think he'll make the pub today!!

What are we looking at points wise to avoid relegation. Are we looking at 52/53/54/55/56 + to be sure of staying up.

Next weekend sees another tough game. Need to get something from that.

VillageGreen wrote:

What are we looking at points wise to avoid relegation. Are we looking at 52/53/54/55/56 + to be sure of staying up.

Next weekend sees another tough game. Need to get something from that.

That's likely to be the target required. Or something like it. It certainly won't be any higher than 56 and could be lower than 52.

4 more wins should do it.

Here's the points total for the 4th from bottom team in the last few seasons.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

History suggests 51 points are required to be sure to stay up.

We have 41 points with 11 games to go.