Hargreaves 'Gets It'

I only hope that Fletch and Deehan have a look at today's Herald (that's if Fletcher can read?)-

Quote :

FORMER Plymouth Argyle star Chris Hargreaves wants his former club to go for broke as they battle for Football League survival.

Hargreaves, a talented midfielder, was a regular with the Pilgrims from 1998 to 2000.

​He believes the time for caution, with 10 matches left for the Greens to save their Football League skin, is over.

Argyle are second-bottom and three points adrift of safety and are in danger of ending an 80-year history in the Football League.

The Pilgrims' position in League Two was made more precarious by Northampton Town's 1-0 win at bottom club Dagenham and Redbridge on Tuesday night.

That result edged Town – once a seemingly permanent fixture in the bottom two – a little further away from the bottom two.

Argyle are three points behind third-bottom Hereford United and Macclesfield Town, who are a place above the Bulls.

The Pilgrims face two potentially crucial home games against Shrewsbury Town on Saturday and Bristol Rovers on Tuesday evening.

Hargreaves admitted: "It's looking perilous – if you look at previous years they're probably going to need 48 or 49 points to stay up.

"With 10 games left and with Argyle on 32 points, they're probably going to need 16 points, which is a big ask, although I'm the eternal optimist."

Hargreaves, who has made no secret of the fact that he would like to manage Argyle one day, said he would change the team's present 4-4-2 formation into a more attacking 4-3-3.

He said: "I know it's difficult to play football when you're down at the bottom and you're worried about your future.

"I know because I've been there and it isn't nice.

"The club has got great support, but it won't be the fans who get the team over the line, it's going to be the players and the managers.

"My view is that the only thing to do is to go for it, because it's getting too late for caution."

Hargreaves' career includes two successive promotion seasons out of the Conference – now the Blue Square Premier.

He captained Torquay to the Conference play-offs during the 2009/10 season, which the Gulls won.

Hargreaves then spent a season with Oxford United, who were also promoted to the Football League.

He said: "Don't get me wrong, because I'm keeping everything crossed that Argyle do survive.

"Going out of the Football League is an awful thing to happen.

"But if the worst does happen, then I am sure Argyle will bounce back up, either the following season or the one after that.

"Some clubs would be in the wilderness for years, but Argyle is such a big club, with such a lot of support, that I'm sure they wouldn't be down for very long."

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Where the hell was he when Newell was saving the club?

Iggy wrote:

Where the hell was he when Newell was saving the club?

So, an inexperienced wannabe manager advising another inexperienced manager how to run his campaign. There are lots on the terraces who could do the same.

knecht wrote:

So, an inexperienced wannabe manager advising another inexperienced manager how to run his campaign. There are lots on the terraces who could do the same.

Sometimes though, knecht, inexperienced individuals can be correct. This is one of those occasions.

I agree. Some of those who have been there, done it and are "experts" are actually boring old farts who are stuck in the past and their own self-importance. That applies in any field!

My point was more to say that there are many people - of all levels of 'expertise' - who would have suggestions to make about the rest of the season. The real task is to get those suggestions applied on the pitch.

The difference between our current inexperienced manager and Hargreaves is our current clueless wonder has been heavily involved in two and probably three consecutive demotions. Hargreaves has been involved in two promotions from the Conference. Who has the better idea of how to operate at this level?????

'There's only one Chris Hargreaves, there's only one......'

Let's not confuse CH's "going for it" and the "we should have gone for it and backed Ollie". They are 2 completely different things, what CH is talking about is that the team walks off the pitch at the end of the game with a defender or two with a bandage round their heads, the midfield sink to their knees in utter exhaustion, one of the wingers vomits from over exertion the physio's concerned patching up cuts and bruises, stretching hamstrings the battle worn and bruised team limp off the pitch to the cheers of the appreciative fans.
The reality is that we are not trying hard enough, I can handle being outplayed by a better team, just don't give up now, which it what it feels like.

This is probably treason, but I think Chris Hargreaves is the best match summariser we get on Radio Devon, articulate, knowledgeable and funny.

Despite the title ('Where's your Caravan' ...), I keep meaning to get round to reading his book.

Peggy wrote:

This is probably treason, but I think Chris Hargreaves is the best match summariser we get on Radio Devon, articulate, knowledgeable and funny.

Despite the title ('Where's your Caravan' ...), I keep meaning to get round to reading his book.

I've got a copy, Peggy. it's a very good read - not enough lower league players put pen to paper when their career finishes, and it's strange that two of the best are former Argyle and Torquay wingers , Chris Hargreaves and Garry Nelson; Nelson's two 'Left Foot...' books are right up there in terms of sporting autobiographies, too.

If you want to borrow my copy, drop me a PM and I'll pop it up to you.

With his record of getting promoted out of the BSP he could be invaluable next season